Shades of Gray (75 page)

“You are not Speaker,” said Shvosi with studied gentleness. “Do you forget Unity will not respond to you?”

“Insolence!” Zaimiss’ voice thrummed with anger, and he began to stalk toward the podium.

A sudden movement from the side of the room and two guards, one Cabbaran, one TeLaxaudin, moved to block his way.

Khassis got to her feet. “Return to your place, Zaimiss. This behavior not acceptable.”

“Since when we needed guards to interfere in our meetings?” demanded Shumass.

“Since your party abandoned all rules of protocol in Chamber,” hummed Khassis angrily. “Shvosi, if you please?”

“Unity, display current predictions,” Shvosi said, acknowledging Khassis’ request as Zaimiss sulked his way back to his cushions.

The wall behind her came to life, showing a screen of dark, angry colors with a roiling nexus in the center. Even the nearest ribbons of movement were leeched of their color.

“Look at it!” screeched one of the younger Cabbaran members. “Utter chaos! We will be destroyed!”

“Be quiet, Rekkur,” snapped Shvosi. “This not chaos. This is merely potentialities of now while the Hunter is not in the calculations.”

“We should be doing more than sitting here debating,” hummed Zaimiss.

“And what do you Isolationists suggest?” asked Shvosi, sarcastically. “Intervention is against what you believe, is it not? There is nothing we can do but wait for his return.”

“We can get the Hunter Entity back before he tells all,” said Shumass.

“To what purpose?” asked Aizshuss. “He was only once contained because he was actively interfering. Now he cannot. I Speak strongly against that idea.”

“I Second that,” snapped Shvosi. “Maybe, Shumass, we should rename your party the Meddlers since you leave nothing alone! Our purpose is to aid lesser species to survive, promote understanding, and prevent wars, not kidnap and torture them! Yes, we know you tortured the Hunter Entity both times you had him in your control! That was
not
sanctioned!”

“Shvosi, no insults,” warned Khassis, coming forward to take the podium from her. “There is nothing to be done till the Hunter returns, so I will close today’s session. Until then, representatives from each party may study the potentialities if they wish. The Reformists will be first,” she said, acknowledging Shvosi’s gestured request.

 

“That went better than I expected,” Khassis murmured as the chamber slowly emptied. “So good of Zaimiss to play into our hands with his anger. Not so good you lose your temper,” she added, waving an admonitory finger at Shvosi.

“He is such a meddler, though,” said Shvosi, dropping back onto all fours. “But what does this really represent?” she asked, pointing to the screen as Kuvaa trotted up to join them.

“It is showing the potentiality for great chaos,” said Khassis, moving closer to the screen.

“And it involves several species,” said Kuvaa. “They are all interlinked as usual—the Hunters, the Humans, and the four Sand-dweller worlds, even the dead one. Now why might that be involved?”

“I have no idea,” admitted Khassis.

Carrie was fixing herself some coffee later that afternoon when Shaidan, asleep on the sofa, suddenly woke and began to scream. Dropping everything, she ran to the sofa, throwing herself onto it and pulling Shaidan onto her lap. Wrapping her arms around him, she held him close and murmured soothing words.

His body stiffened, back arching till he almost fell off her lap as he let shriek after shriek peal out.

She tightened her grip, pressing the small unyielding body against hers and began to rock him gently, still keeping up the litany of soothing words.

The door burst open, and one of the guards rushed in.

“Get out!” she hissed. “It’s a nightmare, nothing more. And let in no one until I say!”

As he backed out, she called out to the AI, “ZSADHI, reassure those who need it that we’re fine.”

“Yes, Sister.”

Suddenly, his body went limp, and he began to sob uncontrollably.

“Hush, Shaidan. It’s all right,” she said, relaxing her hold and reaching up with one hand to stroke his head. “I’m here, you’re not alone anymore.”

His hands grasped her, holding onto her as tightly as she’d held him moments before. He turned his head, burying it against her chest, and continued sobbing.

With an awful clarity, she realized Kusac hadn’t been exaggerating when he said he was the only stable thing in Shaidan’s world. And now, after turning into a Valtegan, he’d vanished before the cub’s eyes.

“Oh, Shaidan,” she said, rubbing her cheek across the top of his head. “It’s all right. He’ll come back, but you have me, too. Mamma will always be here.” She realized that the distance there’d been between her and Kusac had also been there between her and Shaidan. She’d made no effort to bond with her son until now, and the guilt tore at her as she clutched him every bit as frantically.

Gradually, as his sobs began to lessen, she was able to push aside her guilt.

“That’s better, cub,” she said gently. “I promise you, you’ll never be alone again. We’re your family, and we’ll be with you always now.”

He began to hiccup, gradually relaxing and sitting back from her to rub at his eyes. “I’m sorry I’m being such a baby,” he said quietly.

“You’re not a baby! Seeing what happened to your father would be enough to make anyone cry,” she said, reaching out to wipe the tears from his cheeks and hold him closer. “I’m your mama, and you have every right to come and cry on my lap at any time. We all forget how little time you’ve been awake in our world, but you’re not a baby, you’re almost a kitling in reality.”

“I don’t really know you,” he said with a hiccup.

“I know, and that’s my fault. I promise you, we’re going to get to know each other now.”

“You’ve brought your belongings into the suite,” he said. “And I can smell my father’s scent on you.”

“Your father and I are Leskas again. Do you know what that means?”

