Shades of Gray (43 page)

“It’s madness, Kusac,” said Kaid. “We get our people back if we can, but this is beyond us!”

“If it was your daughter, Kaid, you’d grasp at any straw,” said Kezule. “I won’t let you risk your life, though, Kusac.”

“Kaid knows exactly what it’s like to try to rescue a child of his own, General,” said Kusac, as wave after wave of exhaustion passed over him and he began to feel physically sick. “He’s just done that. I told them to take the cubs to our estate, Kaid. I had no idea Rhyaz would try to keep them. I’m sorry, and I’m glad you have them safe now.”

Now he was swaying, and his vision was fading in and out.

“M’kou, get the Captain to the suite next to the King’s now!” snapped Kezule, reaching out to steady him before Kaid or Carrie could. “Tell Zayshul she’s to see to him as soon as she’s done with Zsurtul.”

“We’ll see to him,” said Kaid, stepping in front of M’kou, who neatly sidestepped him and went to Kusac’s side.

“No, Captain, my people will,” said Kezule. “When he’s fit to see anyone, then he can contact you himself. ZSAHDI, allocate rooms for Captain Kaid and his partner and for the chief Touiban and Sumaan in the Guest quarters on the fourth floor. Place all others on the third floor. Send the list to M’kou.”

“As you order, Lord General Kezule,” intoned the AI.

“Dammit, don’t argue over me,” Kusac snapped, leaning on M’kou. “I’m safe with them.”

“Kaid, I need you to see that any of your fallen are set aside for your own funeral rites,” said Kezule. “Shartoh, have them collect the bodies of our enemies outside the City walls and put those of our own dead in the central courtyard. We’ll hold the funerals tonight for those who are to be cremated.”

Caught neatly by the need to deal with the matter, Kaid had to turn his attention to Kezule. Before he did, he glanced over at Banner, who, with a minute flick of an ear, joined Kusac.

“The only casualties we have are the two Brothers and several Touibans.”

“Your Brothers are with the Royal embalmers. They’ve been placed in small caskets for your ceremony.”

“Thank you.”

“Kusac needs food, General,” said Carrie. “He may not want to eat, but he must, to replace the energy that healing Zsurtul took.”

“Tell M’kou, ZSAHDI, and have the kitchens send something to his suite.”

Kezule began to leave the throne area, walking down the few stairs back into the main hall. “I assume you wish to contact your people and tell them we have gained control of the City of Light.”

“That would be appreciated,” Kaid murmured.

“Noolgoi will take you to your Embassy office so you can make the call in private. He’ll wait outside to take to you up to your suite afterward.”

As they neared the door, Carrie grasped hold of Kaid, pointing to a small dark furred shape in the center of a group of commandos that was heading upstairs. “Look! It’s Shaidan! I have to see him!”

“No,” said Kaid before Kezule could. “It’s up to Kusac, not us.”

“Shaidan is with my daughter and their nurse,” said Kezule. “He’ll be being taken to his father now.”

“What’s he like?” Kaid asked before he could stop himself.

“His father,” said Kezule dryly. “He took it upon himself to be a companion for my daughter.”

“Don’t send Kusac on a suicide mission, General,” said Carrie. “I’m sorry K’hedduk took your daughter, but . . .”

“I have no intention of letting anyone go on a suicide mission. I want my daughter back, not dead. I’ll listen to his plan before making any decisions. Noolgoi will remain with you. I have matters I must attend to now.” With a brief inclination off his head, he left them.

Jayza, already out of his armor, was waiting in his suite when Kusac arrived.

“Lieutenant Banner detailed me to stay with you, Captain. Make sure you had any help that you needed.”

“If you would help the Captain with his armor,” said M’kou, staying in the doorway, “it would free me to attend to other pressing matters.”

“We’ll manage,” said Kusac tiredly, reaching to turn off the power to his armor as Jayza came over. He felt the faint sucking sensation as the interior of the suit pulled away from his body. Taking off his headset, he handed it to Jayza.

“ZSAHDI tells me food is on its way here,” said M’kou

“I’m too tired to eat.”

“Make sure he eats,” said M’kou to Jayza, still listening to his headset. “I’m told you need to because you healed King Zsurtul.”

“Aye, sir,” grinned the youth as he started unfastening Kusac’s chest armor.

“I’ll see you later, Captain. A guard will be outside your room for security reasons, but you’re free to leave when you wish. Oh, I’ve been told Shaidan is on his way up. Do you want him brought here, or should he stay with the nurse and Mayza in the General’s suite?”

“Here, please. Jayza, would you mind . . . ?”

“Glad to, Captain,” said Jayza as M’kou shut the door. “There’s bound to be board games we can play.”

“If he wants to sleep, he can join me,” said Kusac, bending to help unfasten the leg pieces.

“You’re leg is bleeding again, Captain. It needs a fresh dressing. The hospital is right opposite us. It won’t take me more than a few minutes to dress your wound.”

“Getting flung about in that water trap didn’t help it any,” Kusac murmured, straightening up slowly and pulling his tail free.

“A wonder no one was killed,” said Jayza. “If you would step out of the armor, please, Captain?

Weighing over 500 pounds, the main body armor was a deadweight capable of standing upright on its own.

“The Touibans will ferry the
Venture
down when it’s considered safe and make sure our armor’s picked up and stowed back inside it.”

