Shades of Gray (52 page)

“Idea interesting,” said Giyarishis. “You got six months?”

“What you’re suggesting is wrong,” said Zayshul.

“Why?” asked Kezule. “They came here, not openly as soldiers to fight us, but covertly. They killed your Emperor and his family, apart from Zsurtul. Killed several loyal advisers and half of my sons and daughters. They have no rights.”

“We can’t win a head to head fight with them, Zayshul, so we have to use every means we can. And if saving lives means doing it with drugs and poisons, then so be it,” said Kusac.

“Find me something, anything, I can use against them!” said Kezule.

“A compound I work on to strip memories from them,” Giyarishis said. “They forget all—dreams of conquering, hate of Sholans, all gone.”

“Does it work?”

“On computer, yes. Blood samples I need to test.”

“We can get plenty of those from the M’zullians in the cells. If you can combine that research with the one to strip them of their extra abilities, then do it,” said Kezule. “I want you to work on it too, Zayshul. We need every advantage we can get if we’re to survive.”

“What you’re trying to do is tantamount to genocide! I won’t be a party to this.”

“They’re not a species, Zayshul, they’re only a caste,” Kezule said.

“They’ve survived for fifteen hundred years without the other two castes,” she said. “We’re the ones dying out, not them!”

“To go back to what I was asking,” said Kusac, “are there any drugs we can use to make them tell us the truth? Maybe one of your anesthetics?”

“No, nothing,” said Zayshul. “All our anesthetics sedate us completely.”

“Then we’ll have to stick to doing it the old fashioned way,” he sighed, pushing himself out of the chair. “I’ll leave you two to it then. I’m going to get second meal and then head back down to the cells and start working on the other two prisoners.”

 

Zayshul waited till Kusac had left, then turned on Kezule. “What have you been doing or saying to him, Kezule? He’s become harder these last few days. I don’t like it.”

“I’ve done nothing to him. He’s a Warrior, Zayshul. That means he does have a darker side. Some people never find it, others only when they need it, and right now, we need to use that darker side of ourselves.”

“I don’t like it,” she said stubbornly.

“K’hedduk’s harem you like less, or being dead,” said Giyarishis. “Your daughter he will slaughter if he gets in power again here. Get blood samples, more la’quo stones, I do research, find you drug to use.”

 

It was their regular weekly meeting day, and this time, they’d gathered in Lijou’s office.

“The first item on the agenda is one that troubles me somewhat,” said Lijou. “Once again, two seemingly unrelated events are coming together. L’Seuli has requested that we send one of our priests to K’oish’ik to help King Zsurtul replace the former cult of Emperor worship with a more suitable one, namely an Earth or Fertility Goddess.”

“I take it the other item is this book Sorli found,” said Noni, picking up one of the sheets of paper in front of her.

“Yes. The salient points are on the first page of the notes you all have for this meeting,” said Lijou.

“It says here that the justice of L’Shoh is meted out by a sword,” said Conner quietly. “Is this true?” A familiar feeling was slowly stealing over him as memories began to stir and shift. It was as if his mind were searching for the right one, and while it did, time seemed suspended, waiting for the revelation.

“Yes, L’Shoh’s symbol of Justice is indeed a sword, one that cuts away the lies to get to the heart of the truth,” said Rhyaz absently as he read the notes.

Merlin
. . . It was only a whisper from within, but it served to bring back his memories of that time, of another sword bearer and the visions that had plagued him not so long ago.

“I must go,” Conner said, his mind still on the visions that had sent his ancient Welsh predecessor mad. “I helped one sword bearer in the distant past; now I must do so again.”

“Why must it be you?” asked Noni.

“If I don’t go, the warning that tormented my predecessor fifteen hundred years ago will not be delivered in time to save them from attack,” he said gently, reaching out to pat her hand.

“Fifteen hundred years ago, you said?” asked Rhyaz, ears pricking toward him.

“Merlin lived about fifteen hundred years ago . . . when on Shola, you were fighting the Valtegans,” he added as suddenly even more became clear to him. “There can be no doubt now. I must go to K’oish’ik and Kusac.”

“Agreed the timing of the visions and our past history is uncanny,” said Rhyaz, “but what makes you so sure that the prophecy in the book Sorli found refers to him, Lijou?”

“Mention of the Entities creating winter in summer, the fact that L’Shoh’s Avatar has been tempered on the Gods’ anvil by losing everything dear to him . . . and is black-pelted. Just odd things like that,” said Lijou with a touch of sarcasm in his voice.

“It also says the Avatar died, and to my knowledge, Kusac is alive and well!”

“Then L’Seuli didn’t tell you the rumors. Kusac did actually die—for all of three minutes, during Kezule’s punishment.”

Rhyaz said nothing, just continued reading. He put the notes down and looked across at Conner. “Tell me again about this vision.”

“Merlin found himself transported to another world,” said Conner. “One with buildings surrounding a central courtyard and overhead, a space station that looked like a spindle. Points of light winked far out in space, and he knew that each one was a ship come to rain fire and destruction on the city below. His guide there became at turns a Sholan like Kusac and a Prime—I know that now because I have seen the Primes, but then he thought they were demons.” He’d half expected to see the vision as he spoke and was relieved when that didn’t happen.

“And the gist of the vision?” asked Rhyaz, clasping his hands and resting his elbows on the table.

