Slave Empire - The Crystal Ship (20 page)

“
You’re right,” she said. “It might die. But it says it won’t
let us be trapped here. It will send us back before it
dies.”

Tarke studied
the wall again. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

Rayne nodded
and wandered over to the side of the chamber to settle on the
floor.

Tarke came and
sat beside her. “Can you wake the Envoy up?”

“
I’m not sure I want to. I need more time.”

“
Maybe I could do some damage while he’s asleep.”

“
No. Don’t try. He wakes up very quickly.”

Tarke sighed
and leant against the wall, resting his head on it. “How did you
get those cuts on your hands?”

“
I… Scrysalza gave me a crystal weapon, but it was
sharp.”

“
How did it make a weapon?”

“
I don’t know. It just appeared through the roof, and I
grabbed it.”

He turned his
head towards her, and again she cursed the mask. “Could it stab the
Envoy with something like that, if it thrust up through the floor?
Don’t forget, this entire world is the Ship. It controls every part
of it.”

Scrysalza’s
mind touched hers, imparting a brief thought, which she put into
words. “The Envoy would kill it if it did that.”

“
Okay, then how can we stop the Envoy killing it?”

You would have to sever the link,
Scrysalza’s reply came in her mind, and she asked out loud,
“What link?”

Tarke started to ask what she was talking about, and she held
up a hand as she listened to the Ship’s reply.
The link between him and me,
it
said.
A tendril grows into my brain,
through which he controls me.

Rayne asked,
“Can you show us which one it is?”

“
Presumably you’re talking to the ship,” Tarke
murmured.

It could,
Scrysalza said, but cutting it would not be easy. In fact, it would
be dangerous, for the Envoy might kill it when they tried to cut
the link. She explained this to Tarke, admonishing him, “If you
didn’t have such iron-clad mental blocks, you could talk to it
yourself.”

“
Those mental blocks saved me from a descent into idiocy while
you were embroiled in your empathic battle with the Envoy,” he
pointed out.

“
I know, but you can relax now.”

“
I never relax.” He paused. “It does sound risky, cutting this
link, but if all else fails, it might be a way to save the ship.
I’d like to know which one it is, in any case.”

Rayne nodded,
and Scrysalza agreed to show them when they returned to the Envoy’s
chamber. It, like Rayne, wanted a longer rest before facing the
Envoy again, so Tarke was forced to wait. He did so with
ill-concealed impatience, and she wondered at his restlessness.

Ignoring his
fidgeting, she stretched out and dozed, waking refreshed, but
hungry. Tarke had no more food, since he had not planned on staying
on the ship for long. By now, he was hungry too. He faced the
swimming blood beasts, and she guessed that he gazed at them with
the intensity of a bored man watching fish in a tank. His sword and
the fighting blade lay against the wall. She picked up the heavy,
but well-balanced sword.

“
Where did you get this?”

He turned to
see what she was talking about. “On a distant planet, a long time
ago.”

“
That tells me a lot.” She admired the intricately designed
hilt. “It’s beautiful.”

“
It was made by a master sword smith, the last of his breed.
It was also his last sword.”

“
Why did you buy it? It’s a bit out-dated, isn’t
it?”

“
I didn’t buy it. It was given to me, and I make it a hobby to
study and master most weapons. A sword is an old and well-proven
weapon. It has its uses, like this situation. Your guide, Endrix,
told me lasers are useless against the Envoy, so I brought
that.”

“
Endrix spoke to you?”

He nodded.
“Just before the ship transferred me here. He warned me about what
was going to happen and told me what to bring. Otherwise I would
have arrived with just a laser, which would have been useless,
according to him.”

She put the
sword down and picked up the fighting blade. “And this?”

“
I won it from a group of aliens who challenged me to a duel.
They believed their weapon was superior to a sword. I proved them
wrong.”

“
It seems ridiculous to use these against the Envoy. Like a
mouse trying to kill a whale with a toothpick.”

He shrugged.
“I’m not supposed to kill it, you are. If you think those weapons
are ridiculous, I find the idea of your mind being a weapon pretty
weird too. I’ve never heard of an empath killing anyone before, and
you’re a healer too.” His voice softened. “In fact, I could never
imagine you killing anything, but I know how you’re doing it.”

“
It seems strange to me, too. But one creature’s food is
another’s poison. That monster is vulnerable to the very thing he
craves, the pleasure he gets from tormenting others. Using that
against him is the only way to harm him.”

“
But can you survive it?”

Rayne forced a
smile. “It doesn’t matter, does it? Even if I die, it won’t matter
as long as I win. But the glory the Atlanteans will offer me
doesn’t really interest me. It would be nice to be rewarded by
something I really want.”

“
What’s that?”

“
If I tell you, would you promise to give it to
me?”

“
It’s something I can give you?” He sounded
surprised.

“
Yes.”

“
What?”

She sighed and
looked away. “You’ll think I’m trying to blackmail you.”

“
Aren’t you?”

“
No. You know I have to win this battle, no matter what.
Saving all those people will be a handsome reward, but in time it
will be forgotten, and I’ll never have what I really want. And if I
die, I’ll have nothing, even if I win. But you could give me what I
want now.”

He tilted his
head. “So tell me what it is.”

“
Will you promise to give it to me?”

“
If I can.” He paused, and she sensed him studying her.
“You’re a courageous girl; you deserve whatever you want. I’m
flattered you want something from me. Are you going to tell me what
it is?”

“
To see your face.”

Tarke jumped
up, turning away. “That again. Why is it so damned important to
you?”

“
Why is it so damned important for you to hide it from
me?”

“
Not just from you, Rayne. It’s a matter of life and death.
I’ve told you why.”

