thefiremargins (52 page)

* * *

The infocube from the mountain clans living in the shadow of Stronghold was a bonus none of them had anticipated. That evening, Kusac copied the data, passing the original on to his father, and taking the other to Ghyan at the Shrine the next day.
Carrie was already there, poring over ancient books and more modern comm generated sheets while Ghyan worked at the other side of his desk on his personal comm unit.
The room was typical of Ghyan, Kusac thought as he stepped carefully round the piles of books that perched precariously on the floor. Books lined every available piece of wall space, saving only the niche where his friend kept a small statue of the God, the votive candle burning with a cold flame through the walls of its blue glass container.
The pale sunlight of early winter flooded the room, brightening the dark wooden shelves and their treasury of books, making them glow with a warmth that prevented the office from becoming dark and gloomy.
"Hi there," Carrie said. "We've been waiting for you."
Ghyan looked up from his work. "At last! What took you so long?" He stretched across the desk, holding out his hand.
"That's a fine greeting," said Kusac, handing over the cube.
"First things first," said Ghyan, fitting it into its slot in the comm. He waved his left hand in the direction of the hot plate. "Fresh c'shar, and coffee, over there. Help yourself."
"I will, don't worry," said Kusac, picking up Ghyan's and Carrie's empty mugs on his way.
The mugs filled, he placed Ghyan's on his desk, getting only a grunt in the way of thanks. Giving Carrie hers, he pulled up another chair and sat beside her. "How's it going?" he asked in a low voice.
"Fine. I'm actually working on historical records from Ghyan's books and files. I decided to work backwards from the present as it gives me a benchmark on their accuracy." She put down her stylus and sat back in her chair, stretching her arms. "Now you've arrived, I'll leave this and start working with Ghyan on Noni's data." She gestured at the second comm unit beside her. "That's linked in to Ghyan's so we can access the same data sources."
Ghyan continued to study his comm in silence for several minutes more before he looked across at them.
"I expect you realize the significance of what we have here," he said. "No one ever suspected that these stories and visions existed! If the data's accurate, and I've no reason to doubt it, at one stroke she's given us more information about the Catacylysm than is probably known by all the Guilds combined! You've obviously had the time to look at this last night. What did you make of it?"
"The replays," said Carrie. "Those at Stronghold differ from those here. I'd say they're location specific. The one I had at Noni's was obviously set in Stronghold itself as people record having seen it there for nearly a thousand years virtually unchanged, and it isn't one of those experienced at Valsgarth or Esken's Guildhouse."
"I agree," said Kusac. "There are common dreams of Vartra as a God from both locations, but the replays are different from the dreams. The ones that seem most significant are those concerned with Vartra being seen in the lower corridors of Stronghold. Noni says that in those days, and for many years after, Stronghold was mainly a subterranean base for telepaths and the warriors who protected them. A safe haven from a society that held them to blame for causing the Cataclysm."
"Did she know why they blamed the telepaths?"
Kusac shook his head. "No. I think there are clues in the stories, but that'll take longer to unravel."
"A thought, Kusac," said Carrie. "What about contacting Kaerdhu, the storyteller, and asking him to interpret them for us? It's his calling, after all, and we've all got more than enough work to deal with."
"Good suggestion. It would present him with a challenge he wouldn't want to refuse. He'd have to approach Noni herself to ask permission if he wanted to incorporate them in his repertoire, though."
"Can you approach him regarding that?"
Kusac nodded. "If I can't, Mother can."
"Anything else catch your notice?" asked Ghyan.
"There are several scenes where Vartra is visiting telepaths suffering from a fever that appears to change them significantly."
"Excuse me?" said Ghyan, visibly taken aback. "Do you realize what you've just said?"
"Oh, yes," said Kusac quietly. "Vartra also visited telepaths with deformed or brain-damaged newborn cubs. This seems to happen before he and his people relocate themselves at Stronghold."
"So they did live at Valsgarth first. But the cubs? How did they come to be born deformed?"
"I assume the virus mutated them. What type of mutation isn't mentioned in the replays or the folk tales."
"There's definitely a sense of responsibility in Vartra's questions to our new Leskas," said Ghyan thoughtfully. "Mention of lives lost, sacrifices ..." He stopped. "Why am I telling you? You know because you've experienced them. Could Vartra somehow have been responsible for this happening? If so, how?"
"Genetic manipulation," said Kusac quietly, "could cause that."
"The replay I had at Noni's is one regularly repeated by the highlanders and the Brothers," said Carrie. "While visiting Stronghold, Vartra told the folk there he wasn't looking for a solution, and one of the Strongholders answered that
no good comes of playing God, we were stronger before.
