Close Contact (19 page)

His gaze went straight to me and warmed me to my toes. “I received a message you needed to see me right away?”

I tried to ignore the tingles his look started in my stomach, and waved the bottle of wine I’d picked up in the direction of the table. “Yes. Why don’t we sit down?”

Marcus nodded to the commander and then snagged three glasses and took them to the table. After they were filled, I
handed them around, taking my own and drinking deeply before I sat down. “Zin, I needed that.”

“Shall I start for you?” Marcus asked.

“Please do.” I leaned my head against the back of the chair to ease the dull, muzzy feeling left over from the Sumantti’s forcible eviction of my consciousness. Concerned, Peri landed on the arm of my chair and cooed at me in sympathy.

Reynard remained quiet except for a few direct questions, focused completely on what Marcus was recounting for him. Finally, the story was told and silence held sway for a few beats.

“Don’t even think about it,” I told them.

“Think about what?” Marcus asked, all wide-eyed and innocent.

“Trying to stop me from dancing tonight.” I shifted my head so I could see him better. “If I don’t show up, neither will the man they’re sending. We need to catch him, find out what his orders are.”

He looked at me with an intensity I hadn’t seen from him before. “Only under one condition,” Reynard said.

I rolled my head back in his direction. “What condition?”

“The audience will be sprinkled with men I trust, and Marcus and I will be on the stage with you. I believe there are enough shadows that no one will see us there.”

“Fine, as long as the men aren’t conspicuous. I don’t want to scare this guy off.”

“That won’t be a problem. The Terpsichore is a favorite among my men, so no one will think them out of place. I’ll go talk to them now and be back before the sun sets. Until then, do not leave her alone.” He aimed that last at Marcus.

“I won’t. And Bim will be with her, too.”

The commander pushed his chair back, stood, hesitated for a moment, and then leaned down to give me a quick kiss.
I wasn’t having that, though. Putting my palms against his cheeks, I held him in place and deepened the kiss.

From across the table, Marcus cleared his throat. “I don’t think that is such a good idea—”

I released Reynard long enough to say one word. “Cammi.” Marcus’s mouth snapped shut and he looked in the other direction, face red.

Assured there would be no more protests from that quarter, I went back to what I was doing, my toes curling with pleasure. Finally, I let him go, satisfied for the moment. “Go, before I change my mind and keep you here,” I murmured.

He shot me a grin and left, paying no attention to Marcus’s glare.

“Stop that,” I told my guardian. “We both know I’m not a Madrean woman and don’t need protecting from male attention. As for Jancen, I’m pretty sure he already suspects I’m not August’s daughter. And after tomorrow, he’ll know the whole truth anyway, so he won’t be inclined to challenge you to a duel for violating the rules of guardianship or whatever it is you’re operating under.”

“What!” Lillith screeched in my ear. “I might as well land at the castle and set off fireworks!”

I considered her suggestion before shaking my head. “While that might give the Madreans pause, it wouldn’t stop Strand. We’ll save that maneuver for emergencies.”

“I wasn’t serious,” the ship said.

“It might come down to that, though. I’m not ruling anything out.”

“Why are you going to tell Jancen the truth?” Marcus asked.

“Because I need him on my side, and he can get me in to see Lowden. Lillith, have you heard from Dr. Daniels yet?”

“Yes, and he’s not happy. Strand hasn’t broken any Federation laws by being there, but with the political situation being what it is concerning Madrea, this could be just enough to cause an escalation in the hostilities between the two factions in the council. And even more troubling, he’s received reports that in the last six months large quantities of munitions have been diverted to all the planets who side with Strand on this issue.”

I sat up straight as Marcus went tense. “Holy Zin. The man is planning to start a war with the Federation, and he’s paying for it with Madrea’s sunstones. What’s Dr. Daniels planning to do?”

“He’s asked to address an emergency session of the council, but you know how politicians are. It’ll probably take several days to get them all to sit down and listen. In the meantime, he’s suspended the maneuvers near the Andromeda Galaxy and has sent the fleet to patrol areas near the planets involved. And he said to tell you your mission is even more important now than it was before.”

She switched to a recording of Dr. Daniels’s voice. “Do not fail, Agent Adams. The entire Federation is at stake.”

Oh, sure. Dump the fate of the free universe on the shoulders of one green agent who doesn’t know what the scritch she’s doing 90 percent of the time. I gave a mental snort of disgust. No pressure there.

