by T. W. Embry
“If we could get market price, one thousssand of these jewlesss would buy an Earth sssized planet. However, we will not get market price as we have to sssplit with the third party tradersss and deal through unofficial channelsss,” lamented Snarth.
“Human Tom, take one of the bagsss we brought and put azsss many jewelsss in it azsss you can carry and ssstill fight,” hissed Snarth. As I opened the bag and lifted the first jewel, I was surprised as to how heavy they were; much more than they looked, about ten pounds each.
At that weight, we would be making several trips in order to get the six hundred we needed for our first haul. “At thisss weight we may have to sssettle for fifty jewels each. I am not sssure my ssship will carry the weight of sssix hundred jewels. ssShe wasss built for comfort not cargo,” hissed Snarth as he started filling his own bag.
I had twenty-five jewels in my bag when I stopped filling it. I could easily swing the bag over my shoulder and still use the blaster rifle. “Twenty five seems about the right weight,” I said to Snarth.
“That meansss three tripsss back to the ssship”, Snarth hissed. “Get a move on, I want to be finissshed by the dark cycle.”
“Yes sir,” I answered as I started filling the second bag.
Snarth paused in his efforts and hissed into the communicator, “Rowl, report.”
“All clear sir,” came Rowl’s immediate answer.
“Irishman, report,” hissed Snarth again.
“All clear here sir,” came the Irishman’s immediate answer. This seemed to settle Snarth’s sudden anxiety and he began filling his second bag, “Too damn’ quiet if you asssk me,” he hissed half under his breath.
By the time we got back to the cycles my bag seemed like it weighed five hundred pounds rather than two hundred and fifty. Rowl and Snarth were equally winded but the Irishman struggled the most. He had refused enhancements by the doctor and I am sure he was regretting it right now.
“Ok Snarth,” he said through ragged breaths as he arrived at the cycles, “I give up, you win, call your doctor when we get back.” Snarth just nodded, too wise and winded to say I told you so.
As I loaded the huge bag of crystals on my bike, I heard Snarth hiss, “Next trip we bring the bikesss all the way to the treasssure room one at a time, that hallway isss big enough if we back them in or out.”
“Or turn them around in the treasure chamber,” added the Irishman, his breath having returned. The next two trips went much, much more easily, needless to say. After which we sealed both the chamber and the entrance to the Queen’s chamber.
PART TWENTY-THREE
A Test to Take
After the crystals had been stored in the cargo hold and the ship was headed back to Snarth’s estate, I was soaking my tired muscles in the hot tub while my mate gave me a very thorough scrubbing. As I reached for her she shied away, confusing me. Her giving me a bath was usually a prelude to very passionate lovemaking.
“We must talk first, my love,” she mewed softly, just out of easy reach. “We have much to discuss,” she added solemnly.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked her, relaxing against the whirlpool jet, hands behind my head, listening intently.
“If we are to have children you must take the trials of attainment on my home world.” As I started to protest, she held her fingers to my lips, silencing me. “If you are to pass the trials, you will have to learn the way of the assassin. I offer this great honor to you. Many have tried but only a few non-felines have ever passed the trials. They are legend and known as Ja Ha Don. My brother in his anger will see to it that you fail even if he has to change the rules that have been in place for a thousand generations,” she mewed “If you formally declare your intentions to take the trials, you are untouchable by any of my people, even the king himself.”
“Do you think I can do it?” I asked my mate. She answered with a question: “Tell me again how you defeated my father and stole the object from right under his nose.”
As I related my story once again, she put her hand to my mouth when I got to the part about becoming the stone.
“After the hours of concentrating inward, becoming the stone, could you not see the whole room in your mind?” my mate asked.
“Now that I think about it, yes I could,” I answered.
“And when my father entered the room cloaked you sensed him, did you not?” she mewed.
“I did,” I answered, “That is when I floated up to the ceiling on the anti-grav glider. I cannot explain how I knew he was there, I just knew.”
“I suspected as much,” purred my mate with a smile. “Yes my love, I think you can pass the trials.
“My father was teaching you much more than you realize. I believe he was grooming you as his student, which is also a great honor, you would be his first,” purred my mate. “I am not sure why, as your front kick is still off, and you do not bathe enough,” she purred playfully splashing me.
“The way of the assassin is a spiritual path to stalking and killing prey. It involves the mind and feeling your prey, not depending on the ordinary senses,” she mewed returning to seriousness. “I am not sure I can instruct you properly. However, I do know someone who can, if he will help.”
“And who might that be?” I asked, dreading the answer.
“The assassin master who instructed me, my uncle; he is the greatest master assassin currently alive. My father is the only one who ever defeated him in ritual combat. My father spared his life in return for training me against my family’s wishes,” my mate answered. “My love, I do not offer this lightly. Our children will have no honor and no place in society on the home world if you fail.”
“Then I will not fail,” I said choking up. “I will do whatever it takes to provide for you and the twins or die trying,” I answered hoarsely as my heart swelled up in my chest, nearly bursting with emotion.
