Tigra

  Jeena shivered slightly as she gazed up at the cover of stars. Somewhere under these same twinkling lights, Samson was looking for the answer to that very question.

  Chapter 19

  Ever has it been said that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.

  Kahlil Gabran, 20th Century Earth Poet

  Encyclopedic History of the Union, 22nd ed.

  Samson lay comfortably in the cool snow. In the week since he had left Pyros he had yet to find any tigras, but he was learning to live off the land. In an effort to gain a greater understanding of his people, he had finally forced himself to hunt wild game as a tigra. At first he was unable to stomach the meal, but eventually hunger won out; and on the second day he closed his eyes and choked down the still-warm flesh of a wolla.

  He had made three kills since then. The raw meat was beginning to taste sweet, and hunting was becoming an enjoyable exercise. He felt his body growing sleeker and firmer, and he moved with a graceful fluidity that had only been hinted at earlier. He was amazed at how quickly he was adapting to the wilds, and found that the life he had left behind was becoming less important with each passing day.

  How easily instinct takes command when its skills are needed, he thought. Remove the barriers that civilization sets up to control it, and instinct will rise to consume the whole. In time, genes will always claim mastery over the reasoning mind.

  How long, he wondered idly, before he'd revert back to the ways of the beast? How long before comprehension gave way to reflex, and speech degenerated into grunts and snarls? How tight is the hold that reason has on me?

  The urge to give into that primal instinct, to shed the complex cares of the thinking mind, was powerful and tempting. He could live out his life here in ease, hunting and sleeping—perhaps even mating. Worry could be left to those others, to those humans.

  But then the image of Jeena appeared, and those thoughts withered and died. That way led to the past and to ultimate destruction. His way lay ahead, to the hope of a better future for him and his kind. With effort he roused himself, standing and shaking vigorously before continuing on his journey north.

  * * * *

  Troops began to pour into Pyros; they were housed in barracks located north of the mountain. A gymnasium was part of the complex, and David took Jeena to observe the soldiers in training.

  A large crowd was gathered around a sparring ring, shouting encouragement to the participants, who were competing with short swords.

  "We want them to become as adept as possible with primitive weapons,” David explained. “Although we have enough guns to go around, our ammo is somewhat limited, and there's no telling how we'll be forced to fight before it's all over."

  "Good thinking,” Jeena agreed. “I see you have a co-ed military. Pretty progressive for a bunch of ex-Afridi."

  "We like to think so, but wait till we get to Uruk. I'm told that not only is their commander a woman, but so are many of their elite fighters. They're supposed to be very good."

  Jeena shrugged. “No one knows how good they are until they're tested in war. In a contest of raw troops on both sides, I'd rather have men."

  "Really? You surprise me, Captain. As a woman yourself..."

  "As a woman I know what it takes to turn us into hardened soldiers. Men have a genetic predisposition toward aggression that few women do. Sure, you can instill it, but that takes time and training. Even then, it's the rare woman who ever develops the taste for killing that men do. I'm speaking here in generalities, of course. Some men are pacifists by nature, while some women are naturally violent."

  "And you?” he asked.

  Jeena laughed. “I was one mean dog in my day, but I'm just a puppy now, David. I don't bite anymore, and I bark very little."

  The contest in the ring ended with the larger man winning. He leaned over the ropes and signaled to David.

  "Afternoon, Commander."

  "Afternoon, Bernd,” David replied. “You looked good in there."

  "These guys are too easy,” he said with a grin. “I'm looking for better competition. What do you say, Captain? Rumor has it that SAG commandos are tougher than nails. Want to prove it?"

  There were cheers and laughs from all.

  "The captain is just here as an advisor, Bernd,” David told him. “She doesn't have to prove anything."

  "Thanks for the offer, soldier, but I think I'll pass this time around,” Jeena said. She allowed David to lead her through the crowd that had gathered around the ring.

