The Touiban turned swiftly round, aiming a brief, high-pitched riff of sound at her before turning back to Kusac. The air immediately behind the being was permeated by a harsh scent of displeasure.
As the Touiban continued his discussion with him, Kusac managed to keep one eye on the Human as she began to cough and choke on the scent. She began to back away, hastily pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket and placing it over her nose and mouth.
He wasn't too concerned about her, scent was only the Touibans' secondary means of communication and though not harmful, could be far more unpleasant than that which Pam had been subjected to.
Noticing a sudden tapping on his knee, he looked back at the Touiban, realizing he'd let his attention slip. He apologized profusely, using gestures that the Speaker in front of him understood, trying to explain that never having met his people before, the Human hadn't realized the iniquity of her interruption.
"As soon as our negotiations are concluded, Speaker, I will explain the etiquette to her," he assured him.
"Turns must be taken. Without turns who knows which being speaks when there are so many, many voices all to be heard. You instruct her on this then she can take her place and her voice will be heard as separate from the many. We need that they stay away from our workings and do not interfere with what we are using. Curiosity is acceptable as through that all beings learn but it must be asked through me as the Speaker. Only you may address our sect members directly, as their concentration on these ancient pieces of equipment is great and to talk to them breaks it. You see to this now so I may attend to what our sects need in the way of nourishment." With that, he inclined his head and vanished.
Kusac took a deep breath, and immediately regretted it as he began to cough. The scent message was still hanging in the air. He got up and hurriedly headed behind the metal cabinets. This was hard work, and he could only justify a few minutes break before going to find Pam and trying to not only calm her down, but explain the intricacies of communication with the Touibans.
* * *
With a grin, Konis turned away and ambled back to the other chamber. Large radiant heating units had been placed throughout the cavern, raising the temperature to one in which it was possible to work comfortably. Makeshift tables and basic chairs had been set up to provide not only working space, but also at the far end near a heater, a mobile kitchen and dining area.
Seeing T'Chebbi sitting there nursing a mug, he headed in her direction. Having been given his drink by the attendant, he sat down opposite her.
Immediately she sat bolt upright, obviously wondering how she could salute him as was his due while seated. She began to move but Konis shook his head.
"Stay in your seat, T'Chebbi," he said. "Consider us both off duty. What do you make of all this?" he asked, half-turning in his seat and indicating with a wave of his arm the heaters and the kitchen area they were in. "Isn't this going a little too far?"
"No, Master Konis," she said. "Only your second visit. We've done weeks in the cold and damp. Governor sent this. All major sites like this to continue working through winter."
Konis raised his mug to his mouth. "We're a major site, then."
"Yes," she said. "This is complete. The others are ruins."
"Everything low-lying shows evidence of having suffered massive earthquakes and flooding," said Kusac, coming round to sit beside his father. "We've some earthquake damage here, but nowhere near as much as the other sites."
"Our family seems to be fated to be at the center of everything," sighed Konis. "Still, it could be worse. At least I only have to get out of bed to be virtually at the site. Oh, before I forget, was Kitra with you last night?"
"Not with me, Father!"
"You know what I mean. Was she with Dzaka?"
"Yes. They've gone hunting and plan to join us here later today. She said she'd left a message for Mother."
"She did, but you know how your mother worries," he said. "Did I tell you she found out who attacked Dzaka? Well, she's dealt with it. I really don't think he'll have any more problems."
"I'm glad. Dzaka's beginning to fit in well with the rest of us now. He's getting himself straightened out slowly but surely, as is Kaid. They're both coming to terms with their new relationship."
Konis sighed, idly picking at a loose sliver of wood on the table top. "There was a time when no telepath would have anything to do with those in military careers, now look at us. The estates patrolled by guards, electronic surveillance all over the place, each of us with bodyguards, and my two daughters both with Companions from the Brotherhood of Vartra."
"We live in more dangerous times, Father," said Kusac. "At least you know both your daughters are safe even in sleep. Not many can say that."
"You're right," sighed Konis, looking up at him. "I'm beginning to sound like one of the elders. Let's get on with business. What have the Touibans discovered?"
"They're still discovering what the disks aren't. However, one small group is building, as near as they can, a duplicate device which they think is a reader for the disks. They're having a great time," he said. "They love a challenge, and one like this is unique. They say the joy of solving it will be payment in itself, provided, of course, they're allowed to make full use of whatever devices and information they find."
"That's too far reaching. I hope you didn't agree to it. We can't possibly negotiate the matter with no knowledge of the type of information we're discussing."
"I passed it over to the Governor's office," said Kusac. "It's well outside my negotiating authority."
"Best place for it," agreed Konis.
