Shades of Gray (65 page)

Now that he had the chance, he retreated into his own mind, trying to remember his vision, but the details were blurred. He remembered Vartra’s forge, a dark, somber male, and a female with forests—endless forests—in her eyes.

He probed the memory, looking for more, finding mention of Conner and a sword.

“We’re dropping supplies off for Conner,” said Kaid, breaking in on his reverie almost as if he’d been following his thoughts. “Annuur and his sept have promised to come out and encourage the growth of dune grasses and shrubs to anchor the sand and to help build up the moisture content at the edges of this river.”

Looking out the porthole, he saw they were flying above a wide, winding river that led deep into the interior. Its dun-colored waters moved swiftly in the opposite direction from the one they were taking, forming small islets here and there. Along the edges was scrubby groundcover of all types.

“Doesn’t look that clean.”

“It’s the inundation,” said Carrie. “Runoff from the distant mountains. It’ll settle down in a week or two.”

Kusac grunted.

“What’s Banner up to today?” asked Carrie after several minutes of silence.

“Probably messing with chair legs in the Council chamber or Kezule’s office or catching river leapers to let loose in his bedroom,” said Kusac.

Carrie stifled a giggle. “That was him? The cubs got blamed for it. Kezule will go berserk when he finds out.”

“It’s his way of getting revenge—and making Kezule look foolish if he pulls him up for it,” said Kaid. “You should stop him before Kezule retaliates, though, Kusac.”

“On the contrary, I find it quite amusing. I’m curious to see how far the two of them will let it go.”

“There’s Conner’s group!” said Carrie, pointing ahead of them to a small, lush green area flanking the river. “From the looks of it, they aren’t going to need Annuur’s skills.”

“It looks like Ghyakulla is indeed with them,” said Kaid soberly as he began to descend.

“Her eyes are forests,” Kusac murmured quietly.

“What?” asked Kaid.

“Nothing.”

 

Back at the Palace, Banner was hanging around the medical staff mess, waiting for one of the Prime technicians he had befriended.

“Sheezar, I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, walking up to her and linking an arm through hers. “Lunch break?”

“No, shift end,” she said, mouth widening in a welcoming smile. “I’m on night shift at the moment.”

“Then let me treat you to a decent meal in the Grand Courtyard,” he said, leading her to the exit.

“Thank you. I’d enjoy that.”

“How’s the research going?”

“Progressing slowly. We can now ensure the Warrior characteristics can be passed on to any zygote, but that doesn’t mean they have the Warrior spirit.”

“It’s a start, at least,” he said as they made their way to the elevator down to the ground level. “What about your own project, enhancing the adult Primes so they are stronger and faster?”

“That’s not as important as ensuring the next generation, Banner.”

“If K’hedduk attacks, you’ll need every able-bodied person to defend yourselves.”

“You’re preaching to the converted,” she said as they stopped to call the elevator. “I believe as you do, and I have been continuing my own research when I can. My last computer model was the closest yet. I plan to refine it tonight.”

“When will it be ready for trials?”

“A good few weeks yet,” she said. “I need to test it on animals first.”

“If I can help in any way ... I don’t have the medical knowledge, but I can be an extra pair of hands, and I can keep you fed,” he said with a grin, waving her into the elevator ahead of him.

She chuckled. “I’ll certainly let you know when I reach that stage.”

 

They dropped off the box of seedlings and fertilizer as well as a few cages for Conner, complimenting him and his crew on their work so far.

“Armed guards?” asked Kusac, eyeing the three soldiers keeping watch.

“There’re large carnivores other than your norrta,” said the Human mildly. “And though we do Her work, the Goddess helps those who help themselves.”

“We found some more furred animals,” said one of his young female acolytes. “We caught several samples and put them in the cages.”

“Indeed, this world is recovering very nicely from its disaster,” said Conner. “In the past, the killing of many of the larger lizards and amphibians for food left room for mammals to develop. Nothing bigger than a small dog as yet though, apart from the modified herd beasts that existed then. And we’ve seen a few of what I am sure are feathered birds.”

