Tally Road Original Story- Chapter 24

"Just promise you won't start drinking Quentrose again." said Dene.

"Actually, a commercial flight might not be our best choice anyhow." said Rai, looking over flight postings.

"What else could we do?" said Boodins.

"We're no longer rubbing elbows with criminals- we could call Voustrets."

"Who was it that he wanted us to talk to?"

Rai thought for a moment. "You're right, he told us to speak to Ka. In fact, he said he would provide grounds for Finn's arrest. Perhaps we can still talk to her?"

"Who's Ka?" said Boodins.

"The head Aintar Boss." said Rai. "Such as they are... Aintar aren't very organized. I've heard of her. She's black-feathered, which is somewhat unusual for Aintar, and the main reason she's Boss is that she's more tenacious about learning things than most Aintar. We'll have to bring her something."

"What?"

"Don't tell me- something shiny?" remarked Siertes.

"In a manner of speaking." said Rai. "My understanding is that she'll talk to you if you bring her a new idea."

"What?" said Siertes. "You mean, like some kind of invention?" said Dene.

"No, no- she reads and writes." said Rai. "Most Aintar don't. Ka got to be Boss by learning useful things, but now that she's top bird she doesn't need to be quite so pragmatic. I'd heard of her because her poetry has even reached Ause. In the interview I saw, she said 'Astonish me and I'll give you anything. People keep trying to be unusual in the most usual ways...' I'm not sure I understand what she meant, but she was very passionate about it."

Dene murmured, "I think perhaps I do."

"Then you can be the one to astonish her." said Siertes.

"Why did I just know you were going to say that?"

"Come on, let's get moving." said Siertes.

Getting a secure connection to Voustrets Talanstre Laimontre over a spaceport computer terminal wasn't a trivial thing, but Dene made it look easy, the only sign of difficulty being her intent look and the enthusiastic rattling of the keyboard as she hacked away, giving herself one clearance after another, repeatedly checking for monitoring or logging daemons. Finally she nodded, ready to hit the key and connect through.

"You're getting good at that." said Rairate with grudging approval.

"Practice." said Dene dismissively, but her ears perked up a bit, giving her away. She added, "You know what was holding me up? If I have to use one more of these lousy terminals with a keybounce on the keyboard... did you see how often I went for the backspace? I wish I could vandalize this one when we're done with it!"

Rai cringed. "Please not, 'aons. Are we ready?"

"Yeah." She hit the key, and the machine connected through to Voustrets, on a priority override. In less than twenty seconds, he appeared on the screen, studying them with great interest. "You didn't get off the ship at Delamstrabatenwhateveritis!"

"We were detained." said Siertes flatly.

"I'll bet you were." twinkled Voustrets. "Zuransche, eh?"

Siertes tensed. "What the hell do you know?"

Voustrets did not rise to the bait. Instead, he was all seriousness as he said, "Not nearly enough, Siertes. Not enough to help your people... but I do know that I can count on you for aid. Well... I think so, anyhow. It looks like you've cut some close bonds? Or, dare I say, burned some bridges?"

Siertes wasn't having any of it. "I don't know what you're talking about. What gives you that impression?"

Voustrets' ear twitched. "That would be telling. A message here, an uncharacteristic event in a convoy there. And before you ask, no, that was just the usual raid that hit them, not any of my doing. Satisfied?"

Siertes nodded, curtly. If Voustrets wanted to believe it was she who burned the bridges, she would not utter a word to contradict it.

"Well then." said Voustrets. "What do you need from me?"

"You're very cooperative." said Siertes.

"I'm trying to help your people..."

Siertes snorted. "I don't know what you're trying to do. You know too much."

On screen, Voustrets' ear began twitching, though he maintained perfect composure otherwise. "Well, right now, I'm trying to get your cooperation so I can solve a very big mystery that has to do with Xarnax..."

Another voice cut in, from the background. "Ear, darling." To Boodins' and Dene's interest, a beautiful silverfurred Nerre appeared behind the Estrai detective. She petted his ear affectionately, began rubbing his shoulder, glanced at the screen, saw Rairate Tais and froze.

Rai stared back, with the blankness of someone entirely unready to admit what he was seeing.

The beautiful Nerre was also, evidently, no fool. She breathed, "I'll go..." and backed out of sight at once. Voustrets looked worried, and hastened to explain.

"I hope you're not going to let personal matters get in the way of our work. I do realize that for you to accept my wife..."

Rai's paw lashed out to hit a key, and the connection was broken. He turned and stalked off, deeper into the spaceport. The others stared after him in horror.

"But Rai!" called Boodins, and then the young Resten was stopped in his tracks, for Rairate turned his head and hissed savagely, his ears laid back, and kept on going.

Boodins had no idea how to handle this. "Siertes? Uh, maybe you should go get him?"

The Tompar seemed impressed, possibly even respectful. "Not on your life, puppy. In that mood he might even take me out. Bet you a dollar that he doesn't hurt anyone in the next five minutes unless someone touches him. Bet you ten dollars that if they do, he kills at least, ah, let's say sixteen people..."

"That's really cold!" objected Dene, staring after the departing Nerre.

"Didn't you see how green his eyes had gone?" replied Siertes. "That is one upset kitty. And, he has the training. Make it thirty people. No, wait, ten dollars says if he's touched he injures at least fifty and ten die of their wounds..."

Dene wasn't listening. She'd set off in the wake of Rairate, leaving Boodins to listen wide-eyed to Siertes' jovial calculations.

As she caught up to him, she noticed the edgy bristling of his tail, the tense flickering motions and intense deliberation with which he paced, and she held back, thinking hard and walking soft. He heard her- she saw an ear swivel to pick out her steps- but he was far too caught up in his own distress to care, and that gave her time.

When she was ready, she put on a bit more speed and cut to the right, and began walking several feet to Rairate's side, without saying a word. She risked a glance at him, and wished she hadn't, for he'd glanced back and his eyes still held that savage green fire Siertes had commented on. Dene kept her eyes to herself for a while, and stuck to carefully matching Rai's path through the spaceport.

He spoke, without looking at her, without stopping. "Decent of you."

Dene gulped, at a loss for how to proceed. "I, I do the best I can."

"You're a good creature." he said.

"So are you."

"So far." said Rairate, in an awful, strained voice.

Dene's heart went out to him. "Uh... if there's anything you need from me..."

She yelped in fright, for at that comment Rai whirled and came at her, but it wasn't to attack, at least not with claws or teeth. His eyes blazed and his ears were flattened as he hissed, "I need to go home! This place is horrible! It's horrible! There is no right choice!"

"I, I, but.." stammered Dene in terror, and then stared as Rairate squeezed his eyes shut with an anguished keening sound.

Finally he managed, "And... I'm even taking it out on you, who are innocent." The self-loathing in his voice was terrible to hear.

Dene stood there, completely at a loss. She wasn't about to risk touching him, but was filled with pity, which she supposed was not helpful.

"What can I do to help you?" she asked, cautiously.

Rai took a moment to answer. "Be unharmed by my misbehavings."

"But I am! Except that it's upsetting to watch."

The Nerre was silent for a bit, then sighed. "I suppose I had better settle for that."

"Will you come back with me?" said Dene, and for a moment she thought she'd blown it completely. Rai's tail bristled, and his body tensed, ready to spring or perhaps to flee.

Then, unexpectedly, he relaxed.

"Dene, I will... but we are going to do things differently now."