Obsidian Tears

by Jaleta Clegg

  "I see Shadita survived the trip," Mayguena said behind me.

  I turned to look at her, meet her dark eyes. They were full of suspicions.

  "Sylena!" Lilliasa squealed behind me. She rushed past us to embrace an older woman.

  The woman was smiling. She wore a simple outfit of fitted trousers and a long tunic, belted tightly at the waist. Her hair was twisted in a single braid around her head. She hugged Lilliasa back. It was the first time I'd seen any of the Trythians display anything even remotely like affection for each other.

  "How have you been, Lilliasa?" she asked. Her voice was deeper than expected, warm and mellow. "I've heard about your upcoming wedding. I wondered how long it would be until you remembered your aunt."

  "There's just been so much to do," Lilliasa said.

  "I see Mayguena is still with you," Sylena said. "It has been more than a few years," she said to Mayguena.

  "Much too long," Mayguena agreed.

  "And who is this?" Sylena said, her attention shifting to me.

  "My last birthday present," Lilliasa said, with more than a little sarcasm. "I call her Pooki. Her real name is Dace and she is going to be the key to our plans."

  So they trusted Sylena, enough to speak openly in front of her. Sylena studied me more closely. I couldn't tell if she approved of what she saw or not.

  "We brought you a present," Lilliasa said. She motioned Tayvis forward.

  "A slave?" Sylena didn't sound as if she approved.

  "He's quite gifted at tile work," Lilliasa said innocently. "And I'm fairly certain he has other talents." She shot me a look full of meaning. "What was it you were talking about with him, Dace? I don't believe I've heard that language before."

  She took a step closer to me, Mayguena right beside her. Sylena just watched, an interested gleam in her eyes. I felt short and small. They were intimidating me. The scars on my back itched.

  Tayvis stepped in front of them, meeting Mayguena's eyes on her own level. He was a lot taller than me, and a lot bigger. Mayguena stopped, looking at him instead of me.

  "She was telling me what you plan to do," Tayvis said.

  "You turn to a man for help?" Lilliasa scoffed at me. "I see I misjudged you."

  "You forget your place," Mayguena said to Tayvis, low and dangerous.

  "And I believe you've forgotten your manners," Sylena said. Her voice could have cut rock, it was that hard.

  "Your pardon, des Shira," Mayguena murmured. She half turned from Tayvis to give Sylena a small bow.

  "Stop your posturing," Sylena snapped at Mayguena. "You came here for help with your schemes. Explain them to me and perhaps I'll help. If I agree with you." She was watching Tayvis now. He still stood in front of me. "I do believe you've misjudged these two," she added to Mayguena. She took a step closer to Tayvis. She was only an inch taller. "I have quite a few of these humans on my estate. I've found them to be very clever and resourceful." She reached up to his collar, a small black box in her hand. The collar slid free. She let it fall to the ground. "Welcome to my humble estate," she said to Tayvis. "Behave yourself and follow the rules or I'll put it back on and sell you to someone less accommodating."

  Tayvis put his hand on his bare throat, looking surprised.

  "You'll have to keep your collar," Sylena said to me. "But I'm certain Mayguena has explained the special features to you." She turned away. "It's hot out here and it's also lunchtime. Are you coming?" This last was directed at Lilliasa and Mayguena. She didn't wait for their response. Sylena swept into her mansion leaving the door open behind her.

  "Bring Shadita," Lilliasa ordered me as she followed.

  Shadita was currently eating the bush. She didn't want to come. The pilot of the flyer piled luggage on the landing pad. A short creature covered in gray fur waddled out of the mansion to collect it. I pulled Shadita out of the bush, avoiding her teeth as I picked her up.

  Tayvis was right behind me as I stepped into the cool, shady interior. Light flickered and played over the floor, as if trees shaded the room. The others were across the wide lobby, entering a room beyond. I hurried to catch up with them. Shadita popped at me. Her teeth snapped just shy of my fingers.

