Voices of Chaos (18 page)

CHAPTER 7

***

hurried to secure flitters to their landing blocks. One had already been blown off its base and lay, one stubby side-wing crumpled, against the barrier between parking and walkway.

Fortunately, the sound of the rising wind was muted by the thickness of outer walls and glass and by the air-cleaning system: Strong winds tended to give her nightmares.

If anything, the winds strengthened overnight; when she wandered into the small eating room next morning, Alexis was nibbling at seed-bread and scowling at a message. "I should've known," she mumbled gloomily. "Read it and weep; the Emperor says it's too dangerous for us to fly into Ebba with the winds up."

"Well, then, we can go inland, can't we?"

The interrelator grimaced. "Want to wager on that? It's another delay; Arekkhi weather's a precise call these days, they
knew
this was coming. Not that we won't try," she added gloomily. "I should've seen it coming myself,"

she mumbled around more bread. "I swear, any more delays, and I'm gonna locate the old causeway to the mainland and
run
to Ebba!"

"Ahhhh--reality check, Ortovsky," Magdalena said mildly, though her stomach was suddenly tight. "It's underwater most

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of the time, which means
slick,
if I recall? If it's too dangerous to fly in this wind, what's it going to do to you, running on wet, slimy--"

"Yeah, I know." Alexis cast her a crooked grin. "I'm kidding, Perez, I wouldn't really. After all, all those inoculations don't protect against whatever's in the oceans, they said to avoid the big water until they do more intensive tests, remember. My luck and some odd germ would rot my toenails and kill me messily."

"Leaving me in charge--don't you dare," Magdalena said flatly, but she smiled as Alexis laughed. "They're still signing the document today, though, right?"

"Right--same hour, both of us. I'll get us that transport, too, or know the reason why," she added grimly.

But Alexis proved no match for the full Arekkhi Council. The Emperor contributed little to the discussion and, Magdalena thought, looked harassed--he intercepted more hand gestures than he gave, and most of those, she could not interpret. The
zhez
at his left side did most of the speaking--he and Alexis, who was exceedingly polite, but not about to back down if she could help it.

"I understand the winds create a difficulty for the new-style flitters, because of the weight and wingspan," she said patiently. "I only suggest that we find an old-style flitter that can make the journey safely."

"We
had
such a flitter prepared," Zhenu countered smoothly, "but, apologies, the pilot chosen discovered the identities of his esteemed passengers and begged to be removed from duty, for fear of embarrassing himself and his family. You must remember, please, Interrelator, that this is a trait of our kind.

It is very difficult to locate those who--well, you see the difficulty." He rummaged in the dish at his elbow and popped a small sweet into his mouth.

"Apologies," Alexis said softly, "but would it be possible to get both a more solid-style flyer
and
the pilot Bhelan, who brought us from station? He has the necessary skills to pilot a shuttle back into atmosphere and onto the ground here--and he seemed to have no difficulty in our company."

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"He was part of the number chosen originally," Zhenu murmured around his sweet. Magdalena, watching him from the corner of her eye, saw the subtle gesture directed at the Emperor, and the Emperor's equally subtle reply. I
have no idea what any of that meant,
she thought vexedly. "But there was illness in his family, he was needed elsewhere, and, of course, there is always the fear the Prince might catch such a disease."

Momentary silence, which Alexis broke. "Well, then. I notice all our clerks showed up this morning, wind or no wind. What if we were to take the tram over to Ebba, like they do?"

One of the older councillors from well downtable stirred. "But if there
was
an accident! The Arekkhi who utilize the railed-tram understand the dangers of the seasonal winds, and--"

"And of course," Zhenu cut him off with a slightly edged voice and a sharp gesture, "while Arekkhi who use the tram can swim in our waters, I am told those who were not born Arekkhi may face dangers from them. And, of course, an accident to the tram, while unlikely, is something the survivors and the families know is possible; they accept the risks ..."

As he paused for another sweet, Alexis gestured apology and said, "And Magdalena and I are both capable of accepting the same risks--we begin facing them when we qualify for StarBridge."

