Voices of Chaos (43 page)

Magdalena suddenly wanted to run to her; to be comforted. Protected.
No,
she told herself.
That's not why you're here.

"About time you got here, Perez," Mahree said in crisp Mizari, but then she smiled, and hugged the girl, hard. "I'm so glad you're safe. Khyriz said to tell you at once that Alexis opened her eyes very briefly yesterday, and he thinks she recognized him." She let Magdalena go and turned to her companion, gestured an Arekkhi greeting between equals.

An-Lieye returned the gesture, then mouthed and signed, *I am An-Lieye, of the world Arekkhi.*

"I am honored to greet you, An-Lieye," Mahree replied in Arekkhi. "I am Mahree Burroughs, and I welcome you to Shassiszss Station." Flawlessly done, Magdalena thought-- but, of course, that was why Mahree was Ambassador at

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Large. "Now," the older woman addressed Magdalena, still in Arekkhi for An-Lieye's benefit, "do you need rest? Food?" Both shook their heads, and An-Lieye gestured negative. "An-Lieye, are you prepared to ..." She hesitated very briefly.

Magdalena broke in. "Dana Marshall keyed up pictures and descriptions of the other League sentients for her."

"Good. Then come with me; the Council has agreed to see you--

immediately.''

Magdalena blinked. "But, I thought there would... I mean, that they'd need time...."

"Ordinarily, yes. I wanted to talk to you first, to brief you. I'll tell you what I can while we're getting there." She led them on down the corridor, stopped at an elevator, and waited until it closed around them and began to ascend. "It's the vids sent by this Zhenu three weeks ago, and then the Prelate last week.

Some members are worried about the Asha question."

"Asha? Mahree! They can't
possibly
believe what Zhenu says about them without even
meeting
An-Lieye!" They moved out into a brightly lit corridor; Magdalena let the Asha precede her onto a moving walkway, just behind Mahree. An-Lieye's ears had gone flat at mention of Zhenu's name; the translator touched her shoulder with the back of one hand.

"Isn't that the one Khyriz calls 'Iron Duke'? He was very persuasive--talked a lot about training and what could be accomplished. Apologies, An-Lieye.

These councillors have not met you; they will understand once they do. I'm sorry, Magdalena, one or two of our more stubborn types seem to think you and Khyriz could have schemed to prove Asha are sentient when they aren't."

"That's--that's utterly stupid!" Magdalena snapped, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Mahree grinned at her.

"Nice new backbone, girl," she said. "Of course it is. Why would you and Khyriz want an embargo on the Arekkhi? Don't be afraid to speak out like that if you need to; most of the Council will respect you for it. And ... here we are." She signaled, and a portal opened onto a bare, round room. Once inside, she pointed up for An-Lieye's benefit. "The chamber is overhead."

She glanced at Magdalena. "Ready?" Both human and Asha nodded; with a faint shudder, the floor began

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to rise, the ceiling irised open, and they came up into an enormous dome.

An-Lieye's gaze went to the transparent upper arc of the dome, where she could see part of the station and a dazzling frost of stars beyond it. As the floor settled into place, she turned slowly, letting her eyes take in the open area all around them, the seats, benches, tiers, and closed cubicles rising along the walls. Many of these were occupied, as Magdalena had expected.

Vardi, Simiu, three humans ... too distant to tell if she knew any of them, though it wasn't likely. Several Mizari conversed close together just in front of the lower tiers, seemingly arguing with a Drnian. The snakelike beings'

head tentacles moved gracefully, oddly reminding the translator of the patterns in the Arekkhi Rainbow Dance.

Just beyond the floor they had just ridden up, she could now see two benches, a podium, and a holo-tank. Mahree gestured for her companions to come with her and walked over to the nearest bench. But before they could sit, two Mizari and the Drnian detached themselves from the arguing group and came across to join them.

The Esteemed Mediator, Ssoriszs, led the way; once behind the podium, his golden, pupilless eyes moved from Magdalena to An-Lieye and back again.

The second Mizari--female by the lack of vestigal dorsal ridge--remained near the controls for the holo-tank. The human-shaped but very nonhuman-looking Drnian stopped a distance from them and made a Mizari greeting-bow, followed by the deft finger-gesture of her own kind.

