CHAPTER 16
We took our time walking back to the village so Churka and Lurran could have Redfield settled in my old quarters before we got there. Thor stopped long enough to send Junior after the Buri searching for Claudia and Ghost. Since it was on his way, I asked the youngster to stop and collect the bows and arrows from Max when he returned.
Redfield looked almost normal when we stepped into the small building. Well, except for a swollen lip and a black eye. Okay, and a tiny little cut on his jaw. Probably wouldn’t even leave a decent mark.
More importantly, from the way he was broadcasting, he was really taking pleasure in the attention showered on him by the Buri females. Watching him, I realized for the first time just how good-looking the man was. Especially when he smiled, the way he was doing now.
Thor shot me a glare, and I shrugged. Just because I admire a fine piece of art doesn’t mean I have to own it, I told him mentally. Redfield isn’t my type.
What is your type?
Fishing for compliments, huh? I fluttered my eyelashes at him in my best silent-film actress imitation. I’m surprised you can ask after last night.
Before the big guy could respond, Redfield noticed us standing in the doorway and his smile faded.
“Feeling any better?” I asked him.
“Yes. Please tell them I appreciate their help. I’ll do anything within my power to return the favor. You don’t know what a relief it is to be away from Dorn and Frisk.”
Thor tilted his head toward the door and the women left the quarters, taking their first-aid supplies with them. When they were gone, I strolled to the foot of the sleeping platform and sat down facing Redfield. “Tell me about Dorn and Frisk.”
He glanced at Thor, who was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed over his broad chest as he studied Redfield. “He understands what I’m saying?”
“Yes. And since it concerns the survival of his people, I think he has the right to hear whatever you know.”
With a sigh, he straightened his back against the pillows propping him up. “I’m afraid it’s not much. They didn’t trust me. I can tell you Quilla is in charge, not Frisk. And I’ve overheard enough to know that she’s after the crystals on Orpheus Two, although I don’t why. They look like ordinary quartz to me.”
He’d told me nothing I didn’t already know, but I wasn’t done yet. “Why did they go to the expense of buying your indenture when they could have hired a Natural science officer for a lot less?”
“They wanted someone they had complete control over.” He glanced at Thor. “From the very beginning I’ve suspected they planned on wiping out his people if they discovered the Buri weren’t dying out naturally. I was supposed to find out for sure. If they weren’t—if they had to kill the Buri—I think they wanted a science officer who could be forced into swearing the deaths weren’t caused by them.”
Thor’s brows lowered in a fierce scowl. “He tried to take Dryggahn’s child.”
When I repeated his comment in Galactic Standard, Redfield lowered his face, shame rolling off him.
“Yes. I won’t deny it. Three of us were sent into the jungle with the orders to grab him so I could run tests.” He looked up at Thor. “But I was also the one who took my time getting him back to the camp, and let him go the minute you showed up. And I caught hell for it later. Frisk thought we should have taken the opportunity to kill as many of you as possible, and keep the child.”
“Why didn’t you?” I asked. So far, everything he’d told me was the truth.
“Because I didn’t want to grab the child in the first place. I knew what they’d do to him, what they’d force me to do. But I couldn’t disobey orders or it would have been my hide on the line. When he”—Redfield gestured at Thor—“showed up with the other Buri, it was my chance to keep the kid safe and deflect Frisk’s anger at the same time. I took it.”
Okay, maybe I had misjudged Redfield. I had to admit he’d been doing some fast thinking that day. If I had been in his situation, I might have done the same thing. But I had one more question for him.
“That day in the jungle when you showed me the black flower, I got the impression you wanted to talk to me. If you really aren’t on Frisk and Dorn’s side, why didn’t you say something then?”
His chin went up a notch as his gaze held mine. “Quilla and Frisk had followed me into the jungle. You see, I faked an interest in botany just so I could get away from them for a while every day, looking for a chance to contact you in private. But they were suspicious.”
He lifted a hand to rub his forehead. “I spotted them almost immediately, of course, and went to great lengths to convince them I really was looking at plants. Then you showed up, asking questions, quoting indenture law and offering to save me from Frisk, while I knew he was listening to everything we said. You’re damn right I kept quiet. I knew I was going to pay for every word out of your mouth. You have no idea what Frisk is capable of.”
He gave me a rueful smile. “Ever since you got here, I’ve been trying to figure out how to talk to you alone. That’s why I was so close to the Buri village today. I just didn’t expect you to be looking for a fight.”
