by David, JN
I had to accept it in the same way that I had to accept leaving right after discovering that Auxana was right. The Asaïs were definitely real. Something that would have warranted thorough research. Unfortunately, in two years of training, I'd learnt practically nothing about them. The only thing I did know was that I was one of them.
20 Auxana
I hadn't been prepared to kill a man. The previous evening, I'd acted instinctively, to save Lauren. I knew that I had no choice, that everything rested on our ability to carry out phase two of our plan. Our lives depended on it, as well as Earth's freedom.
I knew this, but it wasn't enough. It didn't erase the memory of the shock at seeing my laser knife in the guard's body, and his cry as he slumped slowly to the ground. It didn't wipe off the blood running over the handle of the laser and on to my hand.
I had cleaned my hand but it still felt dirty. Perhaps it always would. I didn't know if I'd ever manage to kill without suffering like this. I didn't know if I wanted to. All I did know was that that day would be the start of the final phase of our plan to destroy Amar.
The murder of the guard had been discovered, and the whole of the HQ was in pandemonium. Classes were cancelled and I feared for a moment that the party scheduled for the prince's arrival would be, too. But Amar refused to cancel it. That would have been seen as a sign of weakness. And Amar especially didn't wish to appear weak in front of the Emperor's son.
So the party went ahead, and our class of collaborators – which for the past few months had consisted solely of enthusiasts – was invited. Lauren and I had spent entire afternoons hunting for the perfect outfits for this occasion.
I met up with Lauren just before the party and was able to assess the fruits of our labours. She had chosen a stunning white dress with a silver belt. Its style was so pure and understated that it must have been worth a small fortune. Of course, Lauren had only walk into the shop on Oniar's arm for the boutique manager to give it to her.
I had never been as comfortable in my role as a collaborator as Lauren was. I paid for my own outfit: a black strappy dress, with sequins over the top of the bodice. It was lovely, even though it was impossible to conceal a weapon in it. I knew Lauren had hidden her neuro-inductor cunningly in her cleavage, hoping that nobody would dare search there.
I didn't risk emulating her. If all went well, Lauren's weapon would suffice, and if not, then not even an army would be able to protect us. All the same, I had taken the precaution of sewing the siphon into the lining of my dress, as we were unlikely to have the time to return to our rooms before all hell broke loose.
We made our way to the function room and were able at last to admire the prince. Afren's classes in the Efeghi culture were paying off: I immediately recognised the prince by his outfit bearing the symbol of the imperial house. He was surrounded by the most senior officers, including Amar and Oniar. Bashfully, we made our way towards their group.
Amar was the first to catch sight of us, and beckoned us over. “Prince Imrael, allow me to introduce two of our most loyal collaborators: Lauren Valley and Auxana Reyn.”
The prince turned towards us and I was able to get a closer look. I was surprised to see that he had chestnut-coloured hair. All the Efeghis that I'd met until then had dark hair. His turquoise eyes were equally extraordinary. He smiled at us and it was all I could do to maintain my outward composure. I'd never set eyes on such a handsome man. He was quite simply dazzling.
“How do you do, ladies”, he said in a lovely lilting voice.
“Pleased to meet you”, Lauren replied shyly. She seemed even more taken with him than I was. Her jaw dropped and her eyes lit up.
The prince's smile widened and he took her hand to raise it to his lips. Lauren quivered. I glanced in Oniar's direction. His face was impassive, with only a flicker of dejection in his eyes. I didn't know how Lauren managed to find the courage to playact like this in front of the man she loved. But this wasn't the first time I'd realised that she was far stronger than I was.
The prince turned to me and I did my best to avoid drawing attention to myself as I replied. I needn't have bothered; he seemed to have eyes only for Lauren. Although he hadn't glanced at Oniar for even a second, I sensed that he knew how hurt he was – and was relishing it.
