Beast Master's Circus

Chapter Seventeen

Two days later Storm woke to an urgent beeping. He rolled over and peered at the wall chrono. Great Spirit. It was barely four in the morning. What message had that importance? He touched the comunit to life and mumbled at it. The unit squawked cheerily in response.

"Up and awake, my lad. I'll be with you in ten minutes bearing news."

"Versha?"

"The same. Move it." The unit clicked off and she was gone. Storm groaned as beside him Tani stirred.

"I heard that," she said sleepily. Her eyes cleared as she sat up. She focused on the time. "Better do as she said. If it wasn't important she wouldn't have woken us this early after such a late night." She yawned widely. "Last night was worth it though. I enjoyed myself."

Storm could only agree. They'd gone to a place Anders knew. It served lightly frothed fruit drinks, tart and delightful to the tongue. The entertainment was provided by one of the allied alien races, a team of half a dozen who sang, juggled, and ran a very clever and amusing beast show. Afterward Storm and Tani had stayed a while talking to them and swapping animal tales. They'd had a wonderful time even if they had only returned three hours before Versha had woken them again.

Tani was moving swiftly, brushing her hair and watching the time as she hurried into her clothes. Storm followed suit. It was just on the promised ten minutes that both appeared from their room to meet Logan erupting blearily from his.

"Awake too, little brother?"

Logan surveyed him indignantly. "If that's what you'd call it. Do you know, Versha woke me just now and it's only four A.M." He sagged dramatically and gave a hollow moan. "I'm not used to this. It's too much of a shock to my system. I need restoring."

Storm's eyes were amused. Tani laughed. "You two. You'd think that you'd never been up this early before. At home you're often awake and away by dawn."

"Very true," Logan assured her. "But not after we'd only gotten to bed three hours earlier. If I'm riding at four I'm in bed by eight or nine. I like a decent length of sleep. This had better be worth it."

"I suspect it will be." Storm sobered. "Versha wouldn't wake us this early unless it was something important." He headed for the small kitchen attached to the suite. "I'll start drinks. Swankee for everyone?" He gathered the nods and began to spoon the powder into mugs. They heard Versha run up the stairs as he passed around the steaming drinks.

"Up and awake. Good. That swankee? Great. Give me a cup, sit down, and I'll tell you a few things." She was all quick movement, her eyes glowing as she accepted the swankee and spread papers on the small table. The others sat and allowed her to begin as they sipped the hot chocolate-tasting drink quietly.

"First thing. Those tigerbat samples that Logan got us, Lereyne contacted me directly about them a couple of hours ago. The pair checked were definitely obtained illegally. Samples indicated that the animals are the offspring of two of the tigerbats held in the reserve. The reserve people say that their records list when the animals went missing. At the time it was feared they had strayed somehow from the reserve.

"As you may know, the reserve there is in mountain foothills. An apparently natural break in the force-field fence was found and the reserve staff thought the young tigerbats had escaped and vanished into the mountains. They could find no trace of them but hoped they'd turn up when they matured sexually and came back to look for a swarm. It looks instead as if the pair were darted and stolen. Possibly the swarm was sleep-gassed and this pair chosen to order. Lereyne wants them back. If Dedran can prove he purchased them legally from the thieves without knowing the beasts were stolen, then he'll be compensated."

"If he didn't and we march in, they'll guess somebody's talked. I don't want Laris blamed." Logan was worried.

Versha grinned. "Quite true and I have no wish to get the girl into trouble. I'll go. You can be there already just visiting. But I have the readout for the tigerbats DNA records from Lereyne. I plan to say that Lereyne has heard of the tigerbats, insists on DNA matching because tigerbats have been stolen, and that I'll have all of them cross-matched on patrol authority. I shall be very official when this pair show up as matching reserve records."

"Is that it?"

