by Kim Falconer
Easy, Maudi. One thing at a time. Let me get a bite and a drink, and then, if Kali hasn’t shown up, we’ll head back. We’ll figure out a way to get your body out of there.
With me in it!
That would be preferable, yes.
She wanted to rough his neck and kiss the top of his head. She wanted to feel the deep texture of his fur as she sank her hands into it and the thrill of his sandpaper tongue as he licked her arm. The sensuality that had been her vessel, her first contact with reality, was gone, and she had panicked. The fear was passing with the reassurance of her familiar. What would she do without him? Thank you, Dray. Go hunt now. I’m fine. I’ll wait here.
Are you sure?
I am. Pan has left me—the god of panic is banished.
Good. Shan’t be long.
His aura turned a dark red as he stalked down the sewer. Her heart’s desire was to follow, but she waited by the portal. Kali might come through. Would she know what to do? Would she sense her? Hear her? Rosette needed some way to let her sadness out, but she had no eyes to fill with tears, no body to weep.
Kreshkali stepped out of the portal, her long cloak billowing behind her as she strode into the sewers, her high-laced boots splashing in the water that pooled in the uneven concrete.
‘Can you see him?’ she asked, taking in the north and south aspects of the underground causeway. Tiny shafts of sunlight beamed down from manholes, illuminating the tunnel with intermittent spots. Murky water flowed along a central channel, but it didn’t reach the higher ground on either side. She was relieved. Sometimes these sewers were flooded, though now that the rains had backed off, there was more solid ground. She led the group up to a platform directly under one of the manholes.
‘Demons, it stinks down here,’ Teg said.
No one disagreed.
‘She’s found Drayco.’ An’ Lawrence tilted his head towards Scylla. His familiar dashed down the tunnel, disappearing around a corner.
‘What’s he doing?’ Kreshkali asked.
An’ Lawrence paused for a moment, his eyes losing focus. ‘Ratting, apparently.’
‘Ratting?’
‘That’s what Scylla says.’
‘Rosette’s lost and he’s having a picnic?’
‘I suspect he had to eat, no matter what’s happened,’ Grayson replied when An’ Lawrence didn’t. He stepped out of the portal. His hands were shoved deep into the front pockets of his fur-lined coat. His head lifted slightly as he scanned the terrain. ‘It felt different last time I was here.’
‘How long ago was that?’ An’ Lawrence asked.
Grayson’s face was pale and drawn. He cleared his throat. ‘Last year. Coming back from my first visit to Gaela, my holiday with…’
An’ Lawrence looked away. ‘With Rosette,’ he whispered.
Kreshkali stared at them both.
‘Stop being so morbid, you two. We’re here to find Rosette—to bring her back, not bury her.’ She threw her hands up in the air. ‘Do you think I would need all of you otherwise?’
No one replied.
Kreshkali paced, walking the distance of the platform in several long strides. Then she turned on her heels. Teg? Can you go see what’s keeping the temple cats?
The young Lupin pulled his sword out of his belt and bowed as he passed it to her, scabbard and all. She suspected he felt more comfortable on four legs in this unknown space than two. It made sense. She slipped the sword into her own belt as he disappeared down the tunnel. His footfalls echoed back, turning from a two-legged pace to a three-beat lope.
‘Where’s he going?’ An’ Lawrence asked. ‘Did you send him off or…?’
‘Easy, Rowan. I asked him to check on the felines. That’s all. When are you going to drop the grudge? Teg had nothing to do with that day on the plateau.’
‘That was more your doing, wasn’t it?’
‘Finally!’ She stopped pacing. ‘I’ve been waiting for you to get to this, though your timing is awkward.’
‘My timing or your response?’
‘Here they come,’ Grayson said. He laced his hands on top of his head.
Scylla and Drayco trotted towards them. They were being careful to avoid the deeper water, leaping over pools and sidestepping puddles. A black wolf loped easily beside Drayco, his coat luminous with grey highlights when he passed under the shafts of sunlight. Scylla avoided the Lupin, keeping to the other side of the big black cat. Within a short distance of the platform, the wolf slowed his pace, morphing in seconds into the form of a young man. His face was relaxed and sunny as he stepped out of the shock wave. He nodded to his mentor and leapt onto the platform.