He nodded slowly. “It means you share a very close mental Link.”

“It’s more than that. We love each other very deeply, and all our children, and that includes you, Shaidan.”

“But you hardly know me, you said so.”

“I know I love you, and we’ve plenty of time to get to know each other—our lifetimes,” she said, gently touching her nose to his.

The door suddenly burst open, and Kaid came rushing in. “What happened? What’s up with Shaidan?” he asked, running over to them.

“Nothing. Shaidan just had a bad nightmare, that’s all,” said Carrie, signaling him to let the matter drop. “You know Kaid, don’t you, Shaidan? He’s your Triad father. Leskas often form special marriages, and Kaid is the one we chose. Kaid is your other father, that’s why he came here so quickly when he sensed you were upset.”

Kaid knelt down beside them and reached up to ruffle Shaidan’s hair, then gently tweak one ear. “She’s right, cub. Kusac is your biological father, but I’m your father by marriage, and I care about you as much as he and Carrie do.”

“Is the nightmare all gone now?” asked Carrie.

Shaidan nodded, looking dubiously from Kaid to her.

“How about I get you a hot chocolate drink. Would you like that?” asked Kaid.

“Yes, please,” said Shaidan quietly, still holding tightly to Carrie.

Kaid ruffled his hair one more time, then got to his feet and went over to the drink-dispensing unit to fetch a hot chocolate.

“I need your help tomorrow, Shaidan. How would you like to go on a trip to Kij’ik with me? It seems an old friend of yours has reappeared. His name is Vartra.”

Shaidan sat up abruptly. “Go up to Kij’ik? But it’s far away.”

“Not anymore. General Kezule had it brought here to help defend this world. Would you like to come with me?”

The cub looked at him suspiciously. “How do I know we won’t stay there?”

Kaid laughed as he brought the drink back over to him. “You’re obviously Kusac’s son,” he said. “And Carrie’s! You’re as suspicious as both of them put together. We’re coming back because I prefer living on the planet to living on a space station, and we’re waiting for your father to return.”

“Why do you need me to come with you?”

“Because Vartra can be persnickety and may not want to talk to me. However, He does know you, and you’re related to each other.”

Shaidan took the proffered mug and sipped carefully at the hot drink. “Related how?”

Carrie began to laugh gently. “I’m going to enjoy this explanation.”

“Err, well . . . Vartra isn’t quite the same as us,” began Kaid.

Shaidan gave him an old-fashioned look. “Of course he isn’t. He’s an Entity.”

“You know?” Kaid asked in surprise.

“How else could he remain hidden from everyone else?”

“Very true,” murmured Kaid. “Well, a long time ago, he married a female from your family, the Aldatans. Their children were your ancestors.”

“I’ll go with you,” he said, mouth opening wide in a yawn. “If I can sleep here tonight,” he added, his eyes blinking slowly as they grew heavy. He handed Kaid the now empty mug. “Thank you.”

“Where else would you sleep?” asked Carrie, hugging him. “It’s early yet, but if you want to curl up in your pappa’s bed now, you can. Kaid, would you make my excuses to the King and to Rhyaz and Alex, please?”

I’m not leaving Shaidan,
she sent to Kaid as she sensed his hesitation.

“Of course. They’ll understand your place is with your son at this time,” he said, leaning forward to stroke her hair and plant a kiss on her forehead.

Morning came, and the nightmare was still with him. Once again, Kusac tried to retreat from the forefront of his host’s mind. After a breakfast in the Officers’ Mess of mostly cooked food, the Valtegan went to his office and sent one of his underlings for the Inquisitor.

Minutes later, J’koshuk, carmine robes swirling around his booted feet, strode into the General’s small office.

“What do you want, Chokkuh?” he demanded, stopping before the desk. “Some of us have real work to do.”

Chokkuh frowned. He despised the Inquisitor. “Watch your tongue,” he snapped. “This is a military establishment. You will observe the protocols when addressing senior officers.”

“I’m Chief Inquisitor, and you’re interrupting my work. Interrogation is an art form where timing is vital ...”

“I want answers! Locations of the rebel camps!” roared Chokkuh, thumping a fist on his desk for emphasis. “I didn’t give her to you to play with! What have you found out so far?”

“Nothing! I had her softened up last night, ready to start today—only you demanded my presence.”

“Go, get out of here,” said Chokkuh, not bothering to hide his repulsion for the other. War was clean, honorable: kill or be killed. The Inquisitors’ world of torture, spying, and rooting out supposed treachery among their ranks was not.

“Get the information I need as quickly as possible, J’koshuk. If you take too long, the rebels will realize she’s been captured.”

“As you order,” hissed the priest as he left the room.

 

It was late afternoon before Chokkuh went to the interrogation room. Kusac tried to separate his senses from his host’s, but he couldn’t. The metallic scent of blood hit him as soon as the door was opened. This was no sterile, white tiled room as it had been on the
Kz’adul
. The walls here had been coated with a plastic-like surface, and the floor was made of the pressed metal usually found in ship corridors. Here and there, drain holes had been inserted so the floor could be sluiced down.

“Well? Chokkuh demanded.

J’koshuk turned away from the group of people clustered around the figure strapped to the examination table and stepped forward to meet the General.

“She’s given us nothing but old information,” he said. “She’s strong, stronger than the Human males I’ve interrogated. Her pain tolerance is remarkably high.”