He took her to his family’s property, taking a circuitous route so he could show her the trees that would soon see rain, judging by the heavy clouds gathering over the mountains. Sanyul knew he’d have to leave before those clouds arrived. His ship could withstand many turbulent atmospheres, but a Sundafarian storm, as ionised as they came, might destroy it.
But he couldn’t think of any good reason to leave right now.
He watched as Isabis’ other hand lingered on the bark of the nearest banana trees. One of the plants bent gently towards its mistress, brushing a dry leaf over her cheek.
They’re happy to see you, Sanyul noted.
Isabis smiled. They are even happier that you came back. They miss your steady hands. Your sister is not so deft with her blade.
Sanyul was about to respond when he came to a complete stop, startled to see his grandmother sitting up against a banana tree. ‘Bibi! Shouldn’t you be resting?’
Bibi waved a dismissive hand at him. ‘Don’t frown so much, Sanyul, not in front of your lovely companion. So you know I’m dying, do you. Well, I don’t mind. It will be nice to see Nuru again. He said he’d wait for me in the afterlife. He always did keep his promises.’
‘But if you’d just gone to a clinic…’ Sanyul began.
‘Go get us something to drink, Sanyul,’ his grandmother said, interrupting him and giving Isabis a significant look. ‘It would be rude not to provide for your guest. Mbege, if you will.’
Sanyul obeyed, the back of his neck itching with anxiety. He wondered what Bibi might say, what offence the goddess might take. But Isabis’ mind thrummed with amusement as Bibi warned this stranger not to break her grandson’s heart, because if that happened she’d have to dig her way out of the burial plain to take her revenge. But of course, her grandson could take his own revenge if he had to. He was a professional assassin, you know.
Sanyul has already told me everything I need to know about him, Isabis replied, her thoughts echoing the words she spoke out loud. And though he might be able to locate me with his scope, he’d have a hard time hitting me.
Chuckling quietly, Sanyul entered the kitchen and grabbed the required amount of mbege before creeping back out. When he returned, the bottles snug in his hands, the women were sitting side by side and wearing identical grins of mischief. Bibi clearly didn’t know who she was brushing knees with otherwise she would have gone for the small blade she kept hidden underneath her kanga. Or maybe she would have stayed her hand, because right then she was thinking that Sanyul had chosen a decent romantic interest for once.
Sanyul slowed as he neared the pair, wishing this wasn’t the last time he’d see them together.
‘Sanyul, stop staring and bring those bottles here before we both die of thirst!’ Bibi called. ‘And tell me where you found your companion. You aren’t from here, are you, Isabis? I know all the young women in this town and I would allow none of them near Sanyul, much less give them free mbege.’
Sanyul handed them a beer each and dropped into a crouch on Isabis’ other side. ‘Isabis is just passing through. She’s a rainmaker.’
‘A rainmaker,’ Bibi mused as she took in the darkening horizon. ‘A profession of lies and deceit. But look at that.’
Isabis shrugged modestly. ‘It is a difficult task, but I succeeded on this occasion.’
‘How did you two meet?’ Bibi asked.
Isabis didn’t look at Sanyul but her hand was in his again, a firm pressure that let him know this was his responsibility, his answer to provide.
‘I mistook her for someone else and nearly shot her,’ Sanyul said.
Bibi snorted, mbege slopping out of the bottle she held. ‘You thought she was The Goddess? Did you know that Sanyul is trying to kill our goddess? Well. I can see why he made that mistake. You’re uncommonly beautiful, Isabis. But you are too likeable to be a sub-level god. And you have yet to offend me.’
Isabis’ lips twitched. ‘I am sure it is only a matter of time before I offend you.’
‘I’ll be dead in a few weeks, don’t you worry!’ Bibi chuckled. ‘And if I annoy Sanyul too much, he might decide to end my life sooner rather than later.’
‘Hey!’ Sanyul cried, laughing. ‘I only do that if someone’s paying me. I’m a professional assassin, you know!’
Bibi continued to tease them for a time, until the sky lost its orange hue and Ablar’s figure appeared at the end of the road as she made her way towards the property. Sanyul knew he’d have to go into his parents’ house shortly, to make his farewells, and yet…
Isabis squeezed his hand.
