Without a Front (45 page)

Tal dropped her head, breaking their gaze. “I know. When I think that it's been less than a nineday since I talked to Lanaril and found out what all this meant…”

“Seven days,” said Salomen. “Seven days since I kissed you in the field and thought that perhaps, in time, I could adapt to the idea of you as my tyree. And a few hanticks later I found out that being tyree with you was the smallest of my concerns.”

Once again Tal was reminded that the price Salomen would pay was twice as high as her own. The guilt rose so quickly that she couldn't front it.

“Andira.” Salomen's voice was soft. “Stop that, whatever you're thinking. It's not your fault.”

“Actually, it is. I'm the one who had the bright idea of giving you a warmron.”

“And I'm the one who asked you for a second one five ticks later. Besides, at the rate we've been going, don't you think we'd have joined by now if we had a normal relationship? And that would have set it all off anyway.” In a lighter tone she added, “Given how far I've come in just seven days, I'll probably be ready to have our bonding ceremony by the time we go to Blacksun.”

“Oh, no.” Tal played along. “Impossible. The Lancer of Alsea does not plan a bonding ceremony in eight days. Do you have any idea how many people we'll have to invite?”

“You mean we can't flit down to some nice little village by the sea and have a quiet ceremony? And then announce it after the fact?”

“Absolutely not. No flitting down to the shore for us. However, I can offer you a ceremony that none on the planet would soon forget.”

“Well…” Salomen pretended to think. “I suppose that might suffice as a substitute. As long as I can rub Gordense Bilsner's nose in it, and ask him what he thinks about my good name now
.
”

Tal laughed. “I would never have guessed you'd have such a vindictive streak.”

“It only shows itself in the presence of truly obnoxious personalities.”

“That must be why I've never seen it before.” Tal chuckled again at Salomen's expression. “I propose we drop Bilsner from this conversation. I have better things to think about than a bloated gasbag convinced of his righteousness. Did you have anything else planned for our date?”

“No. Actually, I was looking forward to a training session afterward, if you're not too tired.”

Tal widened her eyes. “You imply that the leader of the warrior caste could be too tired to fulfill her duties? I think not.”

“I didn't realize it was still a duty.” Salomen put her hand over her heart. “I'm wounded.”

“It never was. Not from that very first night.” Tal looked at the remains of their meal. “Speaking of which, are we on kitchen duty?”

“No. Wynsill said she would come back after eve-three and clean up for us. She said we should just relax and enjoy our evening.”

“Remind me to give her an increase in pay. Shall we retire to the classroom, then? We can work on your finesse in broadsensing. With those three comedians in the parlor, it should be easier for you to focus on individuals.”

“I never have a problem focusing on Father or Nikin,” Salomen said as they crossed the dining room and started up the back stairs. “Colonel Micah I can pick out by process of elimination. Can we work on longer-range broadsensing?”

“Meaning outside the house?” Tal led them along the upstairs corridor.

“Yes. I'd like to try something different.”

They reached Tal's room, where Salomen took her usual chair and Tal settled contentedly into the window seat. “In other words, you've had enough of practicing the same thing over and over.”

“In other words, I had a long day of doing everything that needed to be done, and now I'd like to do something just because I want to.”

“Fair enough. This will be a little different, then. Are you ready?”

“I'm ready.” Salomen closed her eyes, and Tal shamelessly took the opportunity to study her from head to foot. Fahla, but she was beautiful.

One of Salomen's eyes popped open. “I said I'm ready.” The eye shut again. “Clearly, you are not.”

“Just finding my place of serenity.”

“Your place of serenity is my body?”

“I don't know yet. But I'm looking forward to finding out.”

Salomen laughed. “You're making it very difficult for me to stay in
my
place, Andira.”

“Sorry.” Tal centered herself, pushing all other thoughts away. In a lower voice, she said, “Start with the minds you know. Reach out for Shikal and Nikin.”

“I have them,” Salomen said a few pipticks later. Truly, her skills were developing at a remarkable rate.

“Good. So you know which emotions are Micah's.”

“Yes.”

“All of them? Have you accounted for all of the emotions in that room?”

After a long pause, Salomen said, “I'm not sure. There are some that don't belong to Father or Nikin, but I don't know if they're Colonel Micah's. They're…quieter.”

“As if they're in the background.”

“Yes.”

Tal wasn't surprised; Salomen had already demonstrated that her powers were very strong. Exactly how strong was something they were learning together. She opened her own senses, reaching out for the minds within her range, and quickly located what Salomen was sensing: the more distant emotions of three Guards near the house. There were two more patrolling the near grounds, but she wasn't sure if Salomen could detect them. Time to find out.

