by S. J. Higbee
And for the first time since I learnt of my mother’s murder, I grieved, because her death meant she’d never have a chance to say she was proud of me. And that those poisonous words, hurtful slaps and stinging glares would be all I had of her. As I sobbed, Seth held me and continued to pray to his God.
While in his den, Vrox howled.
*
When I awoke at noon later in the day, Seth insisted I stay in bed. Given that I’d now stiffened up and my bruises were starting to bloom all shades of blue and purple, I didn’t argue too hard to be allowed to get up – an argument I’d have lost with Ellern, anyway.
Condolences began arriving as a crowd gathered outside the gates of Brarian Place, the chilly, grandiose building where Seth and I rattled around like a couple of stray pebbles. Many who’d gathered were followers of Mother Mai’s movement to bring living plants into the Nodery, a wet-witted idea encouraged by Uncle Trislen, who was desperate to deskill the Brarian Family once he’d realised the Command Codes were missing and he didn’t have full control of the Prime Node.
Mother chose to believe the organi-packs responded to plants because of her knack for growing things. She’d only mastered the most basic Brarian skills and even then, was apt to forget how to info-mine mainline facs when flustered. It didn’t help that her reading and writing skills were also shaky. Sadly, this didn’t stop her composing a bunch of terrible songs and worse verse about her plants.
So when I heard the refrain of one of her most popular songs being sung at the gates while tucking into the delicious supper – or was it lunch? – I was as happy as a vore-mazed jasper. Typical of my dire luck that even thousands of miles away from Mother Mai’s plant movement, I was assaulted by the ear-curdling noise, doubtless sung as a tribute to her and a mark of respect to me in my grief. After the meal, Ellern examined me, duly dosed me with some foul-tasting medications, after which I dozed off again to escape the noise.
*
The two-tone chime of my dataslate crashed into the middle of a complicated dream where Vrox was swishing around in a vari-coloured robe as the new Overlord with Seth running behind him, begging not to be DeNamed again.
I pulled on my goggles, groaning as all my aches and grazes also woke up and crawled out of bed, staggering to the table where I’d left my slate, cursing my forgetfulness in not having it to hand. It was from Cnicus. Looking at the time, my stomach slithered to somewhere around my knees. It was far too late for a social call, meaning this was probably more bad news. For a mad nanosec, I considered slinking back to bed and pretending I hadn’t heard the chime.
That’s the shoddy kind of stunt Uncle Trislen would’ve pulled. I’m getting more like these nemmet-hearted Bridgdeckers with every passing day…
“Felina?” My voice sounded like I’d gargled with rusty nails.
But it wasn’t Felina’s image who bounced onto the holopad, it was Onice, my best friend back when I lived in Cnicus and now Felina’s apprentice.
“Where’s Felina?” I asked, too full of dread to bother with any kind of greeting. Has the killer struck again? Is Felina dead?
“Kyrillia!” Onice lurched backwards, clearly unprepared for my image to suddenly appear in Felina’s office. She looked around, before putting her fingers to her lips. “You gotta keep it down! Cupert will have my gizzards for brekkie if he knows I’m talking to you on this hola-thingy.”
“Where’s Felina, Onice?” I whispered.
“Cupert’s only gone and charged her with Mai’s murder!”
My stomach knotted with dread. I knew from bitter experience just how keen Cupert Peaceman was to round up the first likely bod near a crime. “That’s roachshit!”
“I know. Thing is, The Council in Reseda sent a Bullit to Cupert telling him that they’re sending in this Uppie Detective and his team to find out who squeezed the life outta Mai.”
Felina won’t like that. “When’s this Detective pitching up, then?”
“S’posed to be before the end of the week. Which is why Cupert’s all but rupturing his sorry self to get Felina arrested and Collared for Mai’s murder. So when this Mr Detective rolls into the village, Cupert can deliver up Felina, all tried, convicted and ready for a slave-farm in Reseda.”
Nooo… “What proof does he have that Felina went and strangled Mai?”
