As he watched, the wind changed direction and the snow began to melt, sliding from the trees to the ground below. Throughout the landscape, patches of green started to emerge, and beneath his feet he could now feel grass. Color flooded the land as flowers rose from the soil, opening their petals to the warmth of the sun. He could smell the spring.
Khuushoi’s time will not last for long, then I will rule again.
It was the last thing he remembered, as with a start and a cry of fear, he found himself suddenly sprawled across his mat, his face pressed against the wooden floorboards.
*
Later, Ghyan called Father Lijou, who listened attentively to him.
“He’s the second,” said Lijou. “I think the Gods have decided we’ve been too complaisant. They are creating work for us, Ghyan.”
“What should I do, Master Lijou?”
“Nothing. Continue with his training as if he were one of us. Report to me if this, or anything else unusual happens. It’s possible it was just an isolated vision rather than a calling. He is a Human, after all. We need to be sure.”
“If it is Ghyakulla, then she’s showing her acceptance of the Humans among us.”
“I’m sure She is. That may even be why She’s spoken to him. They are a force in our lives, and on our worlds. We cannot ignore them, so why should She? Better to have them bound to Her than against her, especially with the likes of Derwent around.”
“There’s bad news concerning him,” said Ghyan. “He managed to escape from the medical center and they haven’t yet been able to locate him.”
Lijou frowned. “When did that happen?”
“Yesterday.”
“They haven’t requested any of our personnel.”
“They will,” said Ghyan. “The memory of Fyak is too fresh for the authorities to allow another religious fanatic to run loose.”
“Let’s hope they find him before Khuushoi does the job for them. The weather here has been bitter. How is it with you?”
“The same. You’d hardly think that spring begins in a couple of weeks.”
“That soon? Well, our calendar never did reflect the weather accurately. Keep me posted on this, Ghyan, but I wouldn’t worry unduly.”
*
Mara hung around the upper cavern of the dig, waiting for Josh. It was coming up to second meal, time for everyone to take a break. He’d been working with Bob and Meral, and as the three males came level with her, Josh stopped.
“Catch you over there,” he said to the other two. He waited till they’d gone. “You shouldn’t be here. Pam’s on the warpath this morning.”
“I’ve every right to be here,” she said mildly. “It is my Clan’s land, after all.”
“It’s not worth arguing over it with her, believe me. Look, I’m still in deep shit because of last time. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t come here to see me.”
“I’m actually here for a valid reason,” she said. “I’ve come to ask you to share third meal with us. It’s my thank you for coming to visit me when I was in the medical unit.”
“It was the least I could do,” he mumbled, looking away from her. “I wasn’t exactly responsible, but I was involved.”
“I really am sorry for what I did, Josh, but it would have been even worse to have gone on with…” she faltered, unsure what word to use.
He looked up, a slight smile on his face. “I understand, Mara. Hell, I’m not ready to be a father yet, so why should it be different for you? Look, are you all right? With your Leska, I mean? To put yourself through what you did, the suicide attempt and the pregnancy, just because of him, you must have a pretty terrible relationship.”
“It hasn’t been good,” she admitted, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her long overcoat. “Zhyaf’s a good person, just so reserved and staid. We get along a lot better now he’s working in the capital.”
“What’s he doing?” Josh asked, slowly beginning to walk toward the upper level.
Mara fell in step beside him. “Government work. I’m sorry, I can’t discuss it. I better not go any farther,” she said, reaching out to stop him. “Don’t want to get you into trouble. Will you come over tonight?” Anxiously she searched his face, hoping he’d accept. She gave a small laugh. “You know, if you were a Sholan male, I’d know exactly what to say and do, but…”
“If it makes it easier, why not pretend I am?” he said gently.
Frowning, she turned her head sideways in the Sholan gesture of embarrassed questioning. “You’re serious,” she said, beginning to smile as she picked up his tentative sending. “All right. I have cooked a meal for tonight and would like you to come and share it with me. I would like us to spend some time togetherâ a lot of it, in fact.” The words came out in a rush and she could feel her face turning crimson as she said them.