Bibi caught sight of Ablar then looked back at her grandson, frowning. ‘Isabis told me about your little disagreement. Sanyul, your sister didn’t mean to hurt you. She can’t help what pops into her head — she was raised by that woman in this town, after all. But I am surprised that Ablar said such a thing out loud. That isn’t like her at all. Many people never say the first thoughts that occur to them, because they know they’re wrong. It’s just what’s been beaten into them over the years.’
‘Doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt,’ Sanyul murmured.
‘You should still say goodbye to her,’ Bibi said tartly. ‘And are you going to say goodbye to Isabis? Not for good, I hope.’
Sanyul smiled sideways at his immortal companion. ‘I like Isabis. A lot. I want to take her out again — if she’ll permit me.’
‘Permit him, Isabis!’ Bibi commanded.
Isabis held Sanyul’s eyes. Gone was the laughter. Gone was the carefree woman he had spent the night with. In her place was The Goddess.
Sanyul’s heart was poised to shatter.
‘It would be nice to go on another date,’ Isabis said at last.
‘You can have as many as dates you’d like,’ Sanyul promised.
Bibi set her bottle down and released a groan, slowly getting to her feet. ‘Well, I’m not going to waste my morning sitting around and waiting to die. I think I’ll go into town and give them all something to gossip about. Isabis, walk my grandson back to his door. And you’d better give him your communicator details or I’ll haunt you ’til the end of your days. Don’t think I won’t.’
Bibi turned her back to them, her gentle stroll taking her towards the centre of town. There would definitely be gossip later, Sanyul was sure of it. He couldn’t help but smile.
Once Bibi was out of sight, Sanyul and Isabis rose as one and headed for the front door of his family’s home. As they walked, fingers still entwined, Sanyul said, ‘We should probably find out now if we’re compatible or not. Make sure there’s no deal-breakers. For one, I’d like children.’
‘As would I,’ Isabis replied. ‘I would love to have a family to care for.’
Sanyul wondered if he was glowing. Probably.
‘I should tell you that anyone who marries me will live for eternity,’ she added with a sly glance at him. ‘Is that agreeable to you?’
‘Uh,’ Sanyul said, taken back.
‘You find it daunting.’
‘Well, yeah. But I won’t worry about it unless things get serious between us.’
‘And then?’ Isabis prompted.
‘If I fall in love with you, then I doubt it will be as daunting as it is now,’ he decided. ‘But it’s good to know. It would complicate things too much if I found out later.’
Isabis nodded, accepting his answer. ‘We’ll see, then.’
They stood outside the door, toe to toe, her bare feet and his shoes crusted with the dirt and grime of other worlds, worlds they had explored together. Here was the moment he’d usually have to reveal to his date that he wouldn’t be inviting her into his bed. But he didn’t need to say anything. She already knew. And she felt the same way he did.
‘I’d better go in and say goodbye,’ Sanyul said.
‘And I had better return to my duties.’ Isabis hesitated. ‘Do you want me to remove the mind-reading abilities now or after you leave Sundafar?’
‘Remove…? And let you put us on uneve
n footing for the rest of our dates?’ Sanyul shook his head. ‘No. I’ll keep it. For now.’
‘Then this is goodbye,’ she said, smiling. ‘For now.’
She vanished moments later, becoming nothing more than a bundle of grass that fell to his feet and disintegrated. His heart light, Sanyul opened the door and waved aside his sister’s apology, embracing her instead. Ablar’s thoughts sounded much more like her own voice this time.
‘I love you too, Ablar,’ Sanyul said, replying to what he saw inside her mind. ‘But I’ll love you even more if you get me some mbege to take back to my ship.’
Laughing, Ablar wiped her cheeks and hurried into the kitchen.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Five Old Earth years later
‘Thank you for meeting with me,’ Isabis said. ‘I was not sure you would grant me an audience, given who I am.’
