fortuneswheel (55 page)

* * *

They arrived back at the guild to find it alive with excitement. The Terrans had arrived and were being processed through Medical. A message on their comm told them to report to the Terran quarters to give what aid they could to Physician Vanna Kyjishi.
They found her looking slightly harassed, busily delegating her nurses to record the Terrans' basic medical details using the sampling units.
"An interesting batch," she said in answer to Kusac's unspoken question.
"I'm glad you came. I didn't expect to see you for another couple of days. I have to talk to you when I'm finished here," she said. "Now that Terran over there," she nodded briefly toward a dark-haired male who was staring in their direction, "there's something about him, but I don't know what. Every time I turn round, he seems to be looking at me."
"Strange," agreed Kusac, keeping a straight face. "Perhaps he just likes the look of you."
Vanna shot him a half-angry look. "I doubt it," she said. "It's his turn now. Come over with me."
They accompanied her over to the Terran.
"This is Carrie and Kusac," she said to him, "the Leska pair you were asking about. You're...?"
"Brynne Stevens," he replied, smiling as he stood up.
He was tall, about Kusac's height. Dark curly hair reaching to the neck of his sweater framed a pleasantly featured face. Gray-blue eyes regarded them with interest. His jawline and mouth were outlined by a close-cropped beard and mustache.
"You know what this does," Vanna said, reaching out to position his arm correctly in the molded sampler unit. As she touched him, she flinched, pulling back from him and almost dropping the unit.
"What the hell!" he exclaimed, catching hold of it. "That's some kind of static charge you've got!"
Kusac's arm shot out to steady Vanna. "Are you all right?" he asked as she straightened up.
"I'm fine," she said, passing a hand across her head before giving herself a little shake. "Honestly, I'm fine." With hands that shook slightly she took the unit from Brynne.
"You're overtired," chided Kusac, taking the unit away from her and calling one of the nurses over. "I'm sure you'll excuse us, won't you, Brynne?" he said, handing the unit to the nurse and drawing Vanna away. "Now, where's your office? You need to sit down."
"Kusac, I'm fine," she protested as they went toward her room. While Kusac made her sit down, Carrie went for some c'shar for them all.
"Why are you rubbing your hands?" he asked, taking hold of them. "Is there something wrong? What happened there?"
"Nothing, I just got a jolt of static from him," she said, allowing him to look at her palms. "Honestly, Kusac, there's nothing to be concerned about."
Carrie returned with a tray and three drinks. Vanna took one gratefully. "I am tired," she admitted. "This is the first break I've had since they arrived three hours ago. We've got a problem already," she sighed. "One of our young male telepaths on the
Rhyaki
was assigned to accompany the Terrans to Chagda Station, then return. He formed a friendship with a female Terran, the daughter of one of their telepaths. That in itself was bad enough in her parents' eyes, but they Leska-bonded when only a few days out from Earth!"
Kusac glanced at Carrie then back at Vanna. "So there's another pair like us," he said. "That's not so very dreadful for them, is it? I wonder why my father didn't mention them."
"It is for these two," said Vanna, taking another mouthful of her drink. "Her parents will have none of it. They don't believe it's happened."
"What about the girl? What has she said about it?" asked Carrie.
"Not a lot. Her parents have shut themselves and her away in the Terran quarters upstairs and won't come out, not even for the medical checks."
"Why don't you just go and get her?" asked Kusac. "They can't keep her locked up."
"Oh, they can," said Vanna, "and they are, and we can't do anything about it. The Terrans are totally autonomous in their own section. We can't interfere."
"How old is the girl?" asked Carrie.
"Sixteen."
"Damn. She's underage. Her parents have legal authority over her. She can't make the decision to leave them. Unless she actually manages to escape and ask us for help, there's nothing we can do," said Carrie. "I'll happily go and talk to them and explain what a Leska bond is."
"Thanks. We hoped you would," said Vanna. "We haven't got too long, though, from the state Raill's in. We've had some success controlling the memories with psychic suppressants but he's weakening fast."
"I'll go and see her parents shortly," said Carrie.
"I forgot to ask how your visit went," said Vanna.
