Crystal Heat

8

He woke inside a room somewhere, stretched out on a hard, lumpy bed. His face was a sticky mess and there was a foul taste in his mouth. Lylunda was sitting in a chair beside him, a bowl in her hands.

“You’ll live,” she said, “but I don’t know if I’ve done you any favor feeding you the tung akar. Did you need money that much, Worm? That you’d come here to earn it?”

“Not money,” he said. Speaking hurt his throat, but he wanted her to understand. “I need you to trade for my brothers. That’s the price the Kliu put on your head. Mort and Xman. They’ve got them. They’re going, to hang Mort if I don’t bring you back. Or bring back what you know. You told the Spy, why can’t you tell me?”

“The Spy, that’s what you call her? I made a bargain with her, but I haven’t told her anything. Not yet.”

A blissful ease spread through him. There was time. There was still time. All he had to do was get his strength back. He closed his eyes and let sleep take him.

16. Family-Where You Go When There’s No Help For It

Message drone: to Wolff/Aleytys Greybond

from ship Backhoe/Shadith

(written message, not recorded)

Lee, I need your help. It’s touchy since Digby is moving to compete with Hunters and I’m on a job for him, but you’re the only one I think can do what has to be done. I don’t want to make a comcall, hence this letter. I’m heading for Wolff on the off chance that you’re home and that you can help. I’m in the Callidara, so it’ll be a while. I know this is vague, but I’m just letting you know I’m coming with a problem we’ve got to talk about.

Shadith reread what she’d written, wrinkling her nose. You’re really getting paranoid, Shadow. Just because this is Digby’s ship, it doesn’t have to mean he’s watching everything you do. Uh-huh. Maybe no, maybe so. I like that playful little git, but… Hm, think about it, Shadow. What are you really seeing there? Is the Digby you know just a face he puts on to charm you?

She shook her head, dropped the cargo shell into the drone insert, keyed in the destination, and sent the drone on its way to Wolff. It would get there in a few days, rather than the weeks it would take her to make the journey. Drones didn’t ’split like ships, it was some other, quicker way they took, but no one knew exactly how they worked, even on the Hegger world where they were invented and manufactured.

Message drone: to ship Backhoe/Shadith

from Wolff/Aleytys Greybond

(written message, not recorded)

My my, aren’t we being cautious. This is the second time you’ve written instead of sending a voice flake. What’s up, Shadow? As to me, I haven’t had aHunt for two years now and there’s no prospect of action anywhere in sight. We’ll deal with conflicts of interest if and when their ugly heads pop up. I’ll be delighted to see you. How long has it been? Three years? Four? You won’t recognize Lilai, she’s such a big girl now. I’ll take your cue, Shadow, and won’t bother with questions about this mysterious business until I can ask them to your face. But don’t you dawdle, you hear? You’ve got my curiosity steaming.

Shadith set the flit down in the paved patio on the south side of Aleytys’ house. She left her gearsac in it and moved along the path that led round to the front door. Flowers bloomed everywhere in the frantic exuberance of the brief summer of these latitudes and the vines were overgrowing the windows again. Aside from the chirping of the hoard of meuttertiks moving in and out of their mud nests plastered on the wall up by the roof and the whisper of a half-hearted breeze through the conifers, a deep and peaceful silence spread like a quilted comforter over the place.

She palmed the door’s latch sensor, raised her brows when it didn’t open, just triggered a recording. “Shadow, come round to the stables. Lilai’s having a riding lesson.”

Aleytys was leaning on the fence, watching her daughter’s lesson. Lilai was a red-haired eight-yearold, a thin and wiry girl with eyes too big for her face. She was perched on the back of a black gelding moving at a walk, her face intent as she listened to the old man who stood in the center of the ring.

“Lee.”

Aleytys turned her head, smiled at Shadith and waved her over. “You made good time,” she said, keeping her voice low so she wouldn’t distract horse and rider. “Look at that little flea. Like she was born in the saddle. I was remembering my first ride. I can’t believe how ignorant I was. Good thing I had the mind touch or that poor beast would have shucked me in three steps and gone home to his herd.”

… watch your shoulders. That’s better. Soften the wrists… (Chuff chuff from the gelding, dull clop of his hooves, tink-clink of the bridle)

“One way or another we’ve had our fling with horses, Lee. Me, I remember the ride across half of Ibex. Lilai is looking good. How long has she been having lessons?”

canter, right lead…

“Two years now. She’s been crazy about horses since she started walking. I’d look up from something I was trying to get done and there she’d be, heading for the pasture or plowing through snow to the barn. So I found Maestre Vassil, hired him to teach her, and gave her a-new god.” Aleytys chuckled, then shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when she gets a few years older.”

Shadith smiled at the poorly concealed pride in Aleytys’ voice. “Considering who her mother is…”

… head up… not so much leg… better… yes, yes… keep your mind on what you’re doing… better… keep going…

Aleytys sighed. “I keep hoping Grey’s part in her is strong enough to give her a little common sense.”

Walk… wrong lead… that’s better… shoulders…

“Is he out on a Hunt?”

“He’s more or less given up on Hunting… Canyli Heldeen is thinking seriously of retiring as Head and Grey wants the job. I complicate his maneuvers.” She moved her shoulders. “So I stay as far away from the Council and politics as I can manage, which means he’s gone a lot.”

“Lee, if my being here makes problems…”

“I don’t think so. And even if it did, I wouldn’t care, Shadow. You and Swarda and Harskari are my family, and not going to let that bunch of pinch noses erase you from my life.”

… once more… yes yes… watch your wrists… good.

That’s enough for today. Take him in.

There was a whispered violence in Aleytys’ words and Shadith sensed a darkness in her that she hadn’t seen before. Was there trouble between her and Grey? Or maybe a crisis in the uncertain peace between her and the other Wolfflans?

Mouth twisted into a wry half-smile, Aleytys patted her arm. “Not to worry, Shadow.”

Shadith snorted. “Put two empaths together and conversation can get more complicated that a Menaviddan web maze.”

Aleytys’ smile broadened. “We might as well go in. Lilai’s going to be busy a while polishing tack and cleaning out stalls.” She shook her head, “Don’t have to get after her to do it. She loves it. Loves everything that smells of horse.”