Razor's Edge

by Lisanne Norman

  “We think these are books and a viewer.”

  Confused, Kezule stuffed the last of the meat he was eating into his mouth and reached out for them. Turning them over, he examined them from every angle. The writing was definitely that of his people, but subtly different, as if in another dialect. He could only recognize a word here and there.

  “You put the cards into the slot,” said Myak, pointing to it. “There are several depressions on the front which control the device.”

  Kezule chose one of the cards and inserted it, then turned the unit over and placed a claw tip into one of the small holes on the front. Nothing. He tried again and the screen came to life, displaying what indeed was Valtegan text, and recognizable at that.

  “We don’t know enough of your language to read it properly, but our experts think it may be a story of some kind.”

  “It’s a book of holy sayings by the God-King, Emperor Q’emgo’h,” said Kezule. “May His memory be revered for all time,” he added reflexively. This brought home to him once and for all that his world was long gone. Q’emgo’h had been his Emperor, on the holy throne of the God-Kings when he’d been taken into captivity. For His sayings to be collected like this, He was dead. Distractedly, he fiddled with the other depressions till he got the text to scroll down. “Where did you get these?”

  “Oh, they were found,” Myak said offhandedly. “I knew you had nothing to do in your leisure time, so I brought these, and some paper and a writing stylus,” he added, pulling the items from the box. “It must be bad enough being a captive, but to be without anything to do day after day … Now, is there anything else I can do for you? Have you any complaints about your treatment?”

  Kezule hissed derisively, his crest raising up to its full height. “I survive,” he said dryly.

  Myak nodded. “Good. We have access to a few other odds and ends, but I may not be allowed to bring them to you unless you begin to cooperate with our personnel. It’s not a lot they’re asking, believe me. For a start,” he said, his voice dropping persuasively, “if you would teach them your language, then we’d know what it is we’re finding and whether it would be of interest to you, wouldn’t we? You could even ask us to look for specific items.”

  Kezule held up the viewer. “This isn’t from the past,” he said. “We didn’t have such devices as this then. And it’s too new. Where did you get it?” His voice had taken on a hard edge, and he checked himself. He had to remember he was not the general here, he was the captive. “Where do they come from?” he asked again, moderating his tone.

  Myak gestured to the trooper to leave and turned to go himself. “An exchange of information could perhaps be arranged,” he said quietly. “Think about it. Oh, I almost forgot.” He reached in his pocket and drew out a tall, slim container which he threw at Kezule.

  Without thinking, Kezule was instantly alert, catching it almost as soon as it left the lieutenant’s hand.

  “I’m told it’s a spice used for your food,” Myak said.

  Turning the container in his hand, Kezule realized it was a drum of powdered Iaalquoi—and it was relatively fresh! Where in the name of all the demons had they gotten this from? He tried to suppress the surge of relief that swept through him the lack of the plant extract had already begun to affect him, and he’d been trying to avoid thinking of what would happen to him if none was available.

  Two good reactions there, Lieutenant Myak, came the message from the telepath in the research viewing area. His readings peaked when you threw him the tub, then when he saw what it was. I guess it’s something he requires—a drug or some dietary supplement.

  Understood, Myak replied as he left. “Just think about my proposition,” he repeated, stopping briefly at the door.

  Myak joined the small group in the research area.

  “If this herb is one he needs, or wants, it could be the lever we need to persuade him to cooperate,” L’Seuli said. “Any idea what it is, Lieutenant?”

  Mito shook her head. “None yet. I need to be fully updated on what you’ve found in the various ruins here. Anders and I can then continue where Jo left off with her catalog of the Keissian Valtegan bases.”

  Raguul grunted. “If you ask me, it’s damned convenient that you’ve been working with Anders on this all along.”

  “It is rather, isn’t it?” said Mito blandly as Nick Anders caught her eye conspiratorially. “Still, two get the work done faster than one, and speed is what we need. At least he can go in with this Kezule, if necessary. I can’t.”

  “You have a point,” Raguul conceded. “Well, I’m off home now. You know where I am if your people need me, Brother L’Seuli.” With a brief nod in his direction, the commander left.