Kusac nodded as, holding onto Jayza for support, he pulled one leg, then the other out of the boots. Staggering slightly, he found himself caught before he fell.

“Easy, Captain. It’s been a long night,” said Jayza, helping him over to the dining table and chairs and pulling one out for him. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

Perching on the edge of the chair to avoid pressure on his thigh, Kusac leaned back and closed his eyes. It had indeed been a long night. He felt stiff and sore, every joint ached. All he wanted to do was sleep.

“Captain, wake up. I need to dress that wound.”

Tiredly, he blinked at her, then, leaning on the table, pushed himself to his feet. Once again Jayza was there to help.

“I thought you were with the King.”

“I was,” said Zayshul. “He only needed to be bedded down and the drips reattached. Don’t know how you did it, but the wound in his side is almost healed. He’ll only have a faint scar. I saw what remained of his armor.”

He grunted, bracing himself against the table while she cut the soiled dressing off and began to clean the wound.

“We got hit by several tons of water,” said Jayza, “And flung again rocks and the tunnel wall.”

“And killed a norrta, yes, I heard,” said Zayshul. “I don’t suppose it will do any good to tell you to take it easy for the next few weeks, will it, Kusac?”

“I’ll do my best,” he said.

“It’s not too bad, actually,” she said, probing the wound and making him hiss with the sudden pain. “I’m only putting a light dressing on it; I want it to be able to breathe.”

“The U’Churian medic put a more secure one on to prevent my armor rubbing.”

“You won’t be wearing armor for a long time, I hope! Jayza, hand me that larger dressing, please.”

He heard the pack being ripped open and then the dressing held in place firmly but gently over the wound at the back of his leg.

“Now the other one. You hold it for me,” she said to Jayza.

She was just fastening it off when the door chime went.

“Shaidan,” he said, raising his head.

“I’m done now. Sit down, and I’ll let him in when I leave,” she said.

He sat, stretching out his injured leg only to have Jayza grab another chair and lift his leg onto it.

Come back when you can,
he sent to her.

He can stay in here with Jayza. We need to talk as soon as possible
.

With barely a glance at anyone else, Shaidan ran into the room past her, flinging his arms around his father.

“I was scared for you.”

Catching him around the waist, Kusac lifted him onto his lap, noticing how his son automatically settled himself on his good leg.

“It’s my job, what we all do in our Clan, as I told you,” he said.

“Long postings like this don’t usually happen, though, Shaidan,” said Jayza, busying himself closing the armor and stowing the headset in its external niche ready for transportation.

The door chimed again, this time for one of the kitchen staff bearing a tray of food.

Shaidan rested his head against his father’s chest. Kusac heard the guard telling Jayza he’d checked the food and it was safe. He sighed inwardly. Yet another task for him when he’d rested. K’hedduk had concealed himself among the kitchen staff, and he’d need to see there were no more traitors there.

The servant brought the tray in and, putting it on the table, lifted off the two large covered dishes.

“Stew, Captain, with fresh bread and a vinegar and oil dressing to dip it in.” Four bowls and spoons were placed on the table, then a jug and four cups. “And hot maush to refresh you and your companions.”

“Thank you,” he said tiredly.

“Are there any board games we can use?” Jayza asked as, eyes as large as saucers, the servant tried not to stare at Shaidan as he bowed and began to back away from the table.

“You’ll find games, books, and other entertainments in the library. It’s straight ahead from here, the second room on your right past the garden.”

“Garden?”

“There is a garden on this level, and if you take the elevator up one more level, you’ll be on the larger, rooftop garden. I hear there is even a fountain.”

“A fountain?” Shaidan’s brow creased.

“Water spraying out from a pool,” said Kusac, nose twitching as Jayza removed the covers from the dishes and the aroma from the food filled the lounge.

“Shaidan, let your father eat,” said Jayza, pulling out the chair beside Kusac for the cub. “Sit here beside him. I bet you had a rushed first meal and are hungry now.”

“You eat too, Jayza,” said Kusac, sitting forward as Shaidan scrambled down. “Or I won’t.”

Jayza laughed and grabbed the chair. “I’m not going to argue. That smells too good.”

It was nearing dusk when Carrie and Kaid, having slept, eaten, and checked that T’Chebbi was recovering from the burns on her back, knocked on Kusac’s door.

Banner answered the door and came out into the corridor, closing it behind him.

“Doctor Zayshul is with him right now.”

“What haven’t you told us about him?” demanded Carrie, looking up at him.

“I’ve told you all that I know. Mostly, it’s exhaustion. From what I can gather, King Zsurtul had rather a sizable hole blown in his side and lost part of an organ that can’t regenerate. Kusac healed that and closed the wound. Zsurtul’s still got a way to go before he’s healed, but without Kusac’s help, he’d have died before we could have evacuated him to the field hospital.”

Kaid stared at him. “Are you sure? That’s something only the First Telepaths could do. What about his own wound?”

“I’m sure. Healing himself obviously drained him a lot, but he was regaining weight until now. They got caught by a water trap in the tunnels. K’hedduk had blocked their route just beyond a small cavern. When they broke down the barrier, it caught them. Kusac was thrown into some rocks while trying to protect King Zsurtul. That opened up the exit wound again on the back of his thigh. If they hadn’t been in their suits, they’d be dead.”

“What about Shaidan? Is the cub here?” asked Carrie.

“Yes, he’s inside with his father,” said Banner, gesturing at the door behind him.