by Pam Uphoff
The governor jerked around, took a step in her direction.
Izzo laid a hand on his arm. "No. And don't say another word. Really. Just go away." He looked over his shoulder at the girl reporter. "You too. Show's over."
Her smirk broadened into a grin and she tapped her shoulder cam as she turned away. The recording light flashed red. For a moment. As soon as she was turned away from Izzo it flipped back to green.
The Governor's escorts nudged him off toward the limo pulling up to the steps and he grudgingly gave way to their common sense.
First thing he needs to do is call his lawyer. I wonder if he knew Nighthawk was innocent . . . Nighthawk. Oh damn. No matter how many people go to jail, even if they're executed, even if we can avoid a war. . . she's . . . dead?
Ra'd walked the rest of the way down the stairs.
Ebsa grabbed him and hauled him away from police headquarters. "How could you say that? What do you know that we don't"
Ra'd pushed back and aimed them out into the middle of the first cross street.
"Look at the moon."
Ebsa looked. The cloud cover was breaking up. A perfect half moon, sharp silver, hung in the sky . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The train picked up speed . . . the mental pressure of the One faded.
Ra'd shoved himself upright. "I am going to . . . speak . . . to some of the actors in this tragic play they think they are managing. They will never do this again. They will not remain in power."
"Ra'd . . . don't get yourself killed . . . "
Then everything went black.
And green and lush.
They staggered, looked around. Grass and trees, untrimmed, irregularly grazed . . . Xen Wolfson standing and watching them silently.
Paer, tears running down her face. "We weren't fast enough."
The Comet Fall man, wizard, head of Disco, whatever the One hell the man was, flashed a smile. "I was." He made a ripping motion at absolutely nothing.
Nighthawk knelt on the grass, kneeling as she'd been bent over the executioner's block.
She jumped to her feet gasping . . . naked.
"Dad! My clothes!" Nighthawk waved her hands around what Ebsa had to admit was a really fine body, then gave up deciding what to cover and just stood up straight.
"Sorry! I left them behind on the morphed lamb they just executed. I should have something . . . " Wolfson looked into absolutely nothing . . . How many transdimensional bubbles does he carry along?
Paer elbowed Ebsa out of the way. Flung her arms around Nighthawk. "You're alive!"
Heak fluttered about, patting, and got in a brief hug when Paer let go.
Paer and Heak shifted rather pointedly to block the guys' view.
Azko muttered something under his breath, couldn't possibly have been "drat!" and Ra'd reached over the girls' shoulders, his shirt in hand.
Paer and Heak blinked at Ra'd's bare torso and exchanged grins. "Fair's fair." Heak smirked.
Ra'd raised an eyebrow and stepped past them. He met Nighthawk's eyes for a long moment. He reached out and traced her cheekbone with a single finger. Then he stepped closer, arms sliding around her, as hers reached around him and they pulled each other into a kiss.
Hard, close held.
"Should have seen that coming." Ebsa muttered.
"All they ever do is argue." Azko sounded baffled.
Still kissing.
Heak rolled her eyes. "Yes. They get together regularly and argue."
"Umm, that sounds serious." Wolfson was looking a bit bemused. "I hope I'm not suppose to act like a stereotypical father. Witches don't generally allow that."
Paer was grinning, wiping tears from her cheeks, adding more. "I tried to call you, but all the calls were blocked."
"They did a pretty good job of breaking the treaty terms. On purpose, from everything I saw. Not to mention the violence that they have done to your system of justice. Nighthawk got a squawk out to the Disco office in Gate City, and they let me know there was a problem. Mind you, I check her every week, but I'm glad I got in on this immediately."
Ebsa turned away from the still kissing pair and met Wolfson's gaze. Winced at the anger he saw building there, replacing the relief of a successful rescue. "So you were all over this, from the start?"
"Yes." He shook his head, and the anger ebbed again. "Every time I think I'm finally going to have to give up on the One, some bloody-minded heroes pop up out of nowhere to show me how fine the best of you are." He looked over at Nighthawk and Ra'd. "And now I may still be kicking myself for grabbing you five, but not nearly as hard I ought to. For a bit there I thought you lot might get yourselves killed. Or do some killing."