  Mito heaved a sigh of relief when he’d gone. “What about you, Myak? Are you on leave, too?”

  “Like the captain, I’m on call should they need me here.” He looked over at the telepath who was sitting on one of the highbacked stools at the bench between them and the viewing window. “Zhyaf,” he said, “the Clan Lord has asked me to accompany you back to the estate on a social visit. When do you go off duty?”

  Zhyaf stirred, looking up at the lieutenant. “In about an hour.”

  “I’ll take you for a tour of the facility,” said L’Seuli. “When are you and Anders scheduled to start work, Mito?”

  “Tomorrow,” replied Anders as Mito wrinkled her nose in a grimace. “We don’t rate any leave.”

  “Not true,” said L’Seuli, shaking his head. “Your experience will be vital to our work here. We’ve scheduled you with shorter shifts than the others to compensate you for your lack of leave.”

  “You can’t blame me for trying for a sympathy vote,” grinned Anders, putting an arm around Mito’s waist as they followed L’Seuli out into the open security area that fronted Kezule’s prison.

  “Good morning,” said Vanna, putting her head around the kitchen door. “Can I come in? Today is Nylam’s Day, the day of the Hunt, and of giving gifts. I’ve brought an early one for you.”

  “Please join us,” said Kusac. “We’ve nearly finished, I’m afraid, but if you’re hungry …”

  “I’ve eaten, thanks,” she said, putting her medikit on the table and slipping onto the seat near the door.

  “Coffee or c’shar?” asked Carrie as Zhala hovered.

  “Coffee, please.”

  “So what’s this gift?” asked Carrie curiously.

  “The trials are finished, and our contraceptive’s ready to use. We can administer it in half-yearly or yearly doses, but I recommend that with the Jalna mission ahead of you, you ought to take the yearly one. I shouldn’t think you’d want to bear another cub out in the field!”

  Carrie grinned wryly with a sidelong glance at her mate. “I’ll pass on that, thank you. Not that Kusac and Kaid weren’t very good birthers, you understand.”

  “Of course,” agreed Vanna, opening her kit and taking out the hypoderm.

  “I’d prefer it if you didn’t, too,” said Kusac. “I was really very worried that something would go wrong.”

  “It all came right in the end, though,” said Carrie, rolling up her sleeve ready for Vanna.

  “I suggest you also offer this to the Sisters on the estate,” said Kusac, “Just as a precaution. We need more cubs for our new clan, but they must be conceived voluntarily and not because of Leska links.”

  “I had just such a request from T’Chebbi last night.” She glanced up at him. “I can’t think why. I don’t remember ever seeing her with any of the males around here.”

  Kusac exchanged a glance with Carrie. “She’s gone to Stronghold for the next couple of days.”

  “Probably got a lover up there, then,” said Vanna, packing her equipment away.

  You don’t think it’s Kaid, do you? sent Carrie on their private link.

  Pretty sure of it, cub. I remember how she reacted when we brought him back from Stronghold, and how she looked out for Dzaka.

  They do go bac
k a long way. Did I ever tell you that Kaid chose her as my guard not only because she’s female, but because she’s about my size? He wanted someone I could be comfortable with.

  That was thoughtful of him. But I wonder …

  Don’t go matchmaking for him, she teased. She’s as much of a loner as he is.

  You merely prove my point, he replied placidly.

  “Mara seems to be settling in well at Ruth’s,” said Vanna as Zhala arrived with her drink. “She was an excellent choice, Carrie, and a brilliant idea. Already a couple of the Human females from the dig have gone over to see her, and they were chatting happily to Mara as well.”

  “Thank you. I’m just glad there was someone like her to find. Zhyaf’s been less morose, too, since we sent his sister back home and he was recruited for the Shanagi Project. Living at the center has opened his world out; he’s having to become more involved in a real life now. He’s even finding the work challenging.”

  “He’ll be back sometime today,” said Vanna. “It’s their Link day tomorrow. And he’s bringing Myak with him.”

