Queen

by Timothy Zahn

  I was captured when the human Trake attacked the Ponngs.

  What I meant was why were you there in the first place? Did Moile or Teika ask you to go with them?

  I was summoned by the Caretaker.

  Nicole stared at it. You’re saying Ushkai called you? What did he want?

  I don’t know. There was no time to speak before the attack.

  Nicole felt her lips curl back from her teeth. No time to speak, because the ambush was all primed and ready. How very, very convenient for someone.

  And she was pretty sure she knew who.

  She pulled Cambria a couple more steps into the corridor and then let go of its hand. Stepping back to the shaft, she grabbed the Shipmaster’s arm, the one not still being held in Bungie’s frozen grip. “You and I need to talk—what the hell?” she broke off as she finally spotted the thin plastic strap binding the Shipmaster’s wrist to Bungie’s.

  “The Koffren could not deduce whether you hated us more than you hated the human called Bungie,” the Shipmaster said, an odd almost sadness in his chattering alien language. “So they decided that whichever of us you chose for death, the other would follow.”

  “A two-for-one deal,” Jeff commented as he came up behind Nicole. “Not sure whether to be impressed or disgusted.”

  “You can have both,” Nicole told him. “Call it another two-for-one. Which one are you?”

  The alien lifted its head, its eyes boring into hers. “I am Nevvis.”

  Nicole felt her eyes go a little wider. “You’re Nevvis? Master of the masters?”

  “Hardly,” Nevvis said. “I’m now merely one among many prisoners.”

  Nicole exchanged looks with Jeff. “So the Koffren are running the Fyrantha now?” she asked.

  “We still control the Fyrantha,” Nevvis said. “But they control us.”

  “Hostages,” Jeff murmured.

  “Yes.”

  “I guess that explains where Trake’s other four goons are, too,” Jeff said.

  “Also hostages,” Nicole said, nodding. “I guess the Koffren don’t trust anyone.”

  “With their track record, that’s not really surprising.”

  “I suppose not,” Nicole said.

  “And now they come,” Nevvis added softly.

  Nicole felt her stomach tense. Damn it. “It’s an ambush, all right,” she said, throwing quick looks both ways down the corridor. No Koffren yet, but that wouldn’t last. “Only they were waiting to spring it until I’d lost my Protector status.”

  “Time to fall back?” Jeff asked, pulling out a knife and getting to work on the strap tying Nevvis to Bungie.

  “Time to fall back,” Nicole confirmed. She went over to Trake, worked the spider gun out of his frozen hand, and took a couple of steps back. “Firth, Hagert: let them go.”

  The two Wisps opened their arms. Trake started to lunge toward Nicole, stopped as she raised the spider gun warningly. “You think you’re smart, don’t you,” he said coldly. “Well, it doesn’t matter how smart you are. There are twenty of them, and only one of you, and they’re desperate. Sooner or later they’ll get you.”

  And then, out of the corner of her eye, Nicole saw a group of Koffren charge around the far corner. “Firth, take me,” she ordered, turning and backing into its arms. “Hagert, take Jeff; Lehigh, take Cambria. Into the sha—”

  The word was cut off as Firth’s embracing arms paralyzed her. But none of them needed to be told what to do. Even as the Koffren raised their spider guns and opened fire the Wisps carried the three of them into the shaft and rose swiftly on the updraft. Below them, the faint corridor light vanished as the shaft door finally slid closed.

  Where do you wish to go? Firth asked.

  Bring all of us to Q4, Nicole told it, scowling inside. Too late, now, she wished she’d had Jessup grab Nevvis and bring him along. But the Koffren had been on the move, and her first instinct had been for her own people.

  Still, it sounded like the Koffren needed Nevvis. Anyway, the Shipmasters hadn’t been part of this particular scheme. Trake and Bungie should be the ones to get the sharp end of the stick.

  But there were things she needed to know that Nevvis probably could have told her.

  Never mind. She was starting to learn that there were always other ways of doing things.