Ebsa nodded. "Ra'd was ready to . . . well, I think I'll pretend he wouldn't have."
Wolfson nodded.
Ra'd stepped back abruptly and grabbed Nighthawk by the shoulders. "Don't you ever get killed again!" He was more rocking her forwards and backwards than actually shaking her, but it was close.
"Oh, that doesn't work well with a witch." Wolfson sounded amused.
"Dad!"
Ra'd turned and faced Wolfson, chin up and defiant. Frowning as he noticed the older man's quick grin.
Ebsa eyed Wolfson. "So . . . a morphed lamb? You don't want us, the Oners, to know you rescued her?"
"Not for a bit. Maybe if they, if your other authorities, can unravel this disgraceful mess, they can straighten out their thoughts about other people, rights, justice and whatever. But as soon as you go back, the collective subconscious will pick up on the rescue, and like as not get defensive of your justice system, angry that I'd defy them. Instead of calming down, and maybe being appalled by what they did."
"Oh."
Azko frowned. "You're pretty cold-blooded, using this."
"I didn't start it, but yes, if I can turn this from a diplomatic crisis into another shift toward a less belligerent Empire, I'll do it. In cold-blood."
Paer cleared her throat. "Can you erase our memories of the last ten minutes?"
"Oh . . . Nighthawk would never forgive me if I made Ra'd forget that kiss." Wolfson frowned. "And it might be construed as mental modeling, and mess up your security clearances for the rest of your lives."
Ebsa winced. "I think that if it would prevent a breakdown in relations between the Empire and Comet Fall, it would be worth the risk. Not that we haven't already done enough harm to our futures. Security clearances are going to be the least of our worries."
"I could faintly fog your recent memories . . . give it two weeks to wear off. That would be so light it wouldn't count. Or be detectable. I think. You lot date by the moon . . . tomorrow is the new moon . . . so until you see the half moon."
Azko nodded. "Or we could stay here for two weeks . . . and flunk out."
Ra'd dropped the arm he had around Nighthawk's waist. "No. We need to investigate, and make sure this travesty of justice is exposed. Make sure it isn't just covered up and forgotten, or worse, taken as proof of the untrustworthy and violent nature of the Fallen. We need to prove that Nighthawk didn't kill him."
Azko hesitated. "Hawk? Are you sure you didn't?"
"He was cussing up a storm as I walked out."
Ebsa nodded. "Right then. Memory fog it is."
The others all nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
A perfect half moon, sharp silver, hung in the sky . . . melted the faint fog from his mind. Ebsa staggered. "Oh. My. One. I thought . . . I wondered how you could know . . . " How did . . . Holy . . .
Paer's breath caught. "Whoa. We actually repeated some of that, didn't we? Just a little fog . . . "
Heak giggled, Azko grinned and Ebsa started laughing.
They all reeled back to the sidewalk and laughed and cried a little bit. Just the girls, of course.
Ra'd leaned back against the building then slid down to sit on the sidewalk. His shield softened, and now tired relief tinged his still hidden thoughts. The coldness, the feeling of violence on a hair
trigger, was gone. He caught Ebsa's eyes and a corner of his mouth quirked up. "Don't look so relieved. If the authorities can't do something about them . . . I will. Because they can't be allowed to walk away from this."
Paer glanced between them, probably guessing what had caused Ra'd's comment. "We're not so much worried about them getting away with it, as we're worried about what you might do."
Ra'd shrugged. "What I might do? I believe I shall go back to school."
"Can we just . . . go back to school?" Heak looked dubious.
"Will they expel us?" Azko shrugged. "Somehow that just doesn't seem as important as it did two weeks ago."
Paer loomed over Ra'd. "Why did you tell Izzo that Nighthawk is alive?"
"Because the collective would have caught on quickly, as soon as all five of us remembered. This way, they think it was just me. If there are security problems, I can take the blame."
