strongholdrising

by Lisanne Norman

  “Not tomorrow, Rhyaz. Link day. I’ll send my team tomorrow, though, and we’ll join them on the fifteenth. I’m working with our own people right now. I’ll set the training program up, but I’ll have to return to the estate a couple of days later.”

  “So long as you keep close tabs on them,” said Rhyaz. “I want them confined to the Nezule estate, I don’t want them roaming the city. We can’t afford any incidents.”

  “Then you’ll have trouble,” warned Kaid. “Remember what happened with the Forces people on our estate. That’s how Kezule got in. I suggest they be allowed out, but in controlled situations. Social skills are important too. They can be taken to places like a storytelling theater if it’s booked for our exclusive use first. The Nezules will want to go too, I’m sure. There should be no problem selling the extra tickets.”

  Rhyaz considered the matter. “You have a point,” he said. “Very well, but clear it with me first. Going on to other matters, Father Lijou and I have looked over the request you brought from the Touibans. You can tell Toueesut we’ll be in touch with him shortly with a draft contract for him to consider.” He looked briefly at Lijou, then handed Kaid a data crystal. “I’d like you to look this over in the next few days, Kaid. It concerns some proposals you made to us just after returning from Haven. Let me know what you think of them. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how confidential it is. Father Lijou disagrees with me on this matter, but I feel we’ve no option but to pursue it. You may need to consult with Kusac.”

  Kaid nodded, reaching out to take the crystal from him.

  “What about the ancient comp and crystals I found?” Kusac asked abruptly.

  “They’ve been in our tech workshop from the moment we got them upstairs,” said Lijou. “Finding a power source is the first problem.”

  “Get the Touibans on our estate onto it,” he said. “No point in duplicating what they’re doing.”

  “We may have to,” said Rhyaz. “We’re considering having them look at it when they come here to sign the contract.”

  Kaid got to his feet. “Is that all?”

  “For now. I’ll be expecting weekly progress reports from you and your people.”

  Once outside, Kusac turned on Kaid. “Why did you allow him to send me there?” he demanded.

  “Because he’s right. Listen to me a minute,” said Kaid, holding him back as he turned away with a sound of disgust. “You’ll be helping shape these young Primes, Kusac. If you want to be sure they don’t turn on us, what better way than to help form the attitudes they’ll take back with them to their own world?”

  “You know how I feel about the Valtegans— and don’t tell me these are Primes because there’s no difference as far as I’m concerned!”

  “Give it a try,” Kaid said. “You heard Rhyaz. If it isn’t working out, you can leave. You don’t have to stay there, you can travel daily from the estate.”

  “I’ll stay there,” he said shortly. “What did the Touibans want?”

  “To hire the Brotherhood as bodyguards, both on a personal and a governmental level. Even inside their Hives.”

  He glanced at him, aware of the importance of the request, and its unique nature. “So that’s why all this interest in finding Vartra’s remains,” he said quietly. “And taking alien contracts. We really are cutting free from Shola.”

  Kaid nodded. “It isn’t common knowledge yet, but as you know, the scent’s been picked up by most Brothers and Sisters. There’ll always be a presence here, though— Father Lijou is remaining, but Rhyaz and L’Seuli will share the running of Haven between them. It’s being renamed Haven Stronghold.”

  *

  “I’m sure it’s too soon, Rhyaz,” said Lijou, getting to his feet. “So is Kha’Qwa. It’s barely three weeks since he came here.”

  “You said he was doing well and beginning to settle in, even using the common areas for eating and relaxing.”

  Lijou found his feet taking him to the window. The view of the plains and the Ferraki hills opposite had always helped clarify his thoughts. “Yes, he’s doing well with his religious studies. He’s got the patience for the meditation, and the attention to detail for the rituals and the services. But he’s still not being what you could call sociable. He may be in the common areas, but he’s not interacting more than’s necessary. And when he’s in class sparring, I’m told he’s not holding back as much as he should.” He stared down into the valley below and sighed.