Thanks, Teg, Kreshkali said to him privately. I love watching you do that.
My pleasure, Mistress.
She held his gaze for a moment before turning to the temple cat. ‘Drayco!’ She lifted her chin as she took in his approach. ‘You seem quite well, under the circumstances. I’m not going to waste time telling you how anxious we all are. What’s happened?’ Her glance went to An’ Lawrence. ‘I told you things would not be as dire as they seemed,’ she said to him with a sideways look.
‘Really? Then you haven’t heard what Scylla has to report, have you?’
‘How could I? You haven’t given it to me yet.’
‘I haven’t heard it yet!’
Drayco leapt on the platform as Kreshkali squatted down in front of him, ignoring An’ Lawrence. The feline rubbed his cheeks on her shoulder, alternating his left and right, rumbling a purr.
‘I’m happy to see you too,’ she whispered, grasping his neck and giving his head a shake from side to side.
He yawned deeply and bow-stretched.
‘We’d better hear your tale now,’ she said, standing up and brushing dust and cat hairs from her long cloak. ‘You’re up, Rowan,’ she said. ‘See what Scylla can glean. I want to know what happened, in detail. And ask if…’
He waved her back. ‘I know what to ask. Scylla knows what to ask. Give me some room so I can translate.’
Kreshkali turned to the gurgling stream that rushed along the causeway, her fingers alternately clenching and relaxing while An’ Lawrence engaged with his familiar.
Rosette quivered. The portal was glowing, someone was coming through. She felt her connection to the Entity, even from a distance. When the portal opened, Kreshkali stormed out like a warrior into battle, An’ Lawrence and Scylla beside her. Their auras were similar, she noticed, a mix of reds and blues and purples, though her father’s was dark around the edges—in one of his moods, no doubt. Well, why not? His daughter was missing, possibly dead. It was a mood-worthy event. Kreshkali’s aura was rimmed in a corona of white light—spectacular. Rosette wanted to shield her eyes. She laughed at the notion.
Grayson followed, slowly, as if weighted down, restrained. His head was steady, but his eyes darted about, taking in the surroundings. His aura was a brilliant violet and orange—stunning to see—but he too had a blanket of darkness hovering around the edges, like fog trying to swallow up the sun. Her heart leapt at the sight of him. She felt a spontaneous smile lift her face, even though her face wasn’t there.
Another came as well—a young man, handsome and confident and…something else. He was different. What beautiful colours shone from his heart—shades of rose and gold and a blast of white light that made her mentally blink. He must be a new apprentice, though she doubted he needed much spiritual training. She could see immediately that he looked to her mother, not An’ Lawrence.
She noticed his sword. Her urge to see it, to touch it, to question him about its making, flooded her. Neptune transit aside, she was more than ready to get her body back. Finally, they were here to help. She called out to them all, directing her energy towards the platform where they gathered. It took her a while to realise that no one noticed. They were bent on finding Drayco. They seemed anxious that he was alone, particularly the Sword Master. She tried to shout at him, attract his attention, but slowly she grasped that they could
n’t sense her at all. In a moment, Scylla shot down the tunnel after Drayco.
Rosette focused on her familiar and sent him a stream of thoughts. Dray? They’re here! They’ve found us. We can go now but no one’s noticing me. Oh, demons, now Kali and An’ Lawrence are arguing about something. Grayson looks depressed…but it’s good to see him. I feel so…Drayco? Are you listening to me?
He didn’t answer right away. She guessed he was communing with Scylla and his mind was full. They’d be ecstatic at their own reunion. She couldn’t stop her thoughts, though. It looks like Kali’s picked up a new apprentice, Dray. Whoa! You will not believe this! He’s Lupin! He just shifted. Heading your way. He’s with Kreshkali, so be nice. Please? He’s got a fabulous aura. Different from the others…like Kali’s really, when you think about it. Drayco? Are you there?
