Between Darkness and Light (21 page)

Turning his attention to the door opposite, he watched and waited, straining his ears for any noise. Apart from the almost subliminal continuous sound of the air recycling system, it was silent. Lifting the edge of his tunic, he teased a fine piece of rigid metal from the hem then darted quickly across to the other doorway.

There were two locking mechanisms, one an electronic keypad, the other activated by a conventional metal key. The difficult part would be getting the electronic lock open without tripping any alarms there might be if he got the code wrong. Since they'd arrived at Kij'ik, he'd made a point of being near any of the Primes when they opened locked doors. So far he'd identified five codes, each used in different areas. Very few rooms on this level were locked to them beyond individual personal quarters. The temple and gyms were always open, as was the main rec area and the mess. Only the two briefing rooms with their tactical data screens and terminals, the food stores, and admin were locked when not in use—and this room.

Ears pricked for the slightest sound, he took a deep breath and ran the most likely sequence of Valtegan symbols over in his mind before keying them in. The red eye continued to glare balefully at him and he steeled himself for the sound of a klaxon. Nothing happened, all remained quiet. There was the possibility it was a silent alarm, though, one that only went off in Security. Those kind usually had a short delay on them to allow the user to correct his mistake. He'd been so sure it was the right code—it was the one the Primes used to open the briefing rooms. Heart beating, he ran through the sequence mentally again, realizing he'd left out the final symbol. Hurriedly pressing it, he was relieved to see the light change to green. A moment's work with his piece of wire and the door clicked open.

The room was in darkness, but the flickering lights from the two control consoles created more than enough illumination for him. Five minutes later, he slipped back out into the corridor.

“Have you heard anything I've said in the last half hour, Kusac?” asked Banner, covering Kusac's hand with his own in an effort to get his attention.

“Of course I have,” Kusac said, becoming aware again of the sound of laughter and conversation around him in the recreation room. He waited a moment before carefully removing his hand. “You were telling me how your visit to their new temple went.”

“Thinking of home?” asked Banner sympathetically.

“Yes,” he replied, because it was better than the truth.

“It's coming up to Kashini's first birthday, isn't it?”

He closed his eyes as a feeling akin to pain swept through him. How could he have forgotten his daughter's first birthday? “It was on the seventh,” he said quietly. Was he losing all touch with his old life these days?

“I'm sorry you missed it,” said Banner sympathetically. “You'll have a lot of catching up to do when we finally leave here.”

He waved his hand dismissively, shutting his distress away. “Tell me again what you were saying.”

“I was telling you that they've asked if they can join us at our midwinter celebrations.”

He raised an eye ridge and picked up his glass for the first time, draining the small shot of spirits. “What do the others say?”

Banner shrugged. “Dzaou, predictably, was the only one to object. I think we should let them. It isn't as if there will be any dancing.”

“We don't even have drums,” he murmured, fleeting images of the previous year's festival passing through his mind. How would she see such a celebration? What would impress a Prime female, he wondered, then dismissed the thought in horror.

“Khadui's already working on several ideas for that. When did you start going native?”

The question jerked his attention back to Banner. “What?”

“The beaded bracelet,” his Second said, pointing to his right wrist. “It's what several of the Prime females are wearing.”

He looked down at the broad band tied on round his wrist, seeing as if for the first time the animalistic shapes on it picked out in different colors of beads. “Shaidan gave it to me. He's been taught to make them for their festival.”

“He gave it to you three days ago. Why are you still wearing it? Dzaou and Khadui are complaining about it.”

“That's their problem,” Kusac responded curtly, pulling his sleeve over his wrist. “Why should I upset Shaidan to please them?”

“Why should it upset Shaidan if you stop wearing it?” Banner asked reasonably, taking a sip from his glass. “I think you're getting too involved with this kitling, thinking like a father. He isn't your son, Kusac.”

“He needs someone to be involved with him if he's ever going to adjust to being Sholan,” he said, getting to his feet and going over to the bar. He closed his eyes briefly, wondering how much longer he'd be able to hide his son's true identity from Banner and the others.

Taking the two fresh drinks back to the table, he put one in front of his Second before sitting down.

“Kezule is using the cub against you, Kusac. He knows your vulnerabilities, can't you see that? Let one of us teach him, distance yourself while you can.”

“No,” he replied sharply. “It has to be me. No one else can teach him what he needs to know.”

“Because you were a telepath?” Banner asked quietly, leaning closer. “Every time you're with him, you risk both of them finding out you've got a device that gives you some of your Talent back. If that happens, we lose our advantage, maybe even our freedom.”

“No,” he said, looking up as he picked up his glass. “This is my mission. I didn't ask anyone to come with me. I play it my way.”

“You may be fooling yourself, Kusac, but no one else. Kezule is running this show from start to finish! How much longer does he intend to keep us here?”

“I've told you before, you can leave any time,” he replied, taking a sip of his drink, aware of the scent of two female Primes approaching their table. “But I notice you've been finding the company here interesting enough to stay.”

