Rainscape

by Jaye Roycraft

She smiled. “I’m an investigator, remember?” She lay with her back against Rayn’s chest, his arms wrapped around her. She ran her hands up and down his forearms, feeling the muscled contours. “Actually, Raethe told me.”

  Rayn smiled into her hair. “Rae. Bless his heart. He was ever the lone wolf, but it was his voice that first expressed concern for Hrothi’s safety, and his insistence that I do something about it.”

  She nodded. “You have quite a band of comrades, you know that?”

  He was silent for a moment. “I couldn’t be prouder of them if they were my blood brothers,” came the soft whisper.

  They lay silent again, watching the ball of fire breach the horizon line.

  “So is it done? All of it?” Rayn asked after a while.

  “The investigation?”

  He nodded. “I know that Trai and Gaard helped you snag Ctararzin. Trai still hasn’t stopped telling his story of how he was very nearly the ninth victim of the already infamous Mother murderer. Gaard just rolls his eyes. I’ve never seen Gaard so dramatic.”

  “Whose idea was it anyway, to pretend to have Hrothi, with his last dying breath, tell Rhoemer who the killers were?”

  “Rae and Hrothi himself came up with that one. Hrothi thought that if he had to go to all the trouble of dying, it should serve more of a purpose than just to keep him alive. What happened to that anghwi, Khilioi?”

  “As predicted, when he was confronted, he was more than willing to tell all in order to avoid being charged the maximum. He was the one who tampered with Jon’s skimmer. I should have first suspected him when I saw him in the holo with you.”

  “With me?”

  She nodded. “He was one of the undercover officers who tried to infiltrate the Dailjan by masquerading as a dissatisfied city worker. He recorded all those meetings. On one holo he was covered with red dust. I didn’t pick up on that for a long time. Anyway, it was while on one of those Dailjan hunting assignments that he came upon Xuche in the desert. Khilioi, ever the opportunist, saw his chance to take into custody a dark outworlder. However, Xuche being what he is, which is basically a coward, tried to make a deal with Khilioi to save himself. He told Khilioi there was a dens living in the Pur-Pelag, and didn’t the officer agree that a dens would be a much bigger prize than a mantis. Khilioi did indeed pretend to agree, and searched the Pelag for T’halamar, never with the intention of taking him into custody, but to feel him out as a possible killer for hire. Khilioi was always thinking how best to take advantage of a situation. The reputation of the dens is well known, you know.”

  “Yes, little girl, I know,” Rayn said, stroking the side of her face.

  “Khilioi and T’halamar struck a deal and agreed that it would be prudent to get rid of Xuche once and for all before he said the wrong thing to the wrong person. So Khilioi provided the anonymous tip to Katzfiel as to Xuche’s whereabouts, while Gyn compelled Xuche to give a harmless story to the Commander regarding his escapades in the desert. Xuche was deported, just as T’halamar and Khilioi anticipated he would be. Katzfiel never knew the truth about Xuche, never knew about T’halamar or Khilioi. Gods, I can’t believe how wrong I was about him.”

  “Separating fact from illusion is difficult, even for a telepathic investigator. All telepaths are vulnerable, you know, even the dens. We all make mistakes, little girl. Gods know I’ve made my share,” he said, leaning forward to kiss the hollow behind her ear.

  “You did the right thing with Gyn. What made you change your mind about helping me?”

  “The m’riri.”

  “M’riri? What’s that?”

  “The ancient B’haratan custom of self-reflection. My mother taught me, years ago, but I was never very good at it. Until now. I used the Ghel Mar as my meditation focus. On B’harata I used the mirror of the rain, but the Ghel was the closest thing to a rainscape I could find in the desert.”

  Mirror. Dina remembered the dream she had had about the man in the mirror. Another premonition? She shuddered at the thought. “So . . . it was through this self-reflection that you made the decision to help me and to face T’halamar on your own.”

  “Simply put, yes. The m’riri told me that I could no longer run and hide. I had to take a stand and put aside my prejudice.”

