She heard the implicit threat in his voice as his fingers moved over her pad keyboard.
"I'll see you in here tomorrow at the same time," he said, moving his hand away. "Don't forget. I'd hate to have to go all the way up to your room on the twenty-seventh floor to find you." He slid out from behind the table. "See you to-morrow."
Mito sat unmoving till he left the mess. She looked down at her pad. On it his words glowed. "Messagefrom Rhyaki due in your bridge shift twenty-fifth hour tonight."
* * *
In their suite, Kusac's eyes flew open as Carrie's terror flared through her barrier to reach him. Thenthere was si-lence again. He sat up, ignoring the pain as he tried to reach her. Nothing. Where was she? What had happened to her?
Crawling out of bed, he made his way to the comm in the lounge.
* * *
Meral and Sevrin left at a run, heading for the elevator down to the fourteenth floor. Once in it, Meralthumbed his communicator.
"Have you alerted Security?"
"Not yet," said Sevrin. "I wanted to tell our Liegen first."
"You've a lot to learn," growled Meral, activating his unit. "Unit one to security. We have a code amber. I
repeat, a code amber."
"Repeat that message, unit one," said the voice at the other end of his device.
"Code amber, security."
"Draz here. What's your location?"
"Elevator from the Ambassadorial level to deck fourteen."
"We'll meet you there. Draz out."
The doors finally parted. Draz was waiting with a team of ten males. "Which way did she go?" he asked.
"Down there," said Sevrin, pointing off to the right. "I followed her as far as the first junction then lost
her."
"You two take corridors three through nine," said Draz, pointing to his people. "You, corridors two through thirty, ten through sixteen, seventeen through twenty-three. You two," he said to the last pair, "cover the other two elevators. Get to it."
They left at a run.
Draz turned to them. "I take it the Liegen doesn't know where she is."
"No," said Sevrin, looking briefly at Meral. "They had a row, and she left. He's lying down with a
headache."
Draz looked quizzically at Meral.
"He'd been to see his Guild Tutor," said Meral. "I'm sure it was something to do with that."
"If he doesn't know where she is, then the chances are none of the other telepaths will be able to locate
her either."
"I don't think the Liegen would thank us if we involved their guild," said Meral.
"There doesn't seem to be any point at the moment," said Draz. "Right, let's go back to where you lost
her."
* * *
She was unable to shriek with her mouth full of his arm. That, at least, was a blessing! Her cry waspiercing to say the least. The door was open as always, and for a wonder, the temple seemed empty. The lighting was still down low and the incense lay heavy in the air, resisting the attempts of the purifiersto disperse it. A service must just have finished. He tried to enter but somehow she managed to get anarm free and grab hold of the doorjamb. She hung on grimly while her teeth tightened on his arm.
He growled in annoyance, risking letting go of her with one arm so he could prise at her fingers.
Her teeth bit deeper, and his growl turned to a yelp as he jerked her hand free and stumbled into the
room.
"Dzaka, where the hell are you?" he called. "Shut the damned door and get these bloody lights raised! I
need your help!"
Startled, Dzaka appeared silhouetted against the light from his inner room. Sizing up the situation, hekeyed the outer door shut from the control panel beside him, then raised the light level.
'The Terran?"
"Later. Give me a hand, for the God's sake!" he said as his feral bundle began to kick and struggle again.
The meditation mats were still out and Dzaka headed over to them, piling a couple of them together. "Puther down here," he said brusquely.
Still attached to her, he knelt down and dumped her on the makeshift bed. "Let go, you stupid female,"he growled, try-ing to force her mouth apart with his other hand. He yelped again as she bit down on hisfingers. Her eyes were wild and staring, she was beyond sense.
A band suddenly seemed to form around his throat and start to tighten; he began to choke and gasp forair. No time to mess about. Making a fist of his free hand, he drew it back and took careful aim.
