by Leslie Chase
I should have gone back to her, not charged off to face the Eldest. Made sure she was safe and had supplies. I cursed myself for leaving, though I knew Tessa well enough to guess the alternative.
Stubborn and willful, she’d have accompanied me into the temple. And now she’d either be dead or a prisoner with me.
Enough, I thought. She is out there; I am in here. Think about how to get out of here, not what Tessa-ma will do.
It wasn’t easy to put her out of my mind, even if thinking about her didn’t get me any closer to seeing her again. In the dark treasure chamber, I couldn’t tell how much time passed before I heard shouting outside.
I bared my teeth. This was what I’d waited for: the human Fanwell addressing the crowd, providing a distraction. A chance to escape.
Marakz was no fool. He’d searched me, taken my weapons and my tools, anything that I might use to get out of the heavy, well-made cage he’d locked me in. But he’d missed one thing, not knowing what it was. A simple cylinder, unmarked and unadorned, entirely unremarkable — until I pressed my thumb down as I’d seen Tessa do.
The field-cutter sprang to life in my hand. The faint glow at its edge gave me light to see what I was doing as I carved through the bindings on the door and pushed it open.
The thick leather and solid wood might as well not have been there for all the resistance they offered this tool. I took a careful breath, resisting the urge to touch the edge and see how sharp it was.
“This is a magical blade,” I whispered, awestruck. It was one thing to see Tessa wield it, using it myself was something else. It left me wondering if my taru-ma was a Sky God after all. The field-cutter was a relic worthy of one.
Something to ask her when we next had the chance to speak. One thing at a time, I reminded myself. First, out of the cell, then I’d deal with the Elders and go back to her.
The weird shimmering glow of the blade scattered off gold and jewels, all stored down here. A waste of resources that should be put to work for the tribe, not left in the darkness.
I refused to let them distract me. Hoarding treasures was the least of the Elders’ mistakes and would wait. The damage Fanwell did might last forever.
Stairs led up to the entrance, and the roaring of the crowd got louder as I climbed. Not the worshipful chanting I’d first thought. This time there was anger mixed in with awe, arguments amongst the voices, even some fighting. Frowning, I paused a moment to make sense of the hubbub. Impossible, the noise was too chaotic and confused — making out individual voices was beyond me.
At the top of the stairs two guards waited, looking out rather than in. Why would they worry about what’s behind them, after all? There weren’t usually prisoners down there, and even now it must seem more likely that someone would rescue me than that I’d escape on my own.
The first one gave me no trouble: I grabbed his head from behind and slammed it into the wall before he knew what was happening. The second had time to whirl as his companion slumped unconscious, but my fist met his face before he had a chance to call an alarm.
For a temple guard he had sticking power. Bloody faced, he still fought back rather than crumpling as I’d hoped. Tail swinging hard at my legs, he forced me to leap back, giving him room to bring his spear into play.
He’d have made an interesting challenge under normal circumstances, but I needed this fight over before anyone spotted my jailbreak. A slice with Tessa’s cutter took the head off his spear, and while he stared in shock I landed another punch, this time laying him out flat.
A fearsome weapon, this field-cutter, I decided, looking at the insubstantial blade. Too dangerous by far.
But I’d use every advantage I had to finish this, save the tribe, and return to Tessa’s aide. To delay pursuit, I dragged the guards down the steps and out of sight, quickly tying their arms behind their backs. It wouldn’t take them long to get free once they recovered consciousness, but at least no one would see them lying in front of the doorway.
That done, I crept out of the stairs and carefully made my way to see the source of the commotion. It wasn’t far to a doorway outside, onto the third level of the pyramid. The temple’s stepped design meant that, if I kept low, I’d be out of sight of anyone on the ground. Crawling to the edge, I peered over it and looked down at the gathering crowd.
The speaker’s platform was one level below me, and to my surprise it was empty. The crowd weren’t here for a sermon, they weren’t even looking at the temple. They turned inward, attention focused on something happening in the crowd. I tried to see what they were arguing over, a feeling of dread building up, and then a gap opened up just long enough for me to catch a glimpse.
