Finish the Sci-Fi Story III - Murder Mystery

Cafe Society
81

The Hrung slithered down the side of a pillar that Darson stood next to. It was very hungry, and the taste of Darson’s fear was just too great to resist. Flat and round, and the same gray color as the pillar, it reached a point just above Darson’s head and dropped directly onto his face.

Darson had only the briefest impression of something soft and warm, then his sight and air was cut off. Frantically he scrabbled at his face but he could feel the tiny grips at the edge of the Hrung as they dug in, trying to hang on long enough to get the energy of fear it craved. Farmani had at first recoiled in horror at what was happening, but wwhen he saw Darson weakening he tried to peel back the edges of the creature. He didn’t really care if Darson died, but if a prisoner in his charge died before he could be executed, or suicide, it would look bad on his record. As an Alpha Male status matted a lot to Farmani. But he succeeded only in causing the Hrung to grip more tightly.

Darson was on the floor now, no longer struggling, although his chest was still heaving. The Hrung was prolonging it’s feast. It was at this moment that Corianav and Kark pounded up, having run a virtual dead heat in their race.

“What have you done to him?” Cori screamed. “Is this your idea of justice?” The Xavvian was livid, her anger so powerful, that even Farmani and those with him backed up. “You couldn’t even kill him cleanly, you had to torture him first!” She didn’t recognize the Hrung for what it was, almost nobody would.

But Kark did. The Kintala Disaster, burned into his heart, had given him reason to know the Hrung. He scanned the goggling crowd and saw a med tech with his kit. “You! Over here!” he barked. The tech, a human, shook her head fearfully and started to back away. Kark rushed at her and yanked her kit from her. Scrabbling in it’s contents, he found a hypo-spray, and the relaxant he sought. Whirling around, he jammed it into Darson’s neck, and he went totally limp at last. At this the Hrung fell off Darson, and, inflating itself somewhat, went scooting back up the pillar, managing to get out of sight before anyone could react.

Kark stood up and faced Farmani. Waving off Corianav he said “It’s over now. As his superior I took care of him. Are you satisfied?”

Farmani drew himself up “You were too merciful to that degenerate.” Cori, hearing this, unsheathed her claws, but at a stern look from Kark backed off.

Kark repeated himself “Are you satisfied?” Farmani glanced down at the prone figure of Darson. "Will you dispose of him? "

“I’ll see that he is taken care of.” A curt nod from Farmani, and he turned to go.

Cori turned her rage against Kark now. “How could you kill him like that? I would have tried to cut that thing!”

Before responding Kark called the nearest Security station and arranged for Darson to be picked up. He turned back to Cori and said “You would have failed. I took the only humane course.” As transport arrived he helped load Darson himself, taking him by the arms to help pick hiim up. Cori continued to rail at Kark until they were both seated in the transport with Darson. Kark ran up the dividing panel to the front of the vehicle, checking it’s seal as he did so, and turned to Cori. “Shut up you arrogant bitch! He isn’t dead!”

The stunned look on her face was sweet revenge to Kark. “I thought he could be. So I took the only chance I could back there. If that thing on him thought he was finished, it would leave him. But he was nearly gone and I didn’t have time to measure the dose very well. So I helped load him up just now, and could feel the pressure pulse in his elbow.” Cori shot a glance over at Darson, and Kark continued “He seemed to think you could help him before. Can you still do it?”

The Xavvian advocate snapped back into focus. “Yes I can, but he’s supposed to be dead, I’ll need help now with the documentation to get him off planet.” “That I can do” said Kark, and, in agreement for once, they made the plans that would take Darson to safety.

82

Admin, admin, admin, invitation to an Old Timers’ Game…what the frell? Zora was going through his video mail when he noticed that the invitation had an extra audio channel. Anyone else hearing it would have thought it meaningless interference, although a group of Forsetti simains might have noticed it bore a striking resemblance to leafclatter. Something big must be going on for that old t’waligium to piggyback this.

Mentally decoding the clicks and whirrs, Zora discovered that the message was still in code. “Kitchen wing warm with foul fowl. Some slithering servants staged religious rebellion - Gemini chameleons possibly involved. Small house of cards reported near docks.”

