Irsud (20 page)

Aleytys turned her dark gaze on the kipu. “No,” she breathed and projected the load of negation at the kipu, spending her emotional strength prodigiously, accepting no limits in her attack.

The kipu backed until her shoulders touched the tapestry.

“If you have to punish someone,” Aleytys whispered, her strength draining away, “punish the guilty, not a convenient scapegoat. Asshrud poisoned me. You know it. The hiiri is innocent. She is mine. Touch what is mine and I fight you.”

Recovering slightly the kipu nodded, then said dryly, “So you've given up your play-acting.”

Aleytys laughed. “Funny. The old one has really waked in me. Never mind. I'm loyal to my friends. You don't understand that, do you. She doesn't either, the old one. Just promise and punish, buy the service. You'll give her good service, won't you, kipu?” She laughed again, this time her voice shrilling into hysteria.

The kipu nodded. “Indeed, I serve my queen.” She smiled, a small tight movement of her thin lips. “Very well, the hiiri remains. Sukall!”

The quivering nayid pulled her lanky body onto her feet, stumbling awkwardly, still mis-coordinated and uncertain in her movements. She stared briefly at Aleytys, radiating incoherent scraps of emotion all overlaid by a bitter hatred. She straightened slowly. “Im rab' kipu?”

“Return to your duties. Say nothing about this to anyone.”

Sukall saluted snappily and strode from the room, her boots clattering in super-military emphasis.

“Another enemy.” The kipu sounded amused.

“Yes, rab' kipu.” Aleytys felt her anger dissolving. She felt as if she would collapse, melt into a heap on the tiles. Only the kipu's continued presence kept her on her feet.

“The Ffynch company trader is coming after the noon meal.”

Aleytys laughed shakily. “Thinking about a meal is rather beyond me right now.”

“The old one is to override.”

“Ah.”

“The Damiktana will wear the red robe.”

“Concession for concession. I'll wear the red robe.”

“Your meals will be watched from now on by my sabutim.”

“That's a comforting thought.”

“I'm sure you'll find it so. Though poison seems somewhat ineffective.”

“You never can tell. Perhaps the poisoner was inept, used too little.”

“Perhaps.” The kipu puckered her face into a disgusted grimace. “Have the migru taste for you.”

“No.” Aleytys shivered. “No.”

“Stupid. The old one wouldn't be so squeamish.”

“Neither of you understands loyalty. Anyway I think you know I'm not the old one.”

“I always knew.”

“But it was convenient to pretend.”

“See that it stays convenient.”

Aleytys nodded tiredly. “I'll do that. Anything more you want?”

The kipu looked at her for a moment. “You're supposed to be intelligent.”

“I am.” Aleytys took a step toward the bathroom. “I know my limitations. Do you?”

“I know my road. Keep out of my way.”

“I'll remember.” Followed by a silent worried Burash and a trembling Aamunkoitta she walked to the bathroom and waited for the hiiri to pull the tapestry aside for her. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “You have anything more to say to me?”

The kipu shook her head and left without another word.

CHAPTER XVIII

Aleytys sat stiffly erect, uncomfortable in her flaming red robe. The mimosoid curving over her head swayed slowly back and forth as the afternoon breeze blowing up from the river curled over the wall and tickled the upper branches into motion so that the fragile shadows of the leaves danced in lacy patterns over her lap. Behind her, on the wall, the silent black figures of the slowly pacing guards moved back and forth, an oppressive reminder of her danger and her captivity.

The kipu came through the door into the garden, the dark flamboyant figure of the Ffynch company representative pacing beside her.

“You see our difficulty.” The kipu stopped in front of Aleytys and sketched her outline with an expressive hand, “This one is more like your females.”

“Hm.” He ran his eyes over the stiffly erect Aleytys then turned back to the kipu. “You have her measurements?”

“What ones do you need?”

He smiled suddenly, his teeth glinting pearly white in his dark face. Little red sparks flashed in his eyes. “I'll take the measurements if you don't mind.”

The kipu frowned. “Why?”

“As you said, she's more like my species. I know where to loop the tape.”

The kipu tapped the communicator at her waist. When a guard appeared in the doorway, she said crisply, “A tape measure.”

