The Tery lf-5

by F. Paul Wilson

  "Good," Rab said, squatting opposite him, rubbing his filthy hands together. "First off, I've suspected since my early youth that the tery is not the mutated beast tradition tells us he is. In fact, I more than suspected it — I knew it."

  "How could you ‘know’ it?"

  "Never mind how. That's not important now. Let it be enough for the moment that I did."

  "Everybody knows that teries were a product of the Great Sickness after it swept across the world."

  "No-no! That's not true. Listen. You'll see. I was raised a scholar in Overlord Mekk's court and had the training and time to search into the past. I found old manuscripts from as far back as the time of the Great Sickness. Our language has changed much since then but I did manage to decipher them and found many references to a group of people called ‘the Shapers,’ and ‘the Teratols.’ Just who they were and what they did was never explained. It seemed to be taken for granted that the reader knew.

  "All this whetted my appetite for more, so I searched deep into the caves and ruins that surround Mekk's fortress. In one I chanced across some old — very old — volumes. They were lovely things, different from all the others, in perfect condition, printed on incredibly thin sheets of metal…five volumes… you've never seen anything like them…"

  His voice trailed off as he briefly seemed to relive the find, a scholar's ecstasy beaming through the grime and matted hair that covered his face. Then he shook himself and resumed his tale.

  "Yes…five volumes. I finished translating four of them a few months ago and was so caught up with what I'd learned that I ran to tell Mekk himself."

  He paused and smiled grimly. "That was a stupid thing to do — for that act alone I deserve to be called Crazy Rab. I didn't get to see Mekk, of course. No one gets to see the Overlord these days since the True Shape priests took over as his advisors. I was shunted off to one of the high priests and should have had sense enough then to keep quiet. But no. Crazy Rab had to lay the entire translation out before the high priest. I was so excited about what I'd found that I never considered what a threat it was to the political power the True Shape cult had acquired."

  The tery listened with growing interest. If the True Shape cult felt threatened by Rab's discoveries, perhaps there was something to them.

  "You see, I had learned some incredible things in those volumes. I learned that we are just a tiny colony of a larger race, that our ancestors came from the sky and that there are hundreds of other colonies of humans scattered all over the other side of the sky."

  "Madness!" the tery growled.

  "It sounds crazy, I know, but those volumes are real and obviously not a product of our culture."

  "But to live on the other side of the sky!"

  "It seems that our ancestors were banned from the mother world and settled here to build their own culture. They were called ‘Shapers' and toyed with the stuff within that gives a thing its shape, that makes a child resemble its parents. They set out with the mission to create a perfect race of perfect humans, each with the power to speak mind-to-mind; the Talents were the high point of the Shaper art.

  "But it didn't last. A perverted element, the Teratologists or ‘Teratols,' as they came to be known, came to power and a being's shape became a plaything for the ruling clique. They created monstrous plants, made beasts look like men and men look like beasts."

  "No-no. Teries were caused by the Great Sickness."

  "Not true. That's a myth. Someone like you and someone with the Talent are both human, and both teries."

  "Then you are saying that Overlord Mekk is right in lumping Talents together with teries."

  "Yes. Both are products of the Shaper art in the Teratol regime."

  "And where is this regime now?"

  "Dead. Gone. Wiped out in the Great Sickness. In fact, the five volumes I found were apparently written at the height of the Great Sickness. Their author says in the fourth volume that the Teratols accidentally caused a change in something called a ‘virus,' and a monstrous plague swept the world, reducing our ancestors' civilization to rubble. We are the survivors."

  The tery regarded his fellow captive thoughtfully. The man did not rave — seemed quite sane, in fact — and spoke with utter conviction. But it was all so preposterous, so contrary to common knowledge. Everyone knew…and yet, if those volumes truly existed…

  "Where are the volumes now?" he asked.

  "Kitru has them. It's a complicated story involving incredible stupidity on my part. But briefly: In Mekk's fortress, the high priests tried to get the volumes from me. They were ready to kill me to silence me, but first they wanted those books.

