Shockball (30 page)

“I’d hoped to be spared the pleasure.” I pushed my hair back and refastened the clip holding it off my face.

Two years hadn’t changed Dhreen, who still looked like an oversized kid. Oenrallians didn’t appear to age until mid-life, which for them was around one hundred and fifty revolutions. He still sported his mane of blazing orange hair, out of which sprouted two red nubs that weren’t horns, but his version of ears. He wasn’t wearing the usual pilot’s flight suit, but his gaudy purple tunic and trousers suited him just as well.

“It’s been an extended interval, hasn’t it?” He was giving me the once-over. “You haven’t changed at all.”

“Spare me the ‘gosh, it’s good to see you’ speech.” I stripped the exam table and remade it. “What are you doing here? Didn’t Joseph have another spy mission lined up for you?”

“We need to talk about that.”

I dumped the dirty linens in the sterilizer unit. “I heard all I wanted to hear the last time I saw you.”

That had been on the
Perpetua
, after I had turned the League fleet over to the Hsktskt. When Joseph had revealed he’d hired Dhreen to take me to K-2, become my friend, and report back to him on my activities.

“You only heard Grey Veil’s side of it—not mine.”

I cleaned out the lines on the infuser rig, using compressed air. The flatulent noise expressed my opinion better than I ever could.

“There were just intentions for what I did.”

I ran out of things to clean, and walked to the entrance of the alcove. Or tried to. He caught my sleeve.

“Stop disregarding me, Cherijo.”

“Ignoring.” I couldn’t help correcting the way he slaughtered the Terran language. “I’m
ignoring
you, you stupid jerk.”

“I didn’t do it for compensation.”

“How noble of you. Excuse me, the waste level is getting intolerable in here.”

That didn’t shake him off. “I was hopeless. I’d already gone to the League and everyone else I could think of. They all declined to aid me.”

“Uh-huh.” I studied my nails, which were as usual in deplorable condition. Maybe I should just surgically remove them and save myself the grief. “Are you done now?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you. We were friends.”

“Yes, we were.” That got to me, when nothing else would have. “So you can imagine my shock when I found out you worked for Joseph. It’s not the first time you’ve sold someone out. We both know that.”

Dhreen winced at my reference, but then, he should have. He’d transported me from Terra to K-2, and served with me on board the
Sunlace
, acting like nothing more than a good friend. In reality he’d been hired by Joseph to do just that—be my friend, follow me around, and report back on what I did. I’d only found out when the League cornered us in Varallan, and Joseph had openly gloated over it.

I smiled at his discomfort. “You know, you really shouldn’t keep doing this. Betraying people, I mean. I’m nice. The next victim may decide to separate you from your genitals.”

“I didn’t have a choice. He promised to help my people.”

“Fascinating as I’m sure that particular story is going to be, I’ll pass on hearing it. Now, I want you out of here. Now.”

“Doc—” He let go of me. “Fine. Maybe, like you say, I deserve it. But I didn’t pretend to be your friend to get close to you. I’ve never had a friend, before you.”

“Treat the next one better,” was my suggestion as I watched him go. “If anyone is ever stupid enough to trust you again.”

I didn’t allow myself to think about Joseph, Dhreen, or how I was going to get out of Rico’s underground prison. Over the following weeks, my focus was making sure nothing went wrong with Reever’s kidney, scanning my patients for syphilis (so far I’d found no new cases among the Night Horse), and finding a way to elude my guards so I could track down the outcasts. I could escape later.

One of the players I treated told me Joseph had several Elders from the Night Horse village detained and brought to New Angeles for questioning. To add insult to injury, the League had set up a command post just outside the village.

Reever disappeared for long stretches of time, generally at night. Ilona started hanging out at Medical, hoping to catch him on one of his infrequent visits.

She harassed me. I ignored both of them for the most part.

Then there were days I didn’t.

“There is no reason for you to be hostile toward Ilona,” Reever said, after preventing another tussle and sending his new groupie out of Medical.

