Shadowkill

3

The door slammed open and Pirs came striding in. There was a bloodstained bandage on his head and another on his arm. His face was so tight with rage that the bones seemed to be leaping against the skin. He nodded perfunctorily at his father, went bounding up the steps to the second table, nodding tightly at his wife, grabbed hold of Kulyari’s arm and jerked her from the chair. Ignoring her protests, he took her up the short flight of stairs to the main dais, flung her to the floor in front of Angakirs. “I will not have this THING in my house. She called my moves to my enemy and I was brought near to death. She is traitor to the Blood.”

Kulyari was so startled by all this that at first she could only gasp and struggle; she was frightened now. “No no, lies, no,” she cried; she pushed up onto her knees. “It’s lies, all of it, I didn’t… the Blood, no…” Without trying to get up, she swung round and held out her arms toward Rintirry. “Tell them…

Rintirry shoved his chair back, came round the table. Kulyari let her arms drop, her mouth widened into a triumphant smile.

He caught hold of her hair, jerked her head up, and cut her throat. “Traitors die. That’s what I say.”

Dyslaera 8: News From Home Is Better Than A Kick In The Pants

NOTE: Drugs used instead of probe because subject 7R (native name: Rohant, Ciocan of clan Voallts) tests in the dangerous zone re: probability of probe damage. Unusual configuration of energy zone. Tech I refused to guarantee results if probe is not used. Claims since subject has not been fully broken from the fugue state, drug trance cannot be established properly and mechanical/electrical responses cannot be calibrated to a satisfactory degree of precision.

FURTHER NOTE: Tech 1 is showing signs of deviance. Investigate.

TECH 1: Subject is prepared.

SAVANT 4: Tell me your name.

SUBJECT: Rohant vohv Voallts, Ciocan of Family Voallts, Gazgaort of Company Voallts Korlatch of Spotch-Helspar.

SAVANT 4: Who are we?

SUBJECT: I don’t know.

SAVANT 4 (to Tech 1): Well?

TECH 1: Given the limitations…

SAVANT 4: Yes, yes, we’ve been through that. TECH 1: I like to have things clear. 1 would say he’s probably lying.

SAVANT 4: Ciocan, you heard?

SUBJECT: Yes.

SAVANT 4: Look to your right; you can turn your head sufficiently to see the bench by the right wall. Do you see it?

SUBJECT: Yes.

SAVANT 4: What else do you see?

SUBJECT: Someone lying on the bench, his face is to the wall, but it looks like Tejnor.

SAVANT 4: Yes. He is drugged at present, but can be

revived if we need him. If you lie, we will remove parts of him. We won’t let him die, he’s valuable test material, but we won’t waste painkillers on him. Do you understand?

SUBJECT: Yes.

SAVANT 4: Who are we?

SUBJECT: Omphalos.

SAVANT 4: How do you know that?

SUBJECT: I saw Omphalites at Koulsnakko’s, I see you.

The robes are not the same, the smell is the same.

SAVANT 4: Is that last metaphorical or physical?

SUBJECT: Both. Please yourself how you explain the metaphorical part. The physical? You and four others of your kind-they’re not here now-you walked past me at the Hole. I have an excellent memory for sensory data.

SAVANT 4: I didn’t see you.

SUBJECT: Considering the nature of my activities, that shouldn’t be surprising. We took care to keep out of the way.

SAVANT 4: You had no prior knowledge of our presence and our plans?

SUBJECT: No. We were there for Ginbiryol Seyirshi. SAVANT 4: I see. Your Toerfeles was quite possibly warned about us. How would you explain that? TECH 1 (interrupting): There was a very strong surge of emotion at that statement, Savant. You are giving him information he didn’t have before, information that excites and pleases him.

SAVANT 4: Yes, yes. Ciocan, answer the question. OBSERVER’S COMMENT: In the following answer, note how subject 7R takes extreme care with word choice. Observe the readings appended, see how he manages to keep his statements in the neutral realm while providing as little useful information as possible.

SUBJECT: I can’t know… uuuh… absolutely… but you can have my conjectures. Seyirshi attacked Voallts Korlatch viciously during the past year, we were bombed and murdered by his agents, forced into defending ourselves in any way we could. Necessarily this made us sensitive to all unexplained inquiries and intrusions. You made me watch the incident with

OssOran and Feyvorn, I saw the girl, I knew her. You got her from Voallts. Your agents must have left traces behind. Voallts always defends itself from any attack and the best defense involves knowing the attacker.

SAVANT 4 (to Tech I): Well?

TECH 1: He’s not lying. Maybe hedging a little, but not lying.

SAVANT 4: By what other means would your Toerfeles learn of us?

SUBJECT: Digby, Excavations Limited. It’s what we pay him for. Don’t bother asking me what his sources are. Digby presents results. How he got them is his business and he’s not about to disclose it to outsiders.

SAVANT 4: Well?

TECH I: Not lying. Being careful not to lie.

SAVANT 4: Do you, Voallts Security, your Toerfeles, or Digby have sources within Omphalos?

SUBJECT: No. Digby, I can’t know for sure, but I don’t think so. I’d like to say yes and see you sweat, but it wouldn’t be the truth.

TECH 1: Not lying, not hedging.

SAVANT 4: Good. Name and locate settlements of Dyslaera other than the Voallts Compound on Spotchals.

SUBJECT: No.

SAVANT 4: We will peel the boy inch by inch in front of you.