Warrior Chronicles 5: Warrior's Curse (5 page)

“They left me.”

Cort didn’t have to know who George meant. “Did they know you were alive?”

“I wasn’t alive then. I knew about them, and I had thoughts, I think. But I don’t think I was alive. I think Doctor Tsao is right. I think the quasar changed me. After it hit the planet, I suddenly felt alone.”

“Do you remember their society?”

“Yes.”

“You haven’t told Doctor Tsao about them. Why not?”

“Do you want me to, Father?”

“What I want doesn’t matter, George. I’m just curious why you haven’t.”

It took immense effort on Cort’s part not to smile when George sighed. Clearly he was becoming adept at mimicking human behavior.
Was it mimicking? Or has he learned it from us?
The boy said, “It is all I have of them. I am afraid that if I share it, that memory will not be special anymore.”

Cort thought about the answer. He understood it perfectly. He himself still held secrets about his own past that no one, not even Kimberly, would ever know. He protected both good and bad memories from that time over three centuries before. “I understand.”

They had reached an image of a bright star. “They were both good and bad to me. They could have taken part of me with them, but if they hadn’t left me, I would not be alive.” George looked up at Cort. “I would not have you.”

“You are growing up, George. Much faster than Dalek. It will become noticeable soon. Your speech and your actions.”

“I know. I already change my behavior when I am around him.”

Cort frowned. “I guess I’m not around enough to notice that. Thank you for being here with them.”

“I will always protect them, Father.”

They reached the gravesite of the mural artist. Cort asked, “Did you know him?”

“Yes. His name was Raon. His mate was in poor health. It prevented her from being evacuated, so he stayed with her. After she died, he and I communicated and played a game similar to chess. That was before I was aware of myself. He was inventive. Before the quasar hit, he dug his own grave and devised a way to keep the dirt from collapsing on him. When it happened, the quasar I mean, he died and let go of the device he had built. That caused the dirt to be released and cover his body.”

“It sounds as if Raon was quite a person.”

“Yes. I remember him most of all.”

George turned to face Cort. “Should I tell Doctor Tsao about them?”

“I can’t answer that for you, George. I’ve had to make the same decision though.”

“How did you resolve it?”

“My past is common knowledge now. What isn’t is how my first wife Angela and our daughter Diane died.”

Cort could almost see George accessing the datanet and looking at the files. “It was a car accident, Father.”

“Yes it was. But my wife was coming home from seeing her lover. She had been drinking alcohol as well. After she picked Diane up from a babysitter, she lost control of the car and crashed.”

“Have you told anyone?”

“Just you, Son.”

“Why are you telling me?”

“That’s how I balance my past. I have that one thing that I don’t share with anyone. You have something like that too.”

“What thing?”

“Your memories of Raon. You could give Doctor Tsao everything else, but don’t tell him about Raon. That can be a secret only you and I share. Just as what I told you about Angela and Diane is.”

“Thank you, Father.”

Cort put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Let’s go find the others. I’ll bet your brother is getting hungry. I know I am.”

As they began walking, George said, “ I would like to talk to you again after he is in bed.”

“About anything in particular?”

“Yes. I have a suggestion about how best to utilize my abilities.”

“I don’t even know all of your abilities yet, George.”

“Neither do I, Father. But we should learn them, don’t you think?”

They turned a corner to see the wolves running toward them and Kim and Dalek walking through an ancient living area. The family had a picnic lunch in the ruins and spent the rest of the day exploring the surrounding area.

That evening, after the family finished dinner, Cort was reading a paper book. Tur interrupted him and clicked, “Doctor Ceram is here to see you, General.”

“He can wait. I’m not back on duty until tomorrow morning. I’ll see him then.”

Tur left the room and returned a moment later. “Sir, he says that you can see him, or he can contact Mrs. Addison.”

“Godsdammit. Send him in.”

Ceram moved into the room and clicked, “General, how are you feeling?”

“I feel like breaking off your antennae, Ceram. Why are you here?”

“You agreed to allow me to examine you once a day. It is time for that exam.” Ceram looked at the sideboard and added, “May I have some sweetwater?”

Cort jerked his thumb toward the cabinet. “Get it yourself.”

“You are in a bad mood, I take it?”

“My mood was just fine before you interrupted me,” Cort growled, standing up.

The big insect poured a liter of warm water into a specially shaped container and added nearly a pint of honey to it. After the mixture was complete he widened his mandibles and drank.

“I must examine your face. Please remove your bandage.”

Cort unwrapped the bandage and turned to face the doctor. Ceram manipulated his skin and took a blood sample. As he put the sample away, he said, “Your eye is beginning to develop. Now that the socket is fully formed, I can fill it with a nutrient pod and cover the hole. In a few months, four at the most, your eye should be fully formed. Then we can recut your eyelid and allow it to grow back normally.”

