Beast Master's Quest

by Andre Norton

  *We did what we must. Liomsa to my son or not, you do not speak to me so or command . . . *

  She found she was facing an aikiza. Prauo might be still immature according to his kin’s calculations, but the humans had noticed, as soon as they saw this world’s aikizai, that Prauo was large in comparison. Laris’s loving care, her feeding of him with a diet perfectly suited to his needs, had resulted in an aikiza who was, even if still not quite mature, perhaps ten percent larger than most of the adult male aikizai they’d seen here thus far.

  Prauo sent nothing; he simply stood between his dam and Laris. Then, very slowly and still facing his dam, he sank to a half crouch, his lips drew back as the fur on his shoulders rose. Deliberately, he slashed out with his hind legs alternately, claws ripping deep into the sod, before he froze again. He had no need to make a sound or to send anything at all. Everyone present understood the challenge, anyone who would harm Laris must go through Prauo.

  Purrraal dropped to the same crouch, issuing a snarling cry. Her muscles tensed. Storm would have intervened, but Logan, suddenly wiser, held him back. His voice reached Storm and Tani in a low hiss: “Leave it. It’s up to them.”

  In one jump Laris was beside Prauo again, her stunner out and aimed. Her gaze was fixed hotly on Purrraal and E’l’ith. “Don’t you dare. I’ll—just—don’t you dare hurt him!”

  *I could kill you both.* Purrraal’s sending was as clear as the threat it contained.

  *You can try,* Laris retorted. Her sending was equally clear to the liomsa and their aikizai, as was her determination. She would fight if she had to, and she would never allow Prauo to fight alone while she was present to stand with him. Fangless, clawless, a cub still as she was counted by both peoples, she would not stand aside while her aikiza fought for her. She would fight for him with equal savagery.

  In their equivalent of open-mouthed surprise, the aikizai and their liomsa stared at the bristling pair, and then all confrontation collapsed. E’l’ith was the first to step back, holding her open hands out to them. Her sending was involuntary, a bubbling well of amusement, coupled with admiration. That was reinforced first by Saaraoo, then, as she too retreated, by Purrraal.

  E’l’ith laid a hand on Purrraal’s shoulder, her sending able to be understood by all. *Ah, aikiza-kin, what son have you bred? A bold one who would fight, even die for his liomsa as she would do for him. Well did he choose, and well did we decide that he should be taken.*

  Purrraal made a small umphing sound of agreement. *So it would seem. Though I am not so sure it would be he who dies in a fight. Have you seen the size of him?*

  Her sending might not put much of that into words, but the picture—and the small tinge of pride—was clear enough to produce laughter or its equivalent reaction in both groups.

  Laris tucked her stunner away, receiving as she did so a disapproving glare from Storm. She winced as she met his gaze. “I know you said no weapons, but I had a feeling about it.”

  “It worked out this time. Next time it may not. Don’t do it again.”

  Her look was apologetic, but Storm noticed she made no promises. He said nothing, but made a decision to keep an eye on her in future. Stunners didn’t normally leave a trail of bodies, but even so, using one at the wrong time could get the user killed in reaction. Maybe, before they got into any other talks, he should explain to E’l’ith and her friends how a stunner worked. That way, if Laris waved one about again, no one would assume it to be lethal and strike at her first with something which was.

  *E’l’ith?* Her look indicated her attention and he explained swiftly. He also observed that all her group and aikizai were listening as well, and felt approval coming from them. It was good, most thought, that the weapons these outworlders used were not ones that killed. It told the others and their aikizai much about a people who preferred to use such things.

  *These stunners are a good thing,* E’l’ith said slowly. “Better than the atori we use, which wound or slay. I will see to it our peoples know that your weapons do not kill.*

  Storm considered, then explained a little further: *They do not normally kill, but they can be made to do so. And our people have other arms, of a kind similar to your own.* He wasn’t going into long explanations just now of how a pulse-rifle differed from an atori—which he assumed to be the projectile rifle the liomsa had used against them earlier. He’d observed the atori at close range several times by now; they were fairly primitive—but lethal, as E’l’ith said.