“Lots of folks heard Felina yelling at Mai, on account of the fridge in Cool Room Two breaking down cos she forgot to book the regular service.”
I winced in sympathy. “Bet Felina was madder than a boil-brained dog!”
“Yeah. It’s Reseda Market next week.”
Which meant the fridges would be stacked high with cheeses and spreads made in readiness. It had the makings of a solid disaster, as many families needed their market earnings to pay their water ration and cooling fees. “Bet Felina was howling for Mother’s hide.”
“That’s the problem. Folks are lining up to tell how they heard Felina wordslice Mai into little pieces.”
“I’m guessing Mai sliced right back.” She always had a tongue on her sharp enough to shave paper.
“Hell yeah. They went at it like a pair of maw sharks fighting over a fresh-drowned toddler.”
“So there must be folks ready to swear it was a proper up and down argument – not just Felina yelling at Mai.”
Onice sighed. “It’s the Mother Mai thing that’s gonna compost Felina, I reckon. Too many folks are now taking in paying visitors, or selling offerings for the Nodery, or giving tours. They got money tied up in Mai’s image of a honey-talking leader offering answers to us lack-lucked losers.”
I stared at her. “You’re not swallowing all that slurry, are you?”
“And if I had, jer reckon I’d have risked calling you up?”
I shut my eyes, wishing they didn’t hurt so much. “Nah. Sorry.”
“It’s shady. Have to say – you’re looking a bit used up. This Overlording business a slog, is it?”
I nodded, my throat thick with homesick longing.
Onice glanced over her shoulder. “I gotta go. It’s down to me to keep the Stores running, now that Felina’s in the Custody Suite. Luck, Kyrillia.”
“And you,” I managed.
CHAPTER FOUR
The slate blanked as Onice disappeared from the holopad.
Standing up, I yelped in shock as I caught sight of Seth in the doorway.
“My repentances. Didn’t mean to startle you.” He didn’t sound sorry, though.
“How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough.”
“So you heard what’s happened to Felina?”
“Yeah.” His brown eyes fixed on my goggles. “You look like a nemmet’s breakfast. If you’d the sense you were born with, you’d get back into bed and give yourself a chance to fully recover.”
“Says the man who staggered around with a major head injury, when his healer told him to stay put.”
“Well at least sit down before you fall over while I give you your meds.” Seth sorted through the bottles on Ellern’s drugs tray with smooth efficiency.
I took them all and thanked him, before adding, “I’ll need to take these with me.”
“Where?” But I could tell from the way he clenched his jaw, he already knew.
“To Cnicus. We can’t leave Felina with Cupert Peaceman’s shoddy justice hanging over her.”
“You’re the Overlord Brarian. Send a Detective. Send a bunch of detectives, or a judge if you must, but your place is here.”
“Doing what, exactly?”
“Being seen to be In Charge, mostly. And keeping that brute under control.”
I blinked. Brute! Why are you always so judgemental about him? “That’s not enough. Not while Felina’s at risk of being Collared.”
“The first job certainly could be. Those thousands of files you want to set free to make people’s lives better won’t get approved if you keep yourself caged up here. Get out and visit all the local Nodes, talk to Bra
rians running them and find out what they’re thinking. They’ll be panting to meet you after Denzel’s flapped his mouth about your Nodemastering stunt with the Prime Nodery.”
I stared at him, wondering what happened to the scarecrow lad who spent his days toiling on the most disgusting jobs in the village in return for scraps. How has he adapted so well to Gloriosan life? “That’s a good notion, thank you. When we return from Cnicus, I’ll talk to Arlester about putting together a schedule…” My voice trailed off as he shook his head.
“I’m not going to Cnicus.”
I stared at him in shock. I’d known he wouldn’t be happy to drop everything to make the journey, but it hadn’t occurred to me that he wouldn’t come. “What about Felina? She saved my life. And yours. We owe her bigtime!”
Vrox huffs in agreement…
“The mantivore just crashed into your head, didn’t he?”