The e-paper reporter on the other side of the table didn’t even flinch. She had no powers, nothing with which to fight a god — but her silver prosthetic leg, the scar slashed through her left eyebrow and the determination etched into her features made it very clear that she had been in situations far more dangerous than this.
Grace Pendergast laced her fingers together on the table’s grimy surface, two cups of coffein and a generous amount of space dividing her from the goddess. ‘I couldn’t refuse this opportunity. It’s not every day that I am able to speak to someone on Fayay’s side. I’m something of a family historian — it’s more than a hobby, more like a second job. So meeting you is an unexpected bonus.’
Isabis glanced around the café, a location she would never have chosen before she had learned how to shield herself against incessant thoughts.
‘Is Finara listening?’ she asked.
The goddess of fire had chosen this woman as her eternal wife, something Isabis had understood the moment they’d sat down across from one another. Grace’s mind was a fortress of secrets, almost impenetrable, and she was admired throughout the galaxy for exposing the truth without harming her sources.
Grace shook her head. ‘No. Finara doesn’t know about this. You’ve probably noticed that I’m good at keeping my thoughts to myself.’
Isabis frowned. She would have to use more energy than she’d like to check if the reporter was lying to her. But oddly enough, she didn’t feel the need to intrude on Grace’s thoughts.
‘I believe you,’ Isabis finally said. ‘I’ll tell my sniper to hold his fire.’
She waited for Grace’s reaction.
The reporter lifted one of the cups of coffein to her lips, grimacing. ‘Stark, this is bitter. I wish you’d picked a bar. So now that we’ve got the measure of each other…what can I do for you, Savine? That’s your title in the Galactic Pantheon, I believe. I won’t presume to use your name.’
‘Finara hasn’t told you what my true name is,’ Isabis guessed, pleased by Grace’s nonchalance.
Grace’s lips twitched. ‘No. She hasn’t. But I have my sources.’
‘You may use it instead of my title.’
‘Isabis — I’ll call you Isabis then,’ Grace rushed out, as though she had been biting down on her tongue in an attempt to keep the name inside her mouth. ‘How can I help you? Because you wouldn’t have come to me unless you needed something. I’m pretty sure I’d be dead otherwise.’
‘You are much too useful to kill,’ Isabis told her. ‘But only for now.’
‘Yes, and it’s Renaei you dislike the most,’ Grace mused.
Isabis kept her lips sealed, accusations burning inside her throat like bile. The goddess of fire could have fed her wife that information within seconds. But Grace was a reporter…she had her sources. And it was entirely possible that she had met Renaei.
‘You can speak freely, I promise,’ Grace said, making an open gesture that invited Isabis to partake in more than just coffein. ‘This conversation will remain completely confidential.’
Do you trust her, Isabis? Sanyul asked. He was lying on the roof of a nearby building, the scope on his weapon giving him a clear view of everything that was happening inside the café.
Isabis tilted her head to the side, watching Grace closely. I trust that she does not mean me any harm.
That decided, Isabis reached for the other cup of coffein and sipped carefully. Not poisoned, but certainly as foul as the e-paper reporter had made it out to be. Grace grinned at her obvious distaste which Isabis did not appreciate, but the symbolism of the act was more important than some facial expression.
Isabis released a hiss of air. ‘Very well. I recently wed a mortal.’
She then spread her hands, allowing Grace to see the binding scars on her palms. They looked years old when in fact they had been slashed and healed the previous night, while she and Sanyul had stood beneath his family’s banana trees, right where Bibi’s ashes had been scattered.
‘Congratulations,’ Grace said, taking another draw of coffein from her cup. Her face twisted when she swallowed the acrid mouthful, but she seemed genuinely pleased. ‘It’s not easy to find someone who can handle eternity. Although, some of your siblings’ spouses are a little too keen about eternity, if you ask me…’
‘I do not wish to bond with you over idle chitchat,’ Isabis interrupted. ‘My husband and I would like to have a child and we have no interest in the traditional method. I understand that you and Finara used a private mortal clinic to merge your DNA. This generated an embryo that my sister carried to term.’
Grace nodded shortly. ‘That’s correct. We had to pay the doctor a considerable fee for his discretion and he destroyed all of the DNA samples afterwards. I take it you want to get in touch with him. Do you need the coin-chips as well?’