  “He’s been scanned and tested more than anyone I know, Lijou. He should be capable of handling this mission. He has to be given some responsibility, otherwise he’ll think we don’t trust him,” said Rhyaz reasonably. “And we have to know he can take that responsibility.”

  “I know, but he needs to get his self-confidence back.”

  “How can he do that if we don’t trust him?”

  “Perhaps you’re right.”

  Valsgarth Estate, later that day

  They’d just finished third meal when Dziosh, the main house attendant, came into the family kitchen to tell them that Toueesut was waiting in the lounge to speak to them.

  “He’ll be wanting to know about the contract,” said Carrie, refilling her coffee mug.

  “Could be,” said Kaid, looking across at Kusac. “Mind if I handle it?”

  He dipped his ears in a Sholan shrug. “It was you he spoke to.”

  A few minutes later, Kaid returned. “It’s you they want,” he said.

  He looked up, catching Kaid’s glance at Carrie. Irritation flared but was quickly suppressed: he knew how difficult it was not to communicate mentally rather than verbally with one’s Leska. He got to his feet and followed Kaid out.

  A smell resembling that of freshly baked bread met his nostrils as he entered the lounge. He remembered the scent; it was one that signified a sense of purpose. Alone of the six Touibans, Toueesut was standing.

  “Clan Leader!” the Speaker trilled, hands outstretched, approaching him in his inimitable dancing gait. “Glad we are that you will see us. A proposition we have to be putting to you from ourselves and the Cabbarran, Annuur.” He stopped a foot away from Kusac and held out his hand, palm up in fair imitation of the telepath’s greeting.

  Automatically, he touched the Speaker’s fingertips with his own. “Well come to my home, Toueesut,” he said. “What nature of proposition?”

  “Permission you kindly gave us to be looking at your medical records to see if any help we could be to you. Annuur sees what we are doing and some suggestions he was making to improve on our design. We have crafted something to be helping you for now until we have done more research on your regrettable medical situation.”

  He succeeded in keeping his ears upright and his eyes from closing, but inwardly he sighed. Why couldn’t everyone leave him alone and stop trying to force false hope on him? There was nothing they or anyone else could do and that should be an end to it!

  Toueesut began to shake his head, making small, negative noises. “Ah, wrong you are being, friend Kusac. Hope one should never give up. Always advances there are being made. Understanding we are of your sad perspective on your state but some hope we are offering.” As he spoke, his swarm companions began to trill gently and stir on the sofa.

  Startled, he blurted out, “You heard me!”

  “Hearing is not the right word. An awareness there is of your mind-music, but it is dulled, grayed with pain and twisted from its customary harmoniousness. What we sense is not like your telepathy.”

  Suddenly interested, he gestured Toueesut to a chair. “Please, sit down. What does this device do?”

  Toueesut danced over to the chair and settled on its edge, waiting till Kusac and Kaid had taken seats nearby.

  “Testing it we need to do with you to see if it performs as we hope. A warning it is for you of when you are getting overly angry. Against your neck it will vibrate, giving you more time to calm yourself and be avoiding the terrible pain that such anger causes.”

 
Disappointment surged through him. A warning that he was angry? Was that all?

  “Do not be so negative, my friend and Clan Leader,” said Toueesut gently, reaching out to touch him on the knee with his gnarled hand. “More we are hoping it will do. Against your skin it will be and constantly monitoring your life rhythms. We have also devised a way to put into it a harmonic receptor and transmitter that if you have patience you can learn to hear. If it works, then it is our hope that you will get something back of your natural ability to know the moods of those around you.”

  Empathy? They had empathy using harmonics? “How does it work? I won’t have anything implanted into me,” he said flatly.

  “No implanting is necessary,” said Toueesut. “That solution was not one we considered, knowing the nature of your mind damage. We believe if you are willing to give us your torc our device can be set into it, then as you are wearing it, it will pick up the harmonics from those around you and translate them into a form you are more fitted to understand.” He stopped, an anxious look crossing his face. “You must be understanding no testing of this except on ourselves were we able to do until now when you return from Stronghold. It may be that only the warning will work. Never before have we tried to construct something of this complexity.”