“I see.” I thought about punching him, but started his weekly exam instead. “Take off your tunic.” I looked over his compact musculature, and an awful image of him naked with Ilona on an exam table coalesced in my head. “Why are you defending her?”

“Ilona is young and only wants attention.”

She wasn’t the only one. “You’d better watch your step, Reever. Her boyfriend likes to play with knives.” I finished my scan of his torso and handed him back his tunic. “And please remember, I’m fresh out of ways to repair kidneys.” I looked at the entrance, and saw the guards were talking. Without much effort I projected a link.
Have you found out anything on the outcasts
?

He shook his head.

If Rico had found them, I know one of us would have heard about it. They may have already left the tunnels and gone up to the surface
. Hopefully, Joseph and the League wouldn’t find them.

They still need a hiding place
, he reminded me.
Many of them will never pass as full-blooded Terrans. They’re still down here. I’ve seen signs out in the sewers
.

Why are you still going out there? You don’t know if Rico’s set up new traps. And what if you get caught?

He pulled something from his trouser pocket—a remote device, identical to the one the chief had used to disarm the traps. I darted a glance toward the entrance and made him put it back.

How did you get that?

He picked up the Lok-Teel, and concentrated on it for a minute. It formed a mask in his hand. A mask of Rico’s face.

Very clever
. I folded my arms.
Doing that on Catopsa nearly got you executed. What if he misses it
?

The outcasts are our only allies here; we will need their assistance if we are to escape. I will return the device tonight
. He plumped up the berth linens and arranged them to appear as though someone was sleeping under them.
I
need you to make the tribe think I am ill and staying here for the day
.

What if someone decides to peek under the linens?

You will keep them from doing so.

I rolled my eyes.
I
always get the easy part. All right, I can probably drop a few comments about you getting a nasty head cold, and how I’ve isolated you in here so it won’t spread around the tribe. I’ll go out to the central cavern now, to get the guards away from the entrance. How long do I keep this up
?

I need at least three hours.

I hadn’t left the alcove since the day before yesterday, which gave me an excellent excuse to stomp out of there, grumbling about claustrophobia, Reever’s fictitious head cold, and having no help. Right on cue, my two shadows followed me out to the central cavern. I surreptitiously checked my wristcom. Three hours. He’d better not lose track of time wandering around out there.

Once I reached the center cooking fire, I made myself a cup of tea from the perennial clay pot warming in the ashes, and sat down beside the speaking rock. One of the older women was sitting with a couple of the teenagers, telling them some kind of story about a coyote.

“—and when the Dove maidens saw Coyote’s fine wolf-skin quiver and the circles he had painted on his face, they honored him as someone of consequence and hearkened to his many lies. Coyote told them the Dove people needed no longer hunt, for with a thought he, Coyote, could make any animal lay down and die. When their hunters returned at dusk, the Dove maidens hurried into the village and told them of this wondrous visitor and what he had promised—”

“You enjoy hearing tales about the Trickster?” Hawk asked behind me, making me jerk in surprise.

“About as much as I like you sneaking up on me like that.” I said it without heat, though, because I was glad to see him. Until I saw his skin tone, which was almost pasty. “Are you feeling okay?”

“I am well.” Awkwardly, he lowered himself down beside me. “I have been occupied with performing the Blessing Way.”

“What’s that?”

“A chant way, used to ensure good luck, good health, and blessings for good hope.”

“Right.” I’d never understand religion. “You’re not doing this for sick people I should be seeing in Medical, I hope.”

“No.” He stretched out his legs, and for the first time I saw the faintly distorted shape of his musculature. “It is customary for us to perform the Blessing Way twice per revolution. The rite ensures good hope at any stage of life for all who wish to be sung over.” He massaged one of his calves absently.

“Are your legs bothering you?”

He looked into the fire. “Sometimes.”

“If you’d let me have a look at your back, I bet we can fix that, and a whole lot of other problems.”

He laughed once. “Thank you, patcher, but no. I am used to this body. Changing it will not make me happy.”

“You’d be surprised.” I decided not to push, finished my tea, and rose to my feet. “I have to make my rounds. Want to join me?”

