Maeve (25 page)

“Me! Don't be stupid. There's no way I get off this world until the spore is found. If this world burns I burn with it.”

She smoothed her hands over her thighs. “Who are you, Grey? What are you?”

“Hunter.” He watched her intently, frowning slightly as she made no response. “Hunter Grey of Hunters Associates, on Wolff. Because of the connection with my sister, University set us tracking down the WCH ship. I'm one of five working teams. Our team succeeded in locating the ship that touched down on that world and tracked it here. The others met us here. They're all up there with the University ship. Waiting.”

“You're the only one on the surface?”

“No.”

“I see. You won't talk about the others.”

“No.”

“But …”

“I don't have to worry about right or wrong, Amber.” He linked his hands over his stomach. “What I have to do is find the parasite.”

She shook her head. “I can't understand you.”

“How would you like your mind and personality destroyed by an invading parasite? Who then would breed that body to produce hosts for its spores? Who would gradually possess the bodies of all your people?”

She pressed her hand across her mouth, closing her eyes to shut out the horrible vision.

He jerked upright, leaned forward and stared intently at her. “If that thing got hold of a mind like yours!”

She swung around. “No. I'm not hosting any monster.”

“I know.”

“That thing?” She looked around for the disk but couldn't see it.

“You test high psi, but untainted.” He leaned back and laced his fingers across his flat stomach. “The disk works when it's in contact with the flesh of the subject.”

“And you can destroy the parasite?”

“Who can be sure? If the host is ashed, we expect the parasite will be destroyed.”

“Unless it spores, one might escape.”

“So we have to catch it before then.”

“How does the parasite choose …” She licked her lips and stared at fingers that were beginning to shake again. “How does it choose its new hosts? Anybody who happens to be around at the critical time?”

“Why?”

“Just tell me.”

“Marishe told me that it searches out the healthiest and most intelligent specimens of the host species. Puts them on ice till needed.”

“That explains …” She chewed on her lower lip and flattened her hands on her thighs.

“You know something.”

“I think it's about ready to spore.” She pushed herself onto her feet and began pacing about the room, then went to the window again. Pushing the curtain back, she stared blindly at the rain coming down in sheets. Behind her, she heard the bed creak. “Let me think a minute, Grey. Be patient. I have to consider …” She let the words trail off. The bed creaked again as he settled back.

“Shadith,” she murmured. The purple eyes opened, the singer's pointed face materializing around them. “You heard? They found your songs there. Do you know anything about this?”

The halo of bright curls trembled wildly as Shadith shook her head. “My songs might be on a hundred worlds, Lee. I never heard about this monstrous thing. It's Chu Manhanu, isn't it.”

“I think so.”

“Mmm. That's a problem. He's up on the hill and he damn well won't come near you till it's time to spore.”

Swardheld's face formed around black eyes. “Go get him. The more time you waste, the more time he has to build up his defenses.”

Aleytys frowned. “How?”

“Storm and take. We can do it.” Swardheld's deep voice quivered with impatience. “Who can stop us? You know damn well what Harskari can do. You and Shadith can handle locks and screens. And I can do the fighting. What more do you need?”

“Information.” Harskari's cool voice cut through their rising excitement. Her thin face was angry. “Swardheld, you tend to bull through situations. That works sometimes when there are no surprises. In this case it would be a disaster!”

“Dammit, woman, how much time do you think we have? You want to spend a few more eons sitting in the ash of a burnt-over world? I don't!”

“It doesn't have to come to that. Aleytys, I have a feeling you can pry the Director out of his stronghold. He wants you and he's still sure of himself in spite of what happened in the forest.”

“And he doesn't know that I know about the parasite.” Aleytys felt bile surge into her throat at the thought of such an invasion. “All right. It needs a lot of working out. I'd better talk to Grey.”

She turned and met his curious eyes. “Don't ask,” she said quietly. Mouth firmed in a grim line, she moved back to the bed and sat beside him. “I'm reasonably sure I know the host.”

“Who?”

“Chu Manhanu. Company Director for this world.”

“Sure?”

