Heart of a Warrior

31

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DALDEN WAS REALLY ANGRY, THOUGH BRITTANY WAS A BIT surprised that she could actually tell that, since it wasn't revealed in his expression. It was more that she sensed it, or maybe just that she was expecting it, after Martha had warned that he was annoyed.

He walked into the room, took her hand, and started walking out, dragging her with him. He didn't pause as he told the computer, "You have interfered with a warrior and his lifemate. You know that is unacceptable, Martha."

"Beneficial interference is acceptable," Martha disagreed. "Besides, since when do I ask permission when something needs doing? It's not as if there's a way to stop me, or that anyone using common sense would want to, when my actions calculate all probables beforehand."

"Is there not?"

"Not what?"

"A way to stop you."

"Tedra would never agree to pull my plug," Martha replied in smirking tones.

"My mother is still answerable to my father. Would he hesitate?"

"Now just a minute… Dalden, come back here!"

He didn't, nor was it necessary for him to even stop, since Martha's voice followed them down a wide corridor and into an elevatorlike cubicle whose door closed, then immediately opened again to reveal a different corridor, this one with a slight curve to it. There had been no movement of the cubicle; at least, Brittany had felt no movement of the thing, yet it had apparently transported them elsewhere on the ship… oh, God, she really was starting to, believe-everything.

"It's a good thing, actually, that it's going to take us nearly three months to get home." Martha's voice continued to follow them from each wall monitor they passed, every twelve feet or so along the corridor. "Plenty of time for you to settle into your commitment and possibly even get over some of the anticipated hurdles."

Mentioning expected problems didn't work to stir Dalden's curiosity, though it sure did Brittany's. He said merely, "Warriors have long memories."

"More's the pity," Martha mumbled, and then said, "It worked, by the way, which is the bottom line, if you haven't figured that out yet. You certainly weren't getting anywhere in the convincing department. And what's more important: that she accept what you are and where you come from, or that she continue to think you were lying to her, which was going to put a big dent in the recent bonding you did?"

He stopped at that point to look down at Brittany, wanting confirmation. "Do you?"

She knew what he was asking her, and although she would have liked to relieve his mind, since he did seem to be worried about whether she believed them or not, she had to consider her own peace of mind first. And there were other explanations, albeit elaborate, incredibly expensive ones, yet ones much more palatable than that she was traveling into deep space. When she thought of what it must have cost to create a studio big enough to give her the impression that she was looking out at the surface of the moon when she'd looked through that door… it simply boggled the mind, the effort these people were going to in order to fool her.

Or maybe it wasn't just her; maybe there were other people being put through the same program. She'd hate to think all this trouble was being wasted on just one person, such subtle details, a new view behind every door, out every window. Was she a test subject? Had Dalden blown it by getting involved with her when he shouldn't have? Martha had certainly made enough complaints about that involvement, and enough predictions that it just wouldn't work, to stop it before it got started, But Dalden got involved anyway…

"No," Brittany said, causing Martha to make a snorting sound of disgust, and Dalden to frown in confusion. She added tonelessly, "That's not to say I don't think that the reason for this elaborate deception isn't for my own good, which is why I'm going to accept it for now and trust that at least your emotions are real-"

"What emotions?" Martha cut in. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed yet that he doesn't have any."

"Excuse me? Everyone has emotions. You told me yourself that he was annoyed."

"Actually, that was an understatement on my part. He was furious, still is, but you'll never see a Sha-Ka'ani warrior stomping around mad to prove it. A Ba-Har-ani warrior, maybe. The ones from his country pride themselves on absolute calm under any circumstances, which means they've done away with the more common emotions that might interfere with that calm."

"Sure, if you say so," Brittany replied.

That got a chuckle out of Martha, but Dalden was more concerned with her 'no'. "I fail to understand. How can you not believe, yet be accepting?"

"It's called humoring, Dalden," Martha put in. "In other words, while she's not going to give any credit to what she sees or hears, she's going to smile and go along with it all. She's decided it doesn't matter. Actually, she does know better; she'd just prefer to decide it doesn't matter."

It was absolutely uncanny, the way Martha could analyze and dissect someone's thoughts and motives from just a few spoken words, like a psychiatrist guessing right the first time around. Brittany had to keep in mind that these people had probably done this before, knew just what to expect, and so had answers for everything already prepared. But given enough thought, she could come up with answers for everything as well, from a different, more believable slant.

She just couldn't come up with a good reason why she was being put through this program. Some not so good reasons, yes, but not a really good one. If she were a scientist or someone in a position of power, then yes, it might be for national security reasons or something similar, to see if she could be tricked into revealing secrets or joining their cause or whatever. But she was just an average person, so why would they need to mess with her mind? What, after all, could she do for them or tell them, if they did manage to get her to believe what they were trying to?

"You do not dispute what Martha said," Dalden finally remarked. "Is it true?"

"That I'm humoring you?" Brittany replied uncomfortably. "I prefer to think of it as keeping my sanity, so how 'bout we give it a rest for today, okay? I've been fed enough for one sitting, more than I can stomach. I'm here, I'll listen, I'll probably even ask questions. And I'll ooh and aah when I should. But no more today. I'm mentally exhausted, and stressed beyond coping."

"She's only slightly exaggerating, Dalden, but she could use some form of relaxant-either a round or two of lovemaking, or a visit to the massager unit in the ship's gym. My Tedra swore by the latter, until she got introduced to the former. In our Brittany's case, though, I'd say the latter for the time being would be more appropriate. No point in testing her resolve at the moment on what she's going to believe or not. And since you are part and parcel of what gets believed or not, you'll avoid any hurt pride on your end by practicing hands-off for now."

The blush that had started with that "round or two of lovemaking was gone by the time Martha finished. Brittany groaned inwardly. She had already considered how Dalden would feel about her disbelief if he believed all this, but she hadn't given it any in-depth thought, really-until now. He'd see it as a lack of trust, obviously, which could cause a really big breach between them, and one that wouldn't be crossable unless one of them changed opinions.

She didn't want to lose him, but damn it all, had she even had him to begin with, or was that just part of the program, too? It was beyond comprehensible that she might have been seduced, her emotions deliberately tied up in knots, all as part of the program or whatever the hell it was these people were trying to accomplish.

"I'm reading higher levels of upset, Dalden. Take her to the massager unit now."