Knight

by Timothy Zahn

  “I think so,” Nicole said, trying to think it through. Would two hours be enough? She had no idea. But she also had no choice. “I need to go find Kahkitah.”

  “No, we need to find Kahkitah,” Jeff corrected. “I’m going with you.”

  “It won’t be pleasant,” she warned. “It’s pretty dangerous, actually.”

  “Danger’s my middle name,” he said. “Come on—we’re wasting time.”

  They headed back toward the beach and turned toward the blue team’s side of the arena. “One more question,” Nicole said as they waded across the river now streaming across open beach.

  “Yes?”

  “How good are you at holding your breath?”

  nineteen

  Finding Kahkitah was easier than Nicole had thought it would be. He was waiting in the river just upstream from the twin bluffs, keeping a watchful eye on Nicole. He joined them midway through their walk across the stream, and together the three of them stood in the cold water as Nicole explained her plan.

  Neither of them seemed very enthusiastic. But both were willing to help.

  There really had been no reason to assume the water systems of the Q1 and Q3 arenas were connected in any easy way, Nicole realized later. But to her relief, it turned out that they were. Kahkitah somehow got word to one of the others, and a few minutes after leaving the Q1 arena she and the two Ghorfs were waist-deep in water, heading toward the rear of the ship.

  She’d been secretly terrified that the journey would be a repeat of her earlier, lung-crushing trip through the Q1 ocean all the way down to the Fyrantha’s basement. To her relief, this trip was much easier. She and Jeff were never submerged for more than maybe half a minute at a time, and with her new knowledge of Ghorf swimming abilities it was much easier to trust Kahkitah to bring her through safely.

  Her other fear—that the two tridents Jeff had insisted they bring along would get hung up on something or, worse, accidentally jab one of them or the Ghorfs—also turned out to be wasted worry. Her trident did a lot of bouncing against her side and leg, especially in a couple of long chambers that seemed to be made up completely of waves and foam. But aside from a bruise or two there was no damage.

  More importantly, they never saw either a Shipmaster or a Wisp along the way. If the Shipmasters even knew about these passageways—and Nicole was starting to think they didn’t—it apparently didn’t occur to anyone to watch them.

  Finally, they were there. One last dip in the stream, ten more seconds of holding her breath, and they were floating down the river that flowed through the middle of the Q3 arena.

  “Nice place,” Jeff commented as he shook water from his hair.

  “Not really,” Nicole said, trying to orient herself. From the direction of the water flow … “That side,” she said, pointing. “Kahkitah?”

  Kahkitah trilled an affirmative and swam her to that side. He caught some of the plants lining the river’s edge, holding them steady while she tossed her trident up into the grasses and then climbed up herself. Jeff was already at the top by the time she scrambled to her feet, both tridents in his hands. “What now?” he asked.

  “We find the Ponngs,” she said, wincing as a sudden thought belatedly struck her. “And hope that the Shipmasters haven’t already sent them home.”

  There was a log-fire sound from the grass in front of them. “Sibyl?” the translation came in her mind.

  And to her relief, a familiar figure popped up out of concealment.

  “Yes, it’s me,” Nicole confirmed. So the Ponngs were still here. “Hello, Moile. How are you and your people doing?”

  “Very well, thank you,” Moile said. His gaze flicked to Jeff, then sent a lingering look at the tridents. “We have food, and the Shipmasters assure us they’re making preparations to return us to our homes.”

  Nicole’s stomach tightened. Homes that might soon be under siege by alien armies, Moile’s friends and relatives scooped up to be thrown casually to their deaths in some far-distant war. “I need your help,” she said.

  Moile stiffened to a sort of attention. “Your slave will provide whatever you need,” he declared. His eyes flicked again to the tridents. “You have brought us new weapons. Do you wish us to destroy the Thii?”

  “No, no,” Nicole said. “No destroying. But I will need you and Teika to come with me to the Thii side.”

  “And once we’re there?”

  “I have a question for them,” Nicole said. “You and these”—she nodded at the tridents—“are to make sure they listen.”