Okay, Kark has a murdered bird, Voss trouble, and Kel around. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s a Hrung hanging around the docks.

83

Not knowing what else to do, Cori arranged for Darson to be smuggled to her suite at the hotel. Then she turned to Kark, who had helped her tuck Darson into bed in the second bedroom.

“I appreciate your help, but he can’t stay here. He’s going to have to be gone by tonight.”

Kark looked over at Darson, who looked rather gray. “I don’t know if he will be ready to travel by then.”

Cori shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. He can’t stay on Forsetti. He’s a FFISH.”

“FFISH?”

“Fully-Functioning Inter-Species Hermaphrodite. Very rare, and due to the social problems on Tharnia…”

Kark waved her off, “I got the full story from the simians. Where will you send him.”

Cori shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m just the first stop. I send him to the second stop, and then he’s passed on from there.”

Kark’s communicator beeped. “Kark here.”

“Sir, you better get down here. There’s been another murder.”

“Murder? Like the Sykoft?”

“Yes, but this time we caught the damn Xavvian red-handed!”

Cori opened her mouth, but Kark shook his head. “Don’t waste your breath. Of course you can come with me.”

Cori locked the door behind her, then turned on the DND light. After a thought, she left a message with the concierge, that she had a delicate legal case with its accompanying evidence spread out in her suite, and that the maids were not to enter it to clean until she lifted the order.

84

When Kark and Cori exited the tube, they still had several hundred metres of vegetation to tramp through. The murder scene was in one one of the Downs, in an area used by several different flying sapients.

A large group of Sykoft were milling about the scene, some on the ground, some in the air. The heavy rushes of air caused by low flying Sykoft filled their ears with noise and pressure. The unmistakable smell of Wallsens took Cori by surprise and she almost gagged. Kark had surmised from the area of the Downs involved, that the carrion eating Wallsens would be the species most likely used for security in a flying zone.

Three Wallsens had M’Artel sitting on a stump of some sort of tree, his hands and feet shackled together in front of him. Blood and gore still dripped from his fangs and claws. What must have been the body of the victim was covered over by a shroud some several feet away.

The air was hot and heavy, much like the Sykoft home world, and the smell of death lingered, both from the murder, and from the winged security. As they tromped into the clearing, M’Artel caught Cori’s eye and smiled slightly. Kark noticed this and became instantly battle ready. A Xavvian smiled to free its teeth for battle, not to show amusement.

Flashing his subdermal palm ID at the Wallsen who looked to be in charge, Kark asked, “Fill me in. Do we have any holo images or eyewitnesses?”

The head Wallsen nodded, replying, “We have about twenty eyewitnesses but no holocams were functioning at the time of the murder. Holocams are forbidden during Risknag.”

“I see,” said Kark, suddenly very troubled and battle alert. Rsknag is a Sykoft holy ritual. Several Thosti and Voss were beginning to show up, as extra security and as interested rligio-political observers. At hearing mention of the holy rite, the stopped in their tracks and bowed their heads in ritual respect for a count of seven. Kark motioned to Cori for them to do so, too.

Seeing this, M’Artel yanked at his shackles and let loose a feral roar. Over one hundred Sykoft stopped flapping their wings and, using them as paragliders, sank to the ground surrounding the scene.

With his hand on his weapon, Kark whispered to Cori, “DO only what I tell, when I tell you, got it?”

Cori nodded nervously in agreement.

Just then three figures appeared before their eyes. Kathy, Robert, and M’Artel.

“No time to explain,” said Kathy. Hitting a Wallsen guard, she pointed to the shackled M’Artel and ordered, “KILL IT!”

Morphing its way out of the shackles, then into the shape of a Drakel Berserker, the creature lashed out at the earest two Wallsens, cleaving them neatly in two with its razor sharp tail. Leaping into the air, its large wings beating the air into submission, it rose quite some height above the scene. The remaining Wallsesn and quite a few Sykoft took off after it. The resulting aerial battle was unlike anything Kark had seen before. Alternately diving and spinning the Beserker form felled on Sykoft after another, the bellos of rage and screams of death filling the jungle air.