  It was in indoor garden, cool and shaded and full of the smell of growing things. Flowers twined up the trunks of gnarled trees. The floor underfoot was a mix of flat stones and thick mosses. Water cascaded down one wall, splashing into a wide basin at the bottom with a muted sound. Fish of all colors darted in the water. Shadita wriggled in my grip, trying to get loose.

  "You may let her go," Sylena told me. "There is nothing here that would hurt her. And quite a few of the shrubs need pruning."

  I did as I was told and put Shadita down. She immediately pranced over to a wide shrub and began nipping leaves off.

  "I do not remember inviting you," Sylena said to Tayvis. "The slave quarters are outside, beyond the patio. You may have today to rest. Tomorrow I expect a full day's work from you. I have several fountains in need of repair." She turned away from him, dismissing him.

  He looked at me, an unspoken question in his eyes. I didn't want him to go, I wanted him to stay with me. But I didn't want trouble either. I nodded. And tried to smile. I'd be all right, I had to be.

  "Remember what you promised," he said quietly, in the Dadilan language.

  I could smile then. I wanted to do more, but I didn't dare. I'd promised to marry him. He wanted me to. And then I'd never have to watch him walk away from me again. Like I was doing now. He left the garden room. I felt strange inside, warm and cold at the same time. I loved him, more than ever. And he understood. And I'd find some way out. For both of us.

  "What is he to you?" Sylena asked, pulling me abruptly back into the present situation.

  "They weren't caught together," Mayguena said. She studied me with a look I didn't like. "They are from completely different regions."

  They expected an answer from me. "He's a friend."

  "A very good friend," Lilliasa said, sneering. "You turn to a man. Just like the others."

  "Why?" Mayguena demanded of me.

  I shifted uncomfortably. I didn't want to answer her questions. I had to go to the bathroom. My stomach growled, reminding me that there was food in the room and I hadn't eaten in a long time.

  "Your questions can wait," Sylena said. I was almost beginning to like her. "Go find your friend," she told me. "Come back in an hour."

  I hesitated. Lilliasa was the one who owned me. And I hated myself for hesitating, for looking to her for permission.

  "I suppose you can stay out of trouble that long." Lilliasa waved me away, dismissing me as something not worth her time.

  I didn't wait for Mayguena's comments, which I'm sure were coming. I ducked my head and backed quickly out of the room.

  "Interesting," Sylena said as I left. "I haven't had a chance to observe a female of their species before."

  Whatever they said after that was too low for me to hear, not that I was going to stand there eavesdropping. I retraced my steps out of the mansion and back into the muggy heat outside.

  The flyer was gone. The pile of luggage was gone. And so was any sign of anyone else.

  Paths led away from the landing pad. The area around it was dense with plants that cut off any view of anything else. I picked a path at random and started walking.

  The plants were a solid wall for the first curve. After that they opened into a garden. Trees hung over everything, branches trimmed high up to form a wide canopy. The shade was welcome. It was still very hot. Flowers drooped along both sides of the path. I walked quickly, not stopping to admire them. I was desperate. I was going to have to use a bush soon, just like Shadita.

  The path curved around, dropping around an artificially round hill. Walls of cut stone lined both sides. I spotted a small building ahead. I hurried to it. It was an open shelter, holding a lacy table and a pair of matching chairs. There was a tiny room at the back that I recognized with relief. I pushed open the discr
eet door. Inside it was cool and dim. I felt much better when I came back out.

  I stopped near the entrance to the shelter. It was the first time I'd been alone, really alone, for quite a while. I had a lot of things to think about. But I was hungry and I wasn't interested in the scenery. I chose a new path and started walking.

  I heard voices and stopped, listening. They were speaking Basic. They didn't sound secretive, they sounded happy. Someone laughed. I closed my eyes. It sounded so normal, so real. I was almost convinced I was dreaming.

  What was I doing here anyway? I had a creeping feeling inside that I was breaking some unspoken rule and I'd be punished later. I shoved that feeling away. I'd been told to go out here. I was a bit off center. I wasn't sure what to feel or what to do. The collar on my neck had never felt heavier, but I was still warm inside. Tayvis wanted me to marry him. I couldn't quite believe it was real.