  "Sure, no problem,” the big man called after her. “I wasn't going to hurt you, though. I just wanted to give you a few love taps."

  He made a grinding motion with his hips, and the crowd laughed.

  Jeena halted, her face reddening.

  "Don't let him provoke you,” David warned. “He's just young."

  "That's the best time to learn a lesson,” she replied, and turned to face her taunter. “You sure this is what you want?"

  He laughed. “Aw, I'm just teasing you, Captain. You don't want to spar with me—I've never been beaten. No disrespect, but I eat bigger meals than you."

  Jeena smiled thinly. “Is that right? Well, you might find me a little harder to swallow than you think."

  She pushed through the laughing crowd to the weapons area, pulling a protective helmet and vest from the far wall and donning them as David tried to talk her out of it.

  "This is ridiculous. He's the biggest man in the whole force."

  "We have a saying in the Corps, David—mean and nasty beats big and stupid any day."

  "He may fit the latter description, but you're hardly the former. Besides, I thought you said you were done with fighting."

  The trousers she wore were far too loose and she made some adjustments with her belt, leaving a large loop on her right side, then she picked up a short sword and tested the weight in her hand.

  "This isn't war, David,” she said, grinning. “This is fun."

  She leapt into the ring, and they presented their swords in a sign of mutual respect. Separating, they began slowly circling one another.

  Jeena had not practiced sword combat since her academy days, and was content at first to stay on the defensive, feeling out her opponent's skill level. He moved well for a big man, she thought, and had the confident look of someone used to winning.

  He made a few testing jabs to her midsection, which she easily parried, then advanced more powerfully, forcing her to retreat. She felt the ropes at her back and feigned a thrust to the right, spinning left to escape the trap. He turned and faced her again, using the sword point to push her back. Jeena tried to go on the offense, but his long reach made that impossible, and she soon found herself back against the ropes.

  This time she ducked and rolled, just missing the blow that swept over her. He was back on her in a flash, sweeping the blade in large arcs. Jeena timed his swing as she backed away as though intimidated by the assault.

  When the right moment came, she leapt at him feet first, catching him in the chest and sending him sprawling to the mat. There were shouts and cheers from the onlookers who had gathered around the ring.

  The big man jumped back to his feet red-faced and immediately came after her again, this time keeping his thrusts short and controlled. The blows were powerful, and it took all of her strength to turn them aside. He was cutting off the fighting surface skillfully, limiting her room to maneuver.

  One swipe of his blade drove her sword arm back, and he reached in swiftly with his left hand, lifted her easily and slammed her hard on the mat. The crowd shouted encouragement as he swaggered around the ring.

  "I'm going to stop this, Jeena,” David shouted from her corner.

  "My ass! I'm not through yet,” she yelled back.

  Rising to her feet, she repositioned herself to meet his attack. Again he came after her, driving and thrusting and forcing her to take a weak defense position. The crowd was egging him on. He had her cornered now, and towered over h
er, grinning and preparing to end the match.

  As he opened up to deliver the final blow, Jeena made a quick feint to the left, shifting her hips slightly and catching the belt loop with the hilt of her sword. When she swung the sword the belt untied, with the result that her trousers dropped, revealing that she was naked underneath.

  The shouting crowd gasped, and for in instant her opponent hesitated, his attention diverted to her bare pelvis. In that moment of hesitation, Jeena drove in, catching him in the sternum with the hilt of her sword. As he jackknifed forward, she struck him again on the back of the neck, and he crashed limp to the floor.

  The gathered crowd of soldiers, stunned initially into silence, started to laugh and then to cheer as Jeena calmly pulled up her pants and readjusted her belt. They were still cheering when she went to help the dazed and blinking man off the mat.

  "Lesson number one,” she whispered in his ear, “is to never take your eye off your opponent's weapon, even if she's a naked woman."

  Jeena strode defiantly over to David, who was holding his hand over his eyes and shaking his head.