Since most of the tribe was still avoiding me, I’d gotten into the habit of visiting the various hogans to check on my current cases, and two pregnant women who were both in their third trimesters. Hawk agreed, and hobbled after me as I got started.

Many Belts, my first mom-to-be, was doing fine.

She’d put on a few pounds, but according to my scanner it was mostly baby. The fetus had dropped, and a quick pelvic scan showed her cervix already three centimeters dilated.

“Another week, I think.” I checked her vitals and recorded them on my data pad, while the anxious father hovered at my elbow. “Want to see your son?”

He nodded, then grinned when I showed him the interuterine scan on the display. “He has two arms, and two legs, Many Belts,” he said to his wife.

Already an experienced mother of twin girls, Many Belts rolled her eyes at me. “Better than to see four of each, I think.”

Kegide was hovering outside the hogan of the younger pregnant woman, and made some urgent gestures I couldn’t quite interpret.

“What does he want?” I asked Hawk.

“I do not know, but I will go with him.” The hunchback took Kegide’s outstretched hand and let the big man lead him away.

My second mom wasn’t doing so well. She had a vaginal infection, and was showing signs of first-stage toxemia. I infused her with mild antibiotics and told her mother, who had come down from the surface to care for her, to keep a close eye on her fever.

The older woman wanted to know if evil spirits had possessed her daughter, which led to a long discussion to simplify the prenatal complications and dispel both women’s fears. By the time I was done, I had passed the three-hour mark. I couldn’t stall the guards much longer. I stepped out of the hogan and bumped directly into Milass.

“Excuse me.” I tried to go around him, but he just sidestepped to compensate. “What?”

“Where is your gutless whiteskin mate?”

“Sick with a head cold in Medical. Why?”

“He was seen leaving your hogan last night.” He turned around and headed for the tunnels.

I hurried after him. “Someone must be mixed up. Reever didn’t go anywhere.” I caught up to him. “He’s very ill and contagious.”

Milass ignored me and kept going.

If Reever wasn’t back, this could get ugly. I increased my pace until I passed Milass, and hurried to Medical ahead of him. When I got there, I saw the lump of linens on the berth, and my heart sank.

Milass strode in and headed for the berth. I put myself between him and it. “He’s sleeping. Come back another time.”

That got me pushed to one side. “Why are you so alarmed, patcher? Are you hiding something here? Or is something missing?” With a big, nasty grin, he ripped the top linen from the berth.

Reever pushed himself up and blinked. “What is it?” he said, in an appropriately hoarse voice.

Milass muttered something and stalked out.

I sagged against the side of the berth. “God, that was close.” Then I saw the two round bumps sticking up in Reever’s light hair, and groaned.

Dhreen pulled the edge of the Lok-Teel mask down from his right eye, and winked at me, then stretched back out and promptly went to sleep.

I took my guards on another stroll, and came back after another hour of meaningless wandering. Dhreen was gone. Reever and Hawk were standing in the tunnel outside Medical, talking in low voices.

“Problem?” I asked, giving my husband a hard look.

“News has come. Black Otter was hurt in the game today.” Hawk nodded toward the tunnel. “Before we could bring him here, the referees had him taken to a whiteskin hospital.”

Damn, I hadn’t been able to solve his skin problem. “They’ll know he’s a hybrid as soon as they take his uniform off.”

“Yes. It is possible we may recover him before he is deported, but he cannot play on the team again.” He turned to Reever. “We will begin training tomorrow.”

“Training for what?”

“
Nilchi’i”
has been chosen to replace Black Otter as centerfield runback.“

“
What
?” I didn’t wait for an answer. “No. I positively forbid it.” Hawk didn’t say a word. “He’s just had major surgery, damn it!”

“It is what the chief orders. Identity chips are being arranged. As soon as we have them, he will join the team.”

Hawk left. Reever didn’t say anything. Not that I would have noticed—I was too busy throwing a temper tantrum.

“He’s nuts! That’s what he is. How can he expect you to go out there and play that demented game for him? You’ll be electrocuted the minute you step on the field!”