Between Darkness and Light (8 page)

“I have,” said Konis. “There has been an incident on my son's and my wife's estates over the last few days. A private aircar, carrying three Jalnian merchants with a shipment for our visitors Kzizysus the TeLaxaudin, and his colleague Shrulo, the Cabbaran, crashed outside the gatehouse. The passengers were badly injured and were taken to the infirmary on my son's estate. The wreckage was lifted to the landing pad there for examination to find out why it had crashed. Turns out that unknown to them, they were carrying a compound based on la'quo. It leaked onto the land outside the gatehouse and infected the wild jeggets there, making them even more feral before finally killing them.”

“Get to the point, Konis,” said Rilgho testily.

“I'm trying to, General,” said Konis patiently. “Because of his interest in our wild life Physician Kzizysus was involved in the investigations into the jegget deaths. Once we discovered the nature of the poison, Kaid placed the investigation in the TeLaxaudin's hands as they and the Cabbarans are immune to the plant. As you may remember, the Valtegan plant mutated on Jalna, creating a poison in the soil there that infects nearly all plant and animal life on that world. It nearly killed our agents on Jalna by almost literally starving them to death.”

“So why were the Jalnian merchants carrying it in the first place?” demanded Raiban. “And why have I been told nothing about this?”

“Kaid's only just finished the investigation,” said Konis, passing a data crystal over to Governor Nesul. “Here are his findings, Nesul. The craft, which had been rigged to crash, was hired to the Jalnians by a Chemerian merchant who has since conveniently disappeared off the face of Shola. It's well known that several of my son's people have pet jeggets and that they're the only other telepathic species on Shola. Kaid believes this was an attempt by the Chemerians to poison our jegget population in the hope that it would infect our telepaths, too.”

Raiban snorted her disgust. “Pretty far-fetched idea if you ask me!”

“I don't think so, Commander, and neither did the Public Prosecutor of the Protectorate when the evidence was put before him,” said Konis. “Such a pollution of our soil would have been disastrous, as would losing the wild jeggets, and the compound had been tailored to appeal to them specifically. All the evidence points to the Chemerians being behind this. We know they kept their discovery of Jalna secret from us, and we know they tried to kidnap two of our gene-altered telepaths—a Leska pair, no less. They knew about the poison in the soil on Jalna and kept that from us, too. Add all that to the facts about the aircar and you have a very strong case against them.”

“I agree,” nodded Rhyaz. “One strong enough, I think, to be brought before the Alliance High Command with a request that there should be a permanent Alliance military presence on the Chemerians' worlds for all our protection. They're targeting us today, but who will be next?” he asked, looking round at each of those present. “And in this time of crisis, we need to be sure that they aren't privy to our war council in case they decide to approach the M'zullians themselves.”

“These are serious allegations, Konis,” said Nesul, turning the crystal over in his hand. “You're accusing them of actively working against us, of risking breaking up the Alliance.”

“Aye, it's serious, Nesul,” agreed Naika. “Serious enough to demote the Chemerians down to Associate Alliance members and warrant that military presence! I think we should all have a copy of Kaid's findings, Konis.”

“Already done. You'll find full documentation waiting at your offices and embassies when this meeting adjourns,” said Konis.

“I'll see about posting agents there. We should insist on establishing embassies to start with, then . . .” began Raiban, in an effort to take charge of the meeting again.

“I don't think so, Raiban,” interrupted Nesul. “The Chemerians will see that as an aggressive act on our part. As their accusers, I think we should appear to remain neutral. We need non-Sholan agents on the Chemerian worlds. As for embassies, yes, but we could have ours on Tuushu, their trading station. Apart from anything else, we'll pick up more of what's really happening there. Then we're agreed, are we?” he asked. “We approach the Primes about offering a peace treaty to the M'zullians, call an Alliance High Command meeting as soon as possible to discuss the dispositions of our fleets, make a decision over this new Chemerian treachery, and make provisions to help the Touibans evacuate key personnel from their two worlds to Shola.”

“Nesul, may I remind you that I called this meeting?” demanded Raiban, leaning forward angrily. “It's up to me to outline what actions we'll be taking!”

“Shut up, Raiban,” snapped Naika. “Your promotion's gone to your head! All you wanted to do was call a State of Emergency when we've got far more important issues to deal with! How come you knew nothing about all this? You're supposed to be Head of Intelligence!”

“I knew nothing because no information about this poisoned aircar was sent to me from the En'Shalla estate!” snarled Raiban, ears twitching spasmodically and her short hair rising in anger.

“But you should have been aware of the potential problems posed by the Chemerians,” said Chuz.

“There's nothing to be gained by apportioning blame for a situation that was only resolved this morning,” said Konis diplomatically. “Governor Nesul has asked us for our votes on these matters. What do you all say?”

There were murmurs of assent from round the table.

“Commander Raiban?” prompted Konis.

“Yes!”

Today, the General was angry. Shaidan sighed softly to himself as he padded his usual six feet behind him. He knew what Kezule's rages were like and knew that at times like this it was in everyone's best interests to keep out of the way—an impossibility for him now that the General demanded his presence at all times. Thankfully, the anger had never been directed at him. Following him through the sick bay to the lab, he stayed by the main data processor near the door, crouching down on his haunches to wait.

