Part 13 (1/2)

Archer stared at her. On the surface, Talia Trahaern seemed strong, smart, ready to deal with anything. And maybe she was all those things. Despite Archer's impatience to deliver her to the queen, he admitted a certain amount of admiration for how well she'd come to terms with the new direction her life

had suddenly taken.

But she had also lied to herself about the full extent of her current predicament. Just what the h.e.l.l had she thought was happening?”I told you,” he said quietly, sensing she needed calm and rationality right now. ”As soon as you are finished, you'll be returned here. To this life.”

Though why in h.e.l.l she'd want to was beyond him. If he had to spend one more night listening to the droning buzz of crickets and frogs, he'd go mad.

”There is one thing no one seems to have acknowledged,” she said quietly.

”What is that?” he asked.

”Even if I go with you, I may not be able to help her.” She shrugged

helplessly. ”Baleweg is helping me... discover some things about myself. But he is not a healer. And I still don't see any proof that I am one, either. My ability might allow me to zero in on an animal's problem more quickly, get specific help more quickly, but this is only remarkable because animals have no other means of directly communicating their needs or ills. The queen can certainly speak of what hurts her and where.”

Archer had no direct argument for that. Nor could he explain the little hitch in his gut as he watched her valiant struggle to remain calm and rational when he knew he represented everything that was neither calm nor rational to her.

”Certainly medicine is more advanced in your time,” she continued. ”If that

has failed, what in the world could I do?””I don't know. I'm not in charge of that.” He reined in his impatience. ”Maybe Baleweg could find someone knowledgeable in the healing arts to train you.”

”Then why didn't you do that in the first place? Why did you choose Baleweg?”

”I didn't choose him, he found me. And I had no choice anyway. I needed him

to get back here. To you.”

”Are there others besides him and Emrys who can move through time?”

”Emrys?”

”He didn't tell you?”

Archer didn't like this at all, but there was no covering his ignorance. ”You tell

me.”

”He said the one who moved Jimmy here was called Emrys. I don't know anything else. Just that, well, there is something between him and Baleweg. At

least that's the impression he gave me.” She rubbed at her arms. ”I think Emrys is helping Chamberlain as a means of getting to Baleweg somehow.”Archer swore under his breath.”He said he'd deal with him. It's just-””Just what?””Nothing really. Just that, well, something about the way he said his name led me to believe you should be lucky it was Baleweg and not Emrys who

contacted you.”

”Well, if this Emrys is working for Chamberlain, that would definitely hold true. Chamberlain's a conniving, manipulative b.a.s.t.a.r.d with his eye on the power of the throne. He'd sell his soul to the devil himself.” He noticed her s.h.i.+ver. ”You're thinking maybe Emrys is this devil?”

She shook her head, then shrugged. ”I don't know what I think. You said time travel is not common in your time. That no one really knows they can do it. I wonder why they've come out now?”

”Baleweg has no love for court or politics-he only feels he has a commitment to your mother. I think he's remained hidden largely as a means to protect himself from those who want to subvert or abuse his skills. I can't say that I blame him. From what I gather, he sees himself as a scholar. He is only interested in discovery and learning the extent of what the mind can do.”

”How did he know where I was? And this Emrys, he knew, too.”

”I don't know. I didn't ask.”

”It suited your needs, so why question it, right?”

It was a harsh judgment, but basically true. When he said nothing, she pressed

on.”Did Jimmy tell you anything else about what Chamberlain's plans are?””I didn't get that information from him.”Her composure slipped, just a little. ”So is he... ? Did you... ?””He isn't dead, if that's what you're asking.” She shot him a look of disbelief and he sighed. ”What exactly is it I've done to give you the impression that I'm a murdering b.a.s.t.a.r.d? I'm not saying my chosen profession is an easy one with no risks, or that unfortunate things don't happen. But if it will soothe your sensibilities, I interrogated Dideon at length. He was under a form of mind control. Baleweg helped me with that. If he got any more out of him, he wasn't forthcoming to me.”

”Where is Jimmy now?”

”Back in his own time. Whoever sent him will deal with his failure. But that doesn't mean they won't send another. And another.”

”Why didn't you follow him back into your own time, see who he went to, or