PART TWENTY-FOUR
The Assassin Master
It was early in the light cycle when the team arrived at Snarth’s estate. It was a very busy place over the next few light cycles, with deliveries arriving nonstop. Snarth called a meeting early the next light cycle.
“My friendsss,” he hissed, “the party to celebrate Human Tom and the feline master’sss upcoming birth will begin in two light cyclesss. I have invited many very prominent beingsss from around the galaxy, sssome for reasssons of my own. Even though my sssecurity sssyssstem isss the bessst available, I need you each to be on extra alert lessst thisss party turn into a political disssaster, or worssse, a bloodbath,” he hissed.
“Human Tom, you need to be essspecially careful and alert,” Snarth hissed, cautioning me. “I have invited the king of the felinesss. I do not think he will come. Or caussse any trouble or sssend any. However, he wasss pretty angry with you for taking hisss sssissster away from him, ssso be careful,” he hissed.
“Yes sir, I will,” I answered, my cheeks reddening at the implication that I could not handle the king or anyone he sent.
“Many of the guessstsss will ssstart arriving in the next few long time unitsss,” Snarth hissed. “I want all of the sssuppliesss that arrived ssswept with sssensors before then. There isss no need to invite trouble in by being carelessss. ssSplit up in your usssual teamsss of two, report anything you find immediately. Now get to it, you are all dismissssed,” he hissed.
As my mate and I scanned the newly filled storage room, I asked her, “Do you think your brother will come?”
“Yes,” she answered, “Because I asked him to.”
“Do you think that was wise? I mean, he was pretty angry with me the last time we met,” I asked, surprised by her answer.
As she turned to look me in the face my mate answered, “It is to him and only him that you must declare your intention to take the trials of attainment. You must do this before he finds out about the twins. That is why you will meet his shuttle without me,” she mewed. “You must not give him the chance to claim ritual combat to restore the family honor. Once yo
u claim the right to take the trial neither he nor any of my people may challenge you until you either pass the trial or die trying,” she finished simply.
“If I die trying, what becomes of you and the twins?” I asked.
“We will become outcasts, disowned by my clan and forbidden to ever visit the home world again.”
“Then I will not fail you or our children,” I said. “When do we begin training?”
“We already have, my love,” my mate mewed cryptically.
Suddenly I felt that tingle that told me someone who was cloaked was close to me, too close. In an instinctive move, I cloaked as I did a high backward flip, landing behind my unseen opponent. To my amazement, my mate remained uncloaked patiently waiting for something. I immediately guessed that the master who had trained her was the one I felt. I felt the urge to show my stuff too late as I felt the assassin master’s blade at my throat.
I relaxed in order to lull him into revealing himself. I did not have to wait long. “You should not give up so easy, boy,” growled the assassin master in my ear as he decloaked, his feline blade still at my throat. Sensing my chance to strike I used some of my S.E.A.L. hand to hand combat training to disarm, then completing the move with one I had learned from my mate, threw the assassin master over my shoulder and into the wall.
To my surprise he rebounded instantly off the wall, jumping directly at me with the most graceful flying front kick I have ever seen, he seemed to float towards me. I was so amazed by his grace he almost connected, almost. I managed a barrel roll out of the way, throwing a short upward kick that connected on the assassin master’s abdomen, causing him to grunt in pain and land off balance.
As I sprang back to my feet into a killing stance, my feline blade drawn, I heard my mate yowl, “Stop, both of you.” I held my stance, waiting on the assassin master’s next move. It never came. As I watched, my mate bowed deeply from the waist. From her angry glance, I knew that I must also bow to the master assassin. Therefore, I bowed from the waist as well, waiting to be acknowledged.
“So this is what my best student has become, the mate for a human,” growled the assassin master in a deep gravelly voice.
“Master, it is good to see you,” mewed the stealth master, her head bowed in respect.
“So is that your best, boy?” growled the assassin master as he circled me, sizing me up further.
“No sir,” I answered. After I answered, I stood my tallest and glared down at the assassin master, watching him circle me.
He was only slightly larger than my mate, only thin and wiry, not bulky and muscular, his jet-black fur greying around his ears and nose. “I hope not, for your sake,” growled the assassin master. “So, my niece has finally decided to mate,” he mewed as he continued to circle me. I knew he was waiting for my attention to lapse so he could strike. My gaze never wandered as I settled into a practiced, patient on guard.
Still the assassin master circled, looking for an opening. I was tempted to give him one. However, I knew how much this meant to my mate so I patiently waited for the assassin master’s move. It never came.
“I have never been detected by any of my prey before, boy. How did you know I was going to strike?” the assassin master hissed at me.
“The same way I evaded your brother, Master. I felt your presence when you got too close to me.”
“You speak of the Way of the Assassin, boy. What do you know of this?” the assassin master hissed angrily, pausing in his circling.
“Only what your niece and her father have taught me, master,” I answered.
The assassin master whirled around to face my mate. “It is forbidden to teach an outsider the Way,” he hissed, even angrier. My mate was still as stone, her head bowed in submission and in a low mew, she said simply “I believe he is Ja Ha Don.”