Magdalena copied both movements, then curtseyed deeply.
Make no move
anyone could interpret as a command to An-Lieye for a rote-learned
response,
she reminded herself, and felt the heat in her face.

The Asha managed a creditable Mizari greeting, came very close on the Drnian's finger-gesture, and added the Arekkhi gesture of "One who is pleased to be present among great ones.'' She then moved her arms in a graceful movement similar to a motion from "Fringe-of-Dancer."
An Asha
greeting?
She blinked that aside; she could ask later. The Drnian Secretary-General was waiting---Fys, who had been Secretary-General when Mahree first came here to argue for humans,

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had recently been reelected, Magdalena knew; it was oddly steadying.

"Most Esteemed Fys," she said in Mizari, "I am honored to be permitted such quick access to the Council."

"The pleasure and honor are ours, Magdalena Perez," the Drnian replied.

"And the matter was deemed to require swift action."

"I am glad for that," Magdalena said. She gestured. "As you know, Arekkhi are not introduced to others. My companion will speak for herself, in her own fashion. And if--I could request that the proceedings be held in the Arekkhi language, as she does not know any other."

"There is some question regarding this ... knowledge. But yes, we can grant such a request." The Drnian adjusted her tiny voder and looked directly at An-Lieye as she said, in accented but clear Arekkhi, "I am Fys, of Drnia."

The Asha's eartufts quivered slightly, then stilled. She signed and mouthed,

*I am An-Lieye, of the highland Dagona Asha.*

The Drnian seemed slightly taken aback.
Zhenu must have done his job
well,
Magdalena thought grimly. But after a moment, Fys continued, and it seemed to the translator that she spoke to them both. "Some days ago, we received transmissions directly from the station orbiting the Arekkhi world, and not long after, from the royal island. You will be given the chance to see the vids and respond to them, but first the League requests an explanation from the team Translator, why her private access codes and password have been used by an Arekkhi."

Magdalena took a deep breath. "Because I gave them to the Prince, Khyriz.

Is it permitted that I explain all at once, rather than respond to questioning?

Because it will make more sense if I do--and it will take less time. I fear to waste
any
time, knowing the situation when we left Arekkhi space." Silence.

Fys turned away to speak with both Mizari.

"That is acceptable, if you agree to answer our questions."

"Of course." Magdalena took a deep breath and launched into the entire story.

It took longer than she would have liked, and the subsequent

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questioning seemed to go on forever. Finally, the Mediator and the Secretary-General seemed satisfied, and Fys gestured for the second Mizari to key the holo-vid.

The blank space was suddenly filled with Prelate, and for the first time she saw his face--the spots and nasal stripes so dark, they must be enhanced.

His eyes were pale yel ow, barely a slit of pupil. His message was as cold as his eyes, though later she could only recall the last of it: "The Asha were given to us by the Holy Dyad to care for and protect, as They care for us.

Throughout our history, there have been wicked and lost Arekkhi who look upon Asha as therefore equal to us, and seek to prove this false belief by mating with them. Such Arekkhi are denied their place in the last Feast, though the Dyad may take pity upon the poor beasts who are so ill treated.

These females who have come from your worlds to learn of our ways seek instead to place their own interpretations on matters. On Asha, and their rightful place in our world. Did not the CLS tell us that our own beliefs would be respected? Who is this Magdalena Perez to demand that we renounce our religion?"

The Prelate spoke smoothly, and concluded with a chil y smile. Magdalena's blood ran cold. She had never seen such a calculated movement of Arekkhi whiskers, not even from Zhenu. Moments later, the vid faded to black; she had missed the last of it. Probably fortunate.
More lies,
she thought grimly.

Solomon Smith would have been proud of his "demon brother" from across so many light-years.

The holo-tank brightened again and the Zhenu's image filled it. He sat on a low, padded bench the same white as his robe; two ahla crouched at his feet, and he stroked them, rather absently, while they fawned on him. An-Lieye gazed at him and then his companions. After one flat-eared look at the unfortunate "pets," she kept her eyes on the ex-noble's face.