"No, I'm afraid it isn't." She sat fingering a sheaf of papers. "Storm, you were a beast master, and Tani, you were involved at the beast master breeding and recuperation center to some extent before you left Terra. Do either of you remember a man called Jason Regan? He was a beast master whose team was killed by the Xiks. He returned to Terran Beast Master Command but at the time they were short of beasts for new teams. They said he would have to wait but apparently he didn't want to do that." She snorted in exasperation.

"Instead the idiot convinced a trainee to try some trick called meshing. It was supposed to enable both humans to control the one team. They failed, the trainee died, and Regan's abilities were partially burned out. Regan was court-martialed but the court decided that the trainee had acted as he did of his own free will, and there wasn't any specific law to prevent Regan from doing as he'd done. However he was discharged, he left the service, and disappeared."

Tani wrinkled her forehead. "I remember hearing talk when I was small about what a dangerous thing it was to do that. I don't think I ever heard that name."

"Storm?"

He nodded reluctantly. "I didn't have much to do with him. He was older. Like Tani's father. They took beast masters where they could find them during the Xik war and there were never many with the beast master abilities. I did hear about Regan though. There was a rumor at the time that meshing could open you right up. Give you a team channel which was twice as good. Someone was supposed to have done it and got that result, so this pair tried and Regan was burned out."

"What does that mean exactly?"

"They weren't sure," Storm said slowly. "At the time it meant that Regan couldn't touch any of the beasts mentally. He couldn't keep working as a beast master. They thought that the channel might heal in time. You have to know, Versha. All this was experimental. It was war, they couldn't keep him and hope that in five or ten years he might be useful again. They offered him a commission in another unit. He refused. There was talk that he'd suffered some brain damage in the memory areas. He resigned from the unit and before they could conscript him somewhere else or order treatment he was gone." He waved at her papers. "Do they have any more?"

"Yes, and it's interesting. They finally discovered that he's been with Dedran's circus most of the time. Calling himself Jas Cregar. The surnames are just similar-sounding enough that he'd learn to reply quickly. Not give himself away. The few family records we've accessed from his time in the unit say that he came from Ishan. His grandparents emigrated there from Britain with the third settler wave.

"His parents had a daughter about ten years younger than Regan. No record of what happened to the family but they're all likely dead. As you know, Ishan was overrun by Xiks about fourteen years back. Most of the men and a lot of the single women died holding off the Xiks to get the other women and kids clear. The remaining defenders died when Ishan was incinerated. So this Regan probably has no family we can use to appeal to him to help." She grimaced.

"We may need help. I've talked to patrol HQ. They've had a man in the guild this last couple of years. We've likely lost him now. He's gone silent. But before that he was able to reports rumors in the guild that a patron called Nhara has a scam going. What it is he's never found out but there have been hints the guild initially expected great things from it and it involves animals."

"The circus," Tani said. "They have illegal animals. They have a burned-out beast master. Logan says Laris told him Dedran could get fake papers for any animal if he wanted them. Is there anything else which could point to the circus?" Versha picked out a paper with care and handed it to her. Tani read and handed it on so that Storm and Logan read it, heads together. Then they all looked at Versha.

"It isn't proof, my Arzoran friends. But yes. They found a tiny scrap of Terevian peavine on Baris's clothing. And the only place we could find that is currently using that is the circus. They use it as animal bedding because it's lighter than many other forms of bedding and it's edible for the animals in an emergency. Of course there's nothing to say Baris and Ideena weren't animal lovers, or fond of the circus and went to watch the show. But it's another clue."

Logan was thinking furiously. They had more than clues. Laris had told him she believed a guild patron was involved with Dedran and the circus. Dedran had her and Prauo burgling for him. And she'd opened up further about that the next night, once she'd seen he didn't condemn her. It looked as if Dedran was into stealing industrial secrets for resale. If the description of some of the items he'd had Laris and Prauo steal for him was accurate, such thefts could also tie into the guild. He didn't want to hurt or betray Laris, but this could be a chance for her and Prauo to get away. He spoke quietly.

