On The Imperium’s Secret Service (Imperium Cicernus) (47 page)

Mariko could only hope that he was right.  Despite the stench they’d rubbed on themselves, the insects were starting to bite. 

But Fitz had gone on: “Dark tales of secret worlds where convicted criminals are hunted to death, their heads taken as trophies.  Even the Grand Senate would never stand for it if it was exposed, but no one knows for sure.  Those who do aren’t telling.”

“I suppose that they have a taste for the forbidden,” Mariko said, finally.  “Just like Richardson.”

“And now I wonder if Lady Mary hasn't been at the heart of it for a very long time,” Fitz said, nodding in agreement.  “What if she invited some of those fraternities here to hunt the Hex, only the Hex are really live humans?  Once she had footage of their activities, they would be vulnerable to blackmail.  It would give her a whole series of sources inside Homeworld, probably inside the High City itself.  Hell...what if the Emperor came out here?”

“He’s a child!”

“He won’t remain a child forever, although the bookies have been offering long odds for his survival until he reaches his majority,” Fitz explained.  “What if they brought him out here, allowed him to hunt a couple of humans, and then used it to blackmail him?”

Mariko considered it.  “But if they’re bringing down the wormholes, they won’t have the time to bring the Emperor out here,” she pointed out.  “Right now, don’t we have
proof
that Lady Mary is involved?”

“Assuming we live long enough to deliver it,” Fitz said.  “Without it, we only have suspicions – our successors only have suspicions.  We...”

He broke off as they came into a small clearing, with a single pool of water at the centre, glimmering brightly under the sunlight.  “Careful,” he snapped, as Mariko made her way towards it.  “We don’t know what’s in there.”

Fitz picked up a stick and held it out towards the edge of the pool.  It had barely touched the water when sharp claws appeared from under the surface and shredded the stick to splinters.  Mariko found herself staggering backwards in shock, even though the...creature didn't seem inclined to come out of the pool after them.  But it was an effective guard, she realised.  There was no way they could pull water from that pool...

“Interesting,” Fitz mused.  “I wonder what that thing actually is?”

They ran the risk of dehydration and he was calling it
interesting
?  Mariko had to bite down an angry response.  Instead, she glared at him.  “You don’t know?”

“Not everything Tuff created was catalogued,” Fitz admitted.  “And he gave the whole biosphere a massive push towards forced evolution.  Something could easily have evolved since he was dragged off to face a long sentence in suspended animation.”

The hours wore onwards as they kept moving north.  Mariko spotted what looked like a pear tree, guarded by ant-like creatures the size of her fingers; Fitz managed to snatch two of the pears before the ants responded with an angry charge to drive them away.  Mariko almost wanted to start diving into the pears, but Fitz warned her to be very careful and started to go through a long process of testing the pears first.  They didn't seem to cause any immediate reaction when he rubbed his hand against them, followed by opening one up to look inside.  Finally, he tasted one very carefully and nodded in relief. 

“It should be edible with our genetic enhancements,” he said, passing her the pear he’d tested, “but if you feel any reaction, spit it out
at once
.”

Mariko nibbled on the pear, waiting after each bite for her stomach to rebel.  Nothing happened, apart from being increasingly aware of her growing thirst.  Fitz finished his pear, careful not to eat the seeds inside, and started to walk north again.  Mariko followed him, holding the remains of her pear in one hand.  Fitz seemed to have an idea in mind for using them.

The next pond they encountered was deeper, clear enough for them to see down to the bottom.  There didn't seem to be anything lurking in the water apart from a handful of tiny fish, but Fitz was still very careful as he started to prod the side of the pond.  Eventually, he reached inside, pulled up a little water and swallowed it.  There was a long pause before he pronounced it drinkable.  Mariko knelt down beside him and started drinking greedily.  It tasted funny, but right then it was the best water she had ever tasted.  Fitz eventually led her away as darkness started to fall, taking her under cover as a spacecraft flew through the sky.  It was heading towards Lady Mary’s compound, Mariko hoped.  They were heading in the right direction.

“I’m sorry I brought you into this,” Fitz said, as they found a place to rest.  “I didn't intend to risk your life so badly.”

“I knew the risks,” Mariko told him, although
that
wasn't entirely truthful.  She hadn't understood all of the dangers.  “It wasn't your fault.”

“Too desperate to find answers,” Fitz said.  He lay down next to her.  .  “I should have left you both on the ship.  At least you might have been able to rescue me.”

Mariko was suddenly very aware of his nakedness, despite having followed him all day.  And she was naked too

“And not shoot my mouth off to her,” Mariko said, bitterly.  “I betrayed you.”

Fitz took her hand.  “You didn't do it willingly.”

She sat up. 

“I think that that’s all that counts,” he said earnestly. “You're not at all to blame.  I am; I failed my superiors and led you to your death.”

It might be their last night alive; the hunters might start looking for them tomorrow.  And Mai no longer lusted for him.  She had to do something to make him feel better.

Mariko rolled over and climbed on top of him.  He stared at her, but didn't try to stop her.  Instead, his manhood stood up, rubbing against her naked ass. 

“Not your fault,” she whispered, as she kissed him.    “Not your fault at all.”

And then there was nothing but exploring one another.

“I’m sorry,” Fitz said, the following morning.  “I shouldn’t have...”

