CHAPTER 9
The next morning I awoke with a feeling of well-being so foreign that I had to study it before I climbed from my sleeping platform. It sprang, I finally decided, from Thor’s I’m-the-leader, you-will-obey attitude.
An odd thing to get happy about, but considering who and what I am, maybe it was to be expected. Normally, I’m the one people come to for protection, the one in charge. Even the zorfa’s ass had constantly deferred to me on the occasions when we were together, which was enormously frustrating. But Thor had demonstrated repeatedly that not only was he determined to protect me, he considered me very soft and feminine in a good kind of way.
Also, as senior agent for Alien Affairs, I’m usually the first official representative of the Federation that most species come in contact with after the scientists leave. This generates a certain amount of awe from native populations. After all, I hold their future in my hands.
But Thor didn’t know about the Federation, and I had a sneaky suspicion he wouldn’t care even if I spelled it out in plain Buri. He just didn’t strike me as the kowtowing type.
And then there was the personal side of things. I’d finally found a male I didn’t have to worry about breaking if things got…intense. Take my word for it, to a GEP, Naturals are very delicate creatures. This makes it a little hard to let go and really enjoy yourself. Mainly due to the fact that part of your mind is always focused on not doing permanent physical damage to your partner during a moment of ecstasy.
We had made quite a picture yesterday, eight fierce-looking Buri warriors marching silently back to the village. Me, upended over Thor’s shoulder, grinning like an idiot. Even the indignity of being treated like a sack of grain couldn’t quell my happiness.
It also hadn’t hurt that he’d kept me by his side the rest of the evening. I figured that was more because he wanted to make sure I stayed put than it was for the joy of my company, though. He’d even escorted me back to my quarters after we’d shared the evening meal, and made sure I was safely tucked away for the night.
There was only one dark spot in my mood. He hadn’t touched me. At least, not like I wanted him to. Was I being too subtle? Had it somehow escaped his attention that I was ready, willing and avid to make love?
I knew damn well he wanted me. I could see it every time he looked at me, could feel it floating in the air around him like static electricity whenever we were within a yard of each other. So what was he waiting for? Could it be that I was lacking some come-hither cue that Buri females performed to entice their males into a sexual romp?
Too bad Max’s cameras couldn’t see through walls. Some footage of Buri mating rituals would really come in handy right about now. I’d never been a voyeur, but if it helped me snag Thor, I was willing to make an exception.
I climbed off the sleeping platform and took a jumpsuit from one of the pegs on the wall, still thinking about Thor as I pulled it on. I’d give him a few more days, and if he hadn’t made his move by then, I’d take matters into my own hands. Literally. I could have that loincloth off him in two seconds flat.
That image had me smiling as I pushed the curtain aside and stepped outside. Then I came to a rapid halt, blinking in surprise. I’d overslept. The sun was already high, nearly noon from the looks of it.
My gaze was drawn to the new building. It was finished, rising sturdy and proud in front of the cliffs, and my compulsion to go inside was climbing steadily with every hour I spent in the thing’s proximity. It was strange, but I could swear the thing was calling me.
I blinked and refocused on a stream of Buri, both male and female, carrying goods inside. Some of the items were identifiable as curtains and floor coverings, but others were concealed in wrappings. All of the Buri seemed in very good spirits, laughing and talking as they passed each other going in and out.
For that matter, the entire village was abuzz with activity. To one side of the communal kitchen, four males were digging two long pits. From behind Thor’s house, I could hear the steady bang of metal on metal. Since the forge was located back there, and he was the only one I’d ever seen use it, I had to assume he was working again.
Near the pool, in the shade of the cliff, Junior sat on a flat rock, legs crossed tailor fashion. Elder was with him, and the youngster listened raptly to every word the older Buri spoke. Even though I couldn’t understand the language, it was clear he was giving Junior important instructions.
A movement caught my eye, and I glanced around in time to see Auntie Em emerge from the jungle. Her right arm was curved around a large wooden bowl that rested against her hip.
