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Kuinsi's Chambers
Arvor Castel
I stood at the dining table in my quarters uncorking a bottle of zinfandel. My hands possessed barely enough strength to pull the cork. I'd never felt so exhausted, mentally and physically, in my life. The cease-fire negotiations with the Tamok had been tricky. But after a dozen spins, I had succeeded in convincing the Tamok to agree to a permanent cease fire.
A contrite-acting Petrella, an act I felt obliged to play along with even though it made me sick to do so. According to Petrella, the Tamok had intended only to disable the Belts for a shrouded ship to fire missiles at an isolated location as a warning to Zhun'Mar. They hoped such a warning that the Tamok could penetrate the Belts would force Zhun'Mar to negotiations regarding reparations. Rohfek had been asked to provide the coordinates of an isolated location, which he transmitted just prior to the missile launching. Petrella was shocked when she learned that Zhun'Mar had been killed and realized that Rohfek had his own agenda and could no longer be trusted. To demonstrate the truth (and undoubtedly to save her own life), she agreed to reparations for Zhun'Mar's death: All the sihlcon chips we needed to reseed the Belts.
The treaty had been signed and I'd returned to the Castel only a deci ago. I'd eaten enough ship food and drank enough synwine to last a lifetime. Even though it was after ninth deci, all I wanted was to taste the raspberry flavors of the zinfandel and eat some crusty bread before going to bed. I looked forward to sleeping like a baby now that Svetlena and Oksana no longer guarded me.
I swirled my wine glass and inhaled the bouquet. Not even the spicy bouquet could stop Petrella's last words from haunting me, something that I needed to discuss with Sini. "Your terms have been fair. But some of your people won't think so. For your own good, watch your back. Neither the quisling Rohfek nor any Tamok killed Fiotr. There remains a traitor in your midst. I would watch my back along with that of Siniastra. Even Loik saw the obvious: The two of you are gigantic thorns in the sides your hidebound Archonan that they want to excise."
I slumped into a straight-backed muhrwood chair and sipped the wine. Petrella's contriteness was an act, but I did believe she was telling the truth and not trying to play with my mind about Fiotr. Even though I didn't detect any deception in her mannerisms or voice when she spoke, that wasn't what convinced me that she was telling the truth. Loik had nodded in agreement, his smirk absent, his eyes somber.
If neither Rohfek nor the Tamok had murdered Fiotr, who would have had a motive? Even though Mirae remained the obvious suspect, I could never believe that she would have poisoned Fiotr. Unfortunately, no evidence tied anyone else to Fiotr's death.
I tore a piece of bread off the crusty loaf and chewed on the grainy bread. It was too late to contact Sini, I'd discuss Petrella's warning tomorrow with Sini. I hated the thought of another investigative witch-hunt. But Sini's security on the Throne required an investigation to uncover Fiotr's murderer. Even though I had no desire to subject anyone to the unjustified hounding I'd endured from Lydmila, I would volunteer to head the investigation. I at least would have some empathy for those who had to appear during the investigation.
A knock sounded on the door. With legs heavy as lead, I trudged through the sitting area and opened the door. Lydmila's square bulk filled the opening, a bottle of wine in her left hand. She barged through and slammed the door behind her.
"What? What are you doing?" I stammered. "Get out!"
Without saying a word, Lydmila clenched her right fist and punched me in his stomach. The blow rammed the breath out of my lungs. My chest heaved and hot agony radiated through my torso. I tried to suck in air and couldn't.
Lydmila yanked my hair and pulled me into the sitting area. She lifted me face to look at her face. "You must have been expecting me, Earther boy. I see you've already opened a bottle of wine. You'll have to have a drink of mine too." She twisted my head and he didn't know if I'd die from lack of oxygen or a broken neck. She lessened the pressure. "You don't deserve to live among real Tiranoans."
I finally sucked in some air and realization dawned on him. "You!" I gasped for more air. "You killed Fiotr! Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? I exacted the revenge all true Tiranoans desired for the murder of Tarnlot by the Lok scum."
I squirmed in her grasp. "No true Tiranoan would assassinate a royal guest and fabricate evidence to blame Queen Mirae."
She tightened her grip on my hair and twisted. "You pathetic, little dung heap. Bhradvin and Mhorg murdered Tarnlot. Mirae failed to protect him. I waited dekas for revenge, thought it would elude my grasp. Then the perfect opportunity. Fiotr alone in the guest chamber and Mirae publicly seething over the proposed marriage."
She pulled my face closer. "Tarnlot would have been proud. I slipped in and out through the same secret trapdoor to the guest chamber that we used during the Nhoth insurrection. It had been so long ago that even your mother has forgotten its existence. And the revenge would have been complete if you hadn't convinced Siniastra to stop before the Tamok were annihilated. We could have killed Petrella and Bhradvin's spawn."
The door clicked. Lydmila's calloused hand covered my mouth before I could yell a warning. Footsteps entered the living room. I prayed it wasn't Mother. Lydmila could snap her in two like a twig.
"Let him go Lydmila," Sini commanded.
