strongholdrising (69 page)

"You're too observant," he growled, struggling with her clothes and giving up. "And this has too many buttons. When we get back home, I'm getting you a more practical uniform made, a Sholan one, with sealing strips."
Frustrated, he tugged sharply at the fastenings, sending the remaining buttons skittering across the bathing room floor. "Till then, you can borrow some Juniors tunics and enjoy showing your legs off," he continued, peeling off her soaking garments. Gathering her close, he drew her back into the shower with him and turned the hot water on again.
"My bed was empty without you," he said, catching her earlobe gently with his teeth. "Was yours?"
"Yes. I missed you, Rhyaz."
Prime world, the same day
"Majesty," said Khayikule patiently, "the reason there was no attempt on your life is precisely because General Kezule foiled it by attacking their headquarters!"
"Very convenient. And the reason there's no evidence is because, according to you, he blew the place up!" said Counselor Q'iou sarcastically.
"We can only take the facts into consideration," said Counselor Chysho slowly. "And the facts we have are that Science Director Zhayan accuses the late Naval Director Zsiyuk of attempting to murder him by sending him an explosive parcel. And that Treasury Director Schoudu was injured during an attack on his life and he lays the blame at the door of the same person, who, incidentally was found dead at the site of the claimed secret establishment. Finally, the General has left Prime space, taking a valuable ship and assorted personnel with him. It bears all the signs of a plot."
"We know all that," said Q'iou testily. "What we don't know is how loyal these offspring of the General are! They claim to have stopped a coup, but this could be part of an elaborate plan of their own to put Kezule on the throne!"
"Captain Khayikule is here and he's sworn allegiance to you, Majesty," said Shyadd. "Our orbiting platform is capable of performing a scan that will reveal what's below the ruins of the Directorate headquarters, and Khayikule knows that. I suggest we have this done."
Emperor Cheu'ko'h stirred, looking over at the carmine-robed priest that sat to one side of the conference table. "M'zikk, have your Enforcers question Schoudu and Zhayan but warn them I want no forced confessions, I want the truth. In the meantime, Shyadd, order the scan of the ruined animal breeding center. If secret laboratories existed there, they will show up and the guilt of the two Directors will be confirmed."
"What about the General?" exclaimed Q'iou. "You can't leave him out there somewhere with his own private army!"
"He only took fourteen of his sons and two of his daughters, Majesty," said Shyadd. "And the fourteen troublesome M'zullians. The rest were friends of Doctor Zayshul. Hardly a personal army. I'd be inclined to believe the reasons the General gave. Namely, if he remained here, he was a focus for discontented citizens to rally round. I think we should be trying to find Doctor K'hedduk. As the leader of this group, he is the most dangerous one. If he remains free, then he could well try again."
Emperor Cheu'ko'h picked up the letter that had been left for him by General Kezule and read through it again, especially the portion offering him advice about his counselors.
You can't rule by committee, Majesty. Have one trusted adviser and fire the others— they're too conservative for the changing times in which you now live. And learn to trust your own judgment more.
He'd rather liked the General. A powerful and charismatic male, Kezule had managed not to make him feel intimidated or threatened by his presence. And unlike many of the courtiers that surrounded him, he hadn't wanted to make use of their connection, except in one thing. His choice of wife. Kezule had offered him a bargain— he, the Emperor, had actually haggled with one of his subjects— and he'd quite enjoyed the novelty. And Kezule had kept his word. Standing before him was Kezule's son, the new Captain of his Palace Guard, a guard that the General had promised would be loyal to him alone.
And live in changing times they did, which Shyadd, the replacement for the unlamented Chy'qui, seemed to be the only one to appreciate. His son Zsurtul was on the Sholan world, training with those who'd proved to be their deadliest enemies in the past, at the General's suggestion. Bridges were finally being built with the Sholans. An adviser like him was too valuable to let go.
Empress Zsh'eungee leaned toward him. "Listen to Shyadd," she said quietly. "He's the only one speaking sense. I told you, Kezule spoke to me in the gardens about the danger from the M'zullian Warriors a month ago, before Director Zsoyshuu told us. I trust him, and his wife."
He looked at her, seeing in her eyes a glow that reminded him of their early years together, before the loss of children had taken her youth. That look that had been there since Kezule's wife had visited her only four days ago.
Cheu'ko'h folded the letter and put it down on the table in front of him. "I have spoken, let it be done," he said. "I disagree with General Kezule's concern that he could be a focus for the discontented. I wish him found and brought back to K'oish'ik. His talents are too valuable to be lost to us. Captain Khayikule, you will assume the position the General held, that of commander of the Palace Guard, with the rank of General. I wish this K'hedduk found. I am also raising Councillor Shyadd to the new rank of Prime Counselor. Henceforth, only he will attend me at the daily briefings unless I specify otherwise. You will attend us in our office in fifteen minutes, Prime Counselor Shyadd. This council is dismissed."
He rose, holding out his hand to his wife, pleased that his decisions would evoke a furor among his councillors. General Kezule was right. It was time he did more than just listen to them.

