by Paul Kater
Sygra Dirrit ko Asac. The senator. Yes. Daniel flipped the switch and waited. When Rayko started coughing, he almost dropped the device. "Are you okay?" he asked. "We're safe now."
The young woman tried to move. Failing that, she looked up at him, clearly not understanding what was going on. She tried to say something, but all it got her was another fit of coughing.
"Daniel?" The voice of the senator came from the hydger.
"Senator, I am sorry to trouble you. I have found Rayko. Can I come to you for a place to hide?"
Rayko grabbed for Daniel's shirt and coughed again.
"You found her? Where? Oh, I mean, come here, as fast as you can! Time to explain later. I will have rooms prepared." The display went grey, Daniel quickly called for a carriage and hoped it would get there fast. He stuck the hydger in his pocket and supported Rayko again.
"Calm down, girl, calm down. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you, okay?" Daniel said, trying to comfort her.
"Thirst... water..." were the first words the young woman managed. She looked awful and probably felt far worse.
"I wish I had some for you, Rayko," he said. He hoped that saying her name would help.
With both hands the woman grabbed his shirt and she pulled him close. Daniel put his arms around her and mumbled soft words. In his arms, Rayko was sobbing in her misery.
After what felt like an age, a carriage came into the street. It stopped next to them by the time Daniel was on his feet again, Rayko in his arms. The door opened, and he gently put her inside, laying her down on the seat as well as he could. Carriages were not made for this, clearly. He told the thing where to go. As it started to move, in its tediously slow night setting, Daniel saw he had to change Rayko's position; she was bound to fall this way. He took her in his arms as he sat down, holding her in his lap, her legs curled up so she would still fit on the seat.
He was not sure if she was awake, but at times she moaned and winced. His own fatigue was attacking him again now. He nodded off, and each time either a sound from Rayko or a bump in the road shook him up, forcing him into what awareness was left to him.
Suddenly, after fading in and out for a while, the carriage was no longer moving. Daniel had not noticed it stopping. The fact that someone opened the door was however a sign.
"Mr. Zacharias, please let go of the young lady. We will take care of her," a voice said. The person had to wrench Daniel's hands free and he noticed the weight being lifted from his lap. "Mr. Zacharias, you can step out now. We are here to help you." Helpful arms pulled at him, and he moved, as in a daze.
"Where is Rayko?" he asked, not sure if he should know the answer.
"The young lady is right here, sir, do not worry about her. We are going to take care of you."
Daniel was halfway aware that he was taken to a room and that there was a bed beneath him and then there was nothing.
49. Guerilla
Strange sounds and a soft bed. Those were the first things Daniel became aware of as he was reaching some preliminary state of being awake. He chanced opening his eyes. White ceiling. A small chandelier hanging from it. Slowly he recalled the previous night and where he should be now, because of that.
He hoisted himself upright and groaned. He could not recall having done something that would make his body hurt, but it did. Slowly he got up. In a corner of the room he located a pitcher with, to his surprise, warm water. He poured some in the bowl that was next to it and washed his face and body as well as he could.
His clothes were gone, but there was something like a bath robe he put on. It was not his size, but it was better than nothing. The hydger was on a small table next to the bed, something he had no use for at the moment.
Daniel was glad for the thick carpet as he was barefoot. He opened the door and stepped into the corridor. Nobody there, but there was a smell of food coming from somewhere. As he was making his mind up to actually go into that direction, another door opened and a female servant came into view.
"Oh, Mr. Zacharias, you are awake. How do you feel, sir?" she asked.
"I'm okay. How's the girl? Where is she?"
"Miss Dandra ko Galem is in this room, sir. The doctor is seeing her right now. She's been injured quite severely." The woman's face shadowed for a moment. "Would you like me to ask if you can see her, sir?"
"If you would be so kind..."
She nodded and went into the room again. A few moments later, the door opened and she beckoned. Daniel walked into the room.
Rayko was awake. She was pale, her face was so thin it scared him. There were scratches over her cheeks, both her arms were wrapped in bandages.
As Daniel came into the room, her eyes found him. For a while her face remained expressionless.
The doctor, who was sitting on a chair next to the bed, nodded at Daniel. "Are you well, sir?"
"Yes, thank you. I'll be okay."
"Do you want to speak with her? I can give you a few minutes, before the sedative will work," the man said as he got up. "She should not move, sir, keep her still, please." The doctor nodded, took his bag and left the room. The servant lady staid with them.
Daniel sat down and looked at the face of the young woman. "How are you?"
"Alive. I think." She blinked slowly.
"Yes, you are. And I am glad about that."
"Sure." Rayko moaned as she tried to move.
The servant lady moved in quickly. "You should lie still, miss, you have cracked ribs."
