Chapter 8
I woke slowly, rising out of a deep sleep. My fingers twitched through soft fur. I scrambled awake in a panic. Where had the fur come from?
I lay in a soft bed with a painted canopy overhead. My mouth fell open as I took in the pictures. I didn't know people could do that to each other. My face flushed with embarrassment as I looked away from the paintings.
The room was huge, bigger than my entire ship. Filmy strips of cloth waved in a sluggish breeze. Sunlight filtered through two wide openings, floor to ceiling arches lined with carved pillars. Ornate furniture glittered gold. I hadn't been in a room that screamed feminine so strongly since I'd last been in the orphanage director's office.
I slipped from the bed, my head spinning. The floor continued beyond the openings to a balcony. I pushed a filmy strip of cloth away from my face to look out.
Urns of flowering vines lined the balcony, tiny white blossoms poured out scent like a perfume factory. I inhaled deeply, glad to have found something pleasant, and leaned on the metal railing.
Uniformed men paraded across the pavement below. I shifted uneasily. I had no idea where I was or how I'd gotten there. The men carried swords and spears, not blasters.
Three girls wearing little more than the draperies fluttered through the door. They surrounded me, patting me with soft hands as they tugged me out of the bedroom and into the room beyond. They pushed me into the center of the room then fluttered away, chirping like birds.
I faced a woman seated in a heavy wooden chair that dripped gems and gold. She studied me, pursing her full lips in disapproval at what she saw. I straightened, all too conscious of my dusty skirt and bare feet.
The woman's smooth face looked artificially young. Tiny lines around her eyes hinted at her true age. Her sheer robe emphasized full curves beneath, ones that were too smooth and symmetrical to be real. She had to have been biosculpted, a very expensive procedure that required sophisticated medical tech, something I suspected didn't exist on Dadilan. She smiled a reptilian smile, cold and full of pointy teeth.
"Acer couldn't stop talking about you." Her throaty voice hung in the air. "I was curious. I hope you'll forgive my method of bringing you here."
She spoke Basic. I kept my face blank, pretending I didn't understand. This had to be Shomies Pardui, noted anthropologist and social researcher and possible drug smuggler.
Her eyes narrowed. She steepled her hands, pressing index fingers against her deep red lips.
She gave me cold shivers, worse than Leran. I kept my expression neutral. It was like playing Comets, you made a bet and bluffed your way into winning. If you were good enough. I hoped I was good enough.
"Acer." She snapped her fingers.
My drinking companion of the night before stepped out from behind a set of draperies.
"Is this the woman?" Shomies asked.
Acer nodded.
"You are certain of what you heard last night?"
Acer bowed, curling his hands in front of his face. "I know what I heard, your Grace."
What had I given away? My memory was hazy. Had I said something I shouldn't?
Shomies tapped her fingers against her chin. "You may go."
Acer scurried from the room. His footsteps faded in the hallway.
"It's no use hiding, pretending you don't understand." Shomies spoke the language of Dadilan now. "Acer knows what he heard you say last night."
Shomies stood, every move fluid and graceful. She took four steps, measured like a dance, to a tiny table with a decanter and goblets.
"Perhaps some wine would loosen your tongue." She pulled the stopper from the decanter. The glass chimed as she poured. The liquid inside glistened like blood. She held the goblet out.
I took it, then ran my finger around the rim, hesitant to drink.
"Perhaps the wine is too refined for you." Shomies sat in her jeweled chair. "Would you like me to send for ale?"
I set the goblet on a table. "I'm not thirsty."
"Then food?" She clapped her hands.
The almost-naked girls reappeared, carrying trays of fruits and cheeses. They set the trays on tables, then drifted out of the room.
I wondered what move I could make that would get me out alive.
"It isn't poisoned." Shomies leaned back, appearing relaxed. The long nails of one hand tapped on the arm of her throne.
Her nervousness gave me confidence. I picked a small red berry from the tray but hesitated to eat it. Her mention of poison hung in the air between us.
Shomies sighed before picking a berry from the tray. "If I'd wanted you dead, you would already be a corpse on the walls." She popped the fruit in her mouth.