  "Mean and nasty, David,” she said. “Mean and nasty."

  * * * *

  Samson had trekked far into tigra territory with little luck. He had come into contact with lone tigras on several occasions, and each time he had sensed that familiar stirring—a connection of sorts that felt as though it was emanating from the animal. Yet each time he tried to speak, the animal withdrew.

  It was no use. Whatever the sensation was, it was too alien for him to understand. He was tired and miserable and was heading back to Pyros in defeat.

  He was now less than a day's walk from the mountain and lay in a state of half-sleep, worn out from hunger and frustration. As he rested in the snow, he became aware of primitive images flashing in his mind. He had experienced this visual aura before, but always in close proximity to another tigra; and always they had faded away when he tried to focus on them. Now he relaxed and let the images come and go as they would, without any effort to decipher them.

  They were too brief and too diverse for him to try and comprehend, yet soon he became aware of certain primitive feelings and desires that seemed to accompany the flashes. Hunger he felt, and fear. Desire, too—not in the conscious sense of desiring a mate but only the base need to join. He felt confident these images and feelings were flowing from the minds of tigras, but he could not fathom how.

  He was content just to listen at first, then tried to project his own simple idea into the mental maelstrom.

  Come, he thought, and friend, and repeated those two simple concepts again and again.

  Suddenly, he heard a sound and opened his eyes—and his heart jumped. Standing before him was a tigra.

  Samson bolted upright, his pulse racing. The animal, a male, seemed anything but friendly. His lips were drawn back in a snarl, and his fangs were descended, dripping saliva. The images in Samson's mind evaporated, and he found himself reverting back to his human conditioning, speaking softly to the animal as he slowly backed away.

  "Easy, boy, easy now. I'm not going to hurt you.” He had only retreated a few spaces when his right leg gave out and he tumbled to the ground. With a roar, the animal leapt.

  * * * *

  Jeena stood near the corral feeling irritable and anxious. The army was set to leave in two days, and she had still not heard from Samson. She would wait until they rode out then go look for him herself.

  David appeared, leading two saddled mounts.

  "I hoped I'd find you. I thought you might like to take a ride around the city with me,” he said. “I want to take one last look at the old place before I go."

  Jeena took the reins of the offered kytar, stroking its neck. “You really love Pyros, don't you?"

  "Yes, I do. In one thing only do Kathryn Humboldt and I agree—I would do anything to save this city and my people. I love it even more knowing that the old race built it. Did you know this was their last great work? Mordachi says it was built right at the end of their civilization."

  "Makes you wonder why they would go through all the trouble,” Jeena said. “They couldn't have been hard up for space by then."

  "No, and this is the only structure of its kind, as far as we know. Before this they apparently lived in sprawling, single-story homes."

  "Just one of many unanswered questions about them, I suppose,” Jeena said. “How did your people find Pyros, anyway?"

  "The Intawa pointed it out. When our people first came here from the west, the tribe befriended us. The mountain had been dead for millennia, of course, but the heat still rose through the corridors and kept most of the snow off. They showed us the ‘fire-mountain,’ and being scientists, our people naturally investigated."

  "It must have been quite a shock to find this."

  "So I've been told. Here they get thrown out of New Jerusalem for studying an alien culture only to land in its last, greatest city."

  "That's one hell of a coincidence."

  "Yes, my grandfather said it made him believe in a higher power again."

  A rider approached at a full gallop and leapt from his mount, pulling David aside and whispering to him excitedly in hushed tones. When David turned back to Jeena, his face was pale.

  "What is it?” she asked. “What's happened?"

  "A scout has returned from the north. He has discovered a body. It's a tigra."

  Jeena pushed past him and grabbed the scout, spinning him around.

  "Where? Where did you find him?"

  "A few miles to the north. On the ridge west of the northern road."

  She leapt on the kytar.

