Shades of Gray (104 page)

“They did a sketch of it, Majesty,” said the Sergeant, taking a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolding it.

K’hedduk leaned forward and snatched it from him.

“These alien suits,” he asked, his voice tight with rage, “Did their legs have joints that went backward where our knee would be?”

“Yes, Majesty!” the other soldier blurted out. “And tails, just like the machine. Their weapons are more powerful than ours, and their armor! Nothing we had seemed to penetrate it. We had no chance against them.”

Crushing the drawing into a ball, he turned his back on them. “Leave, and fetch me General Geddash!” he hissed in anger.

Sholans! The damned Sholans and Primes had staged a rescue and taken his wife from the very heart of his Palace! On top of that, for a second time, they’d lost their tithe of breeders and goods!

He knew who was behind it—Kusac and Kezule! This was the Sholan’s revenge for what had been done to him on the
Kz’adul
. He should’ve killed the creature when he had him in his hands, the same with Kezule.

His personal servant came in quietly and stopped beside him.

“I’ve brought you a hot drink, Your Majesty,” he said quietly.

He toyed with the idea of sending the tray and servant both flying across the room as a way to assuage some of his anger, but the aroma from the hot shokka was heightening his hunger. As soon as he’d received the news of the attack and that the Empress was missing, he’d rushed back to the Palace without stopping to eat.

Taking the cup, he nodded and sipped the creamy drink. “Fetch me some food,” he ordered. “Something quick to eat for now.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The servant left as silently as he’d arrived.

K’hedduk returned to his desk to wait for the General. Spreading out the crumpled drawing, he studied it carefully this time. Although crude, it was the shape of a Sholan. He’d seen the males assume just that four-legged stance in defense of their mates. First the Primes and the Sholans had joined forces, and now the Ch’almuthians! He was losing control, bit by bit, of the Empire he’d hoped to create.

A knock on the door broke his concentration, and he looked up to find the servant returning with a tray of sandwiches. The smell of the warm spiced meat was mouthwatering.

As the plate was set on his desk, he gave the servant a rare smile and thanked him.

“It is my pleasure to serve you, Majesty,” the servant murmured before leaving.

He was halfway through his meal when his secretary showed General Geddash in.

“More bad news, Majesty,” said Geddash, striding up to his desk. “The fleet has just emerged from jump space. They took dreadful losses at K’oish’ik. There were ships belonging to three other species berthed in their system, waiting for us. If I didn’t know better, I’d call it a trap.” He held out a sheaf of photographs.

His appetite abruptly gone, K’hedduk took the photos and spread them out on his desk.

“Those,” said the General, pointing to a brightly painted blue and gold warship, “are a species currently unknown to us. Those,” he indicated the photos of ships typified by their dart shapes and smooth lines, “are Sholan, and the rest are Prime ships. Our force was outnumbered and outgunned.”

“How many returned?” he asked, picking up his shokka and sipping it to wash the taste of ashes from his mouth.

“A mere handful. Twelve, I believe,” he said, sitting down in the chair opposite K’hedduk.

“The Ch’almuthians are now allied with the Primes and Sholans. They left one of their number behind when they stole the Empress. A Prime, I’ll wager, since the Ch’almuthians are not soldiers. Find him,” he ordered.

“They did?” Geddash’s eye ridges raised in surprise.

“No one saw them take the Empress from the seraglio onto the
Aggressor
.Therefore, they must’ve put her in battle armor,” said K’hedduk. He was beyond anger now, just exhausted.

“I’ll get my people on it right away,” said Geddash.

“See our security here is increased immediately. When we find this spy, I’ll know what we should do next. Meanwhile, make sure our fleets are prepared in case they retaliate and attack us here.”

“They won’t do that,” said the General. “There were too few ships there to mount an attack on us, and they know it. Their visit to kidnap the Empress has given them that information! They’ll have seen the size of our fleets.”

“Even so, everyone on full alert, and no one lands without new codes that are changed daily.”

“As you command, Majesty,” said Geddash, getting up and bowing before leaving.

“Find me a female that looks as close to the Empress as possible,” he said, dropping his voice so only Zerdish could hear him as he also got to his feet. “With all that’s happened today, my people need some positive news. Keep your search secret from everyone, and when you find her, bring her to me. We’ll let it be known that we recovered her, and we’ll have her appear in public at my side. And have my News Officer bring me a positive way of presenting all this mess first thing tomorrow! Geddash wasn’t far wrong when he pointed out that the rebels have seen the size of our fleets and that will make them think twice about attacking us here, on M’zull.”

“Yes, Majesty,” murmured Zerdish, following him out into the corridor, then across it to the Emperor’s lounge. “Actually, I know of a female already. She’s the wife of one of the older members of your Court, Lord Nayash.”

“That old fossil? He’s still alive? Is she one of the Ch’almuthian females?” K’hedduk asked, opening the door.

“Yes, and as like to the Empress as if they were sisters from the same brood.”

He waited for Zerdish to send in the other guard to check out the room, and his bedroom beyond, despite the fact that there were guards outside the doors at all times.

“Come in with me, and we’ll continue this discussion in private,” he said, leading the way in.

He waited till Zerdish closed the door.

“The oldster won’t give up his wife without screeching about it to everyone who’ll listen,” said Zerdish.

K’hedduk looked at him shrewdly. “And how do you know that, and what his young wife looks like, for that matter?”

