Between Darkness and Light (4 page)

Ghioass, the TeLaxaudin home world, and primary home of the Camarilla, was a strange mixture of contrasts. Here, where she lived, the environment reflected the Cabbaran world, one of lush vegetation surrounding the adobe dwellings. Each one had been grown from the raw soil by its owner using only their natural psi talents. Their personal individuality was reflected in the shapes of the buildings and no two were alike. Her people were terraformers, capable of reshaping a world and all its growing things. They could do naturally what the TeLaxaudin had once used their matter transformers for.

Three species lived here, much the same way as they did on the Cabbaran home world, which provided a second, lesser chamber for the Camarilla. The TeLaxaudin population was not large, and was controlled, an easy task when each TeLaxaudin was born male in gender and didn't develop into a female till halfway through their lives. They were one of the oldest species in this galaxy, and had developed a highly technological life style.

Reed slim and just over three feet tall, the TeLaxaudin were fragile in build. Their body shape and size had placed certain restrictions on them. Recognizing this, millennia ago, they had interfered in the evolution of a larger, more powerful species, one whom they could train to help them. The U'Churians were therefore the second inhabitants of this world. The numbers of these, their Children, were far less than those of the TeLaxaudin themselves. Again, their population was restricted so that it remained at a stable number.

The six foot tall U'Churians lived either in villages adjacent to the TeLaxaudin cities and commuted, or in appropriately sized accommodations provided by their smaller employers. When not working, they were free to come and go as they pleased, and had their own entertainment outlets—shops, restaurants, theaters and so on, in the cities. To Shvosi's way of thinking, too many of the TeLaxaudin considered them as invisible servants, there to perform a function and no more. They weren't even granted citizenship on Ghioass. This attitude was part of the reason for the current split in the ranks of the Camarilla.

The third species, and the only other member of the Camarilla, was her own, the Cabbarans. Four-legged, when they sat up on their haunches, they were almost four feet tall. They were vegetarians, with forward facing eyes set in a long face that ended in a snout with an almost prehensile upper lip. A narrow stiff crest of dark hair ran the length of the skull and down the neck, spreading out in a ruff across the shoulders and again over the flanks. On her shoulders, Shvosi's sandy body fur had been shaved to display the intricately colored tattoos that showed her Family and her rank as a Phratry leader, and her cheeks bore the spiraling blue tattoos that marked her as one of her people's mystics.

She was passing out of her sector now and into the more modern area of the TeLaxaudin city. Buildings here were also designed to be aesthetically pleasing to the TeLaxaudin's more insectoid senses. Their usual low-lying buildings were dwarfed here and there by slim organic shaped towers that spiraled high above them. Transparent, brightly colored surfaces and shimmering force fields, blended with metal and polished stone, all glittered in the sunlight. A movement to her left drew her attention and she saw that the TeLaxaudin were reshaping one of the civic buildings, adding another level and a tower. As she looked, the outline blurred and the roof split into four sections that suddenly reared up to become the new walls. From one of them, a sloping roof started to form, rapidly advancing toward where the beginnings of a whorled tower was taking shape.

She stopped for a moment to watch properly, rising up on her haunches to get a better view. Reshaping of buildings didn't happen that often, but when it did, whether by her people or theirs, it never failed to entrance her and fill her with a sense of wonder. Gradually the blurring decreased and the outline became more pronounced until, minutes later, the basic reshaping had been completed. This was only the first level of changes, there was more still to be done as the design was strengthened and refined.

Remembering her meeting with Azwokkuss, she dropped down to the ground again and hurried toward the moving walkway.

 

She arrived at the Council chamber refectory panting slightly, and hurriedly threaded her way between the other diners and through the ornamental greenery and water features till she saw Azwokkuss at their usual table.

“Apologies,” she said, flopping down onto the cushions at her side of the low eating table. “Were reshaping the Assembly House for summer. I had to watch.”