‘My husband’s job provides us with an adequate amount of money,’ Isabis replied. ‘I just need the clinic. The doctor. The results.’
‘You’ll have them,’ Grace said, reaching for the techpad nestled in a pouch on her belt. ‘Where do I send the details?’
Isabis stared at her. ‘But what do I give you in return?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Nothing,’ Isabis repeated, dubious.
Grace sighed and set her techpad down on the table. ‘You came to me for help. I don’t care what side you’re on — it would be cruel to deny you the joy that Finara and I share.’
‘This makes me uncomfortable,’ Isabis said. ‘Surely I should owe you for this.’
Grace gave her a pained smile. ‘There’s a lot about being married to a goddess that makes me uncomfortable. But if you really love someone and you want to make them happy, you can learn to live with that uncomfortable feeling.’
‘I see,’ Isabis said, recalling Sanyul’s unease with eternity and how that unease had slowly shrunk into an insignificant shadow. ‘But I won’t let this go unrewarded.’
‘You don’t need to — ’
‘Be quiet,’ Isabis ordered, disturbed by Grace’s willingness to help. When the reporter fell silent, Isabis continued, ‘In return, you will be given a favour. And believe me, Ms Pendergast, you’ll need to use it sooner rather than later.’
Grace went very still. ‘It’s really happening, isn’t it.’
‘Sooner rather than later,’ Isabis repeated.
Grace bowed her head, accepting this, then used her techpad to send the information that Isabis required. When the reporter stood to leave, she said, ‘I hope you realise just how much you have to lose, Isabis.’
Sanyul was waiting for Isabis outside, not a single weapon in sight. He had many inventive ways of hiding blades on his person, but the lasrifle she wasn’t sure about — it could be back in storage for all she knew. A couple of years ago, she had given Sanyul the additional ability of being able to teleport his weapons to and from himself as he wished. It was a useful skill for an assassin, one that had helped him evade the authorities on many different worlds.
‘I captured an image of the reporter through my scope,’ Sanyul said. ‘But it disappeared as soon as I moved it to my tech
pad. Someone’s got a very advanced program lurking on the Web, one that’s trained to find and erase her facial features.’
‘Don’t try that again,’ Isabis instructed. ‘Ms Pendergast deserves our respect.’
‘Should we take her off the Kill List then?’
‘No. Remove no one.’ Isabis focused on her breathing for a few moments, then said, ‘That’s enough for now. You promised me a honeymoon, Sanyul.’
‘I did, didn’t I,’ Sanyul agreed, holding out his hand so that she could slide her fingers through his. ‘The information Ms Pendergast sent us indicates that she used a clinic on Enoc. Not a particularly exciting place for a honeymoon. I think we should hit Tiantung afterwards.’
Isabis raised her eyebrows. ‘Should I trust any suggestions you make for something as important as a honeymoon? You’re still terrible at choosing where we have our dates!’
‘If only we could leave a planet as soon as we got bored of it,’ Sanyul said, completely deadpan.
Isabis managed to swallow the laugh but knew she could not hide her amusement from him. ‘You’d better hope I don’t grow bored of you over the next few centuries.’
‘You won’t,’ Sanyul promised. ‘Just as you won’t stop loving me.’
‘Good, that means we’re on even footing,’ Isabis said, smiling.
Grass as golden as her eyes swirled up around them and then sent them across the stars.
The Creeping Moss
CHAPTER ONE
Lorne Lavine, formerly a major in the Galactic Law Enforcement Agency (GLEA for short), pulled down on the hardlight bar of his weights machine until he felt the dual pinch beneath his shoulder blades. He held that position for several seconds, breathing slowly, and then let the bar tug his arms up above his head. The next time he brought the strip of hardlight down to his thudding heart, he grimaced from annoyance instead of pain.
His head was all over the place. He couldn’t focus.
Lorne released the bar, causing it to thrum angrily as it bounced back into place, and hunched forward on the padded seat, contemplating the sunrise bleeding its way across the horizon.
The Galactic Pantheon Novellas Page 18