Before
what
isn't mentioned."
"A virus that swept through the telepathic community, rendering them weaker and unable to fight. A virus that contributed to genetic changes and damaged their cubs," said Kusac.
"And now, in our time, you meet Carrie, a telepath from another species, and when you return here, a naturally occurring Sholan virus caught by both of you mutates. It becomes an epidemic that leaves all telepaths, and those with any degree of talent, wild or otherwise, with enhanced abilities," said Ghyan slowly. "Could it be the same virus, lying dormant till it met new conditions that favored its growth? Those new conditions being our meeting the Humans. The thought is terrifying."
"If it is, it's already happened. Now we wait and see how it affects our cubs," said Kusac.
"But why Humans? Have we been acquainted with each other's species before?"
"I've no idea. It's one of the answers we may have to find in the Fire Margins."
"I heard Vanna's child has health problems."
"Only a minor one. A defect in the fourth heart chamber. He's due to have surgery within the week. Vanna's beside herself with worry for him."
"Our cub will be fine," said Carrie, filling the silence that followed. "I know it."
"I'm sure she will," said Ghyan quietly. "You have Noni to look after you, after all. Tell me, Kusac, how the hell did you get that stubborn old female to part with all this information?"
"I didn't," said Kusac simply. "She just put the cube in my hand and said,
There you are.
She actually organized the recording of the data specifically for us. It wasn't something she had anyway."
"I can't believe it," Ghyan said, absently picking up the spoon and stirring his c'shar. "It's so out of character for her. She hates the Telepath Guild, won't have anything to do with us, either as telepaths or priests."
"But she deals with individuals from the Brotherhood," said Carrie. "I think you'll find this has as much to do with Kaid's disappearance as anything else. Look at what we're doing: carving our own future separate from the guilds. That's what she and the mountain folk have always done."
"Well, whatever her reasons, thank Vartra she did give us this cube! You and I are going to be busy, Carrie. Kusac," he said, looking over at his friend as he lifted his mug, "I suppose you're too involved with the dig to help?"
" 'Fraid so. We want to get as much information as possible before I have to hand it over to my father so the Earth archaeologists can be brought in."
Ghyan raised an eye ridge questioningly. "It's that important?"
"I think it could be one of the most important sites on Shola. Believe me, I'm not contemplating calling in the Terrans lightly, especially at this time," he said, reaching out to touch Carrie reassuringly. "But Carrie agrees with me. She says she can cope, and our circumstances are very different this time."
"Where will they stay?"
"We'll make a cottage available here in the village. They'll have to use our amenities, after all."
"What about security?"
"Ni'Zuhlu doesn't see a problem." Kusac grinned, show-ing his teeth. "Their cottage will be right beside the Brothers' accommodation, after all."
Ghyan laughed. "Neat. Very neat." He glanced at his wrist unit. "You'll have to excuse us, I'm afraid. I want to make a good start on this data and I've a service to take at fourteenth hour."
"I've got to get going, too," Kusac said, getting to his feet. "I'll see you at third meal," he said to Carrie, his hand touching her cheek before he left.

* * *

Several days had passed since Kusac's visit to Ghyan at the Shrine. The excavations had now reached the stage where he'd decided he had to call in his father. Though he didn't want Carrie involved in the actual digging because of her pregnancy and the danger of cave-ins, Kusac had no objection to her accompanying him and his father on their inspection of the ruins within the hillside. When Konis arrived, he had Kitra with him.
"I said I'd help make sure Carrie didn't do any digging," she said to Kusac, grinning up at her bond-sister as she greeted her with a hug.
"You're only coming because you think Dzaka's at the dig," laughed Carrie, tweaking her ear.
"Not true," said Kitra, flicking her ear free and dancing away from her.
The mound of earth and rubble that had been removed from the main chamber was the first thing Carrie saw when they arrived at the dig. It seemed almost as high as the hill itself. In that cavern, the picture that was beginning to emerge was one of a final pitched battle. The remains of ancient wheeled vehicles lay crushed and tangled where they'd been found, their sides riddled with holes and burn scars from projectile and energy weapons. Cavern floor and vehicles alike bore a scattering of Sholan and Valtegan remains. It had been a battle with few, if any, survivors.
Judging by the amount of rockfall from the ceiling of the cavern, Jack was pretty sure that a massive explosion had brought the roof down on defenders and attackers alike. Perhaps it had been a last desperate move to prevent them getting further into the complex.
As her father followed Carrie and Kusac up to the next level, Kitra saw Dzaka. He was working at a different place that day, near the Human physician, Jack. He looked up briefly as she headed over to him.
