fortuneswheel (46 page)

"At least she conceals the torc most of the time," said Sorli quietly. "Was there anything more?"
"No. You've given me much to think about."

* * *

Though religion on Shola was a matter of personal commitment and not organized, this wasn't the case with those who chose to live a life of service to their God.
For Ghyan, a telepath and a Priest of Vartra, this meant he owed allegiance to Lijou, head of the cult of Vartra and coLeader of the Brotherhood of Vartra at Dzahai Stronghold.
Ghyan's position with the cult was high since only to someone of his ability-and commitment-could the running of the Temple at Valsgarth, the main Telepath Guild town, be given. Equal to him in seniority came Joaylah, the priest at the Temple at Nazule, the Warrior Guild town.
Only the senior Priests and Brothers were aware of the true nature of Lijou and Ghezu's program to achieve full guild status, and of their belief in the mortality of their God.
Ghyan didn't have a problem about the duality of his God. Whatever the original nature of Vartra, the fact that He appeared to new Leska pairs at Valsgarth Telepath Guild, and that by following the temple rituals he could achieve a oneness with the God, made Him divine in his eyes. At Dzahai Stronghold, the Brothers often had God-visions of a personal nature-prophetic ones.
Ghyan was taking his turn at trimming back the candle wicks and checking the torches. It was a job he enjoyed doing— probably because it wasn't a regular task of his, he admitted with a grin to himself. Not far from him, one of the younger acolytes was polishing the metal features on the plinth of the statue of the God.
The youngster was handling the task with a lot of apprehension, not completely convinced that standing on the plinth and polishing Vartra's weapons wasn't an act of sacrilege. He was afraid that the God might come to life before his eyes.
"Come on, lad," said Ghyan. "Put some effort into it! The God's far more likely to censure you for not doing the job properly!"
"Yes, Father Ghyan," said the youngling, his hands now scrubbing faster as he burnished the steel.
Ghyan felt the stillness of the mind before he heard the soft footfall. It had the mark of one of the Brothers. "Good morning, Brother. What can we do for you?" He turned round to see a black robed figure approaching him.
"Father Ghyan," the Brother said, inclining his head before slipping back the hood.
He was still young, just entering the prime of life, Ghyan judged. A highlander, his color an unremarkable tan. Wider than usual ears were pricked toward him, and brown eyes regarded him lazily from a rounded, stocky face.
"I requested leave to attend the Temple. Leaders Lijou and Ghezu appointed me to Valsgarth. Until now my posting had been on board the
Khalossa.
My name is Rulla."
"Well come, Rulla," Ghyan said, laying his paring knife down on the bench below where he'd been working. "Leader Lijou had mentioned I might expect one or more of the Brothers." He felt a faint flare of surprise from Rulla. Not an agent, then. Curious.
"Have you luggage?" he asked, going over to join him.
"In the passage," replied Rulla. "I didn't like to bring it into the Temple."
"I'll get one of the younglings to take it to your quarters. You'll join me in a mug of c'shar?"
"Please."
"See to the rest of the candles when you finish, Vrazo," he said before leading Rulla toward the door to his private quarters.

* * *

Settled with a plate of cold meats and bread between them, Ghyan sipped his c'shar, eyeing Rulla curiously.
"What do you plan to do with your time here, Rulla?" he asked.
Rulla put down his mug and helped himself to a slice of meat. He placed it meticulously on the bread, then rolled it into a cylinder.
"I'd like to study, if I may, Father Ghyan," he said before taking a bite of his meat roll.
"We do have an extensive library here," said Ghyan with a pleased smile. "In fact, it's my own particular pride that I've been able to add to the wealth of books— real books, not the cartridges for the comp pads. What are you wanting to study?"
"Comparative religions." He hesitated. "With particular reference to the Keissian religion."
Ghyan's mouth fell open in surprise. Recollecting himself, he shut it almost immediately.
"I have to admit I was hoping to be posted here," Rulla continued. "You see, I know you have a friend with an— intimate knowledge— of Keissian customs."
Ghyan frowned. "I can only authorize your use of the facilities here at the Temple," he said stiffly. "We have nothing yet on Keissian religions. As to my personal friends, they remain just that. Personal."
"Oh, I appreciate that, Father Ghyan. I merely hoped to contact a friend of mine who's in the employ of your friend. I trust you would have no objections to me conducting some research outside the Temple, if I can get permission to speak to Liegen Aldatan and his Leska. I would, of course, leave a copy of my studies with the Temple when I depart."
"I think you'll find it highly unlikely that you'll get permission," said Ghyan. "Should you be lucky enough to do so, then I'd have no objection." This was no coincidence, Ghyan was sure. If Lijou hadn't sent him, then who had? A word to Kusac was the least he could do. If he was mistaken, it would cause no harm. If he wasn't...