I ate my berry, the tartness unexpectedly strong.
Shomies crossed her perfect legs, swinging one shapely foot.
I sat in a chair upholstered in red velvet. The silence stretched into long minutes. Shomies' fingernail ticked off time.
"Why are you here? What purpose do you have in Gragensberg?"
"My owner brought me here." I stuck to the native tongue and Tayvis' explanation.
Her nail tapped faster. "I am not stupid and neither are you. You are no one's slave."
I popped bite of cheese in my mouth.
Shomies tugged her lip. "I could have you beaten."
I swallowed the cheese. "Why not just ask what you want to know?"
She threw her head back and laughed. It rang false. "Refreshing bit of honesty. I hadn't expected that from you, Dace."
I smiled, returning her reptile's smirk. "Why are you here, in Gragensberg?"
"Research. I have official authorization to be here. But you don't."
"I'm a native. I can go where I please."
"You're not native, not to Dadilan." Her false smile never touched her eyes.
I sighed dramatically. "What gave me away?" Play her for everything and maybe she'd give me a way out.
"Small things." She shrugged, a delicate lifting of one shoulder. "Your mannerisms, mostly. And your accent. You slipped last night with Acer. He said you were the possession of a barbarian mercenary from the far south. There are no settlements, barbarian or otherwise, to the south." She picked up a grape, biting it neatly in half.
I ate another berry, chewing slowly. "Why does it concern you, Shomies?"
"Anything happening in Gragensberg concerns me. Why are you on Dadilan?"
I smiled, showing my teeth.
"Who are you working for?" Wrinkles marred her artificially-smooth brow.
"Who pays you?" Answer questions with more questions and maybe she would slip.
"The Department of Xenoarchaeology."
I shifted in the chair, draping one bare foot over the arm. "And they want shara?"
She cocked her head, her dark red hair slithering over her shoulder. "So that's why you're here. Competition?"
"Not if your offer is good enough."
"Why should I trust you? I'm surprised Gerant Clyvus hasn't had you killed."
My mind spun in circles. Who in blazes was Gerant Clyvus? I waited for Shomies to make the next move. My ignorance might kill me.
"Tell me, Dace, what makes you think you can replace Gerant? He's the only one that can ship shara off world. He's got the contacts. What guarantees can you offer?"
"What guarantees are you looking for?"
She watched me, her eyes slitted and cold. My turn to make a move or risk losing.
"I'll offer you the same deal I cut with Leran," I said, shooting in the dark, hoping I'd hit the mark.
I didn't get the reaction I expected. Shomies actually snarled.
"That self-righteous pig! I should kill you right now. Leran is the one who sent the Patrol after me. Six months of investigation nearly destroyed my reputation. Leran is jealous. He'll only succeed over my dead body. Maybe I'll send him yours as a warning."
I smiled calmly even though my insides churned with fear. Don't let it show. "We didn't come to an agreement. He offered, but I
told him no. I didn't like his attitude. He did say my rates were better than Clyvus offered." I let the comment trail off suggestively.
Her nostrils flared. She smashed her hand against the tray, sending fruit flying across the room. The tray clattered onto the floor.
"I take it Clyvus double crossed you." I picked a grape from my lap.
"I'll pay you five hundred credits if you bring me his head. And another five if you bring me Leran's."
"I'm not in the assassination business. But for that amount, I'll think about it."
"Gerant promised I was his only source. No one crosses me."
"I'll keep that in mind." I shifted on the chair. I wanted out. Now. Shomies scared me.
"If I hear you've negotiated with Leran, I'll kill you myself. Very slowly."
"I strung him along. I didn't deal with him."
"You're lying."
"And you're paranoid." I stood, brushing my skirt straight. "I'm done here."
"You aren't done until I say you're done! You want to replace Clyvus? Fine. I'll pay you to kill him. But only if you can guarantee my shipments of shara will still get delivered, that I'll still get paid."
"They will." I examined my ragged nails, pretending I wasn't afraid.
"What delivery guarantees are you offering?"
"I won't touch Clyvus until you get paid for your first shipment through me."
