Only Human (32 page)

 "So? I wouldn't, either."

 "Yes, but these camps were made by
Greah's people. They have no reason to hide from the rebels. Tharron doesn't
take them half-serious. They post guards like they were on the run or had
something to hide."

"Maybe they do." Nova tugged on
the Runner's leash. "Come on, you!"

Greah appeared beside them and tapped the
bird's legs. It seemed to understand this and moved faster. "That's
because they're afraid of the beasts Tharron keeps around himself. When they
have nothing to do, Tharron lets them run around out here to keep things in
order. He doesn't care what they do when they find people they don't
like."

"Rhuwacs," Nova said. "They
don't like most people."

"That's them. If they catch us out
here..." his young-old face contorted into an expression of terror and he
gripped his gun to his chest as though to ward off the evil spirits Tharron had
brought into this world.

Nova resisted an impulse to crouch down to
hug the small man. Instead, she gripped his shoulder, reminding herself that he
was not a child in need of comforting. But the look on his face was one that
she had seen on an infinite number of people left to the devices of Tharron's
dogs. "Even Rhuwacs know what your gun is for," she assured him.
"Don't be afraid."

He shook his head. "I met them and I'm
still alive. But my people... maybe you don't understand. We do not kill
other... other sentients. Not even our worst enemy. We kill only for food and
to make leather. That's the way it was written when Jyn Laungh made this world
for us. No killing. That's why we build walls around our cities. To keep, uh,
strangers out. The people from the south." He hesitated. "They don't
keep out strangers that come from above."

 "But you carry a gun! You have
killed," Nova exclaimed. Seeing Greah in such despair worried her.

"Against his nature," Tychon said.
"Greah's people aren’t the only race that doesn't kill their own. They
found other means to settle things.  It just wasn't necessary before our
glorious Union showed us all how to live. And die. And now Greah will fight for
his people, as do Delphians that now fight for the Union. It has to start
somewhere."

Nova took her eyes off Greah's unhappy face
to glower at Tychon. "You're saying that this is the Union's fault? All of
this?"

"Are we not teaching these people how
to kill? Maybe Tharron is just an inevitable by-product. You put someone in
power and someone else rebels against it. Now we're involving people that
should be left alone to worship their harvest gods and to think that the only
thing that flies is a bird. The Clan Council of Delphi saw all that long ago.
Maybe they are not so wrong in opposing what you call progress. Without the
Union, Tharron would never have left K'lar."

"You are part of this Union!"

He nodded. "So I am. That doesn't make
this right." He nudged the gun strapped to her thigh. "You don't even
think about killing anymore. How do you know that you've got the right to kill
anyone? Because they're rebels? You are of a warrior breed developed by the
Centauris. You are no more Human than I am Delphian."

"Why are you talking like this?"

Tychon glanced at Greah, not entirely sure
why he was talking like this. "Maybe this is getting to me, finally. If it
weren't for us, people like Greah wouldn't have to worry about people like Tharron."

"Of course not! If it wasn't for us, Tharron
would be in control and being eaten alive by Rhuwacs would be a way of life and
certainly nothing to fuss about!"

"Tharron wouldn't be here. He wouldn't
have Rhuwacs. You're not listening..."

"Come, you two!" Greah stepped
between them. "Don't carry on so. Let's get on, maybe if we manage to catch
Tharron, both your Union and his people will leave this planet and save me the
trouble of having to show my kinsmen how to kill. I will only need to invent a
harvest god." He turned to walk ahead again, soon swallowed up by the
undergrowth.

Nova followed him, a little annoyed with Tychon.
More than that, she worried over Greah's revelation concerning his people. She
had begun to count on them for help in overcoming Tharron and his army. In her
mind she had seen a battlefield of nimble-footed, heavily-armed Greahs pitted
against the slow Rhuwac soldiers. She had seen castles taken by force and
planes burned on the ground. They would not fight? Was that not an instinct to
most things that crawled, swam and walked? She recalled Tychon's words. Of
course she had been trained for this! Killing one's enemy was what war was all
about, was it not?

