young brother—his
anger that their ancestors had been brought to Tython, his wishes, his interests.
They had never been her own. And yet there had always been that place inside her,
the troubling presence of dark and light dancing their own fight.
“I’m not ashamed of it,” Kara said. “Many in the system look outward. Most only in
their dreams, because day-to-day life doesn’t allow otherwise. But me … I’m rich.
I can
invest
.”
“So you give the Stargazers money to seek a way to leave.”
Kara shrugged, and her immense body shivered and shook with waves of flab.
“You know my brother.”
“Brother?” Her confusion seemed genuine.
“Dalien Brock.”
That shuddering shrug again. “Honestly, I’ve never even met them. I fund several of
their small temples around Kalimahr, give them somewhere to meet and talk. I pay for
their contemplations.” She turned away from Lanoree, perhaps to lie. “They are only
one of my interests.”
Lanoree tried to touch Kara’s mind but could not. The woman was a riot of feelings,
thoughts, sensations; and if there was sense in that white noise Lanoree could not
find it.
“They’re more than just a project to you,” Lanoree said.
“I’m a dreamer with money,” Kara said.
“So you fund them out of pure philanthropy.”
“Yes.” Kara continued grazing at the table, eating such dainty amounts for a woman
so huge.
“I hear of Gree technology,” Lanoree said. Again, she watched for a reaction. Again,
that strange scratching at her mind. Perturbed, she reached out, trying to sense who
or what might be trying to read her. But there was nothing. Perhaps the feeling really
did come from the inside. Maybe such questions were touching hidden desires planted
there all those years ago by her younger brother’s interests. However much she tried,
she could not deny her fascination with what had come before Tython.
Kara glanced at her and then started eating some more.
“The Gree,” Lanoree pressed.
The woman turned her back on Lanoree once more and settled closer to the table, her
hover system gently touching the crystal floor. She sighed heavily, seeming to change
shape within her clothes. Her shoulders relaxed.
“I’m tired,” she said. “Your audience is over. Speak to the Stargazers, if you must.
Their nearest temple is in the eastern quarter of the Khar Peninsula. An old abandoned
Dai Bendu temple that I own. Now leave.”
“I haven’t finished,” Lanoree said. “Tython, the whole system, might be in terrible
danger from what your Stargazers are doing.”
“Leave!” Kara continued eating. And just for a moment, Lanoree recognized something
about her. A manner, a presence, a bearing.
“You’re Je’daii?” Lanoree gasped. It seemed amazing, and yet it would explain that
strange, insistent scratching at her mind. The shadow of Bogan passed across Lanoree’s
mind, and she was even more confused.
“Once,” Kara said, laughing bitterly. “But no more. The Force is stale within me.
Now leave, Ranger. I have my security, and they’re the best money can buy.”
And now suddenly she threatens me
, Lanoree thought.
A cough, a thud, and Kara slid over onto her side, rolling from the hover platform
and seeming to spill across the floor. Breath rattled in her throat.
“What have you—?”
“She’s out, that’s all.” Tre was holding a small weapon in one hand, barely the size
of a finger. Stun tube. It carried one charge, but was effective for several hours.
Or maybe less for someone of this size. He raised an eyebrow. “So now that you’ve
spoken with her, do you want to find everything she
wasn’t
telling us?”
“You’ll bring her guards down on us!” Lanoree looked around the large room. She could
not help partly agreeing with Tre’s actions. And whether she liked it or not, the
time for talk was over. “Now that it’s done, we won’t have long.”
They
anger that their ancestors had been brought to Tython, his wishes, his interests.
They had never been her own. And yet there had always been that place inside her,
the troubling presence of dark and light dancing their own fight.
“I’m not ashamed of it,” Kara said. “Many in the system look outward. Most only in
their dreams, because day-to-day life doesn’t allow otherwise. But me … I’m rich.
I can
invest
.”
“So you give the Stargazers money to seek a way to leave.”
Kara shrugged, and her immense body shivered and shook with waves of flab.
“You know my brother.”
“Brother?” Her confusion seemed genuine.
“Dalien Brock.”
That shuddering shrug again. “Honestly, I’ve never even met them. I fund several of
their small temples around Kalimahr, give them somewhere to meet and talk. I pay for
their contemplations.” She turned away from Lanoree, perhaps to lie. “They are only
one of my interests.”
Lanoree tried to touch Kara’s mind but could not. The woman was a riot of feelings,
thoughts, sensations; and if there was sense in that white noise Lanoree could not
find it.
“They’re more than just a project to you,” Lanoree said.
“I’m a dreamer with money,” Kara said.
“So you fund them out of pure philanthropy.”
“Yes.” Kara continued grazing at the table, eating such dainty amounts for a woman
so huge.
“I hear of Gree technology,” Lanoree said. Again, she watched for a reaction. Again,
that strange scratching at her mind. Perturbed, she reached out, trying to sense who
or what might be trying to read her. But there was nothing. Perhaps the feeling really
did come from the inside. Maybe such questions were touching hidden desires planted
there all those years ago by her younger brother’s interests. However much she tried,
she could not deny her fascination with what had come before Tython.
Kara glanced at her and then started eating some more.
“The Gree,” Lanoree pressed.
The woman turned her back on Lanoree once more and settled closer to the table, her
hover system gently touching the crystal floor. She sighed heavily, seeming to change
shape within her clothes. Her shoulders relaxed.
“I’m tired,” she said. “Your audience is over. Speak to the Stargazers, if you must.
Their nearest temple is in the eastern quarter of the Khar Peninsula. An old abandoned
Dai Bendu temple that I own. Now leave.”
“I haven’t finished,” Lanoree said. “Tython, the whole system, might be in terrible
danger from what your Stargazers are doing.”
“Leave!” Kara continued eating. And just for a moment, Lanoree recognized something
about her. A manner, a presence, a bearing.
“You’re Je’daii?” Lanoree gasped. It seemed amazing, and yet it would explain that
strange, insistent scratching at her mind. The shadow of Bogan passed across Lanoree’s
mind, and she was even more confused.
“Once,” Kara said, laughing bitterly. “But no more. The Force is stale within me.
Now leave, Ranger. I have my security, and they’re the best money can buy.”
And now suddenly she threatens me
, Lanoree thought.
A cough, a thud, and Kara slid over onto her side, rolling from the hover platform
and seeming to spill across the floor. Breath rattled in her throat.
“What have you—?”
“She’s out, that’s all.” Tre was holding a small weapon in one hand, barely the size
of a finger. Stun tube. It carried one charge, but was effective for several hours.
Or maybe less for someone of this size. He raised an eyebrow. “So now that you’ve
spoken with her, do you want to find everything she
wasn’t
telling us?”
“You’ll bring her guards down on us!” Lanoree looked around the large room. She could
not help partly agreeing with Tre’s actions. And whether she liked it or not, the
time for talk was over. “Now that it’s done, we won’t have long.”
They
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