Shades of Gray (80 page)

“General,” said Zsurtul quietly. “You will tell us what we need to know.”

He sat back in his chair, waiting, aware that Kaid and Carrie saw this as a test of Zsurtul’s authority as well as proof of Kezule’s change of heart.

The silence stretched, then as abruptly, Kezule turned around. “We were controlled, all of us, by being fed a diet of raw meat,” he said harshly. “It fed our aggression. Only the Officer Class were given the spice laalquoi, which you call la’quo, to moderate it. In my captivity on Shola, I was given some, but not enough. If you want to take the fight out of the Officers, saturate their food and drink with that!”

“They’re not your people, Kezule,” Kusac said. “You’re not betraying your own kind. The M’zullians are not true warriors as you were. There is no honor in them, or their leader. We both know that.”

Kezule’s eyes narrowed; then, taking a deep breath, he nodded slowly, mouth twisting into a parody of a smile. “No, they are not.”

He returned to the table, bowing to Zsurtul before taking his seat again.

“The Ch’almuthians have a drug they use as an anesthetic, based on a natural mutation of the la’quo plant,” said M’kou. “They farm it in fairly large quantities.”

“Find out its exact effects and the doses,” said Kaid. “It could be of use to us.”

“When those of us related to the Royal family were called to the Court,” said Kezule, clasping his hands on the table, “our staff prepared special meals for us, gradually adjusting us to eating cooked food. However, the food was still heavily laced with laalquoi.”

“What of the lower ranks?” asked Kusac.

“They were almost a different breed from us. They advanced by fighting their superiors for their positions if they felt they could perform their jobs better. They formed alliances among their ranks and fought it out. Failure to perform satisfactorily wasn’t an option—if they didn’t, they were torn apart by the opposing faction. We Officers exuded a scent that prevented them from attacking us; it created fear in them, a visceral fear they couldn’t conquer.”

“How did you advance to your position?” asked Carrie.

“Politics and merit,” he said. “Oh, we were as violent as the lower classes in our own way, but with a veneer of civilization covering it. We didn’t fight to the death, though the weak were weeded out early on. No, our early years were more brutal in a way, because deaths were rare. Once military training was over, the physical violence was left behind. From then on, we were the leaders, and our power struggles were more—bloodless and political.”

“What makes you assume the M’zullians are still like that?” asked Kaid.

“The ones on Keiss were,” said Carrie, a shadow crossing her face. “I have Elise’s memories of them.”

“I can second that,” said Kusac quietly. “So the weaknesses we need to target are the reaction to the fear scents of the lower ranks, and the potential for the uncontrolled violence, and the drugging of the Officer ranks?”

“You can control both with laalquoi and fear scents, though the Officers will react differently to the scent,” said Kezule.

“All of them are afraid of releasing fear scents,” said Carrie, tapping her fingernails on the table in an unconscious imitation of Kusac’s habit. “Basically, they are paranoid about how they react to any stressful situation. We can target that. The more paranoid they are, the more suspicious of each other they’ll become, which is what we want, isn’t it?”

“Feed their paranoia,” nodded Kaid. “Turn them against each other. If we can keep them focused on that, we may be able to reach their wives and recruit their help.”

“Assuming they are all Ch’almuthian females,” said Kezule. “If they’re the nonsentient ones I knew, you won’t have much luck.”

“They’re drugged out of their minds, Kezule,” said Carrie, looking over to him. “If we can take them off the drugs, then their innate sentience will surface.”

“How useful will females be who have lived all their lives drugged senseless in a harem?” asked Zsurtul.

“We won’t know till we try, will we?” asked Carrie. “Don’t underestimate their desire for revenge, though, nor those of any Ch’almuthians.”

“They take Ch’almuthian males as part of the tithe,” said Kusac. “What would they do with them?”

“They’ll likely use them as breeding stock,” said Kezule. “They’d be kept imprisoned, then mated to selected females to strengthen certain characteristics in either the general soldier population, or in the Officer cadre.”