I’m here, Maudi.
Drayco, I can’t get their attention. They don’t respond to me at all.
Which is odd because I find your shouting quite pervasive.
She drew her energy back, like sucking in her breath. Sorry, lovely. I was excited.
Me too. Everyone’s here.
Everyone meaning Scylla?
He didn’t answer, but there was a buzz of purring. She spotted the two temple cats trotting back, their auras green and earthy, overlapping each other’s as they negotiated the drains. Scylla’s had an edge of red, and the Lupin, still on four legs, radiated an aura of such brilliance she felt rapturous looking at it. Now there was a deep soul—rich and magical. What a great place to dwell, that man’s heart.
A conversation was bantering about the platform, and she watched, her sense of joy and enthusiasm slipping away. Drayco, they think I’m dead.
Technically, Maudi, you are.
His response startled her. I’m not. I’m here. Tell them I’m here.
I think the problem is that your ‘here’ isn’t quite the same as ours.
But you can hear me. You know I am alive.
We’re bonded. Our link has always been mind to mind, so of course, with or without the bodies, we are still linked. We still hear each other.
She floated over Grayson, trying to speak with him, sending him her rushing thoughts like pouring cold water over his head. Nothing. She tried the others.
It doesn’t make sense. I’ve mind-linked with all of them at one time or another, but I can’t get through.
That’s because they ‘think’ you’re dead.
What do you mean?
It’s a paradox, Maudi. Tricky. They can hear you, with effort and proximity, and you them because you have a mind-to-mind link, but their minds think you’re dead, so they can’t hear you. See? No amount of effort allows for your voice because they believe you are not here.
Can you please tell them the truth? Tell them I’m here?
Already done.
And?
They think I’m in denial.
You’re kidding!
They think I’m creating a phantom of you so I don’t have to face the fact that you’re dead.
But I heard Kali. She’s convinced I’m alive.
She’s convinced you still have viable DNA somewhere. There’s a difference.
Rosette floundered. And they think you’re hallucinating?
Seems so.
That’s ridiculous.
Not really, Maudi. It’s quite plausible.
Oh, great. Now they have you believing it?
Drayco sat on the platform in front of Kreshkali and began licking his paw and washing his face. The notion makes sense, Maudi. It’s probably exactly what I would do if you were dead. I have no way, right now, of knowing for sure if I am hearing you or if I am making you up in my mind.
But I do! This is me, and I wouldn’t feel ‘me’ if I was a figment of your imagination, so stop that line of thought right now! You have to convince them to get my body out of…wherever it’s been put, and find a way to get me back in.
I’ve got them headed in that direction.
Even though they think I’m dead? How did you manage that?
They managed it for me. There’s a lot of concern about Jarrod and his key-codes. They need to get your body so no one else has access to your DNA.
I guess that’s a start anyway. She was learning how to express a sigh without breath.
We’re moving. Come on, Maudi.
She looked down. Everyone was headed into the portal. Wait for me!
Drayco stalled by the entrance as she swept past.
And we are headed where, Dray?
Off to Everett Kelly’s world to retrieve your corpse.
Everett slid his ID card into the scanner and waited for the release tone. As soon as it chimed, he pushed the stainless steel door back and buttoned his coat.
‘Welcome to Cryology, Mr Kelly. How can we be of assistance?’
For once he was glad it was a computer-activated simulation that greeted him. The last thing he wanted to do was answer any questions right now. There would be enough of them in a moment, when he mentioned the words ‘Jane Doe’.
‘No assistance needed. I’ll find my own way, thanks.’
‘If you require anything in the future, Mr Kelly, simply…’
Everett double-clicked the F1 key on the central keypad and the simulation disappeared. ‘Nothing is simple today,’ he said as the hologram flickered out.
His heels tapped out a rhythm on the tiles. It was so cold that his breath was visible when he exhaled. He passed rows and rows of vats before he found a technician, a tall woman leaning over one of the tanks. He approached her with his data file screen extended, the digital readout showing a patient number.
