"Would there be other people around?"
"No. I have times, like now, when I can close the temple to others for an hour or two," said Dzaka.
"Yes, I'd like to come," she said, glancing in Garras' di-rection for his approval.
Fifteen minutes later, with a satisfied look on her face and a promise from Myak to get the Commanderto sanction her orders regarding Kusac and Carrie, Vanna headed back to the temple.
"You timed it well," Garras said in a low voice as he let her in. "Dzaka's just finished teaching her a meditation ex-ercise to help her calm down. How did it go with the Mentor and the Commander?"
"Fine," said Vanna. "I told the Mentor exactly what I thought of her, then reported her actions to the Commander through Myak. I've got his backing and a promise he'll see the Commander talks to Mnya and Rhuso."
"Good. Now, what do you want us to do? Make ourselves scarce while you talk to her?"
"What's the point?" she asked dryly, looking over to where Carrie and Dzaka sat talking. "You could get
a protein drink for us. I haven't had time to eat, and I'll wager you didn't bother to feed Carrie."
Dzaka excused himself as Vanna joined them. "I've some business I need to attend to," he said. "If I'mnot back be-fore you leave, just close the door behind you."
"Well, cub," said Vanna, sitting down beside her. "What put the wind under your tail and made you run
away like that?"
"Nothing really," Carrie said evasively, taking a drink from Garras.
"You had a row, didn't you? Come on, you can talk to us, you know. Everyone needs friends. We're
here to help," said Vanna, touching her cheek fleetingly for reassurance.
Carrie sighed. "Everyone assumes that because I have a Link with Kusac that I know everything he does. I don't. It's there, yes, but until someone tells me about it, I can't re-member!" she said. "I've been pushedin the deep end too soon, Vanna. They expect me to know everything when I don't even know thebasics. Kusac complains because I for-get to keep my shield up, but it's all new, even that. I can't copewith it all at once! I don't belong here, I just don't fit in."
Her cup began to shake and Vanna hastily reached out to rescue it, putting it and hers down on the floor.
She wrapped her arms around Carrie, pulling her close.
"Hey, don't talk like that," she said. "You'll fit in fine once you get used to us. Remember, I told you that
for the next few days you'd have mood swings? Well, this is one of them, just like Kusac had when he
got angry. It has nothing to do with you, it's because of the chemical balances in your bodies."
"I just felt so isolated, Vanna," Carrie said, her voice muf-fled against the other's jacket. "Everything was suddenly strange and frightening. I don't want to be dependent on one person. What happens to me if Kusac changes his mind and doesn't want me living with him? Where do I go? What do I do?"
Vanna gave her a little shake. "Stop even thinking like that," she said sternly. "You must know how
Kusac feels about you. Believe me, he has no intention of living without you beside him."
"How can you know that if I don't?" Carrie asked, sitting upright again.
"I know," Vanna said. "Trust me. He's spoken to me about what he feels for you. You've got absolutely
nothing to worry about."
The comm chimed and Garras got up to answer it. He leaned out round the doorway. "It's Kusac," hesaid. "Do you want to take his call?"
Carrie looked at Vanna.
'Talk to him," Vanna whispered. "He's come to you this time."
Carrie got up and walked over to the other room. Garras moved out of her way, joining Vanna on themat.
As she sat down at the desk, Carrie felt Kusac's mind reach for hers.
Cub, I'm sorry. If I come to fetch you, will you come home?
She hesitated, unsure what to say;
Carrie, it wasn't you I was angry with, it was the Mentor and Rhuso. I shouldn't have taken it outon you. I'm sorry. Let me come and fetch you.
She nodded. Come soon.
Kusac grinned. Don't get too comfortable , he sent as he signed off.
She got up and returned to Vanna and Garras. Garras lifted her drink up and handed it back to her.
"Thanks," she said. "Kusac's coming for me." Her hand went up to her face, feeling the swelling along the
jawline. "Ouch. That's sore. What happened?"
Garras' ears flicked. "I'm afraid I had to knock you out you were so hysterical," he said. "I didn't realizehow little it takes to make you bruise."
She gave a lopsided grin. "I suppose it's a fair exchange for your bitten arm. I really am sorry about that.
I don't even remember doing it."
"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad it was me who found you."
Carrie sat down and took a drink from her mug.
Garras reached out a hand to touch hers. "Don't ever feel that lonely again, Carrie," he said. "We all wentthrough a lot together on Keiss. It makes me feel we're almost family. Don't forget I'm your friend as
well."
Carrie smiled and reached out to gently touch his cheek, a gesture so Sholan it seemed natural until
Vanna mentioned it to him later.
"Thank you," she said.
Vanna answered the door to Kusac, moving out into the corridor to speak to him in private.
"Kusac, I have to say this quickly. She's scared. Scared of us and of being without you. She's not adjusting as quickly as we thought. You've got to help her, Kusac. Watch for the mood swings in you both and make allowances. You've the training and experience to cope with it, use it."
"Vanna, I don't know what more to do," he said.
"Take her out among our people. Let her see life, don't spend all your time in that damned suite! She
feels isolated. And why haven't you told her about the tore?"
