She left, trailing an aura of jealousy and pain. And amusement turned on herself. And interest.
Shadith stretched out in her chair, put her feet up on the hassock. Harskari. That’s good. She’ll know if Storsten would work for the Taalav. I still have to talk to them first, find out what they want.
Storsten, the next world out from Vrithian-a heavyworld, in the same range as Pillory; its largest life forms were wormlike grazers with chitinous armor to protect them from smaller and faster predators like dog-sized scorpions. Since Vrithian had never been located by outsiders in all the centuries of Vryhh existence, the Taalav would be safe there. She was pleased with herself for coming up with that idea.
Hm. It’d be a hoot if the Kliu swooped down on the smuggler’s planet with death and destruction in mind and ran into a pair of Vryhh ships standing guard. She giggled at the thought of the Kliu pulling up in consternation when Harskari snapped a beam across their bow and told them to get out or get ashed. A tridda comic, that. Of course, it wouldn’t happen. Too boring for Harskari. She dipped a finger in her cup. The tea was cold. She looked at the samovar, sighed, and set the cup down; she didn’t really want more tea.
Outside, the sun had vanished, taking most of the color with it except for a last fugitive gleam lighting the needle peaks. For a moment she envied Aleytys this’house, but, only for a moment. Lee had paid a price for it and was still paying. I’m not willing to do that, not yet anyway. I wish I knew what was wrong here. I wish I knew if I should do something about Digby. 1 wish 1 could do something about the Taalav, get all of them someplace where they’d be safe…
“Shadow, I called Grey, he’ll be home in a bit. Um, I’d like to talk to him here. Neutral territory as it were. Would you mind…?”
“No problem. If you’re doing the transport, I should probably get back to the ship, make sure I’ve got everything I need.”,
“He’ll want to say hello. You don’t have to leave yet.”
“All right.” I doubt that, Lee, I truly do. Last time I was here you’d need a q-scan to measure the amount of welcome he was putting out. She knew Aleytys could read her skepticism. She was sorry for that, but there was nothing she could do about it.
“Let me take a look at you now, hm? See what you brought away from your visit to that world. If anything. Stretch out on the couch. You know the routine.”
As Lee’s fingers moved lightly over her, Shadith was aware of heat and an uneasiness so faint she could barely feel it-an uneasiness that was not part of her but something else. There was a sudden flare of intense pain which vanished almost as soon as it began, then only the familiar lassitude from the deep relaxation Lee’s touch induced.
When she was finished, Aleytys got to her feet, worked her shoulders. “You had some visitors in a few cells. Cysted and dormant. Didn’t like it when I poked at them, but you’re clean now.”
“Akh, horrid thought.” Shadith sat up. “Two years since your last Hunt?”
“Canyli took Grey on as her Second around then. Funny how it happens.” A quick unhappy twist of her mouth, then Aleytys walked to the window and stood looking out at the developing stars. “Suddenly there were no suitable assignments. Don’t make a fuss, he says. I’ve seen what’s been available, he says. You wouldn’t want any of them, he says. Maybe so. Two years. It’s nothing, a snap of the fingers. We’ve had problems before, but we’ve worked them out. Now.
he looks at me now, he looks in the mirror… and he sees an aging man, while I don’t change… when he can’t handle it any longer, he stays in town or at his own place. I’ve tried, Shadow. He won’t talk to me or let me… I can’t… I don’t want to let this fall apart… I think something broke in him that time on Avosing… you were there… sometimes I hate you for that, Shadow… that you were there and I wasn’t… I think more than anything that’s why I had Lilai. And of course there is Lilai. And I remember what it felt like when I knew my own mother had run away and left me. And you were there, Shadow, still in the Diadem, that time on Cazarit, you remember, when I begged Stavver to let me talk to Shari. My son. You remember. Shari wouldn’t talk to me; my son wouldn’t even let me look at him. I can’t let that happen with Lilai. Happily ever after the old stories say. Well, when it’s really ever after, happily goes out the door.”
Shadith hadn’t turned the-lights on after the sunset watch, so Aleytys was a shadow against the faint flicker of the bug screen. She lifted an arm and Shadith thought she rubbed at her eyes, but she couldn’t be sure.
“Grey’s coming. He’ll be landing in a few minutes. Shadow, would you do me a favor and clear away the tea things? I’ve got to wash my face and get myself set for this.”
When Grey walked into the room, Shadith was shocked. Sometime in the years since she’d last seen him, he’d turned into a pinched old man-not old in the body exactly, his hair was still mostly dark, his muscles were-firm, his hands steady; when he walked, there was no shortening of his stride. The sense of age lay in the stiffness with which he held himself, the expression on his face and the fragility she felt inside him. The joy’s gone out of him, she thought. “‘Lo, Grey,” she said and managed a smile to go with the greeting.
“Shadith.” He was polite, controlled. “You’re looking well.”
“And it’s good to see you, Grey. Lee tells me you’re possibly in line for the job as Head. Best of luck.”
“Will you be staying long? There’s a shooting party next week; we could arrange an invitation.”
“Thanks, but this is just a drop-by. I’ll be leaving tomorrow. And I’d best go get ready to do that.” She smiled and went out, knowing he was looking after her with barely repressed anger.
4
As Shadith was doing a last runthrough of her kephalos files, checking to see if there was anything else she should download to transfer over to Aleytys’ Tigatri, the announcer tinged to let her know she had an incoming call.
Aleytys’ face had a brittle quietness. “Shadow, I’m coming up to Tigatri in an hour. Would you be ready to transfer by then?”
“Fine. I’ve about got things wrapped up here. Let me know when you’re in and I’ll sled across.”
“Will do.”
Shadith scowled at the screen, shook her head. “I say good-bye to my sisters’ ghosts and now Lee’s life is starting to break up. I never thought how much it meant, knowing she was here, a place I could always come back to All-erased. Or will be in a few years. Not a place I want to visit after this. No Digby. No job. No idea what I want to do. Funny how it’s all happening at the same time. The Flux is fluxing royally.”
She sighed, got wearily to her feet, and went to start packing the bubblesled for the transfer to the other ship.
Tigatri’s prime mobile waited at the lock to greet her. “Welcome aboard, Shadow. Your quarters are ready for you. Is there anything you need immediately?”
“‘Llo, Abra. No, all that gear can be stowed.” She. took the flake case from her belt sac. “If these could be read into the kephalos, I’d appreciate it.”
“Of course. Simply stowed, or do you wish Tzgatri to comment?”
“Comments would be more than welcome, along with any data you have on Bol Mutiar. And she might check the flakes for sneaky hitchhikers. Hm. And my other gear, too. For the same thing.”
“Understood.”
She stepped onto the skimmer flat beside the mobile and hummed through melting mutating interior space until walls stabilized about her and she was standing in a pleasant, ordinary room, much like her apartment on University.
“Your gear has been put away. Doll will be your serviteur. If any questions occur, she will have the answers for you. You are free of all areas of the ship except for the Archira’s quarters.” Abra bowed with liquid grace and was gone.