When she saw me, she smiled and motioned me toward the kitchen. Once inside, she put the bowl on a table and poured a clay cup full of something that simmered in a pot over the fire, and then pushed it into my hands.
I took a tentative sip, then a larger one as I realized the liquid contained caffeine. It wasn’t cafftea, but it was the next best thing—kind of the consistency of hot chocolate, but with a spicy tang to it. Even the fact that it was the color of tomato juice didn’t slow me down. Thanks to Frisk and his intention to poison me, the food-preparation unit in the hut now felt haunted. I’d replace it the first chance I got, but until then, I only considered the one on board Max to be 100 percent safe.
While I finished that cup and poured myself another, I watched Auntie Em work. The bowl contained three or four gnarled roots, bits of dirt still clinging to them. She rinsed them thoroughly in a separate bowl of water, then peeled and cut them in half. That done, she brought out what looked to be a large mortar and pestle. Placing the roots inside, she pounded until they broke down into a pale bluish-white liquid.
Midway through the process, Churka came in and took a seat beside her, watching in obvious fascination. Auntie Em spoke to her several times, and Churka would nod. When the roots were reduced to stringy pulp and liquid, Churka stood and went to one of the shelves near the fireplace. When she came back, she was carrying a jug with a wooden stopper.
Auntie Em removed the pestle from the bowl and gestured while she gave instructions. Churka nodded, removed the stopper, and poured part of the jug’s contents into the root mixture. Even from across the table I could smell alcohol mixed with a fruity aroma that made me think they were concocting some type of wine. This was good, I decided. Exotic alcoholic beverages were always in big demand, and this one smelled downright sinful.
I didn’t get a chance to find out for sure if that’s what it was, though. After a quick stir, Auntie Em covered the bowl with a cloth and set it to one side; then, with a smile in my direction, she and Churka left the building.
Wondering if I dared swipe a sample for Max to analyze, I finished my drink and took a fast look around the room. Nope. Too many Buri were coming and going. One of them would spot me for sure. Oh, well, maybe later. Now that I’d had my daily quota of caffeine, I was ready to do a little mining.
Since the episode with Frisk yesterday evening, I’d been assigned two full-time guards. Ghost was still with me, but my other protector was new to the job. We were behind my quarters, going through my supplies, and I studied him from under my lashes as I packed a laser drill, axe, shovel and some specimen containers in a knapsack.
He wasn’t a total stranger. I’d noticed him several times around the village, mostly because, in a race of strikingly beautiful people, he was the exception. His hair was a few shades lighter than Brownie’s, and was also shorter. It curled in tight ringlets that looked like coils of wire. His beard was fuller and bushier than what the other Buri males sported. Lips so thick they were in a permanent pout protruded below a bulbous nose with a well-defined crook in the middle. Combined with the beard, it gave him a real wild-man look.
It was his size that had me worried, though. Other than Thor, he was the biggest Buri I’d seen so far. But where Thor was all sleek lines and tight, sexy muscle, this guy could compete with a mountain and win.
I didn’t doubt I could take him if the necessity arose, but it would be no rapid victory. His weight alone would be enough to slow me down, keep me pinned in place. Especially if I didn’t want to hurt him in the effort.
Which made it pretty obvious what Thor was doing. At the first sign I was about to take off like an out-of-control rocket, mountain man would hang on to me until the troops arrived. Thor wasn’t taking any chances that I’d outrun my guards again.
Oh, well, if I was stuck with the living mountain, might as well give him a name. I mentally shuffled through all the monikers of mountain men that I could remember, and discarded every one. They didn’t seem to fit him somehow.
When I straightened and slung the knapsack over my shoulder, I casually took a step closer to him and lowered my shield. Surprise had me gaping at him in wonder. Around a core of solid steel flowed waves of such gentleness, such sweetness, that I was stunned.
