“Hm.” It was a small and exceedingly skeptical sound almost lost in the hum of lifters. It trailed off into a sigh as she leaned back and let the stunner rest in her lap. “We’ll have to crate the gear and get the Metau and Teseach to give it storage room in the Meeting House. That should be safe enough. You and Dunc start running the analysis of the interviews, get everything encrypted and duplicated into flakes. Just in case. I’ve three more interviews set up for tomorrow. Might as well finish those before we leave. Besides, one of them is a bargeman’s wife. Won’t be direct help, no doubt, but maybe I can pick up some useful information.”
“No more argument?”
“About going after the Chav? I don’t waste my breath.” She wrinkled her longish nose, laughed at him. “Besides, Shadow may already have dealt with him. She can be a very sudden woman when she chooses.”
“I’ve heard rumors. That the truth you told the Goлs?”
“Now, Marrin, I’m surprised at you. You think I’d lie?” She grinned. “When every word I spoke is going through analysis by traders used to listen for nuance?” She sobered. “And I’ll probably have to submit to the Verifier when this business is over. You, too. Remember that.”
“Me?” He blinked, looked startled. “Why? I’m only a student.”
“Because this is a Trade Matter. Which means Helvetia. I’ve been through one of their condemnation trials. They pick nits like no one else. Which means everyone, including you, Dunc, and a sample of the Bйluchar who can speak as direct witnesses to the burnings. Goлs Koraka hoeh Dexios knows all of this, Marrin. It’s why he’s being so very very careful in everything he does. This is life and death for Yaraka and Chandavasi.”
He looked out over the placid fields with the herds and their drowsy keepers, the farmers working in their fields, weeding, irrigating, planting things whose names he didn’t know, whose uses he had even less idea about. The sky was empty of Eolt, but a few clouds stretched in long arcing wisps across a deep blue dome. Such peace was deceptive, he knew, this was no godhome perfection, but filled with stresses and strains and the thousand thousand ways that life can go wrong for people, especially when two such disparate species tried to live together. But they did try, and there had been peace. This wasn’t a stagnant world; things changed, but they had changed at Bйluchad’s own pace and in ways peculiar to this dual species called Bйluchar. And the Eolt were a wonder. The first time he’d seen them, they’d been like jewels carved from amber, and when he heard them singing in that grand chorus… the memory stung a sterner anger out of him and a determination to pull together for himself the Chandavasi files. They were there in the Rekordek, he’d just been too busy to look into them.
Duncan Shears was waiting in the stable the Blai Olegan had cleaned out to house the jit. “Metau and Teseach have been by,” he said. “They want to see you soonest, Scholar.”
“About what?” Aslan swung down from the jit, pushing her hair back from her face. “They give you any idea?”
“Probably Glois and Utelel,” Marrin said. “Finally got around to doing what they should have done yesterday.”
“Hm. Dunc, were they angry or what?”
“Serious but not hostile.”
“Then that’s all right. I’d better get cleaned up first. Marrin will fill you in. Things are going to start changing very quickly.”
“Enclave?”
“You don’t sound happy about it.”
“I’m not.”
“Well, we’re not. We’re going to go inland and hunt for Shadith.”
“I was thinking about that. Away from here to anywhere is a good idea.”
3
“Ihoi! I’m weak as a rotted rootbulb.” Danor grunted, tried to push himself up.
Shadith rose from the cot where she was drowsing, opened the slide on the nightlight and carried it across to the bed. “So you’re with us again.” She set the nightlight clown, bent down, touched his face. “Good. For a while there I thought you were going to burn this place down around you, that fever had you so hot.”
“Place. Where are we?”
“Blai at Dumel Minach.”
“How long…?”
“Six days. You nearly died from the fever and the allergies, but Tokta Burek got you through.”
“Allergies?”
“There was a point when I had to use things from my medkit on you. They worked enough so we didn’t kill you by moving you but caused some problems later.” She managed a smile. “Might have fried a few nerves, but with some rest you’ll do all right.”
“Rest. We’ve already lost six days.” His voice went shrill on the end, and he tried to push himself up.
Shadith clucked her tongue, bent over him, her hands on his shoulders, not applying pressure yet, just letting him know she could. “And we’ll lose even more if you tear open that wound. Relax. Mer-Eolt Lebesair went on ahead to let the Meruu know what happened. Xe got back yesterday. They’ll wait for us.”
“The dying won’t wait. Leave me and go on.”
“Yes, we could do that, but you’ve seen what we could only report second hand, Ard Da…”
“Don’t call me Ard. My sioll’s dead.” That outburst used the last of his energy; he went limp, turning his head so she wouldn’t see the tears coursing from his eyes.
She touched his hair lightly, straightened, filled a glass from the ewer on the bedtable. “I’ve poured you some water. It’s on the table here, just stretch out your hand when you want it. I’m on the cot by the window, call me if you need anything.”
She stretched out, yawned, but couldn’t recover the drifty doze she’d been in when he called out. She’d done everything she could think of to get the handcom working again, but repairing solid state electronics with a screwdriver and a talent for mindlifting small objects wasn’t a very hopeful project to start with and she got the results she’d expected. She thought about throwing the thing away as useless weight, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to do that. Not yet.
Aslan would be bothered over no reports coming back, but she wouldn’t worry too much. Shadith smiled into the darkness, remembering the Scholar’s acerbic comments on administrative stupidity. Not one to suffer fools lightly, Aslan. Talking about fools. Smugglers bringing in guns. Those were offworld pellet shooters the choreks had. I should have taken them apart instead of just leaving them beside the corpses. Well, no time for it, I’ll just have to live with that Won’t be Arel. How odd to come across word of him again. Or maybe not so odd. The Callidara was part of his round before Bogmak. And won’t he be pissed if the Chave win the prize and shut the world on him. She sighed.
She was deeply tired, but sleep kept eluding her no matter how she tried to clear her mind. In a few days, less than a week, she’d be answering questions for the Meruus. What happens after that? I’ve done what Aslan brought me along to do. Now what happens. What do I do? What do I do? Burning Eolt. She shuddered. That has to stop. I have to help. Somehow. Aslan can testify, say we make it offworld. Which may be a very iffy thing. The Ykkuval has to know he doesn’t dare let us get away. What do I do? Go after them. Use what I can do… animal armies… I haven’t tried it with budders I wonder if I can mindride local vermin? Hm. No, don’t try it now, you get started, you’ll never get to sleep.
She heard the clink of the glass, thought about going over to help the Fior, after a moment, though, she decided he’d feel better doing as much for himself as he could. In the morning, soon as Maorgan gets back from whatever bed he’s found, I’ll ask him to give Danor a bath and a shave. Gods, I hope we get out of here soon, this place is growing on me like mold