have expected you to get involved. But I have to try, and I will try until someone stops me.”
“Then you’re doomed,” he said with pity.
Disappointment spread through her, but she accepted his decision. She couldn’t expect him to take risks with her if he didn’t want to. “Can I ask you one last favor before you go?” she asked.
He rubbed his muzzle, whining in the back of his throat again. “What?” he asked reluctantly.
“I still intend to access the data archives, if I can,” she said. “Will you tell me how to do it? Then that’s all. I won’t get you involved beyond that.”
Elrabin stared at her a long moment, then finally tipped back his head and laughed. “You just don’t give up, do you, Goldie?”
She didn’t like being laughed at, but she smiled anyway. “Why should I give up? I haven’t started yet.”
He sighed. “Maybe you can link into the central library—”
“Not that,” she said in quick scorn. “It’s laced with Viis lies.”
“That’s the best—”
“No,” she said. “I want to get into the data archives beneath the old Imperial Palace, the ones the Kaa ordered restored. Can I link to them?”
Elrabin drew back from her and paced a small circuit around the bathing chamber. “Don’t ask for much, do you, Goldie?” he said softly. “Just the impossible.”
Her hopes crashed down again. “Is it? Really? I was hoping—”
“What? You think a place like that’s going to be available to just everybody?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to access it.”
“Even if you get into the data files, you won’t be able to read them.”
“I can read Viis,” she said. “I told you I’m fluent.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “You’re lying.”
She backed her ears. “I can. Israi insisted I learn.”
“Everybody knows how to speak a few words of Viis,” he said, his ears twitching back and forth. “Can’t help but pick it up. But no one can read it.”
Ampris met his skeptical gaze steadily, proudly.
“It’s forbidden,” he said.
Ampris shrugged. “The law doesn’t apply to the sri-Kaa. Listen, no one knows this except you. I’ve trusted you with my secret. If I’m ever caught committing treason, you can condemn me further to the master in exchange for clemency for yourself. Fair enough?”
He said nothing.
“Okay,” she said, accepting defeat where he was concerned. “It was just an idea. I’ll figure out another way.”
“Not here, you won’t,” he said. “You got to keep your mind on fighting, remember? If you don’t, you’ll be cut off at the knees in the first competition.”
She rolled her eyes at him impatiently. “I know how to fight.”
“Yeah, in practice maybe. I’m talking about the pros.”
Ampris turned away from him. “All right. Forget it.”
He gripped her shoulder to keep her from walking away. “Wait. Maybe I can mess around with the signal. But no promises, see? I got to make sure no one in security catches the signal divergence and gets nervous.” He rubbed his muzzle worriedly. “The master is paranoid about someone stealing one of you, or breaking in to get at his strategy secrets so the betting odds can be rigged. That’s why security is so tight.”
Ampris grinned at him. “Then you’ll do it? For me? Oh, Elrabin!”
“I said I’ll try,” he said gruffly, tugging at his coat while looking stern and disapproving. “I don’t like it, but if that’s what you want—”
“Oh, yes! I want it very much.” She tugged at one of his ears affectionately. “Thank you.”
“Slow down. Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “We’re making a deal here.”
She blinked, slightly taken aback. “Yes, of course. What kind of deal do you want?”
“If you’re set on starting some kind of rebellion, you got to be careful. You follow me?”
“Yes. But you’ve already stressed that.”
“So I’m saying it again. Being careful means you don’t make friends,” he said,
“Then you’re doomed,” he said with pity.
Disappointment spread through her, but she accepted his decision. She couldn’t expect him to take risks with her if he didn’t want to. “Can I ask you one last favor before you go?” she asked.
He rubbed his muzzle, whining in the back of his throat again. “What?” he asked reluctantly.
“I still intend to access the data archives, if I can,” she said. “Will you tell me how to do it? Then that’s all. I won’t get you involved beyond that.”
Elrabin stared at her a long moment, then finally tipped back his head and laughed. “You just don’t give up, do you, Goldie?”
She didn’t like being laughed at, but she smiled anyway. “Why should I give up? I haven’t started yet.”
He sighed. “Maybe you can link into the central library—”
“Not that,” she said in quick scorn. “It’s laced with Viis lies.”
“That’s the best—”
“No,” she said. “I want to get into the data archives beneath the old Imperial Palace, the ones the Kaa ordered restored. Can I link to them?”
Elrabin drew back from her and paced a small circuit around the bathing chamber. “Don’t ask for much, do you, Goldie?” he said softly. “Just the impossible.”
Her hopes crashed down again. “Is it? Really? I was hoping—”
“What? You think a place like that’s going to be available to just everybody?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to access it.”
“Even if you get into the data files, you won’t be able to read them.”
“I can read Viis,” she said. “I told you I’m fluent.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “You’re lying.”
She backed her ears. “I can. Israi insisted I learn.”
“Everybody knows how to speak a few words of Viis,” he said, his ears twitching back and forth. “Can’t help but pick it up. But no one can read it.”
Ampris met his skeptical gaze steadily, proudly.
“It’s forbidden,” he said.
Ampris shrugged. “The law doesn’t apply to the sri-Kaa. Listen, no one knows this except you. I’ve trusted you with my secret. If I’m ever caught committing treason, you can condemn me further to the master in exchange for clemency for yourself. Fair enough?”
He said nothing.
“Okay,” she said, accepting defeat where he was concerned. “It was just an idea. I’ll figure out another way.”
“Not here, you won’t,” he said. “You got to keep your mind on fighting, remember? If you don’t, you’ll be cut off at the knees in the first competition.”
She rolled her eyes at him impatiently. “I know how to fight.”
“Yeah, in practice maybe. I’m talking about the pros.”
Ampris turned away from him. “All right. Forget it.”
He gripped her shoulder to keep her from walking away. “Wait. Maybe I can mess around with the signal. But no promises, see? I got to make sure no one in security catches the signal divergence and gets nervous.” He rubbed his muzzle worriedly. “The master is paranoid about someone stealing one of you, or breaking in to get at his strategy secrets so the betting odds can be rigged. That’s why security is so tight.”
Ampris grinned at him. “Then you’ll do it? For me? Oh, Elrabin!”
“I said I’ll try,” he said gruffly, tugging at his coat while looking stern and disapproving. “I don’t like it, but if that’s what you want—”
“Oh, yes! I want it very much.” She tugged at one of his ears affectionately. “Thank you.”
“Slow down. Don’t thank me yet,” he said. “We’re making a deal here.”
She blinked, slightly taken aback. “Yes, of course. What kind of deal do you want?”
“If you’re set on starting some kind of rebellion, you got to be careful. You follow me?”
“Yes. But you’ve already stressed that.”
“So I’m saying it again. Being careful means you don’t make friends,” he said,
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