  I heard footsteps and stepped back into an area more shaded than the path. Whoever it was, he whistled as he came closer. I heard a rhythmic crunching that didn't fit. I tried to resist my curiosity but this time I lost. I stepped back out to see what was going on.

  He was human. He didn't wear a slave collar. He wore a loose tunic and breeches. He was raking leaves out from under a thick vine. He looked up at me. Surprise and shock crossed his face in the matter of seconds it took me to recognize him. He leaned on his rake and grinned.

  "You're the last person I expected to find in the garden," he said. "How'd you get here, Dace?"

  "Probably the same way you did," I answered. "I thought you were on Dadilan permanently. No one admitted to even knowing you afterwards. How have you been, Will Scarlet?" It felt surreal. I wondered if I was starting to hallucinate.

  "My name isn't really Will Scarlet. That was just one of Muir's little mannerisms. He's perfectly happy as Robin Goodfellow and can't understand why anyone else wouldn't want to recreate the happy legend with him. I got a little tired of camping in the woods and eating roasted animals off a stick."

  "If it isn't Will Scarlet, what is it?"

  "Willet Smythe, at your service," he said and bowed. His grin was just as mischievous as I remembered. He shoved the rake back under the vines and pulled out another crackling mass of dead leaves.

  "I think I'm very confused," I said.

  He laughed as he pulled more leaves out from under the vine. "You tell me what you've been up to and I'll tell you what I've been doing."

  "You're taking this too calmly." I sat on the path, tucking my long skirt under me.

  "I've quit being surprised by things," Will said. He leaned on his rake again. "It's all a matter of deciding that whatever happens is normal. Head games."

  "So how did you end up here?" I may as well play the curiosity game with him. He seemed to expect it.

  "You haven't changed. Much. Still asking questions and ending up where you don't belong." He poked the rake under the vine again. "I was bought off the auction block by Sylena des Vehira. She's the most decent one of them. As long as we stay on the grounds and do what needs done, she leaves us mostly alone. Are you her most recent acquisition?"

  "No," I said, sighing. I pulled my knees up and wrapped my arms around them. "But Tayvis is. He's somewhere in the gardens."

  "Tayvis, too? Then you came with the flyer. We've heard about the visit of her niece." He gave me a sideways glance. He was fishing for information. I saw no reason not to give it to him.

  "Lilliasa is being married off in a few months," I said. "She and Mayguena are planning a revolt. I'm supposed to get the slaves to help. She promised us freedom if we do."

  He stopped raking. He turned his round face towards me, his eyes watching me shrewdly. "And you don't trust her."

  "I don't have a choice."

  "Tell me about it," he invited.

  So I did. I told him about their customs and why Lilliasa and Mayguena wanted to change things. He leaned on his rake and just listened.

  "That explains a lot," he said when I finished. "Sylena is different. There's some quirk in their law that let her keep the estate after her husband died. As long as she stays here and doesn't make herself noticed, they leave her alone. She doesn't treat us as slaves. Not here." He pushed the rake back under the vines. "I've overheard a lot. She likes to dine out on the patio with her favorites. She doesn't care what we hear her say."

  I watched him pull out another pile of leaves. There were still a lot of questions he hadn't answered.

  "How did you get here from Dadilan?" I asked.

  "Do you still work for the Patrol?" He pushed dead leaves to one side, not looking at me.

  "I never did. Lowell uses me, sometimes, but not officially. I wasn't supposed to end up here. I was only supposed to make contact with the Sessimoniss."

  "The Sessimoniss?" He stopped raking to stare at me. "You win. You surprised me. You want to explain that?"

  "Not really."

  He laughed.

  "You seem awfully happy. Doesn't it bother you?"

  "Being a slave? Of course it does. We have plans, though. We aren't going to be here much longer." He leaned on his rake again. "I was sent here to make contact, to establish diplomatic relations." He drawled the terms out.

  "For the Empire?" I asked, completely confused.

  "For the Federation of United Worlds. It was Roland's idea. Mostly."

  "I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about."

  "The Empire either is very good at controlling information or you haven't been paying attention."

  "I've been trying to mind my own business."