The TeLaxaudin nodded, his eyes glowing as the lenses spun and adjusted themselves to close vision. His mandibles clicked gently and he began to hum. “Never can you resist watching,” he said. “I know this.”

As she composed herself more comfortably, a bronze-colored arm as thin as a twig pushed a plate of assorted salad toward her, followed by a divided dish filled with other delicacies.

Her long snout began to quiver as the delicate scent of the rare mushrooms and the bittersweet vegetables wafted up to her.

“Azwokkuss, is real treat,” she said, top lip curling back in a smile. Her colleague had chosen all her favorite foods. “Thank you.” She reached into the dish for a slice of mushroom. “Is too expensive.”

The TeLaxaudin watched her eat it daintily and with obvious pleasure before reaching into his own bowl for one of the fried insects he enjoyed. He peeled it carefully, dropping its chitinous covering into the side bowl he'd been provided with for that purpose.

“We eat well now, enjoy now, as no knowing how Council meeting will go yet. Potentialities being read at moment.” One elegant hand waved toward his right where a group of TeLaxaudin sat deep in discussion. “Hkairass and Isolationists plot already.”

She sighed. “How long before he starts change? Then we get few years peace at least!”

Azwokkuss' humming had an unmistakable chuckle to it. “Irreverent female! Gender change not matter of humor, very serious.”

“Maybe motherhood makes him tolerable, sweetens disposition,” she retorted, eyes twinkling as she helped herself to the salad.

Mandibles trembling, Azwokkuss laughed in his own peculiar way. “Maybe,” he agreed. “But sadly more like him to take his place.”

“Are more of us, and every time he fights us in Council, more commit to our view,” she said. “Today important, Annuur will talk of debt we owe Child race, that their trust of us abused by likes of Hkairass.”

The oval bronze head bobbed in agreement. “I know. Keep fine speech for him in Camarilla Council meeting.”

Her short ears drooped a little. “I find difficult to deal with Hkairass in Council. He intimidates me,” she admitted.

“Does it purposely,” Azwokkuss replied, reaching out to push her bowl of delicacies closer. “You young, depends on it. At home, you rule one hundred of your people. Are you not Phratry Leader, equal to him? Let him not do this, then he will stop.”

Shvosi smiled and took a handful of sliced red peppery vegetables. “Easy to say. Today he wears the reds and yellows of determination, as well as exuding the scents to match.”

“Gives too much away. I wear blues and lilacs of tranquillity for me, not to show others. Say to Hkairass you sit on him if upset you,” he advised, nibbling the last of his food.

She looked at him in shock.

“It squash him if you sit on him,” he elaborated, mandibles quivering in amusement. “Think it in mind when he at full flow. Flat TeLaxaudin no menace to you.”

She laughed.

“You not alone today. I there in Unity with you, also Kuvaa, and Khassiss moves nearer our beliefs every time it comes up. Female TeLaxaudin opinions carry great weight with us as are older, more experienced. Also others of our belief will vote our way.” He picked up his bowl of fruit-flavored water and gently lapped at it.

“I know,” she began as through Unity they all heard the call to gather in the Council chamber.

Hurriedly, she snatched the last of her delicacies up and stuffed them into her mouth, chewing furiously.

“You choke,” he warned. “Got time. No can begin till all there.”

“Being late won't help,” she mumbled, swallowing her food down then picking up her own drink and lapping furiously at it.

“How is . . . ?”

“Annuur fine,” he said. “Took Tirak to him yesterday.” The mandibles quivered again. “Payment for causing so much trouble to us in Camarilla.”

She laughed as she shuffled back from the table then dropped down onto her hoof-tipped forelimbs. “Was evil! Explanations would be demanded.”

“Yes,” agreed Azwokkuss cheerfully as he got to his feet. “Was point. Tirak will forget when all Children are processed anyway. Annuur will not, maybe teach him circumspection.”

She was still chuckling at the thought as they made their way into the arboretum that was the Camarilla's Council chamber.

When they were all gathered and settled on the various cushions and low seats, Khassiss made her way up the pathway to the Speaker's dais.

