At The Edge Of Space (Hanan Rebellion) (75 page)

Outsiders both of you,
Isande judged sadly.
Oh, I am glad I never had to wrestle with your doubts. You are simply afraid of the iduve. Can’t you accept that? We are weaker than they. What does it take to make you content?

Chimele had grown interested in Arle now, and gazed upon the child’s face with that look Aiela knew and Daniel most hated, that bird-of-prey concentration that cast a spell over the recipient. Arle was drawn into that stillness and seemed more hypnotized than afraid.

“This is the child that was so important to you, Daniel-kameth, so important that your asuthi could not restrain you?”

Daniel’s heart thudded and seemed to stop as he realized that
vaikka
need not involve the real offender, that reward and punishment had no human virtue with the starlords. He would have said something if he could have gathered the words; as it was, he met Chimele’s eyes and fell into that amethyst gaze, that chill calm without pity as
m’metanei
knew it. Perhaps Chimele was laughing. None of the kamethi could detect it in her. Perhaps it was a
vaikka
in itself, a demonstration of power.

“She has a certain
chanokhia,
” said Chimele. “Arrangements will be made for her proper care.”

“I can manage that,” said Daniel. It was the most restrained thing he could manage to say.

And suddenly the center of the
paredre
itself gave way to a projection, red and violet,
Tashavodh
and
Mijanothe,
Kharxanen and Thiane.

“Hail
Ashanome,
” said Thiane. “Are you satisfied?”

Chimele arose and inclined her head in reverence to the eldest of all iduve. “You are punctual, o Thiane, long-living.”

“It is the hour, o
Ashanome,
hunter of worlds, and Priamos still exists. We have seen ships rejoining you. I ask again: are you satisfied?”

“You have then noted, o Thiane, that all of our interference on the world of Priamos has ceased ahead of the time, and that all equipment and personnel have been evacuated.”

Thiane frowned, nettled by this mild
vaikka.
“There is only one being whose whereabouts matters, o
Ashanome.
”

“Then see.” Chimele looked to her left and extended her hand. Another projection took shape, a man in dark clothing, seated. His eyes widened as he realized where he was: he arose and Arle began an outcry, stopped by Isande’s fierce grip on her arm.

“This person,” said Chimele softly, “was once of
Ashanome.
We have him among us again, and we are capable of settling our own internal matters. We give you honor,
Mijanothe,
for the propriety you constantly observed in
harathos.
And, o Kharxanen of
Tashavodh,
be advised that
Ashanome
will be ranging these zones for some time. In the interests of the ban on
vaikka
which the Orithanhe set upon us both, it seems to us that it would be proper for the
nasul Tashavodh
to seek some other field. We are in prior occupation of this space, and it is not proper for two
orith-nasuli
to share so close quarters without the decency of
akkhres-nasuli
and its binding oaths.”

There was a silence. Kharxanen’s heavy face settled into yet a deeper frown; but he inclined himself in a stiff bow. “Hail
Ashanome.
We part without
vaikka.
These zones are without interest to us; we delight that
Ashanome
is pleased to possess them. It seems to us an excellent means of disentangling our affairs. I give you farewell, Chimele.”

And without further courtesy, his image winked out.

It seemed, though one could not be certain, that a smile touched the face of Thiane, a smile which was no longer present as she turned to stare at the being who stood in the shaft of pale light. Then she inclined her head in respect to Chimele.

“Honor is yours,
Ashanome,
” declared Thiane. She set both hands on her staff and looked about her at all the assembly, the confident attitude of a great power among the iduve. Chimele resumed her chair, easy and comfortable in the gesture, undisturbed by the
harachia
of Thiane.

And Thiane turned last to the image of Tejef in its shaft of light, and he bowed his head. All threat, all strength was gone from him; he looked far less imposing than Thiane.

“He is near,” said Chimele softly. “He is not held from joining us in the
paredre:
it has not been necessary to restrain him. Perhaps to honor you he would come to your summons.”

“Tejef,” said aged Thiane, looking full at him, and he glanced up. A low murmuring came from the
nasul,
the first sound and an ugly one. Suddenly Tejef tore himself from the area of the projection and vanished.