He asked Lauren to dance and she accepted after a hesitant glance at Oniar. They took to the floor using the complicated Efeghi dance moves that Amar had taught us.
I never could understand why the Commandant himself gave the dancing lessons. Perhaps after all his responsibilities he wanted to relax a little. He'd even taught us the rules of seduction that a man was traditionally allowed to follow. These took place at the end of the dance – the point at which a man who wished to express his respect and affection should hold the woman in his arms for two seconds. If he held her for four to six seconds, he was expressing his interest for the night. More than six seconds was equivalent to a proposal.
At the end of the dance, the prince kept Lauren in his arms. Holding my breath, I counted the seconds, one by one, up to four. I sensed Oniar stiffen beside me. The traditional response for an Efeghi woman who wished to turn him down was to shake her head politely and leave. If she accepted, she would smile at him and remain in his arms.
Of course, Lauren chose the latter. I saw Oniar turn on his heels and leave the room, despite Amar's efforts to detain him. Lauren showed no sign of having seen this, but I knew she had, and I could imagine what she was going through. Meanwhile, she played her role to perfection, and flirted with the prince all evening.
At the end of the party, the prince asked Amar in Efeghian if he could spend the night with Lauren. I knew he wasn't asking his permission, but rather if Lauren could be trusted. Clearly, it never occurred to him that we might be able to understand his language. Amar replied that we were totally trustworthy. The prince then turned to Lauren: “Would you like to continue our conversation in my suite?”
Lauren blushed and looked around as though searching for Oniar. “I don't know if…”
“Our friend Oniar left us a long time ago”, replied the prince. “I am sure he would have no objection to us spending a little time together.”
Lauren glanced hesitantly at Amar.
He smiled and rested his hand on her shoulder: “There's nothing to worry about, Lauren. You are familiar enough with our culture to know that you'll come to no harm with His Highness.”
“Can Auxana come too?” she asked shyly.
“Of course” replied Amar, with a little smile at the prince. I guessed that Amar would quickly find some pretext to get me out of the prince's suite.
Lauren turned to address the prince: “I'd be very honoured to continue our conversation”, she replied with a charming smile. He offered her his arm and they headed towards the exit. I started to follow but Olden grabbed me for a moment: “I need to talk to you this evening, Auxana.”
“But what about Lauren?” I asked.
“Keep her company for a while, and then come back to me. It's important.”
I realised that not only did he want to let the prince have Lauren to himself, but that he was going to take the opportunity to dump me. He must have been thinking he no longer needed to stick around with me to ensure Lauren's loyalty. Given the circumstances, the situation was almost comical.
I agreed and hurried to catch up with Lauren.
The prince was accompanied by four armed guards, who followed us as far as the door to his suite. He opened the door with his bracelet and waved us in. Lauren walked in and I followed.
She was ecstatic about the works of art and the period furniture, and asked for a guided tour. I knew that she was in fact checking whether we were alone. The prince showed us around briefly and I was able to ascertain that Amar really had left us alone with his prince.
He must be thinking that two twenty-year-old girls were pretty harmless. And he had known us for over two years. “Being certain in an uncertain world is a costly error”, Laur
en used to say. And Amar was about to find out just how costly.
The prince invited us to sit on his couch and installed himself beside Lauren. “Tell me a little more about yourselves, ladies. How long have you been part of the peace volunteers?”
“Since the start of the invasion”, Lauren replied with her sweet, slightly diffident smile.
“What about you?” the prince asked me.
“Me too. We started together.”
“Really?” I didn't like the way the prince was smiling at me, not one little bit. Realising he expected to spend the night with both of us, I leapt up:
“May I borrow your bathroom?” I asked.
“Of course”, he replied, turning his attention to Lauren. I stayed in the bathroom for what seemed long enough for Lauren to seduce him, and then returned discreetly. I found them locked together in a clinch. Lauren was kissing him passionately while her hand slowly moved up his back and fondled his neck. Suddenly, the prince let go of Lauren with a cry of pain:
“What the hell did you do?” he asked furiously, clasping his neck.