“Yeah.” How does he know? Can he also hear Vrox? For a fleeting minute, I dreamt that he could… that perhaps we could share this between us…
“Vrox. He had something to say about this business.” Seth sounded weary. “You get a certain look on your face when he mind-speaks to you. I’m guessing he also wants to go to Cnicus.”
“Yes, but I don’t see how—”
“Then I’m wasting my air. Once that creature wants something, you generally do it.” Seth started to turn back to his own room, while I watched him, thoughts tumbling in outrage. I didn’t so much as think about Vrox before deciding to return to Cnicus. I made up my own mind! I’d half expected to feel Vrox’s agreement. But when I suddenly reached out to him, I caught a sense of his snarling grin.
I’m no mantivore queen with a string of lords in my coterie. I’ve chosen my mate. It’s Seth. There’ll never be anyone else, I warned him.
Vrox huffs dismissively and turns away.
“You’re wrong!” I marched into Seth’s room. “I’m always tangling with Vrox and often he does what I say.”
Seth slumped onto the side of his bed, hunched and weary. “Until it really matters. Then he wins.”
“I still can’t believe you’ll let Felina fester in the Custody Suite.”
“Given what a shoddy job Cupert generally does, any lawyer worth the name will have her free in a nanosec. You can send someone to sort that out with the flick of your hand. You don’t need to go jaunting off because you can’t settle here.”
Inwardly flinching at the irritable contempt in his voice, I said, “You really won’t come, then.”
“No, I won’t – I can’t! There’s too much here to do.” He jumped up. “What can I say or do to make you stay? You’ve the power to make great, important changes to thousands of people’s lives!” His face lit up and the same passion resonated in his voice as when he prayed, or spoke ancient words to the God he loved so much.
Envious of his conviction, I wished I had even the smallest speck of his belief to hold onto. How come he’s so sure of himself, while I feel so adrift? “I’ll do all that stuff for folks, like you said – I will. But first, I gotta go back and make it right for Felina.” I swallowed hard, before adding, “Please, won’t you come with me? Just for a bit.”
“I can’t!” The words rang around the room.
I nodded, heavy-hearted and hurting from more than my injuries and turned towards my sleeproom, half hoping he’d ask me to curl up with him.
“You’re taking the mantivore?”
I kept going. “Yeah.”
“Would you consider leaving him behind?”
I spun round, shaken by Seth’s mindset, these days. “I can’t! He isn’t safe without my protection.”
“Maybe spending a few days in a dungeon, waiting for your return, would give him a better idea of how he should treat you.”
“That’s… he’d be so upset!”
Vrox listens, eyes half-shut with pent attention…
Though when I reached for his reaction, all I sensed was solid heaviness. So he’s blocking me. Again.
After stiffly wishing Seth a peaceful night, I wandered back to my own bed, sure that I wouldn’t get any more sleep that night. However, I slept soundly and the moment I awoke, I felt a shaft of happiness that I’d soon be seeing Felina and Onice again. Moving more slowly than a sun-slagged oldster, I waited for my aches and pains to declare themselves as I crawled out of bed. Only to discover that Vrox had healed me during the night.
Mantivores are more long-lived than humans, with a hefty metabolism capable of quickly repairing minor damage. I never took it for granted, because often as not it didn’t happen. But this was a morning when Vrox was willing or able to heal all my grazes and puncture wounds, leaving nothing but small scars.
After Seth’s reaction to my proposed trip to Cnicus, I’d expected my advisors to be equally horrified at my intended departure. So it was a stimming surprise to discover most were in favour of the trip, anticipating that I’d undertake the journey to pay my respects to my dead mother. Indeed, the planning for such a trip was apparently already under way.
Of course I should have known better. I’d assumed that because my advisors thought it a good idea, we’d be on our way within the next day or so. But no – a team of security experts and procurement consultants had to fly out to Cnicus first, to ascertain what the local resources were, despite me telling Arlester there weren’t any.