  *Still, it is these stunners you carry most often and they do not normally slay,* E’l’ith said with an air of decision. *Now, there are other questions you would ask of us as we would ask of you. Let us begin to learn of each other.*

  Logan spoke before Storm could decide what to ask first. “If Prauo learns intelligence from Laris, what happens if Laris dies? Does his intelligence fade?”

  Saaraoo answered that. *It does not. Whatever level of intelligence an aikiza reaches is retained.* His mouth opened in a feline grin as both Prauo and Laris sighed, sending relief at that to all and sundry present. *No, there are other effects and greater problems. Such is the basis of the dissension between my liomsa and T’s’ai and his people.*

  “And what are the reasons for disagreement, if it is proper to ask?”

  Saaraoo sent slowly, *Bonding is complex. In a full bond, a aikiza develops physically and mentally in stages. Prauo is not yet adult; he has at least one more stage to go in size and perhaps another in mental abilities.*

  Storm stared at Prauo. *He’s going to get bigger still?* He hadn’t really noticed that Prauo had been growing through the six months of the journey. But on arrival, when his attention had been drawn to Prauo’s size in comparison to those of the aikizai on this world, he’d seen that Prauo was already larger.

  *That is so.*

  Tani laughed. *Good grief, he’s going to be a monster! Surely he’ll be larger than any aikizai that’s ever lived here when that happens?*

  *That is so. But he will not be more intelligent than he is now. His last mental stage—if it occurs—will be something we cannot predict. That will come and cannot be hurried. When it occurs you will know what he can do and how well, but some very few of the aikizai have developed mind powers. Some have been able to move small objects, others to hear their liomsa’s mind from a greater distance. Just accept that in this particular aikizai’a—the bond between the two—there is no question, he and his liomsa have full bond, as some, like T’s’ai and his aikiza, do not.*

  “All right, what about T’s’ai?” Logan asked.

  Everyone in E’l’ith’s group looked at her. She gave the whistling sigh, a strangely human sound of regret. *It is thus. Some aikizai and liomsa do not completely bond. In such pairings, a liomsa has the power and may command as superior to inferior so long as his aikiza remains with him.”

  Both Storm and Tani saw the problems in that at once. *But if they can command, then their aikiza can’t leave?* Storm sent, followed by Tani’s sending:

  *And if those who bond that way stay apart only from those who bond fully, they are likely to breed more of their kind, liomsa and aikizai with the weaker bonding.*

  *But,* Storm picked up her line of thought, *effectively that’s a form of slavery, and I doubt their aikizai like it much. Less affection and more dominance between them, and that could produce an even weaker bonding in a few generations.* He considered. *Yet if that’s so, awhile longer and you could have a pool of aikizai who have almost no minds of their own, aikizai who are just robots that obey their liomsa. I don’t like the sound of that.*

  The other three humans were making sounds of disgust and agreement. Prauo was growling very softly as were several of the other aikizai.

  From the group behind E’l’ith and the two aikizai, one of the others came forward.

  *M’a’ein, I. We too do not like this possibility, nor are we fools. We have seen it may be so. We have warned T’s’ai, but he does not listen; he does not wish t
o hear. It will not happen in his lifetime nor in the lifetimes of his children. That is all he cares about.* One shoulder moved in a small circular gesture Storm guessed was their version of a shrug.

  *Sometimes we may work together and improve a bond so that it is a full binding. We would have done so for T’s’ai, but then he would not command his aikiza. He would have to persuade his aikiza to do what T’s’ai wants, and T’s’ai prefers to order—or so we think.*

  *As do those who have gone to be with T’s’ai?* Laris questioned, receiving agreement from E’l’ith and those with her. Her face set in lines of anger. *They breed slaves. That’s wrong!*

  *Have you never wished to command Prauo?* Saaraoo’s tone was neutral.