That brought the assassin master up short and rigid in surprise. “He is going to declare his intention to take the trials to the king when he arrives,” my mate continued.
“The king is coming here? Why?” hissed a suddenly icy calm assassin master.
“Because I asked him to, he is my brother after all.”
At that moment the feline master’s communicator squawked; it was Snarth.
“The king’sss ssshuttle will be landing in ten ssshort time unitsss,” he hissed.
“The king must not know that I am here, not yet,” growled the assassin master. “Niece, I swear you to silence, and you too, human. I think I have uncovered a plot to kill the king but I have no real proof. In fact they may try to kill the king while he is here and not on the home world. It will be easier,” he hissed coldly. “It would seem that the Way has other ideas or I would not be here with you now,” growled the assassin master, as much to himself as to the two of us.
He had settled into an icy calm that would have given any one of my former S.E.A.L. team members pause. “Snarth can help,” I said quietly.
“This is a private matter, boy,” snarled the assassin master, turning his gaze on me.
“Tom is right, Uncle,” yowled my mate.
“SSlice can find out anything about anybody,” I added.
“Now you want to bring a filthy spinner into this,” snarled the assassin master through clenched teeth.
“Uncle, SSlice saved my life. He is an honorable spinner. Snarth has known his family for generations.”
“Very well,” hissed the stealth master, his jaws still clenched. “As I seem to have no choice: Human Tom, you and my niece must meet the king’s shuttle and declare your intent to take the trials. That should cause enough of a stir as to keep everyone’s attention on the king. I will speak to Snarth and this spinner. Remember the king must not know I am here.”
“His name is SSlice and he saved my life too,” I said, my anger rising at the assassin master’s disrespect of my friend.
Our eyes locked, his had an odd intensity to them. I gave him back my best icy stare. I felt my knees begin to weaken in a flee response to the assassin master’s glare. My mate had warned me of that stare. The master was using his power of the Way on me!
“I will let your challenge pass this time, boy, since you are new to our ways,” hissed the assassin master as he broke our stare, and disappeared, silent as a puff of smoke. I instantly felt strength returning to my legs. I realized I had been holding my breath and I let it out with a loud whoosh.
As I looked around I saw my mate staring at me intently, smiling, “You did very well my love. Very few felines can resist the master’s urge to flee. I know of no prey that has ever resisted it. Now go and declare your intentions to my brother,” she mewed. “Remember, formal ritual is strictly adhered to. It may be all that keeps my brother from challenging you to ritual combat to the death as soon as he realizes what you are about to ask. He cannot refuse you in front of so many witnesses without losing face. He will have the high advisors and his guards with him. Be careful, my love,” whispered my mate in my ear as she gave me a fierce embrace, then a gentle push toward the formal entrance to Snarth’s estate.
PART TWENTY-FIVE
A Request of the King
As I stood in the king’s receiving line, butterflies in my stomach, I mentally recited my speech to the King. Snarth, who was at the head of the line, caught my eye, giving me a nod of encouragement. Suddenly the King was right in front of me, it was time to declare my intentions.
I stepped directly into the King’s path and bowed, waiting to be acknowledged. Recognizing me the King growled, “We meet again, Human Tom. Where is my sister? I was sure she would be here to meet me.”
“She is here my King. She will join you shortly Sire,” I answered as I bowed, still blocking the king’s progress down the receiving line, formally beginning the ritual of declaration.
“Out of my way, human,” the king snarled, perhaps guessing why I was here, alone. “Just because you are my sister’s mate does not mean you may address me formally.”
Standing up straight, I looked the king straight in
the eyes and said in a loud, clear voice the line I had practiced many times in private: “With your permission my king, I request the test of attainment.”
“So my sister thinks you are Ja Ha Don,” snarled the king, not immediately grasping my intention.
“With your permission Sire, that remains to be seen,” I answered, bowing my head once again.
All conversation in the immediate area had stopped as everyone waited on the king’s answer. Seeing that he could not deny me the rights to the trial of attainment without losing face, the king hissed, “Few non-felines have passed the trials, many have failed. I look forward to watching you fail.”
“And I intend to disappoint you Sire,” I answered, giving the king my coldest stare.
“How dare you challenge me?” hissed the King.
“I issue no challenge Sire, I only demand the right of the trial. I will have your answer now,” I said softly as I waited for the King’s strike.
Instead he withdrew, just a little, his eyes blazing with hatred. I realized that the King had figured out my true intentions.
“You have my permission human,” yowled the king furiously, nearly losing control. “In fact, I will give you the test myself on the home world, say in six of your months? That should give you enough time to train so you do not embarrass yourself. I will send a messenger when it is time,” said the king of the felines.
“Thank you, my King.” Bowing, I stepped out of the king’s path and beat a hasty retreat.
PART TWENTY-SIX
A Plot Revealed
The assassin master decloaked silently behind SSlice, who was inside the estate’s security control and monitoring room, his intention to surprise the spinner.
Without even acknowledging the master’s presence, SSlice whispered, “I have run an algorithm on the information you revealed and they corroborate your suspicions.”