“Using his comm. link, Kark screamed at the Wallsen security flyers, “Weapons! Damn it, use your weapons!” But it was too late. The last security flyer fel to the Berserker and the remaining Sykoft circled it warily. It hovered in one spot, beating its majestic wings violently, looking to Robert as though Smaug from that ancient book he borrowed from his father had come to life for real.

Then, the great beast stopped hovering and took aim at their small group on the ground, diving at a reckless speed.

“Kathy,” said Robert, “Don’t try to fight this one.”

Shaking with a fear she hadn’t felt in several years now, she sai, “I won’t. I can’t fight this one. It’s much too strong.” Tears filled her eyes as she quickly grabbed hold of them, saying, “Hold on to me and to each other. I only have one thing to try.”

Kark, Cori, M’Artel, and Robert all held on to Kathy and linked hands together. Sobbing outloud, Kathy let out a primal scream and they all disappeared from the murder scene. The Berserker swooped into the area they had just occupied, felling a clump of trees and rolling several metres along the ground. Getting back to its feet, it lunged at a Thosti security agent that hadn’t taken shelter and picked it up with one of its claws. Chomping down on the Thosti, it removed the head in one bite and flung the lifeless body away. Then it lumbered off into the sky again, making much haste in its retreat to elsewhere.

Back at Kathy’s hotel room, the five jaunters all collapsed into a heap, out of breath and feeling as though their hearts were about to explode. In a weak voice, Kathy asked “All safe?” Her eyes glazed over and she lost consciousness. Robert crawled over to a corner to throw up and the two Xavvians held their heads in their paws. Frell, thought Kark. That was intense. And quickly placed a call to Security headquarters.

85

ching-ching-ching, ching
ching-ching-ching-ching, ching-ching
ching-ching-ching-ching, ching-ching-ching-ching
ching-ching-ching, ching
ching-ching, ching-ching-ching
ching-ching-ching-ching-ching, ching
ching-ching-ching, ching-ching-ching
ching-ching, ching-ching-ching-ching-ching
ching-ching-ching-ching, ching-ching
ching-ching-ching, ching-ching-ching
ching-ching, ching-ching

ching, ching-ching
ching-ching-ching, ching-ching-ching-ching
ching-ching-ching-ching, ching-ching
ching, ching-ching-ching
ching-ching-ching, ching-ching-ching-ching
ching-ching-ching, ching-ching-ching
ching-ching, ching-ching
ching-ching-ching, ching-ching-ching-ching
ching, ching-ching-ching-ching-ching
ching, ching-ching-ching-ching-ching
ching-ching, ching-ching-ching-ching

86

(Translation for the above: “Kitchen wing - boiling over.”)

While Kark contacted HQ, word spread among the intelligent trees, through some desert crystallines, and ended up at the t’waligium in the Central Depository. Taking a chance that Zora would know what to do with the message, and hoping that it didn’t get intercepted by someone who could understand it, the plant sent the message as-is.

87

The Voss had to make due in the time of their enslavement with whatever shelter they could acquire. Now that times had changed they could move the Founding Church to a more reputable part of the city, but history and consecrated ground are not easily abandoned.

The Planet of Eternal Peace might give the impression of an idyllic heaven, but peace is an ill-defined term. Peace for the majority here meant the freedom to obtain inner peace and sanctuary. How one obtained it was their own journey. It was a peace and a freedom “to”, not a peace and a freedom “from”.

A cloaked figure walked the dark back alleys. Two members of the Gang of Knives approached.

“What you doin on our turf,” one said as they both stepped in front of the stranger. The stranger stopped and looked up. A blue and a green eye each looked out of the hood. “Do you believe in the Creator, the Maker of All, the SSislilli, the … ?”

“No, but I believe I’m gonna take your money,” the thug interrupted as both brandished a knife and advanced.