  “Myak? Not Myak from the Khalossa?” asked Kusac, sitting up in surprise.

  “The same. It turns out he’s with AlRel.”

  “That crafty old bastard Raguul,” muttered Kusac. “All along he’s had a telepath acting undercover as his adjutant. No wonder he knew everything that was going on. That’s tracking downwind of Guild regulations.”

  “It’s a legitimate appointment, Garras says. Raguul requested him years ago because he’s so involved with diplomacy missions. Your father obviously thought it an excellent idea.”

  “But what’s Myak doing coming here?” asked Carrie. “I’d have thought he’d want to go home like everyone else on leave. And if he’s here, where’s Commander Raguul?”

  “Gone home, like you said. Why Myak’s coming here, I’ve no idea, but we think it’s connected with the Shanagi Project because you’ll never guess who else is there. Mito and Anders!”

  “What? They’re still together?” Carrie could hardly believe it.

  “Mm. Surprising, isn’t it? She must have changed a lot. Rumor has it they’ve taken out a five-year bonding contract.”

  “Really? But why? I can’t believe she’d be interested in having cubs, even if they could.”

  “I told you, with medical help, that’s not such a remote possibility now,” said Vanna. “The leaps forward we’ve made in understanding the genetics of both the Humans and ourselves are incredible. The samples from the latest ni’uzu epidemic alone have made all the difference. I’m still convinced it’s something Kaid picked up in the Margins. Its ability to spread despite our quarantine restrictions convinced me. At least it was only in the form of a heavy cold.”

  “Who knows?” said Kusac. “Since we’ve all been exposed to it, we’re stable now. That’s what matters. The new Leska pair that arrived yesterday from the Guild proved that. I think it far more likely that Mito and Anders have bonded because of Human conventions. If they’ve been living together on Keiss, it’s what the Humans around her would be doing, what Anders would want, and perhaps even herself. She was always insecure about herself as a female, though never as an officer.”

  “I’ve another piece of gossip,” grinned Vanna.

  “You’re full of it today,” said Carrie, sipping her drink. “With Kaid gone, we don’t hear so much.”

  Vanna flicked an ear apologetically. “It comes to Garras now he’s acting as your second.”

  “Well, don’t keep us in suspense. Who does it involve this time?” chided Kusac.

  “Rulla. Looks like he’s lost his heart,” she said with a chuckle. “I suggest you appoint another minder for Mara and Zhyaf, Rulla’s too preoccupied right now. Although I don’t think he was ever really right for the job.”

  “You’re telling me,” said Kusac ruefully. “We’ve already considered this and are looking for a replacement.”

  “Who is it?” demanded Carrie. “Who’s he after?”

  “Ruth! He’s besotted with her!” Vanna laughed. “He fusses round her, gets underfoot by trying to help her all the time, and generally makes a nuisance of himself!”

  “That could be a problem. I wanted Mara free of male influences for a while, and Rulla, being their main guardian, carries associations of the life I want her to forget.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about Mara on that score,” said Vanna. “She and Ruth’s daughter, Mandy, are having a great time laughing at his antics! Nothing like seeing someone who was in charge of you brought down to the level of a youngling by love! Does wonders for the ego. Believe me, she’ll not be harmed by having him around.”

  “What about Ruth? How does she feel about all this attention?” asked Kusac.

  “Amused, but we’ll see. It shouldn’t be long before Rulla makes his invitation.”

  “What I want to know is why there’s no gossip about Mara’s Human lover—the one who fathered her child,” said Carrie. “She refused to talk about it the night she spent with us.”

  “Have you checked with all the Human male Leskas?” asked Kusac.

  Vanna nodded. “I have, and if it’s one of them, they aren’t admitting to it. Personally, I don’t think it is. I’m sure she’s just confused and it’s Zhyaf’s.”

  “No. She was so genuinely terrified at the thought of having a Sholan cub that I believe she really did make sure she didn’t get pregnant by Zhyaf and did search out a Human partner,” said Carrie, absently nibbling on a piece of rich fruit cake that Zhala had surreptitiously placed beside her.

