Telepath

by Jolea M. Harrison

  “Kamien has the Star Destroyer,” Dynan said, staring out at the devastation that passed below them.

  “Now there’s a cheery thought,” Dain said lightly.

  “I guess I’m just not capable of good cheer at the moment.” Dynan stood, mumbling something about his room before leaving them.

  “We’ve got to do something about him,” Sheed said, looking after Dynan.

  “He’ll be all right,” Dain said, checking the coordinates for their landing site. “He’ll snap out of it.”

  “He’s been like this since Carryn left.”

  “Can you blame him?” Ralion asked. “If it was your life you saw being taken away, how would you feel?”

  “I know. I’m just saying we need to do something about it.”

  “Like what, Sheed? I told you, he’ll be all right,” Dain said, ending the discussion. He frowned at what he saw through the view screen. “I don’t see this shack we’re supposed to be living in. And according to these coordinates, it ought to be right here. Any ideas?”

  “There’s something,” Sheed said, pointing to what looked like the remains of a small house. “Let’s set down, and see what this is all about.”

  Dain shook his head again, but soon had the XR-30 on the ground. What they found were signs of recent battle, with the house that Carryn had located for them caught in the middle. Nothing remained but a few scorched stones, shimmering in the intense heat that greeted them the instant they stepped off the ship.

  They stood amid the rubble looking around, unsure what to do. “We’re close to this water station Carryn told us about,” Ralion said, running his shirtsleeve across his brow to wipe off the sweat. “Maybe we should go there, and find out what happened.”

  “I’ll go,” Sheed said. “The rest of you stay here.”

  “I don’t think you should go alone,” Ralion said.

  “Why don’t we all go,” Dain said. Sheed and Ralion disagreed immediately, and they fell to arguing about it.

  “Be quiet,” Dynan said, and when he was ignored raised his voice and repeated himself, stopping the argument abruptly. He turned from them, walking away a few paces to stare around the area, shaking his head.

  “We’re all going,” Dain said, but as he did he became aware of movement off to his left. A man peered over the rim of a boulder. Another appeared just beyond where Dynan stood, and Dain saw his brother tense, looking around in growing alarm.

  “We’ve got company,” Dain said, moving to his side, while ten, then fifteen men slowly made their presence known.

  “Ralion, secure the ship,” Dynan said, and glanced at Dain.

  “Why don’t we get back onboard, and get out of here?” Dain asked, watching as the men approached. “I mean, we don’t know who these people are, and they don’t look all that friendly to me.”

  “I think if we try getting back onboard, they’ll shoot us down, that’s why.” He nodded, and Dain saw a number of lasers aimed at them.

  “This isn’t good.”

  “When has it ever been?”

  Ralion and Sheed, their posture radiating danger, moved to stand with them, and they waited. Dain saw one man pointing and gesturing, apparently giving orders. “Looks like their leader,” he said as roughly twenty men surrounded them.

  “Why don’t we go have a talk with him then?” Dynan moved toward the man, and they followed him quickly.

  “Dynan, are you—” Ralion began.

  “Dain, I want you to activate the cloak when we’re far enough away, and when I tell you to. Then lock out the controls. I don’t want any of them thinking they can take this ship. That’s what they’re after.”

  Dain nodded, and checked the distance. He couldn’t activate the cloak if they were standing too close. They approached the man who they took to be in charge. He had a scar drawn down the side of his face, deeply tanned skin with pale blue-green eyes that looked at them keenly before flicking to the XR-30.

  “Who are you?” the man asked when they stopped a few feet from him.

  Dynan took another step toward him, his hand on his sword. Dain watched him, unsure of what he intended, and a little nervous at his demeanor. “Dynan Telaerin. Who are you?”

  The man jumped at his undeniable tone, his mouth opening slightly in recognition. “What are you doing here? This isn’t the place for your kind.”

  “Really? I thought all System exiles eventually found their way to Orgrel.”

  The implied threat in Dynan’s voice made the man take a step back, looking nervously around for support from his men. “What...what are your intentions. I hold this land.”