The top half of the stranger fell backward as though he was hinged. the cloaked fluttered and the top half seemed to twist down and around and out. It kicked the knife of each assailant into the other assailant’s rib cage, completed its twisting, and returned back to its original position. The two fell to the ground dead.

The stranger walked on. Later that evening he approached a back wall and pressed the bricks just so. A secret door opened and he entered.

After walking through a long narrow passage he entered a rotunda and stepped before a shaft of light. Seven other cloaked figures stood before their shafts of light arranged in a semicircle. Another figure emerged from the shadows into the center of the semicircle. The robed Ssibestal threw back his hood. Each cloaked figure dropped their robe, the topmost Voss dropped down beside his partner, and both bowed.

“I summoned you all to find an Evil. An Evil that has risen again to Bind the unwary. We are blessed to be the hands to stop it.” The Ssibestal pulled out a sheet of paper and walked before each agent. Each looked up and memorized the face of M’Artel and the information written. He returned to the center and raised his arms upward, palms together.

“Go forth as the cradle and bring the Evil here to be judged. If the Evil resists,” and he brought down his arms and clenched each fist, “close the hand and destroy the Evil.”

“Thy will be done,” they all chanted. Each team then wrapped themselves back in their cloak and slipped back into the dark.

88

Kark was talking in hushed tones on the room’s comm panel as Kathy came to. M’Artel was the first to notice and nuged Robert. Robert went to the auto food dispensor and tried to dial in a request. He couldn’t get the settings just right, so he leaned in closeto the speaker and ordered Earther style Earl Grey tea, decidedly warm. When the beverage appeared, he took it to the stil slightly groggy Kathy who downed it eagerly.

“Thanks, Robert,” she said.

“Sure, Kathy,” he responded. Then, his face screwing up in confusion asked, “Why did that last jaunt hurt so? I mean, you jaunted us both through the planet with you and it din’t phase us at all. But jaunting out of there…”

“It’s the crystals,” answered Kathy. “I linked yours and M’Artel’s crystals to me when we jaunted in. Jaunting out, we had to none crystal bearers, Kark and Cori. Plus, that Kel was doing some wicked things to the non space around us. As bad as Tag was, I never felt any interference like that before. Except that last time when he was linking all the Kel. But that felt totally different. Tag’s link was affecting real space and crystal use. THis was something totally different. As though our crystals were ‘refusing’ to cooperate. I honestly thought we were goners, then at the last possible instant, we slipped through the interference, as though a door opened or something, it’s hard to explain.”

“Wait a minute,” interuppted M’Artel. “Cori has a crystal. Why did you say she doesn’t?”

Perplexed, Kathy answered, “I don’t know.”

They all turned to Cori. Looking sheepish, which is hard for a humanoid with features similar to a feline to do, Cori stammered, “I can’t feel my crystal anymore. Not like when those motherless freaks tried to drug us all. More like it won’t talk to me. Doesn’t want to talk to me. It’s a little hard to explain, too…”

Shutting off the comm unit, Kark bounded over to the food dispenser. “Beer. NOW!”

89

After gulping down two beers, Kark looked at M’Artel. “I guess you might yet be proven innocent, M’Artel. At least, not guilty. Itseems someone wants to foment some interspecies religious conflict. What better place to do it than here where hundreds of species co-exist? My question now is, why? And who? Okay, two questions, why and who. Any ideas?”

“Well,” offered Kathy, “M’Artel was given a rather specific assignmet by The Council. One in which religion was to play a major role. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”

“I did know that,” replied Kark. “But how far along are you, M’Artel?”

“Well, I feel like I pretty much started. Being almost a natural adept in our Xavvian rites, I had never actually studied species specific religions, so I felt like I needed some heavy background in universal religionism. So, I enrolled in University. And I got permission for Robert to join me, as his father was sending him out for schooling anyways.”

Pondering this, Kark mused, “And you both end up in the class of the most renowned scientific religionist of all. Or is he a religionistic scientist?”

Cori nodded, “Cowd. I remember how odd I thought it that Cowd would agree to open is class to such young people. famous, sure. Rich, too. But you and Robert are both barely 25 standard each, M’Artel. Don’t you find it odd yourself?”