So did Magdalena, who had to keep reminding herself that this message had been recorded before Zehnu's capture. Largely, his speech mirrored the Prelate's, except his voice was harsher, and he added two other threats:

"Remember that the Emperor with whom you bargained is no longer alive, nor is the youth Khyriz, who brought back your ways to our

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people. The station cannot be reached by your kind without our knowledge, as you know; the planet is even less available to you. Your Heeyoon traders
and
your human females will remain with us until we can be certain of a bargain we can trust--and in which we are active members. If not.... life can be short and uncertain on an
uncivilized
world, as you name ours. And we know there is more than your League outside our space ... we have heard much of a certain ... Sorrow Sector." His whiskers curved; he stroked both Asha with every evidence of fondness in his eyes and gestures. The tank dimmed, went transparent. Esteemed Fys gestured for the translator to speak.

Magdalena swallowed; her mouth was very dry. "Thank you for letting me hear these lies for myself, Most Esteemed Fys," she said evenly. "But the claims of these Arekkhi are not true: The Emperor is still in control of Arekkhi space. The interrelator and I were captured by agents of the
zhez
whose words you just heard, with the active assistance of the Prelate. Their hope was that you would be moved to see them as barbaric and that you would remove us, sanction their world. Because of her!" A sweep of her arm indicated An-Lieye. "Because of Asha! For a hundred years, she and all her kind have been named less than sentient, drugged, and kept as pets like those Zhenu had at his feet, or drugged and left without a voice, with no way to speak against the injustice!

"When the son of that Zhenu would have spoken for them, and for her, his father killed him, before my eyes! He is now the Emperor's prisoner, and the Prelate who spoke so... so pityingly of those who engage in beastiality--he cowers within his own walls! Which of us has not seen something and mistaken it for what it wasn't, on our own worlds, not just on the worlds of our allies? Isn't that why we have the Academy? And still such mistakes can occur!"

"But if they do not lie?" one of the Mizari asked her bluntly. "And .... and if this mistake is yours, and that of the interrelator?''

Magdalena swallowed, shook her head. "I am not wrong, sir. And I am not afraid to ask that you test my hypothesis; and An-Lieye will tell you she is not afraid, either!" Silence.

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Magdalena swallowed again and said, "Emperor Khezahn still rules. The message sent to you from the old palace on CLS equipment is his; I entrusted his son Khyriz with my password because when I left, the planet was far from secured. We could not be certain the Emperor's transmission would reach this place in any other way." She eyed both Mizari and Fys in turn. "When the message was refused here, Khyriz had the wit to send it on to StarBridge Academy, so Dr. Rob Gable-- who
knows
Khyriz--would send it on to Mahree Burroughs. I ask permission to let the Emperor of the Arekkhi answer the lies of his enemies, here and now!"

More consultation, but to her surprise, it didn't take long-- just enough time for Mahree to grip her hand and whisper, "Good job! Keep it up!"

"We will grant this," Fys said. Mahree pulled a small hand-comp out of her pocket and spoke into it, forwarding the holo-vids. "But," the Drnian went on,

"there may be those here who still doubt An-Lieye is a true sentient. If... An-Lieye ... would consent to an examination?''

Magdalena opened her mouth, then closed it again.
Don't say or do anything
that looks like you're leading her, remember?
An-Lieye gestured assent.
And
that isn't enough to convince them?
She had to remind herself that none of these beings had spent the last weeks on Arekkhi, that none of them had seen the other side of the Prelate, or Zhenu. That the CLS would want to be very thorough, considering they might have to close off CLS access to an entire system.

Mahree stood up then. "Most Esteemed Fys, with your permission, I request Dr. Stephanie Kim as examiner. You are free to choose others, but Dr. Kim is a telepath as well as a physician, and she speaks a little Arekkhi."

"She is also an acquaintance of the Arekkhi interrelator," Fys replied promptly. "So you may have Dr. Kim, but there will be two others as well."

"That is acceptable," Mahree said.

The Secretary-General went over to converse with the two Mizari; the Mediator touched something on the side of the podium, and the Drnian gestured to the other to begin the messages.

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When the tank cleared, she could see the Emperor standing in the middle of the familiar main room in the old palace. Unlike Zhenu, he was plainly clad, only the ducat on his sleeves to identify him. To the visible surprise of the three councillors, he gave a Mizari greeting-gesture before speaking, and his first words were in Mizari.