  “For now. Or perhaps you’re here to try and reclaim what you lost in battle. Your men are injured.”

  “There are only four of you. I can take your ship.”

  “Now, Dain,” he said silently. “You think so?” Behind them, the XR-30 disappeared, causing a stir to run through the men around them. Many of them backed away, a few stumbling in their haste. “Who are you? And I’ll have your intentions as well. Now; before I’m tempted to show you what else I can do. You won’t like the results.”

  “I’m...my name is Orlig Dahl. Bador’s man. This was his fight, and you’re right, we weren’t successful. We drove the enemy off, wounding them badly. They’ll return, with greater strength, and soon.”

  “You’re from the water station?”

  “Yes,” Orlig said, and seemed surprised that Dynan knew of it.

  “You’ll take us there. Lead your men out of here. We’ll follow.”

  Orlig looked to protest, but then thought better of it, eyeing the space the XR-30 once occupied, and ordered his men to form up. He soon had them marching down a slight hill toward the canyon floor. Dynan waited for the last man to march past, and only then allowed himself a breath of relief. Dain eyed him briefly, and smiled. “That’s about the best bluff I’ve ever seen you pull.”

  “Thanks, I thought so too.” Dynan smiled.

  “So we’re going to follow them?”

  “Bador is the man we need to see. This way we’ll go in with half his camp afraid of us.” Dynan smiled again. “Once we get straight with him, we’ll move the ship. This doesn’t seem like a very secure location.”

  “If there is such a thing on this rock,” Dain muttered.

  They followed Orlig down into a barren valley moving along a line of tall cliffs. The sun beat down on them, turning the air to fire in their lungs. None of them carried any water, but Dain noticed that all of Orlig’s men did, drinking from their flasks frequently. His mouth soon felt parched, the sweat on his body drying too rapidly to provide any relief from the immense heat.

  The jut of rock towering on their right dropped away, opening onto another valley between two rocky crags. Nestled inside, a small rustic village sprawled, backed up against either wall of the ravine with homes built from stone. Where the gorge narrowed, and began to climb, a line of buildings stood. Behind them, a high stone wall blocked the way up to the water station. That stood halfway up a steep, boulder-strewn hill on a shelf, with the cliff rising behind it.

  The village lay arranged in a misshapen sort of square. At its center a well stood nestled amidst a small sward of green grass and flowers of some hardy variety able to withstand the heat. Dain was tempted to go to the well and dive in, but thought better of that as they were led through town. People stared at them. Dain felt ill at ease under all the eyes turned to them. He tried to tell himself that it was only the long solitude they’d become used to, that being around so many people he didn’t know made him nervous, but there was something unsavory about them that made him walk a step closer to Dynan. There were more than a few men looking at the weapons they carried, eyes traveling down to the sapphire and emerald hilts.

  “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” he said, silently. Everyone was armed, several with laser rifles. There were crossbows too, which they had no defense against.

  “They aren’t going to act without orders fro
m Bador,” Dynan said. “He doesn’t want us dead. He wants the rest of the gold we’re supposed to pay him to stay here.”

  Orlig moved to speak to a man who Dain took to have some authority, looking back at them occasionally. An argument ensued, which Orlig obviously didn’t get the better of. He nodded abruptly, and returned to them.

  The troop of men moved off to the open inn at the town’s center, where smells of food wafted out. Orlig led them on toward the back of town to a guard building that blocked the way to the only visible entrance through the wall. He didn’t seem concerned about being watched. Some of the men paced them along the line of buildings. Maybe they were waiting for some signal or other that would make it all right for them to attack.

  “They won’t have much trouble from us if we don’t get something to drink soon.”

  As if in answer to that thought, Orlig stepped inside a room carved into the wall, gesturing for them to follow. He handed Dynan a flask of water, and then the others. “It’s not wise to travel without these,” he said, taking a long pull off a fresh flask, then emptied it with his next drink.