While M’Artel thought about that last point, Kark said, “I think I need to go see this Cowd. Mrs. Channing, would you care to join me in an academic visit?”

90

After leaving her rooms to go see Cowd, part of Gr’Vinnia’s depression had been (temporarily at least) shoved aside when she arrived at his office and found he had already left. She didn’t think she’d taken that long to get there, and she snorted in irritation at the recorded message saying “Gone to the cafeteria, back later, leave message.”

Still,with seemingly no one else to turn to, she decided to try and find him. But when she reached the cafeteria, and tried to scan the crowded room, she couldn’t locate him. At this point the smell of the food finally awakened her to the fact she hadn’t eaten in over a standard day. So she visited the food line and picked up some Xavvian breen. Evolved as carnivores Xavvian were partial to meat dishes, and breen most closely resembled the Terran dish known as Swedish meatballs. She ate quickly, and was almost through when a young human girl brushed by her single table, and ran her nails lightly against Gr’Vinnia’s arm. Grivvy growled a little at the invasion of her “personal space”, but let it pass, and watched the girl enter a private booth.

Grivvy kept her eyes open for Cowd, but after finishing her food gave up and decided to leave. Just then the booth the girl had entered opened again, and a Thosti, and then Cowd left, but no girl. “Neat trick” thought Grivvy, wondering what was going on. But before she could wonder further she started to fell tired. “Must be the big meal” she thought, and cracked a wide, almost teeth baring yawn. Cowd turned in her direction and caught sight of her, as the Thosti left him.

He smiled and hurried over to her. “My dear Gr’Vinnia, I am so sorry that we missed each other! Please accept my humblest apologies at not waiting longer for you.” Gr’Vinnia began to feel a little better, at the obvious warm sincerity of his words. She yawned again a little. How had she ever been angry with Cowd?

“And now, if you still want to confide in someone who stood you up like that, we can return to my office for complete privacy.”

Gr’Vinnia smiled. “That would be…yawn… lovely, professor Cowd.”

“Please, just call me Cowd. I just couldn’t insist on formalities when I’ve offended such a lovely lady!”

Gr’Vinnia stood up, and swayed only a little as she preceded Cowd from the cafeteria. She didn’t see the broad smile on Cowd’s face as he thought of what Xol had said. This was compensation indeed!

91

Darson sat up suddenly in the darkened room, stifling a scream. It was dark. Dark. This must be death.

Yet, he didn’t think they would cover him in a blanket in the afterworld, so, careful not to disturb the other inhabitants of the Beyond, he climbed out of bed. (Bed? In the Beyond? He didn’t remember any of that in the ancient texts) and promptly tripped over his own feet.

At the sound, the lights in the room came on, as they were programmed to do. Darson screwed up his eyes at the painful radiance, then slowly focused on what seemed to be a spacious, luxurious hotel suite.

The Beyond was very strange. The Ancients certainly had gotten it all wrong. There was supposed to be a trial, then a thorough physical examination, then you were sent to join your matching genders. Except for FFISH, he remembered, they were tortured for all eternity for their crimes against evolution.

This didn’t seem like torture, unless they were lulling him into a false sense of security. Maybe he better just climb back into bed and wait for the Judges of Beyond to decide his fate.

Frowning, he realized he needed to use the waste extraction facility. The Beyond was very strange…

92

Ducts, ducts, ducts, there must be an easier way! thought a female simian as she worked her way toward Cori’s suite. Finally reaching her “exit”, she popped open a vent and dropped down…and heard a scream! The simian spun around to see Darson using the facilities. She had landed in the lavatory! Thinking fast, she clamped a hand over Darson’s mouth and spoke soothingly. “Shh. You must be prepared.” All Darson could do was nod and think This is a Judge of Beyond?

93

Kathy frowned in thought. “Yes, I think it’s about time to pay a visit to him.” She turned to Robert and M’Artel. “Both of you are his students. If one of you came along you might be able to give us some more insights to the famous professor.”

M’Artel shook his head. “I’m beat. I don’t know how you two are managing to stay awake. If I could camp out here Kathy? I doubt the hotel will give me another room now, after the last time.”

