Venus Rising

by Speer, Flora

  There was no way for fresh air to enter the container, and it smelled foul. Narisa decided it must have previously contained rancid Demarian cheese, and had not been cleaned since. She gritted her teeth, determined not to be sick, telling herself to endure it, that she would not be confined like this for very long.

  She was aware of Tarik fastening on the box’s carrying straps, which would fit over his shoulders. Her stomach lurched as the container was lifted into the air, or rather, onto Tarik’s back. She did not need to see, she could feel every step he took across the cargo area, through a sliding door, then across another space until he stopped. A murmur of voices followed. She could not hear the words clearly through the insulation of the food container.

  Her knees were rubbing against her nose. Her legs were so cramped they ached almost as much as her head. She was certain she was going to be sick. The voices stopped, and she could feel Tarik tramping up an incline. It had to be the gangplank to Halvo’s transporter. She heard more voices, this time questioning tones, and a laughing answer from Tarik. Was he telling the questioners that Halvo had to have his own supply of Demarian cheeses while staying in the Capitol?

  The container hit the deck with a hard thump that reverberated through her aching head. She heard Tarik laugh again. The container felt heavier. By all the stars, Tarik was sitting on it! She could sense his weight and hear his voice directly above her head. That was a good way to keep anyone from opening the container, but she could only hope it would hold his weight.

  She had an overwhelming urge to giggle and recognized the first signs of hysteria. In another moment she would be laughing and crying at the same time, and her headache would become worse and she would undoubtedly be sick. Furthermore, if she did not soon straighten her left leg and rub the cramped muscles in it, her injured knee might never function again. It was so hot in the container, and she was so terribly thirsty. And still Tarik laughed and talked, sitting on the container lid.

  She could bear it no longer. She was going to scream. He had to open the container and let her out.

  Think about the planet and Dulan. Think about the birds.

  She imagined herself standing on the desert, under a blazing orange sun with the birds wheeling and soaring above her. It was so hot there, and her throat was so parched, but the birds would lead her to water. Tarik had said so.

  Tarik. He was pulling her upright, holding her against him with one arm. Narisa looked down and saw his free hand refastening the latches on the food container. She should be inside it. Instead, she was being tossed over Tarik’s shoulder and carried through a passageway. She saw her own hands dangling near his knees just before she fainted.

  * * * * *

  She could not have been unconscious for long. Halvo’s transporter car was still docked at spaceport with its engines off when she revived to find both Tarik and Halvo bending over her. They had laid her down across two seats in the passenger compartment.

  “That’s better,” Halvo said. `’I like my prisoners alert.”

  “Prisoner?” she responded weakly.

  “It’s only a technicality,” Tarik assured her, sliding an arm around her shoulder to help her sit up. She leaned against him, watching him glare at his brother, who stared back at him coldly.

  “It is not a technicality, it is a fact,” ’Halvo stated. He stood stiffly in the aisle, facing Narisa and Tarik. “You are my personal prisoner, Narisa. As an admiral of the Service, I have the authority to hold you in my custody until you are called before the Assembly to answer charges of aiding the escape of a condemned criminal.”

  “Gaidar isn’t a criminal,” Narisa protested, “and he was never officially condemned by the Assembly, as you very well know. I thought you understood why Suria and I did what we did.” She felt all her earlier fears returning with a chilling rush.

  “I do understand.” Halvo’s icy demeanor changed. He reached forward to take her hand in a gesture remarkably like the one frequently made by his warm-hearted mother. It was an unbending totally unexpected from such a cool and controlled man. “I ask you to understand my position, Narisa. You, too, Tarik. You are too willing to break the law. I am sworn to uphold it at all times.”

  “I will not allow Tyre to put Narisa on trial,” Tarik declared.

  “But that is exactly what I want, a completely legal trial,” Halvo told them. “I want everything done according to Jurisdiction law.”

  “No,” Tarik said angrily, “I won’t hand Narisa over to Tyre, and I won’t let you do it, either. You said you would help her.”