  She squirmed out of his grasp and turned to face him. His words surprised her. “Your prejudice?”

  A crooked smile that Dina could interpret only as a smirk split his face. “Gyn was a countryman. I was reluctant to betray him, no matter what his crimes. In the beginning you were as much a foreigner to me as I was to you. A very high-and-mighty foreigner at that.”

  Dina’s mouth dropped open. She picked up a pebble and tossed it at him. “Me high-and-mighty? Don’t be so smug. The gods punish those who are smug, you know.”

  He reached for her and pulled her to him again. The gods will just have to punish me some other time, came his voice in her mind as his lips claimed hers again.

  AN HOUR LATER they were back inside the kap, the desert already becoming uncomfortably warm. Stretched out on a mat beside him, she faced him, her head propped by her left arm. Her right hand rested over his heart. She stared at him.

  “What?” he asked.

  “’What? What do you mean, ‘what?’” she replied. “Since when haven’t you been able to read every thought in my head every minute of every hour?”

  “I can’t read every thought, every minute.”

  “The hell you can’t.”

  “Very well. I’ll rephrase. You’re memorizing my face. Tell me why. My appearance is remarkably unremarkable.”

  “Not to me it isn’t. To me it’s beautiful.” Dina looked away. “I think there’s a very good possibility we’ll be separated for a long time.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “The Synergy is not a very forgiving entity. In spite of all the help you’ve rendered, I’ve overheard rumors you’re going to be deported.”

  “Not to a penal colony, I trust?”

  “No, probably back to B’harata,” she replied, still looking away.

  His left hand covered the hand over his heart. “You wouldn’t come with me?

  Though quietly and simply phrased, Dina could detect a note of suspicion in the question, a fear that she would decide she was indeed better off without him. She looked back at his eyes. “If I could, of course. But deportation ships are secured and don’t accept ordinary passengers.”

  “Surely you’ll have some influence as a result of bringing the murder investigation to a successful resolution.”

  “I doubt I will. Especially once I resign my IIB position. I’ll just be a citizen, no different from anyone else.”

  “There are other options,” he stated.

  “Oh sure, you could use the dher on everyone. I would prefer to do things legally.”

  “It’s a long trip to B’harata. We’ll be put into hypersleep, so the journey won’t be bad at all. What’s really bothering you?” he asked.

  She looked down. “This is such a tiny rock. I guess I’ve gotten spoiled . . . being able to call you any time I wished and having you right beside me in an instant. But the galaxy is so vast. What if something unforeseen happens? We’ll be out of reach, with no way to contact each other, no way to know where the other even is . . .”

  “Dina.”

  He put his arms around here, and held her, stroking her hair. She felt his hard muscles and the warmth of his skin, but when she moved her arms down his sides, he winced in pain.

  “Careful, little girl, my ribs are still pretty bruised.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, frowning. “They didn’t seem to bother you last night.”

  “Last night I had other things on my mind.”

  The corners of her mouth lifted at the memories, but then the smi
le fell. “Rayn, this is just what I’m talking about.”

  “What is?”

  “It reminds me that you’re not some god, immortal and indestructible. You’re just a man.”

  “What happened to imperious and all-knowing? When did I become so humble in your eyes?”

  “When I fell in love with you, you arrogant krek.”

  He held her at arm’s length. “Listen to me. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve only been on Exodus a few years, yet in that time I’ve made several life friends. Friends that would do anything for me, not because I compel them to, but because that kind of loyalty has developed between us. I have friends like that on many worlds, even a few on B’harata,” he added, smiling. “I’m from Sha’haran. It’s one of the largest cities on B’harata. There’s quite a good size Glacian population there. Diplomats, ambassadors, missionaries, all have been coming to B’harata for years, and many stayed. A community of teachers, doctors, merchants, and other providers has sprung up to support them. You wouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to stay among them, and work, if you wished that. If you’re there, I’ll find you.”

  She just stared at him, not speaking.

  He sighed. “You’re still not reassured, are you? Before we part, if we part, I’ll give you a list of contacts, people on different worlds who can be trusted, and who have the ability to find me if need be.”

