Part 45 (1/2)

The bedroom door, which was open a crack, slid open all the way. Dana jumped like a thief, and then froze. Zed stood there.

Rhani said quickly, ”Dana, go to the terrace.” Dana laid the Barracks report aside. Rising, he stepped away from the chair, trying to go noiselessly.

The terrace doors, swollen by heat, stuck. He jerked them open, back to the room, sweat coating his palms and rolling down his sides. As he stepped through them, he heard Rhani say, ”Good morning, Zed-ka.”

He watched them through the curtained gla.s.s. Zed's hair fell loose to his shoulders. He seemed younger, softer, as if something -- someone, Dana thought - - had peeled away time. Behind him, in the hall, stood Darien.

Zed said, ”I don't need to come in. I just want to tell you that we're leaving. We're going to Abanat first; from Abanat, we'll locate Jo Leiakanawa and go up to the Net. From the Net we'll go to the moon, and from there take pa.s.sage to Nexus. There's a letter on my desk for you, the official notice that I'm resigning my command.”

Rhani's back was to the terrace, and Dana could not see her face. He heard her say, ”How will you go?”

”We'll take the Yago shuttle.”

She nodded. A dragoncat loped in. Ignoring both Rhani and Zed, it stood on the rug, meowing plaintively. Rhani said, ”Isis, go away, please.” The cat went out. Rhani put her hands on her hips. Dana felt tremendous pity for her. In a steady voice, she said, ”I can see you've got it all planned.” ”There is one thing,” Zed said. He gestured toward the girl. ”Darien must be freed.”

”Of course,” said Rhani. She went to the com-unit. Her fingers tapped the keys. In a few moments, a doc.u.ment emerged from the printer. She picked it up and held it toward her brother. ”Do you want to see it?”

”No need,” he said. His sudden smile was brilliant. ”Would you be willing to take care of two trivialities?”

Rhani sat in the com-unit chair. ”If I can,” she said.

”I want to give my medical skeleton to Yianni Kyneth.”

She said. ”I'll see that he gets it.”

”Thank you. And would you say farewell to Davi, the youngest Kyneth child, for me?”

”Yes,” she said. Dana could hear the exhaustion in her voice. He waited for Zed to walk to her, to hug her, to touch her face in that dreadful ambivalent gesture.

He lifted a hand to her from the doorway of the room. ”Good-bye,” he said.

Head rigid, she watched him out the doorway. Then she put her hands over her ears and her head on her knees.

Dana wrenched the terrace doors apart and went to her. He pried her fingers from her ears. ”Rhani,” he said. Her amber eyes were lightless with shock and grief. She looked blind. He lifted her from the chair like a child and laid her on the bed. ”Rhani.” In the distance, he heard the flat drone of a bubble. Her gaze touched his face, and then went elsewhere, inward. He sat on the side of the bed, holding her hand, talking to her softly, telling her nonsense stories, tales about Pellin, lies about his adventures in the Hype, anything to make her hear him. Her chest rose and fell with her steady breathing. Her pulse beat swiftly. Her eyes stayed open, looking into nothing.

She didn't weep.

She brought herself out of it. Dana went to the cooler for a drink of cold water, and when he returned to the bed, her eyes had focused. She reached for him across the rumpled sheet. She licked her lips. He went swiftly to the remains of breakfast and brought her a gla.s.s of juice. She swallowed avidly.

”Dana,” she whispered.

He stroked her face. The terrible pallor of her cheeks had lessened.

”Yes, Rhani-ka. I'm here.”

She struggled. ”I want to sit.”

Putting his arms around her shoulders, he brought her gently upright. She leaned into his chest. ”Zed's gone.”

He nodded.

”It wasn't just a dream.”

”No, Rhani-ka, I'm sorry.”

Her eyes blazed anger with unexpected force. ”How can you say that? You hated him.”

Did she expect him to deny it? Dana wondered. ”I do hate him,” he said.

”I'm sorry for your pain.”

She bowed her head to her lap, and he wondered if she were finally crying. He hoped so. But she lifted her head, and he saw that her eyes were dry.

”I want to get up,” she said. He helped her to the washroom. She called to him from it, ”Tell Immeld I want some soup. And some wine.”

”Are you certain it's good for you?” he said.

She scowled at him. ”Am I a child? Bring it.” He went down to the kitchen himself. Cara and Immeld were holding hands across the table.

”Rhani wants soup and some wine,” he said.

Immeld got up. ”Soup,” she grumbled. ”It's hot for soup. When will Zed and that woman come back?” Never, I hope, Dana thought. ”Ask Rhani,” he said. He brought the tray upstairs. Rhani drank half a gla.s.s of wine, and sighed.

”I'm all right,” she said.

He said, ”Is there anything you want me to do?”

She gazed at him, and an odd smile flicked across her face. ”Take me to bed,” she said.

”You're in bed,” he said.

”Fool.” She reached for him and drew him to her. ”Love me. I want you to love me.” He shucked his clothes. It had been days since they'd been lovers. He slid beneath the covers with her. Her muscles were drumhead tight; he rubbed her back and shoulders until he felt the ridges melt. She sighed and fit herself to him, her body warm and pliant, and they paced each other into o.r.g.a.s.m's dizzying surge.

A shrilling sound woke them. Dana was all the way out of bed before he realized where it came from. It was night. He rubbed his eyes and glanced at the chronometer. It was an hour before midnight. Stars, we slept like the dead, he thought. The com-unit message light was blinking; he shambled to it, pressed the keys which would accept the call and silence the alarm. Brilliant green letters stabbed at his gaze. CALL FROM CHIEF PILOT ORION TO DOMNA RHANI YAGO.

From the bed, Rhani called, ”What is it?”

Dry-mouthed, Dana watched the words glitter on the screen. He heard the rustle of the sheet as she scrambled from the bed. ”It's for you, from Tam Orion.”

”The Chief Pilot? What's he doing? Sweet mother, it must be the middle of the night!” She walked to his side.

”It must be important,” he said.

”It better be.” She pushed the Accept key impatiently. The display didn't clear; instead, it flashed VERIFICATION. Scowling, Rhani splayed her thumb on the screen.

The words marched across the unit. TWENTY MINUTES AGO LANDINGPORT STATION REPORTED DISTRESS CALL FROM THE SARDONYX NET RECEIVED IN NAVIGATOR'S CODE CUT.

OFF MID-TRANSMISSION LANDINGPORT STATION UNABLE TO CONTACT NET REQUEST FOR.

ADVICE Pa.s.sED THROUGH ME. It was signed, TAMERLANE ORION, CHIEF PILOT, ABANAT MAIN LANDINGPORT.