  Besides, the Ghorfs had sat on their hands long enough. Time to bring them into the game.

  twenty-one

  “They’re in pretty bad shape,” Allyce said as she carefully straightened up from the twin beds where the Wisps had laid the injured Ponngs, wincing as she strained her own injuries. “No broken bones—which wasn’t from lack of effort on their attackers’ part—multiple epidermal bruises, lacerations, and muscle bruising. Teika has some internal bleeding, and both of them may have some organ damage, but I don’t know enough about their physiology to be sure.”

  “So how do you intend to learn?” Nicole asked.

  Allyce seemed taken aback. “How do I intend to learn what?”

  “They’re hurt,” Nicole said with strained patience. “You’re their doctor. Figure out how to heal them.”

  “Nicole, they’re aliens,” Allyce protested. “I don’t have the slightest idea how to treat creatures like this.”

  “We could ask the Caretaker,” Jeff suggested.

  Allyce frowned. “What does the Caretaker have to do with anything?”

  “No, he’s right,” Nicole said, embarrassed that she hadn’t thought of it first. “The Fyrantha used to be a zoo. It must have health data from all sorts of creatures. If we’re lucky, they may have something on Ponngs.”

  “I thought we didn’t trust the Caretaker,” Allyce said. “Wasn’t he the one who lured Cambria into the ambush?”

  “Yes, but that was probably at the Shipmasters’ instructions,” Nicole said.

  “Or the Koffrens’,” Jeff said. “If Nevvis wasn’t lying, they’re the ones calling the shots now.”

  “And they may not have the same control of the Caretaker that the Shipmasters had,” Nicole said slowly. Thinking about the Caretaker’s connection with the Shipmasters had started her on an entirely new train of thought. “Even if they do, they may be too busy to notice a request for alien medical information.”

  “It’s still risky,” Jeff warned. “We’ll want a team with us.”

  “I think you, me, and the four Wisps should do,” Nicole said. “Besides, there’s a little experiment I want to try, and if it doesn’t work we might need a quick exit.”

  “We could still bring Iosif,” Jeff suggested. “He seemed hurt that he didn’t get to join into our last outing.”

  “Really?” Nicole asked, frowning. “Is this one of those Navy/Marine things?”

  “Probably,” Jeff said with a grin. “I’ll go find him. You should probably go see how Levi and Carp are doing with Cambria, anyway.”

  Nicole winced. “Yeah. But make it fast. If Ushkai has Ponng medical information, I want Allyce to have it as soon as possible.”

  Levi and Carp had set up in the dining room, pushing two of the tables together to make a workstation they could lay Cambria on while they got the spider goo off it. “How’s it going?” Nicole asked as she walked in.

  “Slowly,” Levi said. “They slapped it with a lot more shots than they needed just to immobilize it.”

  “Yeah, that sounds like Trake,” Nicole said sourly. “If you like doing something, do it as many times as you can. Especially if it makes someone else hurt.”

  “I don’t know if it hurts, but it’s got to be damn uncomfortable,” Levi said. He held up the bottle of dissolving liquid. “Speaking of uncomfortable, we’re getting uncomfortably low on this stuff.”

  “It’s okay—Jeff’s got another bottle stashed away,” Nicole said. “Do you have enough there to finish with Cambria?”

  “I think so,” Levi said, leaning over the Wisp and peering at the remaining goo. “Carp?”

  “Yeah, we’ll be fine,” Carp s
econded. “But this one will be pretty much dry at that point.”

  “We’ll just have to try to limit the number of times we get shot, then,” Nicole said. “Thanks.”

  She laid a hand on Cambria’s arm. They’ll have you free soon, she told it. Are you doing all right?

  I’m fine, Protector, it replied. The Oracle wishes to speak with you.

  Nicole frowned. The Oracle?

  Yes.

  She looked at Levi, who was carefully squeezing another drop onto the spider goo. If the Caretaker was to be believed, the Oracle was the part of the Fyrantha that spoke for the Shipmasters.

  Except when it was speaking for itself to the Sibyls. Nicole still hadn’t figured out how that worked.

  She’d heard the Oracle speak before, giving orders and instructions to the combatants in the Fyrantha’s various arenas. But this was the first time it had asked to speak to Nicole personally. Did it say why?

  No.

  Where can I talk to it? One of the arena hives?

  The Oracle will speak to you on level 10 in bahri-four-four-six.