  "So I fled, but not before learning of the proposed addition to the old Tery Extermination Decree that would mark all Talents for extinction. I took the volumes and came here, hoping to find someone in power who would listen. I went to Kitru with my translation and he threw me out. I'm ashamed to say that I went back again and that's when he had me thrown in here to await Mekk's arrival, which has been twice postponed — thankfully. So I've moldered for months. When the Overlord finally does arrive, I'm to be nailed up by the gate as a heretic."

  The tery shuddered at thought of hanging in the sun to die of thirst and starvation while the crows and vultures waited to get at your eyes. Better a quick, clean death.

  Rab sighed despondently. "At least I managed to warn the Talents of the new extermination decree. Most of them fled to safety in time."

  The tery's mind made a delayed correlation: "You're Rab!"

  "Yes. I believe I told you that a number of times."

  "You're the one the psi-folk have been waiting for."

  He had heard the name mentioned many times among the Talents but had failed to connect it with this man.

  "How do you know that?" Rab asked, rising slowly to his feet.

  "I've been living with them. But that must mean —"

  "Yes…I'm a Talent. And a Finder, as well. But Kitru doesn't have a Finder of his own so he does not know that I'm either."

  "But he does have a Finder!"

  The tery briefly recounted the day's events.

  Rab was frantic. "You mean the Talents are coming here? Now? They'll be wiped out!" He began to pace the tiny cell. "We've got to stop them!"

  The tery remained seated in the center of the cell and watched the man.

  "Can we dig out?"

  Rab stopped pacing and shook his head. "No. The keep is built on solid rock. The only way out of here is through that door."

  The tery returned to the door and rattled it again.

  "Too strong," he said.

  "You know," Rab said slowly, "I never had the opportunity to get the advantage on one of these guards when I was here alone, but now that there's two of us — and only one of us thought to be human…"

  — XII-

  The dozing guard at the outer door was startled to wakefulness by shrill cries of fear and pain from the central cell. Grabbing a torch from its wall brace, he rushed to the door and peered through the grate. The flickering light revealed the tery in ferocious assault upon the screaming Rab.

  The guard hesitated briefly, then decided it might be wisest to intervene. Kitru only imprisoned those he thought might prove useful at some time in the future. And such must be the case with Crazy Rab. Even though it hadn't been his idea to put the two of them together, the guard knew that if the prisoner were killed he would end up crucified outside the gates instead of Crazy Rab.

  Unlocking the cell door he entered with the torch held before him. His plan was to back the tery away from Rab and then drag the man out and put him in a separate cell.

  "Back!" he yelled, thrusting the torch toward the tery's face. "Back, you ugly beast!"

  The tery looked up and shrank away from the flames, releasing the moaning human.

  "Don't like fire, do you?" The guard pressed his advantage. "Figured you wouldn’t."

  What he didn't figure was that Crazy Rab would leap to his feet and grab his
sword arm. The guard turned to strike at the human with the torch but felt it wrenched from his grasp by the tery who had suddenly lost his fear of fire. In one motion the tery lifted him off his feet like a child. Suddenly he was tumbling through the air toward the stone wall.

  — XIII-

  As the guard rolled to the floor and lay still, Rab bent over him, then rose and regarded the tery uneasily.

  "He's alive, but barely. I think you broke half his ribs. You're quite as strong as you look, my friend, but you'll have to learn a little restraint."

  The tery replied with a low growl. He wanted to find Adriel and could not concern himself with the well-being of those who would harm her.

  "I'll show them as much restraint as they showed my parents."

  "Oh. I see. Sorry."

  The tery’s patience was wearing thin.

  "Find Adriel," the tery said impatiently.

  Nodding, Rab led him from the cell.

  "She must be in the tower. I became fairly well acquainted with this area of the keep while awaiting audiences with Kitru and I think I know how we can gain the stairs of the main tower without being seen. After that we'll have to depend on luck."

