"Yes."
"The composition would be untrue to Amadeen if all of the notes were there. This song is crippled, as it must be."
Kia played for a moment, then paused. "It is strange, Joanne Nicole. In the dark like this, you are not… not a human. With the darkness of your eyes, do you see the same?"
"Yes. I see us as… beings?"
"I heard you cry out. I came to investigate."
"It was only a dream, Tora Kia. I am all right."
It was silent, then Nicole heard Kia stand and move toward her. "I too have dreams, Joanne Nicole." Tora Kia struggled with its thoughts and words. "I need… there are things… things I wish to talk about."
"Talk to your parent."
Tora Kia hissed a strangled laugh and she heard its boots moving toward the door. "Make your rest, Joanne Nicole."
"Wait." She sat up. "Why me? Why do you want to talk to me?"
The Drac spoke its words as though it were admitting to the greatest sin. "I cannot speak to them-not about war. Not about my war. My parent is always the gentle scholar. Baadek has never seen battle. You are a soldier."
"I am a human. "
"You are a human soldier." The boots moved in front of her, then she felt Tora Kia seat itself on the couch to her left. Do you not see that I have more in common with you than I have with my own race?"
The silence hung heavily in the room. "I will listen."
"It is perverse that you are the one I come to talk to. But this war is perverse." The sharp smell of happy paste assaulted her nostrils.
Tora Kia remained silent so long that she thought it might have fallen asleep. But then it spoke. "Joanne Nicole, I have moments… times when it seems that I am back in battle… smell, the noise, the screams-it is all so real!… And then… I am back in the security of my parent’s home. I fear for my mind."
Tora Kia laughed. "At the Chirn Kovah, the masters say that I cannot give birth because of my mind. That what I believe will not allow conception to take place. Soon I will be too old; the act of conception would kill me. This will end the Tora line." Then a sigh. "The paste loosens the words-and thoughts-as it dulls perception."
Just the fumes from the drug made her slightly giddy. She reached out a hand and placed it upon Kia’s arm, then moved it until her fingers felt Kia’s hand holding the tiny container of the sharp-smelling drug. Nicole touched a fingertip to it, then brought the fingertip to her tongue. It stung for an instant, then all sensation of the drug was replaced by a relaxed warmness-
-Flashes of light and metal splinters; blood, bone, and scraps of flesh; a face made out of pink goo; everything covered with mud-
In the dark, Tora Kia was a voice; a voice in pain; a voice that wanted her to understand; that might understand her. "I still see the war, Kia. Awake… and in my dreams." She was dizzy, and she gently leaned her head against Kia’s shoulder, the drug making her head swim. "I wish… I wish there was something… something we-"
The shoulder moved as Kia laughed. "There are times when I believe that Aakva still plays cruelly with its creatures."
…As though he-it-he were off in the distance, Kia began to talk about Amadeen; the horror of it.-but she saw the horror of Storm Mountain, and cried out. An arm went around her shoulders… and she buried her face in Mallik’s chest as his hand stroked her face. Strange hand; strange face.
"Joanne. You are safe, now, Joanne."
…she seemed to fall endless distances, then a softness engulfed her face. Boots walking rapidly away…
"Joanne Nicole? Joanne Nicole?"
She opened her eyes, sat up upon the couch, then let her eyes close. "Baadek?"
"Yes, it is Baadek. I have with me the human, Mitzak. Why do you sleep here?"
Nicole pressed her fingers against her temples as icepicks began stirring the syrup between her lobes. "What do you two want?"
"I came to bring you to the morning repast. Since I could not find you, I enlisted Mitzak’s help. The morning repast, and Tora Soam, still wait upon you."
She lowered her hands to her lap. "I am not very hungry. I would like to return to my apartments."
Mitzak spoke: "Major, the morning repast includes a beverage with much the same properties, if not the flavor, of coffee."
"You’re pretty smug today." Receiving no reply, she stood up and allowed the pair to bring her, first, to her apartments, and then to the dining hall. There she, Mitzak, and Zigh Caida were introduced to the host, Tora Soam. After she had been seated and had sipped from the bowl of hot liquid that had been placed in her hands, Tora Soam’s voice came from across the table.
"Joanne Nicole, what is the attraction of this medication Kia uses?"
The throbbing in her head diminishing only slightly, she answered: "I’m sure I don’t know."
"As I have, in the past, smelled the substance upon my child, I can now smell it upon you."
"I am not a habitual user, Tora Soam. Its use for me was to cause relaxation, to lower inhibition."
"For what purpose?" She ignored the question and returned her attention to the hot liquid in her bowl. "For what purpose, Joanne Nicole?" The direction of Tora Soam’s voice changed. "Mitzak, explain."
"There are different purposes. I cannot read her mind."
An edge crept into the Drac’s voice. "The crust beneath your feet is crumbling, human."
"Nevertheless, I cannot read her mind. Nor can I read Kia’s mind. You must find your answers from those who can supply them."
"Do you presume to recite The Talman to a Drac-to me?" There was a pause, then Tora Soam again spoke: "Mitzak, have you ever used this substance?"
"Yes. But I am only able to tell you my purpose; no one else’s."
"And that purpose is?"
"I am able to tell you my purpose; I am not willing. It is none of your concern."
There was a long silence, then Tora Soam spoke quietly. "We are all feeling the pressures of the day’s circumstances." The remainder of the repast was conducted in silence.
Later her headache having subsided, Joanne Nicole warmed in the sunlight as her sandaled feet felt the ancient stone paths of the Tora Estate. Baadek and Mitzak walked with her, each one holding one of her arms above the elbow to guide her. Although one of the hands was human, she could not tell it from the hand of the Drac.
Baadek spoke: "Mitzak, your game with Tora Soam is dangerous."
"It is no more dangerous than yours, Baadek."
"I think you know that there is a difference."
Mitzak snorted out a bitter laugh. "A difference of form, Baadek; not a difference of substance. Tora Soam is not… itself these days."
"Are you insane. human?"
Joanne Nicole stopped. and pulled her companions to a halt. "If you two are planning on continuing this cryptic conversation, either let me in on it or leave me alone."
Baadek answered. "We cannot leave you here. You could not find your way back." A pause. "We can talk of other things."
"Very well." Nicole stepped off again. "How is Tora Kia."
"Emmmm. This reminds me, I must leave you with Mitzak." Baadek’s footsteps moved quickly down the path ahead of them.
"Mitzak, what is going on?"
"It is complicated."
"I’m a quick study. Explain."
Mitzak sighed and walked in silence. After several minutes he began speaking. "Your meeting with Kia last night; It caused a certain amount of embarrassment."