  “Will you be silent, brother, and listen to me for a moment or two? Your feelings for this woman are clouding your judgment.” Halvo sat down on the arm of a passenger seat across the aisle from Narisa and Tarik. “I thought we had agreed to bury our differences long enough to overthrow Tyre and his friends, while keeping the Assembly intact and functioning with a new and honest Leader. I believed we were united in wanting reform rather than full-scale revolution.”

  “So you said.” Tarik watched his brother through narrowed eyes.

  “When we discussed it, you did agree with me, Tarik. I have a plan that I think will work. Narisa, I will need your cooperation.”

  When Tarik would have protested again, Narisa put a hand on his arm to restrain him.

  “What do you want me to do, Halvo?”

  “First, I want to take you back to my father’s house, where I will set my own men, and his, to guard you. There you may rest in safety until I can demand a full meeting of the Assembly. Next, I will guarantee to the Members that you will appear to answer the charges against you. This ploy will keep you out of Tyre’s clutches while fulfilling the requirements of Jurisdiction law in such cases.”

  “And when I appear in the Red Room, what will happen then?” Narisa shivered just thinking about it, but she trusted Halvo almost as much as she did Tarik.

  “I will act as your advocate before the Assembly, with Tarik as the principal witness in your defense,” Halvo told her. “You will explain why you released Gaidar, going into great detail about the miserable physical conditions under which he was being held. Tarik will back up your explanation by repeating the story of your discovery of Starthruster and of Gaidar’s help to the Jurisdiction. The events of the last few days have proven the truth of that story, so we can claim you were doing your duty to protect the Jurisdiction against its enemies. I believe the charges against you will be dropped.”

  “And then?” Narisa knew there must be more to Halvo’s plan.

  “Then,” he said solemnly, “I will make a speech demanding Tyre’s ouster for neglect of Jurisdiction welfare during a time of crisis.”

  “And you think the Assembly will agree with you?” Tarik scoffed. “Don’t be naive, Halvo. Tyre will have himself well protected by his friends and by those who owe him favors. He will claim an honest mistake, and his cronies will back him. No one will blame him for refusing to believe a Cetan’s improbable story about Starthruster. The Assembly will never vote to remove him for such a flimsy reason.”

  “Flimsy?” Narisa was deeply shaken by Tarik’s certainty. She was also angry. “The Jurisdiction could have been destroyed, and that terrible man never lifted a hand to order a defense. If the Assembly votes to keep him as Leader, then they all deserve to be removed from office.”

  “Thank you for your confidence in me, Narisa.” Halvo’s smile was grim. “I wish

  Tarik were as convinced as you are. I had hoped he and I might work together as brothers and friends, just this once.”

  “All right,” Tarik capitulated suddenly. “I want that, too, Halvo. I don’t want to quarrel with you anymore. I think we need to marshal greater force against Tyre than we have in this case, and I am not certain we can change the way the Assembly functions just by replacing Tyre with a better Leader, but I will help you.” He put out his hand, and Halvo took it without a second of hesitation or reserve.

  “What about your ship’s doctor?” Nari
sa asked. “She was determined to turn me over to Tyre and collect the reward he has offered. If she gets to him now and tells him whose ship I was on, she could cause serious problems for all of us.”

  “I have ordered her confined to her own quarters aboard ship, incommunicado, for forty-eight hours while I decide what to do with her. I should be grateful to her,” Halvo said, “for discovering that Tyre wanted you so badly. That knowledge will be helpful to us. But she, personally, is a sad spectacle.

  “Greed is a terrible thing,” Halvo continued, shaking his head. “It made my ship’s doctor willing to break her sacred oath to protect her patients and to give each one the best possible care regardless of Race, religion or political situation. Her intent was unethical, to say the least. She can consider herself fortunate if I impose no more punishment than censure and an order to retire on reduced wages.”

  “She wanted to retire in splendor,” Narisa said ruefully. “Speaking of medical care, do you suppose I could have some water? I wasn’t allowed any in sick bay.”