“A thought,” said Carrie. “What if we also work on the sentient females—make them afraid of K’hedduk, especially those in the harem? It would unsettle the Court and all the Officer cadre.”

“There’s so much we can’t know till we get there,” sighed Kusac.

“Then let’s plan for what we can do,” said Kaid. “We can’t train locals to be guerillas and mount a rebellion, but we can make K’hedduk think that one is happening. Covert ops aimed at key targets, both military and civilian, perhaps leaving behind a message of some kind, to make them think a rebellion is in progress and building. We can then use our telepaths to direct their paranoia in the directions we want. Kezule, do they have the Zsadhi legend too?”

“It existed in my time, yes,” he replied. “I assume they still have it since it still exists here and among the Ch’almuthians.”

“M’kou,” began Kusac, then stopped as the youth, with a faint smile, slid a folder across the table to him.

“I thought you’d want to read up on the legend,” he said quietly, passing out the other copies.

“Thanks,” said Kusac.

“In that case, all we need do is scrawl the word Zsadhi at the scene of our demonstration of the power of dissent,” said Kaid, opening his folder and beginning to scan the pages within.

“We’ll need explosives of the kind that they use on M’zull,” said Carrie.

“Maybe,” said Kaid. “If we use ones from here, it may make them even more paranoid. They’ll start wondering if the rebels are in touch with us, which would mean that the fleet will become suspect. We want that, since we can’t get to the ships ourselves.”

“True,” said Kusac, looking over to Kaid. “Looks like we’re at the point where we need you and T’Chebbi putting together a Wants list. Essentials only, since we’ll be doing a HALO drop on our way out after rescuing Zhalmo. Kezule, can you get a holo projection of the countryside around the Palace on M’zull? It would be invaluable. Maps too.”

“It’s already being worked on,” said M’kou. “Should be ready in a couple of days.”

Kusac pushed his chair back. “Then I’d better get to work with Rezac. Carrie, can you see to the telepaths with Conner, please?”

She nodded as she rose.

“I’ll get on with arranging the cold-weather training over on the
Tooshu’s
virtual hall, and organizing supplies with T’Chebbi,” said Kaid.

 

“Kezule, do you know if the Cabbarans have ever been seen on K’oish’ik before now?” Kaid asked when the others had left.

“Not to my knowledge,” he said, looking questioningly at King Zsurtul.

“Not in my time,” said the youth. “ZSADHI?”

“I have no records of them visiting us, Majesty.”

“That’s odd. I know where you’re coming from, Kaid,” said Zsurtul thoughtfully.

“What’s odd?” asked Kezule.

“The Cabbarans and the TeLaxaudin are working closely together on Shola, like old allies,” said Kaid. “Yet they have never been here, a virtual outpost of TeLaxaudin activity.” He hesitated a moment. “Shaidan told me that Annuur and Tirak’s
Watcher
ship docked with the
Zan’droshi
when it unexpectedly approached Kij’ik, Kezule. Why would it do that if they’re strangers to your people?”

“
Watcher
orders, maybe?” suggested Zsurtul.

“Perhaps,” acceded Kaid. “L’Seuli is still in the area. I’ll ask him. Meanwhile, if you have no objections, I thought I would go talk to the TeLaxaudin.”

“To see if they will admit to an alliance with the Cabbarans? Good idea,” said Kezule, gathering together the papers in front of him.

“For all they have apparently done nothing but good for your people, you don’t seem to trust them, Kezule. In fact, you trusted Kusac, a known and deadly enemy in your time, with the life of your King rather than them when Zsurtul was injured. Why?”

Zsurtul looked at the General in surprise. “You ordered that?”

“I did, Majesty,” Kezule said. “Who better to guard you than the one who risked his life to save yours? As for the TeLaxaudin, call it an old soldier’s gut instinct, Kaid. We had one on Kij’ik with us. In fact, he was waiting for us when we arrived. I hadn’t told anyone where we were going, yet there he was with the hydroponics section up and running, ready for us. It was just too convenient. And no, I didn’t ask him. Somehow, every time I intended to, it conveniently slipped my mind,” he hissed, his crest beginning to lift in obvious annoyance.