  “If you’re anywhere to be found.”

  “Yes, if I’m anywhere to be found. And just to make sure you don’t lose this information, I’ll burn it into your brain. Would that make you happy?”

  “Only one thing would make me happy right now. And if you can’t figure it out, then you’re not the man I think you are.”

  She needn’t have worried. He was the man she thought he was.

  Twenty-Two

  “No Good-byes, Little Girl”

  THE NEXT FEW days sped by all too quickly. Once Hrothi, Khilioi, and Ctararzin gave official testimony, the Mother Lode house of cards quickly tumbled. Hwa-lik, Chukar, and Bhelen were all implicated and taken into custody, and each hurried to give evidence against the others in an attempt to save themselves. The decision was indeed made to deport DeStar back to B’harata, and Dina resigned her IIB commission immediately thereafter.

  When Jon heard about her resignation, he sought her out and begged her to rescind it. Though her mind was made up, she heard him out, curious as to the arguments he would put forth. When he finished, she smiled and took his hand. He was a good agent and a loyal partner, and she would always love him for that, but his arguments had consisted only of “duty,” “talent,” and vague hints at promotion.

  She brushed his mind then, something she had never done before, and she wondered no more about his inner feelings. Affection, but no passionate love. Sorrow at their parting, but no regret at any of his actions. And though he hadn’t said so to her, it was clear that he didn’t understand how such a level-headed woman as Dina could fall in love with someone no better than an outlaw. She had always valued Jon’s opinion, and the fact that he didn’t think she had made a wise choice saddened her, but his wishes for her well-being were genuine, and in this at least Dina was glad.

  Rayn spent one day in the desert without Dina, saying good-bye in his own way to the friends he had made there. At merkwia of that day, he ascended to Berg Frij, high above Keneko Kap, and looked out upon the Ghel one last time. He sat and watched as the still sea changed colors, deepening with infinite slowness, from gold to red to purple to a deep velvet blue.

  Thank you, my friend, for being my rainscape. I told Dina that this was a dead planet, but I was wrong. My apologies to you. As Rayn rose to leave and turned his head, he caught a flash of light out of the corner of his eye from the hyaline sea. As he descended the rocky path, he smiled to himself, turned, and winked back at the Ghel.

  THEY STOOD AT the dock, knowing boarding would soon commence. The final moments were carefully spent, like hard earned wages, and Dina wondered briefly if time would ever be a luxury for her.

  “Do I have to tell you how I feel about you?” whispered Rayn.

  She looked into the rich eyes. The words were always nice to hear, but she knew how he felt. “No.”

  “Good. In that case, I’ll tell you. B’haratans don’t use the word ‘love’ to describe the way they feel about those they bond with. I can say that I love my comrades, Gaard, Dyll, Rae, and the others for their loyalty, for their goodness. I love Alee for her unselfishness, her understanding. But those we bond with . . . it’s a need only they can fill.” He paused, then continued. “Each one of us have incomplete or empty spaces in our souls. If we’re lucky, we find one person who is able to fill all those hollow places, fill them perfectly and completely. When I’m with you, there’s a beacon that illuminates every dark reach of my soul. I need that. I need you. That probably sounds selfish to a Glacian.”

  “No. No, it doesn’t.” She bent her head down and took off her exodite ring, the one her father had given her what seemed now so long ago. “Here. Take this. I’m sure it won’t fit you, but wear it on a chain. Look at it and I’ll be with you, lighting your way, no matter how far apart we are.”

  He took the ring and smiled as he tried it on his little finger. It didn’t fit even over the first knuckle. “Don’t worry. It’s not a sign we don’t fit. I’ll wear it around my neck, in place of this.” He lifted his pendant over his head and gave it to her. “Wear this for me, and remember that my strength will always be with you.”

  She looked at the back side, where the strange markings were engraved. “Will you tell me your real name now?”

  “Raynga D’anthara.”

  “’The other.’”

  Rayn frowned. “How did you know?”

