Tally Road Original Story- Chapter 14

"You know, this could be very boring." said Hals.

Rairate's ears were flattened with frustration. Kend looked on, curious. Siertes was tied securely to a chair, with a ludicrous amount of metal cable, on the insistence of Rairate. It seemed gratituous, though, as the Tompar assassin was still too weak to do anything in the way of escape.

Boodins felt secretly grateful she was tied so securely- he'd grown up on stories of the dreaded Tompar Mued, and he'd seen Siertes go right through a cluster of armed policemen without even breaking stride.

Dene felt distressed, and was showing it. "This isn't right. If she meant us harm, wouldn't she have done it already? She shouldn't be tied up like that. She doesn't look at all well."

Siertes coughed, dryly. "Complimentary... crazy wolfess..."

"Do you know how quickly she could kill you if she decided to?" asked Rairate.

"Do you know how many chances she's had?" countered Dene.

"Let's start again, vraonse. Mued Siertes, why are you following us?"

The Tompar remained stubbornly silent, and stared blearily at the wall.

"Very boring..." said Hals.

"Okay, let's try something else. Mued Siertes, why haven't you attacked us, or Denenke?"

Siertes snorted. "Is! Because that's not my job, you idiot."

Rai's ears perked right up. "Oh? What is your job, then?"

It was too direct- Siertes clammed up again, but she'd already given something away. Rairate thought hard. Mued following them, on some assignment, but not to harm them...

"Maybe she's just spying on us?" said Boodins.

"Oh, come on!" said Dene. "We're not important!"

"Well, that's a thought." said Rairate. His tail flicked, as he considered. Then, he addressed the assassin again. "Siertes, you altered Dene's computer at her workplace, and this caused her to lose her job. You altered it with a 'root kit' that was inadequate. Were you looking for information?"

Siertes just glowered, sullenly, her reptilian eyes full of suspicion.

"Did you break into our hotel room?"

No answer.

Boodins burst out, "I know! Is she in cahoots with Finn? I mean, did she help him kidnap Elistary?"

Rai turned angrily on him, but froze in mid-turn when he saw the look on Siertes' face. He'd never seen a Mued look absolutely dumbfounded before. She was completely taken off guard by Boodins' remark, and even spoke. "...kidnap Elistary?"

Hals was instantly interested. "You heard him. Didja?"

Siertes blinked, plainly astonished. "Elistary Brinmont Doestral Evensring? Kidnap? You think this guy Finn...? Is!"

Rairate studied her, hard. "This surprises you?"

"Look at her, she doesn't know!" yelped Boodins. "Didn't you know we were trying to rescue her?"

Siertes was still fighting some kind of dreadful bafflement. "You have been trying to... rescue? Elistary?"

"We have reason to believe she has been kidnapped by a Runge named Finn." said Rai coolly. "Do you know anything about that?"

"That's your story, is it?" said the Tompar Mued.

"Have you a better one?" asked Rairate.

"Oh, Siertes- help us!" said Dene. This got her a brief glare from Rai, but he didn't comment- he was far too busy watching Siertes.

The Mued blinked. She shook her head, in a curiously rapid snakelike fashion. She said 'Is!' and it sounded like a curse or a prayer... and she looked up, and met Dene's gaze unflinchingly. "Yes. I will help you search for this Finn, and investigate the kidnapping of Elistary."

Dene and Boodins cheered, but Rai and Hals didn't- they exchanged glances, clearly unsatisfied.

Rairate said, "Will you, also, help us, Hals?"

"Not a chance. I try to stay away from things I don't understand, and I don't understand this at all. Can you guys be out of here by morning? I can try and find you a vehicle."

Rairate turned to Siertes. "Are you hunting us?"

She looked at him. "I had to know what you were trying to do. Now that I know your intentions, I wish nothing more than to track down this Finn."

"We mean to bring him to justice, not kill him." chided Rairate.

"Nice one, Hse-Nerre. Who hired you?"

"That's not any of your business, Siertes. Do you want to track down Elistary and her kidnapper or not?"

Dene looked puzzled. "But... what were you trying to do, before? I mean, you must have been following us for a reason."

Rairate glanced at Dene, and nodded. "Still a good point. Since you weren't looking for Finn, what were you up to?"

"Give me a minute." said the Tompar, flustered.

Hals barked a quick laugh. "Don't trust her! She's obviously going to make something up. This is great, just great. Can you all be out of here before morning?"

"That's not fair!" snapped Dene. "She wouldn't hurt us!"

"Not without orders." replied Hals.

Kend had been nursing his sprained ankle and staying out of things, but this turn in the conversation brought him over, limping but undaunted, with an opinion of his own.

"You know, I don't like to meddle in all this, but I'm not sure I appreciate the tone of your voice, Hals. You mind listening to someone who saved your mangy hide just today? I need to say my piece."

Hals stiffened, but nodded his assent, and the Estrai pilot began to plead his case.

"I know maybe you think I'm going to come off all romantic, and I admit, I flew in combat defending the Tompar against Xarnax raids. Some of my friends died trying to protect them. Some are still out there doing it. I don't mind admitting I care about the Tompar and how they come across to other races, and maybe I have a bit of a blind spot..."

Hals grinned, but there wasn't a lot of humor in it. "This is a Mued, Kend, old pal. You want to help these people? Get her to admit what her assignment is."

"But, you see, that's not going to happen..." replied the Estrai.

"Well, then!"

"No, listen!" said Kend. "They may not be the most sophisticated race out there, but they are proud people, and they have a determination and discipline you couldn't imagine, and I'm not gonna just sit here and let you speak of this one that way. 'Don't trust her', hell!"

"But we can't." said Rairate politely. "Surely you can see that?"

"Like hell you can't. Watch this. Siertes!"

Siertes regarded him warily. "You're not seriously going to..."

"Siertes, parra tramantra levorti?"

The Tompar was aghast. "No, stop right there! Absolutely not!"

"What's he doing?" asked Boodins.

"I think I know." said Rairate. "It's a sort of agreement..."

"And he has no business making it!" protested Siertes.

"What of it?" replied Kend, theatrically. "And it's your own customs. Parra?"

"Would somebody please explain what the heck is going on here?" said Hals, fed up.

Rairate obliged, while Siertes and Kend stared at each other from the depths of their impasse. "He's talking Tompar at her, and I think he's making some kind of promise or pledge..."

"His life!" said Siertes. "And I know what he's trying to do, and he has no idea, really no idea what he's asking..."

"Of course I do." said Kend. "I'm going to stake my life that she'll never harm you. They take that seriously- as you can see."

Hals thought he could see quite well. "She doesn't want to do it, buddy. That speaks volumes. I think you need to step aside. We'll handle this other ways."

"Oh, other ways?" said Kend. "I don't like the sound of that. You're going to torture her..."

"No!" yelped Dene.

"...and that's the act of a fool, you Runge have never figured out that doesn't work on Tompar. Step aside, never! Siertes, parra tramantra levorti?"

"Stop." said Siertes.

There was brief silence as the Tompar considered her situation, and then she elaborated. "I can't let you do that. What do you need from me?"

"You know." said Kend, impressively.

Siertes' eyes narrowed. "So dramatic, always so dramatic. Is! Maybe you might consider just asking?"

"You're telling me I could just ask you to make nice? Isn't that convenient!" said Hals.

"You're not parra." said Siertes, dismissively.

"And you're not staying here."