  “I understand,” Moile said. “Shall I fetch Teika?”

  “Please.”

  Moile nodded and hurried away through the grass.

  “So you have slaves now?” Jeff asked quietly.

  “Long story,” Nicole said. “He and Teika volunteered to be my slaves if I chased the Thii off their backs and got them more food.”

  “Have they kept up their end of the deal?”

  “Don’t know,” Nicole said. “I haven’t asked.”

  “Ah,” Jeff said. “That kind of commitment could come in handy.”

  “If it’s real,” Nicole said sourly. “I knew a lot of people in Philly who would promise you anything. But it was just words. As soon as they got what they wanted, they were gone.”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen my share of those,” Jeff said. “But there must have been some real friendships in all of that.”

  “If there were, I never saw them,” Nicole said. “Not in my group. Not since I was ten or eleven. Even then…” She shook her head.

  “I’m sorry,” Jeff said quietly.

  “It’s okay,” Nicole said. “I got used to it. Anyway, it probably made it easier for me when I got brought to the Fyrantha. I didn’t miss anyone, because I never had anyone to miss. Anyone or anything.”

  “Unlike Sam or Bungie.”

  “Or Allyce,” Nicole said with a sigh. Allyce had betrayed them … but she couldn’t really blame her. “Speaking of Sam, how did you get him to go along with the Setting Sun deal?”

  “Oh, we didn’t tell him,” Jeff said, a hint of humor in his voice. “He’ll be spitting nails when he comes out of it.”

  “Yeah, so what else is new?” Nicole said with a sniff, glad to get off the subject of Allyce. “How are we doing on timing?”

  “Well, assuming it takes as long to get back as it took to get here,” Jeff said, “and adding some time to get everyone set once we’re back … it’ll be a little tight, but we should be okay. There won’t be time for any long-winded speeches, though.”

  “I wasn’t planning any,” Nicole assured him. “I just … I don’t know what we’ll do if the Thii refuse to help.”

  “That’s why I wanted the tridents along,” Jeff said grimly. “Pointy things can be great persuaders.”

  “Well, be careful,” Nicole warned. “The Shipmasters watch this arena, too.”

  “I know,” Jeff said. “Don’t worry. The great thing about weapons is that if you can convince someone you’re willing to use them, you often don’t have to.”

  There was another rustling in the grass, and Moile reappeared with Teika at his side. “We stand ready, Sibyl,” Moile said.

  “Okay,” Nicole said. “We’re going to cross the river—the Ghorfs will help—and go talk to the Maven. I will talk,” she added. “You will stand and be quiet. Understood?”

  “Understood,” Moile said. To Nicole’s ears, he sounded a little disappointed.

  “Good,” Nicole said. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  After the ordeal of pipes, slip ramps, churners, and aerators that had brought them here, a simple swim across a mostly quiet river was a piece of cake.

  At least it was for Nicole and Jeff. Not so much for Moile and Teika. They climbed into the Ghorfs’ arms without complaint, but it was clear as they were ferried across the water that they weren’t at all comfortable with this mode of transportation. It wasn’t until they were back on dry land that
they finally relaxed.

  Nicole had no idea how they would react when they found out how they were getting to the Q1 arena. It would, she suspected, show how truly committed they were to the whole slave thing.

  “Do you wish us to go with you?” Kahkitah asked from the water when the humans and Ponngs were standing on the bank.

  “No, that’s okay,” Nicole said. “If we need extra persuasion we’ll call you.”

  She turned and headed into the tall grass. “What next?” Jeff asked.

  “We find someone to take us to the Maven—”

  From their right came a sound like a DJ turntable scratching. “You will stand and not flee,” the translation came.

  “—which I guess won’t be too hard,” she finished, coming to a halt.

  “You will stand and not flee,” the Thii repeated.

  “We’re standing and we’re not fleeing,” Nicole called back. “I’m the Sibyl. I want to talk to the Maven.”

  “You’ve brought our enemies with you,” the Thii said accusingly.

