"You'd be amazed at the amount of work it takes to scramble a fleet. Staffa left everyone here with the idea that we wouldn't be spacing for quite a while. People took him at his word, not knowing he'd go out and fall into a viper's nest of trouble."
Nyklos leaned on his elbow and studied her carefully. "You really love him, don't you?"
She stiffened. "I don't think it's any of your business." He chuckled to himself. "I must be five kinds of idiotic fool. I always thought you were attractive. I used to study the ID holo we had of you, wondering if you were as beautiful as it made you look. Then, when I talked to you that day in Etarus, I was dazzled-but I couldn't convince myself
you were really Skyla Lyma. The dreaded Wing Commander of the Companions wouldn't have that easy attitude on the street. But I followed you and I became sure of your identity when you took Broddus out."
"Well, we're all full of little surprises, aren't we?"
He nodded, picking at his food. "Yes, we are. I didn't expect to fall in love with you. "
"Nyklos, give it up. I'm not some sweet innocent who'll fall for crap like that. Stow it. The only place that women fall in love with prisoners and give them the keys to the castle are in romantic holo shows. So you can-"
"Will you shut up!" He slammed a fist on the table, and she could hear his teeth grinding. "By the Rotted Gods, how many times do I have to tell you!" He stood up, stomping back and forth, and finaUy stopping. "Look, forget it. Call the guard. Have him take me back to my quarters."
Skyla cut another piece of m-eat off the lamb and chewed it thoughtfully. "Tell me, is Bruen's headquarters underground? Someplace dark?"
Nyklos turned suspicious eyes on her. "What makes you say that?"
"I had a dream. Staffa was telling me to hurry. I saw people with robes being shot down by armored Regan soldiers. The whole thing was pretty vivid. Judging from your reaction just now, Bruen's headquarters really might be a place like that."
Nyklos walked over and braced himself on the table, watching her eat. "If I tell you, will you at least treat me like a human being? I didn't want to become attracted to you, it just happened."
:'What's this place called?" 'Makarta. "
"It's the main Seddi temple?"
Nyklos nodded. "But that's all I'm telling you. Now, do I get the chance to walk around I a little, stretch my legs, maybe make a contribution to-'
:'Will you pinpoint where Makarta is on a Targan mapT9 'Are you crazy? What kind of ……
Skyla pointed a finger at him. "If the Regans have found your Makarta, do you really think they'll leave it alone? Well, let me give you a piece of news, Nyklos. Rega's involved in the largest military buildup in her history. Some-
thing's gone real wrong on that side of Free Space and Staffa-and your Seddi-are
smack dab in the middle of it. Tybalt is preparing to launch a major offensive against the Sassan Empire. Do you think he's going to allow Targa to remain a thorn in his rear? The other pertinent piece of information you need to digest completely, is that Ily Takka spaced for Targa. Now, do you want to give me the information I need so I don't have to fool around finding the place when we drop in on Ily's party?"
Nyklos took a deep breath, straightening. He tilted his head back so he could stare at the Twin Titans. Skyla continued to eat. Finally Nyklos nodded. "All right. I'll show you where Makarta is. But on my terms, Skyla. I'm spacing with you, and if it turns out that it really looks like a Regan threat to Makarta and the Seddi, I'll pinpoint Makarta for you." He paused. "Besides, you might need me. I know the codes to get in touch with Bruen."
She nodded, somehow relieved. "Thanks, Nyklos."
He nodded. "I guess I really made a fool out of myself, didn't I? "
She washed the last of the lamb down with a swig of wine and stood, walking up to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. She searched his eyes and said, "No more so than any of the rest of us. Yes, I do love him-and I'm worried sick about him." She stepped back and flipped over the coin that she'd picked from his pocket. Skyla raised an eyebrow archly. "Two-headed?"
Nyklos started, speechless.
Skyla chuckled and tossed it to him. "If you're that bored with confinement, I'll have Ryman Ark put you to work on the docks." She stopped at the door. "And Nyklos, thanks for dinner. You've got berth on Chrysla when we ship for Targa."
Then she strode purposely toward the transport tube. In another four hours she ought to be through the reports. Cutting comers, they could ship within a day.
"And there is Makarta," Sinklar mused, staring at the point on the map. He studied the terrain and nodded his head. Not that far from Vespa. He turned away from the
monitor in Ily's LC. Arta's empty amber eyes might have been wells to suck down his soul.
Ily sat to one side, shapely legs crossed as she checked notes on her personal comm. Sink glanced thoughtfully at Mac, who leaned against the hatch, braced on one arm. The LC had begun to feel like a prison as Arta's story came out. Ily had drawn it from the woman with infinite skill, playing her for every shred of information about the Seddi.
Sinklar stared at his feet. It must have been that way with my mother and father. Why does my soul ache so?
Mac chewed his lip, gaze moving from the map to Fera and back. "We've known about the tunnels for some time, remember? We suspected that's how they were getting around clear back when we were holding the pass."
"Well," Sinklar added, 11 we'd never have known where the major tunnels were. With a solid gravity pulse hit from orbital, we can shut them off. Keep the Seddi bottled up. That is, we can if we can get Rysta to cooperate for once.":'She will," Ily remarked casually.
'Just like that?" Mac raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Why now when she hasn't before? I think she'd rather cut our throats than-"
Ily flashed the jessant-de-lis and added in icy tones, "Unlike you, First MacRuder, Commander Rysta has some respect for the Emperor's power."
Sinklar reached for the jessant-de-lis. Ily coolly handed it to him. He lifted it in the light, studying it curiously. "All that rests in this little trinket?"
"Provided you're the person it's biochemically tailored to " Ily told him. "Notice how the jaguar head is changing color? Going dull? Your body chemistry negates its authority. So long as I maintain this symbol of power, only Tybalt stands above me. With it, I can order entire fleets, dictate Imperial policy, decide life and death. and even confirm promotions, First MacRuder." Her smile turned from condescending to wily.
She rubbed the jessant-de-lis with a smooth thumb and the jaguar's face began to shine again.
Sinklar mused, "If I can be guaranteed orbital support in order to close their rabbit holes, then we have these Seddi bastards once and for all. There won't be another Targan revolt.
"We've sought to do that for years, Sinklar." Ily leaned over Arta where she lay on the acceleration couch and crooned, "You have done very well,
Arta Fera. Now, tell me. What is your true purpose?"
"Assassination… I am programmed to assassinate." "Programmed?" Sinklar wondered. "How?"
Arta swallowed, shivering. "I… Bruen did it. Placed a… thing in my mind. If… a man touches me. I kill him. Can't help it. I kill him. They sent me to the Temple in Etaria to learn the arts of love. Stole me out before the consecration… would have been gang rape. Would have set me off before my time. The machine taught me in the beginning and Bruen and the machine are one."
"Bruen? Machine?" Sinklar dropped on his haunches to stare into Arta's groggy eyes. "I want to hear this." Under Ily's prompting, Arta's entire life history poured
out: her devotion to Bruen; her love for Butla Ret; the Regan abduction and rape; the retaliatory killings; all the horror of Arta Fera's existence spun into an engrossing tale.