Banner frowned. “What the hell do you mean by that?” he asked as the two females stopped beside them.

He looked up, acknowledging their presence with a nod. “Do introduce me to your friends,” he said pointedly, looking back at Banner.

Banner's ears twitched back fractionally in annoyance before righting themselves. “Lorish and Kiosh,” he said, trying to keep his tone light. “Our Captain, Kusac Aldatan.”

“Nice to meet you, Captain,” said Kiosh, taking an empty seat. “We've come to ask you to help with our celebration ceremony since you're the only serving priest among our people—and yours.”

“Excuse me?” he asked, startled for the second time that evening. “Who told you that? We're all priests.”

“We know that, the General told us,” said Lorish, taking the other chair. “But you're the only one who wears the priest's robes, and you were working for your temple before you came here, so Banner told us.”

“That makes you the natural choice,” added Kiosh, smiling.

“I know nothing about your religions,” he said, not wanting to get drawn into this. “I'll be of little help to you.”

“On the contrary,” said Lorish, reaching out to catch his hand where it lay on the table. “Seeing you willing to take part would be most helpful. It would encourage all our people to come. What we're doing would be considered revolutionary on our world where the Emperor is still worshiped as a God.”

Carefully, he removed his hand, picking up his glass as he did to hide the fact that her touch was disturbing him.

“I know. I discussed the matter with Kezule several weeks ago,” he murmured, sitting back a little way from them so their scent was less strong. “We'll all come, of course, but I really can't get involved in the actual ceremony.”

“It's nothing that would offend your gods,” Kiosh reassured him. “Gifts are brought and we would like you to be one of the bearers, nothing more.”

“You don't have much involvement with the civilian side of our lives,” said Lorish. “This is the first time you've come to the rec room. Taking part would show everyone that you, the Warriors' teacher, see value in the spiritual side of our lives.”

“That will be obvious on the twenty-sixth at our midwinter celebration,” he said before taking a sip of his drink.

“But it'll make more impact at our ceremony,” said Kiosh quietly. “Doctor Zayshul suggested we ask you. She”ll explain what you need to know tomorrow.”

He turned his head to look at her, aware of the underlying tone of conspiracy in her voice. “Doctor Zayshul will be there?” he asked as casually as he could. “I've been trying to speak to her for some time now.”

“She'll be there,” said Kiosh. “At 13:00 hours in the temple.”

He finished his drink and put the glass down on the table. “I'll be there,” he said, getting to his feet. “But I can't promise I'll be involved in your ceremony. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you in the company of my Second. A headache has been plaguing me all day.”

“Would you like me to bring something from the sick bay to your quarters? I know the Doctor has listed the medications you can use.”

“Sleep is all I need,” he replied, seeing Banner's eye ridges meet as he picked up his Second's concern. “Good night.”

Banner had watched the interchange between the two females and Kusac with interest. He, Khadui, and Jayza had spent enough time in the rec room over the last few weeks to be reasonably relaxed in Prime company now. The females were interested in all the Sholans, but particularly in Kusac. With him, they seem to instantly adopt an intimacy that he knew wasn't warranted: him alone they were anxious to touch as freely as if they, too, were Sholans.

“Your Captain doesn't relax easily, does he?” said Kiosh as if she'd been following at least part of his thoughts. “How did you manage to persuade him to come here tonight?”

“I did nothing special,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “I said I was coming, that's all. Tell me, what's his attraction?” He made his tone light, widening his eyes ingenuously. “You females seem to like being around him.”

Kiosh looked at Lorish then back at him.

“He's a leader,” said Lorish with a grin, blinking her large eyes slowly. “We don't see him often as Kiosh said, nothing more.”

“There's more than that, I'm sure,” he said, idly swirling the remainder of his drink round in his glass. “You all fuss over him given half a chance.”

“We fuss over all of you,” said Kiosh, leaning forward to stroke his cheek briefly. “You feel so soft with all that fur.”

With his empathic senses, he could pick up a mixture of uncertainty and concern from them now, despite Kiosh's bravado in touching him. “Let me guess,” he joked, pursuing the point. “You have a wager to see who'll be the first to seduce one of us.”

Their body language gave them away instantly, even if their emotions hadn't.

Lorish giggled nervously. “What a strange thing to think,” she said.

“Not really,” he said, mouth widening in a smile like theirs. “It's what our females would do if the situation were reversed.”

“That's dreadful,” Kiosh laughed. “All right, you've guessed our secret!”

“Kiosh!”

“What's wrong with telling him that?” said Kiosh defensively. “He said they'd do the same.” She turned back to look at him. “Your Captain's more distant than any of you, except for the one called Dzaou. He's just rude.”

“Ah,” he said, raising his glass to his lips and taking another sip. They were telling him part of the truth at least. “So he's more of a challenge.”

“It makes him more attractive,” agreed Kiosh. “Not that we're blind to your charms, of course.”

“Of course,” he agreed. “Tell me more about this ceremony of yours.”