* * *

It had taken him a whole day, but when he pushed the final chunks of masonry aside and the night air hit his sweating face and cooled his aching lungs, K'hedduk finally rested. He tried to stifle his coughs, but the fine dust caused by the explosions was cloying, coating not only him, but the inner surfaces of his nose and mouth. He rubbed his hands in the damp grass, using the moisture to scrub at his face. It gave him some relief, turning the dust into streaks of mud, but at least he wasn't breathing it in any longer. Pushing his briefcase through the gap, he hauled himself out of the ruined building.
That he'd survived at all was a miracle. After pushing Zsiyuk into the path of the attackers, he'd turned and raced for the exit, throwing himself down the stairs toward the lower level where the explosion had been. There he'd scrabbled among the still settling rubble, managing to burrow a cavity large enough to conceal himself in until Kezule's soldiers had detonated the final charge.
While he'd hidden there, he'd faced not only discovery from them, but also from his own guards and staff trapped below. He'd heard them pulling at the rubble almost as soon as he'd taken up his hiding place. They were within feet of him when Kezule had left. Taking ex-Directorate employees with him was not part of his escape plan.
They had made the mistake he'd narrowly avoided himself. They'd gone back into the main corridor, heading for the elevator in the hope they could get out that way. Gunfire, followed by screams of pain and raised voices, had ended with another explosion, then silence. One of the voices had been Sholan. Kezule must have released and armed the male in the lab. He shuddered at the memory of how nearly he'd fallen into that trap. He had a score to settle with Kezule.
K'hedduk started walking. Dawn wasn't far off. It wouldn't be long before the Palace Guard and the Enforcers returned to start excavating the ruins. Checking the time, he calculated how long it would take him to reach his destination, allowing himself time to change into the coveralls in his briefcase. He'd be late, but only by a small margin. It was regrettable, he didn't like turning up late for his shift, the Palace chef had a foul temper.
the
Couana,
Zhal-S'Asha, 22nd day (October)
"You look preoccupied," said Banner, strolling over to his table in the mess and sitting down. "Worried about the briefing?"
"No. I know how that's going to go. More memories," he said.
"What's it this time?"
"Zsurtul's visit to the estate."
Banner frowned. "But that went well."
"On the surface, perhaps it seemed so. I'd gone home for a couple of days and they suddenly sprang the news of his visit on me."
Valsgarth Estate, Zhal-Nylam, 14th day (September)
"I'm not happy about Zsurtul coming here," he said, sitting patiently on the sofa as Carrie lifted a hank of his hair and began to run the brush through it. "His presence will upset too many people, me included."
"Your hair is really long now. I can see the blue sheen in it."
"Don't change the subject. Why do you want to invite him here?"
"He entertained us and I said we'd return the favor," she said patiently, moving the length of his hair aside to brush the shorter ones that grew down the sides of his neck. "Would you have us be less hospitable than him?"
"I can see Kusac's point," said Kaid, coming over with a drink for each of them. He put theirs on the low table beside them. "It might be better to leave it for a week or two." Going over to an easy chair he sat down, sipping the cold drink.
"That's too near my due date," she said. "Anyway, I've already set it for tomorrow. Your parents think it's a great idea. They're coming too."
He stiffened. "You did what?" he asked quietly.
"Kusac..." began Kaid.
"No. I want to hear what Carrie has to say." He could feel his hair and pelt begin to lift.
The brush stopped moving. "You told us Annuur and Kzizysus said you had to come to terms with what happened to you. The meal with Zsurtul went so well that I thought this would be an ideal follow-up. Surely the more you see of them in normal nonthreatening circumstances, the easier it'll be for you to get used to them."
"I don't want to get used to them!" he said angrily, turning round to look at her. "You know how I feel about all Valtegans, Carrie. In the God's name, they tortured your twin to death— and nearly killed you! Have you forgotten so quickly why our Link formed?" His torc began to vibrate gently, warningly, against his neck. Too angry to wonder why, he eased it away from his throat with one hand.
"Of course I haven't," she said, sitting down on the sofa beside him. She put her hand on his knee but he pushed it away.
"I won't have a Valtegan on my estate. You'd no right to make that decision without consulting me!"
"I knew what you'd say and thought..."
"Thought what I felt didn't matter," he said, releasing his torc before getting up and moving away from her. "They set my teeth on edge, Carrie. I don't like them near me. Get on the comm and cancel it now."
"I can't, not with your father coming too," she said quietly. "It'll look like an official snub."
"And entertaining him will look like I'm endorsing their presence here and on Shola! You should have thought this through properly— spoken to me!— before arranging this. Call my father, get him to find you a way out of this."
"I think you're getting things out of proportion, Kusac," she said. "The Primes are totally different from the Valtegans. Yes, all three of us suffered because of Chy'qui's experiments, but he's dead, it's over, and most importantly you've got your Talent back."
"Have I?" He swung round angrily on her, feeling a jolt of pain surge down his spine. He gasped, grabbing hold of the chair back beside him for support, but the pain was short-lived.
"What is it?" asked Kaid, instantly on his feet in concern. "I felt that!"
"It's nothing. Leave me be," he said, waving him away. "I have a form of empathy, but that's all. I can't communicate with you or anyone! Their treatment wasn't as effective as they said. I can't forget or forgive what happened to me on the Prime ship, and they were directly responsible for it. How could they claim we were supposed to be guests and yet hold us captive the way they did? There's no way the Sholan Forces would have allowed Chy'qui the kind of access he had to us for his experiments! They failed to protect us. I won't have him here, Carrie!"
"That pain should be gone," said Kaid. "If you've got it back then something's wrong. You need to see Kzizysus."
"No, I've had enough of doctors to last a lifetime!" Then he stopped. "I'll see him if you cancel this on the grounds I'm ill."
"No," said Kaid before Carrie could speak. "If you want to gamble with your health, then do so, it's your right, but the visit goes ahead as planned. Primes on Shola are a fact of life now, Kusac. You have to learn to live with it, we all have to."
"Then I won't be here," he snarled, stalking out of the den into the garden. "Nor will my daughter!"

