Shadowplay

WATCHER 6

The flit lifted without fuss. In the cabin Shadith was stretched out on a padded bench, snoring a little. She lay belly down, her face turned to one side, flushed and puffy. One arm had flopped down, the back of her hand pressed into the harsh pile of the khaki carpet covering the floor. Kikun sat on the floor, watching her.

Rohant turned the flit directly west, increased speed to maximum and clicked on the otto:P. He started rummaging through the abdits around the pilot's chair, grunted with satisfaction as he came up with a book of maps. "Kikun…" He looked around. "Let her sleep it off, she'll be all right."

Kikun jerked his right hand in an impatient gesture. "She is very troubled. There are things I don't understand about her."

"Dio! Kikun, there's an encyclopedia I don't understand about either of you. Come round here. I want you to do some dowsing for me."

Vaguely uneasy, disturbed as much by his uncertainty as by what he was seeing, Ginbiryol Seyirshi watched the flit lift off. He turned to Ajeri Kilavez. "Do you have an answer from Makwahkik yet?"

She wrinkled her nose, waggled a finger at one of the cells. "Look there, you can see he's still down with the go-between, trying to wring more information out of him. Stupid. They got all the yobba has hours ago. I could try going through that Na-priest Puk's running, if you don't mind uncovering an asset."

For something as unlikely as that flit getting away from Puk is what you mean, Ginbiryol thought. You are getting uppity also, Ajeri my sweet. I shall have to do something about that. Though perhaps you are right this time. No. That girl changed in the middle somewhere and it was not the wine that did it. Something happened. Something unobtrusive that I missed but she did not. Clever child. Too clever to trust. I had better run that recording again, tight focus on her face. Take care of this business first. Decide and forget. For the moment. "We will let it rest for the moment. Makwahkik is not a stupid man. He should soon realize the futility of questioning that fool for data he has not got. As soon as he returns to his quarters, make sure he receives the warning. You have alerted Puk?"

"Yeh, soon's the flit was off the ground. I'll feed in course data once they've settled on their line, shouldn't be long now."

"Yes. You sent an EYE with Puk?"

"Certainly, sir. I was sure you'd want to see the attack and the outcome. Its send is coming into 2; long as the Avatars are together, we can spare one channel."

"Yes. Good. I will be at the workstation for some time, I do not know precisely how long. When the attack seems imminent, Ajeri tiszt, call me."

"Certainly, sir."

The simi chattered in annoyance as Ginbiryol set him aside, but settled to a mutter-filled brooding as his master ignored him and moved with ponderous dignity across the Bridge.

Ginbiryol scanned the recordings of the party. Overview first, marking the movements of the Three, hunting for anyone who seemed to be paying peculiar attention to the Avatars. Nothing. Much gush and maneuver to get near the girl or the Dyslaeror, but nothing worth a second thought. He reran the record, focusing on the girl, paying special attention to her moments with Kiscomaskin. She didn't like him. Might even call her hostile. That surprised Ginbiryol-and disturbed him. He was seldom so wrong about people's reactions. This mistake might be dangerous, might mean there was a flaw in his plans. A flaw that should be corrected when Puk was finished with the Avatars, but-not necessarily.

He ran the section with Kiscomaskin again but found nothing to justify his unease; he fast forwarded past the section where she was standing by herself, followed her on her ramble around the room…

"Ginny." Ajeri's voice broke through his concentration, acerbic, impatient. "Puk has the flit in view."

He frowned at Shadith's small drab figure as she started to sway, the wine taking hold, turned the frown on Ajeri. He disliked being interrupted and he objected to the tone of her voice, but he touched off the replay without comment and returned to the Captain's Chair.