  Laris laughed, turning to wind her fingers in her aikiza’s shoulder fur. *More than once, that is true. Yet if you said to me you could make it so that I could command him and be obeyed, I would not. Prauo?*

  *There are times when my sister has been in danger and I too have wished to order her and see myself obeyed. But, as Laris says, if such a thing were offered to me, I would refuse. It is not right that one should be enslaved to another. To bond with another at any level, that should be a free choice, freely made.*

  E’l’ith nodded. *So, shall we then enforce full binding? Or forbid a joining where that cannot be accomplished?*

  Logan’s face screwed up in thought. “I don’t see how you can. You might enforce an attempt to make a full binding take effect. But what do you do if it’s only a part binding and can’t be deepened? If you don’t know how effective the binding will be until they’ve been paired awhile, you have only two choices: deepen the bond, or, if you can’t do that, break the bond. But if it’s a command bond, could that harm or even kill the aikiza?”

  *Yes.* Purrraal’s sending was bitter. *Such have I done. Two living cubs before Prauo were born to me. Neither could bond fully. Both I took apart with me and slew, that they might not live their whole lives as slaves. That, under our law, is aikiza’s Right.*

  *What happened to their liomsa?*

  *They joined T’s’ai and his kind. They do not hold to that Right, and with them they found other cubs they might enslave.*

  Laris spoke directly to her. *As you would have killed Prauo if we’d come back and you’d found he and I were bound that way?* Her mind voice was edged with horror. *That’s the only reason you came to meet him, isn’t it? After we’d come so far and searched for so long to find his people, you’d kill him if he didn’t measure up to your standards?*

  Purrraal’s stance was unbending. *It is so.*

  Tani’s tone was dangerous. *Just what would you have done if Laris had fought for Prauo? Killed her, too?*

  E’l’ith intervened hastily before Purrraal could answer that. *We do not kill intelligent beings. We do not count the unbonded or the half-bonded as intelligent. Your kind we do, but here on our world we follow our own laws and this you must permit us.*

  Storm could sense the growing anger in his own group and in some of those who fronted them. Lowering his voice to a soft neutral tone, he spoke to Tani, “Send Minou and Ferrare back to the ship. Tell Mandy to stay overhead and retire when we do.”

  Then, he sent to E’l’ith as he bowed politely to her: *The day moves on and we are weary. I think it best I and my friends retire to eat and rest and discuss all you have told us. Let our people meet again tomorrow to talk further in friendship. For now we have much to think on.* He bowed again. * A smooth trail to you, clean water, and a pleasant day.*

  Those comments should be neutral enough to allow them to break up the party without offense. Apparently they were. E’l’ith inclined her head graciously.

  *Tomorrow then, at the same time as we met today.* Her small hand movement signaled her group, so that those still sitting rose to their feet and fell in to walk behind her as she departed.

  Minou and Ferrare obeyed Tani’s mental command and raced ahead to the ship. Mandy dropped to land on Tani’s padded shoulder while Laris and Prauo hurried up the ramp ahead of her. Logan and Storm hung back until everyone else was safely inside. They walked up the steps and Logan punched the button to shut the heavy air-tight door. Then he blew out an expressive breath.

  “I thought things were going to get nasty there for a moment.”

  “So did I.” Storm’s face was grave. “They still might. I can see the problem these people have, and I can see that almost any Terran would react as we did. Slavery is wrong, and the murder of semi-intelligent cubs is as bad. I think before news of this world is released, the Patrol may have to make some hard decisions of their own. They may decide not to make any announcement for a while about the discovery of this world and two new races and make us swear to say nothing as well.”

  He went to eat and spend the remainder of the day in excited—and occasionally acrimonious—discussion with the others on the ship. Tomorrow was another day, one during which he hoped something might be worked out that would allow most of those involved to have some of what they wanted. It was unlikely, he thought, but also not impossible—with goodwill and common sense on both sides. Yet from what he’d seen of T’s’ai, there might not be a lot of either capacity there, and Storm was worried.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The next morning dawned dull. The sky was covered in cloud, and a light drizzle was beginning to fall while the inhabitants of The Trehannan Lady ate breakfast.

