‘No!’ Satomi gasped again, one hand over her mouth to hide her horror, the other over her heart as she imagined what her husband must have been put through before he was dragged before her. ‘He must think me a monster. I only said to interrogate him! I wanted him to suffer, but not like that.’
‘You set him free,’ Ringbalin reminded her, hoping to quell her anguish.
‘Where is it?’ Satomi let her anger take over, and gathered her wits quickly.
‘Ah … block five of your prison complex.’ He turned away and began to rake faster, in the hope of being left to mind his own business.
The shock came over her in waves, but she had enough sense to ensure her witness was within eyeshot until she got to the bottom of this deception. ‘Come with me,’ she held out a hand to him.
‘Majesty,’ Ringbalin hesitated. ‘Are you sure you want to go there?’
‘Oh yes.’ Satomi was quietly seething; what else had Prochazka failed to tell her about? ‘The truth is always best.’
When the Qusay walked into the reception area of the seeding stable with Ringbalin in tow, just the state of the naked men waiting around the lounging area to be of service was enough confirmation of Ringbalin’s claim — clearly the ruler was appalled.
‘Majesty.’ The woman behind the desk stood and bowed. She was not young like the Valoureans who frequented the place, but was very surprised to see the Qusay on her doorstep. ‘Can we assist your Highness in some way?’ She smiled winningly, glancing Ringbalin up and down, obviously assuming the Qusay had some personal interest in him.
‘Are you the proprietor of this establishment?’ the Qusay enquired in an aloof fashion.
‘I run it for your Valoureans, yes.’ Her response was evasive.
The Qusay picked up on this and her eyes narrowed. ‘For General Prochazka.’
‘Well, of course,’ the proprietor emphasised that went without saying.
‘Of course.’ Satomi forced a smile, and her expression hardened like stone. ‘I am shutting down this establishment, effective immediately!’
The Valoureans and their whores relaxing in the large lounge area beyond the reception had began to gather around, and a grumble of discontent rose from among them.
‘Majesty, please!’ the proprietor appealed on behalf of all. ‘You cannot, it’s all perfectly legal —’
‘I am the law!’ Satomi roared in response and her discontent burst forth in the form of a wave of force that made everyone take a step backwards. ‘This is not legal!’ she stressed in disgust. ‘This is not even human.’ She gazed around the room, taking in the evidence of abuse and torture, and there was not a soul in the room who dared breathe a whisper. ‘I want all memory of this place erased from these men. Then they will be nursed back to health by every Valourean who has frequented this place and then shipped back to wherever it was they came from.’ Satomi pointed to the closest Valourean. ‘Get on that workstation and get me the ledgers.’
‘Yes, Majesty.’ The soldier jumped right to it.
‘If any one of these men fail to exit Phemoria safely, I’ll have the head of the woman responsible,’ the Qusay decreed.
‘How do you know your Valourean won’t corrupt the files?’ one of the men stepped forwards to query.
‘Trance?’ Ringbalin was shocked to see he was a captive of the house. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Prochazka caught up with me some years back.’ He shrugged.
‘Take your hands off those keys,’ Satomi ordered the Valourean behind the reception desk, and she held her hands up in the air.
‘Years! You’ve been in this place all that time?’ Ringbalin was filled with sympathy for his friend. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Been shagged a few times, obviously.’ Trance didn’t seem too traumatised by it all. ‘But they never had to get out the spiders on me, and it beats prison, I guess.’
‘The spiders!’ The Qusay was becoming more furious by the minute.
‘I can get those files for you,’ Trance proffered, congenially, despite the fact he was butt naked. ‘But um.’ He motioned to the restraining device on his ankle, and it vanished. ‘It might take a little while for my abilities to kick back in. I’m a medium,’ he explained. ‘I have a hacker friend on the other side.’
‘I would be very much obliged to you both.’ She accepted his offer graciously. ‘Get this man some clothes, get them all some clothes, and blankets. Chop, chop!’
‘Much obliged.’ Trance graciously accepted her ruling as he threw on the clothes he was handed.