  Cautiously they emerged into the courtyard. The tery noted the positions of the sentries and pointed them out. He did not want to get caught again. Rab darted along a deeply shadowed wall with the tery close behind; he paused at a flimsy wooden door and peered within.

  "This is the kitchen," he whispered, once inside the dark, deserted space. "They prepare the food for the keep's higher-ups here." He pointed to a narrow door off to the left. "That leads to a passage which opens directly onto the stairs of the main tower. The scullions use it to deliver food at mealtime. I doubt very much if anyone will be watching it now."

  They opened the door and felt their way along the dank inky passage. Torch light filtered through cracks in another door far ahead and they soon found themselves on the massive circular stairway of the main tower.

  Rab glanced above and below, then smiled.

  "As I suspected: No guards. No one's looking for danger from the inside. Come. We've got to get to the top unseen if we're to find Kitru."

  Wordlessly, the tery pushed ahead and assumed the lead. Adriel was near now — he could feel her presence as he glided up the stairs. He halted as he heard the sound of descending footsteps ahead, up around the curve of the stairway before him. Whirling, he motioned to Rab to stay where he was and went ahead alone. A window opened through the outer wall above him. The tery reached it with a powerful leap and concealed himself within its shadow.

  A young man, alone, rounded the curve and came into the light of the sputtering torch attached to the wall.

  Dennel.

  As the youth passed the window, the tery leaped from his niche and landed behind him with a whisper of sound. Dennel spun in surprise and fear.

  "Wha —?"

  Then he recognized the tery. He peered into the darkness beyond the torch light. If looking for signs of a guard or a keeper, he found none.

  He approached the tery slowly, cautiously — he did not appear to fear for himself, but seemed to want to avoid frightening a dumb animal.

  The tery let him come.

  "How'd you get out, boy?" he said in a coaxing tone. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll take you to your friend."

  He edged closer, talking continually in a soothing, gentle voice. The tery stared at him, barely restraining the urge to tear into his throat.

  "You want to see Adriel?" he went on. "That's who you're looking for, aren't you? She's right up those stairs and you'll probably get to see her tomorrow. That's when —"

  The tery could hold still no longer. His right hand shot out and closed on Dennel's throat as he rose on his hind legs and lifted him clear of the steps.

  "Traitor," he rumbled in his grating voice. "To save yourself you betrayed all of your kind." He shook him like a limp doll.

  Dennel was unable to utter a sound. Even without the tery's huge hand half-crushing his larynx, the sound of coherent speech from the lips of what he had considered a stupid beast, coupled with the naked fury he saw in that beast's yellow eyes, would have struck him dumb.

  "Easy, now! Easy!" Rab said, ascending into the light. "Just hold him steady. He's a Talent and I'll communicate that way to save time."

  Dennel locked pleading eyes on Rab, obviously looking for a way out of the tery's grasp. But Rab's expression remained cold, his eyes flinty, until he had learned the answers to whatever questions he was asking.

  "All right," he said finally. "Set him down and he'll lead us to the Finder."

  The tery complied and hovered impatiently over Dennel as the young man leaned against the inner wall, gasping and rubbing his throat. Rab pushed him upward.

  "Move. It'll be light soon."

  Dennel took two steps, then lurched away and started to run down the steps. The tery caught the back of his tunic in his fist and raised Dennel into the air again. He was about to hurl him against the stone steps when Rab caught his arm and stopped him with an urgent whisper.

  "No! Put him down!"

  The tery hesitated. He wanted to hurt this human, and he could see in Dennel's wide, terrified eyes that he knew it, too.

  Rab stared hard at Dennel. "He won't try that foolishness again — will you?"

  Dennel shook his head. The tery hoped the human was now fully convinced that he was not quick enough to elude his reach.

  Rab scrutinized the tery as he put Dennel down. "You frighten me, friend."