* * *

Kaid accompanied Taizia and Carrie to the inn where they were meeting some of the other students from her year.
"I don't know that this is a good idea," said Carrie as they stepped out into the guild's sunny courtyard.
"Of course it is," said Taizia, taking her by the arm. "Tell her it is, Kaid. She's been shut up in this mausoleum of a guild for far too long. She needs to get out and meet people."
"She's probably right," Kaid agreed, falling into step on her other side.
"Your life is here on Shola with my brother, so you need to meet people and make friends."
"I have friends, Taizia. I have Vanna and you as well as Kaid, Meral, and Sevrin."
"I mean more friends, then! Come on, don't dig your claws in, we'll be late," she chided, pulling Carrie on when she tried to lag back at the main gate.
Carrie allowed herself to be drawn into the street. It was only her second visit to the town. Over the last few weeks they'd been kept busy with tests for the guild. At least Vanna's tests were less frequent now. Taizia was right; she needed the break and the fresh air.
"Where are we going?"
"To the Green Goddess Inn. It has a wonderful garden out the back."
"Green Goddess?" asked Carrie as they walked past the food stalls. "I thought Vartra was your main God."
"He is, if you're a telepath or a Warrior," Taizia said. "But there are others, lots of them. Religion is up to the individual. Most houses have a shrine to one of the Gods or Goddesses. Our religions aren't organized like yours are." She gave her a quick grin. "I've been reading up on your people. That encyclopedia is fascinating." She pronounced the unfamiliar Terran word carefully.
"How did you manage to see it? I thought it was still restricted."
Taizia gave a low purring laugh. "It is, but Mother let me use her access code to the locked AlRel files. I thought that since my brother's Leska is human, I should learn something about her people. Anyway, I'm officially allowed to have it now."
Abruptly Taizia pulled her over to a stall selling grilled cubes of meat on skewers. "Three, please," she said, digging into the pocket of her tabard for the appropriate coins. "Here," she said, distributing them to Carrie and Kaid. "They smelled so good I couldn't resist them."
"Thank you," said Carrie, gingerly taking a small mouthful. The meat was spicy and tender. She took a larger bite. "I thought you said we were eating at the inn."
"Oh, we are, don't worry," she said, licking the juices off her forearm.
"Don't you get fur in your mouth?" Carrie asked.
"Only if you lick against the lie of the fur," said Taizia, eyes alight with humor. "I thought you'd been with Kusac long enough to learn that."
Carrie decided to ignore the remark.
The inn was near the jewelry quarter, a part of the town she'd visited before. As they made their way along one of the small streets, Carrie stopped abruptly in front of one of the stores.
"Kaid, isn't this the store we visited on my first trip?"
"Yes, I believe it is, Liegena."
Taizia frowned and caught him by the arm. "Don't call her Liegena, Kaid. It'll only draw attention to her. We don't need that yet," she said quietly.
"I agree," said Carrie, turning back to look at them. "Please, call me Carrie, Kaid. I'd prefer it."
"I didn't think you'd hear me," said Taizia, her ears flicking in embarrassment.
"I can hear and smell almost as well as you, Taizia," said Carrie. It was her turn to look amused. "All my senses are sharper since your brother and I became fully Linked." She turned to Kaid. "I need to collect something from the shop. Will you wait outside for me?"
Kaid frowned. "Let me check it out first," he said before biting the last cube of meat off its skewer. Tossing the stick in a nearby bin, he went into the shop. Moments later he was out again. "It's empty except for the storekeeper," he said. "I'll remain outside unless someone else goes in."
Carrie nodded and went in. A few minutes later she returned with the belt pouch at her waist looking a good deal heavier.
"What's all the mystery?" asked Taizia as they moved off again toward the inn.
"It would be wiser to be ignorant in this case," Kaid murmured in her ear as he moved past her to Carrie's other side.
Carrie noticed Taizia give him a sharp look, but she said nothing.
The inn was at the corner of a row of stores. A large, closely cropped, open green swathe was at the rear of the building. On it were set rustic benches and tables round which groups of Sholans lounged.
As Taizia led them across the green toward a table set a little back from the others, Carrie was aware of the curious stares and retreated behind her shield feeling exposed and vulnerable. She straightened her back automatically. Let them look. At least she was getting more used to it. Taizia gave her arm a reassuring squeeze as they approached a group of about half a dozen females.