They all glared.
He glared back. "No. One love struck idiot is understandable, and easily forgiven. But shared blame multiplies."
Ebsa nodded slowly. "You deliberately leaked the memory of that kiss. You'll probably be forgiven your foolish actions, so romantic! But all five of us together looks more like a conspiracy with Wolfson. Won't us knowing that bleed into the collective?"
"That first impression will be strong, and self supporting. Everyone loves a romantic story, and they know that men in love do insane things. Even with just a few minutes lead time, that idea will prevail, because everyone wants it to be true. Five of us against the wishes of billions of people? No. I shall hereafter be known as that romantic hero." Ra'd held his hands out in front of himself and crafted a web of spells. Cast it on himself. "Saving himself for the love of his life, exiled far away."
"Was that Nighthawk's castration spell? The one they put on their wizards?" Paer sounded shocked.
"Yes. I need to be stronger. Much stronger. The One handled me too easily. In retrospect, I realize how lucky I was to survive my first confrontation with them."
Ebsa shivered. "They could only do that because you had all your shields down, controlling those guards. I think. I just hope there isn't another need to test that hypothesis. Let's go home. One only knows, err, I have no idea what will happen tomorrow. Other than finding out just how badly I flunked those tests, the last couple of days. Shall we all just turn out for the morning run and act like nothing has changed?"
Heak snickered. "Oh yes. Let's do."
They got a lot of sidelong looks. No one said a thing.
A sarcastic note on the side of his History test. "So it takes grief and outrage to get something decent out of you?"
Ra'd riding him about the O Chem had paid off. Not his best grade, but 3.5 was good enough, nearly miraculous, under the circumstances.
His Latin was impeccable.
It was the other grade that bothered him.
Paer punched his arm. "What's wrong?"
"I aced the Intro to Magic test."
"That's good."
"No it's not. I was just guessing on most of them. Damn it, why'd I do so good this time?"
Paer frowned down at her own test results. "You know, at the end there, I just ticked things off in a pattern for the hell of it. Because we were out of time. I was right eight times out of nine."
They eyed each other.
"So, is she also testing for . . . what? An intuitive ability to chose the right one of five?" Ebsa scowled down at his score. "And you pass the test, not based on knowledge, but on demonstrated magical ability?"
"That's. Just. Not. Nice."
"But think of how much easier studying will be, now."
"But what if we're wrong?"
"Actually . . . We're being too simple. How about this, a third of the questions are to test for knowledge, a third to test biases in our reactions for proper placement, and a third tests the accuracy of our guesses?"
"Oh One . . . Dammit, I need a new swear word. Umm, I really hope you are wrong. Even though it would explain a lot about the grades."
With just a week before the end of the semester, Ra'd, Azko, and Ebsa only practiced merging in pairs, only with each other. Not as strong as a square, but stronger than they were separately.
The twist in Ra'd mind flattened with their joint practice, or perhaps due to the castration spell. But it never went away altogether.
"I'll never merge with an Action Trainee again."
Ebsa nodded. But what will you do after assignment? What will I do? I have a nasty suspicion they'll split us up.
He shot a lot of holes in paper targets. They even started grouping toward the center.
Finals . . . were not the panic inducing crisis they had always been before.
"I passed everything. Arvi even upped my group coordination score to 'sporadically excellent.' All I have to do now is survive the break. Ugg. Maybe I can go camp on a beach somewhere."
Ra'd nodded. "Sounds good."
"Oh no you don't! I need you to take half the glares from the guards." Paer shuddered. "I'm going to have to live on horseback, nothing else will be tolerable." She glanced over her shoulder. "They won't let me drive. Can you imagine that?"
There were nine guards now, two close and one roving around at a distance at all times. They didn't seem to be able to decide between Ra'd and Ebsa as the biggest threat.
I've come up in the world. I am now officially dangerous!
"Probably the trouble they had cleaning the cement off the last one you, ah, borrowed." Ebsa eyed the nearest guard.
The guard crossed her arms. "Or the thirty-nine tickets that showed up on the Guards' site?"