* * *

"Kusac!" Carrie called out after him.
"Let him walk off his anger, Carrie," said Kaid, calling Banner on his wrist comm.
"I see him," said Banner's distant voice.
"How's he been at Stronghold?"
"Patchy. He seemed to settle in, went for a picnic with Father Lijou and his mate, and came back to start specialized training with them. He's gotten increasingly short-tempered over the last few days, though. If I'd have to guess, I'd say it isn't working out as easily as he'd thought it would."
"Any of the pain attacks?"
"Not that I know of. You said they were over."
"We thought they were. He just had a minor one."
"I'll watch for them now. He's on his way to the village from the look of it. Gotta go."
The link went dead.
"What do we do?" asked Carrie. "I didn't think he'd react this badly. I really thought that with him getting back his Talent, he'd be more willing to let the past go. Only it doesn't seem to be working out like that," she sighed, leaning forward slightly to ease her back.
"I did say I thought it was a little too soon," he said, going over to her and starting to rub her lower back gently. "If he doesn't go to see Kzizysus, then I'll haul him bodily there myself. I want to know what's happening even if he doesn't. As for tomorrow, leave it as it is but talk to Konis and Rhyasha. Kusac can stay away if he wishes, but I have a feeling Kashini won't want to, and if she's where Zsurtul is, take my word for it, he'll be there." He stopped, leaning over her shoulder slightly. "I hate to say this, but I don't remember you being this large last time, Carrie."
"Don't start! I'm not going through an accelerated pregnancy this time, Kaid! I'm fine. Second cubs are often bigger."
the
Couana,
Zhal-S'Asha, 22nd day (October)
"I know you went to the Cabbarrans' vehicle," said Banner. "What did they say?"
"Not a lot," said Kusac, shifting his position on the hard mess seat. He picked up his coffee. "Only that nothing was wrong, that it was just taking me longer than they thought to come to terms with the past." He remembered the visit now; there had been a surreal quality to it that even its memory evoked. He let it play through in his mind, saying nothing to Banner this time.
Valsgarth Estate, Zhal-Nylam, 14th day (September)
Surrounded by crates, Naacha was waiting for him just inside the air lock of their shuttle. He reared up on his haunches, folding his short forelimbs across his chest. Sunlight coming through the entrance fell on him, turning the swirling blue tattoos on the alien's face almost luminous.
He stopped, eyeing the Cabbaran warily, his anger suddenly dissipated. A vague, half-remembered memory of Naacha warned him to tread carefully.
"The pain came back," he said in answer to the question he knew the other was asking. "I thought I was healed."
Rapid quadrupedal footsteps sounded from inside and Annuur appeared, nosing his way past Naacha. "What matter, Kusac? Why here?" he asked, sitting down.
"I told him. Why doesn't he answer me?" he said, unable to look away from the swirling tattoos. He could swear they were actually moving.
"Naacha talk rarely," said Annuur, glancing obliquely at his crewmate. "Very spiritual, like your priests."
He was aware of what Annuur said, but his whole attention was focused on the patterns as they began to grow larger, gradually filling not only his field of view, but his mind as well.
"Not here, Naacha! Too visible he be here!" he heard Annuur say as if from a great distance. "Bring him inside! Sokarr, Lweeu, get crates moved immediately!"