thefiremargins (7 page)

"You have no idea of the powers that have been ranged against you on the
Khalossa
and on Shola," said Garras. "The Telepath Guild were terrified of the consequences of your Link on their carefully constructed power base here. You were a threat to them of potentially massive proportions. Because of your identity, you couldn't be killed without a major investigation, and likewise you couldn't just disappear. Neither, of course, could Carrie. Mito came to me within the first few days after we got back to the
Khalossa
telling me she'd been approached by someone asking far too many questions about Guynor's accusations against you and Carrie. I knew then we were in for trouble and that you had to be protected from any more people like Guynor, and from any authorized evaluation which could neglect to take into full account what happened on Keiss. So I sent for Kaid. The kind of protection Kaid gave you can't be bought, even from him."
"But you just said that you knew there was a chance Kaid would kill them," said Vanna, a stunned look on her face.
"We'd just spent a great number of days in the foulest, most cramped conditions ever experienced by Sholans. If that didn't break Kusac or Carrie, then I reckoned noth-ing would," said Garras, avoiding eye contact with her. "There was a much greater risk of them being killed by those dissidents."
Kusac finally found his voice. "This assessment, is it over now?"
Kaid looked at Dzaka. "My mission for the Brotherhood was over by the time I was injured in the scouter crash," he said quietly. "I gave Ghezu my assessment then."
Dzaka sat motionless, staring straight ahead. Kusac could feel the tension behind his facade of calm. He was being torn in too many different directions. What Kaid was telling them were matters for the Brothers only.
"My assessments has also been given," he said finally, his tone clipped as if the words were being forced from him. "My current orders are to continue observing you, continue assessing Physician Kyjishi and her Human Leska, and report on Kaid's movements."
Reaction swept through the little group. Meral and T'Chebbi hissed their anger, Garras nodded his head, and Kaid ... relaxed. A small moan of fear came from Vanna.
"Aren't we rather tempting fate if we join the Brotherhood?" Kusac asked. "Doesn't it make it that bit easier to kill us? Apart from breaking Esken's power on the Council, I see no reason for us to join."
It was Dzaka who answered. "No, Liegen. They need you all alive if they want to use you to achieve full guild status. They don't dare kill you now. They need as many mixed Leska pairs as possible to prove it isn't just a phenomenon."
"And Kaid? Why are they watching him?"
"That's personal between Ghezu and myself, Liege," Kaid said smoothly before Dzaka could answer. "It doesn't affect anyone else."
From the corner of his eye, Kusac caught Dzaka's slight start of surprise as his shield dropped briefly. So Kaid was covering something for him. But what?
"Physician Kyjishi ... Vanna," said Kaid, looking directly over to her. "Believe me, you have nothing to fear from either the Brotherhood or anyone in this room. You are far too valuable to everyone alive, and I intend to see you stay that way."
Vanna looked over at Garras. Kusac noticed that the skin visible on her face was gray with shock.
"You're nothing but killers, cold-blooded, highly trained killers who use their psychic talents to track down their prey," she whispered.
"That's enough, Vanna," snapped Kusac. Abruptly he got to his feet and went over to one of the cupboards opposite. Opening it, he grasped a bottle by the neck, and caught hold of several glasses. "Kaid, I need another couple of glasses please. Vanna," he said, returning to the table and setting down the glasses, "It's my turn to tell you to grow up. You knew damned well what Garras was when you found Kaid injured in the
Khalossa
's sick bay. The fact that you're back here at the estate rather than still drugged at Stronghold is due to him and Kaid and the others in this room."
Kaid got up and collected the extra glasses, bringing them back to the low table.
"I had no idea that ..." Vanna began angrily.
"Be honest with yourself, Vanna," Kusac said, interrupting her. "You made me face some harsh realities. Now it's your turn."
Vanna subsided.
He had been unsuccessfully trying to get the cap off the bottle. With an exclamation of annoyance, he handed it to Kaid. "You open it. I think we all need a drink," he said, wiping his hands on his tunic.
"Terran brandy?" said Kaid, looking at the bottle briefly first.
"Keissian," Kusac corrected, accepting the opened bottle. "A present from Jack Reynolds." He poured a healthy measure into each glass, giving them to Kaid to hand round.
Finished, he glanced up to see Vanna sitting looking abstractedly at hers. He went over to her, lifting it up to her mouth. "Drink it," he ordered.
She looked at him, her green eyes brimming with unshed tears.
We've been used and lied to by them both,
she sent.
He refused to answer her. "Drink it," he said again, tilting the glass. "Take it all in one swallow."
