the west
of it, but found nothing. I'm afraid I was too tired to see
clearly and I might have missed something."
Jidar put his hand on her shoulder. "You were wise to
come back and get help. I'll send everyone who can still fly
out to canvas that area."
Danson picked up the sodden piece of Zara's clothing.
"These look like they were ripped off her body." His grim
announcement left no question that he believed Zara had
been injured and most likely by Caleb. "Did you see blood
anywhere?"
Ari bowed her head in mock shame. "I'm sorry. I didn't
look very closely. The clothing lay practically in the water.
Blood could have washed away, since the tides are very
strong at the bases of the islands."
"Are you saying Caleb killed her?" one of the researchers
asked. A murmur of astonishment circled through those
assembled once again in the cramped conference room.
Jidar held up a hand. "Dr. Faulkner is a gentle soul. I
cannot believe he would harm anyone."
"But what about the symbion? If it's in pain, would it
attack?" Another impertinent question piqued Ari's growing
annoyance. She stepped forward to respond. This time the
emotion in her voice was genuine.
102
Icarus Rising
by Bernadette Gardner
"The symbions are not violent creatures. They are highly
intelligent and even unjoined they can communicate in a
rudimentary way. I agree with my liege that Dr. Faulkner is
not a direct danger to Dr. Abbott, nor is his symbion, but if he
is acting irrationally, as Dr. Abbott indicated when she called
for help from his bungalow, she may be frightened. She could
have been injured while trying to escape from him or as a
result of Dr. Faulkner's growing fatigue. We have no way of
knowing if he has slept or eaten since he left this island and if
he hasn't, he may not be capable of carrying Dr. Abbott
safely. My fear is that he dropped her accidentally. If she
drowned, we may never find her body."
Another wave of shocked speculation rose from Arilani's
captive audience. She'd planted the seeds of her deception,
and now she had only to stand back and watch them grow.
She wished she could have stained Zara's discarded clothing
with blood, but after swiping the shorts from the floor of the
lovers' aerie last night while they slept, she had decided to
return immediately to the research station and set the wheels
in motion to bring the breeding project back on track.
Besides, unless she used Dr. Abbott's own blood, Dr. Danson
would have easily figured out her ruse.
Everything she told the humans now would have to seem
like the truth, and she could afford no margin of error in her
plan.
Giving a dramatic sigh, she rubbed her eyes and slumped
her shoulders. "My liege, I will join the search program again,
but I must rest. I will go to my aerie just until midday. Then I
promise—"
103
Icarus Rising
by Bernadette Gardner
Namara cut her off. "No Arilani. You need more than half a
morning's rest. I forbid you to continue the search today.
You've given us a new place to start, and I'm sure with
everyone searching in the area you indicated we will be able
to locate Caleb and Zara before nightfall. Go home and sleep.
You have earned it."
With a wan smile of acceptance, Ari squeezed Namara's
shoulder and then bowed to Jidar. "Please contact me the
moment they are found. I want to help in any way I can."
"We will," Namara assured her.
Arilani sidled past her and Jidar, being sure to move slowly
so no one would question the depth of her fatigue. Dr.
Danson reached for her hand as she past him, but she twisted
casually out of his grasp and kept moving. Nothing would stop
her now.
While the rest of her tribe searched the distant islands to
the northwest, Ari would fly in the opposite direction, back to
the island in the southeast quadrant of the search grid where
she'd observed the lovers' tryst. She still had the tranquilizer
dose in her possession and she knew exactly how to use it to
get
of it, but found nothing. I'm afraid I was too tired to see
clearly and I might have missed something."
Jidar put his hand on her shoulder. "You were wise to
come back and get help. I'll send everyone who can still fly
out to canvas that area."
Danson picked up the sodden piece of Zara's clothing.
"These look like they were ripped off her body." His grim
announcement left no question that he believed Zara had
been injured and most likely by Caleb. "Did you see blood
anywhere?"
Ari bowed her head in mock shame. "I'm sorry. I didn't
look very closely. The clothing lay practically in the water.
Blood could have washed away, since the tides are very
strong at the bases of the islands."
"Are you saying Caleb killed her?" one of the researchers
asked. A murmur of astonishment circled through those
assembled once again in the cramped conference room.
Jidar held up a hand. "Dr. Faulkner is a gentle soul. I
cannot believe he would harm anyone."
"But what about the symbion? If it's in pain, would it
attack?" Another impertinent question piqued Ari's growing
annoyance. She stepped forward to respond. This time the
emotion in her voice was genuine.
102
Icarus Rising
by Bernadette Gardner
"The symbions are not violent creatures. They are highly
intelligent and even unjoined they can communicate in a
rudimentary way. I agree with my liege that Dr. Faulkner is
not a direct danger to Dr. Abbott, nor is his symbion, but if he
is acting irrationally, as Dr. Abbott indicated when she called
for help from his bungalow, she may be frightened. She could
have been injured while trying to escape from him or as a
result of Dr. Faulkner's growing fatigue. We have no way of
knowing if he has slept or eaten since he left this island and if
he hasn't, he may not be capable of carrying Dr. Abbott
safely. My fear is that he dropped her accidentally. If she
drowned, we may never find her body."
Another wave of shocked speculation rose from Arilani's
captive audience. She'd planted the seeds of her deception,
and now she had only to stand back and watch them grow.
She wished she could have stained Zara's discarded clothing
with blood, but after swiping the shorts from the floor of the
lovers' aerie last night while they slept, she had decided to
return immediately to the research station and set the wheels
in motion to bring the breeding project back on track.
Besides, unless she used Dr. Abbott's own blood, Dr. Danson
would have easily figured out her ruse.
Everything she told the humans now would have to seem
like the truth, and she could afford no margin of error in her
plan.
Giving a dramatic sigh, she rubbed her eyes and slumped
her shoulders. "My liege, I will join the search program again,
but I must rest. I will go to my aerie just until midday. Then I
promise—"
103
Icarus Rising
by Bernadette Gardner
Namara cut her off. "No Arilani. You need more than half a
morning's rest. I forbid you to continue the search today.
You've given us a new place to start, and I'm sure with
everyone searching in the area you indicated we will be able
to locate Caleb and Zara before nightfall. Go home and sleep.
You have earned it."
With a wan smile of acceptance, Ari squeezed Namara's
shoulder and then bowed to Jidar. "Please contact me the
moment they are found. I want to help in any way I can."
"We will," Namara assured her.
Arilani sidled past her and Jidar, being sure to move slowly
so no one would question the depth of her fatigue. Dr.
Danson reached for her hand as she past him, but she twisted
casually out of his grasp and kept moving. Nothing would stop
her now.
While the rest of her tribe searched the distant islands to
the northwest, Ari would fly in the opposite direction, back to
the island in the southeast quadrant of the search grid where
she'd observed the lovers' tryst. She still had the tranquilizer
dose in her possession and she knew exactly how to use it to
get
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