This man would do what needed to be done, but he would do it his way. He was the type who would starve to death in a herd of bunnies because he couldn’t stand hurting them. Inside that rough exterior was the soul of a poet.
With no hesitation now, I reached out and patted his massive chest. “Poet,” I told him.
He glanced at Ghost in puzzlement, and the other Buri gave him a brief explanation. He listened solemnly and then looked back at me, his head tilted.
“Poet,” I repeated.
“Poe.” His voice was so cavernous and rough, it sounded like it rumbled from inside a bottomless hole. Rather ironic that his version was the name of an Old Earth poet, and a scary one too.
I smiled and nodded. “Poe.”
While I’d studied my new guard, the pounding of Thor’s hammer had been replaced with male Buri voices near the stone building. Voices that were now getting louder and angrier with every word. Curious, I stepped around my quarters to see what was going on.
Thor stood outside the main entrance, a wrought-iron object in his arms. His way was blocked by Brownie, a fierce scowl on the Buri’s face as he spoke rapidly, gesturing emphatically at my quarters.
Alarm replaced my curiosity. Whatever was going on obviously concerned me, and I didn’t like Brownie’s tone. Dropping my knapsack at the corner of my building, I headed toward them, but Elder, Auntie Em and Churka beat me to the two males.
Both females were trying to outtalk each other by the time I reached the group, but Elder stopped them with a slashing motion of one hand. When they fell silent, he took over reasoning with Brownie.
There were so many emotions coming at me, it was hard to tell who was feeling what. Thor, I decided, was busy trying to suppress his anger and remain objective. Brownie was frustrated and angry because no one was paying attention to what he thought. A sense of profound loyalty was coming from Churka and was aimed at Thor. Elder was trying to be fair, to see both sides of whatever they were arguing about. Auntie Em just felt a deep certainty.
Normally I wouldn’t have interfered with the clan’s business any more than I would have allowed Thor to interfere with my mission. But this seemed to concern me. Puzzled, my gaze went back and forth between the participants, trying to ferret out what the problem was. Until Brownie said Shushanna and made a chopping motion in my direction with his hand. That’s when I finally got it.
“Hey, if he doesn’t want me to be Shushanna that’s fine with me.” They all stopped talking and looked at me politely, so I kept going. “It’s not like I lobbied for the position or even know what it is. And you’ll just have to find someone to replace me when I leave anyway. Might as well pick another person right off, especially if it will save you from an argument.”
As soon as I shut up, Thor spoke to Brownie in a low, calm voice, completely ignoring everything I’d said. Of course, they hadn’t understood a word of my oration, but I’d hoped Thor might pick up the emotions behind it. Either he hadn’t picked up a thing, or he chose not to listen. Midway through his speech, he lifted a strand of my hair and held it up like it was Exhibit A in a murder trial. Then he pointed at the spot on my thigh where I’d been cut, and continued speaking. Auntie Em and Elder were nodding their agreement.
When he was finished, he did the arms-crossed-over-his-chest thing, the iron gadget dangling from one hand, and gave a decisive nod. The leader had spoken.
I narrowed my eyes at him, prepared to take issue with the action. But Brownie wasn’t done yet. He talked for a few minutes and then pointed at one of the smaller buildings. I recognized it as the home of the female Buri who was pregnant.
Did Brownie want her to be Shushanna? I had no idea, but he was clearly determined to get his point across.
Thor remained stoic throughout and refused to respond. Instead, Auntie Em took up the cause, and she was even more determined than Brownie. Her speech culminated when she jabbed a finger at me and said, “Shushanna,” in a very emphatic tone.
Well, guess that settled that argument.
Apparently Brownie thought so too. After shooting me a glare filled with ire, he turned his back and stalked off. Thor watched him go, shook his head in disgust and then continued into the building. Auntie Em and Elder both dispersed, each going in their own direction. Churka stayed long enough to smile, pat me on the arm and declare me Shushanna again, then she followed Auntie Em.