"Can you believe it?" she
grumbled, more to herself than to Tychon. "They won't fight! We're going
up against Tharron, just the three of us. The only chance we'll have is that
he'll laugh himself to death. We'll–" She nearly fell over Greah who had
come to an abrupt halt in the middle of the path, straining forward, listening.

She dropped into a squat at once, her gun
in her hand before her thoughts had caught up with the reflex. Something about
Greah's stance called for absolute caution. His gun, too, was no longer on his
back. Nova looked behind her to see the bird standing still, Tychon's hand clamped
around its beak.

She squinted to see through the thicket in
front of them, soon making out five Rhuwacs, broad backs turned toward them.

Nova shifted her weight left to show Tychon
the direction she would take. They were too close now. The bird could never be
moved quietly. She prayed that none of the Rhuwacs would sense them, smell them
perhaps.

Something in their midst seemed to occupy
them. Nova strained her eyes to discern one Shaddallama lying motionless on the
ground while another one, this one female, cowered at his side, fearfully
staring at the Rhuwacs.

Nova turned to Greah, about to send him
back to calm the sandrunner. But he had already discovered the object of the
Rhuwacs' interest. Before she could restrain him he had launched himself at the
beasts with the fiercest of battle cries.

* * *

Jelani reclined comfortably on Tharron's
open patio, enjoying the fragrant air that wafted over the garden. Again, Tharron
had confiscated the most palatial house of the beleaguered city for himself. Complete
with little native servants, Jelani remarked to himself, nothing too good for
our leader.

He mused over this. He was calling Tharron
'our leader' now. Did that make him a rebel? He doubted this. He was a Shantir.
Neutral. Totally neutral. And about to be part of the most wonderful miracle
the galaxy had ever seen!

He watched the K'lar giant idly. Oh, he was
in a state again! Just look at his underlings cringe and cower as he rages. And
had he just kicked that little servant? Such a vulgar, crude man. A voice loud
enough to shake the walls!

Jelani fanned himself, wondering if he
should call for one of the refreshing berry drinks he enjoyed so much. He was
no longer afraid of Tharron. Tharron needed him; there was no one else who
could give him the Tughan Wai. So why whine and quake at Tharron's feet?

Of course, Tharron was one thing. Pe Khoja
was quite another. Jelani's face clouded. Pe Khoja, Taelros and others like
them despised Jelani, that much was clear. The reason for their loathing was
less definite. It worried the Shantir and he stepped with caution around them.

Tharron strode over to Jelani's
lounge."Get up, wizard! You have work to do."

"I studied with the boy this morning
and then sent him to play. He is such an exceptional child! But we must be
careful. I suggest two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon."

"Forget your study. We have been
discovered. It wasn't enough to move to Shad Areen. We must leave this
planet."

Jelani rose. "Where are we
going?"

"As far as orbit. It is time to fight.
Give me the Tughan."

“That is impossible! It should take months
to prepare him. The child is not ready."

Tharron regarded the Shantir with the same
amused curiosity that showed when he tried to converse with Kiran. "There
are two Union battleships on a direct course for Shaddallam. They will be here
by tomorrow. I’m sure they have enough of your Delphi wizards on board to turn
your brains into dog food. My people estimate over four hundred combat
fighters. A couple of Eagles are already buzzing around this planet, just
hoping to intercept our escape.”

“What about your men? You have ships. You
have guns.”

“I have nothing! We were able to reach only
one of my battleships before both of my com relays were destroyed. One! That
will give me less than two hundred fighters besides what I have down here. We're
surrounded and outnumbered. The only way that we are going to get out is by
demonstrating my new weapon."

"But there is still time! If we leave
at once we only need to worry about the Eagles. Surely you have enough fire
power to overcome them. We can run before the battleships arrive!"