She didn't have a choice as the liquid was spilled into her mouth. She began to cough, the tears now streaming down her face.
Kusac moved away from her and downed his own drink. It hit the back of his throat like a blast of heat, making him gasp. Then the liquid reached his stomach and its warmth began to spread through him. He sat down abruptly, feeling more than a little light-headed.
Pieces of the jigsaw were beginning to fall into place now, crystallizing his thoughts. This meeting had achieved all he hoped it would. Inexorably, like some sea barque of old, they were being driven toward some preordained distant shore. Leaning forward, he began to laugh as he refilled his glass.
"Kaid, tell Ghezu we won't join the Brotherhood, but we will appear to do so. He can prepare his application for guild status, but our public support will cost him."
Kaid's ears cocked forward in curiosity. "What will it cost him?"
"A permanent alliance with the Brotherhood. I want a specific number of Brothers, including those in this room, permanently released from Brotherhood duties and permanently transferred to my staff. I'm sure between you and Garras you can put together a shopping list of the people we'll need. Think big, Kaid, we're planning for the start of a new Clan, an En'Shalla Clan of Brothers, of Human and Sholan Leskas— and their cubs," said Kusac.
Kaid's mouth dropped in a slow grin, then he leaned forward and refilled his glass. Now Kusac's mind was working in the right direction! Vartra had chosen well: he had the makings of a good leader.
"To the En'Shalla Clan," said Kaid, raising his glass briefly before drinking.
Kusac turned to Vanna. "I need you to put together a medical team," he said. "Rather than recruit now from either of your guilds, liaise with Kaid and start training some of the Brothers as nurses and technicians."
"No need," said Kaid. "All Brothers are trained paramedics."
"Even better. Get him to suggest a staff for you. Check out that ni'uzu virus, see if it had anything to do with altering our genes. Father told me the two cubs had been exposed to it before their Link formed. Run standard DNA checks on all our Brotherhood personnel who were exposed to the virus. We need to know if this new strain of virus has had any effect on them. You'll also need to check out any new Leska pairs, Sholan or mixed."
Vanna had come out of her reverie and was even showing some interest in what Kusac was saying. "I'll need to continue working at the Telepath Guild for the time being," she said. "It's the only place that has the equipment I need. Once we make our move, I'll have to have access to another lab."
"It'll be seen to," Kaid assured her. "Meanwhile, keep Garras and one other guard with you at all times. I'll see about requesting the extra personnel we need. Rulla, I'll need your help. You're more up to date than I am about the current members of the Brotherhood." He turned back to Kusac. "We're going to need a priest, one who knows the En'Shalla rites. May I suggest your friend Ghyan?"
"Ghyan?" Kusac frowned in surprise. He had no idea Kaid knew Ghyan.
Kaid nodded. "He's well versed in the old rituals and loyal to you."
"In that case, I'll speak to him myself."
"I think we should bring this meeting to a close," said Kaid. "It's time those on duty got back to work, and I've a couple of jobs that need to be done." He stopped and turned to Vanna. "Your pardon, Physician, but I take it that you have decided to throw your coin in with ours."
"I won't join the Brotherhood," she said, "but I can live with an alliance. Brynne agrees with me, though he says he'll continue living with the Terrans at the Guild."
Kusac nodded. "At least now we know in which direction we're headed. You and I can work out the rest later, Kaid. If Brynne's determined to stay with the Terrans, there's not a lot we can do about it beyond making sure he's always accompanied by one of the Brothers."
"T'Chebbi, Lhea's currently watching Carrie. I want you to relieve her. Tell Lhea to be in the staff lounge in fifteen minutes for a briefing from Garras on our current status. Meral, get me a copy of the duty roster from N'Zulhu. Tell him I'll meet him at the seventeenth hour in the staff lounge and he can fill me in on his security arrangements. That's all," Kaid said, dismissing them.
As they filed out, Garras hesitated at the door, waiting for Vanna. Kusac saw this and sent mentally to her.
Vanna, go with him. Don't despise him because of what he is. Just remember how gentle he is with you, and how his skills have kept us both alive.
She made no answer and he saw Garras turn to leave on his own.
You knew what he was months ago, Vanna! Why punish him for his past? This isn't worthy of you. He knows you're lying to yourself, remember that! At least talk to him about it, you owe him that.
She got to her feet. "Garras, wait. We need to talk," she said.
Kaid waited till they'd gone. "So we play the Brotherhood at its own game, eh?" he grinned.