"It's more than a clue. Laris talked to me after I told her her parent's names. Versha, she's terrified Dedran would manage to hold title to her cat. That he'd use the chance to kill it and punish her if he even suspected she'd talk. He's been using her to commit crimes by threatening to torture and kill Prauo in front of her. If you can get her clear with the cat and get her clear title to the beast she could give you a lot."

"Would she come in and talk to me?"

"No, not unless she was sure Prauo was safe first."

Versha sat thinking. "I was going to raid the circus for the tigerbats. What if, as an apparent afterthought, we collect the girl and her cat as well? Anders could say that we want to check her and the cat because there had been a minor outbreak of disease elsewhere which may have been started by a similar animal. Once we have her clear we should be able to sort something out. If she talks and her information's good we can hit the circus again with a full-scale raid. Anders would be happy to supply the men." She chuckled.

"He's still so mad about losing Baris and Ideena you can see steam coming from his ears when he thinks about it. We can take the tigerbats, the girl, and the cat, using just a couple of Anders's men, and get the animals and the girl out before Dedran knows that's what we're after. It should work if we make it clear we're confiscating animals suspected of being illegally on Trastor, and that so far as the girl and cat are concerned, National Disease Control is in charge. Logan, you find the girl. Tell her the idea. I don't want her thinking we're going to take her cat away for real and having her panic. Okay?"

"I'll go as soon as they'll be about. That's around seven."

"Good. I'll go and talk to Anders. Tani, I suggest you and Storm wander along to the circus around midday. That's when we'll hit them. It could be useful to have you there. Logan, don't tell the girl anything more than we're getting her and the cat out in payment for talking freely to the patrol. She isn't to know about Baris and Ideena, peavines, or a later raid. Understand?" He nodded agreement. "Right. I'll see you all in a few hours."

She hurried away, the papers clutched in one long-fingered brown hand. She also wanted more information on this Regan's background. If they could turn him into an informant she knew they'd find out enough to make a real dent in the guild.

Storm stood, Tani joining him as they headed for their room to dress for the outdoors. Logan was behind them. He'd dress properly then get something light to eat. He couldn't manage a real breakfast, he was too excited. He'd grab a snack, then make for the circus.

At seven Laris would be cleaning the animals' cages. She'd be busy with that for a couple of hours. The other staff had their own work and she'd be alone for most of that time. He'd showed up a number of times to help and just spend the time with her. No one would think it odd. But with no one around he could tell her not to worry, explain what was to happen, have her prepared to walk in at just the right moment with Prauo and be scooped up and away before Dedran could prevent it.

Laris was terrified of what her owner might do if he had any reason to believe she'd talked about his affairs. But then from some of the things she'd confided, Dedran was indeed both violent and a killer if he thought he was threatened. Logan wasn't exactly terrified of the man, but he did share Laris's belief that Dedran, cornered, would be very dangerous.

As for Cregar, Laris had made it plain the man had been a half-friend to her and Prauo. For that Logan was ready to hope the man wasn't involved. He ate slowly, thinking of how best to handle his actions at the circus, then, after clearing away the debris of his meal, he summoned a hovercab. It dropped him at the entrance to the roped-off circus area. The circus tents showed pale against the early sky as Logan made his way unobtrusively to the animal lines and found Laris sweeping. She looked up and her face broke into a wide, happy smile.

"Heyla. Come to help?"

"To help and to talk." There was a tone to that which warned her. She stepped to the cage door, glancing about.

"I know where Cregar is. And at this hour Dedran will be doing last night's receipts over breakfast. He won't be outside for another hour. If you help me do the next few cages we can stand where I can watch for anyone and we can talk. That way if Dedran or Cregar turn up I won't be behind with the work." They worked industriously for half an hour. With the work well ahead of schedule Logan drew her to one side. She checked down the line of cages and nodded.

"No one in sight. What is it, Logan? It's important, isn't it?"