Oh. Oh no.
Tessa.
Two Zrin held her, one by each arm, as the crowd argued over what to do with her. Some were for worshipping her, some were for tearing her limb from limb, and there were Zrin shouting arguments for every position in between.
Against those numbers I stood no chance, not even wielding the cutting tool. Oh, I’d take plenty of them with me to the lands of the dead, but their numbers would tell — leaving Tessa defenseless.
But the sight of my taru-ma made my heart sing and blood burn with passion. It didn’t matter that the Zrin arguing over her fate were my neighbors. If her life was on the line, I’d strike her captors down like a Sky God descending on a pillar of flames, no matter the cost to myself. I only hesitated now because my death would not save her.
Running up the center of the pyramid to my left was the great staircase, climbing all the way from ground level to the top of the pyramid. Race down that, across the bridge, and I’d be in amongst them. I waited, watching to see which way the crowd went, praying I wouldn’t be needed.
Once again the Sky Gods were indifferent to my prayers. The crowd surged toward Tessa, claws sliding out, and I braced myself for a suicidal charge…
“Stop.” The Eldest’s voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the noise like a knife through water. Falling silent instantly, the crowd turned to the temple. I ducked back into cover, unseen, and peered down onto the speaker’s platform. The Eldest strode out onto it, and to my consternation so did El-Ensha. Both looked out of breath, as though they’d run to get there in time to intervene, and temple guards followed them out still adjusting rapidly donned armor.
“What is this commotion?” His voice soft, the Eldest still sounded deadly dangerous. Half the crowd shuffled sheepishly.
“Eldest, I caught this in my home,” someone spoke up, making me wince. What trouble had Tessa gotten herself into now? “It speaks a few words of the Sky Tongue, and less of our own, but it looks like the Sky God. I brought it here for you to judge.”
“It’s a demon,” another shouted. “Like you warned us, Eldest. A demon come to divide us. Let’s kill it now.”
That was nearly enough to bring me out of hiding to kill the speaker, and I found myself glad I didn’t recognize his voice. If I knew who’d spoken about my taru-ma in that fashion, I’d track him down and kill him.
“She’s no demon,” El-Ensha said, loud and forceful where the Eldest had been quiet. “This is a human, fallen from the Sky like the Sky God. Killing her would anger the other gods, and with the Time of Testing so close at hand…”
She let that trail off, allowing the audience to build their own mental images of what the gods would do if we slew one of their own. The hushed murmur suggested it made the crowd think twice.
“It is well that you have brought her here,” the Eldest said, overlooking the fact that at least half the crowd wanted to kill her instead. “Bring her to me, and I shall bring her to the Sky God to judge whether she’s demon or Goddess.”
That seemed to make everyone happy. Now the priests would take the question out of their hands, and at least they’d know who to blame for any disasters caused by it.
I relaxed my muscles slowly. Tessa was safe for now, and trying to rescue her now would only endanger her. Once they brought her in
to the temple, I’d follow and find a chance to rescue her. This called for stealth, not brutal combat.
All I had to do was stay close to her and remain undetected despite the search that would follow when the guards discovered my escape. I grinned. This will be the easy bit.
17
Tessa
The Zrin warriors carried me up the huge staircase and into the temple through a huge set of doors. They shone beautifully as the light struck them, and I swallowed as I realized they were gold.
It might not be rare here, I reminded myself. But I’d not seen any gold elsewhere, and the Zrin weren’t shy about wearing jewelry. This temple must be rich.
I didn’t have time to admire the doors or the carvings on them. My captors marched me past into a maze of corridors and stairs, taking me ever-upward. Try as I might to remember the route, I soon lost track.
“Where’s Zarkav?” I asked, for what felt like the thousandth time. I got no more answer than I had the last nine hundred and ninety-nine. The aliens ignored me, just kept going until they reached another ornate door. This one was a little more tasteful and restrained than the front entrance — made of wood carved into abstract designs and only a small portion covered in gold leaf.