He was not long in coming, tangible amid the multitude of projections that lined the
paredre.
Isande’s mind went cold and fearful even to look upon him, but he passed her without giving her notice, though her fair complexion made her most obvious in the gathering. He stopped before Chimele and Thiane, and gave Thiane a bow of courtesy, lifting his eyes again to Thiane, as if the action were painful.

“Tejef,” said Thiane, “if you have a message for
Tashavodh,
I will bear it.”

“No, eldest of us all,” answered Tejef softly, and bowed again at this exceptional courtesy from Thiane.

“Was it properly done?” asked Thiane.

Tejef’s eyes went to Aiela; but perhaps to blame a
m’metane
was too great a shame. There was no anger, only recognition; he did not answer Thiane.

“You have seen,” said Chimele to Thiane. “
Harathos
is satisfied. And hereafter he is
Ashanome’
s and it is the business of the
nasul
what we do.”

“Hail
Ashanome,
ancient and
akita.
May we always meet in such a mind as we part now.”

“Hail
Mijanothe,
far-seeing. May your seekings be satisfied and your prosperity endless. And hail Thiane, whose honor and
chanokhia
will be remembered in
Ashanome.
”

“As that of Chimele among us,” murmured Thiane, greatly pleased, and flicked out so quickly that her echoes were still dying.

Then it broke, the anger of
Ashanome,
a murmuring against Tejef that sent him to the center of the
paredre,
looking about at them and trying to show defiance when they crowded him. Two
dhis
-guardians, Tahjekh and Nophres, drew their
ghiakai
and rested them point-down on the priceless carpets, crossed, barring his way to Chimele.

An iduve hand caught Aiela’s arm and the
idoikkhei
stung the three of them simultaneously. “Out,” said Ashakh. “This is no place for
m’metanei.
”

Isande took a step to obey, but stopped, for Daniel was not coming, and Aiela stayed, terrified for what Daniel was likely to do.

Get the child out of here,
Aiela appealed to him. But there was chaos already in the hall, iduve bodies intruding into the projection area, seeming to invade the
paredre,
real and unreal mingling in kaleidoscope combination. Tejef shrank back, less and less space for him. Someone dealt him a heavy blow; bodies were between and the kamethi could not see.

“Hold!” Khasif’s voice roared, bringing order; and Chimele arose and the iduve melted back from her. An uneasy silence settled.

“Tejef,” said Chimele.

He attempted to give a hiss of defiance. It was so subdued that it sounded far otherwise.

“There is a human female who claims to be your mate,” said Chimele. “She will have treatment for her injuries. It was remiss of you to neglect that—but of course, your abilities were limited. The amaut who sheltered in your protection have realized their error and are leaving Priamos in all possible haste. Your
okkitan-as
Gerlach perished in the lifting of your ship: Chaikhe found no particular reason to clear him from beside the vessel. And as for
karsh
Gomek in general, I do not yet know whether we will choose to notice the inconvenience these beings have occasioned us. It is even possible the
nasul
would choose not to notice your offenses, Tejef, if you were wise, if you made submission.”

The oppressive feeling in the air grew stronger. Tejef stood among them, sides heaving, sweat pouring down his indigo face. He shook his face to clear the sweat from his eyes and seemed likely to faint, a creature sadly fallen from the whole and terrible man who had faced them onworld.
To yield,
Daniel had heard from him once,
is to die; morally and physically, it is to die;
and if ever a man looked apt to die from such a cause, this one did, torn apart within.

Tejef’s wild shout of anger drowned all the rising murmur of the
nasul.
Iduve scattered from his first blows, voices shrieked and hissed. Isande snatched Arle and hugged the human child’s face against her breast, trying to shut out the awful sight and sound, for the
ghiakai
of the guardians faced Tejef now, points level. When he would try to break free of the circle they would crowd him; and by now he was dazed and bleeding. With a shout he flung himself for Chimele; but there were the guardians and there was Khasif, and Khasif’s blow struck him to the floor.

Daniel thrust his way into the circle, jerked at the shoulder of a young iduve to push his way past before the youth realized what had happened—and cried out in pain, collapsing under the discipline of the
idoikkhe.

