Between Darkness and Light (102 page)

“Dance!” she said to Banner, holding both hands out to him.

He saw the questioning look from his Second and waved his hand vaguely. “Go,” he said.

The music was beginning to sound too loud to him. What he wanted most was to think. The closer their leaving date came, the more he worried over whether or not it was possible for him to go home, and if he could, what waited for him in the way of legal repercussions.

Draining his glass, he reached for the jug of ale and refilled it. It dulled his senses and blurred the edges of his world just enough to make it bearable.

 

“You should be enjoying yourself, Captain,” said Ghidd'ah, slipping into the seat beside him some time later.

He glanced up and raised his glass to her. “I'm enjoying the ale,” he said.

“So I see,” she said, taking the glass from his slack grasp and putting it out of his reach farther down the table. “Is something the matter?”

He shook his head slowly. “Nothing new,” he said, leaning his cheek on his hand and propping his elbow on the table.

She got to her feet and reached down to grasp his hands. “You need to work some of that ale out of your system,” she said, pulling him to his feet. Looping her arm over his, she steered him across to the dancers.

“I can't,” he said, trying to dig his claws into the thinly carpeted floor. “I don't have the coordination right now.”

“Rubbish,” she said brightly, making him stumble as she hauled him forward suddenly. “They're doing pairs dancing now, not group dances. I'll hold you up.”

Before he could object any further, she'd caught him round the waist and had whirled him into the group of dancers.

For the first few steps, if he wasn't stumbling, then his tail, held out at more of an angle than usual, kept getting struck by the other dancers, but at last his natural sense of balance took over and he was able to lower it and keep his footing if nothing else. His head cleared a little as the exercise made him breathe faster, and he quickly found he was able to match the simple steps she was using.

“See?” she laughed, pulling him closer, “I said I'd hold you up!”

“You smell nice,” he said with surprise, catching a whiff of the perfume she wore. He was also aware of the scents of everyone around him and realized he was checking them on an almost subconscious level, looking for one particular scent—that of the female from four nights ago.

She came to an abrupt halt as the music stopped, supporting him when he'd have stumbled at the suddenness of it. Moving closer, her arm now encircling his waist, she started to speak very softly.

“Captain, Zayshul and I are working to find an antidote for your reaction to her scent and sweat. She hasn't given up, you mustn't either.”

“What?” he said disbelievingly. Suddenly the alcohol in his system was annoying him. He needed to sober up.

“She's not trying to keep you here, I promise,” said Ghidd'ah as the musicians began the next tune. “I'm sure we'll find a way.”

As she moved back, sliding her hand so it rested just above his hip again, he felt a sudden subtle change inside himself as the world around him began to come slightly back into focus. Then he was being whirled round by her again.

His thoughts were still slow and as she moved sideways, his right hand lost its hold on her. Spinning round, he felt her let go completely, then, just as an attack of dizziness hit him, she had hold of him again. He clutched her more tightly, afraid of really falling this time, but she moved closer, her arms circling his waist until they were almost in an embrace.

“You won't fall,” she said reassuringly in Zayshul's voice. “Just keep dancing.”

Confused, he tried to focus on her face, but as her scent filled his nostrils, he knew Ghidd'ah had switched partners on him.

“Why?” he asked.

“I wanted to dance with you,” she said as the music slowed slightly. “I'm tired of having to avoid your company when no one else has to. Why shouldn't we do ordinary things like this?”

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. This wasn't like the Zayshul he knew—or was it? Their recent meetings, though short because of the fear of being discovered, had still been more leisurely, with one or two even lasting several hours. He opened his mind slightly to hers, letting her surface thoughts filter into his mind. Though not completely drunk, he was certainly in no state to properly interpret what he was picking up from her. He needed to sober up fast. What Ghidd'ah had said needed to be discussed, especially as Zayshul had said nothing to him about a possible antidote.

Again he felt a surge of something through his system and once more, there was a sudden improvement in how he felt—his sight was almost back to normal, and his thinking, though still slow, was that bit sharper. Was he actually affecting the alcohol in his body the way he thought he'd done with the drugs four nights ago?

The music speeded up and she moved slightly away from him, increasing the speed of her steps. Lifting his head, he looked around and seeing they were level with an exit, he tightened his grip on her waist and whirled her toward it, slowing as they came to the edge of the dancers where several people were standing talking. Coming to a stop, he grasped her hand and drew her swiftly out into the corridor.

“We need to talk, and I need to sober up,” he said by way of explanation as he led her down the corridor toward the stairs and the main elevator.

“I was enjoying the dancing,” she exclaimed as he towed her through the first iris.

“Shh,” he said, beginning to jog now that they were out of sight. He was aware that in leaving the way they had it would likely cause some gossip, but he could get away with it by claiming he hadn't been exactly sober—neither was she, he was beginning to realize.

“The pool is good,” she said with a deep chuckle as he headed toward the staircase. “Especially the bubble pool.”

“What's that?” he asked, pushing the door to the stairwell open.

“Jets of hot air and water that massage you,” she said, stumbling on the steps and nearly falling.

He caught her, jerking her upright, then continued heading upward.

The lighting level was station night when they finally emerged into the hydroponics level. As they started down the main pathway, a small figure suddenly appeared in front of them making Zayshul squeal in shock.

“Talk to you I must,” said the TeLaxaudin's translator.

“Later,” said Kusac, trying to sidestep him.

“Now!”

He began to growl, and, dropping Zayshul's hand, advanced on the small alien, who suddenly took a step backward.

“Violence not necessary!”