She backed off, as if I were diseased. She finally nodded. "Bring me proof that Leran's dead and I'll consider dropping Gerant."
"I don't kill without money first." I wouldn't kill at all, but she didn't need to know that.
She pulled a ring off her finger, dropping it into my hand. I held it to the light, admiring the ruby as big as my thumb.
Shomies slammed open the door. Acer stepped in.
"Take Dace to her inn. Make sure she doesn't get lost on the way."
Acer nodded.
"We have a deal, Dace. I never forget betrayal. Remember that." Shomies pointed one blood red fingernail.
I flipped the ring into the air, pretending confidence as I caught it and tucked it into a pocket. "Nice doing business with you." I turned to leave.
"Dace," Shomies called just before I reached the door, her voice smooth and pleasant. "Your owner, who is he?"
"Just a native. He was convenient."
"There's a Patrol agent rumored to be in Gragensberg."
"And I'd hate to have him find me."
Her fingernail tapping faded as the door swung shut. I repressed shivers.
Acer sauntered through the halls. I trailed him. The castle sprawled like a stone spider over the top of the hill. Half a dozen men guarded the exit. They nodded to Acer, opening a narrow door to the outside.
Hot sunlight beat down on the narrow streets. I stuck to Acer's heels through the noisy city. He led me to the inn of the anatomically impossible grapes.
"Shomies doesn't forget anything." He leaned close. "Watch your back and be careful who you choose to drink with, Dace."
He strode away. I clutched the ring in my fist, his warning echoing in my head. I pushed the door open.
The man in the dirty apron gave me a single uninterested look. I crossed the room to climb the stairs.
I opened the door to the sleeping room, half afraid I'd find Tayvis and his things gone. I sighed with relief when I saw his pack still on the floor next to the bed. He hadn't abandoned me.
Someone grabbed me, locking an arm around my throat. I kicked backwards. Cold metal pricked against my neck. I froze.
"If you scream, I swear I'll use the knife." Tayvis jerked me around. "What did you tell your mistress? Don't try lying to me. What did you tell her?"
"Shomies Pardui? She had me kidnapped."
"You expect me to believe that?"
He shoved me at the bed. I sprawled across it. He knelt over me, the knife in his hand.
"It's the truth, Tayvis. Her spy, Acer, was here last night. He told her about me."
"The man you were drinking with? Very clever, Dace. I almost trusted you."
"I didn't tell her about you. She thinks you're a native."
"Not the Patrol spy? She knows I'm here, in Gragensberg. My contact disappeared two days ago. No one's seen him. You sold me out."
I shook my head. "I don't know why she kidnapped me."
"And then conveniently let you go again." He leaned down, the knife in his lifted hand.
"She paid me to kill Leran."
"So now you're an assassin." The knife twitched.
"No." I flinched.
He slowly lowered it. "Explain yourself."
"She thinks I'm trying to take over the shara smuggling from someone named Gerant Clyvus. He double-crossed her by smuggling for Leran. She was mad enough to spit." I pulled the ring off my finger, holding it out. "She gave me this. I guess she's smuggling because she needs to pay her doctor. She's biosculpted more than any vid star."
Tayvis turned the ring in his hand. The ruby glowed even in the dim light creeping through the tiny window.
"I was stupid last night," I said. "I shouldn't have gone downstairs."
"How else could you have passed the right message to your mistress?"
"No. I've never met Shomies Pardui. I'm not working for her."
"She paid you this." The ruby winked red.
"So take me to the Patrol base. Arrest me. Just get me out of Gragensberg before Shomies figures out I lied."
"I should leave you here." He got off the bed, sliding the knife into his boot.
I wrapped my arms around myself.
"We're leaving. You make one wrong move, say anything to anyone, and I'll leave you in an alley for whatever or whoever finds you. Is that clear?"
"Perfectly," I said, my voice small.
He picked up his pack. He took my elbow in his hand, hard enough to leave bruises.
Tayvis pushed me through the inn, out into the street. We walked quickly down a side street to a separate building that smelled of horses. He paid a boy to fetch his horse. He gave me a stony look before throwing me into the saddle. He swung on behind me, then kicked his horse into a walk. I sat stiffly upright, as far from him as I could get.