Lydmila tightened her grip on my hair. "Left your Vhirko outside, huh? Thought you'd be safe alone with this weakling," she said in a mocking tone. "Good. You can die with him. Just like your mother, you disgrace everything Vhirko. You let this half-breed abomination soften you, talk you into permitting the panther slink back into its lair. It will lick its wounds until it is capable of striking again. Tirano can never be safe until it is eradicated. With you and this little half-breed maggot out of the way, we can put a real King, an Archonan, on the Throne and finish Tamok while it remains weak."
Sini crouched and raised her hands, open palmed, in front of her chest in the Vhirko attack position. Lydmila snorted. "You think you can challenge me? You're not even a real Vhirko; just some pretentious whelp taught a few tricks by her mother. I'll let the little Earther boy watch while I pulverize you as easily as I could have your mother."
Lydmila released her grip of my hair, pulled my necklace over my head and through it across the room. She shoved me to the floor, then turned her back to me and assumed the attack position. I had to do something. Sini might be quicker than Lydmila, but she couldn't match Lydmila's power. There wasn't time to try to retrieve my pendant, and if I could, it would take too long to send a message to Vision to the Vhirko Compound notified that Sini was in danger. Sini could be dead before help arrived. I had to do something immediately.
Not knowing what else to do, I lowered my head and shoulders and launched my body into Lydmila's back. "No you bitch," I screamed.
My shoulder crashed into hardened muscle. Her torso lurched forward and she threw her arms up to balance herself. The back of one of her hands smacked into my chin and knocked me sprawling backwards. In the instant it took me to crash onto my back, Sini spin on one heel and with her other heel kicked Lydmila's head.
My spine crashed onto the floor. A sharp, white flash shot erupted in my head. Black dots floated in my eyes and I fought to remain conscious. Through the floating dots, Lydmila staggered toward me, her eyes wide and unfocused. Blood spurted from her nose and red drops splattered the floor. I didn't know how long she'd remain dazed. I rolled onto his stomach and crawled towards her. I wrapped my arms around her knees and with my shoulder tried to push her down. She didn't budge.
"Go get help," I yelled. I tightened my grip. Warm blood dropped on the back of my neck.
Sini stepped forward. I looked up and saw Sini wrap her arms around the teetering Lydmila's head. "I saw you enter and followed," she said in a cold fury. "I heard it all."
Sini tightened her grip on Lydmila's head.
"This is for Mother. A true Tiranoan. And a true Vhirko. Unlike you."
A grimace of exertion tightened Sini's lips and her face reddened as she twisted Lydmila's head. Lydmila's chin touched her shoulder blade and I heard the snap of bones. Sini released her grip, stepped back. Lydmila's body tottered a moment. She fell away from me. I released my grip and scrambled backwards. Lydmila landed on her back, her neck and head tilted at an unnatural angle and her lips frozen in a snarl.
I staggered to my feet. Pain throbbed up and down my spine and I couldn't straighten my back. Sini didn't move, she merely rocked back and forth where she stood.
"I fear she spoke true," Sini said in a bitter tone. "We have not seen the last threat from Tamok."
I searched her face, saw only the unsought burdens and sorrow that had been thrust on her. "It's over now," I said softly.
Sini blinked back a tear. "It will never be over. I came to tell you that the Armada's deep space patrols spotted Petrella's ship entering the Cavities' no-fly zone. They chased but were too late. She flew into a Cavity. As she entered the ergosphere she sent a message that when she returned the Tamok would avenge Bhradvin and Fiotr."
I reached up and wiped Sini's tear. "I'm glad she flew into a Cavity. We're never see her again. With her gone, the Tamok will listen to reason," I said. "When they learn that Lydmila acted alone in killing Fiotr and that you personally exacted the Queen's justice, they'll understand that they no longer need to seek revenge."
"The Tamok will never believe that Lydmila acted alone. They will thirst for revenge just as Lydmila did." Sini's lips quivered. "They will wait until the opportunity arises to strike again, just as Lydmila did.
"Tirano must be prepared and united for the next time. There can be no more Rohfeks, no more Lydmilas. The rot from within must end. Tiranoan must never conspire against Tiranoan again."
I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. The Belts had not protected Tirano from its greatest danger; a danger my mother had not seen unfurling around Zhun'Mar. I feared that only the tip of the rot had been exposed and that I must assume the burden of rooting it out for Sini. Only then would Tirano be strong enough to face the enemies awaiting us outside the Belts.
"I will make it so," I whispered. I prayed that my desire to purge the rot would not warp me into a Lydmila.
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Outliers of Tirano ends here. The Tales of The Encircling Belts of Tirano Saga will continue with Aos Whey-ki, Sibyl of Doom, in which Kuinsi uncovers the true story of the founding of Tirano.
A Bastard's Oath, the first story in The Tales of The Encircling Belts of Tirano Saga, is available if you have not read it. In A Bastard Oath, after their father's mysterious assassination, Tarnlot must rescue Zhun'Mar's kingship by foiling both an aristocrat's usurpation of power and a Radani attempt to invade Tirano.
Also available is A Dream Is A Pinhole In Time in which Tarnlot, Zhun'Mar, Caykondra, Mirae escape an ambush in deep space by entering a hyperspace fissure that strands them on a planet in an unknown galaxy: present day Earth. The ability to return to Tirano depends upon Kuinsi's father, Hobie Burrows, a San Francisco lawyer.
Even though the stories occur in chronological order, each is an independent story. Accordingly, you can read the stories in any order.
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