  "Roland was named Governor of Dadilan by the Patrol after you left. He spent a while cleaning up the mess you made and working things out with Muir and the others. And then he kicked the Patrol out. He established contact with the Federation, learned about other forms of government, then revised their laws. He created the Federation of United Worlds. Three systems in the Empire seceded to join us. At least that was how many had when I was sent here. We'd lost two ships to Trythian raiders. Roland sent me to make contact and work out a treaty. As you can see, I haven't been very successful yet."

  "I kicked them off Serrimonia, but they were ready to leave anyway. I just didn't run fast enough afterwards." I scuffed one bare foot over the smooth stones. "So Roland finally got what he wanted? A trip offworld?" Roland was a monk of the order of Myrln. He'd saved my skin a couple of times on Dadilan. I wasn't too surprised to hear he'd created his own government. Roland was resourceful, sneaky, clever, but still honorable.

  "Roland has his own fleet now," Will said.

  "Good for him." I couldn't find much enthusiasm. Somehow the news seemed far distant from our situation here.

  "So what are you supposed to tell us to do?"

  "The first night of High Festival, you're supposed to break loose and cause trouble."

  He cocked his head to one side, thinking it over. "And we're going to be freed for that?"

  "Mayguena is going to use the diversion to put her own plans into action."

  "It sounds like a setup to me."

  There were voices and footsteps approaching behind me. I didn't look. I recognized Tayvis' voice. I was suddenly very nervous. And I didn't know why. I should be happy to see him, shouldn't I? And yet my stomach was in knots.

  "Still hanging out with the Patrol undercover, I see," Will teased. "Commander Tayvis, you're looking well."

  "Was that a joke, Will?" Tayvis stopped right behind me. "We had a few questions for you, Dace. They let you out on purpose?"

  "They sent me away so I wouldn't listen in on their planning," I answered. I got up and brushed off the back of my dress.

  I didn't know the other man. He was middle aged, but still in good shape.

  "Bylon Newart," he introduced himself. "Planetary geologist with Exploration. Not that it seems to matter much here."

  Tayvis reached for my hand. I let him take it and tried not to be self conscious about it. My heart sped up. I wondered i
f my hands were sweaty or if I was just imagining it. Why was I so shy and nervous around Tayvis now? He squeezed my hand. It was oddly reassuring.

  "You said you had questions?" I asked Tayvis.

  "Are you going to turn her loose here so she can leave the planet in flames?" Will asked.

  "Like the last three?" Tayvis teased me.

  "Shut up, Malcolm," I said.

  "If you say so, Zeresthina."

  I couldn't decide if I should smack him or kiss him so I settled for smiling at him instead.

  "Now that you've got that taken care of," Will interrupted, "it's about lunch time and unless Dace has changed more than I suspect, she's probably ready to eat the garden by now."

  He would remember that. On Dadilan, I was lucky to get one good meal a day so when that meal came, I ate as much as possible because I had no idea when the next meal was coming.

  "You want to break his nose or can I do it for you?" Tayvis asked.

  "I'll just ignore him. He can't stand that."

  Bylon led the way through the garden to a wide plaza under the shade of a dozen high trees. Their branches spread wide way overhead. Light dappled the grass underfoot. There were perhaps three dozen men in the area, all human as far as I could tell.

  "Our mistress, the lovely Sylena, prefers humans," Will said to me as we entered the space. "She says we make better workers than other species. She buys up the troublemakers, the nonviolent ones, and brings us out here. As far as I can tell, there's nothing but jungle for a hundred miles in any direction once you get outside the walls. So no one worries much about us."

  "And Sylena lets us do pretty much as we please," Bylon said. "As long as her gardens are tended and her home is clean, she doesn't care how we spend our time."

  "So you spend it plotting?" I couldn't resist.

  "Of course," Will said with a grin. "Another twenty years and we can have our own spaceship built. If we can find a hyperdrive engineer."

  Tayvis led me over to the group. They had food set up in the central area of the courtyard. Bylon and Will made introductions while we found a place to sit. Will handed me a plate of food and a wink.