“And who’s driving this contraption?” she asked.
“Jerenn very kindly offered his services,” said Conner as the object of their discussion slipped into the driving seat.
“Jerenn, I remember you, lot of grief for you a few years back. You look and feel like it’s mostly behind you now. Just don’t drive here like you do at Stronghold! And I see you got a sword-brother now! Good for you!”
“They’re the first pair here to take the vows,” said Conner. “I’m very proud of their dedication and commitment to the Brotherhood and each other. They are now training the cubs. You’ll get to meet them tomorrow.”
“Bairns, the same everywhere—young and small, and full of hurt knees, overstuffed tummies, and the monsters under the bed and in the closet!”
A muffled chuckle came from up front as Jerenn started the aircar.
“So you’re replanting this world, are you?” asked Noni, trying to see out the windows as they sped along several feet above the roadway.
“With plants from various similar ecologies, yes. The ones you brought all came from Ch’almuth and were imported there from here before the Fall. We sent seeds to Shola for our telepaths to start growing as we’d had no success ourselves with these ones.”
“Well, I kept an eye on them during the trip, and they’re all sprouting now,” she said. “I’d advise putting them in greenhouses for some time before planting them out, till they get a bit bigger, and certainly you need to get them acclimated to here rather than Shola.”
“Exactly what we plan to do,” said Conner. “It’s summer here, and the heat can be fierce. Not all nights are as balmy as tonight either; some get downright cold. I think you’ll like it here, though, Noni. Lots to see and do, very interesting food, and a wonderful market outside the Palace walls.”
“Hmpf! Certainly sounds interesting. Perhaps I’ll have a look at this market tomorrow.”
The aircar was approaching the Palace now. Lights illuminated the building, bringing the painted and bas-relief friezes to life in a riot of color and stylized poses.
“Magnificent artwork, isn’t it?” asked Conner as they flew past it, Jerenn angling their approach so they could see it better. Then they were coming down in the Palace parking lot and following the commands of one of the ground staff to taxi into the covered area.
“Welcome to the Palace of Light, Noni,” said Jerenn finally, turning off the engines and popping open the door for them. “If you want a grand tour tomorrow and Conner is busy, just call on us.”
“You can ask ZSADHI to contact any of us,” said Conner as he hiked up his robes a few inches to scramble out of the vehicle and wait, with hand held out, for Noni.
“Who’s this ZSADHI?”
“The Palace AI. He only listens to you if you say his name. We’ll have to get him to scan your retinas so you have access to the Palace proper,” said Conner, helping her down. “Just a short walk and we’re at our quarters next to the temple.”
“Do we get wakened up at all hours with the caterwauling of choirs like at Stronghold?” she demanded.
Conner laughed. “No, Noni. Services are only held in the evenings after dinner, and once a week at midday. Though I don’t always take the services,” he said. “Nowadays the priestesses of La’shol, who is their Nature Goddess, take about half of them.”
“So you got their own religion up and running?”
“Yes. King Zsurtul wanted a female-based nurturing religion to take over after the patriarchal Emperor worship of his father’s reign.”
Once in the central courtyard, they took their time walking through the crowds that were browsing the few stores or coming and going from the various restaurants that lined one side.
“Some parts look a bit new for an ancient Palace,” remarked Noni as they walked over to the entrance to the temple.
“The courtyard saw fierce fighting when we retook the Palace from K’hedduk,” said Jerenn. “The two fountains with the palm trees round them were almost obliterated by mortar fire, and one of the statues was completely destroyed, as was part of the southern façade. It’s all been rebuilt, of course, but that’s why it looks newer—it is.”
“Ah. I see.”
As they approached the door to the chapel, Noni could see a group of people waiting at the entrance.
“I don’t like fuss,” Noni grumbled.
“They wanted to make you welcome, Noni,” said Conner. “Was I to tell the second most important person on this world, General Kezule, he couldn’t greet you in person?”
“Looks like Shaidan has gotten himself invited to the welcome party,” observed Jerenn.
“Would you mind taking those bags to my quarters, please, Jerenn?” asked Conner.
“My pleasure, Master Conner,” the other said,
Kezule stepped forward, hand outstretched. “Welcome to K’oish’ik, Noni Dzaedoh,” he said, as they touched fingertips briefly.
“Thank you kindly,” she said. “Good to be here, see what everyone’s been getting up to without me to keep ’em in line.”
“Noni, good to see you,” said Kitra, giving her a hug.
“Kitra, you look well. Life here must suit you, child. Dzaka,” Noni said, nodding to him. “I swear you grow taller every time I see you! And you, youngling, you must be Shaidan. No need to ask who your parents are, I can see Kusac and Carrie writ large on your face, and your mind.” She reached out to touch the edges of his mind and was met with a sense of welcome, but also an implicit warning he didn’t welcome further closer contact—at least, not yet.
“I’m Shaidan,” the cub said, holding out his fingertips to Noni. He barely let her brush them before letting his hand fall back to his side.
So, reserved and cautious. This one would take some patience if she was ever going to get close to him. He had a feel about him, one that said he didn’t quite belong to this world, as if he was slightly loose in time.