Almost as if he knew what was going through my mind, Marcus reached over and patted my hand. “Don’t think about it. We have a plan in place. For now, all we can do is stick to it.”

He was right. I might be a Gertz GEP, but I was still only human. One step at a time was the only way to handle all the problems.

Suddenly Marcus got an odd look on his face. “What’s wrong?” I asked anxiously.

“I just realized something.”

“What?”

“I don’t think they’re going to attack you physically. It doesn’t make sense. They have something worse planned, and it starts tonight.”

My skin went cold. “What could be worse?”

“Someone important could die, and they’ll arrange to have the blame land squarely on you.”

“Well, schite.” I stood and paced the length of the room. “Any idea who the most likely candidate would be?”

“Unfortunately, no.” He rubbed his forehead. “It could be any of the higher-ups, most of whom you met when we dined with the king.”

“Well, if they aren’t going to attack me, then we don’t need Reynard’s men.”

“Yes, we do. Just because there’s no immediate danger to you doesn’t mean they won’t try something. Maybe we can stop them, or at least find out what it is.”

“I’m getting confused.” I turned and headed for my room. “I’m going to get my costume and go to the Terpsichore. If the danger isn’t to me, I want to eat before I change.”

“Bim and I will go with you.”

He waited while I carefully gathered the purple outfit and then soothed Peri’s ruffled feathers when she discovered I’d hidden the silver jewelry. “Ready,” I told him, returning to the main room.

We crossed the yards with Bim sticking even closer than normal, and I figured Reynard had talked to him.

The kitchen was gearing up for the evening, pots bubbling, the staff hurrying back and forth to the common room, and general chaos ruling as food and drinks were dished up and carried out.

Before Marcus would let me put my costume in the room, he checked the place top to bottom. Treya gave me an odd
look as he motioned that it was safe to go in, but I ignored her.

When the outfit was safely stowed away, I returned to the kitchen and helped myself to the roast that was perfectly cooked, added some tubers and green vegetables from the communal pot, and took a seat at the table. I was just finishing up the meal when Reynard came in and leaned close to my ear.

“Everyone is in place,” he told me.

“Good.” I forked up the last bite of meat and stuck it in his mouth. “Did you get a chance to eat?”

He swallowed and shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Well, sit down. Leddy can bring you a plate and you can eat while I change.”

Treya went by, her chin hard as she gazed from me to Reynard. “Don’t be late. We have a full house tonight.”

Guess that meant I was on my own with the makeup. Good thing I didn’t have to attempt intricate procedures on my hair.

When Leddy slid a plate in front of the commander, I kissed his cheek and stood. “Take your time. Regardless of what Treya said, it will be a while before I’m changed and ready.”

While Peri played with the jewelry, I experimented with the cosmetics until I achieved the same mysterious look as last time. Then I stepped behind the screen and stripped down to my skin.

For a moment, I hesitated over my knife, uncomfortable with leaving it behind when someone was out to get me. But it would be clearly visible under the sheer skirt I was putting on, and it wasn’t like I was defenseless without it.

I hung it on the hook with my clothes, and then dressed in the new costume. Not only was it gorgeous and shimmering
from the silver threads, it fit as if Cammi had sewn it onto my body.

Barefoot, I went to the table and pried the jewelry away from Peri, then fastened on the short half-veil. Just as I finished, Reynard opened the door a crack, saw I was decent, and entered followed by Marcus.

“You are so beautiful,” he told me, all serious and sexy.

“Thank you.” I smiled at the compliment, but for once in my life, the way I looked wasn’t a priority. “Is it time?”

“Yes.” Marcus moved around the room, covering the sunstone lamps. “We’ll go out first, the commander to your right, me to your left. Bim will be floor level, right in front of the stage. Just pretend we aren’t there.”

He reached the last lamp, the one by the door, and put his hand on the cover as we joined him, Peri radiating excitement as she landed on my shoulder. From the common room the murmur of voices faded as the musicians began to play. “Let’s get this over with.”

There was a shushing noise as the last cover slid down and plunged the room into darkness, then I felt more than saw Marcus and the commander go through the door. I slipped through behind them, closing it after me, and then paused in the dark to wait for my beat. When it came, I moved forward in time to the music, jewelry jingling in counterpoint.

On cue, Peri launched into the air, her iridescent feathers catching the light from the lamps in the common room as she spiraled and dove around the audience, giving me time to step into view.

Dancing was so ingrained in me that I could do it without thinking. So instead, I spent the time scanning the audience. Reynard’s men were easy for me to locate, mainly because they were the only ones not watching the stage.

