Acorna's Rebels

Eight

The gray-and-black-brindled fur of the Condor's elusive first mate blended easily with the shadows, froze into invisibility when Federation personnel passed them, and vanished out the gate while the Linyaari ambassador engaged the guard in a debate over whether or not she required a pass to come and go. They seemed to have no shortage of guards here at the Federation post. The sentry facing Acorna now was a new one, older and apparently more dogmatic about her orders.

"But the lieutenant commander already gave his consent," Acorna insisted, "and High Priest Kando requested that I help with the illness among the Temple cats. I am on a mission regarding that illness now."

"I'm sorry, Ambassador, but I am not authorized to grant you random access to and from the civilian sector. Sets a dangerous precedent. These people are a lot of alien savages, though it's not diplomatic of me to say so. Why, look down the street, will you? Can you hear the ruckus? See it. They've been carrying on like that for quite some time now. And who is that woman on the roof?"

Acorna peered down the street. Two blocks over, Nadhari was outlined against the first watery rays of the first sunrise. She was looking down. Someone was weeping. "That's Commander Kando. She came with us on this ship. But she is from here originally," Acorna told the guard. "It looks like she needs some help. If you don't mind, I'll just go see what's going on," she continued, skirting around the rubbernecking guard and skipping away from her before the woman looked down again. "I know you cannot desert your post. I'll just check to see what happened, render any needed assistance, and be back to let you know what it's about." When the guard started toward her, clearly intending to detain her, Acorna ran up the street, calling back, "No, no, you should stay at your post. I will be back later with the details." The guard, torn between duty and curiosity, finally resumed her place by the gate.

If RK was ahead of her, Acorna saw no sign of him. The cat didn't respond when she sought his thoughts. Perhaps he was still put out with her over the blood drawing.

Approaching the knot of people, Acorna looked up and asked Nadhari, "What happened here?"

The warrior priests turned on her. "Who are you?"

"Look at it!" one of them said, pointing at her. "It has a horrible horn in the middle of its head. It's a demon! It must have been what killed Bulaybub."

Nadhari leaped to the ground as lightly as RK might, managing to land between Acorna and the armed men. "Steady, Brothers. This lady is not a demon or a killer. She is the ambassador from a world of wonderful peaceful beings called the Linyaari and a guest of my cousin, Edu, your high priest. She is also the doctor who healed your sacred Temple cats."

The poor woman whose house they clustered around seemed to Acorna to be in great distress. She smelled of illness, but that didn't explain the bloody trail leading from her home.

The woman shrank from Acorna. Before Acorna could try to gain her trust and form a mental bond with her, she heard RK's thought-speech, (This blood belongs to the one I saw last night.

He is not a ritual dancer. He is one of us, and yet not one of us. He is injured, and he has the sickness.)

"There is a murderer loose, Ambassador," the head warrior priest told Acorna. "Someone or something murdered Brother Bulaybub. We believe that the same person or thing has left this trail behind."

"I see," Acorna said. "That makes sense, but why do you say thing?"

"Because what was done to our brother wasn't done by any human hand. He was clawed to death, gutted -"

Nadhari interrupted, sparing the woman householder the details. "Were you acquainted with Brother Bulaybub?" she asked the house's inhabitant.

The woman shook her head wildly.

Acorna mentally reached out for RK, but he shrugged off her mental touch. He was moving away rapidly.

(I am on the case, Acorna. I go now to chase the sick one down. I would bring him back to you, but he is very big.)

(He is also dangerous. He killed a man.)

(Oh, yessss,) RK hissed, and she could see his tail lashing. (But I too can be dangerouss.)

She knew that. She had seen him attack the Wats when they had tried to kill Thariinye and her. But while RK was much larger than a domestic cat, he was much smaller than a tiger or a lion.

(I must take the vaccine to the Temple. Please, if you find him, hide and tell me. I will get help.)

(The first pounce is mine,) RK said fiercely.

(You've been aboard ship too long, Roadkill. Just see that you don't live up to your name. Becker would be heartbroken.)

But the intrepid animal wasn't listening. He was on the scent and stalking his prey.