Laura Jo Phillips by The Gryphons' Dream: Soul Linked#5 Page B

succeeded in killing him before he died himself.”
    “There were also what I would describe as memos concerning a new slave compound on Jasan,” Aisling said.  “I told Elder Vulpiran about that right away, and he told me that it was the same compound that had already been discovered.”  Aisling picked up her glass and sipped her juice.  “I think that’s about it,” she said.  “There was more, but nothing of any great import.”
    “What you are doing for us is very important, and we are very grateful to you for doing it,” Rand said.  “Even so, your health is more important.  Please do not risk it.”
    Aisling put her fork down and reached for her glass, turning it in her hands as she tried to decide whether or not to say what she wanted to say.  After a few moments, she made her decision.  She took a sip of her juice and set the glass back down.
    “My father was a scientist,” she said without preamble.  “He specialized in Xenoanthropology.  My mother was a doctor.  When they were very young they volunteered their services on the welfare ships.  They went to a lot of backwater planets, saw a lot of people who were destitute, sick, starving.  They also saw something else.”
    “What?” Olaf asked, gentling his voice, feeling as though Aisling was revealing something very private, and very important.
    “They saw a lot of victims of the Xanti,” Aisling said.  “And they learned a lot of things that, because of the charter of the welfare ships, they were contractually obligated to keep to themselves.  More importantly, things they couldn’t reveal without risking the lives of the populations involved.”
    “What sorts of things?” Olaf asked.
    “The Xanti are parasitic.  They find a world that has something they want, and they take it.  All of it.  Food, metals, minerals, technology or even people, it doesn’t matter.  They strip what they want from the planet, and leave what’s left without another thought.  They enslave the scientists, inventors, whoever has invented or created something they want.  They force those people to work for them, then sell the technologies as Xanti creations.”
    “That is new information,” Olaf said, reining in his excitement.  “Do you have proof of this?  Or rather, does your father?”
    Aisling dropped her eyes to hide what she knew was an over reaction to the question.  Olaf did not know her father, or her for that matter, and had not meant his question to be insulting.
    “I do not need proof to believe what my father told me,” she said without lifting her eyes from the plate before her.  “It is enough for me to know that the Xanti are evil.  That is why I have agreed to do the translations.  Not only because it will help the Jasani, but because it will harm the Xanti.”
     “We understand that you have personal reasons for wanting to aid in the war against the Xanti,” Olaf said, forcing his voice and manner to remain casual.  “Whatever your reasons, we are grateful to you for your assistance.”
    Aisling glanced up at him, her eyes meeting his for a long moment.  She had expected him to begin pressing her for more information and was pleased and surprised to discover that he was not going to do that.  She sensed that he wanted to, very much, but he refrained.
    “Thank you,” she said softly.
    Olaf knew that she was thanking him for not pressing her.  As difficult as it was, he was glad he had kept his questions to himself.  It was obvious to him that Aisling was more relaxed than she had been just a day earlier, but there was more to it than that.  She seemed to be revealing more of herself, a little bit at a time.  He didn’t want to do or say anything to send her back into her shell.

 
     
    Chapter 11
     
    Thelba Ralink was very nervous, but she reminded herself of the importance of her task and swallowed her fear.  Moving very slowly, she raised her head and peeked over the edge of the boulder she was