"Yes." He caught her small hands up against his cheek. "Listen to what I'm saying, love, and don't interrupt yet. First, we all know about Dedran using you and Prauo to steal. No!" he warned when her face whitened. "Listen to me, I had to tell them, but Storm spent time in one of the camps once as part of an undercover job. He knows what they're like. Brad worked with people who came to Arzor from the camp on Meril. We all understand that you had to get out and just how Dedran forced you to steal. You didn't have a choice, he owned you, he could kill Prauo, beat you half to death, and no one would prevent it."

Her shoulders hunched slowly as she half-turned from him. Logan reached out to pull her back into the curve of his arm. "I'm telling you, Laris. We understand how you had to get out of the camp, then how you had to obey Dedran. You've done a lot of reading, you know the law on a bond-servant. You acted as you did to save your life and if it came to a court they'd accept that."

"What about Prauo?"

"I have Versha's word that he will stay with you."

Laris eyed him with a flicker of hope. "Can she keep that promise—and will she keep it?"

"Oh yes. Versha's word is good, and on Arzor she's the patrol's assistant security head for the planet."

Laris's eyes widened. "Then she can say that, but you're certain she's agreed?"

Logan met her gaze, willing her with all his heart to trust him. "I swear!" he said slowly. "Storm had her write out a note of agreement saying you could keep Prauo just so long as it was proved you were the closest person to an owner he has. I saw the letter and read it, my word on that."

Prauo's mind voice cut in then. *He speaks the truth as he knows it, I would trust him.*

*I think I do,* Laris thought back, then she spoke aloud to Logan: "How do I prove Prauo is mine, though?"

"You told me once you'd do anything for Prauo. You may need to accept deep-probe to prove Prauo is yours. Can you do that?"

Laris took a deep breath and let it out raggedly. "I can do it. What else do you want me to do?"

"A couple of men from the Endangered Species Conservation Unit here will be arriving around midday. They will have a warrant to take the tigerbats. Once it's proved the two females are stolen property the whole swarm will be confiscated to be returned to the sanctuary on Lereyne. At the same time other people from the National Disease Control will collect you and Prauo. If anyone asks, they'll be claiming they need to test you both."

"Why?"

Logan grinned. "Because, as they'll tell Dedran if he asks, there's been an outbreak of a disease on another planet which may have been caught from a cat-like creature similar to Prauo. Disease Control wants to check out the two of you in case."

"What if Dedran doesn't want to let me go, Logan? He knows I could tell too much for his safety; he might try to stop them from taking me."

"Can you have Prauo make a fuss if they try to take him without you?"

Eyes opened again in the back of her head. *I will do that, furless-sister. I'll be so ferocious without you to calm me, they will insist on taking you with them.*

Laris smiled. "Prauo will do that if I signal him. Tell Versha to be ready."

"I'll make sure she knows." He picked up a broom again. "Let me help you finish. Just in case you can't get back to the circus for a while you might want to sneak off in a few minutes and have a bit of time to do things."

Laris smiled at him, relaxing. She had to admit that when he started this discussion she'd wondered. Almost all of her life she'd been used and she'd been afraid this was what would happen again here. But she trusted Logan, he was doing his best for her, and his family and their friends knew about her, all about her, and they still accepted her, understanding she'd done only what was necessary for her to survive and save Prauo.

Logan was right too, a little time now would be useful. She didn't want to leave her small hoard behind. If Dedran ran he'd run with the ship if he could—and her stash would go with him. Apart from her savings she didn't really have anything worth taking—except her ring, and once she'd told all she could to Versha, she'd have to give that back to the Quades.

Cregar passed just then with a nod to her, and Laris, her senses quick with her years in the camps, noticed the odd way Logan looked at the man before he was out of sight. She knew that look. It said, "I know something about you."

She wondered what Logan could know and that brought another thought to mind. Cregar. He'd been kind to her. Saved her from Baris, trusted her over his own hoard while he was gone. She should warn him. If Logan knew something about the man then she'd guess the patrol did too. They could arrest him as well. He might prefer they didn't. And what about Storm and Tani's beasts? She swept so hard as she mulled over her options that Logan grinned.

"You'll wear out the cage floor."