“Think of those background emotions as having strings attached,” she said. “If you find one and pull on the string, it will lead you to the source. Don't force it. Just use a gentle motion. Let the strings lead you.”

“All right. I'm trying.”

Tal waited, tracking Salomen's emotions along with those outside the house. A surge of confidence told her precisely when Salomen had found something.

“Tell me what you're sensing.”

Slowly, with some hesitance, Salomen began putting words to what she could feel. Tal watched her, guiding her verbally and wishing with all her might that she might guide her more directly. Someday soon, when it felt right to both of them, they would Share and she would be demonstrating from within Salomen's mind, rather than explaining from without. Until then, she would savor every moment of this.

CHAPTER 74
To find a traitor

 

The rain stopped sometime in
the night, taking a hiatus that everyone knew was all too temporary. Once autumn arrived, the rains were there to stay. Any break would be no more than a few hanticks, or a day at most. Tal was just grateful for the opportunity to run without having to wear a rainhat. She hated having anything blocking her view while she was exercising.

Herot followed them again. As always, Tal tracked him as she ran, keeping tabs on his progress. This time he made it four lengths before stopping—more than double his first effort—and she was impressed. She wished she could tell him that but was fairly certain he would throw her words back in her face. No doubt he would find them patronizing and condescending. Instead she told Salomen, trusting that she would find a way to pass it on.

Mornmeal was spent telling an extremely moody Jaros about her trip to the Pit. Tal was surprised to discover that he was envious of his bullies because they had gotten to ride in her transport and spend half a day with her. So she chose her words carefully, trying to convey the truth of the punishment and the very real fear the boys had experienced. The other adults joined her in assuring Jaros that no sane person would actually want to visit the Pit, but he wasn't convinced. In the end Tal resorted to bribery, promising to take him on a tour of the
Caphenon.
After that, there was no holding him down. He nearly floated out the door, returning to school with immense confidence and no doubt another story with which to impress his friends.

The rain continued to hold off throughout the morning, but if Tal had thought that would make the harvest easier, she soon learned her error. Yesterday's work had churned the landing and loading areas into a giant mud bog, causing workers to slip and slide everywhere. Twice Tal nearly fell on her backside, stopping herself only by planting her hands in the mud. Some of the crew tried to provide better traction by spreading horten stalks in the more trafficked areas, but with so many people moving back and forth, the stalks were soon swallowed into the mire.

By midmeal, Tal was tired just from the physical effort of staying upright. Not even the glorious scent of fresh-cut horten could make up for the drudgery of that work, and she returned to the main house with a happy sense of release. She'd had her share of duty shifts in the worst of weather and had gladly left them behind as she ascended in rank. Perhaps that was the real difference between producers and warriors: producers never moved past the dokshin shifts.

By the time Aldirk and Colonel Razine arrived at the main house, the skies had opened up again. Tal met her damp guests at the front entrance and showed them to the parlor, where they settled in with cups of shannel and got down to business.

“Colonel Razine, I assume Counselor Aldirk has filled you in on the situation?” Tal asked.

The colonel nodded. A heavyset woman who had clearly spent too much time poring over data and not enough in the field, she nevertheless radiated a physical power that would make any warrior look twice. Colonel Razine was not to be trifled with. “What little there is,” she said.

“I'm afraid my meeting didn't reveal much more in the way of answers. But we have two names to start with and a host of very disturbing implications.” Tal recounted her meeting with Donvall, then sat back to let the other two draw their own conclusions.

“So the task force is corrupt and someone is using it for financial gain,” said Aldirk.

“We don't know that the task force itself is corrupt,” Razine corrected. “We only know that at least one member is. Mor is the most easily tracked of the two men, since he operates within the law most of the time. Hallwell will be more difficult, but he's our best connection with the real traitor.”

Aldirk shook his head. “This must be handled with extreme delicacy. I believe Donvall's suspicions are correct: our traitor is almost certain to be on the Council and very well connected. One false step and our investigation would reach a sudden dead end.”

“I have faith in Colonel Razine's abilities,” Tal said. “She has a great deal of experience in silent investigations.”

“Thank you, Lancer Tal. It will be a pleasure to find this traitor and put him or her so far down into the Pit that they'll have to dig up to find Level Five.”

“We think alike. Corruption is one thing. Disrespect and dishonor are something else. While I'd be delighted to round up and punish everyone involved, I care far less about the unimportant players. If we have to let some of them go to get the one we want, that's a trade I'm willing to make.”