  After they’d had their fill, Orlig gave them fresh flasks for the climb to the station. He passed by a sentry with a nod as they left the building. The climb took time, and it was hard work in the glaring sun. They stopped once to drink, then moved on, scrabbling up a steep incline of loose rock. The terrain slowly leveled. As they topped the rise, they saw a circular building set off to one side of a large clear shelf. The cliff continued behind, towering overhead.

  Orlig led them inside, beyond rooms with a few men inside, until they reached the back of the building. “Wait here.”

  They didn’t wait long. Orlig returned, and motioned them into another room. A husky man sat comfortably behind a stone slab of a desk, picking his teeth, his booted feet up. An empty plate of food, only a scrap left to show for a meal, sat before him. His clothes were less shabby than those of Orlig or his men, but still plain in design, and made of dense fabric. Around each wrist, he wore leather braces. In his hand, massive fingers dwarfed a glass of wine.

  Bador raised the glass, a leering smile on his face, and drank while Dynan stood before him. “Your Highness,” he said, nodding to Dain as well. “So nice to meet you.”

  “What happened, Bador? You told Commander Adaeryn—”

  “When I last spoke with Carryn Adaeryn, we held that land securely. Things change. Things often get worse before they get better. I expected you, of all people, to understand that quite readily.”

  “What I understand is that you were paid a lot of gold to secure that rubble for what was supposed to be our home. We’re here now, and we need a place to stay. What are you going to do about it?”

  “What would you have me do, Prince? I haven’t unlimited resources.”

  “Then you’ll repay us what was given to you, and we’ll find someone else who can meet our requirements.”

  “Such hastiness, and in someone so young,” Bador said, smiling again. “I have a fine home in the village, unoccupied at the moment.”

  “No,” Dynan said.

  “Ah yes, all those requirements you spoke of. Well, I’m afraid, Prince, there’s nothing else available, unless...no, you wouldn’t consider it.” Bador frowned. “It would meet all your varied needs, but I doubt you’d find it quite what you’re used to.”

  “Where, Bador? And you’d be surprised what I’ve gotten used to.”

  “Yes, I imagine that’s true. Such a hard life, for one so used to...well, we’ll just call it the finer side of life.”

  Dynan didn’t comment, but Dain knew he was getting impatient with the man’s sarcasm.

  “There’s a set of caverns at the back of this ravine. Quite large. I recently had them cleaned out for storage. There’s even room enough for a ship the size of your disappearing one.” He grinned at Dynan’s glance. “I had scouts sent ahead of your return. Well, Prince, think you can abide such living arrangements?”

  Dynan turned, and retrieved a glass from a stone shelf, pouring himself wine. “A cave? Is this hole in the rock furnished in anyway, or do you expect me to sleep on the ground?”

  “Arrangements can be made.”

  “Arrangements have already been made. How long will it take?”

  Bador obviously didn’t want to give more than he had, but he nodded abruptly. “By nightfall. You may send your guards back to retrieve your ship. In the mean time, you may use my facilities here. Be thankful, Your Highness, you’ll have the coolest place on the planet. I’ve often considered moving in myself.”

  By nightfall as promised, they were led to the caverns, or what Bador referred to as caverns. In reality, the one large opening was the biggest part of the caves, adjoining many smaller areas. But Bador had brought in a large number of furnishings, all wood, a rarity on this treeless planet, and lights. It was also much cooler inside, a welcome relief from the heat.

  Bador himself showed them around, his huge form covered in a loose robe that flowed around him. There were four chambers that served as bedrooms, equipped as such. Another area held table and chairs, and another served as a cooking area, with modern solerated equipment. The main cavern could house the XR-30 that now stood just outside, if they felt it necessary, with enough room in back to suffice as a sitting room.

  “So Prince, will it do?” Bador asked after the tour, sitting in a large stuffed chair.

  “For now, Bador, it’ll have to. Where’s the water supply?”

  “Where’s the rest of my gold?” he asked.

  “You’ll get it when we leave.”

  “There isn’t a water supply.”

  “Or maybe not,” Dynan said.”

  “You’ll have to come to the station for water. What do you think, I’m going to run a set of pipes up here for your convenience? The other house didn’t have such luxuries.”