"We've had some excitement, too," said Kusac dryly, ears twitching as his eye ridges met in a frown.
"I found out that Kusac was betrothed," said Carrie, casting a frown of her own at him.
"I've been trying to find a way to dissolve the contract my parents made," he explained hastily. "Carrie, however, with the help of my sister and mother, has Challenged my unwanted bride."
"She can't, Kusac!" exclaimed Vanna, a look of sheer terror on her face. "She mustn't fight or she'll lose the child!"
Absolute silence greeted her remark.
Kusac looked at Carrie, noticing that the blood had drained from his Leska's face. "You're saying Carrie's pregnant," he said carefully, his voice questioning.
"Yes," Vanna nodded. "I only found out a day or two ago and I haven't been able to reach you to tell you."
"Then who is the father?" he asked Carrie, stunned. "I'll swear I was your first lover, so that means you've been with someone since then. Why didn't you tell me about it, or your wish to have children?"
He was confused and hurt that he should have missed that need in her and sensed nothing when she took another lover.
"No, Kusac," said Vanna, leaning forward to touch him. "You've got it wrong. The child is yours."
"Mine? Don't be ridiculous," he said, looking sharply at her. "We're too different to breed. It's impossible."
Vanna shook her head. "I've said nothing to anyone but Jack Reynolds, but I've been monitoring for genetic changes in you both since the gestalt link on the
Khalossa.
I knew there would be far-reaching changes, but I never expected you to be able to have children. It's scientifically and medically impossible, but somehow— I don't know how— it's happened."
Kusac looked back at Carrie. "Didn't you know? Couldn't you tell you were pregnant?" he demanded.
Some of the color had come back to her face. She shifted uncomfortably, unable to meet his eyes. "I thought I might be," she admitted, "but I dismissed it as being impossible. As you said, we're two different species."
"You wouldn't have conceived if you hadn't wanted to," he said, his anger mounting. "Knowing you could be pregnant, you still Challenged Rala!" He shook his head. "You're carrying a child that by rights should never have been conceived, and you're prepared to risk it, and us, over a Challenge? Gods, what have I done to deserve a Leska with as little sense as you?" he demanded, getting to his feet and pacing across the room. He stopped by the door, his back to them.
He ached inside. The shock of finding out that he'd fathered a child on his alien Leska— a child that he desperately wanted to have with her-coupled with the knowledge that she was risking everything on that damned foolish Challenge, was too much for him to absorb coherently. He needed to get away from her— from himself, too, if he was being honest— to give himself time to think.
He pounded his fist against the wall, the momentary pain helping to focus the anger which he knew he was wrongly directing at her.
"Damn you, Carrie," he said, his voice breaking, "why must you keep getting me into untenable situations?"
Carrie got to her feet. "Kusac, I..."
"Just leave me alone, Carrie," he said, his mind and voice full of pain. "Leave me alone."
"Dammit, Kusac!" she said, grabbing hold of him and pulling him around to face her. "I'm not the only one to blame. You had more than a little to do with it, you know! How on earth was I supposed to know this could happen? It's all right for you, you're not the one who's pregnant! And how dare you suggest that anyone else could be the father!"
He reached out to touch her. "Carrie, I..."
"Don't touch me!" she spat, shaking with rage. "Just. Leave. Me. Alone!" Darting past him, she wrenched the door open and fled.
He stared after her retreating figure.
"Nicely handled, Kusac," said Vanna, getting up. "Very sensitive of you. Sounds like Carrie's had a wonderful couple of days."
"What do you mean?" he asked, totally thrown first by Carrie's reaction and now by Vanna's.
"First she finds out you're betrothed, then that the only way to break that contract is for her to fight a Challenge with your betrothed, and on top of it all, she discovers that the impossible has happened and she's pregnant. And who's to blame for all this? She is, according to you."
"That's not what I said, Vanna!"
"Isn't it? It looks that way to me. What about her feelings in all this? Did you think to ask her how she felt? Even, Gods forbid, to say you were glad she's having your child?"
"She knew she was pregnant, she said as much, Vanna! Knowing that, what possessed her to issue the Challenge? That was utterly foolish of her! If she'd only waited a few more hours, none of that would have been necessary. If I can only father children with her then there's little point in me marrying Rala! The contract would have been dissolved."