  David grabbed at her boot. “No, Jeena, you shouldn't go. Stay here, I'll investigate."

  She pulled away and set off at a gallop. He quickly mounted his animal and followed.

  Jeena rode fast, pushing her kytar until it was foaming, with David right on her heels. At the top of the ridge she jumped off and began a mad search over the snow-covered ground, with David joining her. A few minutes later, he called her to where he stood.

  At his feet lay the remains of a horribly mangled animal, the ground beneath it red with blood. Only the general outline of its body made it identifiable as a tigra.

  Jeena fell to her knees.

  "Don't jump to conclusions. We see many tigras here in the north."

  She began to weep. David knelt next her.

  "Jeena, we don't know—” he began, but stopped abruptly.

  Clutched in her hands, she held the bloody and tattered remnants of a leather vest. A small map was still inside.

  * * * *

  Samson fell back with a howl. The swipe of the tigra's claws had ripped his vest from him and cut a slash across his chest. His own fangs and claws had automatically snapped into position, and he was preparing to defend himself when the animal leapt again—this time over him. Samson spun around and saw a second tigra behind him, this one just as rabid and vicious-appearing as the first.

  Ignored for now, he clutched his chest in pain as the two flew into each other. They attacked with a ferocity he had never seen in the holos. A fight between tigras was usually a slow, cautious affair as the animals circled each other looking for a sign of weakness. When the fighting did begin it was more often than not short-lived, with the weaker animal retreating, wounded but alive.

  These tigras charged one another then reared up on their hind legs. For the next several horrifying minutes, they stood toe-to-toe, slashing and tearing at each other, neither willing to give ground. Soon both were covered in blood, their razor-sharp claws ripping away chunks of flesh, and yet still they would not back down.

  Finally, the first animal struck a lethal blow, cutting across the other's neck. Even then it refused to halt its attack, and continued to tear at the corpse in rage.

  Samson slunk away from the sight, sickened and trembling at the carnage he had witnessed. Only when he was sure he was safe did he allow himself to collapse unconscious in the sn
ow.

  Chapter 20

  And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

  Matthew 24:6

  Arian Christian Bible

  The troops were assembled; ten thousand cavalry troops stood ready to make the long journey to Uruk and help defend their endangered friends. David stood near his mount, speaking with Mordachi one last time before leaving.

  "I hate to leave her like this,” he said, “but we can't delay any longer."

  It had been two days since the discovery of Samson's body. David had dragged Jeena away and brought her back to Pyros on his mount; he sent two men to bury the remains. Since then she had remained in her apartment, refusing to speak even to Mordachi.

  "There is no more you can do for her,” Mordachi replied. “We'll care for her and help her as best we can."

  "I know you will. Listen, if anything happens ... I mean, if I don't return ... tell her ... tell her how terribly sorry I am for her loss."

  "I will, my friend. But you will be back, and you can tell her yourself."

  David had put his foot in the stirrup to mount when a disturbance caught his attention. There was murmuring and shifting in the ranks.

  "My God,” gasped Mordachi.

  Coming up alongside the array of mounted kytars was a lone rider. She wore the helmet and arms of the Pyros military, but there was no mistaking her identity.

  "Jeena, what the hell are you doing?” David asked when she stopped before them.

  "I'm coming with you."

  "No, absolutely not,” Mordachi said sternly. “It's out of the question."

  "Mordachi's right,” David said. “This isn't your war, you said so yourself."

  "Does that matter?” She leaned forward in her saddle, gazing hard at him. “I've seen what you're up against. You need me. I'm the most experienced soldier on this planet. With me your chances of victory increase. Leave me here, and more of your people will die. You said you wanted me—well, here I am. You want to save Pyros? Then take me with you."

  David hesitated, looking back at the columns of men and women he was leading into war. Yes, I need you. Haven't I lain awake for nights in fear of this day? I have trained as a soldier, played as a soldier, but I am no killer of men.