  “It had a well.”

  Bador sucked his teeth a moment, then gestured to one of his men. “Move the stone,” he ordered. A large boulder was shoved aside, revealing another chamber, its floor mirroring the light shown in. “Probably the planet’s largest bath house. I hope you enjoy it, but I’ll warn you, the water is somewhat cool. There are separate facilities forward. Just follow that ledge. Water for drink and food should be sanitized. I trust you have the equipment for that process.”

  Dynan nodded. “As I said, it’ll do, for now.”

  Bador cast him a dark look. “I’ll leave you to settle in then.”

  Bador and his men left them, and they explored their new surroundings again. Dain lingered by the pool. After a brief hesitation at the cold touch of water on his hand, he stripped off his clothes, and dove in.

  ***

  Kamien was crowned just a few days later. By all reports, it was a lavish ceremony, resplendent in pomp, with the blessing of the High Bishop, a fact that initially surprised Dynan. Kamien received the Pledge of Faith from the people delivered by Cobalt’s First Governor, Gemern Taldic.

  Dynan read the dispatch, given to him with apparent delight by Bador, along with another message sent by Carryn, explaining what the official announcement left out. The High Bishop omitted a few subtle but key phrases in his blessing, leaving little doubt what he really thought of the proceedings. Gemern Taldic couldn’t take that chance, explaining in a message to Carryn his total disgust and revulsion at what he had to do.

  Still, with all Taldic’s assurances, and hopes of his return, Dynan couldn’t help thinking his chances of ever making it home again were totally gone. He’d only barely abided the last four years by a thread of hope, clinging to it tenaciously. Now that hope seemed completely futile, he wondered why he was going through the trouble.

  “Looks like you’re officially out of a job, Prince,” Bador said as Dynan handed the comboard to Dain.

  Without a word he stood, and walked from the cavern, not in any frame of mind to deal with Bador. He stood outside the opening, squinting in the bright sun, questioning his existence
.

  “Not as thick-skinned as you’d have me believe,” Bador said, and joined him in the blaring sun, looking down on the station below them.

  “Bador.” Dynan looked at him, feeling his temper rise. “Go away.”

  “Now, now, I meant no offense, really,” he said, then smiled. “I knew a man once, very much like you, only a little older at his time of trial. He had everything a man could want; power, wealth, a lovely wife. He had many faults, as we all do, but he tried to do well by his lady, and by his work. He was honest too, which can be a hard thing in these days, and it was his sense of justice that got him in trouble. You see, he discovered that his superior was cheating on the accounts, keeping more than was his share or legal. Instead of minding his own business, this foolish man set out to put a stop to the illegal activities. He went to another fellow of some official capacity, who, unknown to him at the time, was also as corrupt as his master, and equally aware of the scheme. He found himself dismissed, then accused of the very thing he meant to expose. His lovely wife, well she couldn’t sign the papers dissolving the marriage fast enough. He lost everything he had. Wife, home, wealth, all of it, but he somehow managed to keep his sense of honesty.”

  Bador turned to him. “He also kept firmly fixed in his mind a hope that one day the wrong perpetrated against him would be corrected, and justice done. He still holds that hope, slim though it may be after twelve long years of living in exile on a hot, desolate planet. Twelve years, Prince. You’ve been on the run for what, four? And I thought you so much tougher than I.”

  Bador’s huge hand came down on his shoulder, and shook him, and then the big man walked away, leaving Dynan to consider his story, and the meaning of hope.

  The next day a transport landed at the station, not a completely unusual occurrence. At Bador’s warning they cloaked the XR-30, and retreated into the cave, while a group of about fifty men stood above the station pretending to do some work moving rocks about, when their real reason was to provide protection. For all his talk to the contrary, Bador meant to keep them safe. A short while later, Trevan and Lycon approached, with Bador showing the way. Their mission, they explained was to install a transmitter relay, a project Bador welcomed. That didn’t stop him from trying to collect his usual landing fees from them. Dynan just shook his head at him, and the big man went away laughing.