“You started it.” That damn pout was trying to come back, but I squelched it.
“Yeah, I swung first, but I can read body language as well as any GEP. You wanted a fight, and you weren’t going to take no for an answer. All I could do was hope you’d listen to me after you worked off some steam.” He touched his lip gingerly. “The part where I got beaten to a pulp came as something of a surprise, though. Who the hell taught you to fight? I thought all the crèche training was the same.”
“Believe me, it’s a long story.” I stood and walked to the door, Thor following me. “I’ll have Churka bring you something to eat soon. Until then, try to get some rest. We’ll talk again later.”
“Agent Smith?”
Redfield’s questioning voice stopped me and I turned to face him. “Yes?”
“If there’s anything I can do to help you bring Dynatec to justice, I’d like to try.”
For a moment I studied him intently. Could I trust him? I thought he’d told me the truth, but I needed confirmation.
“Max,” I subvocalized. “Have you been analyzing his voice?”
“Yes, and all indications are that he’s been completely honest in his answers.”
Might as well take the plunge. “I need to figure out why the Buri aren’t reproducing in greater numbers,” I told Redfield. “And you were created to work in the life sciences. Would you be willing to help me with that?”
His eyes lit up. “Yes, but I’ll need a lab.”
“No problem.” I glanced at Thor to get his permission, and when he nodded, turned back to Redfield. “I don’t think it would be smart for you to leave the village, but there’s no reason why I can’t move my Quonset hut here. It has a state-of-the-art lab, and I already have samples of the Buri’s DNA as well as medic scans. You could start tomorrow.”
“Perfect.” With a satisfied smile, he leaned back and closed his eyes.
As soon as Thor and I had stepped outside, Poe went back in and stationed himself so he could watch the door and windows.
Thor glanced at the lowering sun. “You will move this building now? It is almost time to eat.”
Yeah, the scents drifting from the communal kitchen were making my stomach growl with anticipation. “It won’t take long.”
Plus, going after the Quonset hut had the added benefit of keeping me away from the Limantti for a while longer. Not that distance did anything but give me a false sense of security. It seemed I could now feel the blasted rock anywhere I went. The tone of its emissions had changed, though. Now, instead of urging me closer, it sent feelings of comfort, warmth, love. And those were much more dangerous, because they were harder for me to resist.
And the damn stone knew it.
I turned my back on the building that was now my home, and its Shushadeien. “Do you know where the antigrav sled is?”
“It is beside my work area. This way.” He headed around the adobe hut he’d lived in before we were mated. “Would you like me to go with you?”
“Sure. The Quonset hut will be easier to load on the sled with two of us picking it up. It’s not heavy, but it is bulky.”
When we got to his work area, I looked around with interest. It was basically a roof set on poles, open on all four sides to let heat escape. At the back was a forge made of hardened adobe, cold now. I spotted an anvil, and on a table to one side, a variety of metal tools. The space was neat and clean, as though he took pride in what he did. A pang of guilt hit me.
“You haven’t been able to work much lately, have you? I’m sorry about that.”
He shrugged as he pulled out the sled. “It is not your fault. When a metal tool is needed, I will work.”
Side by side, we walked through the dappled light of the jungle. An evening breeze had sprung up, cooling the air a bit. After a minute, Thor glanced at me. “You now know what the other humans intend. Can your leader not prevent them?”
“I wish it were that easy. Unfortunately, they haven’t broken any laws yet. Until they do, we can’t arrest them.”
His jaw hardened. “They would destroy my people.”
“I know, Thor. But we can’t arrest someone for thinking bad things. If we did, everyone alive would be consigned to Inferno. At this point, we can’t even get them on conspiracy to commit xenocide, because we have no proof. And we can’t use Redfield as a witness, because he never heard them specifically say they intended to wipe you out.”
A tendril of anger trickled through the bond. “What good are these laws if you cannot act until my people are dead?”
“Sometimes I wonder the same thing.” A sigh escaped my lips. “Then I remind myself that without laws, chaos would rule.”
I reached over and touched his arm in reassurance. “Thor, I promise to do everything in my power to stop them.”
He stared down at me intently. “That is untrue. You will not accept the Limantti.”
My hand dropped to my side. “I said I’d do everything within my power. That will have to be good enough.”
Silence held sway on the rest of the walk, but I could feel Thor’s disappointment. As much as that hurt, I shrugged it off. I couldn’t let his feelings influence my instincts where the crystal was concerned.