Looking at Cort with what the human had come to recognize as contempt, Ceram added, “Your eye would be almost usable by now if you hadn’t cut it off for dramatic effect. You have travelled through time, founded an empire, sired a living god, and yet you seem to be an idiot.”

“Fuck you, Ceram. What about my hearing? That side is still pretty bad.”

Ceram held a small flat panel against the damaged side of Cort’s head. “A few more days. The tiny bones of the inner ear are forming now.”

“Okay. One more thing. Will you go with us if we jump after the abductees?”

“That is up to you, General. You are my leader, so if you tell me to go, I will go.”

“Not this time, Ceram. Everyone who goes will be a volunteer.”

“I see. Very well then. I will accompany you.”

“Good.”

“May I ask what I interrupted when I arrived?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were angry. I assume that I interrupted you.”

Cort closed his eye for a moment. “No, you didn’t interrupt me.”

“Oh. Then what were you doing?” Ceram was making himself more sweetwater.

Cort looked up at the doctor. H’uumans were the only species common to the federation that Cort had to physically look up to. At just over 193 centimeters, Cort was the tallest human to have lived for over a century. He was also much shorter than any adult H’uuman he had ever met. “I was reading an old book.”

Ceram clicked, “I have been reading Earth literature as well. I’ve grown fond of Edgar Allen Poe.”

Cort laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me at all, Ceram.”

“I do not understand.”

“He was one of the most macabre men to have ever lived. Lovecraft was probably his only equal.”

“Lovecraft?”

“Do you read English?”

“Yes.”

Cort went to a shelf near the fireplace and pulled down a book. Handing it to Ceram he said, “This is
The Necromicon.
Read with me.”

Two hours later the pair were still engrossed in their books when Kim walked in. Cort sat with his book in his lap, a cigar burning in his hand, and a glass of rye on the table next to him. Ceram was prone on the floor and immersed in his book as well, a container of sweetwater nearby.

She cleared her throat to make herself known, and Ceram quickly stood erect. Without getting up, Cort introduced the doctor to his wife. “Kim, this is Doctor Ceram. He’s the guy who put me back together.”

Ceram bent into a low bow. “It is my greatest honor to meet you, Pledge Mother.”

“Thank you for taking care of my husband, Doctor. It is nice to meet you as well.”

“Tur and Weela have told me what a pleasure it is to interact with you, Pledge Mother. It is my wish to experience the same comfort they have felt in your presence.”

“You remind me somewhat of First Queen Heroc, Doctor. Did you know her?”

Cort watched the exchange and realized yet again that he was going to like Ceram. He was as genteel with Kim as he was crass with Cort, a combination that reminded him of the H’uuman’s brood mother as well. The thought made him think of Dar again. He took a sip of the rye he had been nursing, then swallowed the remainder of the glass. Putting his book down, and with his cigar in his mouth, he abruptly stood and walked across the room for a refill.

Cort’s movement distracted Kim and she watched as he filled his drink again, leaving just enough room for the one ice cube he added to the liquor. With drink in hand, he walked to a picture on the wall. In it, he was climbing into his HAWC heavy armor suit. The suit was in a squat and his first wolf Sköll looked up at the armor like it was a giant troll. In one side of the frame, Dar Sike and Kay Gaines were looking at the ten-meter tall  suit. Clare Gaines’ reflection was just visible in one wet window, a camera in her hands. Kimberly sensed Cort was slipping into sadness and raised her hand to Ceram to pause their conversation.

As she moved across the room toward him, Cort said, “Dar was the last one. They are all gone now. Four more lives cut short because of their love for me. How long until my curse takes you and Dalek and George from me too?”

“It’s not a curse, baby.” Kim put her arm in his and laced her fingers into his free hand. “It’s just life. Am I doomed to lose you because I lost my first husband?”

Before he could answer, Kim went on. “People who fight, die. Even your great-grandfather. What do you call him?”

“Clem. Reed Clement Addison.”

“Do you think Clem was cursed? He went off to World War I and never came back.”

Cort remembered saluting Clem’s marker under the Memorial Sea just before he left Earth for the Mars colonies. “His body isn’t even there. It’s in an unmarked grave somewhere in Europe. If he even has that. He was just one of thousands whose bodies were never given proper burials. I saluted a fucking rock.”

“What did he die for though?” Kim persisted.

“I don’t know why anyone dies anymore, Kim. I just know they are connected to me.”

Ceram couldn’t help but hear the conversation, but he was completely silent. Both of the humans had forgotten he was there.

“No. Like Kay and Dave Gaines and all the others, he died for something he believed in. Even Clare did. Don’t make it about you, baby. That’s cheating them of their sacrifice. They died for all of us, not just you.”