  “For that alone, the woman deserves severe censure.” Halvo himself brought her a cup of the distilled water used on the transporter for both humans and the engines. It was tepid and tasteless, but to Narisa it was more delicious than the finest wine. She asked for and drank a second cup. Then, feeling almost restored to health, she leaned back in her seat, resting her head against the padded cushion of the headrest, while Tarik fastened the safety harness around her.

  Only a short time later the transporter left spaceport with Halvo, Tarik and Narisa as the only passengers. They circled the Capital several times on their spiral flight down to land in the garden of Almaric’s house. Narisa watched the viewing screens, seeing what the Cetan force waves had done.

  “I didn’t know the Cetans had come close enough to blast the city,” she said. “What terrible damage. What senseless loss of life.”

  “I regret it deeply,” Halvo replied. “We did not have time to assemble enough ships to protect the Capital as we wanted. We in the Service are grateful for your warning, though. Without it, the entire planet would be rubble.”

  “As it is,” Tarik added thoughtfully, “the Assembly can be held derelict in its duty to protect Jurisdiction citizens. I see a bit of hope in that. It could make our plan easier to accomplish, Halvo. The Members just might choose to make Tyre the scapegoat rather than all of them resigning at once. Especially since six of the most important Cetan warlords have surrendered to you personally and are suing for a peace treaty.”

  “Surrendered?” Narisa gasped. “Cetans don’t surrender.”

  “I gather they are demoralized by the failure of their battle strategy,” Halvo said, “and thoroughly sick of their overlords. That is another factor on our side and against Tyre, who won’t treat with Cetans under any circumstances. If we can raise a new and more honorable Leader, I think there is a real chance to make peace with the Cetans and gradually bring them into citizenship in the Jurisdiction.”

  “That sort of thing has been done before,” Tarik told him. “The Jurisdiction did not spring into being with all its worlds joining at once. If you had been taught honest history in your youth, Halvo, you would know it was a gradual and complicated process, taking many centuries after the Great Agreement. There is ample precedent for adding new Races to our citizens. You should remind the Assembly of that when the time comes.”

  If anyone could talk the Assembly into accepting a treaty with the Cetans, it would be Halvo, Narisa thought. He was clever and far-seeing, and his insistence on doing everything according to Jurisdiction laws was a great strength. If only he were not so coldly rational, if he had the kind of warmth that drew people to him, he would make a great leader. But then, perhaps a great leader had to be cold. Or perhaps, she thought, recalling how he had taken her hand, how he wanted Tarik to join his plan willingly, and how pleased he had looked when Tarik called it their plan a few moments before, perhaps Halvo was not as cold as he appeared to be.

  Almaric’s house had sustained only minor damage in the Cetan attack, and the servants had already returned to make the necessary repairs before Almaric and Kalina arrived. To substantiate Halvo’s upcoming claim to the Assembly that Narisa had been injured and would need bed rest, Tarik carried her from the transporter to her bedchamber, commenting frequently on her paleness and the concussion she had sustained. When he handed her over to Chatta, it was with strict orders to keep Narisa quiet and allow no visitors.

  Narisa sank into her bed and let the little maidservant put cold cloths across her forehead.

  “I should call a doctor,” Chatta worried. “You need medication.”

  “The ship’s doctor -” Narisa cringed inwardly at the thought of that unpleasant woman. “The doctor said rest and time were the best treatments. I’ll be better tomorrow, Chatta, just wait and see. What I would like is a pitcher of something cool to drink. I feel as though I’ve been walking across a desert.”

  Chatta brought her fruit juices, and after Narisa had swallowed several cups, the maidservant sat down in another part of the room to let her mistress rest while still being immediately available should Narisa need her.

  Her thirst quenched at last, Narisa tried to make her mind a blank and not think about what would happen when Halvo’s request was granted and the Assembly convened. She fell asleep quickly and woke and slept again until the day was gone. She ate the light evening meal Chatta brought to her and then instantly fell back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Tarik woke her a little after midnight. She heard the bedchamber door click closed, and by the light that Chatta had left glowing beside her bed, she saw him coming toward her.