"Yes--one admires such courage," Zhenu murmured around a mouthful of candied fruit. His eyes, Magdalena thought, were still the coldest she'd ever seen--except the Prelate's.
He
still wore that enameled mask. "But if the CLS

sought to blame us? If they felt we had not properly warned you--or that an accident had been precipitated--?''

"The CLS wouldn't do that; they give us leeway, and accept that we occasionally must take certain risks."

The elder who had supported him, every meeting Magdalena had attended thus far, spoke up now. "But if your CLS decided not to believe? If...

apologies, Interrelator, but if they saw in us neglect, to allow you to board a tram in high winds? Or thought it went beyond neglect, to active intent to harm on

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someone's part? We would be penalized in that case, would we not?"

Magdalena glanced at Alexis, who was momentarily at a loss for words.

"But... if we were to send messages, letting them know we had chosen to..."

She hesitated; the elderly councillor spread his arms in a gesture that indicated taking point in debate. He looked far from happy, though. Before Alexis could go on, Zhenu leaned forward; the Emperor touched his arm with the back of his own hand and tapped the long sheet of heavy blue paper.

"Then, if that is settled for the moment, if we might arrange to sign everything here that needs a signature? Or a mark? So that the document is properly completed--and once the winds die down you may, of course, have access wherever you wish, though, of course, one hopes you will discuss your choice of direction with us. To be certain there are no difficulties. Such as the outbreak of
yenif
fever in the back highlands of Akkherif, and in the city Ehnoyhe."

Odd,
Magdalena thought.
No one mentioned disease there, when I
petitioned two days ago to visit Shiksara's family.
But this entire meeting was extremely odd; emotional currents from all directions, the Emperor himself as odd as anyone here. She watched as all the parties necessary signed the trade document, made her counterinitials anywhere Alexis had signed, and took the completed, sealed, enamel-ducat-marked and synth-packeted document to hold on to as Alexis tried once more to get permission for them to ride the tram to Ebba, at least. Somehow the two women found

themselves in the outer hall again, the doors closed between them and the Council.

Alexis stood very still for a long moment; there was no one in the spacious hallway but herself and Magdalena. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. "We didn't even get permission to ride over to Ebba with Khyriz, once the winds die down! What was I thinking of?" She turned around, stared at the double doors. They were as solid-looking, and as uncommunicative, as a stone wall. Two hard taps with her knuckles brought no response; there were no entry-levers on or beside either door.

She scowled sidelong at Magdalena and shifted into English.

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"So--what's
your
take on that? Wait--keep it to yourself, even in English, until we're outside."

"I don't know what to think," Magdalena admitted. She couldn't remember ever seeing Alexis so angry.

"I know what to think, all right--well, never mind. Let's go. I need to get back to the 'beg pretty' program and get us another meeting with the Emperor, to get us over to Ebba at least!"

Magdalena shook her head. "That about the tram--it felt like the truth to me, Alexis. Like it's normally safe, but in high winds, the clerks take a small chance--like, oh, back on Earth when planes were fairly new, flying in winter?"

"I'd give you the option of not going, of course. But if it's okay for the workers, it's fine for me," Alexis replied. Her cheeks were blotchily red. "Come on; sooner we get back to the old palace, sooner we can get a new date to waste more of our time." Alexis glowered at the blank doorway, swore under her breath in Russian, turned, and strode down the hallway of the new palace, ignoring the mechanical walkway. Despite her longer legs, Magdalena had to hurry to catch up.

Fortunately, there was no one anywhere in sight--certainly no one who would know by her body language and expression that the interrelator was furious. The two women clattered down the outside ramp practically side by side, but as they reached ground level, Alexis sped off across the ground cover, dodging the oddly spaced hover-cars and empty landing-blocks as she headed straight for the old palace at a near-run. Her pale hair stood nearly on end in the gusty wind.