  "You have nothing to fear from me," the tery said in a rough whisper. "Only the captain named Ghentren and those who would hurt Adriel need fear me."

  Rab's smile was wry. "That's a relief."

  The tery pushed Dennel between them and pointed upward. "Lead."

  Rab paused before moving. "I think I'd know you were human now even if I hadn't found those ancient volumes. Since we entered this tower you've displayed craft, deceit, loyalty and outrage at betrayal. For better or for worse, my friend, you're as human as I."

  The tery pondered this in silence as a thoroughly cowed Dennel led the ascent. Following almost absently, he tried to sort the confused jumble of thoughts swirling through his mind.

  Could Rab be right? Could he be truly human after all? Was it really so preposterous?

  He thought back on his brief coexistence with the psi-folk and realized how easily he had accepted their company, as if it were the most natural thing, despite the fact that he had had no previous close contact with humans. Not only had he felt at home, he had been drawn back to them after initial contact. He didn't need them for food or shelter — he simply enjoyed being in their company.

  Perhaps the desires awakened in him by Adriel the day before were not so unnatural after all…

  Further speculation was terminated by Rab's hand on his shoulder. They had reached the top of the stairway and a great wooden door barred their way. Hearing a voice within, Rab elbowed Dennel aside and gently pushed it open.

  A lean, graying man stood in the center of the room, a wine cup in his hand. He was dressed in a soiled tunic girded with a leather belt from which hung a short sword in a scabbard.

  The tery heard Rab mutter, "Kitru."

  The lord of the keep swayed as he poured red liquid from a silver flagon. Adriel was bound to a chair before him, her back to Rab and the tery.

  Kitru was shouting at the girl. "Fool doctors! Told me the drugs would make you totally subservient to my will — idiots! I wasted the entire night waiting for them to work!"

  The tery froze for an instant at the sight of Adriel, then coiled to lunge forward. Rab grabbed his shoulder and signaled him to wait. The tery eased back. He would wait — but not much longer. He watched Kitru sip noisily from his cup and go on speaking to Adriel.

  "But when it's light and I've had some rest, we'll try a new approach — the howls of your beloved pet should make you more compliant. And if that fails, we'll make
sure to capture your father alive when he arrives to save you. But I will have a compliant — no, enthusiastic — Finder by the time Mekk arrives. Do you understand me?"

  The tery dropped all caution then and burst into the room. Startled by the intrusion, Kitru instinctively reached for his sword. The blade had cleared its scabbard by the time the tery reached him, but before Kitru could put it to use, the tery knocked it from his hand and closed long fingers around the keep lord's throat.

  "Don't!" Rab cried. "I know what you're thinking, but don't. Just hold him there until I check the girl."

  He leaned over Adriel. The tery watched her face. Her expression was blank, her pupils wide. Rab shook her shoulder and her head lolled back, but she did not respond.

  The tery growled and tightened his grip on Kitru's throat. Rab turned quickly.

  "She's all right. I've seen the effects of this drug before. She'll be like this until about midday, then she'll be sick, and after that she'll be herself again."

  Above the tery's constricting fingers, Kitru's face was turning a mottled blue.

  "Let him go for now but watch him — we'll use him for safe passage through the gate."

  "Who are you?" Kitru rasped as he slumped to the floor and clutched his bruised throat.

  "Remember the man you called ‘Crazy Rab' and threw into the dungeon?" Rab said with an edge on his voice as he untied Adriel. "I was a much more presentable member of humanity then, but beneath this beard and filth I am that same naive scholar."

  "How did you get up here?"

  "The same way we'll get down," Rab said, untying the last knot. "The stairs." He rose to his feet. " Now, where are my books?"

  Kitru jerked his head toward a dark corner of the room. "But only four remain."

  "I know," Rab said, striding to the indicated spot. "Dennel tells me you've sent one off to Mekk with news that you have a Finder. Your messenger will be wrong on both counts — when Mekk arrives there will be no books and no Finder. And he won't like that at all."