  “I’ll try anything,” he said, his hand clenching on the arm of his chair. To have something back of his abilities, even if it was through electronic means, was more than he’d hoped for. It wouldn’t ease the mental loneliness, but he would feel less excluded from his own kind, more aware of the constant subliminal messages normal in telepath company.

  Toueesut’s smile stretched across his face, making his deep-set eyes twinkle. “Then your torc we are needing. A hole or two will have to be made and a groove to carry the electronics. If this is unacceptable then perhaps you have a plain torc that we could be using instead of your Clan one.”

  Reaching up, he removed his torc, hesitating before handing it to the Touiban. It was the one Carrie had bought for him.

  “It’s my betrothal torc,” he said quietly, passing it over to Toueesut. “And very precious to me.”

  “Great care indeed will be taken with it,” said Toueesut earnestly, accepting it. “A love of beautiful things have we, it will not be damaged you have my assurance. Only an hour or two will be required to fit it,” said Toueesut, getting up. “Annuur has been generous enough to let us house some of our large equipment in his ship on the village landing pad. There it is that we have been working on this. On your wrist comm we will call you when for testing it is ready.”

  He nodded, getting to his feet as the rest of Toueesut’s swarm surged to theirs. “I’ll see you shortly,” he said, showing the bright tide of Touibans to the door.

  *

  When they’d arrived at the estate, the U’Churians had flown in on the Cabbarrans’ own shuttle, carried on the Profit. Being quadrupedal, Sholan accommodation would have been uncomfortable for them at best, therefore their craft was permanently parked at the edge of the village landing pad.

  Followed by Kaid, he made his way up the floodlit ramp to where Toueesut’s swarm brothers were waiting to welcome them.

  “We go Speaker. You follow, yes? Come. Come,” said one, slightly smaller than the other five.

  He glanced at Kaid, surprised by the speech. “Etishu?” he hazarded, looking back to the Touiban. It was rare for anyone but the swarm’s Speaker to talk to other species.

  Etishu grinned, bushy eyebrows lifting upward, mustache quivering in pleasure. “You remember. Good! Now follow,” he said, gesturing into the interior.

  They followed them inside the shuttle, turning into the open doorway on their right.

  The lab, obviously for Cabbarran use, was lined with workbenches covered with Touiban electronics equipment. Four couches with access steps, as well as several ordinary stools, stood close to the benches. Annuur, on his sloping couch, was working closely with Toueesut who stood beside him. As they entered, Annuur’s long head swiveled round to look at them.

  “You have arrived, Clan Leader!” said Toueesut. “A moment, then Annuur will have finished.”

  Annuur’s mobile top lip began to twitch as he uttered chittering sounds, then the flat mechanical voice of his translator drowned him out. “Greetings, Kusac Aldatan and Kaid Tallinu. Welcome to our ship you are. Please, sit.” Then he turned back to the bench to finish what he was doing before picking the torc up in his mouth.

  Executing a graceful turn, the Cabbarran leaped down to the ground and trotted over to him, rising up on his haunches. The broad-clawed, four-fingered hand closed delicately round the torc, taking it from his mouth and offering it to Kusac.

  He’d not met the Cabbarran before and the intricacy of the colored tattoos on cheeks and left shoulder almost mesmerized him.

  A sudden high-pitched gurgle of sound made him jump and transfer his attention to Annuur’s face. Along the narrow jaw, the top lip was curled upward revealing yellow rodentlike teeth.

  “Heard much of you I have, Clan Leader,” said Annuur’s translator. “I forget we not yet met. Tattoos are my rank and sept. Identify us to our U’Churian brothers and each other.”

  The Cabbarran had been laughing, he realized with surprise as their eyes met. “I meant no insult,” he murmured automatically, the habits of his training in AlRel taking over. “I was admiring them.”

  Annuur glanced down at his shoulder before looking back at him. “They please me,” he said. “Not everyone commands this artist.” He gestured toward Kusac. “Please bend down. Your tallness makes fitting of this difficult.”

