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.“He's asked for Leave of his Service.”Poss a'ltic hadn't known that either.Cayse would have had to block therequest, not Yian.He was the only one who could, probably hoping A'in's temperwould run its course as it had in the past.At Yian's answer, Lanasi nodded without evidence of surprise.She probablyhad known already, Poss a'ltic thought.Had A'in asked her to intervene? Or Yian?“My Empress, I'll talk to him if you like,” she said.Cayse shook his head and with another look motioned Yian to be still when shewould have spoken.“Possi.the procession is about to start.A few minutes, you said.We can talk about A'in later.”- 5 -Ulanda turned to greet the E'kalt Salin.The braiding strung over the woman'sshoulder had changed: Assuralla Temple colors as before, E'kalt line, but nowwith the knotting that showed her as Ranking Officer on this ship.Heana was with her but waited only a couple of steps into the room, standing with arms crossedand watching Niv at the brazier.Behind and surrounding the two women wasJi'jin Gate Station.The tiles of the common room appeared transparent for allthey were in the heart of the ship.The special Net feed was a courtesy.Ships were leaving from the area of the Station rapidly growing before her, thevessels streaming from a narrow point and immediately spreading out like theunfolding of a flower.Translucent blue lines grew as the area cleared, skipping the few ships remaining.Veins in the flower petals.Shielding to encase theStation and them.“Is attack any more likely here than at the next Station or world?” Ulandaasked.“You've neglected to mention any orders of a level that would allow you to keep us on this ship against my wishes.Or to try.”The Salin touched the orange braid closest to her throat, hooking it with a claw sheath.“Priest Ulanda, if we don't have orders, or have outrun them, we stillhave common sense.The Clan Zimmer ships used lethal force against this one.You can only be the target.And the Alliance hasn't stopped with the attack onReema Gate Station.They must know where we've gone; each place, they haveprobably known almost as soon as we jumped.You are a guest of the Office ofForms and your safety is my responsibility.”Laurel Hickeywww.2morrow.bc.caEye of the Ocean – Book 1: Ji’Jin StationTheir ship had an escort: three Justice Cruisers had joined them several jumpsback from a Station Ulanda hadn't heard the name of.Each was three times thesize of the ship they were on and heavily armed.Had the Salin orders? There had been a lie in her words.She looked towards Rit.Lounging on a floor cushion, legs stretched out,watching her, not the other two.Other than the formal greetings, he hadn'tcontributed a word.On an impulse, suddenly, instead of the station surrounding them, a galaxy ofstars turned slowly to his axis.Still Rit didn't look away from her.She could hold Empire in her mind, Ulanda thought, watching it spinning.Something to see as awhole, not as the worlds they had seen from orbit, of Stations glimpsed even asthe Web energies for the next jump fragmented the exterior Net links.The lastjumps had appeared to be whatever was immediately available, but their way hadworked steadily inwards to Palace and the Empress.Orders? Lies?She released the Net to show the Gate Station again.They were almostentirely engulfed with the escort ships blocking the way out.On their hulls, the colors of the Temple they had come from was crossed by that of the Empress,and with her mark at the Web eye.That too held a lie in it.They didn't haveorders, she thought.At least not from Poss a'ltic.The Cruiser directly behind them appeared to be over Niv's shoulder.Itshimmered with a rainbow effect from the residue of their trail, adding aprogression of colors to the reflections from her tass'alt's scales; he wasincandescent, scales and crest.His head bowed over the brazier, the onlymovement was the flaring of his nostrils as he breathed slowly.“We'll stay here,” Ulanda said, just that second making the decision.The shipwas completely inside the station now, the dock tiles quickly moving in to fill the entrance.“At a local Temple, I think.My people will make the arrangements forany other transportation we might require.Do whatever else you want, that's not my concern.”“Priest Ulanda, this is not an option.”Niv looked up from where he knelt.Lavender scented smoke from the sticks onthe brazier softened the dark blue of his stare.In the now amber light from the dock, he was blue and gold.Ulanda took the few steps to kneel next to him in the warmth of the smoke.“Is it not an option?” she said softly.“Do you have theoption of making me a prisoner then? Should I ask the Priests at this station who has options?”At the words, the Salin's snake like hands emerged from under the clawsheaths to form a sign of negative, an instant later adding the shapes that turned it into a protest against deliberate misunderstanding [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]