"Have you found anything interesting?" she asked, squatting down to one side of him.
"I'm helping Jack unearth this Valtegan soldier," he said. "Bits of his kit and uniform are still here so he wants me to try and get them out without damaging them."
"How different are they from the ones that were on Keiss? Do they have more primitive weapons, or are they like the ones we use now?"
"Difficult to tell," said Dzaka. "The weapons we've found have been badly eroded by the dampness in the cavern."
"Dzaka! Can you come over here a moment, please?" Jack called out.
"Excuse me," said Dzaka, getting to his feet and turning abruptly away from her.
Kitra stood up and reached out to grasp him by the arm. "Dzaka, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said, keeping his head turned away from her as he gently tried to ease himself free. "Jack wants me, Kitra."
She refused to be moved. "I know there's something wrong," she said. "What is it?"
Dzaka could feel her concern. Unless he was prepared to hurt her, he had to say something. Schooling his mind to stillness, he lifted his head, looking directly at her for the first time that day. "Nothing's wrong, Kitra."
She gave a little gasp and reached out to touch the cut on his cheek. "What happened to you?"
He intercepted her hand. "Don't touch it, please. It hurts," he said. "I fell over something in the dark on my way home last night, that's all."
"It looks painful," she said sympathetically.
"A bit," he said, letting her hand go. "Now I must see what Jack wants."
"I'm coming too," she said.
He hesitated. If he didn't let her come, then the cowards who'd attacked him on his way home the night before had won. "If you want," he said.
"Hello, young lady," said Jack, beaming at Kitra as she and Dzaka approached the table he was using. Spread out on it were what looked like assorted lumps of earth. With the help of a small directional lamp and a rigidly supported magnifying lens, he was examining one of those pieces.
"I think this might be some kind of weapon. Come and see what you think," he said, pushing his chair back so Dzaka could get in.
Dzaka squeezed past him and peered through the lens at the object. Jack had managed to clean most of the soil from it, and some areas of small detail were visible. It was roughly rectangular, with various ridged markings on the face. There were the remains of what could be terminals at one end.
"More likely some kind of power pack," Dzaka said. "It's not like any I've come across, but that's my best guess. Where did you find it?"
"Actually, I found it," said a voice with a distinctive Human pronunciation to the words.
Dzaka looked up to see Mara standing in front of the table. "It was in one of the vehicles." She turned and pointed to a mass of crumpled wreckage not far from the entrance to the upper level.
"Can I have a look, please, Jack?" asked Kitra.
Dzaka moved aside to let her see.
"Of course, Kitra. Mara, keep with that vehicle and see if you can find any more of these," said Jack. "Better still, see if you can find what it fits into."
"Sure. Want to come and help me, Dzaka?" she said, looking over at him. "I can see where there's more of those, but some pieces of wreckage are in the way. I need them moved."
"I'm rather busy myself, Mara," said Dzaka, coming out from behind Jack's desk. "Why not get one of the others to help you?"
"They're all busy. I'm sure Kitra wouldn't mind finishing off what you're doing, would you, Kitra?" she said, smiling briefly at her. "I can't go any further until someone strong like you lifts those pieces out of my way."
Dzaka caught Jack peering over the top of his glasses at Mara, eyebrows lifted in surprise, before he glanced back at him.
He could feel Kitra's resentment of the Human female until she remembered to block it. Caught between the two of them, he compromised. "I'll lift the wreckage for you, Mara, but then I must go back to my own find. It's a little too delicate to leave to anyone else."
Mara linked her arm through his, drawing him away from the table. "Well, this type of work isn't for children," she said, her voice drifting behind her as they walked. "When she's older, I'm sure Kitra will be able to do delicate work too. You shouldn't really encourage her, Dzaka. It's not good for her to think she's more adult than she is."
Kitra realized Jack was looking at her and, swallowing her disappointment, she looked up. "Have you something I can be doing while Dzaka's helping Mara?"
Jack pushed his glasses back up his nose. "Actually, I have," he said, reaching down into a box that lay under the table. He pulled out a brush and trowel. "It's about time you had your own tools, Kitra, especially since you're helping out so often." He handed them to her. "How about you start working at the other end of Dzaka's skeleton? It'll be finished in half the time then, won't it?"
"All right," she said, accepting them without much enthusiasm. Not even Jack acknowledging her unofficial help by giving her her own tools could dispel the little cloud of gloom that had suddenly descended on her. As she turned away, Jack called out to her again.
"You make a start and before you know it, he'll be back," he said, keeping his voice low.
She nodded and went back to where Dzaka had been working.