“I’d be delighted to come,” he replied, taking hold of her hand. “And if your invitation means you’d like us to get to know each other better, I’d like that, too. There’s something about you, Mara Ryan, a wildness in your soul, that appeals to me.”
She felt his hand tighten on hers briefly as he moved closer, leaning forward to kiss her.
“And just what do you think you’re doing?” demanded the sharp voice of Pam Southgate.
“Wonderful timing, hasn’t she?” murmured Josh, his lips brushing hers before they separated.
“I made it quite clear that you were not to set foot in these excavations again, Mara Ryan. Leave immediately.” She turned her back on the girl, letting her know in no uncertain terms that she considered the matter closed.
“As for you, I warned you last time what would happen if I had reason to speak to you again about fraternizing with the natives. Obviously that piece of trash is more important to you than our work here. Pack your bags, Mr. Lewis, you’re on the first shuttle back to Shanagi!”
“Now just a minute,” began Josh.
“Who are you calling a piece of trash?” demanded Mara, grabbing the woman by the arm and swinging her back to face her.
“Take your hand off me,” Pam said angrily, shaking her arm free. “Now get off this site before I call one of the men to have you thrown off!”
“Excuse me,” said a deep, feminine voice from behind them all. “Did I hear you making a specist remark about my fosterling?”
Mara turned round. “Ruth!”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Pam snapped. “I’m not a specist!”
Ruth smiled lazily. “I beg to disagree. Calling Mara a native and a piece of trash tells me exactly what you think of the Sholans.”
“I beg your pardon, but I have a high regard for the Sholan people! And I don’t care whether she’s your fosterling or not, she’s a piece of trash! She’d slept with just about every Sholan male here before she started on my team! That’s trash in my book!”
Mara cringed back, moving out of the line of fire. “I did not! Josh is the only one!” As she did, she realized a small crowd had begun to gather round them. The fluting trill of Touiban voices caught her attention and moments later, they’d pushed their way into the center of the group and were milling round the four of them.
“You’ve upset the Touibans,” Josh accused Pam.
“I’ve upset the Touibans?” Pam demanded, rounding on him. “If you hadn’t encouraged this… person… to visit you, none of this would have happened!”
Mara tugged at Ruth’s sleeve, ready to die with embarrassment. “Ruth, can we leave it? Please, let’s just go.”
“No, my pet. There’s more at stake here than just you,” Ruth said, patting Mara’s hand reassuringly. “This is harassment and specism and I’m not standing for it.”
One of the Touibans darted between them, his trill a high-pitched riff of sound as he reached up to pat Mara’s face. The air became scented with a gentle perfume unlike any she’d smelled before. He turned then to Pam, grimacing and shaking his head, his voice now deep and staccato.
From behind and above her, a
second voice answered, the Touiban notes sounding slightly mechanical and stilted in comparison to the fluidity of the first speaker’s voice.
Pandemonium broke out, with excited Touibans darting from place to place. Mara closed her eyes, feeling suddenly nauseous. Strong hands grasped her, holding her upright.
“You’re fine,” Josh’s voice said reassuringly in her ear. “It happens when you try to watch the Touibans move. Took us ages to get the knack of it. And don’t worry about what Pam said, I know all I need to about your past.”
The voices had moved, their focus now just behind her. Cautiously she opened her eyes again.
“What happened?”
“Carrie and Kusac are here,” he said. “They’ve got Kashini with them. I don’t think the Touibans have ever seen a Sholan cub before, judging by their reactions.”
Their rapid movements had stopped and now they stood rooted to the spot, pointing at the cub in wonder. She was equally taken with them, emitting small mewls of pleasure as she reached out toward them and their glittering jewelry with eager hands.
One valiant soul gingerly extended his hand. It was grasped and immediately hauled toward the cub’s mouth.
“Not a good idea,” said Carrie, shaking her head in a negative as she reached forward quickly to stop her daughter. “Sharp teeth.”