  Forgetting she was supposed to be recovering from an injury, she got out of bed to run to him. A brief spell of dizziness made her stumble before her head cleared. Tarik had seen her waver. He caught her into his arms, holding her against his chest and kissing her hard. She sank into his kiss, reveling in the touch and smell and taste of him. He was her safe haven from all the dangers threatening them, as she knew she was his. She felt his hands in her hair, felt the smooth texture of his uniform jacket beneath her hands and bare arms. The crisp scent of him filled her nostrils, stirring her senses with memories of his lovemaking and a deep longing for more of it.

  When he let her go at last, the first thing she saw was Chatta’s sleep-creased face rising from the couch where she had been resting in case Narisa should need her.

  “Commander Tarik, what has happened?” she cried. “Have Member Almaric and my Mistress Kalina returned?”

  “Not yet. I’m not worried, Chatta. I trust Gaidar and Suria to keep them safe, and I think it’s just as well they stay away from the Capital for another day or two. I came to speak privately with Lieutenant Narisa. I will attend to her needs tonight. You may go now.” Tarik sealed the door the moment Chatta had left.

  “Was that wise?” Narisa asked anxiously. “She will probably tell all the other servants you are spending the night with me.”

  “How can I be wise when I want you so badly?” He laughed and kissed her cheek. He caught her hand, urging her toward the bed. She wanted to go with him, but she held back, pulling at his hand.

  “Tarik, be careful. Remember the eavesdropping system.” There was no way of knowing if it had been turned on again after Kalina had disconnected it days before.

  “Thanks to a communications officer among Halvo’s men, all of the eavesdropping devices in this house have been turned off. We can speak freely in any room. I can tell you how much I love you without being overheard.”

  “How wonderful.”

  “Wonderful that I love you, or that I can say it with no one else listening?” he teased, sitting down on the side of her bed. Still holding her hand, he pulled gently until she sat beside him.

  “Both.” She leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing happily as he put an arm around her. “Won’t Leader Tyre grow suspicious if he can’t hear what we are saying? Won’t he take action
against us?”

  “He won’t dare, not after Halvo’s request for a full meeting of the Assembly has been approved. We go before them at midday tomorrow.”

  “So quickly?” She sat up straight, frightened in spite of her trust in Halvo. Tarik drew her back into his arms.

  “Halvo wants to make his case to the Members before our father returns,” he said. “That way no one can accuse him of using Almaric’s influence to make the changes he wants.”

  “Halvo thinks of everything, doesn’t he?”

  “Not quite everything.” He grinned down at her, looking like a small boy keeping a secret from the grown-ups. “I have a plan of my own, to take effect after we have finished with Tyre. It’s an idea I think Halvo will agree to, and that will please the Assembly, also.”

  “What plan?” She tried to pull away so she could look directly into his face, but he held her fast by his side. When she tried again, he fell back across the bed, laughing and taking her with him. “Tell me what you are going to do, Tarik.’’

  “I thought that was obvious.” He laughed again, one hand planted firmly on her breast. Then he turned serious. “I need to talk to Halvo first, and then to our father when he returns. Will you be patient, my love, wait a few days, and trust me?”

  “I trust you with my life,” she whispered, “and my future.” She turned her face to his, reaching for his mouth.

  It was a tender kiss, deep and loving. When it ended, Tarik rolled over, pinning her beneath him, and began to make love to her, his mouth and hands pushing away her thin gown to set her body aflame with desire.

  If their confrontation with the Assembly did not go well, by this time tomorrow they and Halvo and his men could all be incarcerated in the tightest security prison the Jurisdiction maintained, convicted of high treason for trying to depose Leader Tyre. She and Tarik might be separated forever.

  But until morning they had each other. With her last rational thought before she gave herself up to the storm of their mutual passion, Narisa resolved to rejoice in Tarik’s love and return it in good measure with no regrets. Whatever her fate, she would always love Tarik, to death and beyond. The words he was murmuring told her he felt the same way, and more. He told her how proud he was of her, of her courage in rescuing Gaidar, her resolute bravery during the recent battle, her navigational skills, all the things that made her the strong, self-reliant woman she was.