  That’s where the Caretaker hangs out.

  Yes.

  Are the Oracle and Caretaker the same?

  No.

  Nicole made a face. Back to that again.

  Still, she’d been planning to go talk to the Caretaker, anyway. If the Oracle was able to join the party, it would save her a trip. Fine. Tell it I’ll meet it there.

  I’ll do so. Thank you.

  The door opened behind her. “Ah—Protector,” Kahkitah said as he lumbered into the room. “I thought I’d find you here.”

  “I was just checking on—wait a second,” Nicole said, frowning at him as the implications of that sank in. “Are you saying I’m always eating?”

  “No, of course not,” the Ghorf said with a mix of earnestness and shyness. “Besides, Jeff said you’re our leader, and a leader has to keep up her strength.”

  “Yeah, and I’ve got the pink slip on Independence Hall,” Nicole growled.

  Kahkitah gave a confused whistle. “What’s a pink slip, and why is a building wearing one?”

  Levi snorted. “Jeopardy! really missed its chance with him, didn’t it?”

  Kahkitah’s next whistle sounded plaintive. “I don’t understand,” he said. “I wish you wouldn’t say things I can’t understand.”

  “It’s all right, Kahkitah,” Nicole soothed. “Just ignore him. Did you finish that job I asked you to do?”

  “Oh, yes,” Kahkitah said, brightening again. “That was what I came to tell you.”

  “Great,” Nicole said, looking back at Levi and Carp. “You two all right here?”

  “We’re fine,” Carp said. “Go ahead.”

  “And, Kahkitah?” Levi added. “Sorry. We were only kidding.”

  “Oh,” Kahkitah said cheerfully. “That’s all right, then. I like it when people kid each other. It’s good to be happy.”

  “Yes, it is,” Nicole said, gesturing him back toward the door. “Show me.”

  They left the room. “I’m really looking forward to seeing their faces when you’re finally able to drop the act,” Nicole murmured as they walked.

  “As am I,” Kahkitah said ruefully. “But I’m afraid that will be some time yet.”

  “It may happen sooner than you think,” Nicole said. “What does the magic Ghorf network tell you?”

  “That you were right,” Kahkitah said. “All the Sibyls have disappeared. Not just the ones with the blue and green work teams, but every Sibyl from every crew aboard the Fyrantha.”

  “You’re sure? All of them?”

  “Certainly from all the groups with one of my people on the crew. There are a few groups that don’t, but the local Ghorfs say there are strong suggestions that their Sibyls are gone as well.” He cocked his head toward her. “Do you know what it means?”

  “Not yet,” Nicole said. “But at least it answers the question of why the Koffren want me back so badly. If all the other Sibyls are gone, I’m the only one who can fix the teleport for them.”

  “Assuming they want to bring in more of their kind,” Kahkitah said. “Which of course makes sense if they’re trying to take command of the Fyrantha.”

  “Yeah, we’re not going to let that happen,” Nicole said firmly. “Cambria tells me the Oracle wants to talk to me, and it sounds like the Oracle is the section of the Fyrantha’s mind that the Shipmasters have most under their control. Maybe Nevvis is trying to open communication.”

  “The last time one of the Shipmasters suggested a communication it was to betray you.”

  “Yeah, but things have changed a lot since then,” Nicole reminded him. “The Koffren have basically made them working prisoners, I’ve proven to be a harder nut than anyone expected, and I’ve started collecting Wisps under my personal control.”

  “Five Wisps hardly constitutes an army.”

  Nicole shrugged. “Okay, so right now it’s not much more than a commando team. But I know how to make more.”

  “Pour a mixture of Q2 and Q3 Wisps into Q4, allow them to marinate for a while, then spoon onto the Protector and serve.”

  Nicole had to smile at that one. “You remind me of my grandmother trying to teach me how to cook.”

  “Really, Nicole,” he admonished her, his neck gills flapping with suppressed chuckling. “Did you think Ghorfs didn’t cook?”

  “No, of course not,” Nicole assured him with a straight face. “Actually, I was planning to put you in charge of the big victory feast when this is all over. So did anyone have any idea where the Sibyls might have gone?”