“The others decided I should be the one to represent them and greet you,” he said with a slight smile.
“We’ve left a hot meal for you both in your dining area, Conner,” said Kitra. “Poor man refused to eat until you arrived so he could eat with you.”
“Such a good male he is,” said Noni, patting Conner’s arm. “Well, let’s get me into my new home, then. I’m tired after all this traveling.”
“Of course, Noni. Have you luggage?” Kitra looked around for bags.
“Jerenn took them down for me,” she said, starting to walk down the length of the temple. “Well, I have to say this is a lovely place, so bright and airy, even at night like this. The flowers are beautiful, and the wall paintings! I don’t think I have seen lovelier ones.”
“All done by our own women,” said Kezule, “with a bit of help here and there from some of the menfolk, too.”
“It feels welcoming, General,” she said, “Your folk have done a grand job. You, too, Conner, a grand job.”
“Thank you, Noni,” he murmured, squeezing her hand a little to let her know he was pleased.
“We’ll let you get settled in as you’ve had a long three days, I expect,” said the General as he stopped at the doorway out of the temple to their quarters.
“I have. I’ll be pleased just to stop moving!”
“Good night, Noni,” said Shaidan.
* * *
The apartment wasn’t large, but it was certainly big enough for the two of them. Furnishings were comfortable and a little threadbare, but then, she thought, so were they. It would soon feel like a home, once she got moving with it, Still, for a bachelor dwelling, Conner had certainly made it feel relaxed and homely. A vase of wildflowers sat on the table between the covered dishes that Kitra had placed there.
“Flowers, eh? Who brought them?”
“Gaylla, actually, She gives me a bunch every few days,”
> But today’s is special ones for you, Noni, came the childlike thought.
Startled, Noni looked at Conner.
Conner nodded. Yes, one of the other children, and yes, there is nothing very childlike about any of them, including little Gaylla, he sent to her. “You’ll see when you meet her tomorrow,” he said.
Night night, Noni! You’ll be my Noni, won’t you? My own Granny? There was a hint of anxiousness in the mental tone.
Yes, child, I’ll be your very own Noni. Now go to sleep and I’ll see you in the morning. With that, she shut down the conversation and turned to Conner. “What are they?”
“Very special,” he said, helping her out of her jacket and pulling out a dining chair for her to sit on. “I’ll tell you about them as we eat.”
Prime Palace, next day, Zhal-Zhalwae 22nd (May)
Shaidan was sitting in the nursery just after breakfast, waiting for lessons to begin. He was letting his mind roam idly, thinking of nothing special when he was suddenly aware of Unity reaching out for him. This was not an invitation to talk, it was more of an imperative to observe.
Ghioass, same day
Kuvaa was searching through Unity, trying to find out not only how she had been duplicated, but how the Isolationists had been able to subvert the AI into hiding the kidnap and incarceration of the one the Hunters called Vartra.
She wasn’t getting too far right now; it was a matter of setting up routines and searches through the massive databases.
“Unity, how is it that you knew nothing about the kidnapping?”
I have no idea, Councillor Kuvaa. All I can think is that somehow they rewrote some code, or found ancient access routes that enabled them to circumvent my safety parameters and protocols. Neither should be possible.
“Run a self-diagnostic on this date,” she said, punching in the date when her image and voice had been duplicated to give false information to one of their agents. “Look the day before and the day after as well,” she added. “Perhaps something will show up to give us a clue what happened.”
As you wish, Councillor Kuvaa. It will take some time.
“Take all the time you need; I am not waiting for it. I’ll be back in a few hours,” she said, “Let me know when you have completed the search.”
Yes, Councillor.
Kuvaa was baffled. Unity had a multitude of safety protocols to prevent just this kind of thing from happening, and even more to keep it shackled so it couldn’t become a free entity. It should be utterly impossible for anyone to bypass all these and make Unity forget it had been tampered with. There was no doubt in her mind that it had been Unity that had taken Vartra hostage and held him against his will, albeit without its knowledge. It was imperative they find out how this had been done so they could prevent it happening again. If the Isolationists were able to take an Entity captive, they could take all the Reformists and more captive the same way! With a sigh, she closed down her terminal in the inner sanctum of Unity and began the laborious job of passing out through all the safeguarded doorways to the outside world again.
Prime world, the nursery, same day
Shaidan had picked up much of what Kuvaa had said and thought thanks to his mental link to Unity. As he understood it, Unity provided comms not only for all their agents, but for people everywhere on their home world to talk to each other. It did that through a network of webs placed carefully in various locations. Somehow, the opposing party to Kuvaa—she was a Cabbaran Reformist—had faked her image and voice in a conversation with an agent, making them do something very wrong. He’d seen Cabbarans building houses from mud and straw with the power of their minds in the small temporary township outside the City of Light’s walls. They were good at that, changing natural objects into other things.
They build worlds and repair those that get badly damaged, sent Unity. It is their great gift as a people.