"Tharron does not run!" the
leader roared. "We will make our stand here over Shaddallam, tomorrow!"

"They would not dare risk the life of
this child. I know what you did on Tannaday. They will let us go, knowing that
we have the boy."

Tharron's expression shifted. Even Jelani
could not suppress a shudder when he looked into the cold eyes within the fleshy
folds of the K'lar's face. "This is not Tannaday. This is not about children.
They would not hesitate to blow us out of the skies."

"Then let us stay here! We are safe on
the ground. This city is filled to bursting with people. As the Union's armies
would not oppose the children of Tannaday, so they would not risk the people of
Shaddallam. They cannot touch us here!"

"These people will not be here for
much longer," Tharron said. "I know what the Tughan needs. I've seen
the files you found on Delphi. He will feed, wizard. But not on Rhuwacs. I've
brought tastier fare for him."

Jelani only stared, utterly dumfounded.

"Of course," Tharron continued.
"We now have a banquet arriving, thanks to your Union friends. They are
delivering warriors, engineers, Shantirs, pilots! What a feast for the Tughan
Wai!"

"You.. you can't mean this!"

"Make sure the boy is ready. You will
destroy the Union fleet and then we will strike Feyd. Or Targon itself."

Jelani coughed to conceal what would have
been a whimper. "Targon? Those are high stakes, Lord! I thought you had
considered Aram or Myra."

"Delphi, perhaps?"

"Delphi is mine!"

Tharron laughed, a sound like that of a
breaking pane of glass. "So it will be. When the Ten Factors are ten dead
bodies. We will leave here as soon as you have prepared the boy. He will
destroy the Union fleet and then we leave for Targon."

"He is young! I have only now been
able to reach his mental block. It could kill him."

The K'lar turned to leave. "I only
need to use him once. No one will call my bluff twice. If I can take Targon
intact, by threat alone, I will have gained much. When the Union fleet arrives,
we will take the boy into orbit and you will let him take those ships out of
the sky. See that you are ready."

Jelani stared after Tharron, speechless.
Tomorrow! He thought of the Union's ships steadily advancing, preparing for
battle. The Tughan would deal with them easily. Child's play! Perhaps he
could... yes, it was possible! Jelani hurried into the house, calling for Kiran.
There was so much to do!

* * *

Greah blurred past Nova, his outraged cry
ringing in her ears. His gun shattered the head of the closest Rhuwac with
enough power to leave the decapitated, spurting body standing upright beside
his astounded compatriots before it crumpled to the ground.

The surprise was all that was left to them.
Nova flung herself into the clearing, firing. Another Rhuwac fell.

The beasts moved in a daze, slow to reach
for their own guns. When Tychon felled one of the giants to the left, the
remaining two realized that they were surrounded. One lurched toward the two
Shaddallam natives and grasped Greah by the neck, lifting him to cover himself.

"Greah!" Nova shouted. The Rhuwac
roared in fear and triumph.

He had never met a Shaddallama capable of
self defense. Gurgling, Greah twisted his multi jointed arms and aimed his gun.
The force of the charge tore through his foe and exploded out of his back. Tychon
had to leap out of the way to avoid being crushed beneath the massive body.
Greah was flung into the opposite direction.

Nova disposed of the last soldier as he
turned to make his escape. "There's one I don't mind shooting in the
back!" she shouted gleefully. She looked around. The unscheduled attack
had lasted no more than a few seconds. "Everyone all right? Ty?"

"Fine." He took his shirt off and
threw it away. "I seem to be splattered with Rhuwac innards, but I don't
think they had the time to shoot anything else."

Greah crouched beside the frightened woman
and helped her to her feet. She stared round-eyed at Tychon and Nova, then at
Greah and finally at her dead mate. She wailed and flung herself over the body,
shaking the lifeless arm, sobbing incoherently.