“Understood,” Razine said. “This may not be resolved immediately. We'll have to watch and wait.”

“I know. Take the time to do it right, and keep me updated.” Tal turned to Aldirk. “Your knowledge of the Council members is an invaluable resource. Give the colonel whatever she asks for. And it should go without saying that anything we discuss regarding this case is not to go beyond the three of us, except for any investigators you may need to bring in, Colonel.”

“Of course,” Aldirk said as Razine nodded. “I'll assist in any way I can. I know you see this as a betrayal of your caste, but it's also a betrayal of the Council. As a former Councilor, I take that personally as well.”

Tal stood, indicating the end of their meeting. “Then our traitor has just made three new and powerful enemies.”

CHAPTER 75
Which Opah

 

Spinner had to give the
Lancer credit: her recovery after the economist coalition's report had been swift and unexpected. He had spent several moons and quite a few cinteks nudging the right people into the right places to make that report happen, and Lancer Tal had undone most of the damage in less than a nineday. It was an impressive display of her capabilities. Much as he hated her, he had to admire her skill.

Most of all, he looked forward to the day when all of that charisma and talent would be under his control.

At least his efforts were not a complete waste. Damage had still been done; she had not come out of that unscathed. The war criminal fringe was louder than ever, and many people were still deeply unsettled about the matter printers. She could not afford to make a mistake. She was in a corner, and while that corner wasn't quite as small as he had hoped, it was good enough.

She had wasted no time starting her investigation. Colonel Razine and Chief Counselor Aldirk had flown out to Hol-Opah the day after her trip to the Pit, and he knew the end game was in motion. The key now was to wait just long enough before pushing his final tile in place.

Perhaps four more days. Hol-Opah would have finished its horten harvest by then, and all of the adults would be home. It would have far more impact, and he was enough of a showman to enjoy a little theater.

He picked up his reader card and tapped out an encrypted message. It was time to take out one of the Opahs.

CHAPTER 76
The target

 

The last days of Tal's
challenge were a whirlwind of harvest duties in the mornings and Lancer duties in the afternoons. She had started the nineday with every intention of putting in at least one full day working the horten harvest, but soon had to give it up. Her duties simply wouldn't allow it.

Public opinion was shifting in her favor. The demonstrations had stopped, and the articles and vidfeeds that Aldirk sent to her reader card showed a marked difference in tone. At the urging of Communications Advisor Miltorin, she flew to the State House for a rare media conference. There were a few unfriendly questions, but Tal had fielded those and worse many times before. She dispatched them with ease, brevity, and on one occasion, a cutting humor that had most of the media members laughing. Naturally, the stories the next day featured that comment as well as a replay of the now-famous Whitemoon exchange between her and the little girl. Tal thought she could be excused for feeling just a bit smug as she went through the highlights on her reader card.

Herot was now up to four and a half lengths, and she was secretly rooting for him to make five before she left. She planned to cut her last run short and invite him to accompany her, as a way of showing respect for his determination. He was working hard at his transport duties, which Salomen took as a source of hope that he was growing out of his self-centered, self-pitying phase. Tal was more cautious. His overt resentment of her was undiminished, and he still left the house most evenings to drink with his friends in town, rarely returning until long after everyone else at Hol-Opah had retired for the night.

Jaros continued to walk half a body length off the ground. His bruises and black eye had earned him the awed respect of his classmates, and that was before they learned about his arrival at school with a fully uniformed, decorated Lead Guard—or the fact that the Lancer herself had whisked his tormentors to the Pit. Tal guessed the story in the sixth-level classes might be a bit different, a suspicion which was confirmed when Shikal ran into Pendar and his uncle during a trip to town. According to Pendar, Nilo had transformed himself into the fearless guest of the Lancer, touring the Pit with his friends as a voluntary penance for getting into a fight with a member of her host family. The half hantick he had spent alone in a cell had become a test worthy of an early Rite of Ascension, the implication being that Pendar and Silmartin hadn't had the courage for it and had shared a cell instead. Tal had a good laugh when she heard the story and told Shikal that Nilo was clearly headed for a sterling career in politics.

But the best part of every day was when she and Salomen were alone in her room, talking about anything and everything, sharing what kisses they dared, and continuing Salomen's training. Tal knew their original excuse of discussing delegate business had long since worn thin, and everyone in the house was certain they were a joined couple doing much more than talking behind that closed door. She took quite a bit of teasing from Micah for that and even some sly little pokes from Shikal and Nikin. But until Salomen spoke with her family about her powers, Tal would do nothing to jeopardize her cover—though it killed her to be teased about something she fervently wished were true.