"I need to confirm that yet," warned Vanna. "Carrie certainly can never have Terran children, but I need to run tests on you to find out if you're still fertile with other Sholans."
"I'm sick to death of these tests, Vanna. Tell me what good they've done us?"
"Suit yourself, Kusac," said Vanna with a shrug, sitting down again. "If you don't care, why should I? Tell me, though, aren't you worried about Carrie rushing off like that?"
"No," he growled, angry with Vanna now. "She can go where she wants. You heard her tell me to leave her alone!"
"You're a fool, Kusac, and at this moment I have to say a selfish fool! That female is your life, she's everything to you, and I don't just mean your Link. Don't be so blind to her feelings or you could lose her."
"I don't have to hear any more of this," he snapped, turning his back on her and leaving.

* * *

Chyad threw the wrapper into the garbage bag with disgust. He might have enough rations to last him a month, but it didn't mean they were edible. They were worse than Forces' rations, and that was saying a lot! He took a drink from the bottle of water and almost gagged on it. It had been tepid that morning, now it was warm.
He'd arrived in the dead of night, managing to find somewhere to land and conceal his aircar till dawn. As the sun rose, he went scouting round the immediate area, looking for a better place of concealment for himself and his craft.
As luck would have it, only twenty meters away he'd found the entrance to a widemouthed tunnel. It was choked with the God knew how many years of dead growth from the bushes growing in front of it, but he'd been able to clear away enough to allow him to drive the aircar into the tunnel then conceal it again from outside.
His hand went up to his brow and fingered the scar there. It was a permanent reminder of his crash on Keiss. That damn-fool she-jegget Maikoe was responsible for that. How anyone could screw up a faked emergency landing, he'd no idea, but she had. Just as well she'd died in the crash else he'd have killed her himself!
Then there was the male who'd thrown the explosive into the craft. His jaw tightened as he remembered him. He'd been lucky to get out alive. He'd risk his last coin betting that that male had been the one who'd killed the others. That had been a big mistake. Now it was personal. Now his sense of honor was involved.
He'd had a long time to plan his revenge. The worst thing he could do to someone hired to keep that damned Leska pair alive was to kill them, and leave him alive to live with his failure. That's why he was hiding out on the Aldatan estate, waiting for his chance. He still believed the treaty with Earth was totally insane, but now, as an added bonus, the death of the telepath and his alien qwene would destroy that treaty.
Leaning forward, he picked up the earpiece for the public info nets and placed it in his ear before switching on the comm. He had several hours to kill before he could risk leaving his cover to go scouting round the grounds. While he listened to the news program, he stripped down his gun, making sure it was clean and ready for use when the time came.

* * *

Carrie hadn't gone far. As she fled out of the Terran area into the guild grounds, she ran straight into Kaid.
"Hey," he said, catching hold of her. "What's the matter?" He saw the tears streaking her face and heard her ragged breathing. He gathered her against his side, holding her face against his chest so it couldn't be seen. "Come with me," he said, taking her across the grounds to the guest house.
When he reached Meral's room, he banged loudly on the door. Meral opened it, stepping back in surprise.
"Out," ordered Kaid. "Fetch a large pot of coffee from their suite. Here's my key, use it."
He took her over to the nearest chair and sat her down in it, pulling up a soft cushion for himself.
"Now, tell me what's wrong," he said, holding her hands.
Carrie snuffled. "I need my hands."
He let them go until she'd dug out a tissue and blown her nose, then he recaptured them in one of his.
"It has to be something serious to get you so upset," he said. He frowned, catching hold of her chin and examining her face. "I thought so," he said, letting her go. "You're pregnant, aren't you? It shows in your eyes. I've suspected as much for a couple of days."
"How many more people can tell?" she asked, utter panic in her voice and on her face.
"Only those who know what to look for. You have to be at least three months. At a guess, another week, maybe two, then you'll begin to show." He hesitated. "Kusac's?"
She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks again. "He blames me for this and the Challenge. It's not my fault, Kaid! He's as much to blame as I am!" Her shoulders began to shake again.