Paer's eyes narrowed. "All dismissed, of course. It was an official vehicle on Imperial business."
"Pity it wasn't a government agent driving it." The second guard looked just as stubborn as the first. "Someone at the airport stole it, abandoned it three miles away, in a seedy area. Your father was terrified, and I think Qayg cried."
"Humph. Qayg wouldn't cry. Do you suppose they were pouring the cement just then because someone told them to, or was it just a coincidence that the corridor was practically blocked right after they took Nighthawk away?"
Double sighs from the guards.
"Fine, fine I won't ask anyone about it." Paer winked at Ebsa. "Other than maybe Urfa. Or Rael. Or Izzo."
More sighs. Maybe I ought to learn their names. Promise them I won't sucker punch any of them . . . unless they need it. Oh man, I hope Rael doesn't hear about that.
Azko and Heak had families and no question but that they were expected home.
Ebsa looked at his map. "Maybe Florida?"
"Why not go home? It's the middle of summer in Montevideo, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but . . . I can't stay with my mom, and there's no place else."
"Well then, come with us."
"Hmm, I'm not sure your father, not to mention your security . . . "
"Shut up Ebsa. You're coming with us."
Paris was pretty fun. Good fireworks for the Eid.
Meeting lots of people, half of them scolding Ra'd for having anything to do with "That foreign girl!" Except for Ra'd's stepmother, who cried. At high volume.
His Uncle Isakson just hauled him into the Guards' dojo and thrashed him. Barely. Then he turned his attention on Ebsa.
It was like trying to dodge lightning, like hitting reinforced concrete. That hit back. Fast. The old man pushed Ebsa faster than he'd thought possible. And refrained from killing him. Ebsa managed a proper bow before he reeled back, sought the nearest wall and slid down it. Not quite a collapse.
"At least you made him sweat." A cheerful guard gave him a thumbs up. "And now we see why Ra'd came in second in the sorting."
Rael eased over, grinning. "Damn, kid. I didn't know you were that fast."
"Neither did I."
She giggled. And leaned on the wall and watched a half dozen kids get lessons, before Isakson called her out with a crook of a finger.
Rael won on
points. And staggered out to join him on the floor. "Somehow it never feels like winning."
"Probably the way he's still on his feet and calling another guard out to spar with him."
"I may not be able to get up off the floor."
Ebsa snickered. "Well. I guess now I know how you can make beating up three men at once look so easy."
"Yeah. Compared to this guy? No problem."
"So, does he do this regularly?"
"Once a week for each of us he thinks has potential. And I rarely beat him. On points. I could so very easily hate him." She slid down flat. And ignored Isakson's next lesson-while-getting-beaten. Propped herself up to watch the next two. After which Isakson had finally had enough of a workout and turned the mat over to other fighters.
And Government House had an excellent library of very old paper books. Apparently just for show. As far as he could tell, no one but the maids ever came here, and they just dusted. Just like at school. It's so easy to research things on the grid, why bother prowling through actual books? Ebsa started research for next semester's research project. Or, when he was more honest, indulging his curiosity. Ra'd said he was a Warrior. During a truth merge.
He certainly found the information he needed.
Not just a list of the Warriors, but information that included when and where they'd died.
A Warrior named Isak ibn Isak ibn Daiki "called Isakson" Born in Makkah, 42 yp. Served in a list of places, all over Eastern Europe, India, died in the fall of Fort Rangpur.
Two hundred and sixty-five years after the New Prophets stepped out of nowhere and into a war. The Prophet Nicholas died at Rangpur, too, with his seven Warrior companions. Ebsa nodded to himself. Yep. Ra'd is familiar with the weapons used there, mentioned Rangpur specifically. Learned some magic "in India, years ago."
Seven warriors. Those six women who carried on over Ra'd . . . wives of some of the warriors? And eight other kids. . . . children of the Warriors. Holy One!
Ra'd knew what he was talking about, when he criticized that vid. "The Warriors aren't like that," "The Bags of the Prophets don't work like that."