“We meet to discuss matters pertaining to Annuur's case before he accounts for himself,” she said. “Hkairass asks to Speak first.” The female TeLaxaudin moved to one side, settling herself down on a low seat to arbitrate in the proceedings.

Hkairass stalked down the path, draperies moving constantly round him, leaving a not so subtle trail of determination scent behind him. He was making sure the whole Camarilla knew his mind on this matter, even though they were already aware of it through Unity.

He faced them all, and mandibles clicking, his humming a sharp, almost dissonant sound, began to speak.

“Latest actions of Annuur only highlight . . .” he began

“Phratry Leader Annuur,” interrupted Kuvaa, rising up on her haunches. “Do not disrespect him, Hkairass. He is Leader of one hundred Phratrys, a Camarilla member
in the field.
” She emphasized the last three words.

“His rank is known, Phratry Leader Kuvaa,” said Khassiss, “Our thanks for reminder.”

From the convulsive movements of his mandibles, it was obvious the look Hkairass shot Kuvaa was one of pure dislike.

“Latest actions of
Phratry Leader Annuur
only highlight dangers of contact with younger races,” he continued. “Phratry Leader Annuur put concerns for Children before orders from Camarilla. Actions endangered us all.”

“That matter waits till Phratry Leader Annuur is with us,” interrupted Khassiss firmly.

“He should be fetched now to answer this,” said a younger TeLaxaudin from the floor.

“Soon, Zaimiss,” said Khassiss. “This discussion first. Keep to topic, Skepp Lord Hkairass.”

“Isolationists do not support any intervention in affairs of younger races,” said Hkairass. “If no intervention, no need of agents in the field, then disasters like this not happen.”

Azwokkuss unfolded himself and rose to his feet. “If no intervention, tell us what use is Camarilla?” he asked, then sat down.

“To protect ourselves,” said Hkairass, looking round the hundred or so people gathered in the hall. “We are Oldest, have seen many younger species rise and fall in our time. None advanced to any degree worth discussing. All fell because of war or stagnation. We survived, have wisdom, knowledge, Unity, a harmonious existence. No need to interfere in their self-destruction. No benefit to us doing that, only expenditure of people and energy. We say withdraw from younger races' conflicts, open gateway and move our world far beyond them.”

A shocked murmur of voices spread throughout the Council chamber. It was Khassiss who voiced what was in all their minds.

“Is only theory this is possible. Energy required even attempting it would destroy our sun.”

“Calculations have been checked many times by us,” said Hkairass, turning to look at her. “Is more than theory, is reality.”

“Those calculations done only for extreme solution in time of dire emergency,” said Azwokkuss, shocked at his suggestion. “No such emergency faces us now.”

“The potentialities show the probability of a sand-dweller reunification with disastrous consequences we keep being told,” said Hkairass. “We offer alternate solution to interference. One where no agents in field to risk our discovery by going native and favoring others before Camarilla.”

“Going native!” exclaimed Kuvaa, getting up again. “Who has gone native, as you put it?”

“Obvious it is Phratry Leader Annuur,” said Hkairass. “No TeLaxaudin ever swayed by another species into betraying us.”

Shvosi had been listening to Hkairass with growing anger. This second insult was enough. “Why speak of betrayal?” she demanded, leaping upright, her snout quivering in indignation. “Our Phratry Leader has not betrayed anyone! You and Isolationists betray other species constantly, particularly our Children!”

“I deny we have responsibility for any but ourselves,” retorted the TeLaxaudin, eyes swirling and mandibles clicking angrily against each other.

Aizshuss stood. “We have responsibility for our Children. You have. Does your Skepp not make use of them as employees like everyone here? Do you not rely on them for things physically beyond us?”

“We saved them from extinction hundreds of millennia ago. They owe us!” he retorted.

“They owe us for breeding Sholan stock into them? They owe us for bringing those living here from their world to serve us? For isolating them from their kind? Strange debt!” said Aizshuss bitingly, sitting down.