The guard at the gate stopped us. "It will be dark soon. The road can be dangerous."
"So can I," Tayvis said.
I shivered in agreement.
We rode into the countryside. Tayvis kicked the horse into a hard run, his arm holding me tightly. He didn't give me a choice about sitting against him.
I should have been angry. I was scared instead, frightened and alone and very much missing the orphanage. At least the beatings there hadn't actually killed me.
We passed through the cultivated lands around Gragensberg and into a row of low hills, leaving the farmlands behind.
Tayvis slowed the horse to a walk. His arm relaxed. I inched away from him. He studied the woods to either side. He finally stopped the horse. I stayed on its back while he dismounted.
Tayvis led the horse into a bank of bushy trees. I ducked under branches. The ground dipped into a broad hollow. A stream trickled across one side and out the bottom. Tayvis pulled the horse to a stop.
"Get off."
I slid to the ground, then stepped back, out of his way.
He unsaddled the horse, tying it to a tree. He stalked over to his pack. He looked me over in the last of the sunlight. "Were you telling me the truth?"
"I haven't lied to you, Tayvis. Except when I said I was lost from my father's house. My father's been dead for years. I never even met him."
Tayvis bent down to his pack. "Convince me I can trust you."
"How?"
"That's the real problem, isn't it? The innkeeper told me you'd been taken to the castle, that the sorceress wanted you. What was I supposed to think? It was too convenient."
"So you assumed I worked for Shomies Pardui."
"Wouldn't you, if you were in my position?"
"Probably. What are you going to do with me?"
/> "I don't know." He pulled a pot from his pack. "Fill the pot with water. I'll get firewood." He shoved his way into the thicket.
Was this his idea of an apology? No one had ever apologized to me before, not unless I'd forced them into it by pinning them down and squeezing a few nerves. I picked up the pot.
I knelt by the stream, shoving the pot into the trickling water. The horse lowered its head, snuffling warm breath over my hands. I pushed it away. I carried the full pot over to the pack, setting it on the ground.
Tayvis dumped an armload of branches near me. "Go find some twigs."
I flipped a salute before turning away. I was angry at myself, and more than a little scared of him. I hadn't asked to be stranded here. I only wanted to get off Dadilan and back to what was left of my life.
I stopped near the thicket, glancing back. He looked up from the pile of wood as if he could read my thoughts.
I pushed past the first screen of bushes. What choice did I have? I could run away and be alone in the woods. Or I could face the other people who wanted to kill me, like Ky. Tayvis had been nice, for the most part. My best chance to get off Dadilan was with him. I'd have to convince him to trust me, somehow. I scraped a handful of twigs from under a spiky bush.
I dropped them next to Tayvis.
"Thanks." He sifted through the twigs, adding them to his pile.
I found a seat in the grass.
Orange flames danced above the pile of twigs. He fed sticks into the fire, watching it grow. He set the pot of water on the fire. He studied me by its light. "Do you want me to apologize?"
"You think I'm working for the smugglers. I don't have any way to convince you otherwise."
He pulled a smaller bag out of the pack. "Dace."
"Are you tying me up for real tonight? Because last time you left the knots loose where I could reach them."
"No, I'm not tying you up." He emptied the smaller bag into the pot.
"Then what? You're going to kill me before you go to sleep?" I wrapped my arms around my knees.
He pulled a spoon from his pack.
"Are you going to sell me as a slave? Or are you hoping I'll just disappear?"
"Are you going to?" He stirred the soup.
I shrugged, wriggling my bare toes in the dirt. "Where would I go? I'm not working for any of them. I'm definitely not smuggling. I don't belong here."
"You look hungry." Tayvis held out a piece of the coarse bread they served at the inn. "Truce? I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to."
"That's what you said before. You didn't trust me about Shomies and Acer."
"I believe you, Dace."
"Why? Why now and not before?"
He shrugged.
I picked bits off the bread.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."
"So am I."
He smiled, firelight etching his face. "That's a start, isn't it?"