“Then get out of our way,” he said, tail swaying angrily. Part of his mind was trying to tell him this was not a good idea, but he was acting mainly on instincts right now, and they were telling him he wasn't going to be stopped by anyone.

As he reached out to take hold of Giyarishis, the TeLaxaudin backed hurriedly into the doorway of his office.

“Only wish talk. No need violence.”

Ignoring him, he reached for Zayshul's hand again and pulled her along in his wake.

“You shouldn't have done that,” she said, almost running to keep up with his loping stride. “We need the help he and his people give us.”

“I don't like him,” he said shortly. “Makes my skin crawl.”

Minutes later, they were in the changing room and he was drinking his fill at the water fountain. As he stood up, a wave of dizziness passed over him, and holding onto the wall for support, he sat down on the bench. Everything was beginning to go a little blurry as the alcohol caught up with him again.

Zayshul came over with a water bottle which she filled and put on the bench beside him.

“We can take this with us.”

“I like the dress,” he said, touching the edge of the hem. He must be more drunk than he thought bringing her up here to the heat and humidity of the pool.

“Thank you. The pool is the best place to talk, actually,” she said quietly. “The bubble pool will help you sober up—and me,” she added, “though I'm nowhere near as bad as you. Dragging me out of the hall like that is going to cause quite a lot of gossip, you know.”

“Let's get changed,” he said abruptly, getting up and moving toward the lockers.

By the time he'd stripped off, she was waiting for him. He was relieved to see she was dressed in a blue robe because he didn't want their talk to become too personal. As they went through the door to the pool, she took him by the arm.

He tried to disengage himself but she tightened her grip on him. “Zayshul, if anyone's here, you'll draw attention to us,” he whispered.

“It's all right,” she said. “Trust me, we'll talk when we get there.”

The grass was soft and springy underfoot, and the air among the tall bushes and plants was less humid than he'd feared. A paved area stretched out ahead of them, leading off on his right to the second bridge over to the island. He could hear the sound of voices coming from that direction.

“I hope you know what you're doing,” he said, feeling warning prickles running up and down his spine.

She began to talk, prattling on about the vagaries of Giyarishis who had haunted her lab that afternoon, giving him no time to answer. When they rounded the bend and came in sight of the small knot of Primes, it appeared as if they were merely colleagues exchanging gossip about their day.

One turned round—Nisho—and promptly drew attention to them. Like a cork from a bottle, a sandy-pelted Sholan suddenly sat bolt upright, looking at him.

“Captain! I thought you'd be down at the main hall.”

“The Captain's had a little too much to drink,” said Zayshul, steering him toward an empty mat a little distant from them.

“Did you have to say that?” he hissed at Zayshul from the other side of his mouth.

“It's your alibi,” she chuckled, stopping and turning to take his towel from him. Dropping it on the mat, she pointed across the pool to a raised, stone-ringed structure. “That's the bubble pool. We can talk there safely and no one can overhear us.”

“Fine,” he growled, turning his back on her as she began to take off her robe.

He'd thought everyone would be down at the celebration and was not pleased to be seen alone publicly with her, especially by one of his crew. Walking into the water, he waded out until it reached his hips then waited for her. In a moment of lucidity, though he knew it was the Human influence in him, it didn't change the fact that being seen alone with a furless and naked female meant only one thing.

He heard her wading out to join him and when she drew level, he turned round.

“You're being paranoid,” she chided him. “No one will think anything of us.”

“Stop reading me,” he snapped as he ducked into the water and began to swim to the other side.

He could feel her startlement and immediately regretted what he'd said.

“What did you mean by that?” she asked as she caught up to him.

“Nothing,” he said as they struck out together for the beach ahead.

On dry land, he shook himself, making her exclaim in shock, then laugh. “I wouldn't bother,” she said, leading the way to the small pool. “You'll only get wet again.”

“What's the point of this?” he asked, watching as she lowered herself into it until the water was at the base of her neck. “It's identical to the main one.”

“Just get in,” she said. “It's different.”

As he stepped onto the first ledge, he realized the water was almost blood temperature. “So it's warmer,” he said, sitting down on a ledge near her. “Why did we have to come here to talk?”

She reached behind her for a manual control and the pool instantly began to bubble up.

“What trick are you playing on me?” he demanded over the noise of the churning water.

“I thought you'd have come across these before. The bubbles are caused by jets of the warm water and air, and over the noise, no one can listen in to us.”

Resisting the urge to glance over his shoulder at Jayza and the others, warily he lowered himself in, letting the jets play against his body.

“How do you like it?” she asked.

It felt as good as a massage, he decided, turning his back so the kink just under his right shoulder blade was in the stream of the nearest jet. “Good,” he said, beginning to grin. “Very good. I could get to like this.”

“Now we can talk,” she said, hooking the back of her neck over the inner lip of the pool and allowing her body to float just below the surface. “I need to tell you something.”

“In a minute,” he said, his eyes half closing and a look of bliss crossing his face as he adjusted his position slightly. She'd been right about the pool, he was beginning to feel better already. “I've had this knot in my back for a week now, since the last training session.”

“You only need to listen to me,” she said.

“I'm listening,” he said lazily.

“Kezule knows about us,” she said.

Ice clutched his stomach and he sat up abruptly, sending the water surging round them. “What?”

She reached out with her foot and touched him. “It's all right,” she said. “He understands about the marker and realizes it's causing us problems. All he asks is that I work on a way to turn it off.”

“How did he find out?” he asked.

“I told him,” she said, closing her eyes. “But he came to me about it first,” she added. “There's no need for us to worry any more.”