“You saw the spy who follows me around. I couldn't understand why he'd bother. Manhanu, I mean. If he was annoyed with me, all he had to do was order me taken out. Having me followed just didn't make sense.”

“That all you got?”

“No. He has a double aura, as if two minds inhabit the body. One weak and growing weaker, the other like a battering ram.”

“Empath.” He stretched out on the bed until he was lying flat, smiling up at her. “I never thought of that.”

“Liar. You've been planning to use my talents since I left you for my bath.”

He chuckled. “Empath. Point conceded.”

“So Manhanu has that twerp following me around so he can keep track of this bit of choice meat.” She slapped her hand down on her thigh.

“Very choice.”

“Idiot.” She shifted on the bed so she could glare down at him. “He knows why you're here. I don't know about the rest of your people. You, he knows. Tonight at Dryknolte's, a long skinny type stood talking to my spy. When you went out, he followed you.”

“Bony, dressed in dirty, wrinkled black?”

“Yeah.”

“He found me. In the hall out there.” He ran his tongue over his teeth as he stared at the ceiling. Then he grinned. “But I'm dead now.”

“Until someone gets a look at you.”

“Damn.” He flipped onto his stomach and rested his head on crossed arms.

Aleytys ran her hands over her hair, then fiddled with the flimsy material of the wrapper. “You have a ship here?”

He turned his head so he could see her face. “The University ship will send a lander if we take out the spore. Why?”

“Room on it for me?”

“Why?”

“I've got a problem. You saw the RMoahl?”

He looked intently at her face. “I saw them and was surprised. A Hound triad doesn't usually get this far from home.”

“They're after me.”

“Why?”

She yawned. “Madar! I'm tired. It's been a really hellish day.” She leaned back against the wall, pulling the wrapper over her legs when she was comfortably settled. “None of your business.”

“Interesting. A Hound triad after you.”

“What I want to know is will you take me with you off Maeve?”

“And get the RMoahl on my tail?”

“They don't give a damn about you. Once you let me off …” She swung her hand through a wide arc. “No more problem.”

He caught the flying hand and pinned it to the bed. “Come with me to Wolff.”

“Why?” She let her hand rest under his, beginning to feel a stirring in her loins.

“Recruiting. You'd make a good Hunter.”

“I don't know. If it means burning off worlds, I'll tell you now, I couldn't do that.”

Fingers stroking the back of her hand, he stared thoughtfully at the wall in front of his face. “It's University who's going to burn off, not the Hunters. I suppose we share the responsibility, having accepted the assignment. I can't promise you'll never run into problems like this. That something happens once increases its possibility of happening again. Hunters Associates. Associates, Amber. Not Company. You wouldn't be required to do anything that went directly against your ethics.” He craned his head around to look up at her. “Get through training and you'll have a ship of your own. And a hell of an interesting life. Of course, you might get killed.”

“Nothing's perfect.” She felt a lightness inside, and an intense greed. A ship of her own … a ship … she pulled her hand free and stretched extravagantly. “To be free,” she sang. “Not tied to any world. To be able to go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted without …”

“Hey, not so fast, Amber. Associates. Remember them? You'd be working for them. Doing the jobs they gave you. You can't just get in that ship and take off. Little things like maintenance and fuel to be paid for, to say nothing of the cost of the ship. Once you're a hunter you'll be on your own a lot, but you still would have a responsibility to the governing board.”

She let her arms fall beside her and sighed. “At least, that's better than what I have now. I'll go with you.”

“Good.” He yawned. “Got any ideas about getting to Chu Manhanu?”

“Mmm. I think so. Maybe.”

With a low grunt, he wriggled onto his back and lay looking up at her. “What is it? More Hounds?”

“No.” She leaned on her elbow so her face hung over his. “Do you have to go straight back to Wolff?”

“Why?”

“There's a place I'd like … I need to visit. For just a little while. A few hours.” Her fingers closed into fists. “A world called Jaydugar.”

“Never heard of it. Where is it?”