“Im, rab' kipu.”

The Rep walked casually over to Aleytys while he waited. “Remember me?” he asked softly.

She glanced coolly up at him. “Sombala Isshi.”

“Nursemaid?”

“I said ‘in a way.'”

“I'm still curious.”

She examined him calmly. “No, you're not.”

“All right. I'm not.”

The kipu's voice sounded behind him. “The tape measure.”

Isshi produced a pad and a stylus from a pocket inside his crimson and green blazer. “If you would take off that thing you're wearing?”

Aleytys snorted. But she stood up and let the robe slip off her shoulders. The afternoon air was cold on her skin. She shivered. “Hurry with it.”

“Hold out your arm.”

He spread the tape here and there over her body, a grin on his face, taking extra time over the breast and hip measurements, chuckling softly so that Aleytys felt like slamming her knee into his face.

“I believe that should be sufficient.” She stepped back and pulled the robe about her body again.

“A pleasure, Damiktana.” He stood up and brushed the sand off his knees.

“If you'll come, Damiktana?” The kipu stepped back.

Aleytys knotted the last tie and stalked past Isshi. As she moved with exaggerated grace past the two of them, she heard the kipu talking to the Rep.

“That little matter I sent to you yesterday.”

“Yes?” Isshi's voice was cool, curious.

“The runner.”

“Ah. Yes. We threw a net through the Agora and the surrounding Kalybionta near the spaceport. We'll have her today, probably.”

“There's no way she can get off world?”

“The only ships off this world are Ffynch company owned. No, she won't slip out of the net.”

“Good.”

Aleytys glanced back over her shoulder. She smiled at the kipu then stepped aside and waited for her to come and hold the tapestry for her. As the nayid sauntered past, moderating her long stride to Isshi's shorter legs, Aleytys murmured, “I get your point, rab' kipu.”

The kipu's short stubby antennas twitched briefly but her face was impassive as she pulled the tapestry aside and waited for the other two to walk through.

In Asshrud's quarters the procession halted briefly. Asshrud stood reluctantly and waddled down from her chair to salute Aleytys. “Ilu-annana, my adann is yours.”

Aleytys lifted a lazy hand in acknowledgment and bowed in her turn. From somewhere deep inside her an impulse welled up irresistibly, she felt cruel and savage, felt a hatred that in another part of her disgusted her but she had no control of it. Wanting to scar, to hurt, she murmured, “May your loves be numberless as the radiance of your beauty deserves.”

She felt a wave of hate and fear almost smothering in its intensity roll out from Asshrud, the hate understandable, the fear something else. And something in her chuckled at it. She could feel the laughter shaking her. I wouldn't do that, she thought, I couldn't … even if she's trying to kill me, that's no reason to … damn you, you old bitch. Keep out of my mind!

Face a vapid mask, she swayed out of the room followed closely by the kipu and Isshi and the honor guard.

The ceremony was repeated in Gapp's rooms.

“Ilu-annana, my adann is yours.”

“My dear child, I see your tastes haven't changed. Such sweet and lissome loves. And not a brain among them.”

“Ummu, please.…”

“Dear, dear daughter.”

“Nih-a-annana, Damiktana.” Gapp bowed, touched palm-to-palm hands to her lips, her face pale gray, the formal act made to conceal the pain.

Aleytys, weeping inside, fought for control of her tongue, but the old one used her anger and frustration, used the sick sour suppressed unlovely side to her nature. Sneaking up on her weak side, the old one mocked her and tripped her tongue wickedly.

And all the while the cynical knowing red-flecked eyes of Sombala Isshi glinted with admiration and the kipu radiated smug satisfaction, not believing the old one's presence, relishing the kow-towing to the acid tongue that merely added to her own power, preening herself like some insectoid cock.

Locked in the pattern, feeding it with the anger and frustration she couldn't help building up as helplessness closed in on her, Aleytys paced, pale, expressionless, swaying gracefully through her role.

On the roof Sombala Isshi inspected the skimmers and grunted his satisfaction as the kipu placed an order for another skimmer to replace one gone missing. Could the hiiri have gotten some energy weapons and taken it out? Aleytys felt a spark of interest driving through her gloom.