“No problem. Robert?” Robert was tired too, but after the concern Kathy had shown for him(even springing for the meal) he didn’t want to say no. “Sure, I’ll come, although you can probably get more from Medianet about Cowd than I can tell you.”

“if you would permit me, I could link with you and collate things you know about him that even you may not have noticed.”

Robert shrugged. “Sure, for you I will. But I still think you’ll be disappointed.”

The door chimed a greeting. Kathy took a look at the screen. "Oh my God, with all that has been going on I’d forgotten. I’m an idiot!" And she opened the door to admit Danielle Levrosky and Soren.

“Well, if it isn’t the long and the short of it!” she said by way of greeting. “I don’t mean to greet and run, and we do need you, but some of us were about to leave for an interview with Cowd.”

“The Cowd?” asked Soren, “I hadn’t realized he was on Forsetti.”

“The very one. Cori and M’Artel can bring you up to date. It’s been a weird few days.” And with that Kark, Kathy and Robert left.

Danielle held out her hands to Cori and M’Artel. “I am so pleased to meet you both. It’s one of those cases of ‘I’ve heard so much about you!’ But if you don’t mind, could you show us how to get settled in here?”

Corianav took the two humans to the hotel’s check in, which actually had a live staff instead of a roombooth dispenser. One clerk, a Renallian, took Danielle and Soren in hand, while another, a human spoke to Cori.

“Ma’am, I have three messages for you. Would you like a chip, or a slip?”

“I’ll take the papers” said Cori, and glanced over the notes. One was an automatic billing tally, letting Cori know her current tab. A second was an automatic notice of a legal hearing, to settle M’Artel’s legal status. The third was, Oh Mother, from Dr. Jade Innison! Cori read as far as “I think I’ve found some good stuff, but staying in this darned booth for two days has been a pain. Hope Dad hasn’t called yet. I’ll be coming back to the suite as soon as…”

Mystified, Danielle and Soren looked at the place where Cori had been. She’d left so fast it was almost as if she’d jaunted.

94

The simian showed Darson the vent she had come through. “This is the way we need to go.”

Darson nodded. “As you wish, Judge, but this whole thing is very strange. Have you changed things since the Ancients?”

The simian stared at him. “Judge? Ancients? Ah, the Tharn believes he is in the Beyond. It would be interesting to discuss Tharnian mythology, but, we don’t have time. Come.”

“Do I need to bring anything, Judge?”

The simian smacked her head, then slapped Darson on his rear. “You are not dead. Get up through the vent. This is an escape!”

95

Still not quite sure what was going on, Darson figured it would be best to obey just in case the creature really was a Judge and testing him. The siman followed, pausing to replace the vent. Then she took a green ribbon from her hair and hung it through the slats.

Cori decided to check on Darson before meeting Jade at the Central Depository. She opened the door to her suite and found that everything was still where she left it, except Darson. He wasn’t found anywhere. Cori anxiously keyed her commlink.

“Kark here.”

“He’s gone! You couldn’t…”

“Slow down, who’s gone?” Kark paused. “OH!”

“You didn’t…?”

“No, of course not! Cori, look around. Do you see anything out of the ordinary?”

“No, no, no…yes! In the bathroom, there’s a ribbon hanging from the vent!”

“What color is it?”

“Color? What difference does that make?”

“You’d be surprised.”

“It’s green. Is that good?”

“Very. Our friend is with a friend of a friend.”

“Huh?”

“Take the ribbon and go see Jade, she’ll explain. Kark out.”

Kathy looked at Kark. “What was that?”

Kark shrugged. “Long story.”

96

Gr’Vinnia sat down wearily on the couch in Cowd’s office. Though drowsy, she did not feel as though she needed sleep. She simply wanted to shut her brain off for a while. The soothing, rhythmic sounds emanating from hidden places in the room helped to lull her into a state of semi hypnosis. Of course, she hadn’t known that Xol had injected a drug into her, one that reacted to Xavvian couriers, making them susceptible to suggestion and shutting down their crystal awareness.