He shook his head. "I had to give it to her too soon. I can't tell her yet."
"I think you should. She needs the security of knowing what it means." She felt the door move behind
her. "Leave it for now. We'll speak later."
The door slid open as she turned round. "He's here, Carrie," she said, moving back into the room.
PART 2:
SHOLA
Chapter 10
Anxiously Mito paced her room, waiting for a call from her contact in Security. If it took much longer,she'd be on the bridge before she heard, and she'd have to take the message from the Rhyaki. Then thecomm chimed. She rushed over to her desk and activated the unit. It was Personnel.
"Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you, Lieuten-ant, but I've been able to secure you an appointment in Med-ical. If you report there now, the on-duty medic will examine you for the records. Don't worry about missing your shift, I've allocated a replacement."
Baffled, Mito sat down and blinked at the secretary. She opened her mouth to speak, but she wasforestalled.
"You look confused," said the secretary with a frown of concern. "These fevers can take you like that.
Have you a companion who can accompany you?"
Mutely, Mito shook her head.
"Is there someone I can contact to join you there? You re-ally shouldn't be on your own for the next
twenty-six hours at least."
Then Mito realized what was happening. "Yes," she said with the faintest of grins. "I have a companion.
One of the Keissian Terrans. Anders."
Why not? It was worth a try. Because the humans' move-ments about the ship were still restricted, she'dnever had the chance to be alone with him. He was always pleasant to her, ready to accept her invitation
to accompany her when she was involved in an outing with Carrie and Kusac. It wasn't exactly a lie.
With any luck, he would be her com-panion shortly.
The young male turned his head, obviously listening to someone out of sight of the screen. Mito held herbreath.
"We'll
contact him, Lieutenant," he said, turning back to her. "If he's agreeable, he'll meet you at the
medical sec-tion."
Mito tried to rearrange her grin as she headed for the door. She was supposed to be suffering a fever,not celebrating.
When she arrived there, she was ushered straight into the physician's examination room.
"Good evening, Lieutenant," he said, scanning his comm. "Take a seat on the examination couch, I won't be a mo-ment. Ah, yes, you were one of the crew that was stranded on Keiss for several weeks." He turned round to face her, getting to his feet.
"Right, open your mouth," he said and gave it a cursory look. "Yes, definitely inflamed. You can close it now." He felt the palms of her hands, then touched her nose. "Palms hot and nose dry; definitely signs of a fever." He turned back to his comm.
"I see your companion is human and has recently recov-ered from a dose of Terran flu. There's no doubt in my mind that you contracted it from him." He sat down and made an entry in her files. "You'll be quarantined in your quarters for the next five days, but that shouldn't be a problem for you since your companion will be with you. We don't want this flu to spread."
He turned to glance at her again. "Plenty of rest and plenty of fluids. You can eat what you fancy." Hepassed her a small container. "Take two of these every five hours if you have any aches in your joints ormuscles. Come and see me again in five days." Nodding to her, he turned back to his comm.
Dazed, Mito slid off the couch and with a quiet "Thank you," left his room for the waiting area. Shebarely noticed Anders hurrying over to her.
"What's the matter?" he asked, his tone concerned as he took her by the arm. "They said you were ill and
would I come down to Medical to look after you."
Her eyes focused on him and with great presence of mind, she leaned against him. "Thank you forcoming," she said in a faint voice. "I didn't know who else to call."
"Don't be silly," he said, supporting her as they made their way slowly to the elevator. "I'm glad I could
help."
* * *
The door of her room safely shut behind them, Mito let go of his arm and stood up. Across from her ared light blinked on her comm. Hurriedly, she crossed over to it, switched it on, and keyed in thecommand to download a hard copy.
"The dispenser is over there," she said, pointing to a cov-ered hatch in the wall beyond her. "Why don't
you get us a couple of coffees?" She turned her attention back to the comm.
It was his turn to be baffled, but realizing that there had to be a good reason for her deception, and thathe was likely to find out sooner rather than later if he played along with her, he fetched the coffees. He
put hers on the desk.
"Thanks," she said, taking the mug and handing him a sheet of paper. "This is for you. It should explain
every-thing."
She watched him read the document through twice before he put it aside.
"Five days' quarantine," he said, "for Terran flu, which I, as your companion, am supposed to have given
you."
She nodded.
He finished his drink, putting the mug down by her full one.
"A companion is… ?"
"Your partner of the moment."
"Uh. I presume since I haven't been ill, that neither are you."
She shook her head.
"Do I get to know what the security reasons for this are? No? I thought not. Well, five days off is five
days off," he said with a slight smile. "It gives me a chance to…"
"No more questions about Shola!" she said in mock exas-peration, reaching forward to touch his face.
"There are things about you I'd like to know."
Anders' arm went round her waist, gently pulling her closer while his other hand stroked her cheek. "Iwas only going to say it gives me a chance to get to know you better," he said quietly.
The following day Vanna called the suite to speak to Kusac. She got Kaid instead.
"They're out at present," he said. "She's seeing Tutor Rhuso, and he's with his mother."
Vanna grunted. "Well, let's hope Rhuso's less heavy-handed this time. How did things go last night afterthey got back?"