He acknowledged the information, then turned his mind to Vartra. How had they reached Him when He was an Entity and not a person living in their here and now? How had they got Unity to kidnap someone who wasn’t exactly there in the realm of the normal living? Here was Unity, able to communicate with him by thoughts just like a person, thoughts that didn’t have problems with the distances between the world Unity was on and this one. Was this the answer? That the incidents had actually happened outside normal space and time and been projected from there to this reality?
Unity, do you work outside normal time? he sent.
Yes.
What about space? Do you work in the place where our Entities live?
I operate in multiple realities, in all possible futures.
Have you checked to see if you were programmed in that state, outside of normal time and space, to do these tasks and then forget them?
No. I shall do so now.
I have to go now for lessons. I hope you find what went wrong, he sent before cutting himself off from the web.
M’zull, same day, Nayash village
“Don’t land in the village square,” said Kusac quietly as his aircar approached Nayash village. “Land just outside so they don’t see Mahzi.”
“Aye,” said Cheelar.
Once he had landed, Kusac got up and went back to where Mahzi sat with M’yikku. “I want you to wait in here till I send for you,” he said. “I need to be sure it’s safe, and to explain what happened to your parents.”
She nodded uncertainly. “They’ll be so mad with me.”
“They’ll be glad to know you’re safe. I would be,” he said, standing up and patting her on the shoulder. “Let’s get going,” he said to Cheelar as he headed back to the exit.
From the common where they’d parked, a lane led between the houses to the village square. Having called up first to tell them he was coming, there was a welcoming group waiting for him.
“I’m Shazzuk, Leader of the village,” said a male of middle years stepping forward to greet him. “This is my wife, Larashi. How can we help you, m’Lord Nayash?”
“I’ve actually come to help you. Can we go somewhere private to talk?”
“My office would be best, and it’s out of the sun.”
“Please, lead on.”
Kusac followed them to a house across from where they stood. It was the largest one, and most ornate, with carved wooden posts on either side of the door. Once inside the room that passed for Shazzuk’s office, his wife banged the door closed, then leaned against it.
“He’s not Nayash,” she said bluntly. “He’s pretending to be him, but he’s the Zsadhi.”
A look of panic crossed Shazzuk’s face as he looked from his wife to Kusac. “You don’t know what you’re saying. The Zsadhi is long dead, and why should Lord Nayash pretend to be him?”
“Listen to what I’m saying—he’s not Nayash. He is the Zsadhi come again, I can see him with the Sight and you know that’s never wrong!” She came forward. “I can prove it. He has the tattoo of the sword on his chest.”
Cheelar stepped between Kusac and Larashi. “I think you should remove your wife, Shazzuk. She’s deranged. The sun has gotten to her today,” said the youth
“His scent, Shazzuk, it’s not what it should be! He’s not one of us,” she said urgently, grasping her husband by the arm.
“She’s right,” Shazzuk said slowly. “Something about you isn’t what it should be. I met Nayash once, belligerent bully he was, nothing like you, or your man the other day. What do you want from us?” he demanded. “We made you welcome, yet you’re trying to deceive us, get us into trouble with the authorities! Is this some twisted test of our loyalty?”
“I am Nayash,” said Kusac, pushing Cheelar to one side. “I’m here today because I was given one of your people yesterday. A young female called Mahzi.”
“Mahzi? She’s my sister’s daughter, went missing five days ago,” said Shazzuk, diverted for now. “W
hat happened to her? Is she all right?”
“She got picked up by a patrol and taken in to the Palace,” he said. “I have her now. I will need your help to keep her safe from the Emperor. Will you help me?”
Shazzuk looked at his wife who gave a brief nod. “Yes, whatever we can do we will do. She’s not more than a youngster, a good lass.”
“She doesn’t deserve to get noticed by the Palace,” said Larashi.
“It’s too late for that, but luckily I am in a position to keep her safe. Fetch her, Cheelar.”
As Cheelar moved aside to go and get her, Larashi lunged forward to grab at Kusac’s shirt. A hard yank and the top few buttons popped open.
“See! He has the Zsadhi tattoo!” she said.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Kusac, quickly pulling his shirt closed again, “There’s nothing there.” He ground to a halt as his fingers felt the raised edges of the sword tattoo. “Coincidence,” he muttered. “I had it done one drunken night. Get the female, Cheelar!”
“Aye, Lord Nayash,” he said, heading for the door.
“Look, I know what you think, but I’m not the Zsadhi, and I am Lord Nayash. There is no other one but me!”
“I have the Sight. I see and know things,” said Larashi. “I smell scents on you that are strange, alien scents, I see the Zsadhi in your face.”
“You’re talking rubbish! Worse, with the Zsadhi attacks around the capital city, you’re talking sedition!” said Kusac, fastening his shirt. “I will not be associated with your legends.”
“Leave it, Larashi. We have Mahzi to bother about now.”
“No! He needs to know we are the guardians of his sword, and it went missing the night of the old Lord’s funeral, the day he came here. He needs to see the chapel where the sword was kept, know who your forefathers were before the Fall and the civil war that followed it!”
“Who were you?” asked Kusac.
“It’s ancient history, nothing that would interest you,” said Shazzuk, sitting down on one of the dining chairs he’d had placed in the room.
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