I watched them go, then sighed. This Shushanna deal was making me more nervous with every passing hour. It might have been a good thing for me if Brownie had won the dispute. Unfortunately, without knowing exactly what a Shushanna was I couldn’t really argue the point.
With a shrug, I went and picked up my knapsack. Ghost and Poe were waiting patiently, and I still had a job to do. I turned to face the mountains. Which way to go? Northwest; but I’d barely taken a step in that direction when Poe stopped me and pointed northeast.
Good thing I wasn’t picky. With a shrug to resettle my knapsack, I headed northeast, skirting the edge of the cliffs. Poe stayed right by my side and Ghost brought up the rear. And of course, we were escorted by the usual contingent of dragon birds. They flitted from tree to tree, pausing occasionally at a flower, and then chittering in annoyance when they had to hurry to catch up.
Gradually, the sheer face of the cliff gave way to sloping inclines strewn with boulders and rubble as we left the jungle. I wasn’t an expert at geology, but I’d had some training, and something struck me as decidedly odd about the terrain.
Pausing halfway up a steep hill, I turned in a complete circle, this time really looking at the surrounding area.
That’s when it hit me.
There was no plant growth on the slopes.
Oh, there were patches of straggly grass here and there, but no trees. It looked like someone had drawn a line of demarcation, and everything on this side had been chopped off. The trees marched in a straight-edged, unnaturally even border for as far as I could see.
Stooping, I carefully examined the ground. Most of the rocks showed evidence of great heat, some to the point of having been melted.
“Interesting, isn’t it?”
The sound of a voice speaking Galactic Standard sent the dragon birds still with us diving for cover and had me spinning around to stare at the woman leaning casually against a boulder. Quilla Dorn.
Ghost and Poe must have spotted her the instant she came into view. They were standing protectively between us, watching her warily.
She continued as though it were the most natural thing in the world for her to be there. “I noticed it the first time I came up here. My theory is that in the not-so-distant past, a meteor mowed a path across the edge of the jungle. Since no impact crater showed up on the initial scans, it would have come in at a very low angle from that direction.” Pushing away from the boulder, she tilted her head toward the east. “It probably stayed just above the surface until it buried itself in the side of that mountain.” She gestured in the general direction of the cliffs above the Buri settlement.
“There’s an eighty percent probability that her theory is correct,” Max whispered in my ear.
Which raised some interesting possibilities. Could this be what had wiped out most of the Buri? It was something to think about. Later. Right now I had more pressing questions that needed answering.
“What are you doing out here, Quilla?”
“Waiting for you.” She stepped over a pile of rubble and made her way down to my level, ignoring the Buri. “Jon mentioned you were going to do some mining today, so I thought I’d offer my services as a guide. I’ve got a six-month head start on exploring these mountains, so I know them quite well.”
Translation: There were places they didn’t want me nosing around, and she was here to make sure I wouldn’t stumble across them. Well, I could learn a lot from where she didn’t steer me.
“Works for me.” I adjusted the weight of the knapsack. “But out of curiosity, how did you know I’d be heading this way?”
Her gaze shifted to the Buri, and she smiled. “It’s the only way they’d let you go. I’ve made several attempts to go farther to the northwest, and no matter how I approach, they always stop me.”
That caught my attention, since she was right. “Max, do you see anything to the northwest of the village that the Buri might want to protect?” I spoke aloud this time so Dorn would understand that I was in constant contact with my ship, and any funny business on her part would be noted.
“Not really. There’s nothing but a few fields and more mountains.”
“He says only fields. Maybe they don’t want anyone trampling their crops.” And maybe I had an even better idea of what they were hiding that I wasn’t going to share with Dorn. After all, those extra Buri had to come from somewhere, and there were plenty of caves in that direction.
“Possibly.”
“Well, lead on.” I raised a hand to indicate she should go first.
She glanced over her shoulder as she started up the hill. “What are you looking for?”