"What do you think of our site now? Kind of mushroomed, hasn't it?"
"T'Chebbi was telling me. If the Governor feels it's worth it, I'm not going to argue, especially when T'Chebbi indicated how cold it gets in here. At least with everything at the same location, you can work the day and night round if you need to."
Putting his mug down, he crossed his arms in front of him, leaning on the table. "I stopped off to talk to Falma. He tells me the problem is down to the personality of the female, Pam Southgate, herself."
"In retrospect it was naive to assume otherwise," said Kusac. "What now?"
"Falma suggests we team Ms Southgate with her opposite number among your people. That way there will always be one of us around if she has to deal with Carrie."
"We can't do that. Our expert is Jack and he's got his own research program with Vanna." He turned and looked thoughtfully round the cavern.
"No, Liege, not me! I'm one of the Brotherhood, not a soil-grubber!" T'Chebbi protested as his glance met hers. The look on her face was one of pain.
Kusac laughed. "Don't worry," he said. "I've got a better idea. Why don't you appoint someone from AlRel and tell this Pam they're from General Raiban's staff? She's always going on about her remit coming from the General. If she's got what she thinks is one of his aides working with her, we should have a lot less problems. She'll feel her interests are being looked after, and at the same time we've got someone there who can look out for Carrie."
Konis raised an eye ridge in surprise. "I'll speak to Raiban today," he said. "An excellent suggestion, Kusac." He'd make sure that Falma heard about this. It would count well toward his son's grades.
* * *
Half drowsing, Kaid sensed Garras' arrival outside his rooms.
Come in, he sent. I hoped you might call by.
From Garras he received a sense of communication being easier now than it had been in their past.
How do you think I kept up with all that was going on? he replied.
"You fraud," said Garras as he came through into the bedroom. "You mean to say that all along ..."
"No, I don't mean that," said Kaid, turning onto his back so he could see his friend. "I did have good contacts, you know that. I also just knew things. I never could work out how, it just happened. What about you?"
Garras shrugged, then went to get himself a seat. "Who knows? You
know I receive better than I send. Whatever it is, it's not quite telepathy. I can't send words, just the idea of what I'm trying to say. It improved after that ni'uzu epidemic, though, and now I can communicate reasonably well with Vanna."
"We were all boosted by that infection," said Kaid drily.
"How are you feeling? You still look exhausted."
"I am. I took a walk down to the Shrine and they had to send Dzaka to help me home."
"It's going to take a while to build your strength up again. You took one hell of a beating, so did your system."
"I never was a good patient," he said.
"It's time for second meal. Have you eaten?"
"Not since this morning."
"Carrie's bound to send something up. In the meantime, do you want a drink?"
"No, thanks. What brings you here? Apart from coming to wake me up and make sure I don't get that rest you've prescribed!"
"I saw the Chemerian trader this morning."
Kaid's curiosity was roused and he pushed himself further up against the pillows. "I take it you've got news."
"Some. I wish you'd been with me, you'd have enjoyed it. I started by throwing his two customers out and locking the door. That got him nice and paranoid. Then I told him about the drug problem his people are trying to solve. Naturally he had no idea of what I was talking about."
"Naturally," agreed Kaid, reaching for the half-chewed stim twig on his night stand.
"So I told him about the trade route to Jalna, and the other three species they traded with there. He became rather distressed at this point."
"Understandably so."
"As you say. This was where I suggested his Ambassador might not be pleased to hear about him importing off-world illegal drugs to Shola. He became even more agitated and happened to let slip that the drug was species-specific to Chemerians only. It was rare to start with and was no good to any of the other Alliance races as it gave them terrible waking dreams that lasted for a whole day at least. I showed him the phial. That's when I had to pick him off the ceiling."
Kaid raised an eye ridge. "Literally?"
"Well, figuratively," admitted Garras with a grin. "Once I'd helped him over his hysterics, he began ..."
"How did you manage that?" asked Kaid. "Once they get to that stage they're usually incoherent for hours."
"I discovered that cold water works just as well on Chemerians with hysterics as it does on Sholans," he said. "Amazing, isn't it?"
"I'll have to remember that. How did you administer the cold water?"
"Stuck his head under the faucet in the back of the shop. After I'd done that, he was remarkably helpful."
"I'll bet. So what did you find out?"
"You'll love this," said Garras with a large grin. "He was partially right. It is species-specific, if you want an expensive and extremely rare Chemerian aphrodisiac!"
"What? You can't be serious! You are, aren't you?"
Garras nodded, a wide grin on his face as Kaid began to laugh.
"That's exactly what I did, much to the embarrassment of the Chemerian. I was able to settle a deal very quickly after that. You'll have two phials of the stuff, called la'quo, next week. He can't get it any sooner, I'm afraid."