"You're going to be outnumbered, Kaid," Carrie said, trying to conceal her nervousness. "I hope you don't mind."
"Not when the company is so stimulating," Kaid said with a slight grin.
Taizia laughed. "You've got a rare escort there, Carrie," she said. "Few of them are that diplomatic and complimentary at the same time."
Carrie found her arm taken again by Taizia as they approached the table.
"Hello, everyone," she said. "I'd like you to meet Carrie, my brother's Leska, and this is Kaid, her escort."
Carrie looked at the circle of new faces. A wave of panic hit her until she felt her arm nipped by Taizia on one side, then Kaid's comforting presence moving closer to her on the other.
Take a deep breath, you'll be fine,
Taizia sent.
We're all
students from AlRel. We've actually had some experience
with other species. If Kusac has his way and life-bonds to
you, you'll have to get used to mixing with other Sholans.
"Hello," she said, letting Taizia push her down onto the bench.
"That's Taiba next to you," said Taizia, "and Laesu, Vekki, G'hiled and Changu."
Carrie looked at each of them in turn. It was getting easier to tell the Sholans apart these days. She was even beginning to appreciate the Sholan ideals of beauty. Each of the females nodded at her in greeting.
Taiba reached out for the large jug that sat in the center of the table. "Would you like some wine?" she asked. "We ordered enough for all of us."
"Please," said Carrie, pushing her glass and Taizia's forward.
"What about you, Kaid?" Taiba asked as she filled them.
"Thank you, no. I'm on duty," he said, slipping onto the bench beside Changu.
"Isn't it a little ridiculous for her to have an escort?" said G'hiled, lifting her glass for a drink. "Only the female heirs of Clan families need escorts, and then only just before they're married."
Under the table, Taizia's hand clamped over Carrie's thigh, pressing it warningly. "I see the wine hasn't sweetened your nature yet, G'hiled," she said. "If my brother feels his Leska needs an escort, who am I to disagree?"
"Your friend is quite right," said Kaid smoothly as he helped himself to a glass of water. "I'm actually Liegen Aldatan's adjutant. Today I am merely escorting her to prevent the sort of unwanted male attention that she suffered from on the
Khalossa."
"If you're going to be snippy, G'hiled, then perhaps you'd better leave now," said Changu. "I, for one, would prefer to sit and chat with Carrie rather than criticize her. You're only saying that because your nose is out of joint. You've had your eye on Kusac for a long time now, and he's never even been aware you exist!"
"I think enough private opinions have been aired in public," said Vekki, her tone reproving. "This isn't exactly the way we intended to welcome you, Carrie. I'm afraid you're getting a rather poor impression of us."
Strangely enough, the bickering had actually helped her relax and feel part of the group. It reminded her of some of the teenagers she'd taught back home.
"Don't worry about it," she grinned. "I'm used to it. I was a teacher on Keiss."
G'hiled hissed at the implied insult, then subsided as the others began to smile.
"Have you ordered any food yet?" Taizia asked, taking a sip of her wine.
"Of course. We ordered a variety of dishes for all of us. We didn't know what Carrie likes to eat, so we thought this way she's bound to find something that takes her fancy," said Vekki.
"Good, I'm famished," said Taizia.
Carrie picked up her glass and cautiously tasted the wine. It was pleasantly fruity and not too sweet. Her father would have liked it, she thought.
Then we'll send him a crate of it,
sent Kusac.
She grinned as she put her glass down again.
"What is it?" asked Taizia.
"Just a comment about the wine from Kusac," she said, without thinking.
"Your minds are that close?" asked Taizia in disbelief. "What did he say?"
"Only that if the wine was that good, we'd send my father some. He grows vines, you see."
"Vines?" asked Vekki.
"Don't you have vines? What kind of fruit do you use for your wine?"
"All kinds," said Taizia. "This one is made from redberries."
"My mother makes her own wines," said Laesu. "Perhaps we can exchange recipes. I'm sure she would love to try some Terran wines."
"Not Terran, Keissian," corrected Taizia. "The Terrans are from Earth. If we don't distinguish between the two worlds now, it'll only cause confusion later."
"So I'm no longer a Terran, then," said Carrie in amusement. "I'm a Keissian."
Taizia's mouth opened in a grin. "That's right," she said. "Nothing like having your identity changed for you, is there?"
"Tell me about it," said Carrie with a laugh. "I'm still learning to cope with the Sholan part of me!"
"The Sholan part?" asked Taiba curiously.
"All the memories I inherited from Kusac," explained Carrie.