"Oh, please," the woman in the bed muttered, "I can deal- owww..." Her last attempt to move was rewarded with a shot of pain that could not be worth it.
"Lie still," said Daniel. He put a hand on her forehead, which felt far too warm.
"You... take your hand off my..." Rayko started. Then her eyes slowly closed and she was asleep.
Daniel shook his head. He slowly got up. "Stubborn thing."
"Would you like some food, sir?" the lady asked him.
"Yes, I would. Very much." After another look at the now silent figure, he followed the lady. She guided him to a nice, bright room where she sat him down and went to hunt down food for him.
As Daniel was waiting, enjoying the warmth of sunshine on his face, he heard his name.
"Mr. Zacharias... I am pleased to see you up again." It was the senator who had come into the room. "I have heard that you've already been with the patient. She will be well, the doctor assured me. It will take some time though."
Daniel laughed for a moment, without a lot of joy. "She will be a difficult patient, sir. I thank you for providing us shelter. I am sorry I had to trouble you at that time."
Senator Dirrit ko Asac sat down at the table. "Mr. Zacharias... I would have arranged for your removal from the planet if you had not called on me in this situation."
A servant came in with a large selection of food and placed that in front of Daniel. "Enjoy your meal, sir."
"Yes, please eat, Mr. Zacharias," Sygra encouraged him. "You look like you need it. It is only mere hours before supper time."
Daniel nodded. "Thank you." He started eating and answered Sygra's questions on how he had found Rayko.
The senator was genuinely surprised and disturbed as he learnt the facts about Seigner Clelem Dandra ko Galem and his accomplices. "He willingly had his daughter put in the cellar of the building that he knew was going to be destroyed?"
"Yes, sir. They aimed to get to me, and her being there, for some reason, was beneficial. Although I don't have any idea why he wanted the girl out of the way."
A few bites later, Daniel said: "There has to be a way that we can take this man and his band of thieves out."
"I am sure there is such a way, Mr. Zacharias," said the senator, "but from my position unfortunately my hands are tied. At least in the public manner. If I can assist you in other ways, do ask."
"You already did a lot, senator. Rayko's been looked after."
"And you, Mr. Zacharias, are welcome to be my guest as long as you want.
I value the trust you give me and I do not want to shame that. You are putting yourself in all kinds of danger that no other person here would even dare think of."
Daniel shrugged. "They happen. And I just do what I can to get out of them alive."
"You have a remarkable talent for this, sir." The senator leaned on the table. "I will get in touch with Seigner Skinsh ko Talush and relay to him what you have told me. He will want to know all this. But we will need convincing evidence. At this point it will be his word against yours, and Clelem Dandra ko Galem is an influential person around here."
Daniel nodded. He understood the man's concern. He also was pleased that the senator said 'we' now, not 'you'. "We'll have to find an accomplice, senator."
Sygra nodded. "One, or more."
-=-=-
A lone walker made his way along the road that lay along the coastal line. The person, dressed in brown clothes and wearing a grey hooded cloak, looked like a preacher of the followers of Nahmyo. These people always went on foot. Anywhere. He had been walking for quite a while already, his shoes showed the dust of the road.
The walking man reached a house. He looked at the door and the plaque next to it. Slowly he raised his hand and held his ring against the plaque, then he stepped back, looking at the ground.
The door was opened and a woman in blue looked at the man. "Sir?"
"Good afternoon. May I speak with Seigner Dogom ko Tzuy?"
The woman was slightly confused. She had expected someone else. According to the signature of the ring it would be Mr. Daniel Zacharias calling, not a preacher.
Daniel folded back the hood for a moment. "Daniel Zacharias. The Seigner knows me." Then he put the hood back.
"Oh. In that case, please, come in." She stepped aside to let the strangely dressed man into the reception building. "Your arrival is somewhat... unexpected, sir."
Daniel smiled as he took off the cloak. "I know. That is the intent. The world thinks I have died in the crash of the building and that is how it has to remain for now. Now, if I may see the Seigner..."
She nodded and went first, taking him to Huajo who was, as usual, in the conservatory.
Daniel had never seen the man get up so quickly as in that moment.
"Mr. Zacharias!" Huajo stared at the man whom he believed to be dead. It had been in the newspaper that day. "How is this possible?"
"It is a long and thirsty story, Seigner," Daniel grinned.
Huajo took the hint and called for tea and wine. After offering Daniel a seat, he listened to what Daniel had to tell him. He interrupted him several times, to ask specifics. Huajo's amazement kept growing as Daniel told his story. Daniel held back where he had taken Rayko. The less people knew where Rayko and he were, the better it would be for the plan he and Sygra had worked out.
"How is the girl now?" Huajo asked as Daniel had finished his recount.
"The last time I saw her she was asleep. And someone is watching over her. A doctor has seen her, she will be okay, sir."