“I take it you don’t want to come with me, then,” said Kaid, unable to resist the jibe.

Kezule rose and glared at him. “No, I’ll leave that pleasure to you!” he snapped.

“Excuse me, Lord General, but there are no TeLaxaudin on K’oish’ik. They all left three days ago,” said the AI.

“Left?” echoed Zsurtul, obviously stunned by the news. “But they’ve always been here! What will we do if we need them?”

“We’re better off without them,” said Kezule. “What can they do that we, or our new allies, can’t do?”

“But the breeding tanks . . . the children.”

“King Zsurtul, look around you, at some of the younger members of your Court,” saidKezule. “In the city the number of pregnant females grows almost daily, and they are all able to bear their own young! The main reason you needed them is gone.”

Kaid nodded. “He’s right, King Zsurtul. So they left three days ago, when Kusac had his accident down in the new town. Convenient.”

“It’s as if they’re always two or three steps ahead of us,” said Kusac from the doorway. “How can that be? Are they spying on us all the time?”

“Either that or someone else here is,” said Kaid grimly, walking toward him. “Let’s go see what Annuur has to say.”

“ZSADHI, alert the Royal guard to escort the King to his quarters and remain with him until I return,” ordered Kezule, getting up. “Majesty, the safest place for you is in your quarters.”

“Then I’ll go to the nursery where the cubs are,” the youth said, rising. “I won’t have them at risk either. They are your vulnerability, Captain,” he said, looking directly at Kusac. “And yours, General.”

“Thank you, Zsurtul,” Kusac said, turning to leave.

“What about Tirak?” asked Kaid.

“They’re all down at the new town,” said Kusac. “ZSADHI, put a guard around their ship and their shuttle at the new town. They’re not to be allowed to leave the area.”

“Yes Captain,” said the AI.

 

Although at first he kept up, eventually their four-legged loping run left the General behind.

We need to keep Naacha away from both us and Annuur,
sent Kusac.

Understood. Do you plan on talking to them there?
asked Kaid

And hand them ourselves as hostages?
snorted Kusac.
No, outside. They may try to run, but we can catch them.

They left the city behind and circled around to approach the new township from the rear, near the road to the cattle pastures where the new buildings were going up.

I can’t believe that either species would act against us,
muttered Kusac.
Look at all the help they’ve given the Alliance, and the good they have done for the Primes.

Because it also suited them,
reminded Kaid.
You told us your memories have been edited when it suited them.

There is that,
he agreed as he began to slow to a walk, then, in the cover of a patch of bushes, reared upright to walk the last hundred or so yards so as to arouse less attention.

A small herd of cattle was coming toward them, the bells around the necks of the lead herd beasts clanging rhythmically as the three young Ch’almuthians, using switches and various whistled commands, drove them toward their pastures farther upriver.

Kusac and Kaid swerved to avoid them.

“Bit late to be taking them out,” Kaid observed, glancing at the sun as Kusac pointed toward the small group around the house that Annuur and his sept were erecting.

A sudden commotion was breaking out there, and the air was split by the sound of high-pitched shrieks and snorts that could only come from the Cabbarans. The herd beasts began grunting and lowing, bunching together before they suddenly bolted, moving toward them in an ever-widening wave of solid horned bodies.

Trapped in front of them, Kusac and Kaid dropped again to all fours and began sprinting for safety.

Kusac’s sight began to narrow as he tried to outrace the beasts, his mind searching for and finding Annuur as part of his mind was still monitoring the fast-approaching herds. Kaid, slightly closer to the river than he had been, would make it to safety, but he wouldn’t.

Kusac!
sent Kaid as he began to turn back toward him.

Go!
he sent, using Command on his sword brother.
Make for the water!

He turned, racing for the lead beast and leaped, narrowly missing the widespread horns, landing on its back, his claws sinking deep into its flesh. Screaming, it tried to halt but was driven on by those behind it. Twisting around, he let himself drop astride it; then he leaned forward and sank his front claws into its neck.