“You shouldn't have
what
? 
Slept
with me?” 
Oh, you stupid, stupid man,
Mariko thought. 
I make love to you, and you apologize?
 

She settled for pointing out icily, “I think
I
made the first move, not you – and thank you for being a gentleman.”

Fitz flushed.  “I...I have made our lives more complicated...”

Mariko felt her anger dissolve into laughter. 

“We’re naked in the middle of a rainforest and we’re being hunted by men who think we’re animals...how could it be
less
complicated?”

Fitz stared at her, and then started to laugh, too.  “I...you’re right,” he said, as he broke down into giggles.  “I hope it was good for you.  I’m a little rusty.”

Mariko grinned at him.  “Good enough, I’d say,” she said.  Her entire body felt tingly.  “I think...”

She broke off as Fitz held up a hand.  There were footprints around where they’d been sleeping, human footprints.  Fitz looked from side to side, suddenly alert, but saw nothing.  The jungle seemed as impenetrable as ever.  Mariko felt a chill run down her spine.  Had someone – or something – been there while they’d been asleep, watching them in the night?

“Hex, maybe,” Fitz said.  “They might not recognise us as being different than them.  Or maybe they were just curious.”

“I thought they were extremely brutal,” Mariko pointed out.  All of a sudden, she felt naked -and uncomfortable with being naked.  “Or could they think of us as potential mates for themselves?”

“I don’t know,” Fitz admitted.  “All human variants are supposed to be able to interbreed, but the Hex weren't a proper human variant.  It is possible that they might able to breed with us...”

Mariko shook her head.  The thought was disgusting.  “What do we do now?”

“We keep walking,” Fitz said.  “No, first we go back to the pond and get some water,
then
we keep walking.”

An hour passed slowly as they kept heading north.  Mariko was starting to wonder just how far they were from the compound when she heard something. Fitz stopped in his tracks and held up a hand to alert her.  It sounded oddly familiar, but it took her a moment to place it as a horse neighing. 

Fitz pulled her into the undergrowth as the jungle started to shake, revealing three men on horseback carrying guns.  Mariko didn't recognise the outfits they wore at all; why would anyone wear blunt metal suits when they could wear something a great deal more comfortable?

“Their uniform,” Fitz hissed, as the horsemen came to a stop nearby.  Two of them dismounted and headed off to answer the call of nature; the third remained on his horse, looking bored.  “Stay here.”

Even without his augmentation, Fitz could still move surprisingly quietly.  He was out of the undergrowth before the third knight looked up and saw him.  The knight reached for his gun, opening his mouth to shout the alert, but Fitz was on him before he could do either.  Fitz caught the knight by the throat, choked him while taking a knife from his belt, and then used the knife to cut the knight’s throat.  He slumped off the horse and hit the ground with an alarmingly loud crash.

“Hey,” a voice shouted.  “Roderick!  Are you all right?”

Fitz had Roderick’s gun in his hands as the other two knights crashed back into the clearing.  They reached for their weapons, just as Fitz shot the first one right
through
his armoured cowl.  The second knight dived to one side, trying to shoot back, only to be shot down by Fitz before he could take aim.  A moment later, he was dead.

“They trained me
before
I was augmented,” Fitz said, sardonically.  “Idiots.  Don’t they know it’s not safe to relax in hostile territory?”

He passed Mariko one of the guns and started to go through the bags attached to the horses’ saddles.  “Some food and drink, thankfully,” he said.  Mariko took a bottle of water with some relief and drank it gratefully.  “And a GPS.  Let's have a look.”

Mariko watched him fiddling with it as she undressed the three bodies and then dragged them into the undergrowth.  Most of Tuff’s fabled savage life forms didn't seem to exist in this part of the planet, but she was sure that
something
would come along and eat the bodies before it was too late. 

“Not too far from the compound, or the rebel base,” Fitz said.  “All things considered, I think we’d better head for the base.”

“But they might not have a starship there,” Mariko pointed out, carefully.  A nasty thought had occurred to her.  “And what about Mai?”

“Hopefully, we can find a shuttle we can use to get to orbit,” Fitz said.  He looked over at her.  “It’s quite possible that Mai is perfectly safe...”

“Lady Mary knows that she’s with us,” Mariko said, cursing herself.  Had a walk through the jungle and passionate sex actually blinded her to her sister’s needs?  “Won’t she try to hurt her?”

“I don’t know,” Fitz admitted, “but I do know that we should check out the base first.  If it’s still training recruits, it may be a sign that they’re not ready to launch their offensive.”

Mariko shrugged.  “Don’t they
know
they’re blown?”

“It will still take time for the Imperium to react,” Fitz said.  He started to pull on one of the intact suits of armour, and then stopped.  “Don’t bother about the armour; just concentrate on the horses.  Have you ever ridden one before?”

Mariko hadn't ridden
anything
before, apart from the neo-elephants she’d used the last time they visited Tuff, back before she’d discovered that Fitz was far more than just another playboy aristocrat.  But the horse seemed docile enough.  Following Fitz was remarkably easy, even though it hurt to ride for too long as the saddle just hadn't been designed for female anatomy.  Fitz consulted the GPS as the horses found their way through half-hidden paths, paths that might have been created by the Hex.  If there
were
any Hex...there was no reason why Tuff couldn't have shipped a breeding population of humans to his world, given them a genetic problem that made it hard for them to communicate with unaffected humans and then declared them his own invention.