Once in the shelter of the old palace, she stopped abruptly and let Magdalena catch up. The corners of her mouth twitched. "Sorry about the temper tantrum and thanks for putting up with me," she said in Mizari. "I needed that."

"Nothing of the sort," Magdalena protested. "You have every right to be angry! They're--I don't know what they're doing! What's going on?
"

"I don't know," Alexis admitted. "But it doesn't feel right. Unsafe vehicles and conditions, my foot! I think they're stalling, but why would they do that?

They've known all along that the team can pull out if CLS requirements aren't met."

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Magdalena shook her head. "I know. It doesn't make sense! Why let us come at all, if they're going to try to keep us here on the island?"

"Well, I don't know what they're up to, but I
do
know what's going to happen next," Alexis said grimly. "When we get back to the suite, I'm firing off an FTL

voice-only encrypted message to CLS headquarters and another to Rob. If he can't do anything to help, he can see Mahree gets it. We may need her--

especially if this is all the cooperation we're going to get." She started walking again, but at a normal pace. "I hope it won't come to that, but we may have to pull out of here even before we get properly unpacked."

"I understand." Magdalena nodded, and hoped neither her face nor her voice showed her disappointment. "What do you need me to do?"

'I need for you to send word down to the ground floor, our batch of clerks.

You prepare a petition for another meeting, tomorrow--and a letter to the Emperor detailing what happens and how fast, if we don't get that meeting, or if this not-so-little hassle isn't straightened out at once."

"You want
me
to handle that?"

"Don't worry," Alexis smiled faintly. "I'm not asking you to play lawyer--
or
interrelator. I'll be the one signing both documents, and I always read what I sign. But I think you'll do a better job than I would of choosing the right words and phrases so it's polite but they know we aren't kidding. Also, I need you to find Khyriz, get him down to see us as soon as he can come. He's the Emperor's son, after all. Maybe he can do something to help."

"Worth a try," Magdalena admitted as they entered the old palace and strode up the ramp.

The building was unexpectedly cool, considering the dry heat and wind outside, and the lack of air conditioning. The door to the second-floor suite opened as they came up; Edhal gestured a bow. "Interrelator," he said very softly, "the Prince asked permission to wait for you. He and his cousin are in the salon."

Magdalena looked at Alexis, who raised her brows. "Something going right, finally," the interrelator said, then turned to

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the servant with a lips-only smile. "Would you bring
rih,
please?" The servant gestured assent and toggled the door closed behind them.

The two males stood close to one of the open balcony doors near the cushioned pit, Khyriz again in red, his smaller and more slightly built cousin resplendent in deep gold. The cousin's ears flicked nervously as the two women entered the room, stilled again as the Prince murmured something in a low voice.

Alexis slowed and glanced at Magdalena, then whispered, "I'm going to collar Khyriz right now--soon's we've done the polite stuff. Can you manage talking to the cousin for a bit?"

"I can do that," the translator replied. I
can try,
she added privately. The cousin looked scared half to death.
His first aliens, wager anything,
she thought. But by the time the introductions were done and Rohf had brought refreshments, Zhikna seemed to have relaxed considerably. Magdalena caught the interrelator's eye and nodded slightly.

Alexis touched Khyriz's arm and said, "If you don't mind, I've got something you should see. We won't be long."

Khyriz gestured assent, his whiskers flicking briefly forward. "Of course.

Magdalena, can I trust you not to eat my poor little cousin while I am gone?''

Zhik went wide-eyed and still; Magdalena laughed easily and gestured amusement.

"He's safe with me, Khyriz."

"Oh--a jest. Apologies," Zhik said hastily. Alexis could hear Magdalena suggesting she and the nervous young male settle in the talking-pit; she led Khyriz back to her office. Once there, door in place behind them, she glanced automatically at the comp screen and the distort-icon in the lower corner that indicated no one could understand their conversation, then gestured toward one of the Arekkhi chairs as she settled on the comer of the desk nearest him. Khyriz remained standing and listened without expression as she told him about their morning; when she finished, he sighed in human fashion.