I was also very much aware of Reynard and Marcus, standing in the dark at the ends of the stage. The tension in the air was so thick it would almost have been a relief if a squadron of armed men had burst through the room and attacked. But it was all a bit anticlimactic.

The dance ended with no untoward movements from anyone, and Peri and I faded back into the dark at the back of the stage to the sound of thunderous applause.

Marcus and Reynard were waiting and we all went silently back into the changing room. Marcus uncovered the first lamp and then moved to the next.

“You might as well change,” he said. “I told Treya you were only going to do one dance tonight.”

Peri fluttered to the table as I moved behind the screen. Abruptly, I halted, staring at the hook that held my clothes.

“Reynard? Marcus?”

Something in my voice must have given me away because they both rushed across the room, swords out. “What’s wrong?”

I pointed at the sheath draped over the hook. “My knife is gone.”

“S
omeone stole my knife.” I was more surprised than alarmed as we stepped from behind the screen. Surprised that it hadn’t occurred to me someone might take it. “Looks like we know now what they planned to do tonight.”

“Are you sure you didn’t just misplace it?” Marcus asked.

I simply stared at him.

“Okay, you didn’t lose it.” He sighed. “You’re right. We have to assume this was their plan all along.”

“You said you thought they were going to kill someone and blame Echo,” Reynard commented. “What better way to frame her for murder than by using her knife to do it?”

“You told him?” I asked Marcus.

“Yes, while you were eating. And he’s right. Everyone at the king’s supper last night, including the king himself, can identify that knife as yours. Who on Madrea would dispute the word of the king?”

“No one,” Reynard said grimly, sliding his sword back into the scabbard. “Politaus is eminently fair. If someone was found murdered by Echo’s knife, he’d have no choice but to arrest her.”

“Okay, two questions,” I said, taking off my jewelry and tossing it on the table, much to Peri’s delight. “First, how did they get in here to steal the knife? And second, who would be important enough to get me tossed in the dungeon forever if they were killed?”

“I’ll question everyone and see if they noticed a stranger, but it never occurred to us to put a guard at the door of the changing room during your act. The kitchen is always a madhouse in the evenings, and sometimes the customers use it as a shortcut to the privy. Anyone could have slipped in here unnoticed,” Marcus said.

He was right, I realized. I’d seen it myself. Finding one particular man was a hopeless cause. We needed to concentrate on the second of my questions, the part about who they were going to kill.

“So who would be the most likely target?” I asked. “It would have to be someone important, someone whose death would further their plans.”

“That narrows it down a bit,” Reynard said, his face hard. “Putting myself in their place, there are only four men who fill their needs. Chief Lowden, Jancen, Braxus, and the king.”

“I think we can cross Braxus off the list,” I told him wryly. “But there’s one you forgot to mention. You. Everyone knows we’re…close, and you’re totally loyal to the king. There’s no doubt you’d do anything within your power to protect him. So, it would be in Strand’s best interest to get you out of his way.”

“I can take care of myself,” Reynard said. “You forget, if someone intended me harm I would know it instantly. They can’t take me by surprise, and that would be the only way Strand and his henchmen could hurt me.”

“Strand has a reputation as a superior swordsman,” I told him.

“I’m better. I’d know every thrust and parry before he
made it,” he told me, his arrogant tone bringing a smile to my lips in spite of the circumstances.

“Okay, you’ll always be on guard while you’re awake, and you’ll make damn sure they can’t get into your quarters when you’re asleep. But we need to talk to the other men. I’d planned to speak with Jancen and Lowden tomorrow. Now I think we should go tonight.”

Reynard nodded. “It would be best if you leave the king to me. It wouldn’t be wise to let him know you’re a Federation agent yet.”

“I think you’re both forgetting something,” Marcus said. “We have no idea when this will happen. For all we know, someone could already be dead.”

“Maybe,” I said, heading toward the screen so I could change out of my costume. “But I still have to try. It hasn’t been that long since they took the knife, so there’s still a chance we can stop them. And while it may sound harsh, the more people who know what Strand is up to, the less likely it is he can place the blame on me.”

The two men talked quietly while I changed and folded my costume. “Are the Bashalde still camped at the gathering field?” I asked Reynard when I rejoined them.

“Yes. Normally they only stay one eightday, but Lowden has postponed their leaving this time in hopes of making further progress with the king concerning the ban.”