“
Because of your enemies.” She stood up and touched his
sleeve, and he faced her. “If I survive this, who do you think will
dare to try to steal my memories, and if I don’t, it won’t matter,
will it?”

“
My enemies won’t care who, or what, you are.”

“
Nor will they know what I’ve seen.”

He went over
to the translucent wall and leant against it. “Why?”

“
It doesn’t matter why. It’s what I want.”

“
You could be Tallyn’s spy.”

“
You could die fighting the Envoy, or I could. Nothing is
certain. You’ll just have to trust me when I tell you I’m not going
to betray you.”

He faced her.
“You don’t give up, do you? All right, if you survive the battle,
I’ll give you what you want. But if you are Tallyn’s spy, I’ll see
to it that you don’t outlive me. My people will hunt you down, and
nowhere will be safe from them. If Tallyn knew what I look like,
he’d redouble his efforts to catch me, since then decoys won’t fool
him again.

“
At the moment he’s discouraged by the fact that he’s executed
six men who were innocent of my crimes. What’s more, he’d tell my
enemies, knowing full well that if they knew my secret, they’d hunt
me down. Right now, they respect and fear me, but that would all
change if they knew.”

“
If they knew what?”

Tarke snorted
and walked to the far side of the chamber. “I guess you’ll find
out, after the battle.”

“
Tell me now.”

“
No. You’ll have to survive the battle if you want to learn my
secret.”

She frowned.
“So you’re hoping I won’t, then you won’t have to keep your
promise. And if I do, will you break it?”

He turned to
her again, his hands clasped behind his back. “Is that what you
really think of me? Do you think I would break a promise?”

She looked
down, ashamed. “No, I don’t think so. But you are a liar.”

“
Touché.” Tarke approached her and gripped her shoulders,
giving her a little shake. “I want you to survive it, stupid,
that’s why I’m making this promise. If it will make you cling to
life a little harder, it will have served its purpose.”

She stared at
him, surprised. He released her and went back to the transparent
wall.

“
It will certainly help,” she murmured.

“
Good. Then it’s worth it.”

The possible
implications of his remark stunned her, and joy expanded within her
like a bright, warm bubble. Until now she had not realised how much
she longed for his friendship and affection, but this was better
than her wildest dreams. The warmth spread through her in a glad
tide, filling the empty corners of her heart, the ache of
unfulfilled dreams she had not known existed until now.

Had her life
thus far been truly so pointless, she wondered, or did it just seem
so when compared to what she might have with him? Did he really
mean what he had just said? Had he intended it to be taken this
way, or was she reading into it what she longed for? Could there be
another explanation for his words? The nagging doubt refused to be
ignored, a penchant for pessimism that clamoured to be heard,
shouting from the corner of her mind. Its cries broke through her
bubble and laid their awful truths on her raw emotions, robbing her
of her joy.

“
You think I’m more likely win if I have something to look
forward to, don’t you?” she asked. “You want me to live so you will
too.”

“
Something like that. Did you think it was some bloody stupid
romantic reason?”

“
No. I know better than to expect that from you.”

“
Good. Then you won’t ever be disappointed.”

Rayne turned
her back on him and sat down next the wall, nursing her wounded
pride and crushed hope. Scrysalza’s mind brushed hers, concerned
and puzzled by her depression. The Ship understood affection and
emotional bonds, but not rejection. Rayne tried to explain the
complicated human emotions involved, but they were difficult to
describe. Even as she thought that, she realised, with a pang of
sadness, that Tarke was not human. Maybe Antians did not have the
same kind of feelings, and he might never return hers. The Ship,
sensing her need to be alone, left her to ponder the situation. She
drew up her knees and rested her chin on them, closing her
eyes.

When she woke,
Tarke sat with his back to the transparent wall, his sword resting
across his knees. He raised his head when she stood up and
approached him.

“
Is there anything left in your flask?”

He nodded and
pulled it out, handing it to her. It was as full as it had been
when she had drunk from it last time, and she emptied all but a
last few mouthfuls before giving it back.

“
You have the rest.”

“
I’m okay.” He tucked it away again.

Rayne squatted
next to him, studying the scars on her palms. “I think it’s time to
do this thing, before we get weak from hunger.”

Tarke rose to
his feet, stretching with a groan, then slid the sword into its
scabbard and strapped the fighting blade to his left arm. When he
was ready, he waited while she stood irresolute in the tunnel
entrance, dreading what lay ahead, but knowing she must face it. It
was hard to start a fight she knew would cause her a great deal of
pain and might result in her death.

The Envoy was
still dormant, and the temptation to leave him alone for as long as
possible was strong. Let him start the next confrontation, a
cowardly part of her insisted. Why instigate a fresh bout of
suffering before it was necessary? The Envoy could wait
indefinitely, however. He had a food supply. The longer she
delayed, the greater his advantage grew. Spurred by this thought,
she walked down the tunnel to the massive cavern and stopped in the
entrance, surprised.

The chamber
was once again filled with females, which covered the floor to the
shores of the red sea and beyond. The Envoy basked in the healthy,
seething glow of millions of blood beasts. The scene was as it had
been before the battle. Rayne sensed that certain things had
changed, however, and the gentle brush of the Ship’s mind whispered
a warning as it passed.

She glanced at
Tarke. “He’s not as stupid as I thought. He’s not going to let me
near him again without a fight. If I can’t touch him, I can’t hurt
him, and he’s figured that out. Until I reach him, he can control
the ship completely. He’ll force it to attack us.”

He nodded.
“And these are his females, presumably. They don’t look like they
can do any harm, just impede our progress.”

Rayne stepped
forward, intending to push through the females.

Tarke caught
her arm. “Wait. Don’t touch them. I think he’s using them as a
warning system. The moment you disturb them, it will wake him
up.”