As soon as we reached the Quonset hut, I pushed a button, and we stood watching it fold itself up. When it was done, we each took an end and lifted it onto the antigrav sled. Before I could grab the handle, Thor finally spoke.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was low as he moved to stand in front of me. “It was not my intent to cause you pain, and I have no desire to force you to act against your will. It is simply hard for me to understand your distaste for the Limantti when our Shushanna have used it for so long. But I will try to remember that you know nothing of our ways, and have no reason to trust us or the Limantti.”
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I leaned against his strong body, my head on his chest as his warm arms closed around me. “I trust you, Thor.”
“Do you?”
I was pondering his question when a familiar noise had me spinning from his arms in surprise to face the plains. Just beyond the line of bushes, Max was lifting off!
Shock held me immobile until Max’s voice blared over the outside speakers. “Frisk shot Crigo!”
Fear, raw and hot, arrowed straight into my heart. My feet were moving before I could take a full breath. “Where are they?”
“Near the Dynatec encampment. Follow me!”
Max was flying fast and low, and I was right behind him. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t dare go into overdrive. The situation was unknown and it wouldn’t do to deplete all my strength when I might need it desperately. From the rear, I could hear the pounding of Thor’s feet on the ground as he tried to keep up.
Time seemed to slow until it felt like I was moving through sludge, even though the rational part of my mind knew I wasn’t. The gray metal surface of Max’s hull, flickering in the sun, took on a menacing fa?ade as he surged forward, straight toward the trees.
Suddenly I had a new worry. Was he going to crash in his efforts to reach Crigo?
Even as the thought occurred to me, the ship slowed. Bushes and small saplings cracked under his weight as Max rapidly settled to earth at the edge of the jungle. From the direction of Dynatec’s camp came surprised yells.
Heart pounding, I dodged around Max’s bulk to the sound of the cargo bay door sliding open and the ramp lowering. Frisk was standing, blaster in hand, gaping at the three port cannons Max had aimed at his chest. Crigo was sprawled, unmoving, in an ungainly heap at his feet.
Clearing a downed sapling in one bound, I fell to my knees beside the rock cat, frantically searching for blood, for any sign he was still alive. There! His chest moved. Just barely, but it moved. There was still time to save him, if we could get him to Max’s sick bay.
Awkwardly, I slid my arms under the cat and stood, cradling his long body. He dangled loosely in my grip, head lolling on my right, hind legs sprawled to my left. As gently as possible, I lowered him to the stretcher Max had extended and then watched as the ship whisked him away.
I wasn’t going to cry, damn it. Not now. There were other things to take care of. Things like the bastard who shot my cat.
A roaring filled my head as I spun to face Frisk, fully intending to do him great bodily harm. But Thor had beaten me to it, and I realized the roar had come from him.
In one swift move, he disarmed Frisk, tossed the blaster into the jungle, and plowed a huge fist into the man’s stomach. Frisk doubled over, groaning in agony. Thor used the opportunity to land an uppercut that spun Frisk around and nearly took his head off. Before he hit the ground, Thor grabbed him by the back of the neck and lifted until Frisk’s feet swung a good foot above the ground.
Holding him in that position, Thor glanced at me, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Shall I kill him for you?”
He wanted to. And by all that was holy, I wanted to let him. Hell, I wanted to help him, and I wanted it to be gory. Just thinking about it had my fingers clawed in anticipation.
But I couldn’t.
Murder was illegal, and by now we had an audience comprising all the Dynatec crew and the Buri who had been standing guard on the camp. Unfortunately, that was way too many witnesses. “Let him go.”
He took me literally, simply opened his hand and let Frisk plummet to the ground. The captain landed with a bone-jarring thud and curled into a fetal position, arms clutching his middle, moaning like he was dying.
Ignoring the cannons Max now had pointed at the Dynatec crew, Dorn pushed her way through the crowd and stopped beside Frisk. “What’s going on here?”
“He shot Crigo.” I angled my chin at Frisk.
“It was self-defense,” Frisk whined. “He attacked me.”
Hands on my hips, I glared down at the worm. “Max, did Crigo attack him?”
“I doubt it, Kiera.” He used his outside speakers so everyone could hear. “Crigo was lying in the shade, watching the camp as usual. Captain Frisk was in the jungle behind him the last time I checked, and Crigo was paying no attention to him.”
“But you didn’t actually see what happened?” Dorn didn’t wait for a response. “Frisk could have stumbled on the cat, which surprised both of them. You did tell him that the cat was out to get him, Agent Smith. It’s no wonder the captain reacted defensively.”