“Good. Peri, leave the jewelry and let’s go.”

She pouted for a second, her gaze going from me to the silver and back, then she came to roost on my shoulder and we all left the Terpsichore together.

A light rain had come and gone, leaving the air clean and full of the scent of damp earth. Most of the bigger clouds had moved on, leaving gauze-like wisps to wrap around the visible stars scattered across the night sky. Luckily, it was warm enough that I didn’t need a cloak.

Since it was still early enough for people to be out and about on the main streets of Bastion City, we kept our conversation to mundane matters or remained silent as we walked. By the time we reached the field behind the castle where the Bashalde were camped, the hem of my skirt was wet enough to be irritating, but not soaked enough to drag the material down.

I peered through the darkness at the tents huddled together, some well lit with sunstone lamps, others dark. “Which one is Jancen’s?”

“The blue-and-gold-striped tent there, near Chief Lowden’s.” Reynard gestured. “Its lamps are still on, so Jancen hasn’t retired yet.”

A young boy darted past us and the commander snagged him by the collar. “Tell Jancen that Reynard du’Marr wishes a meeting.”

With a quick grin, the boy pocketed the coin Reynard tossed him, and dashed into the tent. A moment later, Jancen stuck his head out, surveyed our somber party, and then reached back to close the tent flap before he stepped out to meet us.

“What’s wrong?”

“We need an audience with you and Chief Lowden, in private. And Zeller can’t know we’re talking to Lowden. It’s an emergency, Jancen,” I told him.

He studied me for a moment, as though trying to make up his mind. “Does this have something to do with the Federation?”

I glanced around quickly, but no one was near. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know when we can’t be overheard.”

“Do you know the clearing with the lightning-struck tree near the middle, on the other side of the stream?” he asked Reynard. When the commander nodded, he continued. “Wait
for us in the center. It’s broad enough that anyone trying to hear our conversation would have to show themselves. I’ll bring Lowden there.”

He hurried away toward the green-and-gold tent that housed the chief of the Bashalde while Marcus and I followed Reynard to the field in question. I watched a last remnant of cloud play hide and seek with the moon while we waited and noted the fog that crawled knee-high over the ground in this area.

It seemed to take forever and I’d almost decided Jancen hadn’t been able to talk Lowden into coming. Suddenly, Peri fluttered her wings and chirruped, her head pointed in the direction we’d come from. A second later, I saw two men step into a shaft of moonlight as they walked from between the trees. One of them carried a sunstone lamp partially shielded and I studied them as they made their way nearer until I was sure it was Jancen and Lowden. As far as I could tell, no one was trailing them, but there were woods all around us except for the path to the clearing.

Marcus and Reynard flanked me as the men stopped in front of us, Lowden staring at me so hard I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d asked to examine my teeth.

“To my knowledge, we all look perfectly normal,” I told him. “Well, except for Kiera Smith. There should be a law against making women that beautiful.”

Although he didn’t move, I saw the shock in his eyes. “Yes, Chief Lowden, I’m aware that you know who and what I am.”

“Well, I don’t,” Jancen snapped. “So why don’t you tell me?”

“Of course.” I tilted my head in acknowledgment. “My name is Echo Adams. I’m an agent for the Bureau of Alien Affairs. The Federation sent me here to retrieve something that was stolen from one of our ships. I’m sorry I had to de
ceive you, Jancen. If I
were
Bashalde, I’d certainly want to be part of your family.”

He nodded. “I suspected you weren’t August’s daughter, that you were Federation. But what did you mean, ‘what’ you are?”

“I’m a GEP. That means I was created in a lab to be faster, stronger, and smarter than Naturals. And because the man who created me thinks he’s a god, he altered my genetic makeup so far as to give me psychic abilities.”

“Why come to us?” Jancen asked. “We have nothing that belongs to the Federation. We couldn’t reach your ships even if the thought occurred to us.”

“I’m here tonight because your chief is conspiring with Losif Strand, the man responsible for the stolen item.”

Jancen turned to look at Lowden, who hadn’t moved a muscle. “Is this true?”

“Yes, to a point.” He gazed around our circle. “I don’t know anything about a stolen object. Strand came to me and offered a deal. He would get the king to lift the ban on Madrea if I would agree to give him an exclusive contract for the exportation of our sunstones.”

“Why?”
Reynard asked him.

