Tally Road Original Story- Chapter 31

"The question," said Rairate, "is who he's working for."

"The question," said Siertes, "is who he thinks is crazy."

Dene blinked. "But surely that's obvious. Magarce!"

Rai winced, even hearing the hated name. "Indeed."

"I don't buy it." said Siertes. "He meant somebody else. I know that look. He was clamming up but we were not guessing right."

"What, did he smirk?" said Dene.

"No. He scowled, looked determined."

"Well, then, who would it be?"

Siertes didn't reply immediately, and then said "I guess we don't have any idea."

Rai was studying her face, his ears perked and alert. "Is it possible," he said, "that we do?"

Siertes was defensive. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you glance downward? I think you do have an idea. Don't you?"

The reptilian assassin hesitated, then replied. "Yeah. It's just... call it a hunch, okay?"

"What is this idea, then?"

Siertes swallowed, looked away, then said, "Restred."

Boodins blinked, this time. "What? How?"

"Don't ask me!" said Siertes. "I just have a feeling, that's all!"

Rai stared hard at her. "I can't believe that. Why have you suddenly given way to intuitive thinking? If you are guessing, why Restred?"

"Would you believe Ungovernment has ties to Restred?"

"But Finn has nothing to do with them."

"Are you kidding? He's worked with them many times! We all did."

Rai thought. Siertes was looking him in the eye a little too directly.

"Why would you want us to investigate Restred, Siertes? Is this what you planned all along?"

"I don't need this." said Siertes. She got up, only to remember she was still bound to a litter on an Aintar station, and settled for glowering. "I so very don't need this. You don't think I know Finn? Do you know how many years I've known Finn?"

"But why Restred?"

"I'm telling you, Ungovernment has ties to Restred." Siertes looked almost sulky, a strange sight on so deadly a creature. "I wish I could tell you more. I'm not sure of the details myself, but what he said was enough."

"Finn said?"

"Yeah." said Siertes.

Boodins' ears were perked in exaggerated interest. "What else did he say?"

"There were some network communications to Restred from that l... There were some network communications to Restred from Finn."

Rai cut in. "What were you beginning to say, Siertes?"

"From that loser."

Rai's ears were a picture of feline distaste. "I don't believe that. Were you beginning to say 'lab'? Where you almost succumbed to poison gas fumes?"

"I did not! I just got weak! Is!"

"But," continued Rai, looking more and more affronted, "that was not Ungovernment, was it? Who have you been talking to, Siertes?"

"What do you mean, talking to?"

"Voustrets." said Dene. "No, wait, Rai!"

Again, Rairate was off. This time, he couldn't stop and turn around even if he'd wanted to. He'd pushed off down the corridor with no great attention to finding handholds. They weren't that prolific on an Aintar station anyhow- the avians were as comfortable with zero-gee flight as they were on their homeworlds, and their rare visitors simply had to manage as best they could.

Ka, floating blithely several feet from any handholds, said, "I could go help him if he wanted to turn around. He's moving nice and straight and it'll be a minute before he reaches the end of that corridor. I'm not sure if you want him back right at the moment, though."

"I'm not sure what we want." said Dene. "He's so touchy."

Siertes glowered, but said nothing. Dene glanced apologetically at her, and the Tompar assassin's glare softened.

Ka took this in with a birdlike glance, and said earnestly, "You all stay here- and trust me, okay? This might take some time." With that, she fluttered off down the corridor after Rai.

Rai was halfway down the corridor, still moving rather slowly, when she reached him. He regarded her with a level gaze, but his eyes widened as he observed her actions. Ka had flown ahead of him, and she proceeded to fly right at him, directly opposite to his motion, and then brake in a mad flurry of wing-flapping and fly away from him. She did this over and over again, without comment, and Rai didn't say anything to her, though he was extremely puzzled.

Finally, Ka tired of this game and, with minimal flapping, took a position directly in front of him, but out of his reach by several feet. She turned her birdlike gaze on him, and watched, and waited.

Rairate Tais' expression when he realized she'd left him motionless in zero gee far from any handholds was an expression not often seen on any Nerre.

"You're going to listen." said the Aintar Boss, firmly. "Don't try to struggle, it'll only put me to some trouble continually blowing you back. There's no point yelling. I run this station. You will listen. 'Vraonse', I believe the word is."

Alarmed, Rairate protested, "Why would I not listen to you? Surely I have continued to show respect?"

"To who?" said Ka. "You don't mind respecting me, but you're not respecting your friends very much."

"They're not my friends. They're helping me work. I am not respecting them?"

"You're leaving in a huff," said Ka, "and I'm not quite so stupid that I can't figure out why."

Rai scored some points then. "There's too much wrongness. I can't endure it. I don't expect them to understand."