“I don't really know anymore. It has a double sun. Horli is large and red, takes up half the sky. Hesh is much smaller. A blue sun with vicious radiation. The red occludes the blue every twenty some days. I'd have to figure out how to convert Jaydugari days into Standard, I suppose. There's a hydrogen veil joining the two. Would that be enough to locate the system?”

“Have to run it through the computer and see. You don't know the coordinates?”

“I wasn't thinking about coordinates when I left. Matter of fact, I never intended to return. Well … maybe that's not true … but I didn't think I could go back.” She sighed. “My people were going to burn me for an evil spirit.”

“And you want to go back?”

“I have to. A little while ago, I bore a son. I want to see him.” At the lift of his eyebrows, she sighed. “It's a long and complicated story. I was sold for a slave by a crazy woman who went off with my son. A man who had been my lover went after her.” She smiled sadly. “He was to take my son to the boy's father, since there was little chance he could find me by the time he got the boy back. If he did.”

“I suppose we could make a jog in the course. If that world of yours isn't too far offline. I'll talk to our Captain.”

“Thanks.”

“So. Back to the monster on the hill.”

Aleytys rubbed her hands across her eyes. “I'm tired. Damn. If I could get to some kind of haven, he might come for me. If he wants my body and my talents badly enough. If he's as close as I think to sporing.”

“All he has to do is send his people for you.”

“That's why the haven. There's an island out in the bay. If I could get there …”

“What good would that do? Skimmers, my girl.”

She chuckled. “Telekinesis, Grey. What happens to a skimmer motor if a few necessary parts suddenly go missing?” She thrust an arm up and zoomed her hand around like a skimmer. “Zap! In the drink.” She dived her hand at the bed, hitting the coverlet so hard the hand bounced.

“Empath. Healer. Telekineticist. What else?”

“Linguist. Automatic translator in my head. Hurts like hell when it turns on.”

“My god, woman.”

“Psi-freak, you mean.”

“No, dammit.” He bounced up, bent over her, hands planted on either side of her head. “I might be a little jealous of your talents but that kind of thinking …” His mouth worked as if he tasted something foul, something he wanted to spit out. “I hate it. It makes me sick to my stomach.” He sank down on one elbow and stroked her face, smiling at her. “I've been wanting to make love to you. If you don't like the idea …” He used his free hand to stroke the hair back from her face. Then his fingers stroked her cheek over and over until her breath shortened. “I was terrified of asking.” His grin widened. “If you don't feel like it, don't reroute my nervous system. A simple no will do.”

With a little sigh of happiness, Aleytys caught his hand and pulled it over her mouth, kissing the palm with trembling lips.

Chapter IX

The shadowy, curving corridor ended abruptly in brilliant light. For a minute, the gliding white figure of the Synwedda was framed in the arched end, then they could see a portion of what looked to be a brilliantly lit garden.

It was a large patio in the center of the temple. A sun-warmed patch of lawn. Grapevines covered by purpling fruit climbed in graceful loops up one wall. Espaliered peach trees were trained against one another. Wild flowers from the plain nodded in the slow circling air, in one corner, an oak with its limbs constrained to grow within narrow limits so it wouldn't shade the other growing things to extinction. It added to the patio its nose-clearing brisk odor and the stern dignity of its presence. A pair of plank benches sat beside the rugged trunk.

The Synwedda stood by the benches, waiting for them.

Gwynnor crossed the oval lawn, Sioned silent, and still a little angry, beside him. They sat.

The Synwedda settled on the other, arranging her robes carefully over her knees. “I know what you've come to tell me.”

Sioned clutched at Gwynnor's arm, her fingernails cutting into his flesh. “Why …”

“There are limits to what we can do here, limits I must respect. The evil had not reached the ripeness to allow its plucking. That you are here …” She looked first at Gwynnor then at Sioned. “That you are here shows the ripeness is at hand.” She focused her dull, brown-gold eyes on Gwynnor. “The coming of the starwitch started a train of events. Your journey together was necessary, as was the arrival of the Hunter.” She shook her head. “Don't ask me about him now. You will learn who he is soon enough. Your coming is, as I said, the mark that the last days of the evil come quickly.”