Challen suddenly burst out laughing. “By the stones of gaali, the gall you have is astounding.”
“Only a gentleman would put it so nicely. Do we have a deal?”
“For what are you dealing?”
“I get your word, as well as being kept apprised by you of her reactions to your arbitrary way of doing things down there. In return I’ll practice hands-off and allow you the full month she owes you before I demand her return. I’ll even throw in free advice if it’s needful, and if I know my Tedra, it’ll be needful a great deal.”
“You have already told me you cannot be trusted. Do I speak with you when she is near, the matter of luck becomes more a matter of probables and deductions for you in the ‘fixing’ on her location.”
Chuckling came out of the box. “You’ve got me there, warrior. But you’re overlooking a couple of things. If Tedra’s only good and mad, but not enough to want to kill you, then chances are she’ll get back to thinking she’s got to honor her service to you. If that’s the case, it won’t matter if I decide to take her out of there. She’d only get a new Transfer unit and come right back to you to complete her service. Now that’s what she’d likely do. But what I can do, if you don’t care to deal with me, is create havoc on your world of the like you’ve never dreamed of. Whole towns can be demolished, making your people think the world is coming to an end. Of course, I wouldn’t do that without knowing in what town you have Tedra stashed. But destroying your crops would accomplish the same thing, causing widespread panic and fear. Actually, just showing myself would probably do it. To appreciate that, you should know the Rover is the size of a small town. What impression do you think it would make on your people to see it hovering threateningly over your towns and cities?”
“It is easy to make claims that cannot be proved,” Challen scoffed. “If what you say is true, show yourself to me.”
“If I do that, someone else is liable to see me, too, starting the panic I’ve just predicted.” There was a short pause, and then, “How about this instead?”
The ground suddenly exploded twenty feet away, sending dirt and grass flying, and Challen diving for cover. “Droda,” he whispered, shaken. “You are indeed as God-like as the woman said.”
“No, I’m just in control of the Rover’s attack-and-defense systems. And that was no more than a repulsion beam, a blast of air used mainly just to clear away space debris from the Rover’s path. I’ve entered your atmosphere to use it, since it’s not as far-reaching as the Rover’s actual weapons. But a lazor blast would have left a much, much bigger hole, as well as set the vegetation around you afire. As long as I’ve got this cloud cover to conceal me… you don’t look too well, warrior. Hadn’t you begun to suspect yet that Tedra had told you the truth about her origins?”
Certainly he had, but this was not something he would have admitted to anyone, least of all to Tedra. He had wanted her to be of his world, unimportant, claimable. If she were otherwise, then she would be of interest not only to himself but to every shodan in Kan-is-Tra.
“Never let it be said a Mock II can’t do a perfect simulation of mercy and compassion.” The voice broke into his thoughts with a drawn-out sigh. “I’ve probably blown a circuit I’m unaware of, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret, warrior, that ought to make you feel a whole lot better. I happen to be on your side. You may not believe that after everything I’ve told you, which was just my strong-arm tactics program running on convince-at-no-expense. But the bottom line is, you’re just what Tedra needs in her life, and one of my priorities is seeing that she gets what she needs.”
“She is in my possession, computer, not I in hers,” he stated stiffly.
“Arrogance doesn’t impress me, kiddo, so why don’t you put it on a back burner for now? I know you already consider her yours, but you have to accept that fact that first she is mine. I was created for her, my purpose none other than to see to her health, her ultimate happiness, her well-being. Everything I do is for her benefit. Do you know how many worlds I passed up that she would have felt a marginal satisfaction in discovering? But I don’t deal in half measures. I knew long before she realized it what would be necessary to accomplish the goal that’s become so important to her. So I found her the mother planet of the warriors she’s determined to defeat, and let me tell you, finding it was no easy task. I gave her the opportunity to complete her goal, and I’ll do everything I deem necessary to help her complete it. Which means, warrior, that she’s got to go back to Kystran, whether you like it or not. That doesn’t mean you have to lose her. You’re welcome to come along. What happens afterward will then be a matter you can settle between you.”
“If her goal is so important to her and to you, why have you allowed it to be delayed by her challenge loss? She says you could have intervened to prevent it from occurring.”
“Sure I could have, but it wouldn’t have seen to a goal of mine, which was to give her something she’s needed for a long time, her own wishes in the matter notwithstanding. Sometimes I must help her despite herself, stubborn and contrary as she is. And I’ve already told you that you’re the ‘something’ she needed.”
“But you knew not my mettle, computer. You knew not the character of the warrior you left her to.”
“Are you kidding?” There was laughter here. “You accepted her challenge and let her pound all over you without returning a single bruise. That told me all I needed to know about you. Besides, her sexual libido went crazy at her first sight of you. That alone decided the matter as far as I was concerned. Now, your restraint puzzled the hell out of me, and why you didn’t breach her immediately. Probables tells me you weren’t yourself that day, any more than you were last night. And that concludes you were on the same ‘something’ you admitted to taking yesterday, or a similar agent.”
He thought to deny it, but saw no point. “Yes.”
“Does she know that?”
“No.”
“Stars, how I’d love to be there when she finds out, but that’s another scenario. Do we have a deal on this one? I still need your word you won’t abuse her if things get out of hand. And I still want her back if she’s now dead set against you.”
“The giving of my word is unnecessary. Warriors do not abuse women for any reason. And I will do the deciding if I must give her up.”
“Fair enough. Then you’d better get back to see if you have a decision to make.”
“How do I-send you away?”
Chuckling came up at him again. “And here I thought you were going to blunder by forgetting about that. Very well, press the round button just below the monitor and I’m gone. Press it again and I’m back. And don’t forget I want some progress reports, at your convenience, of course. But before you turn me off, I should warn you that you’re in danger of taking a long time to get back to Tedra if you don’t slide the safety on on the phazor-that’s the rectangle that moves up and down. My readings show me the phazor is still on max, the setting Tedra last dialed, since she wasn’t going to take any more chances with you that day. If you accidentally stun yourself, you’ll be out of commission for a good ten hours. And accidents are very probable when the safety isn’t on and the user doesn’t know what he’s doing. Have you got all that?”
“Yes.”
“Then good luck, warrior. You’re definitely going to need it, if I know my Tedra. And I do.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
“Are you comfortable, mistress?”
“Sitting in water? Getting wet? Am I supposed to be comfortable?”
The sarcasm was unmistakable, but it didn’t bring the miserable expression to Jalla’s face. That had been there since the girl arrived with more food, and stayed to draw Tedra’s bath and urge her into it.