"Maybe that's your problem, then. Why shouldn't they understand? I would point out, though," said Ka carefully, "that I wholly approve of Voustrets Talanstre Laimontre's marriage."

"Not marriage! That cannot be, don't talk that way, 'aons!"

"I know of them. I've even spoken to them. They love each other deeply, and she's a great help to him in his work. She could help you..."

"Vrironste!" wailed Rai, almost hysterical. His claws showed, and his eyes flared green, but he still remained far from any handholds, floating in zero-gee and unable to do more than thrash futilely.

Ka watched carefully, to be sure the desperate and deadly feline stayed helpless. "It can't have been easy for you to know that Magarce was here just now, taking Finn away..."

Rairate yowled, his ears flat, and Dene called from down the corridor, "What are you doing? You're hurting him!"

Hearing this, Ka squawked, "Keep back! We're talking!" Dene kept her distance, and Ka continued. "And, I got rid of her by calling her attention to the fact that Siertes is becoming sweet on your friend Dene."

Rai had no more words. Tears of rage and despair leaked from his eyes. Through a high keening noise, he hissed, "...kill me..."

"No, no, no! I wouldn't mind pecking at your ridiculous social mores, though, but that's too abstract. Listen, Rairate-the-so-Nerre-it-hurts, listen. You are a False, aren't you?"

Rai didn't speak.

"Well, I'm betting you are, because True don't leave Ause generally. You're very serious about staying decent even though you're False. Aren't you?"

Rai won some more points by nodding, very slightly, even though he was still locked in horrible tension.

"Well, I've studied. I know that nothing's happening that would further damage your standing. I'm sure dear little Magarce would have done it in a heartbeat, with glee, but I got rid of her, Rairate, before you got back to the station. I risked my life and those of your friends in order to do so, because they were at risk anyway and it would've been immeasurably worse if you'd returned to find her still there. Do you understand?"

Rai nodded slightly, again, and then looked at Ka in spite of his distress. "...you did that for me?"

"I couldn't have her around, Rairate. I had you pegged as intolerant, and everyone knows Magarce lives to torment people like you. I was right, too. Those of us who know Embe... that's Voustrets' wife... know that she would die before she put a Nerre into a position of losing honor. To you, she's another Magarce, and that is incredibly disrespectful of Embe's efforts to avoid offense."

Rai's feline face was twisted with the effort to hear such unbearable talk. He managed, "How did you know?"

Ka trilled briefly, perhaps in amusement. "I guessed. Thank you for confirming my suspicions. I thought it had to be that, because you responded so horribly to the mere mention of Voustrets' name. I'm disappointed in you- these people are not going to dishonor you just by existing. Magarce would have come up with a way to destroy your status, but as I said, I got rid of her. At great personal risk, did I mention?"

Rai nodded, painfully. "You did."

"What do you owe me, for risking my life in defense of your ability to continue as False Nerre? I kept Magarce away from you, and she'd have violated you. You'd be tainted, and I'm betting that she'd arrange it so she got away unharmed. You'd have suicided, if I'm any judge."

"I... would owe you respect deeper than that for myself. You are Seigarche... I cannot repay. I... wonder if you will ask more of me than I can endure. What do you expect of me?"

Ka noticed that Rairate was looking better, more in control. The forms and protocols of his home world were around him again, and she was enmeshed in them. Better still, she had placed him under obligation- he had to comply. Ka thought quickly, as she spoke.

"Oh, well, it isn't all that much. Actually, what I expect of you isn't that big a deal. I mean, I wouldn't want to expect anything that you couldn't handle. No, what I expect is much simpler than that. The thing I expect, I'm sure you'll be able to do it. It's really not too much to expect."

Rai's ears had perked, and then flattened sideways in sheer perplexity, as he listened to this astonishing monologue. "But what? 'aons?"

"You're going to trust us to care for your personal honor." said Ka. "No more of these fits of temperament. We may not be Nerre but we can understand your needs, and you will trust us with that."

"Who is us? 'aons?"

"Oh. Ah. Well, me, obviously. Your Dene. Siertes. Um, I'll have to explain things to Boodins. But above all else, you are going to trust Voustrets- and his wife. Mostly you'll be trusting her to stay out of your sight and not speak to you."

"I must, since you are Seigarche and you ask this. Sh... she will not speak to me?"

"It's very much your loss, Rairate. She is the wisest Nerre I've ever met."

"Then... I will not meet her. I will do as you say."

"And you'll speak to Voustrets, and explain that because I am Seigarche to you, you are being asked to trust him. He's flamboyant but you'll find him pretty compassionate..."

Rai's ears flattened again. "I will do as you say. ....Chos!"

"Uh-huh." said Ka. "Chos!"