"Less to sweep if I do," she laughed back. The work was almost done when Dedran appeared. He eyed Logan and grunted. No skin off his nose if the stupid kid wanted to work for free.

"Laris, we'll use the carras on the trapeze with you in the afternoon performance. I'm switching that act with Jonran and his knife-throwing."

"Why?" Laris asked in surprise. The act had been popular.

"The idiot was practicing this morning to add knife-juggling. He missed. He'll be out a while. I told him to pack his bags. We don't have time for fools who play about and leave me short-handed with the acts." He turned on his heel. "And don't forget the costumes."

Laris took the opportunity. "Logan, I have to go." Her voice lowered. "I'll see you around midday. I'll have Prauo with me. We'll be cleaning a cage by the tigerbats. That way I'll be just where Versha can see me." He hugged her quickly and left to tell the patrol officer all was arranged. Laris promptly darted in another direction. She found Cregar where she'd expected, just leaving the hidden cage with the meercats. She slid unobtrusively past, speaking to him in the soft slurred speech of the camps. Her lips were slightly parted but remained unmoving.

"Got'a talk. Danger you."

Cregar strolled in another direction, circled, and met her behind the cage line.

"What danger me?" Now he could speak more clearly but in his worry he'd reverted to underworld brevity.

Laris answered in kind. "Patrol comes. Logan say they know tigerbat illegals. Reclaim they. Take me 'n' Prauo too. Logan not say but think me he know something 'bout you. Look at you odd you pass us. Maybe you somewhere else sun-high."

Cregar sucked in a breath. Let the girl go and she'd talk. Looked as if it was over for Dedran. But the animals—Dedran had plans for them Cregar had never liked. His hands remembered the feel of small, warm, trusting meercat bodies. Of the first tiny itching of his mind-channels reopening. The meercats hadn't bonded to him as yet although there were signs they could, and might choose him if they did. But now at least he knew his ability had been only burned out for a few years. It could be brought back. Yet with what?

He remembered his team. Las and Lara, the mongeese. Keeroo, the Aubearan falcon. And Mali, the dune-cat, so like the sick beast in the hidden cage. He felt again the love flow across the bond. The trust, the place where oneness was. He'd loved them all. Mali had been half his heart, Las and Lara his laughter, Keeroo his eyes. With them gone he'd lost heart, laughter, and that inner vision.

Laris waited patiently as he pondered. Finally he turned to her. His eyes were different, she thought. It was as if life had flowed in to break the ice of indifference. Even his voice had changed. There was a clean snap to it, the slurring forgotten.

"Tell the patrol about the hidden cages. Warn them. I can't just open the cages and let the beasts go, there are reasons. And Dedran has the cages rigged to explode, destroy any evidence. I'll try to defuse that. Tell them, mount a full raid at midday. I'll try to be done in time."

"What about you?"

His smile was sad. "It's too late for me. You get out clean, girl. Take your cat and be free. I'll do my best for the animals. Tell the patrol to be careful in case I couldn't get all the hidden cages cleared." He walked away abruptly, leaving Laris standing there. Well, she'd told him. She bit her lip nervously. This business about the cages upset her badly. She didn't know much about such things.

Surely Cregar was wrong; he could simply open the cages, the meercats would run out as soon as the door was opened and Storm called them. The same with the coyotes. It would take only seconds for them to be safe. But not Surra. The big cat was weakened by months of drugs, illness, and her original injuries. She'd almost died but somehow Laris had helped her cling to life.

Cregar would have to clear Surra's cage first. But could he? On the other side of the circus Cregar was thinking he shouldn't take that risk. Surra's cage was right at the end of the line. Dedran could see it from his office tent. No, better to clear the other two cages first. Then if Dedran saw him he could maybe hold the man off long enough to save the dune-cat. The others would already be safe.

He checked the time. Not long. The cages had been cunningly rigged with the explosives. To clear both would take much of the time remaining before the patrol came calling. Cregar slid under the cage housing the meercats and began to work with hands suddenly deft. Yes, one cut here, slip this part from that. He'd been well trained by the unit once. It came back to him as he worked. Laris would wonder why he didn't just let the beasts go.