Cowd adjusted a setting on his office desk panel, releasing an aerosol of a Xavvian sedative and hallucinagentive. He cursed under his breath as he saw an urgent message waiting for him. Smiling at Grivvy he told her he would be right back.

Entering his private comm. booth, Cowd keyed in the message reply code. Immediately a shadowed figure appeared to him, looking very Xavvian indeed now that he had the clue from the call several days ago.

“Cowd,” said the figure, “Are we any closer to our objective? Has my Kel been put to good use?”

Cowd answered, “I don’t think that Xol is doing anything more than pretending to work for you. He seems to be causing a bit of a stir in certain communities. The Voss question still has me worried.”

“Those slave creatures!? Concern yourself not with them. I want to move forward on the timetable. Discrediting M’Artel as a Xavvian adept is essential. We cannot have his insights reach royal ears without his loyalties being cast into doubt. Then, you can have whole weight of argument on your side and yours only when the Council convenes to install the usurper. And all will be put back to where it should be.”

“So, you are indeed the former heir. I thought so. My price has just gone, O Highly Esteemed, “ Cowd sneered.

“So, the Human cheater and thief of knowledge thinks he has one up on me, does he?” As he said this, the shadowed Xavvian moved closer into the pickup, revealing that Cowd was correct. “Do not think that I can’t still affect you even if I am deposed and disgraced, you xenophage. Your legacy exists in many different archives. What sort of punishment might one receive for the crime of consuming one’s colleagues?” With that, the Xavvian signed off and Cowd rejoined Gr’Vinnia in the main office.

Slightly unnerved by this turn of events, Cowd almost jumped out of his skin as the entryway chimed with the signal of visitors. “Now who?” he grumbled to himself as he activated the view screen. The entry IDed the visitors as Kark Hingman, Security and Kathy Channing, Agent of Council. Resetting the room controls to clear the air and stop the music, Cowd produced a hypo spray form his desk and injected Grivvy with a stimulant to offset any obvious doping.

Looking about the room for anything out of place, he dialed in an acceptance code for the entry.

97

“…price has just gone up…”

:smack:

98

Cowd opened the door. Introductions were not needed, as the security system would obviously have ID’ed Kark and Kathy.

“Ah, the famous Kathy Swanson, I mean Channing!. Considering our fields it is surprising we haven’t met already!.” With just the slightest tinge of being patronizing, Cowd turned to Kark. " And, uh, Capt. Hingman, of Forsetti Security. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Kathy glanced curiously at Gr’Vinnia, seated on the other side of the room, and Cowd noted this, but before he could say anything Kathy began

“Professor, we didn’t mean to interrupt you and your guest.”

Cowd hoped that, in spite of the stimulant, the Gr’Vinnia still had enough of the drug in her to make her amenable to suggestion. He turned to her and said "My dear, I wonder if you would mind waiting in the kitchen unit? It shouldn’t be long. Grivvy smiled and rose, and walked out of the room. Just stay calm Cowd told himself, pretend it’s a perfectly ordinary matter.

“One of my star pupils, I’m her academic advisor and the new term is about to start. Please, sit down, and tell me why I’m being honored.”

“Professor” Kark began “A third should be joining us, another pupil of yours, Robert Harker. He’s gone to check on a friend before arriving.”

A little wave of his hand. “No problem.”

“Sir” said Kathy “Have you been following the religious unrest here on Forsetti? We’d like to know what your opinions are on recent events, especially since aanother student of yours, M’Artel, seems to have been targeted by them in some way.”

“M’Artel? I’m sorry to hear that. Brilliant student, and Harker as well. I must say I was surprised to find that the son of a mercenary official would have such a fine mind.” *Get them irritated * he thought. It distracts the mind every time.

Kark’s nostrils did flare a little, but he didn’t rise to the bait, instead saying calmly “I used to serve Capt. Harker you know.”

Time to be patronizing again, Cowd thought. “Capt. Hingman, I didn’t mean to imply…”

Oh yes you do Kark thought. Something is rotten here, but what?