“All tiny ones have sharp teeth with which they try their mothers’ tempers. It is a fact of life with which we parents have to exist. She is so like her father, yet she is also like you, truly a harmonious blending of both your people.”
“Thank you, Speaker. You honor us,” said Kusac. “Would you excuse me while I see what is troubling my people?”
“Ah, it is the thin, angry female again, she who knows no gentleness of nature. She says disparaging things about your people and mine, and causes upset. She tries to exclude the fine young Human male from this diggings where his help is most useful and his presence near us a pleasure. Why do you let her remain? For harmoniousness to be achieved it is necessary to tune voices till the harsh notes are gone. She is such a harsh note, and it were better she went than any other Humans.”
Kusac looked from the Touiban Speaker to Pam, then back. “Is that a request, Speaker?”
The Speaker hesitated and turned his face to Mara and Josh. “Yes.”
Mara could feel Kusac’s surprise. For a Touiban to limit himself to one short word was unheard of. They’d not only followed what had been said, but had interfered and taken her side against the head of this team. She could hardly believe what was happening.
Before she had time for that to sink in, she heard another trill of sound, then she and Josh were surrounded by eleven Touibans and being escorted toward the far end of the chamber. As they left, she heard Kusac say, “I will see what I can do, Speaker. Thank you for supporting my people.”
Hands gripped the edges of her coat, gently tugging her and Josh forward until they had reached the refectory tables. Their trills blended, forming a gentle melody of sound that was accompanied by the same, strange scent. Then the glittering, brightly colored folk were gone, their bodies interweaving with each other as if performing some exotic dance as they made their way back to rejoin their Speaker.
Handing Kashini to Carrie, Kusac remained talking to Ruth and Pam while the mother and cub came over to join them.
“I’ve got to hand it to you, Mara,” said Carrie, sitting down beside them, “I’ve never known the Touibans do that before, neither has Kusac! They’ve certainly taken a fancy to you. Josh, you’ve made an impression on them, too, and they don’t impress easily!”
“I don’t know how,” he murmured. “I haven’t had much to do with them. Mostly I just get on with my work.”
“They value dedication to the job in hand, in case you hadn’t noticed. I take it they broke up an unpleasant scene.”
“She’d just ordered me off the site, and fired Josh,” said Mara. “Can she do that? Can she send him back to Shanagi?”
“No, she can’t. She doesn’t have the power to do that,” Carrie reassured her, turning Kashini so she could sit her daughter more comfortably on her lap. She looked from one to the other and smiled. “I take it you’ve patched up your differences?”
“You could say that,” said Josh with a slow grin, moving his hand across the table to take Mara’s. “Despite Pam’s inopportune arrival.”
Mara felt her heart leap as his hand squeezed hers comfortingly.
“I’m pleased for you. I suggest you forget about Pam Southgate. Kusac intends to have her returned to Shanagi. I’m sure we won’t have a problem, considering the Speaker has officially requested it. Greg’s next in command, isn’t he? Will he cope? Has he led a team before? If we can avoid bringing in someone new, we’d prefer it.”
“Greg can cope,” said Josh confidently. “He’d have been team leader had it not been for Pam pulling strings to get the post.”
“Hi, kids,” said Ruth, settling herself into the seat opposite them. “All settled. She’ll not bother you again.” She held her arms out across the table for Kashini. “Do I get a cuddle, then, young lady?”
“She’ll either sleep like a log or keep the whole house awake tonight,” said Carrie ruefully, lifting her daughter up and trying to pass her across the table to Ruth.
Kashini had ideas of her own. As soon as she felt the table top beneath her feet, she scrabbled for a purchase, twisting and turning till her weight meant that Carrie had to rest her on the surface. That was it. With a bound she flung herself at Ruth, knocking the breath out of her as she landed, arms and legs splayed, claws out, against her chest.
It was difficult to tell who yowled louder. Ruth from the insertion of twenty small needle-sharp claws or Kashini at the shock of Ruth’s reaction. Nonetheless, Ruth grabbed the squirming bundle firmly.