My guards pulled the doors wide and shoved me through with enough force that I stumbled to my knees on the deep carpet beyond.
An imperious voice spoke, commanding the guards to close the door, and I looked up. Yes, I thought I recognized that voice. Fanwell lounged on a too-large chair, a bowl of small dark fruit in one hand, the other holding a goblet. Killer lay beside his chair, the hologram wolf almost transparent. Fanwell looked at me with surprise and I glared back.
“Tessa?” His tone was one of wonder. “Tessa, I thought you were dead. Thank goodness, I was so upset!”
Ah, yes, the famous signs of grief include lounging around and indulging your own pleasures while conning a whole settlement into worshipping you as a god. Not something I could say out loud.
“I thought for sure they’d killed you,” I said instead. “How the hell are you here playing god?”
His laugh sounded genuine. “Oh, that was easy. I just had to shoot one of ‘em. The rest picked up the idea right away, and now I’m set for life. I give whatever the hell speech I want, their shaman or whatever translates it into whatever speech he wants, and we split the take.”
An extravagant gesture took in the room. Full of treasure, some of it beautifully carved wooden sculpture, some gaudy lumps of gold or silver. Light shone in through a window fitted with latticework, gleaming off the metal jewelry and sculptures.
A table set with a selection of food caught my attention more than any amount of treasure would have, though. I lunged for it, only restraining myself when I heard Fanwell laugh.
“Don’t let me stop you, eat all you want,” he said magnanimously, as though he were giving up his own food. I was too busy to glare at him as I piled a plate high and stuffed a strange almost-dumpling into my mouth. I washed that down with a long drink of crystal-clear water before sighing.
“You have no idea how much I needed something to eat,” I said, forcing myself to eat and drink slowly. “And drink! It’s been a long few days.”
Fanwell made a half-hearted sound of sympathy, rising to join me at the table and refilling his goblet from a golden pitcher containing a red liquid. Wine? It looked like wine, but I wasn’t planning on tasting any to find out. I needed a clear head, even if Fanwell didn’t have one. Perhaps especially then.
“You’re safe now, back with me,” he said, drinking deep and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. Our fight back at the colony pod seemed to have slipped his mind. “We can work this together, Tessa, you and me, we’ll be a pantheon for these savages.”
His smile was half leer, and he’d moved into my personal space. I edged away from the table, trying to get some distance, but while he acted oblivious to my discomfort, he stayed too close, not letting me get any breathing space.
“Thanks but no thanks,” I said, holding up my food-laden plate as though I’d bribe him with slices of fried whatever-it-was. “I, uh, I don’t want to be a god. Let’s head for the other humans instead? You know, the ones with medicine and indoor plumbing?”
Fanwell’s nasty laugh echoed in the room. “Now, now, I insist you stay. This is a dangerous planet, Tessa, and if you strike out on your own you’re bound to get hurt.”
In a different tone, that might have passed for a friendly warning. Here, from Fanwell, it was a threat. This close to him I smelled the booze on his breath, saw the lustful spark in his eyes. And there was nowhere for me to run.
So I stopped, glared at him, and drained my goblet. The pure water was delicious, but more importantly that left me with the cup as a weapon, the gold giving it a satisfying heft.
“Listen, I said no, and I meant it. Let me go or I’ll make you regret it.”
He laughed at that, belly wobbling as his shoulders shook. “Come on, don’t take it so seriously. I’m offering you the chance to live like a god here, the least you could do is show some gratitude.”
“You’re conning these people,” I started, but he interrupted with a wave of his hand.
“No, I’m not. First off, it’s their priests who’re doing the speaking. If these savages want to take advantage of each other, who am I to get in the way of their cultural heritage? Second, Tessa, they aren’t people. These are primitive aliens, so who cares?”
“I do,” I shouted, the sheer volume driving him back two steps. “They’re people, even if they’re not humans. Or don’t you think the Akedians are people, either?”