"You are not going to tell me where she is, are you?"
"Indeed, sir. We are both dead as far as the world knows, and that is exactly how we- I want it to be."
Huajo nodded. He had heard the small slip in Daniel's words but did not want to pry further. Daniel had enough reasons to be secretive. The ship owner already felt good that the man had come to see him and talk to him. It showed trust, and Huajo was someone who appreciated trust.
"So, what is it that you ask of me, Mr. Zacharias."
"We need someone who can approach Seigner Dandra ko Galem without attracting attention. To offer him help to find Rayko. It has to be someone he would trust. That way we can find out how he reacts, and have people watching what he does."
Huajo smiled. "I like this. And I am almost proud that you think I am the person to do this. Which, I have to add, I will gladly do. The things you told me are amazing, Mr. Zacharias, but they are so strange that they have to be true." Huajo leaned back in his chair. "Is there a specific way you want to orchestrate this, Mr. Zacharias?"
Actually, Daniel had a plan for that. He started outlining it to Huajo, whose eyes were gleaming. The fat man had a few great ideas himself, which told Daniel that this man was not someone to cross. The tricks this man had up his sleeves were amazing, and he was certainly not showing all his cards, Daniel was certain of that.
They agreed on a moment that Huajo would go to Clelem, to offer his help. They worked out as many details as they could think of, as well as eventual changes and improvisations. They both knew that there would be things that could not be planned, but after their talk and scheming, the two men had a good feeling about it all.
"Before you leave, Mr. Zacharias, I think I have something that would be of service to you..." Huajo walked into his house, Daniel following him. The ship owner looked for something in a drawer of a large piece of furniture. "Ah... here it is." He handed a ring to Daniel. It had a dull grey stone in it. "This is a convenient object for access to my house, sir. If you would take it, for the duration of this... operation, you would honour me. It will only open the door to the reception house, but it will give you easy access in case you are in need of a certain kind of shelter."
Daniel took the ring. "Thank you, sir. I am... perplexed." This was a level of trust he had not expected. He slipped the ring on his finger.
Huajo smiled. "So am I, but for other reasons."
They shook hands, after which Daniel left the house and started his walk back to the house of Sygra. It was a slow way to move around, but he knew it was the safest way. Sygra had told him that hardly anyone would bother a preacher of Nahmyo, not even the people who followed that philosophy. Preachers usually addressed people.
The walker was glad when he finally reached the house of the senator again. Sygra had told him he would not attract any attention. "It is common knowledge that I follow the Litany, so it would make sense that there is a preacher walking in and out," the senator had said. Sygra also had arranged it that Daniel's ring would open the door without someone having to come.
The amounts of trust and friendship he was submerged in all of a sudden was amazing.
50. The start of things
Daniel walked along the corridor, to the room he was told to consider his own for the time being, when he heard a soft sound from Rayko's room. The door was open, so he looked into the room.
Rayko was sitting halfway up, a tonne of pillows in her back. She sat staring at a cup of something that was on a small table on her bed.
"Are you okay?" Daniel asked.
Slowly Rayko looked up. There was surprise in her face. "Oh... I had not expected..." She smiled. "I am not well, preacher."
Preacher? Daniel could hit himself. He was still in the Nahmyo preacher garb, and had not remembered that Rayko was following that philosophy. "I am-" he started to say as he came into the room. He stopped talking as he saw how she tried to lift a hand. "Do not strain yourself. You are still weak." He sat down next to the bed, the hood far over his head. He whispered, hoping she would not recognise his voice while at the same time he felt bad about fooling her.
"I am hurting. Inside and outside," Rayko said, slowly, and clearly with problems. "I don't want to be a burden to the people here. Not even to..." she had to breathe a few times "that man who saved my life."
"What is your bother with him?" Daniel asked, hoping he was not too obvious.
"He is so..." another moment to breathe "so... rough. Impolite." Rayko closed her eyes and sighed. "I know I should not harbour these thoughts, preacher, but... he angers me. And I know I anger him. And still he risked his life for me. He could have died in that cellar with me." Her words ended in a whisper.
Daniel gently took her hand. "The ways of people are never explicable, or understandable." He did his best to make sense. He was sincere in a way he had never thought possible. "There are always motives beyond feelings. Actions that defy logic and emotion. Actions that transcend minds."
Rayko sa
t silent for a while, then tried to reach Daniel's hand with her other hand. She winced.
He reached out and touched her other hand. "Do not strain yourself." He put the hand he held in her lap. "Drink up. And rest." He got up again.
"Preacher?" she asked.
"Yes?"
"Will you come back and talk to me? It is important... it helps me. To make me feel better."
"I only convey the words of Nahmyo," Daniel said, with a smile. "And I will come back to you. But now you rest."