“That’s not your fault,” Ronon said.
Teyla smiled faintly. “It is my responsibility.”
“Maybe they’ll get over it.”
“It is possible,” Teyla said, in a tone that suggested she thought he was missing the point. “Come up now, Torren. You may not ride on the cart through the Stargate.”
Torren made a noise of protest and clung tighter to the cart as Ronon dialed the gate, leaving Teyla to pry him loose and gather him up. “Ride,” Torren demanded in what sounded like an imitation of Teyla’s most dangerous voice, although he didn’t expect she would let him follow it up by hitting anybody with sticks if they didn’t agree.
“Up for a minute,” she said, wrestling him onto her hip and catching at his bag when its contents nearly spilled out onto the grass. “We will be home very soon.”
Ronon wasn’t sure if she’d noticed what she’d said, but Torren nodded decisively and said, “Home.”
Chapter Two
Aboard the Hive
The commander’s quarters aboard the hive ship Just Fortune were pleasant, even luxurious, as befitted a hive whose queen was currently absent on business of her own. Except that that was a lie, as much of a bluff as anything else the commander had managed to achieve since he had escaped from Atlantis, as much a lie as the ridiculous name John Sheppard had given him. He was Guide, commander and Consort, and if the Lanteans called him “Todd” that was not his concern. His concern was his ship, his men, and the Lanteans’ unaccountable failure to rescue Rodney McKay.
*They failed.* Guide was unable to hide his anger, but Bonewhite faced him squarely.
*Did you honestly expect otherwise?*
*I thought if I handed them Death’s hive powered down and feeding, they would be able to recover McKay and destroy it. They’ve been extremely efficient at such things before.* Guide took a breath, made himself relax, his hands uncurl. *Which makes our position even more awkward.*
There was a flash of something, bitter amusement, from Bonewhite, but when Guide rounded on him, the other had mastered his thoughts.
*And what are we to do about it?*
*We are summoned to our queen’s assistance,* Guide said, without inflection. *We can respond or we can flee. I see no choice there.*
*No.* Bonewhite met his gaze. *We must do as she demands.*
Guide bared teeth, a general complaint. He could no longer sit still, paced the length of his outer chamber, coat swirling at his ankles. Their repairs, at least, were finished; the hive was a strong as it would be, the hull healthy, systems fed… And how Sheppard had failed to destroy Bright Venture when it lay helpless, failed to rescue McKay — Bonewhite was watching, head tipped to one side in silent question, and Guide made himself stop, stand still again in the center of the oval room.
*What do our people make of this?*
Bonewhite laughed. *That we are trussed for feeding.*
Guide smiled reluctantly. *Besides that. What do they think of Queen Death?*
*Ah.* Bonewhite shrugged. *The clevermen are loyal to Steelflower, to a man. Ember’s influence is strong there, and he — doesn’t love her. Not after their first meeting.*
Guide nodded, remembering the ritual submission, Ember’s face thinning as the queen fed, claiming his hive as her own. He had thought they were beyond such things, did not need to revert to the ways of their ancestors…
*The blades, however…* Bonewhite showed teeth. *There have been quarrels in commons and in the game rooms, though for now the majority holds for Steelflower.* He paused, gauging his moment. *We can’t keep up the pretense much longer.*
*I know,* Guide said. *But the alternative is no better.*
*We could agree that she was missing long enough that we could assume her dead,* Bonewhite said, but his tone was less confident than the words. *Accept Death provisionally.*
*She’d never permit that,* Guide answered. *And it gains us nothing, anyway.*
*And then there is McKay,* Bonewhite said, after a moment, and Guide snarled.
*McKay — *
*Is a danger to us all,* Bonewhite said. *Frankly, I don’t know why Death hasn’t turned her fleet on us, or declared us outlawed and fair game. I can’t understand how he could have resisted her this long.*
*The Lanteans are stronger than we think,* Guide said, but Bonewhite had given voice to his nightmare. McKay might be strong, despite his erratic nature, but Death was stronger by far. She was the strongest queen Guide had seen in generations; he didn’t know himself if he could stand against her for very long. More likely he would be on his knees in an instant, as he had knelt to her mother-in-lineage Coldamber, when the Ancients still ruled in Atlantis… He shook his head, shook away the memory. *She has requested aid, clevermen and help with the repairs. I intend to send her Ember.*
Bonewhite looked up at that, and Guide glared at him.
*Well? He was your man first, your choice.*
*He is,” Bonewhite agreed. *And a good one. I trust him.*
*Good.* Guide intended his tone to end the conversation, but Bonewhite didn’t move.
*You haven’t always fared well with ambitious clevermen,* he said.
*I want him to find out what is happening with McKay,* Guide said. *Nothing more.*
Guide had not expected Ember to return so quickly from the Bright Venture, felt his back tighten with fear as the drone announced him. The door spiraled open, and Ember spoke even before it closed behind him.
*I have news.*
He was trembling, Guide saw, and felt the tang of fear beneath the words. It was contagious, a spark to tinder, and he controlled himself with an effort.
*Within.* This was not the place for this discussion, not the public room, but the inner chamber, the most private place on this queenless hive. He pointed to the shadowed door, and Ember obeyed. It was warm inside, the lights soft and pleasing, the walls curved to hold the sleeping niche and a comfortable seat, where he could curl into the hive’s embrace, and he saw Ember relax and draw a shuddering breath, soothed by the surroundings.
*What are you doing here?* Guide asked, and the cleverman dipped his head.
*I told them I needed diagnostics — that we had some to spare, and it would make the work go faster. They won’t miss me for an hour yet.*
*Good.* Guide nodded. *And your news?*
*McKay — he’s told them nothing.*
There was a note in Ember’s voice that made Guide lift his own head sharply. *And how can that be?* Humans were not that strong, to stand against a queen —
*The queen’s chief cleverman, Dust,* Ember said. *It was his plan to take McKay. He’s done much work on human DNA, and on the retrovirus that the Lanteans used on the blade who became Michael. He’s used something like that on McKay. He’s made him Wraith.*
Guide stood frozen. Impossible, he wanted to say, but clearly it was not. Disastrous? Yes, very possibly. If McKay were Wraith, were a cleverman loyal to his queen — he knew too much of Guide’s dealings with the humans, with Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan. Guide closed his eyes to block out the images, the hive shredded, his own death assured. It had not happened, so clearly McKay had not volunteered everything he knew. *Why, then — *
*Because in transforming him, they’ve made him believe he’s one of us — he believes he’s Dust’s brother, a lord among the clevermen.* Ember paused. *Or believes he was Dust’s brother. Dust was killed when the Lanteans tried to rescue McKay.*
*And they did not try to kill McKay,* Guide said.
*They would not,* Ember said, practically. The trembling had stopped, soothed by the warmth and the pale shiplight. *They knew him, even if he didn’t know them.*
Guide growled at that, but he could hardly blame them. They had been taken by surprise — he had not known to warn them — and he would not have killed a man of his own under the circumstances. But he wished it had been otherwise. *Why didn’t he know them?*