Dedran had been smarter than that. Tied into the circuits in the hidden sections of the cages was an electronic nerve-field. Dedran had these activated on the three cages holding the meercats, coyotes, and Surra. People could walk through the fields without registering their existence. A beast which tried suffered agony, dying from a burst heart. Dedran had the key to shut that off. Cregar did not. To get them out he'd have to disable the entire system or the pain would almost certainly kill the beasts. It was a failsafe against escape or theft. He worked on, sweat beads starting on his skin. One wrong move and he'd go sky-high. But so would the beasts, and even as he sweated, his hands kept working.

He cleared the circuits under the meercats. Best to leave them be. If he let them out now they might be seen and Dedran alerted. He inched along under the low cage until he reached the coyotes' prison. There he worked again feverishly. It was taking time, so much time. But now he knew how it went and he was a little faster. He glanced at his watch. Thirty minutes to midday.

In her suite at the patrol offices Versha was looking at information flow. Her investigator at Ideena and Baris's ship had cracked not only a very well-hidden safe in the ship wall but also the coded disks inside. Very interesting. More material had come from High Command. The last items from Regan's service file. A name in them was somehow familiar. Where had she heard it? She shrugged. No time to sit about wondering. Storm was reading the hard copy of the file over her shoulder. It meant more to him than to her and his eyes widened slightly. It was twenty-five minutes to midday.

In his office tent Dedran was considering recent events. It looked as if the patrol could be closing in on him. Nhara had sent a message. They'd found a spy in the guild. The man was dead by his own hand, too quickly for the guild experts to drain from him what may have been spilled. It might be safer if Dedran simply upped-ship. The Queen of the Circus was largely automatic. Liftoff at least could be done by one person alone. But first he'd stroll around the midway. See if there were any indications that he was being watched. He checked the time. Twenty minutes to midday.

Versha was on her way now with a six-peacekeeper squad, Anders, and Jared. In a hovercar behind rode Tani with Storm and Logan. They reached the midway, slipped into the crowd, and tried to blend in. Logan's gaze flicked about in search of Laris. He saw her with the tigerbats, Prauo sitting in the next cage, the door ajar. She saw them and nodded, leaving the cage to stand by Prauo, the big cat leaning against her shoulder.

Under the coyotes' prison Cregar sighed and slumped. One cage to go. He waited until the aisle between cages was empty of people, dashed across, and dived beneath the final cage. Above him Surra's ears flickered. She'd heard a sound. She could feel danger—and also in her mind there was the growing feel of her human getting closer. She was weak but not quite as weak as her warders thought. She dragged herself to lie by the door. Something was telling her Storm was near. She would be ready.

Cregar worked, hands flashing through the motion needed to defuse the cage. For Mali whom he'd loved. A parade of the dead and dying passed through behind his eyes as he worked. All the beast masters who'd fought Dedran's men. The beasts who accepted death rather than live without their human team member.

At first, locked in his agony of aloneness he hadn't cared. Had even been glad in a small mean way that they too should share his pain. But with the girl's arrival things had begun to change. She reminded him of someone; who that had been he couldn't remember. Only that he'd cared about her. He'd tried to stay aloof from Laris. But he'd diverted Dedran's anger or punishment from her more often than she knew. It felt right.

Then they came, Hing and her babies, and at last he felt something touch his mind and heart again. But each time he held them, felt channels open a fraction further, he felt as well the guilt for what he'd done. With emotion and earlier memories and teaching returning, he knew the pain he'd caused. Now his guilt for the things he helped Dedran do was all but unbearable. Superstitiously he feared that his returning gifts would be taken again if he made no repayment.

Maybe if he could save these, it would be counted for him. He could have his team again. He goaded his hands to motion. Faster. He had to finish and be away from here before anyone knew what he'd done. Boots halted beside the cage. In a soft, deadly voice Dedran spoke.

"Cregar? Care to tell me what you're doing under there?"