  Tani looked ruefully through the nearest viewscreen that was tuned to show the view outside the ship, studied the drizzle and the day, and muttered at Laris, “Wonderful day. Just the sort of thing we want so we can make excuses and get out of having an outside meeting.” As she spoke she switched the viewscreen back into computer mode and called up some of her previous notes on the liomsa and aikizai.

  Laris nodded. “I feel the same way, sort of overstuffed. As if there’s so much going on in the back of my head I don’t want anything new to think about.”

  Logan had been listening. He nodded and commented, “I say we tell Storm to hold off on another meeting with the liomsa and aikizai. I’d like a day or two to think about everything we heard yesterday.” Hearing a faint sound he turned to look at the doorway where Storm had appeared. “You heard us?”

  “I did and I agree. They gave us a lot to consider yesterday. A day, or even two days, discussing all the possibilities and angles would do none of us any harm.”

  “I can’t approve it,” Tani said thoughtfully. “They’re killing cubs already on their way to intelligence because it is believed they can’t sustain a full bonding. On the other hand, what they’ve already done here, as far as I can see, is create a second-class citizenry. Those who can’t bond fully, and those who through no fault of their own are being penalized either socially or by having their aikiza murdered. I have to say, I can see why T’s’ai might leave to live apart with others in the same situation. I wonder just how many of T’s’ai’s group there are?”

  From his position, sprawled on a long seat by Laris, Prauo sent, *What of cubs whom their own dam slays? How would a cub feel, knowing that his own blood finds him so disgusting they want to kill him?* His purple gaze turned to Laris. *You heard her, furless-sister. Purrraal killed the two cubs she had before me. She would have killed me if I’d returned with you and our bonding was not complete. I find I do not want such kin.*

  Laris reached over to hug him in sudden desperate relief. Prauo didn’t like his dam, didn’t agree with a lot of what his people did, he’d stay with her and not expect her to stay here on this world, either. She could afford to be generous. “I know. But Prauo, in a way I can see why she did it. If your cub was enslaved without any hope of ever being free, wouldn’t you rather see such a cub dead?”

  Storm suddenly made a small sound in the back of his throat, then he snapped one word. “Yes.”

  Logan eyed him. “You’ve had an idea. Don’t just sit there looking smug. Tell us.”

  “Laris said it. ‘Without any hope of being free.’ Wh
at if there was? What if there was a system put into place to ensure that once a year the aikizai in that position might be able to be freed if they wanted to be?”

  Prauo raised his head. *Sufficient aikizai working together might be able to break loose the bond, I think. There could be a great ceremony each year. Break the bond, ask those who are imperfectly bonded if they wish the bond to be returned, and if they say no, break the bond permanently so it cannot be repaired.”

  “But is that even possible?” Tani asked. “We don’t know that it can be done—and if it can, won’t the freed aikizai still go on to breed more of their kind with the weaker bonds?”

  Laris sighed. “Maybe. It could be they’d have to do something about that, too, perhaps some form of sterilization, but the aikizai would be free and alive anyway. That’d be something.”

  Storm was pondering. “Don’t forget, they have some primitive science and technology. Those atories they have weren’t created out of thin air. They must have at least small machine shops; the guns looked almost standardized to me. E’l’ith said that our talks were being sent to most of her people, too. They know about other worlds. I don’t know if that’s from having seen the occasional spacer or from their own science, but they do know there are other inhabited worlds. Then again, a lot of the liomsa’s clothing and the aikizai breastplates are clearly handmade. So an interesting question is: how much technology do they really have?”

  Tani caught his line of thought first. “What you’re really asking is how much do they understand of the neurological/biological basis of their bonding? Yes. It’s possible the reason for the weaker bondings could be something that could be cured or perhaps temporarily fixed until a cure can be found.”

  Storm nodded. “There’s another thing that worries me, though. Why did they really allow Prauo to be taken? I got the impression from Purrraal and E’l’ith that it was an important experiment for some reason. So why did they do it? One possibility is that there aren’t enough liomsa available to bond with aikizai.”