Kaid gathered her close, bringing her down onto the cushion beside him. "Don't start crying again. It's no one's fault, Carrie."
"They'll know, they'll all know as soon as they see me, Kaid, and they'll hate me for it," she wept, clutching at his jacket. "And now he hates me too! What am I going to do? I wish I were dead!"
"Never wish that," said Kaid. "Why should anyone, especially Kusac, hate you?"
"They'll know I'm sleeping with him, that the child's his."
"Of course you're pairing with Kusac, you're his Leska, that's what Leskas do," said Kaid. "Why should it suddenly matter to anyone but the two of you?"
"The Terrans. Don't you see? They'll hate me for carrying an alien child! And he hates me, too. Why, Kaid?" she sobbed. "I know he wanted children, I felt it that day in the market. Why doesn't he want ours?"
Kaid felt completely out of his depth. Armfuls of soft pregnant females were totally outside his experience, especially when they were as upset as Carrie was.
"Carrie... I don't know what to tell you, what to say. You don't live with the Terrans now, you live with us. It doesn't matter what they think. Kusac can't hate you, nor your child. It's a shock to both of you— to all of us! Both of you just need time to adjust."
"To adjust to what, Kaid?" Her tearful face looked up at him. "I'm not human anymore! I'm carrying an alien's child, for God's sake! What the hell am I, Kaid? What have I become?" Where she held onto his jacket, she started to shake him. "What has he done to me, Kaid?" Her voice rose in hysteria.
"Enough of that," said Kaid, grasping her hands firmly. "I can't tell you what you want to know, Carrie. All I can say is that to me you're no different than when I first met you." Gently, he unclenched her hand, letting her hold his instead of his jacket.
A knock sounded at the door and Meral cautiously opened it. "Coffee's here," he said, bringing it over to put on the table beside Kaid. "I'll get mugs, shall I?"
"When you've got them, fetch Vanna over here, and if you see Kusac, say nothing about this," said Kaid.
Carrie had quieted to the point where only the odd shuddering breath showed she'd been crying. Kaid carefully extricated himself from her grip and poured the coffee.
"Here," he said, handing her a mug. "It'll help relax you."
Carrie began to laugh, a very wobbly laugh to be sure. "Have I become so Sholan that coffee is an intoxicant to me?"
"Would that be such a bad thing?" he asked. "Would it upset you so much to know that most males have to be careful not to respond to you as they would to a Sholan female? You're becoming part of our world, Carrie. This child of yours and Kusac's proves it. The God moves in strange ways. There's a reason for everything, even if we don't know it."
"There's another mixed Leska pair," Carrie said after digesting Kaid's words.
"I thought you'd not be the only ones. When there are more like you, then the Terrans won't be so intolerant."
"The girl's underage, Kaid. Her parents still control her life. They won't accept the Link and have shut their daughter away in the Terran quarters. Vanna wants me to talk to her."
"Are you strong enough to do that now?"
Carrie cocked her head on one side and looked quizzically at him.
Kaid leaned forward and flicked her nose with a finger. "So Sholan," he said. "Can you now go and tell another Terran how good a Sholan Leska link is, knowing that you are carrying a Sholan's child and that this girl will probably do the same when the God wills it?"
Carrie took a deep, calming breath. "I think so," she said.
"Then you know what to do when Vanna arrives."
"Kaid," she said, putting her mug down. "What are you?"
"What do you think I am?" he asked, amused by her question.
"I know you're a Warrior, but you're more. You give nothing away mentally. Your mind is so still."
He shifted his position on the cushion, making himself more comfortable. "I was a member of the Brotherhood of Vartra," he said.
"The Warrior elite," she said quietly.
"If you like. They have their own sub-Guild affiliated to the Warriors', but our order is also religious. We don't advertise our calling. Those who need us know where to find us, and that is all I will tell you," he said with a faint grin.
The door chimed. "Probably Vanna," said Kaid, getting to his feet.
"Carrie will go with you to talk to the Terran girl," he said, flicking an ear at Vanna as she entered.
"Right," she agreed. "Well, if she's ready?"
Carrie got to her feet and joined her at the door.
"I think we should stop off in my room for you to freshen up first," Vanna said diplomatically.