  He lowered his head, bending forward so the Cabbarran could twist his torc into place. He flinched as something nicked the back of his neck.

  “Apologies,” said Annuur, settling the torc. “My claw has sharpness from working the metal. Sit up now you can.”

  He sat up, rubbing his neck under the excuse of rearranging the torc. Whatever it was that had nicked him, it had stung.

  “How feels it friend Kusac?” asked Toueesut, joining them. “No discomfort should you be feeling from the inside because of the work we have done.”

  “It feels fine,” he said, stretching and twisting his neck to be sure. “Do I need to take it off when bathing?”

  “Is waterproof,” said Annuur, looking up at him. “You keep on all time now.”

  “How does it work?” he asked. “I don’t feel any difference.” He felt disappointment that he didn’t. Not that he’d had any preconceived ideas as to how it would feel.

  “Works automatically,” said Annuur. “Toueesut, test harmonics now.”

  Toueesut looked toward the door and began to utter trilling sounds in his own language. Moments later, his swarm companions came dancing in to join him, each one of them whistling and chirping in a tune that wove its way harmoniously between those of the others.

  Puzzled, he sat there, unfocusing his eyes to prevent the nausea as he watched the Touibans encircling their Speaker.

  He shook his head. “Nothing.”

  The sound increased in pitch slightly till suddenly he could feel it penetrating his flesh and traveling into the bones of his skull. He yelped with the shock and the intensity of it, clapping his hands to his temples and pressing them hard in an effort to stop the vibration.

  Immediately the Touibans fell silent until he took his hands away, then they began again, at a lower pitch.

  “Stop!” he said, putting his hands back. “It’s too much!”

  A single sharp note from Toueesut then the sounds stopped raggedly, creating a dissonance he’d never heard from the Touibans before. All but Toueesut fled the room.

  “A multitude of apologies, Clan Leader,” said Toueesut, face creased in concern as he skittered over to him, wringing his hands. “Higher than we thought had the harmonies to be created for you to hear them the first time. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” he said, ignoring the faint throbbing in his temples as he rubbed his eye
s and dropped his jaw a few times to equalize the pressure in his ears and nose. He felt a nudging against his leg and looked down to find Annuur holding up a sealed cup with a drinking spout.

  “Drink,” the Cabbarran said, offering it to him.

  He took it, taking a long sip of the water before handing it back. “Thank you.”

  “Headache will go in few minutes. Drug is quick. Works well for us, should be safe for you.”

  He stared at Annuur. “You gave me a drug?” Then he felt a faint warning tingle where the torc touched his neck. Shocked, he immediately put his hand to it, feeling the torc’s faint vibration stop as he broke its contact with his neck. He looked sharply from Toueesut to Annuur, suddenly aware of their amusement and realized that he’d been set up.

  “You did that on purpose,” he accused them, but the anger had gone.

  With the same gurgling sound of laughter, Annuur stretched up to put the drink back on the workbench.

  Toueesut let out a veritable song of pleasure and began to flit between his Cabbarran colleague and Kusac, hands caressing them both fleetingly.

  “It is working! By all that is holy it is working, friend Kusac!” He stopped dead in front of Kaid, forcibly taking hold of both his hands. “Is it not great what we have done today?”

  “Wonderful,” said Kaid, grinning at Kusac.

  “Was analgesic in drink,” said Annuur, “but from your medic, not ours. Not risking interfering with your medication are we. Headache was expected. Now you know what torc does.”

  “It is vibrating at the first sign of elevated emotions to give you early warning,” said Toueesut, letting Kaid go to come and stand in front of him. Standing on tiptoe, he reached out to touch Kusac’s forehead. “Harmonics of mental activity it picks up and transmits direct to your head. You will have to work out yourself how you hear and feel the different emotions. Not all species will sound the same so is learning process that may take some time.”

  “It doesn’t work like the Prime punishment collars, does it?” he asked, putting his hand up to grasp his torc again as he looked from Annuur to Toueesut.