Walk the bazaars, Isshi purchasing this and that handiwork from hiiri slave or worker nayid, humble nayadim bobbing and bowing slavishly before then.…

Aleytys retreated into her head, let her body move, tuned out to save her sanity all that happened, walked a zombie through the streets and back into the mahazh.

“Most impressive.” Sombala Isshi halted on the wide esplanade in front of the mahazh.

The kipu wasn't listening. Shading her black insectoid eyes with a narrow fine-boned hand, her attention was focused on a black speck rapidly enlarging as it swooped through the sky toward the building. Forgotten for the moment, Aleytys lingered on the steps that led with sweeping majesty up to the soaring pointed arch filled with a massive door built of metal sheathed planks.

“Harskari,” she muttered. “Help me.”

“Your feet are strong enough to hold you.” Harskari's even, measured tones, combined with the aura of age and wisdom that surrounded her presence, brought a measure of calm to Aleytys. Leaning against the edge of the arch, shoulders losing their tension as the coolness of the polished stone blocks struck through the stiff scratchy robe, Aleytys followed the large skimmer as it floated smoothly down onto the stone slabs of the barren esplanade.

A ramp extruded. Two short dark men dressed in dull olive suit-liners pushed a nayid female ahead of them down the slope. Bent-shouldered, arms held tight against her sides, the lanky miserable female shuffled along, moving with evident difficulty.

Aleytys leaned forward tautly, staring at the nayid's arms and legs trying to see the bonds that held those thin arms to her bony sides.

“Tangle web.” Shadith's cool silvery voice answered the unspoken question. “Feels like glue. You can move. Barely. But any quick tricks are no-no.”

Aleytys wrinkled her nose. “Something else the kipu can use on me.”

“Oh, I doubt Isshi lets the nayids have that.”

“Why?” Aleytys shifted her eyes to the cliff face barely visible from where she was standing. “He sells those damn guns.”

“For which he has quite adequate defenses. But the kipu's technicians could learn a little too much from a tangle-web field.”

“Too much what?”

“Too much about trans-light flight.”

“Huh? I don't see the connection. Damn! Even Kitten makes me feel like a child.” She watched the captive nayid stumble painfully up to the kipu. “Looks like heading for the star city isn't such a good idea.”

“Depends. But it doesn't look like we've much choice. These company worlds!” The purple eyes blinked rapidly.

Sombala Isshi saluted the kipu and walked up the ramp. The two guards followed him. Just before they stepped into the skimmer, one touched a stud on his belt. The captive nayid stumbled and swung arms suddenly released. She moved her head carefully then straightened and faced the kipu, mouth firmed in a rigid line. Waves of anger and fear swirled out of her bringing a touch of sickness to Aleytys' stomach before she blocked the emotion out.

Abruptly the captive leaped at the kipu, six-fingered hands locking around her thin neck. But the attack was futile. Two of the honor guard leaped forward, pressed a stun-rod to the growling Runner's neck. As she crumpled into a heap on top of the kipu, the guards picked her up and trotted her past Aleytys into the mahazh.

The kipu stood and brushed herself off. Boots clicking precisely on the stone, back straight, literally bathing in smugness, she strode up the steps and paused in front of Aleytys, a smile curling the ends of her thin lips.

“Yes,” Aleytys said calmly. “You certainly made your point, rab' kipu.”

CHAPTER XIX

Sitting in the shadow beneath the over-curve of the bamboo, Aleytys nervously dipped here and there in the darkness, exercising her new-found talent for eyeless vision, carefully avoiding Burash's gloomy figure.

He sat with his back to her broadcasting a deep trouble in his spirit, a stubborn pain that made her wince even as she rejected the basis for it.

Impatiently she swung around to glare at his back. “Burash, I had to. There wasn't anywhere else safe enough to meet.”

He hunched his head lower between his shoulders.

“You know there's nowhere else.”

“I know.” he lifted his head and turned himself so he faced her, his antennas spread wide arching into a shallow curve.

“Stop acting like some dizzy female.”

He stared at her, startled. “But.…”

“Damn. I keep forgetting.” She slapped a hand onto her thigh then winced at the loudness of the sound. “Sentimentality, that's all. False. You know it.”