"It seems the best way," said Kusac. "It also enables us to get your people legitimately employed with us without them having to leave the Brotherhood. Naturally, we'll have this agreement down in writing so neither Ghezu nor Lijou can demand them back at a later date."
"That would be wise," agreed Kaid. "About the new clan, I presume you've checked out the legalities."
Kusac nodded. "If we prove we've walked the Fire Margins, we can set up a new clan. Then our Brotherhood members can leave and join us legitimately."
"Where do you plan to locate this clan?"
"This land is my mother's, the Aldatan land. South of here, adjoining it, is the Valsgarth estate, my settlement as heir. There's already a villa there that's being made ready for us at the moment, and the remains of the estate houses. As soon as Carrie is fit to move, I had planned to take her there to recuperate. It's time we had our own home, and our own lives," he said, getting to his feet. "We could locate the new clan there. Where is Carrie, by the way? I don't want to wake her by sending."
"In the main lounge, sleeping on the daybed," said Kaid.
"I want to call in on her before I find my father. I need to know why he wanted the kitlings brought here."
"Your father also requested a bodyguard this morning when he visited the Guild. I sent T'Chebbi with him. She said the attitude of the medical staff toward him bordered on the aggressive. She was glad she was there."
"That's bad," said Kusac.
"Esken wasn't much better," Kaid said, accompanying him to the inner balcony. "He was patronizing and insulting— just within the bounds of the acceptable, until he refused to accept the Governor's appointment without checking with him first. Your father insisted on calling Nesul, who proceeded to give Esken an earful! T'Chebbi also said your father probably had us collect the kitlings because Esken said he was moving them the next day."
"Gods, where are we headed if this continues?"
"I think Esken's rattled because he now realizes your family poses a threat to his control of the Council. With your father working with the new Leskas, it leaves him little or no room to conduct illicit experiments on them to find out their potential. He's going to have to move them if he wants to stay in control."
"I wonder if Esken realizes that in crossing swords with my father he's taking on a major government department, not just one male."
"If he doesn't, he'll soon find out," said Kaid as they made their way down the main staircase.

* * *

Vanna joined Garras in the corridor. "We'll talk in our rooms," she said, turning to go upstairs.
Garras followed her. He could tell she was still deeply upset about his past. He sighed. He'd been too long in the world outside Stronghold. He'd never bothered about anyone's reaction to his profession in those days— especially a female's, but then the females who were interested in the Brothers weren't like Vanna. And he'd rather have her than any number of those from his past.
Once in the privacy of their lounge, Vanna turned to him.
"Before you begin, Vanna," he said, forestalling her, "please sit down and listen to what I have to say."
She opened her mouth in protest, then closed it and sat down on the settee, looking up at him.
"You didn't know me during my days in the Brotherhood," he said, sitting opposite her. "I joined, as we all do, because Vartra called me. I trained hard and became one of the best at what I did. Kaid and I teamed up early on. As Brothers all we have is the God, our oath, and each other. Lasting friendships outside Stronghold are frowned on, and are virtually impossible anyway."
He stopped for a moment, trying to gauge the effect of his words on her, but he couldn't. "What we did had to be done, Vanna. If we hadn't done it, someone else would. It's not an excuse, it's a fact. We were thorough, making sure our targets were beyond our help before we took the decision to terminate them. Others weren't so particular. When we killed, our kills were quick and painless. I've only known one that wasn't, and that was when Kaid killed Chyad. Nothing will make me ashamed either of what I was or what I did in those days, Vanna. It's part of who and what I am." He fell silent, hoping she could understand.
She looked away from him and down at her clasped hands. The silence lengthened until he got to his feet. He felt numb inside and was grateful for it just now. Later the loss of her would hit him.
"Where are you going?" she asked sharply.
"I'm leaving," he said. "If what I was is more important than me, then obviously there's no point in my staying."
"I didn't say that."
"You don't need to, Vanna. I know when I'm not wanted." He turned toward the door but before he reached it, she got to her feet and grabbed hold of him.
"Don't go!" she said. "Don't leave me alone, Garras. I need you!" The previously unshed tears were now rolling silently down her face. Her hands reached out to clutch him, relaxing only when he wrapped his arms round her.
"Don't frighten me like that again, Vanna," he said, his voice muffled against her face as he held her close, letting her scent and the warmth of her body against his push back the fear of losing her. "I can't undo my past, it's made me what I am today. I've waited too long to find you."
"I know," she said. "So have I, Garras. You're what matters to me, nothing else. It was just such a shock ..."
"Enough," he said, nuzzling her ear. "We're still together."