Zerdish shrugged. “Like some of the other lords, he’s brought her to the seraglio to meet with her countryfolk. Your late brother allowed the females to mingle together one day a week. It kept them from getting homesick, he said. I saw Nayash’s wife on one of those visits.”

“Has he heirs?” asked K’hedduk thoughtfully, walking over to his sofa and taking a seat.

“One son, from an earlier marriage. He’s in the fleet, a Lieutenant, I believe. He’s out with his ship right now.”

“Excellent. Then his elderly father has just had a tragic accident in my service, and as his grateful Emperor, I have decided to provide for his young widow, personally, in my seraglio.”

Zerdish smiled slightly. “I understand, Sire. I shall see to it immediately.”

“If Resho’s half capable, get her out of the hospital and have her see to getting this female ready to take on the role of my Empress.”

Zerdish bowed and left.

“What insanity possessed Hkairass?” asked Khassis, pacing stiffly back and forth in the small chamber. “Sending one of his people to the M’zullians? Cannot believe they worked to make this war with Hunter Alliance happen!”

“Believe it,” said Annuur tiredly, reaching for the fruit drink that had been left ready for him. His hoof-tipped fingers closed around the wide glass with surprising dexterity, and he lifted it up to his snout to lap thirstily.

“You left the translocator with the Hunter,” said Khassis, sitting down on the cushions beside him.

“Purposely. It take him there to deal with Lassimiss, nowhere else. Nothing can we do with him for now. Reveal our own interference we will.”

Khassis bowed her head thoughtfully. “No difference between our interference and theirs,” she sighed after a few minutes silence. “They will argue this point.”

Annuur gave a derisive snort. “They worked to destroy Sand-dwellers, never forget that! They Spoke in Council for poisoning them all. We do not. We work to preserve their lives, Hunters, Sand-dwellers, our Child race, all of them. Never forget this, Khassis.”

Khassis uncurled herself and rose to her feet. “You speak wisely, Annuur. Must not let their arguments make us lose sight of our main differences. Must leave now before we are discovered. Unity, return us to our homes.”

“As you command, Elder Khassis,”
said Unity.

As the Elder faded before his eyes, Annuur sighed. He hated traveling like this. Then with a wrench, he was home, being welcomed by his sept.

ZSURTUL woke to the sound of the door opening quietly and saw Na’qui’s head poking through the gap.

“How could you?” she demanded angrily in disbelief, pushing the door wider and standing in the doorway. “We’ve been looking all over for her, worried she’d gone off to harm herself! You know what she’s been through! You’re no better than that monster, K’hedduk!”

The bed exploded as Zhalmo launched herself at the medic, grabbing her tightly by the throat and slamming her against the doorframe.

“How dare you enter our room like this! And never speak Zsurtul’s name and that animal’s in the same breath again! I asked him to sleep with me, and that’s all we did! Had we done anything else, it would have been none of your damned business. Now get out of here!” With that, she flung Na’qui bodily out of the door, into the group of her brothers and sisters, and Jurrel that had gathered there.

She glowered at them all, hand on the door, ready to close it. “Yes, I’m back,” she hissed, “He’s
mine
, and don’t you forget it!” Banging the door shut, she promptly burst into tears.

“Zhalmo, what it is?” Zsurtul asked, scrambling out of the wrecked bed and running to her side.

“I was your bodyguard,” she sobbed, covering her face with her hands and leaning against the door. “The best of us all, and I failed you!”

“No, you didn’t,” he said, wrapping his arms around her.

“You didn’t! It was my own fault that I got shot. I ran off on my own, leaving you behind.”

“I failed! I’m not fit to be your wife!” The storm of emotions that had been building, not just since she’d been rescued but in the weeks she’d been a captive, suddenly broke. All the anger and the helplessness swept over her, as well as other emotions she couldn’t name but that had still left their mark on her.

Zsurtul didn’t know what to do, how to help her. Holding her close only seemed to make her weep even more. He did the only thing he could think of, he tried to send his feelings to her, to let her know how much he loved her and how proud he was of her courage and strength.

Her crying slowed as, at first tentatively, then more surely, her mind reached out to touch his, astonished that they could sense each other.

I thought you were dead,
she sent to him.

And I thought I would never get the chance to tell you I loved you,
he replied.

“Children?” she asked, rubbing her hands across her eyes in confusion and looking at him.

“I meant it when I said I want to marry you, Zhalmo,” he said, kissing the last of her tears away. “In fact, let’s do it now. Toueesut is the Captain, and Captains can perform marriages.”

He reached past her and opened the door. Everyone still stood there, unsure what to do—this was their King, and their sister.

“Tell Captain Toueesut he has a wedding to perform,” said Zsurtul. “Your sister’s agreed to be my wife.”

They stood there, openmouthed, looking at him, too surprised to do anything.

“Well?” he demanded. “Didn’t I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir!” said Chy’tu, taking off at a run for the ladder up to the Bridge.

Zsurtul closed the door and turned his attention back to Zhalmo.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” she asked him. “We haven’t known each other very long, and I can’t remember what happened to me on M’zull . . .”

“Hush,” he said, putting a finger across her lips. “The past is done with. I don’t care what you can or can’t remember. It’s your future I want. We’ll make our own memories, good ones, for the rest of our lives.”

She smiled, a small one, but the first one since she’d been rescued.

“That’s better,” he said. “You know, I’ve never before had a female lay down the law to her family that I was hers,” he said thoughtfully, resting his chin on her shoulder. “I like it.”