“Every cycle my people get poorer, Commander. You know this, you’ve seen it. All we have of value are our animals and the sunstone deposits. Yet the sunstones are no good to us unless we can sell them to the Federation. At least once a cycle we petition the king to lift the ban, a ban we had no part in creating, and each time he refuses.
We’re desperate.
I don’t like forcing the king’s hand, but it seemed the only choice left to us.”

“You could have come to us, Lowden,” Reynard told him. “Politaus is a compassionate man. If your people need help, all you have to do is ask.”

“And give up our tents and wagons, give up our desert
and build stone houses outside your cities so we can wait for handouts? Bah!” He spit to one side. “This world belongs to us as much as it does the Madreans, but does your king give us a say in its laws? No, he doesn’t. Why should we be bound by laws that we do not agree with and had no part in creating? The Bashalde are a separate people. We make our own laws. If we want to deal with the Federation, we will and no Madrean ban will stop us.”

Jancen had started nodding halfway through Lowden’s speech, but I ignored his agreement. “I’m not here to interfere in the internal politics of Madrea,” I told him. “That’s for you to work out with the king if we survive long enough.”

Both men stared at me. “Why wouldn’t we survive?” Lowden asked.

“You don’t trust Strand, do you?” I asked the chief.

He hesitated. “No, I don’t. He’s becoming more arrogant and secretive every day. If there were any other way to contact the Federation, I would have nothing to do with him.”

“You have good instincts,” I told him. “Strand intends to depose Politaus and replace him with Braxus. When he does, they’ll wrest control of the sunstones away from the Bashalde.”

“But Braxus’s infirmity makes it impossible for him to rule,” Jancen protested.

“Which brings us to the item they stole from the Federation,” I replied. “It’s a black quartz crystal infested with a very powerful alien life form, a life form capable of wielding psychic forces the likes of which you’ve never seen before. And only a specially prepared female can communicate with or use this crystal.”

“A female like you?” Lowden asked.

“Yes, like me. But Strand couldn’t control an adult female like me. I’d break him into tiny pieces if he tried. So he’s been kidnapping and bringing in young girls with psi abili
ties to try and use the crystal. He’s killed four so far, and is holding two more captive. Unless I stop him and retrieve the crystal, they’ll die, too.”

Both men looked horrified. “Why do you allow his heart to still beat?” Lowden growled, his hand going reflexively to his sword hilt.

“Because we don’t know where the girls are, or where he’s hidden the crystal. Plus, Strand isn’t a lowly black marketeer, as he’s presented himself to you. He’s the leader of Helios One, and there will be political ramifications if I just kill him without proof of his crimes.”

This time, I was the one who hesitated. “You’ve gone this far, you might as well tell them the rest,” Lillith said. “Their lives are at stake, too.”

She was right, they really should know. I took a deep breath. “We have a bigger problem than just the girls. You see, Strand has very badly underestimated what being locked up in a stasis box will do to the crystal. She’s beyond angry, and she’s gathering more power every day. The next chance she has, she’s going to strike out and nothing will stop her. Take my word for it, when she strikes, there will be nothing left of this solar system but a dust cloud.”

They were silent for a minute, then Jancen spoke. “Is there no way for you to stop this crystal?”

“I’m going to try. And there’s another crystal on another planet that has formed a symbiosis with a woman like me. They are watching Madrea, and will do what they can when the time comes. We hope it will be enough.”

“So you are our only chance of survival,” Lowden said. “If anything happens to you, we’re doomed.”

I nodded. “Pretty much, unless you have another plan.”

“Strand has launched a plot against you.” The words rushed out of him. “I don’t know what it is, only that he plans to get you out of his way. He assured me you wouldn’t
be harmed or I wouldn’t have gone along with him. Now everything has changed.”

“Yes, we’re aware of his plot, and that’s the other reason we decided to seek you out tonight,” I acknowledged. “Strand had someone steal my knife. We believe he’s going to murder someone important and see to it that I’m blamed for the death. Both of you are potential targets, as are the commander and King Politaus. You should be on your guard at all times. And before I forget, do not trust Zeller. I don’t know what he’s been promised, but as you suspected, the man is betraying you to Strand. He knows about the crystal and Strand’s plan for its use. I suspect he was the one who threw the knife at me the other day in Cammi’s tent.”

Jancen went stiff, seeming to grow several inches at the mention of Zeller’s name. “There is only one thing he covets. Leadership of the Bashalde.” He turned to Lowden. “You must send your son into hiding immediately. Zeller is your cousin. The only thing that stands between him and his goal are you and Jolem. We can’t risk losing both of you.”