“They're here,” said Kezule, striding over to the workbench where his wife sat, nodding briefly to Giyarishis the TeLaxaudin. “But they left the female behind! How can we learn about their culture without any females?” he demanded angrily.

“Did you ask them to bring her?” Zayshul asked, looking up from her monitor screen at him.

“No,” he muttered, picking up a reader pad and glancing at the data on it. “They don't know our scanners are that accurate. Officially we only know about Kusac and the male who came with him last time.” He slung the pad down, making it clatter on the work surface.

“Would you take a female with you into similar circumstances?” she asked calmly, rescuing her reader. “I think not. You're being unreasonable, Kezule. What have you done with them?”

He glared at her, but recognized the sense in what she said. “M'zynal is showing them to their quarters, then Shartoh will take them on a tour of the Officers' Level. Don't worry, Zayshul, your Sholan is safe,” he said with a touch of sarcasm. “I don't intend to harm him.”

Giyarishis began to hum. “Females you wanting? I get, maybe.”

“What?” demanded Kezule, turning to look at the small being perched on the flat topped stool beside his wife. “You can get Sholan females? How?” he demanded.

The TeLaxaudin's mandibles clicked and he lifted a delicate hand to brush against them. A burst of untranslatable static was all that came from the speaker.

Kezule opened his mouth to speak but stopped when Zayshul laid a hand on his arm, squeezing it gently.

“There's no point,” she said. “His reply is untranslatable. The language barrier is greater than you'd think.”

“Get me female Sholans,” Kezule said. “Get the Human mate of Kusac if you can!”

“Humans no get,” said the translator as the scent from the TeLaxaudin's perfumed draperies grew stronger and sharper. “Female Sholans take time. Maybe can, maybe not. Wait must you. Better get Ch'almuthians.” The TeLaxaudin stretched out his lower limbs and climbed down from his stool, stalking over to the other side of the room to check on another piece of apparatus.

Kezule had been around Giyarishis long enough now to know that the strong scent he'd left behind denoted displeasure. He turned back to Zayshul. “Dammit! Why does he keep doing that to me?”

“Don't have him bring Sholan females to us, Kezule,” she said. “If you're not careful, you'll have Kusac's people tracking us down.”

“I know what I'm doing, Zayshul,” he said, a touch of coldness replacing the anger in his voice.

Sighing, she turned back to her work. “Shaidan, wait in the sick bay with the duty nurse, please. Why are you inviting them to join us for the evening meal, Kezule?” she asked.

This time, he managed to hide his surprise. Incidents like this were happening more frequently these days, reinforcing his suspicions about her possible mental abilities. “I may have forced them to return to us, but I know from my dealings with them that I can't force them to cooperate. They might, if they believe they're guests.”

“Not Kusac,” she said quietly. “Not when you're holding his son hostage like this. Let the child go, Kezule . . .”

“I've told you before not to discuss this in front of him!” he hissed angrily, glancing at the cub now standing out of earshot in the other room. “The harder you push me, the more determined I am to keep him!”

“Each other you are needing,” said Giyarishis' translator, making them both jump and turn round to face him. “Not antagonize. Need skills he has.”

Kezule stared at the TeLaxaudin, annoyed by the other's ability to sneak up on him. “I'm showing great restraint, Giyarishis. In my time, for what Kusac and his mate did to me, I would have had their hides flayed off their bodies, then fed what still lived to hatchlings!”

“Already got revenge you did. On his daughter and sister. Tortured her mate. Forget not this. He not. He want do same you. No good either you each skinless is.”

Kezule hissed angrily, as much at Zayshul's nervous laugh as at the TeLaxaudin's words. “How the hell do you know what he thinks?” he demanded, then stopped abruptly, remembering their visit to the TeLaxaudin at the City of Light and how the ones there had paralyzed them both without any discernible means to do so. He needed to deal carefully with these powerful and unpredictable allies.

“I took no revenge on them, or pleasure in forcing the male to do my bidding with the slave collar, Giyarishis,” he said quietly. “He was brave, a worthy opponent, but not one I had a quarrel with. Circumstances forced me to do it in my efforts to escape. It's Kusac and his wife I want revenge on. Zayshul, you'll be at the meal and you'll wear one of those court dresses. The rest will take care of itself!” He turned on his heel and left, gesturing to Shaidan to follow as he strode past him.

M'zynal had been right. By the time they'd docked at Kij'ik and been taken to their new crew quarters, they'd been glad to see regular beds, even though the mattresses were still the same. The tour of the Outpost had been educational. Even though barely half of it was in use, Kusac had quickly realized that Kij'ik, like Haven, had been part of the Valtegan Empire's early warning network, only many times larger than Haven. He was sure this had been one of the major command posts. At the end of the tour, they were taken past the main elevator security post to the level below, one even more heavily guarded, Kusac noticed as they emerged. They were escorted through a series of locked iris doors to a comfortable lounge where they were left to await the arrival of the General and his staff. Unable to settle down, they ignored the sofas and chairs and remained standing.