Seizert, tuck, and roll into it , he told himself.
But something slammed into him, stopping his impetus as though he had no force field at all. He grunted at the impact, biting his tongue as he hit the wall and fell. All the air felt jolted from his lungs. He struggled, but suddenly his arms and legs seemed to belong to someone else, jerking spasmodically and tingling with prickles of fire. He opened his mouth, gasping with the certainty that he was going to be sick, yet nothing happened except a deepening, all-pervading misery that was the by-product of a strifer stun.
The thunder of running feet filled his hearing. He heard high-pitched voices calling out to each other in excited Standard.
“What the hell was that piece of flin doing, flying?”
“Careful there, men. Stand back from him. Make sure he’s unarmed.”
Human laughter. “Ah, Demos, captain. He’s jammed up nice and tight. Caughton hit him broadside.”
Asan jerked although his body didn’t move. With all his might he strained to turn his head just a fraction so he could see the face of the human captain. This was the very man he needed. But his head wouldn’t budge. He gasped and gave up as fresh nausea rolled over him. Instead, he concentrated on the tonal structure of the captain’s voice and his mental patterns, such as they were.
For the first time since taking on this body, Asan wished he hadn’t deactivated Anthi. He needed her now to amplify his powers. If he could just speak one word, he could make the ceiling of this cavern come tumbling down enough to scatter the humans. But the paralysis had his throat too. He closed his eyes.
“That’s right, fellow.” A hand touched his numbed shoulder. It felt like being tapped with a block of wood. “Just take it easy. The stun will wear off quicker that way.”
Desperation filled Asan. This might be his only chance to probe the captain’s mind.
Captain …he began.
No! Aural’s rings cut across his. Do not touch his mind, Asan. You have lost this battle. Ruantl is mine .
Furious, Asan snapped his rings flat, refusing to share thoughts with her. Unable to see anything more than the dusty bits of rubble inches from his face, he listened to the rustling of her robes and the whisper of her slippered feet as she joined the humans.
“This is the man you seek, Captain McKey,” she said, her voice filled with triumph. “He can tell you where to find Blaise Omari.”
“Thank you. Men, get him up to the ship.”
“No!” Asan wanted to shout. “No!”
But he was helpless, a frozen lump as they hauled him upright and slung him over the shoulders of two men.
“Big ole thing, ain’t he?” said one.
The other one laughed as he snapped down the holster flap on his strifer. “He won’t be after, they whittle him down for a while in the TANK.”
“Watch your backs, men,” said McKey. “None of these people are to be trusted.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Asan was carried away, he saw Aural and McKey smile at each other.
“Well done, captain,” she said, spinning her translator on its cord so that it glittered in the light. “This almost makes up for your earlier tricks against me.”
McKey grunted, his smile fading. “As I’ve explained already, I’m a military man, not a diplomat. I saw fit to take this citadel and, by God, I did. Being momentarily stunned hurt you no more than it will this man.”
Inside, Asan grinned. Are you sure you want to play with humans, Aural? he taunted. Aren’t you afraid your human catalyst will come back to haunt you?
She whirled sharply, her face drawn tight with fury, and lifted both arms as though to strike fire at him. But the humans were busy maneuvering Asan into the tunnel, one lifting and the other boosting. He steeled himself, but she did not strike. Nor did she attempt to share rings with him.
“There is another prisoner down here for you, captain,” she said instead. “A woman whom I’m sure has knowledge of Saunders’ whereabouts.
But something slammed into him, stopping his impetus as though he had no force field at all. He grunted at the impact, biting his tongue as he hit the wall and fell. All the air felt jolted from his lungs. He struggled, but suddenly his arms and legs seemed to belong to someone else, jerking spasmodically and tingling with prickles of fire. He opened his mouth, gasping with the certainty that he was going to be sick, yet nothing happened except a deepening, all-pervading misery that was the by-product of a strifer stun.
The thunder of running feet filled his hearing. He heard high-pitched voices calling out to each other in excited Standard.
“What the hell was that piece of flin doing, flying?”
“Careful there, men. Stand back from him. Make sure he’s unarmed.”
Human laughter. “Ah, Demos, captain. He’s jammed up nice and tight. Caughton hit him broadside.”
Asan jerked although his body didn’t move. With all his might he strained to turn his head just a fraction so he could see the face of the human captain. This was the very man he needed. But his head wouldn’t budge. He gasped and gave up as fresh nausea rolled over him. Instead, he concentrated on the tonal structure of the captain’s voice and his mental patterns, such as they were.
For the first time since taking on this body, Asan wished he hadn’t deactivated Anthi. He needed her now to amplify his powers. If he could just speak one word, he could make the ceiling of this cavern come tumbling down enough to scatter the humans. But the paralysis had his throat too. He closed his eyes.
“That’s right, fellow.” A hand touched his numbed shoulder. It felt like being tapped with a block of wood. “Just take it easy. The stun will wear off quicker that way.”
Desperation filled Asan. This might be his only chance to probe the captain’s mind.
Captain …he began.
No! Aural’s rings cut across his. Do not touch his mind, Asan. You have lost this battle. Ruantl is mine .
Furious, Asan snapped his rings flat, refusing to share thoughts with her. Unable to see anything more than the dusty bits of rubble inches from his face, he listened to the rustling of her robes and the whisper of her slippered feet as she joined the humans.
“This is the man you seek, Captain McKey,” she said, her voice filled with triumph. “He can tell you where to find Blaise Omari.”
“Thank you. Men, get him up to the ship.”
“No!” Asan wanted to shout. “No!”
But he was helpless, a frozen lump as they hauled him upright and slung him over the shoulders of two men.
“Big ole thing, ain’t he?” said one.
The other one laughed as he snapped down the holster flap on his strifer. “He won’t be after, they whittle him down for a while in the TANK.”
“Watch your backs, men,” said McKey. “None of these people are to be trusted.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Asan was carried away, he saw Aural and McKey smile at each other.
“Well done, captain,” she said, spinning her translator on its cord so that it glittered in the light. “This almost makes up for your earlier tricks against me.”
McKey grunted, his smile fading. “As I’ve explained already, I’m a military man, not a diplomat. I saw fit to take this citadel and, by God, I did. Being momentarily stunned hurt you no more than it will this man.”
Inside, Asan grinned. Are you sure you want to play with humans, Aural? he taunted. Aren’t you afraid your human catalyst will come back to haunt you?
She whirled sharply, her face drawn tight with fury, and lifted both arms as though to strike fire at him. But the humans were busy maneuvering Asan into the tunnel, one lifting and the other boosting. He steeled himself, but she did not strike. Nor did she attempt to share rings with him.
“There is another prisoner down here for you, captain,” she said instead. “A woman whom I’m sure has knowledge of Saunders’ whereabouts.
Similar Books