Their search was hampered by the movements of person-nel from work stations to leisure activities. Ofthose asked, no one had seen anything.
"Where would she have gone, Sevrin?" demanded Draz. "Who does she know? Who'd she go and visit if
she was up-set?"
"Vanna's the only one she knows," said Sevrin.
Draz pressed his communicator. "Unit three, go to level twenty-seven. Secure the exterior of the medicalsection. No one to enter or leave till I get there."
"Unit three complying."
"Would she go to the Terrans?" asked Draz as they loped round to the nearest elevator.
"She doesn't know where they are," replied Meral. "The Liegen wants them kept away from her because
of their at-titude to their Link."
Draz growled softly as they got in. "Why these Terrans think they have a right to interfere in otherpeople's lives is beyond me. This should be a matter for them and no one else."
Meral glanced at Sevrin and grinned briefly.
They skidded to a halt outside the medical unit.
"No one's been in or out, sir," said one of the males on guard.
Draz nodded. "Keep a watch for her. Permit entry and exit again."
They headed into the reception area.
"Just what do you think you're doing, Sub-Lieutenant Draz?" demanded the senior nurse on duty.
"What's the meaning of this intrusion?"
"Is Physician Vanna Kyjishi on duty?" demanded Draz.
"I've no idea," he snapped. "Physician Kyjishi was re-moved from the duty roster several days ago. She
has her own lab with its own entrance."
"Is she in the medical facility?"
"You'll have to go and look."
"You're not exactly being helpful," growled Draz. "Where's her lab?"
"Down the corridor, second right, along to the end and on the left."
Meral and Sevrin hurried after him, following him into the lab. A nurse sat on duty at the station. Helooked up as they entered.
"Vanna here?" demanded Draz.
"No, sir. Only myself and the patient in the next room."
When Draz opened the door, Kaid was already sitting on the side of his bed. "What's up?" hedemanded.
"The human female's missing," said Draz. "They had a row and she ran off. Any idea where she might
have gone?"
"Who's with Kusac?"
"No one," said Meral. "He ordered us both out to find her. He's flat on his back with a headache. I think
she's blocked him out again."
"Dammit! Do I have to see to everything myself?" Kaid demanded as he pushed himself to his feet. "One of you get back up there with him. I don't want him left alone for a minute. I thought I made that clear from the outset."
"If you'll pardon the observation, I think you'd be better going up to Kusac," said Meral, noticing how
Kaid was al-ready favoring his injured leg.
Kaid gave him a measured look. "Right. I'll see to Kusac. You check Vanna's room, see if she's there. Itake it Carrie went missing on this level?"
"No, on the fourteenth," said Draz.
"Get back down there and check the mess on that level, then check the concourse and the Terran quarters. Contact the Mentor and alert her as to what's happened. Even if the other telepaths can't pick her up, they can report in to her if Carrie is in sight. As a last resort, check her father's suite and the Clan Leader's."
"Can you make it up to the Ambassadorial level?" asked Draz, looking at the way Kaid limped round to
the other side of the bed to retrieve his clothes.
"I'll manage. You get going," he said grimly, putting one arm then the other through the sleeves of his
robe. Leaving it hanging open in front, he limped through the door after them.
* * *
Kusac was still sitting at the comm when he felt the sud-den surge of power pass through him. Not thegestalt again! He felt it grip his mind, this time only tugging at him men-tally until briefly they merged, theneverything went dark and quiet. Frantic, he got to his feet. What the hell was hap-pening to her to makeher so terrified that it triggered the gestalt? He had to find her.
Trying to convince himself that his head felt better, he at-tempted to walk slowly across the room to thedoor. Each step made him feel more nauseous as it jarred his aching head. Screwing his eyes up againstthe light, he opened the door, heading slowly down the hallway. He stopped halfway, knowing he waskidding himself. He wasn't fit to be up on his feet, let alone take part in a search.