  “I thought there was no way for females in our Links to avoid becoming pregnant,” said Kusac. “I thought that was the whole point of Vanna’s search for a contraceptive.”

  “Oh, there are ways Human females can avoid pregnancy,” said Carrie with a grin, “but the most common method wouldn’t be practical for you Sholan males.”

  “It’s not much use for Human males with Sholan female partners either,” said Vanna. “At least, not according to Jack and Jiszoe.”

  “Oh,” said Kusac, finally getting the drift of what they meant. “Then this unknown Human must be a potential Triad member.”

  “Until you formed a Triad, there were none,” said Vanna.

  “That we know of,” corrected Carrie. “You still don’t like to admit you’re part of a Triad yourself, even though Garras does.”

  Vanna sighed. “I’m not going through all that again with you, Carrie. For the sake of peace, I’ve let Garras persuade me to register us as a Triad with Ghyan at the temple. Let’s leave it there.”

  “Not all Leska pairs attract a third,” said Kusac. “I’ve been looking into details of the partners of the Sholan Leska pairs and only a small percentage of Leska-linked individuals seem to have a regular lover. Nowadays a Triad isn’t so socially visible. There hasn’t been the need to actively form them.”

  “And from which guilds do these partners come?” asked Vanna.

  Kusac grinned. “You don’t want to know, Vanna. It’ll only confirm what Carrie said.”

  “Damn you both,” she growled in mock anger.

  “I’ve got a theory for you,” said Kusac. “What if potential mixed Leskas are now being changed before they form a Link? I know,” he said, forestalling Vanna. “It needs the gestalt, but maybe the gestalt isn’t the only mechanism that triggers the change. What if there’s another?”

  Vanna groaned. “Don’t do this to me, Kusac! We just got it all worked out! We don’t need a loose gun out there changing all the rules.”

  “Why shouldn’t it change again? It’s an unstable gene. And since some of the Brothers and Sisters have been made genetically compatible with us by that new virus, why shouldn’t it affect Humans the same way?” he argued. “Maybe that’s a way to identify potential Leskas. We could bring them here and prepare them in advance for their Link. There’d be less shock to them both and it might even give them a choice of partners, avoiding mismatches like Zhyaf and M
ara.”

  “You’re dreaming, Kusac,” said Vanna, finishing her drink and getting up. “I’ve got to go. Garras wants to join the hunt today. It’s years since he’s been on one.”

  A small mewl from the crib in the corner of the room drew Vanna’s attention. “Kashini’s downstairs and awake,” she said, her voice becoming instantly softer. “I haven’t seen her for a week or two. Her eyes’ll be open now.”

  “They are,” said Carrie as Kusac got up and went over to the crib to pick up their cub. “She’s a lively little thing, and she’s grown.”

  She watched as her mate carefully lifted the child, cradling her back against his upper arm so she could see properly. What filled both of Carrie’s arms, nestled happily in the crook of one of his.

  I like your smallness, sent Kusac as he came back to them. It’s one of the things that makes you so very different from our females.

  “Flatterer,” she smiled, admiring the picture they presented: their daughter with her blonde pelt so light against her dark-furred father.

  Vanna reached out to touch the little one. “She’s got your eyes, Kusac,” she said as Kashini gazed up at her, both hands reaching out toward her. “And a look of you in her face, Carrie,” she said with surprise. “I can’t see Brynne at all in Marak.”

  Little squeaks of delight ensued as Vanna tickled her behind her ears. “Can I have a cuddle?”

  “I don’t know, Vanna,” said Kusac with a straight face. “How do I know you won’t drop her?”

  “Oh, you … !” retorted Vanna, reaching out to take hold of her, but Kashini would have none of it and began to pull back and let out sounds of distress, ears now plastered flat to her skull.

  “Don’t tease her, Kusac,” said Carrie, getting up and joining them. “He forgets she’s too immature to understand a joke. She takes things literally.”

  Vanna looked on in a disbelief Carrie could feel as she took her daughter from Kusac. Holding her close against her chest, she began to make soothing noises, gently patting and stroking the cub until her distress faded.