For a few minutes they discussed the current events, then the door chimed again, and Cowd went to let Robert in. He hoped Grivvy would stay put.

At an inquiring glance from Kathy Robert said miserably “She wasn’t in her rooms.”

Gr’Vinnia couldn’t help it. The professor had told her to wait in the kitchen, but Robert was coming, she’d heard Kathy say so, and she desperately wanted to see him, to tell him how she really felt.

Something inside her, her *real * self, battered at the walls of the “prison” she was in. Stand up! the voice said. One foot in front of the other! She stood up and tried to walk, but the lack of a suggestion from Cowd made her awkward, and she fell against a small table, knocking it over, and breaking an almost empty wine bottle.

The sound of breaking glass is not one that can usually be ignored, but Cowd affected not to hear. Sensing something odd Kark started to get up, but before he could Grivvy stumbled out, bleeding from a small cut on her forehead.

“Grivvy!” shouted Robert, jumping up and darting over to her. “What happened? What are you doing here? Let me help you with that cut.”

“It’s nothing, Robert”, she said lightly. “Don’t bother, the professor will take care of me.” No! screamed the inner voice.

Robert reddened and turned away. “Oh frell, why bother?”

Kathy had been watching this exchange closely. “Robert! Reach out with your crystal to her. What do you feel?”

Reluctantly he turned back, and did as Kathy asked. “Nothing, I feel nothing.”

Turning on Cowd he shouted, “What have you been doing to her?”

“Doing to her?” Cowd replied scornfully. “Nothing. I don’t have any restraint on her! And I’ll thank you not to cast aspersions on my name and character, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you all to leave, at once. Oh, and Mr. Harker? Don’t bother trying to re-enroll in my seminar for the next term.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t” was the bitter reply, and Kark, Kathy, and Robert left.

Cowd turned on Gr’Vinnia with a manic smile. “You’re going to pay for breaking that chianti bottle.”

Kark and Kathy conversed in low tones as they waited for transport, while Robert gloomed in despair. “I’m going to set the simians on him.” said Kark. “Scholar or not, that’s one bad fracker. We’re missing something here.”

Robert picked up on Kark’s comments, and with sudden resolution said “I’m going back”

99

Funny, I don’t remember that being there. Robert had turned to go back and bumped into what he thought was a tree. That is, until he heard a voice from above. “Oh, excuse me. I didn’t see you.” Craning his neck, Robert saw a figure whom he estimated to be close to four meters tall, possibly even a tad over. Gigas weren’t usually seen outside of their solar system, let alone on Forsetti.

Kark and Kathy turned to see what was going on and Kark thought he recognized this particular Giga. “Sten? Is that you?”

Sten bent down for a closer look, which slightly unnerved Robert and Kathy. Anyone familiar with Kark’s team photo would have recognized the pose. “Kark! I had no idea you were here!”

“Robert, Kathy, meet Stenistau Gnisto, an old friend.”

“And teammate, until the league outlawed me,” Sten said with a laugh. “I figured they would eventually after Zora told us about Eddie Gaedel. From one extreme to another, eh?”

“Yeah. Now, what brings you to my little part of the universe?”

“You know I’ve gone mercenary, like Kal - may he rest in peace. I’ve been hired to locate a bit of scum called ‘Cowd’.”

100

"Locate?’ asked Kathy. “I wouldn’t have thought it would take much to locate someone with the name and reputation of Cowd.”

“A figure of speech.” I’ve been on Forsetti for four standard days but I’ve spent the time working out his schedule and movement patterns, and I got here just now. It can take me a while to get from point to point, since I like to wait for freight transports. Roomier." He peered at Kathy and Robert. “As Kark can no doubt tell you, I can scrunch into a standard tube, but it ain’t a pretty sight.”

Kark gave a laugh. “That’s for sure! I remember the time when the team pretended you were feeling sick. The look on that other team’s face…”

Excuse me! interrupted Robert. “I hate to interrupt old home week, but I’m going back to Cowd’s for Grivvy!”

Sten and Kark sobered instantly, and Sten gave Robert a sharp glance. “So, someone else is tumbling to the good professor?”