Sure, blame it on the GEP. I almost snorted in disbelief. We both knew he’d done it deliberately. There was just no way to prove it.
“Get him out of my sight,” I told her. “Now. Before I change my mind. And if Crigo dies, Frisk better hope he’s somewhere I can’t find him.”
Dorn pointed at two of her men. “You and you. Take him back to camp.”
She moved aside as they hoisted Frisk between them, and mumbled “idiot” under her breath. Then she turned back to me. “I’ll make sure he’s restricted to camp from now on.”
“You do that.” I waited until the Dynatec people were headed back to their camp, and then ran for the cargo doors, anxious to reach Crigo. Thor stopped to issue an order to the waiting Buri and then followed me.
The smell in sick bay was sharp and astringent, burning my nose and making my eyes water. Through the resultant blur, I saw Crigo stretched on a bunk, tubes and wires leading from his body to openings in the wall. For a moment I stood there, fighting off the nausea caused by my fear.
“Max?” In spite of my intent to be strong, my voice came out in a raspy whisper.
“He’s alive. There are no external wounds. His vitals are extremely weak but stable.”
I tiptoed to the side of the bed and gently ran my hand over the broad head lying so still. “Will he make it?”
Max hesitated so long I thought he wasn’t going to answer me. “Are you sure you want him to? You know what a blaster set to stun can do to a rock cat. They’re very sensitive to even the lowest setting. I don’t think Frisk had his weapon set on low. I can keep Crigo’s body alive, but his brain may be permanently damaged.”
“No.” A tremor ran over me and tears trickled down my cheeks, but my answer was fierce. “You do whatever you have to do to keep him alive. He’ll be fine. He just needs to rest a while.”
“Kiera—”
“No!” I knew I was being unreasonable, but that which is not spoken aloud is not real. At least, that’s the way it felt. If I insisted hard enough that Crigo would make it, then he would.
Thor’s hands settled on my shoulders and rubbed gently as Max lifted off to move back to his original position on the other side of the lake. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
I swiped away a tear, and shook my head. “All we can do is wait. And if you believe in a higher power, pray.”
For a moment longer, he stood there behind me, and then his hands slid from my arms and he turned toward the door.
“You’re leaving?” Already I missed the comfort of his presence.
“For now. I will return as soon as possible.”
“Where are you going?”
He paused to give me a self-conscious smile. “To pray. Should I send back something for you to eat?”
Touched, I looked down at Crigo to hide the reemergence of my tears. “I don’t think I could swallow, but thanks.”
After Thor was gone I pulled a chair to the side of the bunk and continued stroking the unconscious cat, murmuring encouragement until my voice was raw. Time crawled forward in small, slow increments. “I’m here,” I told him over and over. “I won’t leave until you’re back on your feet. I promise. You’re going to be fine, better than ever. By this time tomorrow, you’ll be back bothering the dragon birds and hunting herdbeasts. You can even have my bed if you want.”
I choked back a sob and dropped my forehead to his warm, silky side, closing my eyes in exhaustion. It must be close to dawn by now, and I wondered where Thor was, why he hadn’t returned.
More for something to occupy my mind than out of curiosity, I sent a seeking tendril through our bond. He was awake, but concentrating so hard on something I couldn’t get his attention. And he wasn’t alone. Several of the females were with him, trying to help him…do something.
Whatever was going on, I couldn’t worry about it now. I turned my attention back to Crigo. “Max, is there any change?”
“I’m sorry, Kiera. His vitals are still the same.”
With a sigh, I straightened, stretching the muscles in my back, then shook my hand. It tingled as if it had gone to sleep. I flexed my fingers a few times, then leaned over and gently rubbed the dark stripe between the cat’s eyes.
There was a whirring sound followed by a soft plop, and I glanced over to see a steaming tray sitting in the sick bay’s food-preparation unit.
“Thanks, Max, but I’m still not hungry.” Under my hand I felt the slight flick of an ear.
“You really need to eat, Kiera. Starving yourself won’t help Crigo.”
“I know.” Damn, my hand felt like it had bugs crawling on it, and I pressed it harder against Crigo’s head to ease the itch. “But forcing myself to eat when I don’t want it will only make me sick. I promise, if I feel the least bit hungry, I’ll eat.”
“Kiera.”
“Don’t nag, Max. It’s not attractive. I told you, I’ll eat later.”
“Kiera!”