The establishment was now a frenzy of activity. Valoureans rushed to dress and carry out their Qusay’s orders as the ruler directed the proprietor to walk ahead of her. ‘Let’s go and see what takes place behind closed doors here, shall we?’
When Mythric returned with the all clear to see the captain, he advised it would be best if Thurraya was not brought aboard yet.
‘But I want to see Fari!’ Thurraya was quite upset by the directive. ‘And show him kitty.’
‘Soon,’ Aurora assured her. ‘I’ll stay with her.’
‘Telmo, I might need you to explain stuff,’ Zeven warranted that he should come along. ‘Khalid, you too.’ Despite Mythric’s refrain, he didn’t trust leaving Khalid alone in his father’s company.
‘I’ll stay with the girls and Vadik,’ Mythric confirmed, as they made it a rule to always have someone with PK at the hut at all times. As the vibrational frequencies of the being that sheltered them on this planet interfered with their communications systems, it was necessary to have someone in the hut who could pop back and forth with reports, and combat any emergencies, or execute an evacuation if the need arose.
‘I’ll be back soon.’ Zeven kissed his wife, daughter and her pet goodbye. ‘Promise me you’ll stay put and do as Mummy tells you.’
‘I absolutely promise,’ Thurraya emphasised that she had learned her lesson in that regard.
‘Good girl.’ Zeven ruffled her hair and moved to join Telmo and Khalid. ‘Captain’s office.’ He named their destination as they gripped each other’s wrists and vanished from the premises.
When they arrived in Lucian’s office the captain couldn’t have been more pleased to see them. ‘Your timing is bloody perfect,’ Lucian emphasised, as he came forth and shook Zeven’s hand. ‘It’s the thirteenth hour, but better late than never.’
‘Where is Taren?’ Zeven was expecting to find her here too.
‘Debating options with Anselm,’ Lucian advised. ‘We’ve caused some political strife on Maladaan that we had planned to deal with long ago, before things became so heated. We’ve been waiting for you to deliver the last part of the curse, so we can be rid of them and restore the Qusay Clarona to the throne so that Phemoria, Frujia and Sermetica can sign the rights bill. Then we hope to lure Maladaan to the negotiating table by offering them something they need.’
‘And what is that?’ Zeven queried.
‘Top secret for the present,’ the captain advised. ‘I believe both Taren and President Anselm will be very pleased to see you. You should go, she’s in private conference with him right now. Telmo can fill me in.’
‘Actually,’ Telmo bowed away from the duty, ‘best not, as I have a few errands to run.’
‘Errands?’ Lucian was baffled. ‘Well if those “errands” have anything to do with Phemoria, be aware that they are holding one of our crew hostage until we deliver the curses to their Qusay.’
‘Mother,’ Zeven stated with disappointment. ‘Which crew member?’
‘Ringbalin,’ Lucian replied. ‘They have put him to work in the royal garden.’
‘I remember,’ Telmo confirmed. ‘The charming gardener.’
‘You might want to give him a heads-up to lay low,’ the captain requested.
‘As you say,’ Telmo concurred and vanished.
‘But what —’ Lucian pointed to the void where Telmo had been and looked back to Zeven. ‘What errands?’
�
��If you have a spy on board, that’s also best kept secret for now. But believe me, it’s important,’ Zeven advised. ‘Probably best that I leave Khalid here with you, if that’s okay?’
Lucian frowned and smiled at once; it was not like him to be undiplomatic despite any doubts he might have. ‘Of course.’
‘He won’t bite,’ Zeven guaranteed as he backed up to take his leave.
‘I know that.’ Lucian tried not to sound offended. ‘I remember Wu Geng. I’m more concerned about you still keeping secrets.’ Lucian folded his arms.
‘Not for long.’ As time was fleeting, Zeven focused on teleporting himself to Taren.
‘We need to offer Tallak the technology now!’ Anselm was telling Taren, when Zeven arrived in the president’s private home office. ‘If an election is forced and Tallak loses then someone even more right wing could end up in power —’ Anselm’s attention shifted from his daughter as he spotted Zeven in the room.
‘And better the demon you know,’ Zeven concluded on Anselm’s behalf.
When Taren laid eyes on him, clearly she doubted her own perception a second. ‘Zeven? You’re here!’