‘I’m looking for this one,’ Everett said. ‘She would have come down late last night.’
The tech took the hand-held computer and wiped her thumb across the screen. ‘The new ones are further back. It’ll just take me a second to cross-match.’ She frowned. ‘That’s strange. There doesn’t seem to be an ID.’
‘Jane Doe,’ he said, keeping his tone light.
‘Really? Let me double-check the location.’ She went to the central desk and ran a search, stretching her neck towards the console as the numbers flashed. ‘Female, Jane Doe, brought in at 23.25?’
‘That’s the one.’
The tech’s eyebrows went up. ‘We didn’t get a file update yet,’ the tech said.
‘There isn’t one.’
‘Admin too clogged to tag her?’ The woman led him past dozens of cryo vats, glancing from their digital displays to the readout in her hand.
‘They’re very busy.’
She huffed. ‘We can’t use her until they do.’
Everett nodded as they passed another block of vats.
‘Here it is.’ She stopped at a tank indistinguishable from hundreds of others save for the number displayed at the foot of the vessel—103,989,001. ‘You need to get her out?’
‘How long will I have?’
The tech checked the gauges strapped to her wrist. ‘Twenty minutes. If I drop ambience, you can have ten more.’
Everett blew into his hands and rubbed them together. ‘That’s fine. Twenty minutes should do it.’ He looked at the small table beside the vat. ‘Sample packs?’
‘They’re at the front station. What do you need?’
‘Cytology, crypto and lap scope, and…’ He saw curiosity rising on the tech’s face. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll get them myself. No need to interrupt you further.’
‘Didn’t Labs do the scope already?’
‘Of course. I want to double-check some of their results.’ He raised his head. ‘I’m presenting the case next week. My first one.’
The tech nodded. Mention ‘case study’ and there was instant understanding. He wished he’d thought of that first. The fifth-year students generated a lot of compassion. Their routine and study load was gruelling.
‘You want samples from the animal as well?’
The words jolted Everett, though he caught the reactio
n before it reached his face. ‘That was my next question,’ he said, his voice smooth. ‘Part of the presentation.’
‘Requisition number?’
Everett scanned through his file screen. ‘I had it this morning,’ he said almost to himself. ‘It took hours to get.’
‘Never mind.’ The tech indicated the tank behind them. ‘I know where that one is. Not every day you get a canine in here.’
‘Isn’t that right.’
They both exchanged looks and shook their heads.
‘Do they know where it came from?’ she asked.
Everett shrugged. ‘As far as I can gather, they don’t know much at all about either of these two. How long will it take to get the reviver going?’
The tech’s eyes widened. ‘You’re going to wake that thing up?’
‘That’s what my requisition requires.’
‘I’ll need to cite it and get the order number for that.’ Her hands shook as she pulled a remote monitor from her pocket. ‘But I don’t want to be around when you do it.’
‘Bad dreams?’
She turned away.
Though no one had contact with animals, many were haunted by them in their dreams. It was wonderful luck that this tech was phobic. Everett planned to do more than wake the canine up. Now that he knew he was here, he wasn’t going to miss the chance of a lifetime.
‘I’ll pop in the access code for you so you can get started, but you’ll have to zip me the requisition and confirmation code before midday collection arrives.’
‘Thanks. Much appreciated.’
She hesitated. ‘Is it dangerous?’
‘That’s what they sent me to find out.’
The tech nodded. ‘I wish they’d change their minds. What a waste to vivisection such a rarity, don’t you think?’
‘Exactly.’
Everett followed her back to the station and put together a tray of instruments. He glanced at the security screen before grabbing some culture tubes. He slipped those into his pocket, nesting them inside a small, subzero case. He whistled as he drew up a few millilitres of normal saline, injecting it into a blood agar dish. He grabbed an extra syringe and a vial of dopmine3, the heaviest sedation he could spot at a glance. The tech didn’t pay any attention—she was hunched over her work again, headphones on, back turned.