  “That’s not all I’ve brought,” Nicole said, gesturing their unseen company toward the tridents in Jeff’s hands. “You see these?”

  A pause. “Those are weapons.”

  “That’s right,” Nicole said. “Much better weapons than you’ve got, too. So. Are you going to take me to the Maven, or do we have to find her ourselves? Because if we have to go looking I’m going to end up in a very bad mood.”

  There was a short pause. Then, from that direction, two Thii stepped out of hiding. “I am the Maven,” one of them said calmly, raising all four arms to show off the thin blue bands on her upper-arm wrists. “What do you wish, Sibyl?”

  “Hello, Maven,” Nicole said. “Let’s start with a little history. I gave you food when you needed it, and I stopped the war between you and the Ponngs.”

  “And now you bring them to begin the war anew?” She jabbed two of her arms at the Ponngs.

  “No,” Nicole said. “I’m here because I need your help. I need the assistance of two or three—”

  “We need to borrow eight of your warriors,” Jeff put in.

  Nicole spun around, feeling her jaw drop. “What? Jeff—”

  “That is unacceptable,” the Maven said.

  “Yeah,” Nicole said between clenched teeth. “Give us a moment.”

  Grabbing Jeff’s arm, she dragged him a few steps away. “What the hell are you doing?” she demanded softly.

  “You can’t start bargaining at the number you want,” he explained. “You have to start higher and let them talk you down.”

  “That’s not how the Thii think,” Nicole bit out. “You haven’t dealt with them before. I have. Keep your mouth shut and let me handle it, okay?”

  Jeff’s eyes gave a flash of annoyance. But he nodded. “Fine. Do it your way.”

  “I will.” She let go of his arm and strode back to face the Maven. “Okay,” she said. “Ignore what Jeff said about eight warriors. I just need two of them.”

  The Maven twitched her hands in some sort of gesture. “I cannot give you any.”

  “I need three of them,” Nicole said.

  The Maven seemed taken aback. “I already said I cannot give you any.”

  “I need four of them.”

  The Maven shot a confused look at Jeff. “You—other Sibyl. Explain please to her that if I cannot give two I cannot give four.”

  “Don’t look at me,” Jeff said mildly. “She’s the one talking to you. But it looks to me like the number goes up each time you refuse. A couple more rounds, and you’ll be right back to the eight I asked for. You’d better make a deal before we clean you out completely.”

  “But it’s not safe to take so many from us,” the Maven protested. “Our enemies may attack.”

  “Why?” Jeff countered. “You’ve got food, they’ve got food, and there’s a big river between you. Why would they bother you?”

  The Maven looked at the two Ponngs, standing stiff and silent, then at Jeff’s tridents. “There may yet be scores to be settled,” she muttered.

  “And they’re not going to be settled now,” Nicole said firmly. “Or maybe they will.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You see those weapons?” Nicole asked, waving at the tridents. “The plan is for us to take them with us when we leave. We’ll also be taking Moile and Teika. If none of your warriors come with us, I’ll have to think up a new plan. In that case, there’ll be no point in lugging the weapons back with us. There’ll also be no time for us to take the Ponngs back to their side of the river.”

  The Maven’s arms twitched. “You threaten us with death?”

  “Not if you help me,” Nicole said. “I need six Thii warriors.”

  For a long moment the Maven stood motionless. Then she folded both sets of arms across her chest. “I can give you four. No more.”

  “Good enough,” Nicole said. “Send someone to get them. And make it fast—our timing is tight enough already.”

  The Maven turned to the other Thii and murmured something too low for Nicole’s translator to pick up. The Thii made a three-handed gesture and disappeared back into the grass.

  Nicole stepped to Jeff’s side. “Sorry,” she said.

  “No apology needed,” he assured her. “You were right—it was your play, and I was out of line. How did you know that raising the number each time would work better than shooting high and then letting her talk you down?”

  Nicole shrugged. “I don’t know. Because I spent time with them before, I guess. It gave me a feel for how they think.”

  “Did you do other negotiations with them then?”