‘I surely am.’ He held his arms wide to pre-empt the hug from his cousin that he promptly received.
‘What took you so long?’ She squeezed him, clearly as relieved as the captain had been to see him.
‘I had a bit of political tip-toeing to do myself.’ He grinned as she pulled back to hold him at arm’s length.
‘Do you have the third part of the curse?’ she queried. ‘And Thurraya, is she safe?’
‘Yes, all good,’ Zeven was pleased to inform her.
Taren’s sights turned back to Anselm, who appeared like he should have known better.
‘Well then,’ he allowed, regaining some cheer. ‘I guess we do this your way; back to plan A. But we really don’t have much time up our sleeves. We need to restore your mother to power now.’
‘That process is already in motion,’ Zeven said.
The wait for her father to return seemed to be taking ages! After some lunch, Thurraya sat in her grandfather’s lap telling him about her adventures in Karmandi with Ahura.
‘He said that whatever ails you, the sprites of nature can heal it,’ she conveyed what she’d learned.
‘Did he now?’ Mythric was delighted by her tutorial.
‘Even here in the real world I see them sometimes,’ she assured him.
‘Well, speaking of nature,’ Mythric lifted her up off his lap and raising himself, sat her back down, ‘I need to answer its call right now.’
Thurraya understood his meaning and chuckled.
‘I’ll be back.’ Mythric backed up towards the door outside. ‘Stay right there.’
‘I will, Grandpa,’ she assured — it seemed like no one actually believed she’d learned her lesson.
Her mother was sleeping in a chair close by, and Vadik was keeping watch out front, so she hopped down on the floor to play with her kitten.
‘You’re so cute!’ she told it, as she watched it play with a wood chip it had found on the floor and gave a heavy sigh. ‘I wish Fari could see you.’
In a flash of etheric light, Thurraya found herself in the tech room on AMIE.
Ooops. I didn’t mean that! She mentally denied responsibility for the location shift.
Fari, years older than when she’d last seen him, was standing in front of her at a work bench looking over some papers. ‘Fari?’ She stood to greet him. ‘You got big!’
Fari, startled at first, smiled, pleased to see her. ‘You’re just the same,’ he replied.
‘What are you doing in here?’ Thurraya wondered, as the tech room was not one of their usual haunts.
‘Kalayna’s been building some neat stuff in here,’ he said, ‘and she lets me build stuff too, ’cause I get bored.’
As much as she wanted to stay and chat, Thurraya knew she should not be here. ‘I’d better get back, before my charge wears off.’
‘Hey wait!’ Fari waylaid her. ‘I’ve got a new trick, wanna see?’
‘Sure,’ Thurraya allowed, and a second later Fari had turned into a cat! ‘That’s cool!’ she emphasised, clapping as he transformed back into himself.
‘You try,’ he urged, holding out his hand to her.
As Thurraya was an adaptor, she couldn’t resist the chance to really be a cat, and taking hold of his hand she made that wish and the next thing she knew she was tiny and walking around all covered in black fur. This is fun! She rolled around, loving the feel of her furry little body, then she felt the cold metal band clap around her neck. When she tried to return to her true form she couldn’t, and she couldn’t get the band off. She was trapped!
‘Fari, this isn’t funny!’ she tried to say, but all that came out of her mouth were meows.
When Fari picked her up, she tried to wriggle and scratch, but she was too little. ‘You’re coming with me, Princess,’ he informed with a grin, as he dropped her in a box and closed the lid.
General Prochazka was leaving her office to answer a summons to the Qusay’s room of court — news of her Qusay’s raid on the seeding stable here in Tonissia had already reached her, as many of the Valoureans were none too happy about Satomi’s decree to turn it into a nursing home for men, and neither was she.
But as Prochazka opened her door to depart, her AMIE spy was waiting with a box in hand. ‘What are you doing here?’ she queried the boy, who immediately transformed into her true Valourean form.
‘Mission accomplished, General.’ She held out the box in her hands in offering. ‘The Princess Thurraya.’
Prochazka took the box and looking inside she smiled broadly. ‘Are you sure it’s her?’