“Random samples of ore and minerals.” My shields were all the way down, and the only thing I picked up from her was a mild curiosity. If there was something she wanted desperately to keep me away from, she was doing a great job of hiding it.
“There’s a warren of caves about a mile to the north of here.” She moved without effort in spite of the increasing rise of the hill. “Or, if you’d prefer, we can go due east. There are some interesting canyons in that direction.”
Okay, the woman was obviously smarter than I’d given her credit for. By leaving the choice to me, she had effectively shut off any information I might have gleaned from where she led me. “The caves will be fine.”
“This way.”
I spent the walk watching Dorn as we made idle chitchat. There was something about her that bothered me, a niggling at the back of my mind. But I couldn’t figure out what it was.
Poe wasn’t helping my concentration. He stayed so close to me that our arms brushed with every step I took. Even in the places where the path was so steep and narrow that we had to go single file, he never let more than two inches separate us.
Ghost was almost as bad. He didn’t crowd me, but he made sure he was always between Dorn and me. By the time we reached the caves, both his face and Poe’s were filmed with sweat and their breath came in short puffs.
We’d climbed steadily the whole way, so our elevation was well above sea level, and it showed. The canyon, its walls riddled with dark fissures, was a rocky place, the ground dry. A few scraggly trees clung to its walls, their foliage limp in the arid heat.
A scurrying sound caught my attention, and I glanced at a pile of rocks in time to see a neon-red reptile dart into the shade, change colors, and vanish into a hole.
“They’re harmless,” Dorn said. “And almost as plentiful up here as those odd little birds are in the jungle. Have you noticed that most of the life on this planet seems to be reptilian?” Her gaze shifted to Ghost. “Except the Buri and those grazers out on the plains.”
I thought about the feline Crigo had shown an interest in. “Not all of it. I’ve seen other mammals, too.” Of course, I hadn’t examined the creature, so I couldn’t be positive it wasn’t a hairy reptile. Wouldn’t it put Crigo’s nose out of joint to discover he’d been mating with a lizard? I caught my snort of laughter at the last second.
Either way, I wasn’t going to share my theory about the Buri being descendants of an Ashwani colonization effort. If it were true, CHAPTER Twenty of the Equality Edict would be null and void. When it came to the colonization of a planet with no sentient species in residence, it was finder’s keepers, and the Buri had been here first.
“But not in the same proportion that you do on other planets,” she said.
“Maybe not. I’m sure the scientists will work it all out.” I selected an opening partway up the canyon and headed toward it, Dorn following.
“Yes, our scientists are chomping at the bit to get started.”
“Assuming Dynatec’s claim is valid.” I dropped my knapsack in the cave entrance, knelt and pushed the flap aside.
“Of course.” She chose a boulder to the left of the entry and sat down, watching as I took out my equipment. “Can I ask you a question?”
Stepping just inside the opening, I made a few quick cuts in the cave wall with the laser drill, and deposited the results in specimen containers. “You can ask, but I can’t promise to answer.”
“What was it like growing up in a government crèche?”
Surprised, I took a second to label the containers before I responded. “I really don’t have anything to compare it with. They didn’t beat us or starve us, if that’s what you mean.”
“But were they kind to you?”
“Kind?” What a strange conversation, one I’d never experienced before. Government crèches were so regulated it was a miracle they worked at all. But they did, and most Naturals had at least some knowledge of their operation. “I suppose it depends on your definition of kind. They employ the best psychologists in the world, and they kept us busy developing our bodies and our minds. We didn’t have time to be unhappy. Why do you ask?”
“Curiosity. I was raised by my father, you know, and he was overly protective of me. I saw a documentary on the crèches once when I was young. In a way, I envied your freedom from parental influence. It looked as though you had the best of all worlds.”
“It had its drawbacks.” I shrugged. “Is anyone ever really one hundred percent happy with the way they grew up?”
“If they are, I haven’t met them.” She smiled. “Don’t you think it’s a bit hypocritical for the government to sanction their own creation of GEPs but ban cloning?”