“I've planted a neuro-inductor in your neck”, she replied calmly. “You know what that is? Yes, I see you do. If you call for help, I'll blow your brains out.”
“You don't have the remote control on you!” retorted the prince. It wasn't hard to guess how he'd reached this conclusion. Clearly, Lauren had gone quite far before I interrupted them.
“Oh, you mean this little toy?” I quipped, showing him the ring that Lauren had let me have. “I think I could just about manage to use it.”
“You're going to follow us nice and quietly to your shuttle”, Lauren continued. “You'll tell your guards that you want to show us the city by night and that there's no need for them to accompany us. Let them think you're also intending to take this opportunity to have a bit of fun. Above all, be convincing; your life depends on it. And don't forget that we speak your language. Just one false move, and my friend presses the button.”
“You will pay dearly for what you've done tonight”, replied the prince, coldly. “I advise you to give yourselves up straight away, before you make matters any worse.”
Lauren smiled as she bent over his ear and whispered quietly: “Things can't get any worse, my dear.” Then she slapped him hard.
Apart from a look of contempt, the prince showed no reaction. But I could see that the message had got through to him. Lauren was not joking. She wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he tried to escape or warn his guards.
“Get up and do as you're told”, she ordered brusquely. Slowly, the prince obeyed. He remained cool and detached, as though quite convinced we'd be arrested at any moment. He didn't know that our sole aim was to create a scandal and get rid of Amar. Whether we survived or not was quite immaterial. If anyone tried to stop us leaving the HQ with the prince, Lauren would have no compunction about killing them, no matter what the consequences for us.
The prince opened the door of his suite and addressed his guards in Efeghian: “We're going out in my shuttle. Do not follow us.” Then he turned back to us: “Come with me, ladies.” He was a good actor. As for me, my hands were trembling but I was ready to press the button if Lauren gave the order.
We followed him in silence to the take-off area, where we came up against a security block. The guards were very nervous about letting the prince leave without his escort and wanted confirmation from Commandant Amar. Lauren gently took the prince's arm and simpered: “Is there a problem, my dear?”
The prince stared down at her. Lauren was giving him a sweet, diffident look. There was no way the guards could have known that she was in fact threatening the prince, reminding him that his life was in danger. For the first time, I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He was beginning to get the measure of the real Lauren and to grasp what she was capable of. He turned to the guards,
“Do you need someone's permission to allow me to get into my shuttle?” he asked icily.
“But Commandant Amar…”
“Is my inferior”, the prince interrupted. “And I'm the person who gives the orders. If you feel you need to consult my superior, you'll have to speak to the Emperor on Efeghea. Do we really need to take it that far?”
“No, of course not, Your Highness”, replied the guard, moving out of our way.
The prince led us to his shuttle and took us aboard. There, I began to relax. For the first time, I allowed myself to think that we might perhaps survive that day.
The prince started the take-off procedures and the shuttle lifted off. Lauren remained at his side, giving him instructions. We were to begin with a tour of the city, and then veer off and leave town as fast as possible. My sole function was to be ready at all times to press the button on the neuro-inductor. But that task was the most important. It was only the certainty that we wouldn't hesitate to kill him that enabled us to control the prince. If he sensed the slightest hesitation on my part, all would be lost.
The prince steered the shuttle in the direction Lauren had given him. Suddenly, the communicator screen lit up, and Amar appeared in front of it, with Oniar and Olden beside him.
“What is happening, Your Highness? Why are you heading away from the town?”
I came up behind the prince and laid my hand on his shoulder: “What's happening is that we've kidnapped your prince right under your nose, Amar!” I replied with a smile. I saw Amar blanch and Olden's eyes popping out of his head with horror. Oniar said nothing and simply gazed at Lauren, who remained silent, beside the prince.
The masquerade was over.