She had crossed the line. Her frustration at being held apart from Salomen had overwhelmed her fear of the consequences, and she was ready to complete their bond.

Salomen was not. The aspect of a permanent empathic connection was frightening enough, but she was also facing sudden exposure to the most public of all lives. There would have to be an announcement and eventually a state ceremony, and Salomen would become the Bondlancer of Alsea—a public figure second only to Tal herself. She would have her own Guard unit and need to think of her security at all times, when she had never considered it before. Tal had only to adapt to a loss of emotional privacy, but Salomen was being forced to adapt to that and the loss of her general privacy as well.

And she was struggling with it. Tal's own acceptance did not help; now she felt left behind and alone in her decision. The sexual tension made it worse, as did the recent increase in their empathic sensitivity. Light kisses became a real danger, and on the fourth night after their kitchen date, they experienced a flash from nothing more than holding hands. It was a minor one, but for Salomen the implications were dire: the time for control of the decision was running out. Soon it would be made for her whether she was ready or not. She was so distressed, and Tal so helpless to comfort her, that they ended the training session early. Salomen couldn't concentrate, and Tal couldn't stand being confined to her window seat, looking at the woman she was not allowed to touch.

The horten harvest was finished just before midmeal the next day, three days before the challenge ended. As Herot flew the last transport out, Salomen and all of the field workers shouted their glee to the rainy skies. There was even an impromptu jig or two, and for the first time since Tal's arrival at Hol-Opah, Salomen was home by midmeal with nothing pressing to do. They took advantage of her newfound free time by sitting on the back porch, listening to the rain bounce off the roof, and emptying a bottle of spirits between the two of them. Every now and again Shikal, Micah, or Nikin would poke their heads out the back door, inquire as to whether they would like to join the far warmer party in the parlor, and retreat muttering about mutually reinforcing insanity.

For Tal, the joy of simply being with Salomen on a relaxing, rainy afternoon transcended any other offer. She could not remember feeling quite this peaceful and happy. Of course, she paid for it later, having to force her spirit-relaxed brain to pay attention as she tackled the pile of work that was waiting for her. And since she had put it off earlier in the afternoon, she had to take time after evenmeal to go to the Opah office and call Aldirk on the vidcom. When she finally dragged herself back upstairs, it was ten ticks past the usual time that she and Salomen met for their training sessions.

She opened the door to her room and stopped. Salomen was lounging in her window seat, reading the book Tal hadn't quite finished the previous night.

“I didn't think you'd mind if I waited here.” Salomen held up the book. “How can it possibly take you this long to finish? It's not exactly high literature. But your marker is still thirty pages from the end.”

Tal crossed the room and plucked the book from her hand. “Because I have very little time to read for fun,” she said tartly, tossing the book on her bed, “and what little time I do have is taken up by a certain producer who is currently occupying my seat.”

Salomen stretched luxuriously. “And a very nice seat it is, too. I forgot how comfortable this is.”

“It's quite comfortable, and it's mine. Would you care to relocate to your normal seat so we can begin the training that I'm already late for?”

Salomen waved that off. “Harvest is over. This is a holiday; you can't be late on a holiday. And I think I'll be staying here this evening.”

Tal had half a mind to pounce and drag her from the seat, but last night's flash had made her cautious. She didn't want a repeat, and she especially didn't want to see Salomen so distressed again. So she regally retreated from the battlefield and took up a fallback position in the chair.

“Suddenly, it all becomes clear,” Salomen said. “No wonder you love this seat—you're higher here. It's a seat of power, just like your State Chair.”

“I love that seat because, unlike my State Chair, it has a comfortable cushion for my overworked backside.” Tal tried to keep a straight face, but the snort of laughter from Salomen made it impossible.

“That too, I'm sure. But you cannot sit there and deny that a power imbalance was built into this seating arrangement from the very beginning. The student sits in the chair that literally looks up to the instructor.”

“In the beginning, I thought it was the only way I'd ever get you to look up to me. But in truth I love that seat because it's comfortable and I'm surrounded by books and a beautiful view. And I should probably warn you that when I return to Blacksun, I'm taking that seat with me. It's the best thing about this house.”

“I thought I was the best thing about this house.”

“No, you're the best thing about Hol-Opah.” Tal paused. “And about my life, come to think of it.”

Salomen's teasing mood shifted. “I really want to come over there and kiss you for that. But after last night, I don't dare.”

“I know.” Tal's amusement was gone as well. “I'm sorry.”