“Interesting to see how it all evolves,” said Kaid, examining an ugly ratlike creature with a bald tail in one of the cages. “Well, we’ll have to be off,” he said, straightening up. “We have a ways to go to set up this new cache.”

“Thank you again for bringing the extra supplies,” said Conner, accompanying them back to their craft. “We’ll be staying here till tomorrow. The tent and heaters will be most useful.”

“Our pleasure,” said Carrie, following Kaid into the shuttle.

Kusac hung back a little, waiting till the other two had gone inside.

“Conner, what do you remember about a magic weapon, a sword that was a man?” he asked quietly.

Startled, Conner stared at him, then blinked in confusion. “There have been several. Why do you ask?”

“Ghyakulla told me to.”

“I . . . There were two, but only one concerns us, the Cleadh Mor, the Great Sword. I told you about Arthur and the sword called Caliburn, meaning Hard Lightning. His teacher was Llew, the Merlin of those times.”

“How can a person be a sword?”

“What are you and your Brothers and Sisters but trained weapons?”

“That I understand,” he said with a touch of impatience. “But a sword?”

“The sword is a symbol of might and power and also of eternity. Is it is not the shape of a cross, with the pommel creating the loop of eternal life?” asked Conner, sketching the shape in the air.

“Yes, but ...”

“How does it become a person? Arthur’s sword came from the Goddess, and though it had a physical presence, its power was far more spiritual. Like all men, Llew and myself included, Arthur was all too Human. He forgot that justice cannot be blind and must not be cruel.”

“What did he do wrong?”

“His weakness was his strength, sadly. He could not see the evil in men, and particularly in women. He saw only goodness and frailty. This is a lesson you should be aware of too.”

Kusac grunted and turned away. “I can’t see its relevance to me.”

Conner caught him by the arm. “We’ll talk more about it tomorrow, Kusac. If She sent you a message, then it’s important. Have you managed to get Kezule to heed my warning of an attack yet?”

“I’ve spoken to him, but we have several thousand people to house and feed, and Ch’almuth to protect. We’re spread too thin, Conner.”

“Then the city and the Palace will be destroyed.”

“The force field is being strengthened and expanded. We’re doing what we can.”

The shuttle’s engines began to power up, and Kusac turned to the ramp.

Again Conner reached out to stop him. “Kusac, come to me when you get back. If Ghyakulla has a purpose for you, there are things I need to teach you, and time is running out.”

He opened his mouth to give an excuse, but then he remembered L’Shoh’s last words.

“I’ll come,” he said.

 

They continued to follow the river inland, flying deeper into the interior, stopping at the entrance to a gorge where the river churned and surged against outcrops of jagged rocks that stretched across its width.

Setting down not far from the cliffs, Kaid cut the engines.

“There’s a cave about a hundred yards away,” he said. “We’re using it to store the cache.”

Carrie released her harness and went to the rear of the craft. “What’s in the crates? Seeds and such?”

“No, more basic kit. Food supplies, several tents, tools. This will be a base camp. There are a couple of our antigravity cradles to snap around the crates so we can unload them easily,” said Kaid.

“Dusk isn’t far off,” said Kusac, rising. “Let’s get on with it so we can get back to the city.”

“Agreed,” said Kaid, making his own way to the rear and picking up a smaller crate. “I’ll get the lighting and security field fixed up inside the cave. You two can unload.”

 

They worked solidly for two hours while Kaid, the lighting rig hung on the walls just inside the entrance, began setting up the force field to seal the entrance once they left.

When Carrie collapsed on one of the crates stacked at the back of the cave, taking a long drink from her water canteen, Kusac fetched the last crate. As he maneuvered it through the entrance, they both heard the shuttle’s engines start up.

“What the hell?” muttered Kusac, leaving the crate bobbing in midair and sprinting into the open, closely followed by Carrie. He could now sense Kaid’s determination to leave them there while he returned to the City.