  “When you gave me the pendant before, I had my computer scan it and translate for me. Why did you change your name?”

  “I always thought it was a cruel joke. ‘The other of two.’ There were never two, only myself. My mother used to tell me that it was a name of good luck, that it meant I was sure to meet someone I would bond with. But after I left Deorcas Tron, I took the name ‘DeStar,’ partly because of the stone in the pendant, and partly because I wanted to retain some identity of my birthplace. ‘DeStar’ is a corruption of your Glacian term ‘Dark Star.’ To take that name proudly was my subtle way of laughing at all of you.”

  Dina smiled. That definitely sounded like Rayn. It would be hard for her to think of him by any other name than ‘DeStar.’ “Your mother sounds like a wise person. I wish I could have known her. My mother died when I was only ten. I wish I would have known her better, too.” She looked back up at him. “Will you use your true name now?”

  “Yes, little girl. I am your ‘other’ now, like it or not, forever. And you are mine, T’anga’cha.”

  She sighed. “Will you please tell me what that means?”

  It’s B’haratan for ‘child of light,’ he voiced in her mind, giving her a final soft kiss.

  Sergeant Hrugaz and Officer Drukelez stepped forward unobtrusively, and the Sergeant spoke softly. “Rayn, Miss Marlijn, it’s time.”

  Rayn nodded and broke the kiss. No good-byes, little girl. I’ll see you very soon on B’harata.

  Her cheek still laid against his, she ran her hand down the side of his face one last time, her fingertips memorizing every contour. On B’harata.

  Rayn turned and accompanied the AEA officers to the ship, not turning toward her again as he boarded, not saying anything more to her. He didn’t have to. She understood.

  Epilogue

  RAYN’S SHIP DEPARTED on time, and he was put into hypersleep for the ride home. Dina left Exodus a week later on a ship to Glacia. The parting with Jon had been bittersweet.

  He had told her he would always be her friend, and that if she ever needed help of any kind, or even just
a shoulder to cry on, she knew where to find him. Tears had welled up in her eyes then, and when Jon asked her if Rayn would mind if he kissed his girl, Dina laughed through the tears. She told Jon that she kissed whomever she liked, and Jon had said “that’s my girl,” and, brushing the tears from her cheeks with his fingers, had bent down to kiss her sweetly on the lips.

  Dina arrived on Glacia in good time and visited her father, telling him the story of the desert. Unlike Jon, Dina’s father made no judgment on her decision to leave her career behind and to pursue a dens across the galaxy, but celebrated the joy he saw in her eyes. They sat in the crisp iceblink air, and he told her stories of his childhood while they sipped hot brews flavored from the spice trees. The leisurely days they spent together were special, and though she didn’t know it, they would never come again.

  The day came for Dina to board the ship for B’harata, preparations and paperwork finally complete. She embraced her father and remembered his parting words to her. “Never give up,” he had said. The ship was a cargo ship, the only one available. The Palladia departed on schedule, and Dina was put into hypersleep with the captain, her final conscious thoughts of Jon, her father, and lastly, Rayn.

  It was a long journey, but that story is yet to be told . . .

  The End

  (Please continue reading for an excerpt of Crimson Rain)

  Crimson Rain

  (excerpt)

  Rain Series: Book 2

  THE RAIDERS’ VESSEL was larger than the Palladia, with a functionality that reminded her of a hospital—clean and state-of-the-art, but cold and impersonal. The young spacer put Dina into a cabin no larger than a cell and promised he’d be right back. A narrow bunk atop a bank of stowage lockers afforded the only seat, and Dina crawled onto the bed gratefully. She was cold, her head still throbbed with the mother of all headaches, and her stomach felt as if it had just taken a short step off a long plank—without her. She wanted to think, but it was all she could do to sit upright. She closed her eyes, leaned back against the bulkhead, and held her hands to her temples. With her knees pulled up to her chest, she tried to calm her mind. She wondered where Rayn was and what he was doing. Was he already on B’harata, waiting for her? She had no idea how close they were to the Deorcan Grid.