Pain backwashed: Aiela forced his own way through the breach, trying to aid his stricken asuthe, cried out Chimele’s name and felt the impact of all that attention suddenly upon himself.

“
M’metanei,
” said Chimele, “this is not a place for you. You are not noticed.” She lifted her hand and the iduve parted like grass before the wind, opening the way to the door. When Daniel opened his mouth to protest the dismissal: “Aiela,” she said most quietly. It was a last warning. He knew the tone of it.

Daniel rose, turned his face to Tejef, appealing to him; he wanted to speak, wanted desperately, but Daniel’s courage was the kind that could act: he had no eloquence, and words always came out badly. In pity, Aiela said it. Daniel would not yield otherwise.

“We interfered. I did. We are sorry.”

And to Aiela’s dismay the iduve gave back all about them, and they were alone in the center with Tejef—and Daniel moved closer to Isande, who clenched Arle’s hand tightly in hers, and gazed fearfully as Tejef gained his feet.

“Kamethi,” said Chimele, “I have not heard, I have not noticed this behavior. You are dismissed. Go away.”

“He had honor among his kamethi,” said Aiela, echoing what was in Daniel’s heart. It was important Tejef know that before they left. The
idoikkhe
touched, began and ceased. Isande radiated panic, she with the child, wanting to run, foreseeing Daniel’s death before their eyes—Aiela’s with him. It was her unhappiness to have asuthi as stubborn as herself—her pride, too. They were both mad, her asuthi, but she had accepted that already.

And Chimele looked upon the three of them: a kallia’s eyes might have varied, shown some emotion. Hers scarcely could, no more than they could shed tears. But Aiela pitied her: if he had disadvantaged her once before her
nasithi
alone and merited her anger, he could only surmise what he did to her now with the entire
Metakhis
and
nasul
to witness.

“Chimele-Orithain,” he said in a tone of great respect, “we have obeyed all your orders. If a kameth can ask anything of you—”

A tall shadow joined them—Ashakh, who folded his arms and gave a nod in curt deference to Chimele.

“This kameth,” said Ashakh, “is about to encounter trouble with which he cannot deal. He is a peculiar being, this
m’metane,
a little rash with us, and without any sense of
takkhenes
to feel his way over most deadly ground; but his
chanokhia
appeals to me. I oppose his disrespect, but I am not willing to see harm come to him or to his asuthi—one of whom is, after all, human as well as outsider, and even more ignorant of propriety than this one. I have borne with much, Chimele. I have suffered and my
sra
has suffered for the sake of
Ashanome.
But this kameth and his asuthi are of worth to the
nasul.
Here I say no, Chimele.”

“Ashakh,” said Chimele in a terrible voice, “it has not been the matter of the kamethi alone in which you have said no.”

“I do not oppose you, Chimele.”

“I perceive otherwise. I perceive that you are not
takkhe
with us in the matter of Tejef, that someone lends him support.”

“Then you perceive amiss. My
m’melakhia
has always been for the well-being of
Ashanome.
We have been able to compose our differences before,
nasith-tak.
”

“And they have been many,” said Chimele, “and too frequent. No!” she said sharply as Tejef moved. He came no closer, for there were the
dhis
-guardians between, and Khasif and Ashakh moved to shield her as reflexively as they always had. The closeness was heavy in the air again: oppressive, hostile, and then a curiously perturbing fierceness. Chimele glanced at Rakhi in alarm.

“You do not belong here,” she said, but her anger seemed smothered by fright, and it was not clear to whom she spoke.

Tejef moved nearer, as near as the
ghiakai
would permit. “Chimele-Orithain. You cast me out; but Mejakh’s
takkhenois
is gone and the touch of the
nasul
is easier for that, Chimele
sra
-Chaxal. I have always had
m’melakhia
for this
nasul,
and not alone for the
nasul.
I was
nas,
Chimele.”

Chimele’s breath was an audible hiss. “And your life in the
nasul
was always on scant tolerance and we have hunted you back again. Your
m’melakhia
is
e-takkhe—e-takkhe
and unspeakably offensive to me.”