“The last person his guide became was Kuushoi. She said they were unprepared for the attack, and many died. They lost what advantage they had over their enemy to the point where defeat was inevitable.”

“The war has changed its focus,” said Lijou. “Even without this vision, we can tell that K’hedduk will concentrate on regaining K’oish’ik. If he does, it will be from there that he attacks us.”

“Raiban is going to love this,” muttered Rhyaz. “She’s already on route to K’oish’ik, ready to insist on taking charge. This will give her even more reason to try to do so.”

“We have to depend on Kezule to be equally determined,” said Lijou. “I’ll have to accept your offer to go there, Conner, I’m afraid. Noni, I am sorry, but . . .”

“There is no other option,” she said, her eyes bright with gathering tears. “Too much of the prophecies overlap for it to be a coincidence.”

Conner felt her distress as sharply as his own and sighed inwardly. This time with her had been an answer to an unspoken prayer, and he wanted it to continue, but again he was called to do the Goddess’ bidding.

“This other sword bearer, Conner—in what way did you help him?” Rhyaz asked, bringing him out of his reverie.

“Merlin was there to teach him that with great power comes great responsibility, that justice without compassion is as bad as no justice, and to try to teach him about Human nature. That was unfortunately the downfall of them both, betrayal by women they trusted.”

“In what way?” asked Lijou.

“Arthur’s nemesis was his half sister, Morgause. She seduced him without telling him of their relationship and bore a son who ultimately destroyed him.”

“Let’s hope that story doesn’t play itself out again,” muttered Lijou. “We do know that the missing cub is Kusac’s son with Carrie but that when he was created, K’hedduk included genetic material from Doctor Zayshul.”

“These are Earth legends, Lijou. There’s no reason to suppose they’ll become ours,” said Rhyaz. “This,” he indicated the notes in front of him, “could all be the ravings of a lunatic. However,” he said, holding up his hand to still the objections, “I will tell L’Seuli to stay at K’oish’ik and warn him of what we’ve discussed here, and we’ll send Conner there. We still have the use of one stealth craft. I’ve been hiding it from Raiban,” he admitted with a slight grin.

“I’m truly sorry, Noni, but I must send him. Conner, be ready to leave from here within two hours.” He looked around the small gathering. “Is there anything else we need to discuss? You all have a copy of L’Seuli’s update from the
Watchers
.”

“I’m already packed, Master Rhyaz. I had a warning last night that I would be leaving today,” said Conner.

Rhyaz blinked at him in surprise but said nothing.

“Something still troubles you, Lijou,” said Noni as Rhyaz prepared to get up. “Out with it, if you please! We need to know anything that might help us at this time.”

“It’s perhaps something, or nothing. There’s an old tale about the end of times in the library here,” said Lijou. “It’s about L’Shoh’s Avatar, called both the Deliverer and the Destroyer. He uses the sword of L’Shoh to cut to the truth of a person and has the ability to travel through the night skies to find them. He appears as all things to all people so none find him strange at first. I find it disturbing to think this may refer to the Avatar judging other species than our own, that he could bring total destruction down on our heads, or be our savior.”

“You worry too much, Lijou,” said Rhyaz, getting to his feet. “We sound as though we’re acting as I’m told the ancient Sholans did, deciding everything on the outcome of the entrails of a chiddoe! You’re reading too much into all this.”

“I hope so,” said Lijou as Conner and Noni got to their feet.

That’s why I’m here—to keep Kusac from losing his way and becoming a destroyer,
Conner sent to Noni as he put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

 

“The corridor tested out as working last night,” said Kezule. “It formed as was expected, and we shot a message capsule with a transmitter on it through. The Ch’almuthians will let us know when it arrives.”

“That is indeed some excellent news to be having, and if all goes as planned, within five more days the new emigrants will be arriving,” trilled Toueesut.“Enjoying exploring your Kij’ik we are General, and our engineers are telling us that we can be getting your cannon working very swiftly. The fighter bay is also being cleared, with the scrap metals being brought here for transportation to your foundries.A fighter of yours will we be needing there, Commander L’Seuli, so the launching gantry can be adapted for them. Same we do for our own fighters being berthed there.”

“Thank you, Toueesut,” said Zsurtul. “That’s good news indeed.”

“We’re still unloading what supplies we were able to get at such short notice,” said L’Seuli. “But building of a reception town has begun, thanks to those people who volunteered to help from the City and from Kij’ik, General. I also have this transcript from the
Watchers
who witnessed the destruction of J’kirtikk,” he added passing a message crystal over to Kezule. “It shows the weapon they used on our two colony worlds in action and being destroyed.”

“Thank you, L’Seuli. Things are beginning to come together,” said Kezule, leaning back in his chair. As he did, it tilted to one side, unbalancing Kezule, who gave an exclamation of annoyance and got hurriedly to his feet.

“I thought I asked you to get this chair fixed, M’kou,” he said, irritated, as he lifted it out of the way and grabbed the one next to it.

“I did, General,” said his son. “Perhaps the floor is slightly uneven there?”

With a hiss of annoyance, Kezule sat down carefully, making sure that this chair was stable. He glowered across the table at his wife.

Kusac hid a slight smile behind his hand as he reached up to scratch an eye ridge and tried not to look across the table to Banner.