The last rays of the setting sun glinted off the shuttle as it began to rise into the air and head downriver.

Kusac’s wrist comm began to beep, and angrily he answered it.

“What the hell are you doing, Kaid?” he demanded.

“Forcing you to reclaim what’s yours,” said Kaid. “You might fool each other, but not me. You’re both going to extreme lengths to avoid each other, now you have no choice. You’re at least two to three day’s walk from the city, and tomorrow’s our Link day.”

“You have no right to do this,” said Kusac, cold fury in his voice. “I’ll call the Palace .. .”

“I have every right,” interrupted Kaid, “and you can only reach me. I reset the comms remotely with Valden’s help.”

“Kaid . . .”

“You need your life back, Kusac, and so do I. T’chebbi needs me more than you two right now. I’m pretty sure you can reforge your Leska Link to Carrie. Everything you’ll need is in the crates—water purifier, backpacks, ammo, food.”

“You bastard,” growled Kusac with feeling.

Kaid laughed briefly. “I’ll see you in two days.” The comm unit went dead.

Carrie turned and walked back into the cave. After a few minutes of silent anger, Kusac followed.

They’d unloaded some two-dozen crates, and Carrie had the lids off half a dozen already. Beside her lay a traveling stove, a couple of gallon jugs of fresh drinking water, and several smaller boxes of food.

“I’ll start a meal,” she said, keeping her eyes on what she was doing. “See if you can find any bedding.” She gave a convulsive shiver and looked up at him finally. “And activate the screen, please. It’s freezing in here now the sun’s gone down.”

Too wrapped up in his own thoughts, and locked behind his mental shields, till now he’d missed the warning signs that Carrie’s Link day was beginning. Now that his attention had been drawn to it, he could no longer ignore it.

He squatted down to look through the box of military meals.

“Jegget food,” he mustered in disgust, turning the self-heating meals over to check them all out. “I’ll go catch us something worth eating.”

“Kusac ...”

“I need to vent my anger,” he said harshly, getting to his feet. “I can’t stay here right now.” He stalked toward the cave mouth, tail flicking angrily, stopping only long enough to turn on the field and key himself into it.

“I’ll be back, you have my word.” Then he was gone.

“Men!” snarled Carrie, mentally and verbally, picking up the nearest object and lobbing it after his retreating figure. “It’s all about
you
—
your
honor,
your
sensibilities!”

The screen flared blue, sending the lightweight metal cup bouncing back into the cave. “I’m not a bloody pet or a toy to be passed from one to the other of you, dammit!” If either of them heard her, they both prudently remained silent.

 

The food may have been regular military rations, but Kaid had packed a few luxuries—like coffee, lightweight but warm sleeping bags, protein drinks, clean clothing, antibacterial washing gel, and a safety tent complete with field electronics.

Actually, she was glad Kusac had left her alone as it gave her time to try to sort out her own feelings as she dug a fire pit near the entrance and began stacking armfuls of dried vegetation and shrubs that had been blown or washed into the rear of the cave by abnormally high inundations.

She went outside briefly to gather several large flat stones from the edge of the river, loading them in an empty crate fitted with a lifting cradle so she needed only one trip to get them back to the cave to line the fire pit. Putting a fuel block in the center, she began adding the kindling and lit it with her lighter.

That done, she set a jug of coffee to brew then arranged the sleeping bags on opposite sides of the fire. When the coffee was ready, she poured herself a generous mug. The necessities seen to, she could no longer avoid thinking about him—and them.

Kusac was her first love. He’d held his hand out across a campfire, not very different from this one, and offered her a life among the stars. The life of the Warrior, she had to admit, but it was the one she had wanted. True, it had been one of danger and hardship, but it was a life as an equal. They had shared so much history together in such a short time—was it only three years? He had brought her to an alien world and a new family; they’d had children together and made more friends than she could count. And then there was Kaid, their Third. She loved Kaid too, but despite the heartbreak and anger Kusac had caused her, he was her soul mate, and they shared something that was still unique.