Taizia gave a loud purring laugh. "You want to be thankful Kusac didn't notice you, G'hiled! If he had, Carrie would know all about it!"
Carrie turned to look at Taizia. "I hadn't thought of that," she said thoughtfully.
There's nothing worth remembering,
came the thought from Kusac.
"Kusac again?" grinned Taizia. "These multiple conversations you have must be confusing."
"They've never happened till now," Carrie said. "I've never really been anywhere without Kusac before."
"Then it's definitely a good idea for you to come out with me more often," said Taizia, pouring some more wine into her glass.
"Here comes the food," said Laesu. "I'm surprised you didn't notice it before me, Taizia."
"There's no justice in the world when you two can gorge yourself on food and stay as slim as a reed and I only have to look at it to gain weight,"
moaned
Taiba as the waiter approached with a laden tray.
The meal was one of the long leisurely affairs that the Sholans so loved. With the wine and the warm sun as well, Carrie soon found herself relaxing. The conversation became a little too personal at times, but Taizia deftly steered it back onto neutral ground.
"So, what do you think of Shola?" asked Laesu. "Is it very different from Keiss?"
"Very. We were the advance colonists, setting up an agricultural community to support the next wave. They were the people who would build up the industrial side of our colony."
"Strange way to do it," observed Vekki. "When our last colony was set up, they started simultaneously with the industrial bases on the moons and the agriculture on the planet."
"I believe that's what's happening now, thanks to your people," said Carrie. "We didn't have the technology to send more than one ship at a time, nor to land on the moon and ferry goods to Keiss."
"What else do you find different?" asked Taiba.
"The climate, but that's probably got more to do with being nearer your equator than we were on Keiss. I must admit, I like the warm weather." She stretched her arms, enjoying the feel of the sun on them.
"We had four small villages on Keiss, that was all," she said. "There was an inn in each village, no stores, and our market day was once a month. We lived a very simple life. Here you've got all the benefits of an industrial technological society with none of the problems of pollution and overcrowding."
"Shola's no perfect land of the Gods, Carrie," said Taizia, leaning forward onto the table. "You've only seen Valsgarth. Telepath towns are kept small because of our needs— we don't need the noise of thousands of minds all day and all night. Nazule is our nearest big city, and it's a different matter. There's overcrowding and even poverty there. Not everyone has the pride, enthusiasm, or interest to make their life the best it can be. The central government does what it can, but it can't help everyone."
"I suppose you're right. I'm afraid I left Earth when I was eleven, and I remember very little about it. I remember there was pollution and overcrowding and slums, but that's about all. I've spent more of my life on Keiss."
"How do the Terrans train their telepaths?" asked Changu, picking up her glass and taking another sip from it.
"Didn't you bother to read the files we were given by AlRel?" asked G'hiled scornfully. "If you had, you'd know that the Terrans don't recognize telepathy at all. They don't believe it exists!"
"Some of them do," said Taizia, catching the eye of one of the waiters. "More iced water, please," she said, then turned back to their group.
"I've seen the encyclopedia they brought with them from their home world. It's amazing. Apart from all the other subjects, there's a large number of articles on their various Talents, including telepathy. The trouble stems from the fact that scientists were trying to devise repeatable tests for a talent they didn't believe existed. Had the telepaths formed their own guild, there wouldn't have been this problem."
"How did you manage to get access to that information?" demanded G'hiled. "Your father shouldn't have let you see confidential AlRel documents."
"Father didn't," said Taizia mildly. "My mother did. The encyclopedia was sent to Carrie by her brother. She gave the guild and AlRel their copies."
"Is it going to be made available to us?" asked Vekki. "It seems to me that it would be good experience for the senior year students of AlRel to study the first new culture that's come along in over two hundred years. Especially when we have a member of that species living in the guild with us."
"I'm way ahead of you, my dear." Taizia's purr was only a shade higher than her brother's. "Father's already agreed. However, it's going to cost us, and you might not like the price."
"You and your wheeling and dealing, Taizia," said Laesu with a laugh. "What have you got us into now?"