  “Not negotiations, really,” Nicole said. “Nothing like this, anyway.”

  “But you knew how to do it,” Jeff said. “Interesting.”

  “What do you mean, interesting? Good interesting or bad interesting?”

  “Not sure,” Jeff said. “For now, just interesting.”

  They heard the rustling in the grass before the Thii appeared. Four of them, as promised, each carrying a bow, a quiver of lightweight arrows, and a blunt sword.

  “They are here,” the Maven announced, as if Nicole might somehow have missed that. “They are Nise, Sofkat, Iyulik, and Misgk. Misgk commands.”

  “Yes,” Nicole said. She’d met the first three the last time she was here, though she hadn’t heard Nise’s name, but Misgk was new to her. Maybe he’d been in the background before, ready to guide the rest of them into battle. “Thank you. If all goes well, they should be back in a few hours.” She gestured at the warriors. “You can leave the weapons here. You won’t be needing them.”

  “You requested warriors,” the Maven said. “Warriors carry weapons.”

  Nicole pursed her lips. Pinprick arrows and blunt swords against creatures the size and bulk of the Koffren would be about as useful as beating against their chests with bare hands. Worse, really—the sharp points of both weapons would leave just enough damage to make them mad.

  But there was no time to argue the point. If they wanted to lug extra stuff through the Fyrantha’s waterways, that was up to them. “Fine,” she said. “Let’s go.”

  “And the weapons?” the Maven added, pointing at the tridents.

  “They’ll come with us,” Nicole confirmed. “As will the Ponngs.”

  “Who will wield them?”

  Jeff stepped close to Nicole. “I think she thinks you’re going to re-create their fight somewhere else,” he murmured.

  Nicole clenched her teeth. With her four Thii holding useless weapons and the two Ponngs holding the tridents? Probably. “They’re not going to fight each other,” she told the Maven. “They’re going to help us defeat a new enemy.”

  “They’re to protect you?”

  “Yes, I guess so.”

  “As they would protect their comrades and their Maven?”

  “Ah … yes,” Nicole said cautiously. There was an air of formality and ritual in the Maven’s tone
, the kind of thing she’d heard in movies where someone was giving an oath of allegiance or something.

  Which was fine as far as it went, except they really didn’t have time for this.

  Luckily, Jeff had picked up on that, too. “They’ll protect the Sibyl, and they’ll tell you all about it when they get back,” he said. Shifting both tridents to one hand, he took Nicole’s arm with the other and started gently pulling her back toward the river. “We’re leaving now. All of us.”

  Nicole expected the Maven to keep going. But she remained silent. Either the ritual was over, or she’d figured out that she wasn’t going to get to do the whole thing.

  “I just hope Kahkitah was able to get word to the rest of the Ghorfs and get us some extra help,” Jeff said as they pushed through the tall grass. “It’d be a real chore to get this lot back to Q1 with just two of them.”

  “I’m sure Kahkitah’s on it,” Nicole said. “Are we going to make it in time?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I guess we’ll find out.”

  * * *

  The Ghorfs had indeed gotten the message to come to Q3. Unfortunately, they’d decided that meant to meet Nicole outside the arena itself, out where the river passed through the wall and started into the filter cycle.

  Which meant that instead of them all heading out together, Kahkitah and the other Ghorf had to ferry Nicole’s group in shifts, first taking Jeff and two of the Thii, then the two Ponngs, then Nicole and the last two Thii.

  The Ponngs didn’t trust the Ghorfs. The Thii were terrified at the thought of going underwater, though all four tried to hide it. In the end Nicole was just barely able to persuade them, and had to invoke both the Ponngs’ slave promise and the Maven’s loyalty ritual before the two groups of aliens would agree.

  Fortunately, after that first rocky start things settled down a little. Once the Thii survived their first underwater experience they took the rest of the trip more calmly, and as long as Nicole stayed within view of the Ponngs while the Ghorfs were swimming with them they were willing to go along. But neither group was particularly enthusiastic, and Nicole couldn’t help but wonder if they would be willing to do what she needed once they arrived in Q1.