I arched a brow at the comment and paused to put another sample of stone in the container I was holding. “Totally different proposition. With GEPs, you aren’t making a copy of another person, you’re making an entirely new being, so it’s less of an ethical dilemma. Besides, there wasn’t much choice. After the plague wiped out the population of Old Earth ninety cycles into the space colonization program, manpower on Alpha Centauri reached a critical shortage. With no replacements available from Earth, specialized workers were needed to fill jobs that were crucial for continued prosperity. And since GEPs mature faster than Naturals, and can be made resistant to the ailments Naturals suffer, it was cost effective for the government to set up the program.”
“Of course.” She nodded and rose to her feet. Immediately, Ghost and Poe moved between us again. “I seem to be making your escorts nervous. Now that you know where the caves are, I’ll be heading back to our camp.”
I nodded. “Thanks for the help.”
“Anytime.”
The two Buri kept a close eye on the direction she’d gone, and didn’t relax until fifteen or twenty minutes had elapsed. I used the time to continue gathering samples from the other caves. One in particular interested me, since large traces of quartz showed in the rock.
But I couldn’t get Dorn out of my mind. What was she up to? It had to be something. Putting away the last of the samples, I stepped out of the cave. “Max, have we heard anything from the boss about Quilla Dorn?”
“Not yet, Kiera.”
“Contact him and see if he can light a fire under his operatives. I want everything they can find on her, up to and including the color she paints her toenails. There’s something about her that gives me chills.”
“Did you pick up anything unusual from her?”
I lifted the knapsack to my shoulder. “No, and that’s one of the things bothering me. I didn’t pick up anything except a stray wisp of curiosity. It’s like she feels nothing at all.”
“Dr. Daniels always tells you to trust your instincts.”
“Oh, I trust them. I only wish I knew what they were trying to show me. I’ve met people I didn’t like, but this is different. She’s different. It’s…” I hesitated.
“What?”
My hands lifted helplessly. “Unnatural. She feels unnatural. I don’t know how else to put it.”
A second of silence passed before Max responded. “I’ll contact Dr. Daniels.”
“Good.” I glanced at the sheared-off jungle as we descended. “Any idea when that meteor might have come through here?”
“From the new growth, I estimate it happened ten to twenty cycles ago. Long enough that there’s no sign of burning left, but not long enough for the trees to reforest the area.”
“And if a Buri village were in its path, there wouldn’t be much left of it. That could be what happened to the Buri’s families, Max.”
“It’s possible, but not probable. Unless the meteor landed on top of them, there would still be some signs of the buildings, even if only a few ruins. Stone and adobe, both of which the Buri are proficient in using, don’t burn easily.”
“Maybe it did land on them.” I was reaching for straws, and we both knew it. “Okay, forget it for now. I’ll drop these samples off for you to analyze before I head back to the village.”
“Speaking of the village…”
“Yes?”
“There is a ninety percent probability that they are preparing for a celebration of some type.”
Since I’d reached the same conclusion earlier, I smiled as the Buri and I reached the edge of the jungle. The dragon birds met us, scolding loudly because they’d been left behind. “What led you to this supposition?”
“The level of activity for one thing. It’s increased dramatically. As has the amount of food being brought to the village. Several Buri have been fishing in the nearby lake most of the day.”
“Are they catching anything?”
“Yes, a fishy-looking creature with legs and big eyes.”
I made a mental note not to try any of those. “Where’s Crigo? He’s not getting in their way, is he?”
“On the contrary. He helped a group of hunters bring down two of the herdbeasts. They seem very pleased with him.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” I glanced at Ghost and Poe. My conversation with Max had been on a subvocal level again, but somehow, the Buri always knew. Ghost was used to it and paid no attention. Poe continued to give me wary looks from the corners of his eyes.
I shot him my biggest grin. “Gentlemen, let’s drop off these samples and go party. But I’m warning you now, I don’t know how to waltz.”