"What did you trade?"
Garras shrugged. "Nothing much. Just a promise that I wouldn't make his people the laughing stock of every spaceport in the Alliance."
"It's almost worth passing the word to some less scrupulous persons," said Kaid. "The thought of those self-important, moralizing tree-climbers importing aphrodisiacs is one a lot of people would find amusing! If it's an off-system drug, why did I see Fyak eating the plant it comes from?"
"We know the stones come from the plant's sap, and we know there were a great many of those collars around on Shola at the time of the Cataclysm. Therefore there must have been some plants left behind in or around Chezy," Garras said.
"I know Fyak's had to augment his stock by buying the drug from the Chemerians through Ghezu," said Kaid. "Where do they get it from? If it's a Valtegan plant extract, then the Valtegans must be trading at Jalna."
"We've no proof of that. That's part of the reason they want Carrie and Kusac to go to Jalna as soon as possible," said Garras.
"You could be right," said Kaid thoughtfully. "You could well be right. Thank you, you've done me a great favor. I owe you yet again."
"Forget it. Our friendship was never based on favors."
The buzzer sounded on the outer door, then Carrie came in with a tray of food.
Garras got up and moved the chair away. "I'd better be leaving," he said. "Have you spoken to Carrie yet?"
"Spoken to me about what?" she asked as she came further into the bedroom.
"Nothing," said Kaid, looking warningly at Garras.
His friend took the tray from Carrie and laid it down on Kaid's lap before turning back to her.
"He wants to ask you something, but knowing him, he'll never get around to it," said Garras.
Carrie looked from one to the other. "You're being very mysterious."
Garras flicked his finger gently under her chin. "Get Kaid to talk to you," he said. "He promised me he would. If he doesn't, let me know. I'll see you later," he said to Kaid.
"Garras ..." But he was gone. Kaid sat there fuming until Carrie spoke.
"You're projecting a lot of anger," she said. "Not a good thing to do. Apart from letting everyone know how you feel, it's not pleasant for the rest of us."
Instantly it stopped. "Sorry," muttered Kaid. "I'm not used to this telepathy yet."
"It was beginning to break through the odd time over the last couple of months," she said, sitting down beside him. "Just the occasional flash, a sense of your emotions at the time, then it was gone."
He looked at her in surprise. "You didn't mention it."
"I was never completely sure it was there. Now, do you want to talk to me while you eat, or after you've eaten?"
"Neither. Garras has made a mistake, Carrie. He's just teasing you at my expense."
"Strange. It doesn't sound like him."
Kaid picked up his fork and began spearing chunks of meat from the bowl of stew she'd brought him.
"Do you mind if I get myself a drink?" she asked. "Do you want one?"
"Water, please."
He ate slowly, giving monosyllabic answers to her small talk. It was obvious she had no intention of leaving until he'd finished his meal, and had spoken to her.
As he set down his fork, she lifted the tray away, putting it on the floor beside her.
"Now talk," was all she said.
She sat within his arm's reach, and from the moment she'd entered the room, all he could think about was the velvet smoothness of her skin, and her heady scent. He sighed.
"Thank you for the compliments," she said quietly, making him start in surprise. "but I still don't know what you want to talk about."
He lay back against his pillows, closing his eyes, feeling boxed in by his promise to Garras, and Carrie's determination that he would keep that promise. He felt her hand touch his, and as he turned it over, her fingers crept onto his palm.
"I don't mean to pressure you, Kaid," she said quietly. "Leave it if you'd rather. I'll just sit with you for a while if you like."
He closed his hand round hers, glad to be touching her again. For several minutes he stayed like that, drawing strength from her presence.
"I told Kusac I wouldn't go to you again," he said, "but both he and Garras said I haven't the right to make your decisions for you. That you have the right to choose what you want to do. Do you realize that the way you submitted to me when we paired is the way a Sholan female shows that she's accepting you as her lover?"
"Yes, Tallinu, I knew that. I knew that is was what we both wanted, and to offer less was to debase ourselves and our Triad. Yes, I accepted you as my lover that night."
Opening his eyes, he tugged gently on her hand, letting her know he wanted her to come closer. She m
oved forward until he released her hand and put his arm round her, clasping her against his chest. He could feel her warmth and her scent surrounding him. The darkness that had lived in his mind since his imprisonment by Ghezu began to recede once more, giving ground before her presence. This was all he needed for now.
Tentatively he touched the edges of her mind with his.
You're tired, he sent.
I know. Carrying the cub drains me at times. I usually rest in the afternoon.
"Rest beside me," he said, moving his legs aside to make room for her.
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