“Me too. Shall we get on with the training, then? I need something else to think about. And not long-range broadsensing, please. Not yet.”

Since their first effort five nights ago, Salomen had found it difficult to fully focus on emotions out of her normal close range. She could sense the more distant emotions and she could get near them, but she hadn't yet mastered the skill necessary to pick them out of the background and bring them into sharp focus. Being accustomed to more rapid progress, she was finding it frustrating.

“All right,” Tal said. “Let's start with blocking a probe.”

They worked for a quarter hantick, building up Salomen's confidence as she easily repelled one probe after another. Tal gradually increased their strength, marveling at how far Salomen had come in this area. Her blocks were now so strong that only the more energetic probes got through, and even those were requiring more effort every time they practiced.

By the time Salomen had fended off the last probe, she was ready to try long-range broadsensing again. They took a break, enjoying a companionable silence as she rested from her earlier efforts. When Tal judged that she had recovered enough, she said, “Let's begin. Find your place of serenity. Expand your senses beyond the walls of this house and tell me what you feel.”

Salomen closed her eyes. Though she was much more proficient at centering herself, she still found it easier with her eyes shut, and Tal shamelessly enjoyed these opportunities to observe her. She had come to love that little frown of concentration, but more than that, she loved the moment when Salomen achieved whatever goal she was chasing. It was so visible on her face, in the fine motions as the frown smoothed out and a slight smile appeared.

This time the smile was nowhere to be seen. Salomen had not found what she was looking for, and Tal extended her own senses to guide her toward the emotions that were within their range.

There was Micah, next door—she had known him so well and for so long that she could pick out his emotional signature instantly. Judging from the happy and slightly anticipatory color of his emotions, she guessed he'd just come upstairs to get something and was looking forward to rejoining the others below. Farther down the hall, Jaros was frustrated and put out, no doubt because the adults were enjoying a holiday and he still had to do homework. In the parlor she found Shikal and Nikin. Herot, of course, was long gone to his night of celebrating elsewhere.

Now she opened wider, testing the area outside the house, locating four of her Guards by the house and three more on the near grounds. The others were patrolling farther out and registered more faintly on Tal's senses. She knew Salomen didn't have the skills to detect them yet and was just about to dismiss them when something else tugged at her. Another person was on Hol-Opah land, well past her outer Guards and at the extreme range of her abilities. She focused all of her senses on that distant entity and quickly ruled out her first guess, which was that Herot was returning early. This was someone else. Male, she knew that much, and jittery with a combination of fear, anticipation, and excitement.

As if he was preparing to do something dangerous.

Her awareness snapped back as the horrified realization fired every nerve in her body. Salomen was sitting in
her
seat.

Salomen's eyes flew open, panic flooding her in reaction to Tal's terror. “What—?”

But Tal was already in motion. She launched out of her chair and threw herself toward the window seat, swinging her legs beneath her to hit the base wall feet first. While her knees bent to absorb the impact, she seized Salomen around the waist.

Salomen jerked in her grasp, crying out in surprise, but Tal tightened her grip and pushed off again, putting every bit of her strength into powering them both away from the window. As they fell, the window exploded inward, shattering into hundreds of razor-sharp pieces and taking part of the wall with it.

Tal's back hit the floor with the combined weight of two bodies, the impact making stars dance in front of her eyes. But no, they weren't stars, they were broken shards of glass, now edged in fire and falling toward them—falling toward Salomen's unprotected back. With a grunt of effort, Tal rolled them over and mustered all of her mental discipline to brace herself.

It was not enough.

She screamed as the molten glass rained down around them, burning her clothes, searing her back and legs, sizzling against her scalp. Frantically she shook her head, ridding herself of the pieces that flew off with patches of flaming hair, but she could not defend against the shards landing on her body and melting through her skin. The pain was unbearable.

“Andira!”

She heard Micah's shout and felt hands brushing against her, sending molten chunks of glass and burned skin flying to the sides. It felt as if he was tearing her back apart. In desperation, she struggled to her knees, straddling Salomen's body as she ripped her shirt over her head. More patches of skin and glass were torn off with it.

“It's off, it's all off.” Micah's words sounded strangled. “You're going to be all right.”

She wasn't all right. It hurt so much that she was already starting to dissociate, her training kicking in to tell her this wasn't her body that had been so grievously harmed. She struggled to keep the separation from going too far, to stay in control just a few ticks longer. The would-be assassin was still out there, but her senses had been overwhelmed by the shock to her body and the pain she was trying to hold at bay. He was too far out; her Guards were not in empathic range. She needed Salomen's strength to find him. There was no other choice.