Page 42 of Salvation
Chapter Thirteen
The woman slipped through the shadows of the trees, gliding along a path she’d traveled many times over the years. Even at night, her steps were quiet and sure. Her heart swelled with pride at her ability to navigate this path, and the multitude of others on this alien planet, to The Rendezvous. If she wore a blindfold, she would still be able to find her way.
Stupid ’Ferths had no clue how close the source of their demise lurked to their little villages. Even the Matiran government didn’t know. For all their advanced technological superiority, aliens weren’t very bright.
But, now the game had changed. The stakes were higher, and the cloak and dagger match was at an end. Her gut clenched and she ground her teeth together so hard pain shot along her jaw. All because those fucking healers had interfered. They consorted freely with the enemy. Worst yet, as near as she could tell, they’d discovered an antidote for the illness. It was the only explanation, because she’d seen the two ’Ferths who’d been most recently infected at the wedding. One of them was the groom!
How had they done that? The serum was supposed to be fool-proof, smart, able to adapt toanyantidote. After a week of watching and hoping that the illness had only been masked by whatever cure the healers had administered, she had to concede defeat. Both the ’Ferthian males appeared completely healthy. Whatever the healers had given them was working.
Howcouldthey help the ’Ferths after what those green bastards had done to Earth? And to Sean, her baby. She blinked against the stinging in her eyes. It was still hard to accept she’d never see him again, and for that the healers were as much the enemy as the Anferthians. She curled her upper lip. Their loyalties mocked all seven billion who had died in the invasion, marking themselves asTerrians, not Earthlings. Earthlings did not turn against Earthlings.
Didn’t it just figure that one of them was the almighty Profeta’s brother?
The woman paused in the shadows, scanning the above-ground military bunker twenty feet across the clearing. It glowed a ghostly white-grey in the light of Matir’s double moons. Only the normal night sounds reached her ears. Funny how all her stalking and fighting skills had been learned from an alien. He wouldn’t be too happy if he found out she was using her training to undermine everything he and his precious captain…no,admiralnow…had worked to achieve. And, she would happily use them to end the life of at least one person he cared about.
Nick Bock.
She suppressed a snort. He’d be dealt with when the time was right, as well as the Asian woman. First, Akumari must be informed. That woman was a sly, crazy bitch, but she was useful. It was disturbing the way she kept her face hidden all the time though. There must be a reason why she wanted to conceal her identity. There was no hiding that she was Matiran, but beggars can’t be choosers. The old adage, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer definitely applied in this case. At least Akumari despised the same people. She was the exact sort of person needed to help destroy an entire race. The dissenters were only the test demographic for a larger goal. The indigenous people on Anferthia.
~*~
Nick leaned back in his chair, studying the images of the committee members on the viscomm wall of the conference room. Administer Corvus viscommed in from Cassia Cae, Ora from her ship, and Ambassador K’nil from Terr. The rest of the committee, Dante, K’rona, and Sakura, were in the conference room with him. Storo had developed a stubborn streak and had demanded he also be allowed to attend. There’d been no dissuading him, and he now stood unobtrusively near the door.
“We cannot explain exactly why we are able to accomplish this, but the results—and benefits—are clear,” Saku explained to the committee. “Magister Dacian, Healer Bock, and I are of the opinion that it is a talent unique to Terrian Healers.”
Pride filled Nick’s heart. Having Sakura do the speaking was Dante’s idea. As the female in their relationship, her opinion would outweigh his with the other members of the committee. It was important that all involved understood that she had not been coerced into a relationship by him, a Terrian male of questionable motives. She’d made an excellent case before the committee. Now it was their turn to try to tear it apart.
“We understand this, Disipula Yamata,” Venta Corvus said. “The question is how your personal relationship with Healer Bock fits into your unique talent? And how will it affect your working relationship? For example, would a quarrel between the two of you impede your ability to save the life of an ill dissenter?”
“It never has before,” she came back quickly. “Healer Bock and I have not always been of friendly terms. Magister Dacian will attest to this.” She glanced at Dante and he nodded.
“I so attest.”
Corvus’s viscomm image frowned deeply, but she made no comment.
The soft rustle from behind drew Nick’s attention. K’rona had stepped forward, her hard gaze aimed at the comm wall. “Who is to say that their unique talent would be possiblewithouttheir equally unique relationship?” When no one responded she continued. “Whether it is or not, none of us are in the position to know. I can tell you what I witnessed the night they healed Nero, and it was unlike any healing I have ever seen before. Much like themaitz’a,the ability to work as they did does not happen without a deep trust. And that type of trust can only be cultivated by a close personal relationship.”
There was some shifting in seats, but still no one spoke. Ora half hid a small smile behind her hand and glanced at him. Of everyone on the committee, she, Dante, and K’rona were solidly in their corner.
Storo cleared his throat. “Committee members, my most humble thanks for allowing me to attend this session. I received the healing in question. There is no doubt in my mind these healers could not have accomplished their work independently or without a deeply shared trust. The level of power required to achieve the necessary results is too great for any one healer.
“Having said that, you should know that our people will not let them go; they have earned a place in our community, and are part of our family. They have been publicly acknowledged asfyhen. I do not tell you this as a threat, only to help you understand the reverence in which we hold this couple. Even now the village congregates outside, fearing that you will take away our own.”
Dante rose and stepped to the window. “The gathering appears too large to be only from this village.”
Administer Corvus puckered her mouth. “Give us a moment to confer. Healer Bock, Disipula Yamata, and Storo Z’bel, you may retreat.”
That was the polite way to say “get out” in Matiran. Nick gave the woman a nod, then pushed out of his chair and followed Sakura from the conference room.
As soon as he shut the door behind him she turned, pressing her tiny cold hands against his chest. “What do you think? They will not approve our staying, will they? They will make us leave, and that is so…stupid. They cannot do that. We can tell them we will not go. What do you think?”
Jesus, she talked a lot when she was agitated. He gathered her hands between his to share his heat. “Your hands are freezing.”
“They always get like that when I am nervous. Answer the question.”
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Okay, okay. Ihopethey’ll approve it, but it’s hard to say. One thing in our favor is you making our case succinctly and flawlessly.”
“You are just saying that.”