‘No question,’ the Valourean replied. ‘Only she could do this.’
‘It was a clever move to get her to transform,’ Prochazka awarded. ‘They won’t be able to track her.’ Prochazka gloated over her timely little prize. ‘You can hardly fulfil my Qusay’s prophecy like this,’ she told the kitten who was trying desperately to scale the walls of her container. ‘Much safer this way.’ She closed the lid and handed the box back to her spy. ‘Tell no one else its true identity. Find a more secure cage, and give her to my lieutenant to guard in my absence. All she need know is that her life depends on keeping this creature safe.’
‘You are going somewhere, General?’ the Valourean queried, as Prochazka did not often leave the palace.
Prochazka’s mood had picked up considerably; there was nothing to forestall victory now. ‘I’m off to do a spot of fishing.’
Her subordinate clearly found this hard to believe, but did not query the general’s good cheer.
‘Excellent work,’ Prochazka awarded her spy in parting. ‘Remind me to give you a promotion.’
‘Shall I return to AMIE?’ she posed. ‘I have been able to fly under the radar all this time as I was not suspected, but if I’m brought before their captain for questioning he may finally engage his psychic sight to view me and I will be discovered.’
‘I agree.’ Prochazka considered their options. ‘The kid is in psychic containment, so they cannot retrieve him directly, but have the lieutenant double the guard in that block.’
‘Thank you, General.’ She nodded her head in respect, and left to do the general’s bidding.
Prochazka knew she was about to get a dressing down about being deceitful, but she was not concerned — if she could pacify the Phemoray for a hundred years, she could certainly deal with one of Satomi’s little tantrums.
‘You asked to see me, Highness?’ The general strode into the courtroom to face the music, and bowed before the Qusay, who appeared most displeased.
‘Why was I not told about the seeding stables?’ she demanded. ‘After the way in which I died, did you really think I would approve?’
‘The stables have been an institution on this planet since before you were born —’ Prochazka began.
‘Instituted by the Phemoray!’ Satomi rebu
tted the excuse. ‘We are supposed to be rectifying their evil ways on this planet, not continuing them!’
Prochazka raised both brows, unaffected by her Qusay’s ire. ‘I have been serving this royal house for hundreds of years. I am given orders, and I achieve results. How I fulfil those orders and keep the Valoureans loyal to the crown has never been questioned. If you wish to know the grisly details, Highness, you need only ask.’
‘Is it true you took Spyridon Vidor and the other men from AMIE there?’ Satomi ran with the general’s recommendation.
‘It seemed a shame to waste all those psychic genes.’ Prochazka was not angered about being questioned, but for the first time in her career she felt ashamed of her Qusay. The one thing the general had in common with the Phemoray was a hatred of men, spurred on by her own remorse for ever trusting a male to help her take the Phemoray down. ‘They are only men after all.’ She challenged her queen’s priorities.
‘You think treating men with the same disrespect they once showed us makes us superior in some way?’ Her Qusay was clearly upset, which only made Prochazka more angry.
‘It’s called retribution,’ she defended.
‘It is abuse!’ Her Qusay stood, enraged. ‘In a thousand years, have we not evolved at all? What other little secrets are you hiding from me?’
The question sent Prochazka’s temper skyrocketing. ‘I am not the one keeping secrets.’ Prochazka turned the interrogation around. ‘When you allowed me to absorb your genetic code and pass it on to other shifters, I did not only acquire your power but your memory also.’ She raised her brows to see if the Qusay could guess what her concern was.
Her Qusay stood tall to defy any accusation. ‘What of it?’
‘Deny that this coup was not executed for the sake of Phemoria, but rather for your family!’ Prochazka had had enough of the games.
‘That,’ Satomi challenged, ‘is a treasonous remark.’
‘Only if it’s false.’ Prochazka was confident it wasn’t. ‘It is your intention to lay down your life to end the curses, to spare your granddaughter that fate, knowing that the end of the Phemoray will return your sister to this world, where she will reclaim her throne.’ The general gave half a laugh. ‘Can you see why this might be a concern for me? I aided you to win your throne back; what happens to me and the rest of the Valoureans when you abdicate?’
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