“How many Terrans are in the castle?”
“Ten, maybe fifteen. Not Spaceforce — even Lawton wouldn’t have that much insolence. They’re-in plain clothes, and they behave themselves.”
I nodded. “None of them would know me by sight, I suppose. Hunt me up a suit of Terran clothes.”
He gave me a bleak grin. “No use trying to stop you, I suppose. I’ll look after the little lass, then. And, I don’t have to be a telepath to know what you’re thinking, vai dom. I’ve lived with your family half my life. If that don’t answer your question, what would?”
There were many doors to the Alton suites, and the Terrans couldn’t guard them all. In the hallways no one paid the slightest attention to me. They were looking after a Darkovan man with one hand; a man in Terran clothing, one hand stuck in a pocket, roused not the slightest curiosity.
I hesitated outside the Hastur apartments, wanting to take counsel with the old Regent; then, regretfully, passed. If he knew our plan, he might forbid me, and a thousand oaths bound me to obey him. Better not chance it.
I found Callina in her own rooms, seated before Linnell’s harp; her head was buried in her arms and I thought she was crying; then with sudden suspicion, I grabbed her and jerked her head up»
She came up stiffly, resisting; her eyes, blank and dead, stared at me without recognition. “Callina!” I shouted, but I might as well have whispered. I dragged her bodily to her feet. Her eyes were fixed in a lifeless, blue-ice stare. “Wake up!” I shouted, and shook her hard. But I had to put her in a chair and slap her before the spark of life suddenly blazed in her eyes and her head went up.
“What do you think you are doing? Let me go!”
“Callina, you were in trance—”
“Oh, no! No!” She threw herself on me, pressing herself to me in desperate appeal. I caught the words, “Ashara” and ” — send — her — out,” but they meant nothing, and I held her away. I dared not touch her until this was over. Gradually, she calmed. “I’m sorry, Lew. I’m — me again.”
“But who are you?” I said at hazard, “Dio? Ashara?”
She smiled, a sorrowful smile. If you don’t know, who does?”
I dared not show tenderness. “We’ve got to act tonight, Callina, while the Terrans think I’m still too weak to do anything Where is Kathie?”
Her face twisted. “It’s like Linnell’s ghost—”
I dreaded it, too, but I said nothing, and finally Callina sighed. “Shall I go to her?”
“Let me,” I said. I walked through two cubicles, finally found the one where we had taken Kathie. She was lying on a couch, almost naked, scanning a set of tiles; but she heard my step and started violently, catching a sort of veil around her. “Get out!” she squeaked. “Oh — it’s you again!”
“Kathie, I haven’t the slightest designs on you, except to ask you to dress and come with us. Can you ride?”
“Yes. Why?” She paused. “I think I know why. Something strange happened to me, I think, when Linnell was killed.”
I couldn’t discuss that. I reached to the dressing panel, rummaged among the forcebars and racks, finally pulled out some garments. I recognized them, with a stab of pain; Linnell’s perfume hung about them; but there was nothing else I could do. I threw the armful in her lap. “Put these on,” I said, and sank down to wait, but her angry stare made me recall, suddenly, the Terran taboos›I rose, actually reddening. How could Terran women be so immodest out of doors and so prudish within? “I forgot. Call me when you are ready.”
A queer sound made me turn back. She was staring helplessly at the clothes.
“I’ve no idea how to get into these things!”
“After what you were just thinking at me,” I said, “I’m certainly not going to offer to help you.”
It was her turn to blush. “Besides — how can I ride in skirts?”
“Zandru, girl,” I exploded, genuinely shocked now. “What else?"-
“I’ve ridden all my life, but I never tried it in a skirt, and I’m not going to start. If you want me to ride anywhere, you can certainly get me some decent clothes.”
“These clothes are perfectly decent.”
“Damn it, get me some indecent ones then,” she blazed. I laughed. I had to.
“I’ll see what I can do, Kathie.”
Fortunately, I knew where Dio slept, and no one stopped me. I parted the curtains and looked in. She was asleep, but sat up quickly, blinking. “Are things starting again?”
They had never stopped; we had simply been flung out of them. I explained what I wanted; she giggled, then the laughter broke off. “I know it isn’t really funny, Lew. I just can’t help it. All right, then. I think my things will fit Kathie.”
“And can you find Regis, and tell him to slip out and find horses for ns?”
She nodded. “I can come and go pretty much as I please. Most of the Terrans know me. Lerrys—” she stopped, biting her lip. There was nothing I could say; I’d hated her brothers and she knew it. Dio was as alone, now, as I/was.
Seeing Dio made me remember something else. I slipped back to my rooms and got Rafe’s pistol. There were still bullets in the chamber. I still abhorred these coward’s weapons — but tonight I might be fighting men without honor or conscience.
When I went back to Kathie’s rooms, Dio and Callina were already there, and the Terran girl had been dressed in the sleeveless tunic and close-fitting breeches which Dio had worn for riding on Vainwal. Callina, more conventionally dressed, looked on with mild disfavor.
“Fine, but how are we going to get out?”
I laughed. I was not Kennard Alton’s son for nothing. The Altons, aeons ago, had designed the Comyn castle, and their knowledge was handed down, son to son. “Don’t you know your own rooms, Callina?” I went into the central room of the suite, and stepped into certain imprints of the flooring. I cautioned them to stand back, then frowned; my father had told me of this doorway, but had never bothered to teach me the pattern; nor did I have a sounder to test the matrix lock. I tried two or three of the standard patterns, but they did not respond; then turned to Callina.
“Can you sound a fourth-level without equipment?”
Her face took on concentrated seriousness; after a minute a section of flooring dropped out of sight, revealing deep, dusty stairs that led away downward.
“Stay close to me,” I warned, motioning them ahead. “I’ve never been down here before.” Behind us the square of light revolved, spun — and we were in darkness.
“I wish that old great-grandfather of mine had provided a light! It’s dark as Zandru’s pockets!”
Callina raised her hand — and the tips began to glow. Light spread — sparkled — radiated from those twelve slender finger-tips! “Don’t touch me,” she warned softly. The passage was long and dark, with steep steps, and in spite of the ghost-light, dark and dangerous. Once Kathie slipped on the strangely slippery surfaces, and fell jarringly a step or two before I could catch her; and twice my outstretched hand broke sticky invisible webs. There was no rail and I found it hard to balance, but Callina picked her way securely and delicately, never stumbling, as if the way were perfectly well known to her.
Down, and down. Finally a door slid back and we stood in the semilight of Thendara under three waning moons. I looked around. We were in a disorderly section of the city, where the Terrans probably never came twice in fifteen years. Down the dark street was a place where horses were shod and swords and tools mended; here Regis was to meet me, if my message had reached him.