So some two days later, after a meeting to co-ordinate arrangements for the trip – these Uppies couldn’t use a bog-box without discussing it – Arlester bustled into my office, his normally cheerful face pulled into an anxious frown. “Your Ladyship, I’m afraid I have some bad news. We’ll have to delay your visit to Cnicus—”
“That’s unacceptable!”
“The security situation alone will require a temporary barracks to be built. The roads are in a dreadful state and there’s no heat diffuser over the village, even though Cnicus lies within the noonblast red zone. They’ll also need to install a bigger landing beam – the current village model is only equipped to handle a maximum of three single-seater flyers at a time...” He continued to list the way Cnicus was inadequately prepared to host a visit from the Brarian Overlord, and the list was a long one.
“I know! If you recall, I warned you that we didn’t have much of anything. Osmar…” I hadn’t got around to calling him Father and I doubted I ever would, “…didn’t call it the arse-end of the planet for nothing. And Uncle Trislen wasn’t going to make the place cosy, was he? Osmar was exiled there as a punishment.”
“But the extent of the deprivation is shocking. Food is going to be a major issue, for starters. It’s not a question of being able to buy it from local producers – there simply isn’t any to spare.”
I gritted my teeth, not trusting myself to speak. I’d tried very hard to put in place a development package for Cnicus when first becoming Overlord to include proper roads and a heat diffuser, for starters. Only to be told other provinces and neighbouring areas would take it amiss if Cnicus was seen to get preferential treatment.
“What about Gloriosa? The capital has a standard of living no one from our village could even dream of, isn’t that preferential treatment?” I’d asked.
My Uppie advisers explained – loudly and slowly – that the planet economy was more complicated than I appreciated and that perhaps it would be better if I left the daily task of Arcadian governing to those employed to do it. So I gave up. Overwhelmed with the info-flood coming my way on how to speak, how to look and how to behave in Gloriosan society, I’d stepped back when I should’ve gone on stepping forward on behalf of Cnicus, I now realised.
“There isn’t a single place suitable as your residence during your stay in the village,” continued Arlester.
“I’ll stay in Felina Keeper’s house, after all, she’s in the Custody Suite. And it backs onto the Stores complex where the village produce is kept, so it’s more secure than most.”
“It’s hotter than Hell in all the local homes, by all accou
nts. And the desert sand gets everywhere…” continued Arlester, looking down at his slate and shaking his head.
“Or, it’s nicely warm, which is more than can be said for this frigid mausoleum. And a bit of grit underfoot never hurt anyone.”
“Master Steward isn’t going to like it,” sighed Arlester.
“Master Steward’s opinion isn’t the one that counts. And if he goes on not liking it, he can find somewhere else to work!” Fortunately, Vrox was still in the middle of his morning nap, which was why we generally had our briefings about now. “How long will it take to improve the road, fit a heat diffuser and set up a supply chain for all our food requirements? Oh – and upgrade the landing beam?”
“It would normally take over a month, especially in those temperatures. But, given the urgency of the situation and the willingness of the local workforce, I think we could manage it in something approaching a fortnight.”
A fortnight! Felina will have been Collared and shipped off to a slave-farm in that time.
I raised my eyebrows. “What state d’you think my mother’s corpse will be in by then? We normally bury our dead within three days – there’s a solid reason for that. Or are you telling me that all the resources of Gloriosa can’t get me to any part of Arcadia within a reasonable timescale? Given I’ve the Command Codes, that – surely – is a danger to our infrastructure.”
“Oh nicely argued, Your Ladyship!” Arlester’s usual smile resurfaced. “That is definitely a point I can use to lever the necessary swaps loose to ensure you attend your mother’s burial.”
“If you can’t persuade those nemmet-hearted roachers it’s a stimming idea,” I looked across to the opposite wall. “Then let’s throw some swaps at it by selling that horrible thing hanging on the wall – and yes…” I raised my voice over Arlester’s shocked squawk. “…I know it’s the flag our ancestors carried on Distant Dream from Earth, but it wasn’t put in a stasis field anything like soon enough, and now it’s just a tattered grey cloth stinking of spider piss.”