Part 32 (1/2)

”And?” he prodded her, with piercing eyes and a gentle tone.

”And he's just a little boy.” Jrek. Jrek. Jrek, she swore softly under her breath, regretting hew easily Deckar provoked her. She hadn't intended to admit a soft spot for the child. Showing weakness to a Risorian was always a mistake.

”What are you asking of me?” Deckar asked.

”Zical, the leader of the offworlders, and Dora, one of his crew, are traveling to the boy in hopes of freeing him as we speak. Without our help, they will fail.”

”They are traveling without the Council's permission.”

194.

”The Council is full of narrow-minded leaders. The Federation is attempting to stop the Zinatti from entering this galaxy. We should help them on their way.”

”You ask me to commit treason twice. Once to free an enemy, second to send the Oracle from Kwadii.”

”If we do nothing, your Oracle will surely die. Is that what your Risorian religion teaches you? To be a coward?”

At her insult, Deckar's eyes flashed with fury; then he blinked away the rage as if it had never been. Clearly she'd p.r.i.c.ked his ego, yet he kept his perfectly modulated voice under full control. ”Do not think to manipulate me. I have no need to prove myself to anyone, never mind... you.”

Her hand hovered over the disconnect b.u.t.ton. ”If you will not help, then-”

”I did not refuse.”

How like a Risorian to talk in circles. ”You haven't committed either, and we are wasting time. L'Matti's defences are strong. Taking the boy will be a difficult task.”

”You know where L'Matti's keeping the Oracle?” Deckar demanded.

”Yes.”

At least he had the good sense not to ask her to reveal her source of data. She wondered if he was recording his conversation, but she'd accepted that possibility when she'd sent her communication.

”Why come to me?”

”Why not? You believe the boy is Tirips's Oracle. Do you not wish to save him?”

”And your own people?”

”If L'Matti can topple the Risorian faith, it matters not to him if he darkens the souls of all Selgrens by killing a small boy in the process. Too many others agree with him.”

Avanti didn't believe that Kirek was the Oracle and neither did L'Matti. The difference between them was that she wasn't so insane that she'd let an innocent child die to prove the Risorians were wrong.

Deckar's eyes narrowed. ”Not all Selgrens agree?”

”Of course not But there are spies everywhere. I do not know who among my people might carry back tales to L'Matti.”

”And if I help, if we rescue the Oracle, you then expect me to just let him go?”

”I expect more than that from you, Risorian Deckar. I expect you to aid in the offworlders' escape. No one may eve ever know that we aided the boy, or our heads will not remain attached to our shoulders.”

”I see no profit in your idea.”

”Besides preventing the murder of your Oracle?” she taunted him, but her hopes plummeted. She'd known winning his help would be difficult. She must have been wrong to think he had a heart beneath that cold facade.

”Perhaps it is Tirips's wish that he die. Perhaps only his death will bring peace.”

195.

His suggestion was outrageous. Even she who did not believe in Tirips couldn't believe he'd said such terrible words. Since he wouldn't help her for his religions sake, she tried to appeal to the Risorian's fiscal interests on Kwadii. With the riots, their mines had shut down. They had to be losing a huge income stream. ”If the Oracle escapes, tensions will return to normal. The riots will stop. Commerce will begin anew.”

”Maybe so. Maybe not.”

Avanti only had one more secret, one more argument to employ to convince him.

And. she wielded the intelligence information from her spies like a weapon. Hoping it wasn't a futile effort, she played her last gambit. ”The Oracle has given L'Matti a message for us and all Kwadii.”

”Which is?” No emotion flickered across Deckar's face.

He didn't so much as blink or breathe, telling her that the message might be even more important than even she knew. Had she nudged Decker in the right direction?

Invoked his curiosity?

”The boy will share his message once he is freed and back in s.p.a.ce.” This time, it was Avanti's turn to hold her breath she awaited his answer.

Zical could be very imaginative, and after Dora had urged him to top his earlier performance, be came up with a variation of a game children played on Rystan to learn computer code. But while Rystani kids employed their fingers to draw code on one another's backs to communicate commands, he'd used his tongue on Dora's most sensitive places. Using a combination of slow licks and long lingering tugs to spell out command codes that be insisted she decipher, he'd forced her to concentrate on the pleasure while at the same time distracting her; until she spasmed again and again and again, taking her further than she'd ever been.

And finally, she'd succeeded in not only contacting Ranth, but maintaining a permanent connection. Zical didn't understand how such a link was possible, but he didn't ask questions. After Dora had grown a body and transferred her personality into it, he figured she was capable of almost anything. And he was proud of her ability to adapt, even as she pushed the limits of her humanity. Of course, once she'd established and maintained contact with Ranth, their s.e.xual intimacy ended new plans began.

Although the sub would dock in a terminal where they'd never been before, Ranth and Dora had used the sub's computer system to map out the most direct route through the city to L'Matti's fortress Then research also informed them of predictable areas where authorities might stop them at checkpoints, but Dora and Ranth believed they could use their combined psi to alter the computer's sensors to ”see” them as ordinary travellers.

Meanwhile, in case they were wrong, Zical had fas.h.i.+oned a sheath to strap to his thigh that would hold a knife beneath his loincloth. With no case or container to hide the bulky weapon he'd acquired when they'd escaped Deckar's compound, be had no choice but to leave it behind.

196.

However, he'd made good use of the drapery hardware fas.h.i.+oning heavy rings to fit over his knuckles that would give him an advantage if it became necessary to use his fists. A search of the tiny kitchen produced a cleaning spray in a small cylinder, which he also tucked into the waistband of his loincloth. Although he didn't test it in his own eyes, most cleaning agents stung the cornea upon contact, and a tiny taste on his tongue proved bitter enough to swiftly spit out then thoroughly rinse his mouth with water.

Dora looked up from the holovid, her gaze concerned. During their time together Zical had already learned that Dora didn't allow her thoughts to bog down with small problems. But her usually upbeat mood was somber now and he suspected she'd come up against a major problem in reaching Kirek.

”Tell me,” he demanded.

”L' Matti guards his properties with many trained Pirinja, those Selgrens who study the warrior arts.”

”I expected no less.”

Dora gestured for Zical to look at the holovid with her. We can't fight our way in.”