He’d damn near bellowed, and I gaped in surprise. “Well, if it means that much to you…”
“It’s Crigo! He’s waking up!”
“What!” I jerked my gaze back to the cat just as his side lifted on a deep breath. His ear twitched again, and I realized it was the second time I’d felt it.
“His brain activity is increasing. Fast,” Max said excitedly. “I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this happening before with a stunned rock cat.”
I leaned closer, almost nose to nose with the cat, excitement surging through my veins. “Crigo? Can you hear me?”
There was a flicker of eyelids, and then two amber eyes were staring into my own. I caught a wisp of puzzlement from him.
“You’re okay,” I told him. “Frisk stunned you, but you’re fine now.”
His head shot up so fast it knocked me back a step, a snarl curling his lips, and Max hastily withdrew all the life support paraphernalia. Gathering his legs under him, Crigo lurched upright, wobbled, and then his butt plopped back to the bunk. His emotions changed from anger to disgust and chagrin as he turned his head to survey his backside like it belonged on someone else.
“You’re still weak,” I told him, a stupid grin on my face. “The Frisk filet will have to wait a while. Here.” I grabbed the food tray Max had fixed for me and shoved it under Crigo’s nose. “Eat; you’ll get your strength back faster.”
He narrowed his eyes at me before lowering his head to sniff the food. Reluctantly, he began to eat.
The Crigo is better now?
Thor’s question had my brow furrowing at the tone of utter exhaustion it conveyed. Yes, he’s going to recover completely. Have you been up all night?
Yes. As you suggested, we have been praying.
Except when he said praying, what I heard was “imploring.” A sudden uncomfortable suspicion hit me. Who, exactly, were you imploring to?
The Limantti.
I was afraid he was going to say that. Doing a good imitation of Crigo’s butt, I landed back in my chair. Let me get this straight. You asked the Limantti to heal Crigo?
It has never been done by someone not a Shushanna before, he told me. But I hoped it would understand through the bond I share with you.
Understand what? I asked weakly.
That the Crigo is not just another animal. He is your family, and his death would cause you great pain.
Slowly I raised my hand and stared down at the black lines etched on my palm. The lines that glowed. The lines that had tingled and itched right before Crigo regained consciousness. The hand I’d been stroking him with.
I think you succeeded. Numb with shock, I continued to stare at my hand a moment longer, then stuck it under my thigh where I couldn’t see it.
Shall I bring you food now?
No, Max can fix me something. There was a whir as another tray of food slid out of the unit before I even finished the thought, and I wondered if the ship had fixed it for me or Crigo. Probably Crigo, since I wasn’t speaking aloud. Why don’t you get some rest?
You also need rest.
I know, but I have to stay until Crigo can function on his own. I’ll curl up on the extra bunk here in sick bay.
The mental exchange came to an end, and I knew Thor had gone to sleep. Relieved at the privacy, I contemplated what had just happened. My feelings were ambivalent to say the least.
Retrieving the food, I carried it to Crigo and then got a tray of my own and dug in, hungrier than I’d realized.
Of course, I thanked the Goddess that Crigo was alive and well. On the other hand, the stone had used me to heal him, without my permission or knowledge.
I had to look at this logically, I decided. What would I have done if the stone had asked my permission? Stupid question. I’d have sold my soul to the master of the thirteen hells to save Crigo, with no hesitation at all.
Thinking hard and fast, I finished eating, gathered up the empty trays for the disposal, and lay down on the spare bunk so I’d be close if Crigo needed me.
Suddenly, I was faced with the biggest moral dilemma of my life. Because if I’d go to those lengths to save Crigo, why was I quibbling over using the Limantti to save the Buri?
For the next hour, I tried hard to convince myself that it was a totally different proposition. That using the Limantti to save the Buri might endanger the rest of the universe. But even I wasn’t buying it.
Maybe Thor had been right when he said I didn’t trust him. After all, as he’d pointed out repeatedly, their Shushanna had used the Limantti for centuries with no ill effects. I’d just been too busy panicking to really listen. Or care.
That wasn’t like me at all, so maybe he was right about something else, too.
Maybe I was resisting the Limantti because of my own personal fears. I’d admitted as much when he’d first broached the subject, but hadn’t really thought the matter through.
I thought about the consequences now as I drifted to sleep. How could I, in good conscious, accept the use of the Limantti to save Crigo but not the Buri?
Could I really acknowledge that I was what Gertz had made me, no matter what it was, or was I talking myself into playing God?
I didn’t know, and I was too tired to figure it out.