A shrug. “Not really, no. They aren’t humans, they don’t count. But the Akedians are sophisticated types, they always have something to trade. Worth a good deal more respect than these idiots, hanging onto whatever trash they picked up from a more advanced civilization.”
I blinked, confused, and Fanwell laughed again. “Oh, you didn’t know about that? Sure, they have some impressive toys, but none of them are home made. The priests are the smart ones here, keeping the good stuff for themselves. Which makes them good allies, at least for the time being, because I get access to them. We get access to them, now.”
“What kind of ‘toys?’” I asked warily. I might as well learn something from him, even if I had no intention of cooperating.
“For a start, there’s whatever they’re using for air-conditioning,” he said. That was the first time I’d noticed it, but there was a lovely cooling breeze blowing from a grill in the ceiling. “But as a communications tech, I suppose you’ll be more interested in the relic they call the Ahsha-Peren. It’s a universal translator, that’s how I talk to the high mucky-muck.”
My eyes went wide. Ever since the advent of quantum computing that had been one of the holy grails of communications tech. And for just as long, scientists said it was ‘twenty years away.’ None of the aliens we’d contacted had the ability to translate a new language instantly. If the Zrin had a working one… that would change everything. For a start, everyone involved in finding it would be set for life.
Assuming that we can get hold of it. That it works, and we can figure out how it works. And assuming we can get off this planet. Okay, so there were a lot of issues with the plan, but I couldn’t keep some of my excitement from showing.
Fanwell chuckled. He probably meant it to sound fond or friendly, but what he hit was creepy. “I knew you’d understand. So, all we have to do is live off the suckers until we make a plan to escape with the treasure and the translator, and get back to Earth or Arcadia or any human colony.”
My awe at his discovery turned to confusion and then disappointed horror. His plan was stupid, greedy, or both — the gold ‘treasures’ he’d collected were worthless compared to a universal translator, and weighed far too much to carry any distance.
Which was entirely aside from the moral issue of robbing the Zrin, and even that wasn’t the biggest problem.
“To get
back into human space, won’t we need to reach the Wandering Star?” I asked, gently as I could manage. Without the radio he’d shot, we had no way to contact anyone else or get them to pick us up. Fanwell’s face darkened and he snarled at me.
“I’m inviting you in on the deal of a lifetime, you ungrateful bit—” he cut himself off mid-word, took a deep breath and tried again. “Look, I’ll figure that out. You don’t have to worry about the details, okay? I’ll let you have your share because I’m nice like that, and I need the company.”
As if there was any doubt about what he meant by ‘company’ he reached out to cup my cheek and leered. I slapped his hand away, stepped back, and fixed him with a glare.
“I made myself clear back at the pod,” I snapped. “No. No way. Hands off.”
He barked a laugh and moved closer, towering over me. “Come on Tessa, sure you’re afraid, but I’ll be gentle.”
This close his breath stank of old wine and something fouler — or maybe that was just him. His leer seemed to fill my world, and this time when he grabbed at me, he wasn’t playing. Seizing my arm in a bruising grip, he pulled me to him.
And I’d had enough. As he dragged me closer, I snapped my knee up between his legs. With a surprised oof he loosened his grip, but he didn’t let go. Not giving him a chance to recover, I swept my hand around, using the heavy gold goblet like a baton. It struck his elbow with a nasty crunch, a solid impact that reverberated up my arm, and Fanwell let go of me with a howl. Killer leaped at me, but for all his fearsome size he had no more strength than Kitty Fantastic. His forcefield-push didn’t move me, and I refused to be distracted. Fanwell was the enemy here.
I didn’t let up. The moment I did, I’d lose the fight — twice my weight, Fanwell would overwhelm me the moment he got his balance back. My next swing of the heavy goblet crunched into his knee and his leg gave way. I followed him down, swinging hard for his head, but he got his left arm up in time to save himself. The goblet struck his wristband with a crunch and Killer vanished in a cloud of static.