“You are a handful, madam,” she admonished, disengaging the claws and arranging the cub’s weight to make them both comfortable. “Thank God my Mandy was nowhere near this bigâ or activeâ at two months! Sholan females have my sympathy!”
Rulla appeared at her side, his hand going to touch her shoulder. “Clan Leader,” he said, flicking an ear in deference to Carrie. “Is everything all right?” he asked Ruth. “I heard you from the other side of the cavern.” His eye ridges were creased with concern.
“I’m fine,” she said, gently bouncing Kashini up and down on her lap. “It was this little rascal here. She launched herself at me and drew blood when she landed! It takes a strong woman to handle you Sholans, Rulla,” she said, looking up at him. “All teeth and claws, you are.”
Wide-eyed with embarrassment, Rulla glanced at Carrie, begging silently for help, and tried to ignore Mara and Josh’s grins. “We have our gentler side, too, Ruth,” he mumbled. “You know that.”
“I suppose you have your moments,” she said, wagging a finger in front of Kashini for the cub to catch.
He leaned down till his head was level with hers, his hand stealing round her shoulder till it began to caress her neck. “Ruth, Dzinea, you’ll have them thinking I treat you like one of those scratching posts you talk of,” he said, trying to keep his voice low. “You know that isn’t so!”
Mara suddenly discovered a need to cough and found herself being thumped on the back by a grinning Carrie.
Nice to see him less than his usual pompous self, isn’t it? Ruth winds him round her finger beautifully! sent Carrie.
It’s even better at home, Mara replied, gesturing to show Carrie she was fine.
Josh had turned to look at Kusac and Pam and had missed the byplay. “Is it that easy? He can send her away just like that?”
Mara looked round, too. Kusac had called Dzaka over, and Pam was now being firmly escorted toward the tunnel down to the lower level.
“Not quite, but his father will support his decision,” said Carrie. “We can’t afford to have prejudice here. We’re working to help people like yourself who are trying to come to terms with the fact they they’ve
just acquired a Leska from another species. It’s hard enough for them to deal with their own emotions and fears without having to cope with the Pam Southgates of the world. I’m just glad we were here when it happened.”
“What if you hadn’t been?” The words were out before Mara could stop them.
“Garras would have been informed and the matter put on hold till I’d returned in the evening. And I’d have made exactly the same decision. This is our home, Mara, and Josh’s, before it’s anything else.”
“Mine?” asked Josh.
“Yours, too,” she confirmed, rescuing the spoon that Kashini had picked up from the table. “You know your test was positive. That makes you one of us, and a member of our Clanâ if that’s what you want. The choice is yours. If you decide to join us, then nothing and no one but Kusac has the power to make you leave here.”
“So when the team pulls out, I can stay?”
“We can demand that you stay,” she grinned. “Not even the Terran Ambassador could order you to leave if you chose not to. It goes with being a member of our En’Shalla Clan. However, we would ask you to start training your Talent so as to give the claim some basis in fact. It could help you in your work anyway. When I pick up items, I sometimes have a feel for their previous owners, who they were and what they used the item for, that kind of thing. It should strengthen those intuitive hunches of yours.”
“Psychometry,” mumbled Josh, obviously embarrassed. “How’d you guess? And what about my work? I’m an archeologist, not a telepath. That’s what I want to do.”
Carrie shrugged. “Every Human’s Talent seems to include hunches. As to your work, quite a few Terrans only train part-time. You could join their classes. Kusac’s coming over now. Would you mind helping him fetch some drinks for us, please, Josh?”
“Sure,” he said, getting up.
*
As they came down into the lower cavern, Kusac grasped Carrie briefly by the arm, holding her back. He nodded toward where his sister and Dzaka were working on something buried in the cavern floor.
“Look at them,” he said. “I’ve never seen or felt Dzaka so relaxed, and as for Kitra! Is that really my little sister? There’s an air about her that Mother has. A sort of…” He stopped, searching for the word. “A quiet contentment, a glow.”
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