"I believe they sat up late talking. This morning they both seemed more relaxed. He asked me to fix up a
visit to the Storyteller's Theater and to ask you and Garras if you'd like to accompany them."
"That sounds like an excellent idea," she said. "When do they want to go?"
"Tonight. I'll get back to you when I've made the ar-rangements."
"I hope you're not overdoing it," she said warningly. "I'd prefer you still in my sick bay, but I expect
there's no chance of that."
"None," he said, "but be assured, I know the futility of fighting against nature's time scale when it comes
to the healing of wounds. I will take proper rest and exercise, Phy-sician Vanna."
"See that you do," she growled. "Ask them to meet me in my lab at the sixteenth hour today. You can
come, too. I'll have a look at your leg after I've seen them."
"Wouldn't it be better for you to come here, Physician? I'm concerned about them mixing too much with
the rest of the ship's crew. I don't want any more incidents."
"No, it's better for them to come to me," she said firmly. "They need to get out and mix. Carrie has to feel
at ease with our people and she can't do that stuck behind the doors of that suite."
"Very well, Physician," he sighed. "I'll pass on your mes-sage."
Garras was the next one to call.
"They're out," said Kaid.
"I know. It's you I came to see. It's time we had a chat."
Kaid nodded, and closing the door, led him toward the food preparation room.
"I'll make us a drink," Garras grinned, watching Kaid limp toward one of the tall stools by the c'shar
brewing unit. "How's the leg?"
"Sore," he said shortly, moving aside to let Garras pick up the jug. Wincing, he pushed himself up onto an
adjacent stool.
Garras filled the jug at the sink then returned to the counter. "Pass the c'shar," he said, filling the brewingunit with the water.
Kaid handed him a pack of fresh leaves.
Garras ripped it open with his teeth and poured it in at the top of the unit, closing the lid and switching iton. He tossed the empty packet at the disposal unit by the sink then sat down.
"Vanna knows we're ex-Brotherhood," he said. "I didn't tell her, she told me."
Kaid raised an eye ridge. "How'd she find out?"
"She's being catalyzed by her association with Carrie and Kusac but she doesn't realize it yet. She thinks
she worked it out by logic."
"Is she going to be a problem?"
"No, I can take care of her. She's suspicious and is watch-ing us, though. Look, Kaid, I need to know
how you feel about Carrie and Kusac. What report did you make to Ghezu?"
Kaid's look was thoughtful as he pulled a stim twig out of his jacket pocket and began to chew it. "I gavemy report to Dzaka, then called Ghezu myself yesterday."
"What did you tell him?"
He took the twig out. "These are overrated," he said, looking at it briefly before putting it back in hismouth. "Their only ambition is to be together. If they're pushed by one or another of the guilds, thenthey're likely to become dangerous out of a need to protect themselves. I said I would continue to workwith them when we leave for Shola."
"So you said there was no need for any action."
"Ghezu's involved Dzaka."
Garras frowned. "Dzaka? Why?"
"He's Brotherhood. I'm not."
Garras let out his breath in an explosive hiss. "Then we could find ourselves working against him. Ghezujust doesn't give up, does he? Why does he keep targeting you?"
"He needs to know where he stands with Dzaka."
"Where d
o you stand with him?"
"The c'shar's ready," he said, nodding toward the now-full jug.
"Don't avoid me, Kaid."
Kaid took a couple of mugs off the shelf beside him and passed them over to Garras.
"Kaid!"
He gestured to the brewer. "Pour the c'shar."
Garras' ears flicked in exasperation as he picked up the jug and filled the mugs.
Kaid took his drink and added whitener and sweetener. "Dzaka still resents me leaving without him."
"Will it cloud his judgment?"
"He's a pro. He'll do his job."
"Dammit, Kaid! Will he let it cloud his judgment?" Garras grabbed the arm that held the mug. C'shar
spilled over the countertop.
"I don't know!" Kaid said angrily, spilling more of his drink as he pulled his arm free. "I don't know,
Garras."
"Is Ghezu likely to order their termination?"
Kaid shrugged. "The Telepath Guild and Ghezu want the same thing—data on human telepaths. At themoment we only have one available. Carrie Hamilton. I think they're safe for the moment."
"Until we have another human telepath," said Garras thoughtfully. "Gods! I didn't know what I was
getting us into when I sent for you."
"Vartra knows what they would have done if you hadn't," said Kaid. "They're not safe yet."
"So what do we do?"
"What you asked me to do in the first place. Guard them closely," said Kaid. "It's as well you took Carrie
to Dzaka. At least he's got the chance now to see them at first hand."
"Vanna says the meditation is helping Carrie. She's be-coming more able to cope, more-relaxed."
"Her mind must be very similar to ours, then. I wonder if our techniques would work on a Terran who
didn't have a Link with one of our people," Kaid said thoughtfully.
"You know my opinion," said Garras, taking a mouthful of c'shar from his mug. "The sooner the Telepath Guild uses some of our mental training techniques, the better. There's been too much inbreeding among the old families, most of them are way too highly strung. Our litanies would help them handle life outside their guilds better."
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