  “There was one thought,” Kahkitah said hesitantly. “But it seemed to make so little sense that I hesitate to mention it. One of the Q2 Ghorfs said his team had been brought in to convert the Q1 arena dispensers to distribute human food.”

  “Why is that so outrageous?” Nicole said. “If the Shipmasters are trying to hide them from the Koffren, it’s a perfect place.”

  “From the Koffren, yes,” Kahkitah said. “But hardly from us. We’ve already shown our ability to get in and out of the arena whenever we want.”

  “Maybe that’s the point,” Nicole said thoughtfully. “The Shipmasters know you got me out through the ocean half of the arena and the Fyrantha’s water system. Maybe Nevvis is counting on us to sneak the Sibyls out of there before the Koffren figure out where they are.”

  “To what end?”

  “To hide them someplace where we’re in control,” Nicole said. “The Shipmasters don’t dare traipse over here to Q4 to stash the Sibyls, so they do the next best thing and put them someplace where we can grab them. If we do that, even if the Koffren find out they’ve been stashed in the arena it won’t do them any good. They can beat at the doors all they want and still not get anywhere near the Sibyls.”

  Kahkitah pondered that for a few steps. “You realize your analysis presumes that the Shipmasters are now acting as our allies,” he said. “I was unaware they’d made any such offers to you.”

  “They haven’t,” Nicole conceded. “On the other hand, maybe this is their way of doing that. This, plus their request to talk to me via the Oracle.”

  “Or perhaps it’s another trap.”

  “I don’t think so,” Nicole said. “Remember what I said about being a hard nut to crack? Well, that raises my value as both an enemy and an ally.”

  “One would think the Koffren would come to that same conclusion.”

  “I’m sure they have,” Nicole said, grimacing with memory. “Only they know there’s not a chance in hell I’ll come to their side. Not after Bennett’s murder right in front of me.”

  “Yet the Shipmasters have also killed many Sibyls.”

  “It’s different,” Nicole said. “I mean, maybe it’s not. But it is. I’m sure they didn’t set out to deliberately poison us with the chemical in our inhalers—they needed the Fyrantha fixed, and that was the only way they had to do that.”

  “They’ve sent many
from other races to their deaths in alien wars,” Kahkitah continued doggedly. “They’ve also kidnapped everyone aboard the ship to serve as their slaves.”

  “What are you trying to do, Kahkitah?” Nicole asked, glaring at him. “We may have a chance here to pick up some allies. Are you saying we should just ignore that?”

  “There’s a human saying we’ve heard during our years aboard the Fyrantha,” Kahkitah said. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard that one,” Nicole said. “What’s your point?”

  “My point is it’s untrue,” Kahkitah said. “The enemy of my enemy is merely the enemy of my enemy. The bits of Earth history we’ve been able to glean show that with distressing regularity.”

  “So you’re saying what?” Nicole asked. “That we go it alone and fight both the Koffren and the Shipmasters?”

  “I don’t believe the Shipmasters are truly fighters,” Kahkitah said. “But yes, I believe the price for their assistance and their weapons would be higher than you would wish to pay.” His birdsong trill went dark and bitter. “It is certainly higher than the Ghorfs wish to pay.”

  “Okay,” Nicole said. “Noted. So. Bottom line. If I enlist the Shipmasters to my side, does that mean the Ghorfs will abandon us?”

  “Of course not,” Kahkitah said firmly. “You’re the Fyrantha’s Protector, and you’re also our friend. No matter what else you do or don’t do, whatever you need from us we’ll do. I just wanted to make our thoughts known.”

  “I appreciate that,” Nicole said.

  She meant it, too. The Ghorfs had been good allies, and their secret communication system was a resource that could make a crucial difference in any future action against the Koffren. The last thing she wanted to do was drive them away. But she might not have a choice.

  Because without the Shipmasters and their greenfire weapons, they didn’t have a chance. Not against the Koffren. Especially not if the Koffren had gotten more greenfire weapons of their own.

  Not a chance. Not a chance in hell.

  Surreptitiously, she looked at Kahkitah as he walked stolidly beside her. The Ghorfs were warriors, or at least had trained themselves to be warriors. They would surely understand.