His stomach finally began to rebel and he turned, stum-bling blindly for the kitchen.
That was where Kaid found him several minutes later, hanging onto the food preparation sink and lookingand feel-ing utterly wretched, his hands slick with sweat.
Kusac looked myopically at him as he entered. "You shouldn't be up," he said.
"Neither should you," Kaid replied, limping across to him. "What caused the sickness? Her blocking your
Link?" He turned to the tap and picking up a mug, filled it for him.
"No. She forgets to shield," he said, taking the drink thankfully. "And when she's angry or upset, it causes
the headaches. This one is the worst yet." He drank deeply, then put the mug down.
"It's all right when she's experiencing pleasure, I expect," said Kaid with a slight flick of his ears.
Kusac began to grin. "Not so bad," he admitted. "It has its up side too."
"How's the head now?"
"Better," he said, straightening up. "Not good, but better."
"Do you want to lie down?"
"I can't rest. Let's go back to the lounge," he said, offer-ing Kaid a steadying arm.
"Have you picked anything up that might give us a clue as to where she is?"
"She was terrified, that I felt. It triggered the gestalt again, but seconds later, everything went silent. Someone's got her. I saw a room with some kind of a bed in it, then she blacked out. I think she's unconscious. We've got to find her, Kaid," he said urgently.
"They'll find her," said Kaid confidently, opening the lounge door. "Even if they have to do a room by
room search, they'll find her."
They made their way over to the settee and collapsed there, their mutual infirmities drawing a grin fromboth of them despite the circumstances.
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" asked Kaid. "It might help to work out where she was
headed."
* * *
Dzaka crouched beside the human female. Garras was calling Vanna. He had her to himself for themoment. Reach-ing out, he pressed a hand to her neck, checking the pulse. Slow and steady, the rhythmthe same as a Sholan's. He saw the tore. The Aldatan cub's intentions were serious, then. It might havebeen easier to deal with them both had they not been emotionally attached to each other. As it was, givenhis age, Kusac was likely to be somewhat irrational in his de-fense of her. He sighed. Then there was hisfamily. Kusac wasn't exactly the sort of person who could disappear with-out causing a ripple, nor washe the sort of person whose ev-ery move wouldn't be watched by the media-nets back on Shola.
Her attempt to strangle Garras had him seriously con-cerned. That was a Talent destined to cause adisaster, espe-cially if she couldn't control it. He wasn't sure which was potentially more dangerous, herlack of control, or the pos-sibility that she would develop it.
He glanced toward the door. Garras was still busy. There was time for him to solve that problem now.
His hand slipped easily round her throat. Just a little pressure in the same area as the already livid bruisesand it was over, for both of them. No further need for concern over her strange mental talents, or theirability to fight. He might never have another chance. Unconscious as she was now, she couldn't stop him. If he left it till later, the result could be a battle which he might not survive.
This was the first time he'd seen her close up. Kaid, at least, had been observing them for several days.
Like him, he couldn't yet form even a basic conclusion regarding their outlook or their talents. Of the two,perhaps their outlook was more important. While he hesitated, Garras came out of the inner room.
Dzaka removed his hand and stood up, mov-ing away to sit on the plinth of the statue.
Garras pressed the towel more firmly against his arm. The wound was still bleeding copiously despite Dzaka's cold wa-ter treatment. Who'd have thought she'd have teeth capable of inflicting so deep aninjury? He looked down at where she lay sprawled on the mats. He'd tried to place her in a comfortableposition, but he didn't know enough about Terran anatomy.
"So this is the Terran all the excitement is about," Dzaka observed from his perch.
Garras nodded, still watching her.
She lay there, her chest rising and falling faintly with her shallow breathing. He'd have been gentler had heknown she was pregnant. He frowned, surprised he hadn't heard about her condition. Crouching down,he touched her jaw carefully with his hand. Already an angry bruise was beginning to form. He hadn'trealized her skin was so fragile. Remember-ing the feel of her in his arms as she struggled against him,and the smell of her scent, he could understand the appeal this human female held for Sholan males. Hewasn't un-moved by her himself. His hand strayed down to the tore that nestled at the base of her throat. Maybe the lad had more sense than anyone credited him with.
Standing up, he turned around, and, still keeping the pres-sure on his wounded arm, he joined Dzaka.
"She needs your help," he said abruptly. "She was so ter-rified even I could feel her fear."
Dzaka stirred, changing his position so he could see her better. "I don't know that I can help," he said. "Ineed to know what caused her to be so afraid that she tried to stran-gle you. Her talent is dangerous, yourealize that?"
"Don't confuse her with Sholan telepaths," said Garras. "She can, and will fight as I've found out to my cost," he said, looking down at the towel that was slowly becoming dark with blood. "But I don't think she realized what she was doing. It was an unthinking reaction to a situation in which she felt utterly helpless."
"Has she ever done this before?"
He shook his head. "Never. She's alone here, Dzaka, iso-lated from her own kind because of her fear oftheir reaction to her Link with Kusac. She needs to learn to cope with that fear. You can help her dothat. You're obviously running meditation services here, which means you're authorized to teach."
"I can only help her if she'll cooperate with me," he said, "and if their minds work the same way ours do."
"At least give it a try."
Dzaka sighed. "We'll see."
Draz's call to Vanna's room had proved futile, the same with her personal pager: she'd turned it off. The
Terrans had seen nothing of Carrie either. Draz had just received a call from Kaid asking him to avoid
contacting the guild and the
Clan Leader if at all possible. Working on the premise that they would have contacted Kusac if they'dbeen aware of her, Draz was prepared to leave them for the present. He dis-patched his men to checkout the levels above and below.
The towel was a bloody rag by the time the door went. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Vanna Kyjishi," came the answer.
He opened the door and stepped aside for her to enter.
"What's all this… Gods, what happened to you, Garras?" she said, catching sight of him standing beyond Dzaka. She pushed
past the Brother, anxious to reach him. "Sit down and let me see to it." Then she saw Carrie lying on the mats.
"Just what the hell's been going on here?" she demanded, going instantly to the human girl's side.
"She's just unconscious, Vanna," said Garras, his ears twitching as he tried to prevent them from lying backward along his skull. "I found her down on this level when I came off duty. She was hysterical. I had to do something."
Obviously satisfied by her quick examination of Carrie, Vanna left her to return to Garras. "Tell me aboutit while I see to your arm," she said, placing her medikit on the floor. "And it better be good!"
Garras sat down on the plinth again, resting his arm on his thighs.
Squatting on her heels, Vanna carefully unwrapped the towel. Blood was still oozing from thecrescent-shaped wound.
She glanced up at Dzaka. "Fetch me another towel, please."
When he handed it to her, she placed it under Garras' arm, discarding the soiled one. From her kit shepulled out a con-tainer of sterile water and some soft wool and began swab-bing the wound carefully tosee the full extent of the injury.
"Tell me what happened," she said, reaching for the coag-ulant spray.
"I'd just come off duty when I saw Carrie running toward me," he said, watching her begin to clip back
the fur at the edges of the wound. "That's one hell of a deep bite."
"It is," she agreed, spraying an antibiotic over the whole area. "Carry on."
"I could see from her face that she was in a panic, so when she drew level with me, I grabbed her. She
went ber-serk, Vanna, laying into me with hands and feet—and teeth."
"So I see," she said, looking up at him before pulling a dressing and bandage out of her kit.
"I've never seen anyone so terrified," he said, glancing over to the girl's still form. "She'd gone feral. So I
picked her up and brought her in here to get Dzaka's help."
"Another of your old friends?" she asked, not expecting an answer. "So why did you need to knock her
out?" She finished tying off the bandage. "Try moving your arm."
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