The Mandala Maneuver Page 4

  “Of course.” The hood tilted up at the sky. “We should keep going.”

  “What about your scientists?” she inquired as she scrambled after him, for he had assumed a brisk pace almost before his last words to her were out of his mouth.

  He didn’t turn to look back at her. “What about them?”

  “Surely you don’t think I’m naïve enough to believe that they don’t have their own projects going all the time?”

  “No, I don’t think you are naïve at all. However, you know nothing of the Zhore if you suspect us of creating the sort of damaging technology that would drag a ship in flight out of subspace.”

  “Well, whose fault is it that we know so little of the Zhore?”

  This time he did pause, and stood staring down at her. Damn. He was so very tall, looming over her as the afternoon shadows began to lengthen around them. She didn’t lack for height herself — part of the reason she tended to choose low-heeled shoes — but she didn’t think she would even reach the Zhore’s chin.

  If he had a chin, of course.

  “We Zhore value our privacy, if that is what you mean,” he said smoothly. “It is true that we do not quite comprehend the Gaian tendency to broadcast every smallest detail about ourselves, whether it is of interest to anyone else or not.”

  “So you don’t find us interesting?”

  Something in his attitude shifted then, and although she could not see his face, somehow Alexa got the impression he was amused. “Some of you are…quite interesting.”

  Her cheeks heated with an unexpected flush. “Well, that’s a relief.”

  His head lifted, and he turned away from her. “Do you hear that?”

  “Hear what?”

  He raised a hand, and so she closed her mouth around the next question she’d been about to ask, to inquire if it sounded dangerous. As she strained to hear what had caught his attention, she thought she detected a hint of something. An odd rushing noise.

  “Water,” he said, the relief clear in his tone. “And in the direction we were heading. Come.”

  He began to walk again, this time with a stride so brisk she felt almost as if she had to trot to keep up. Maybe she could have asked him to slow down, but doing so seemed to hint of weakness. Instead, she hurried after him, cursing the growing blister on her heel and wondering how far they had to go before they came upon the source of the mysterious sound.

  Not quite a half-kilometer away, they descended into a shallow valley with a brisk stream cutting across its center. Here the ground was covered with a bluish grass-like vegetation, and trees clustered around the water, their thirsty roots soaking up the precious liquid. More chittering came from those trees, similar to what they had heard in the woods where they first landed, but it seemed to her that those avian creatures, whatever they might be, were not dangerous. Otherwise, they certainly would have attacked by now.

  “We should make camp here for the night,” Lirzhan said. “Look, there is a sheltered spot amongst those boulders, and if the water is safe….”

  “Let’s test it,” Alexa said at once. She was too tired to protest that they had at least another hour of daylight. Certainly they hadn’t come across any spots as hospitable as this one. The quiet little valley seemed like an ideal place to rest.

  The Zhore nodded and took the water-testing kit from the emergency pack, then went over to the stream and dipped the clear plastic rod into it. Immediately the liquid inside turned blue, indicating that the water being tested contained safe levels of any heavy elements and no detectible pathogens or toxins. Of course, the risk on an alien world was that there might a microbe or unknown trace metal the test couldn’t identify. Even so, the kits did tend to be correct about ninety percent of the time.

  Alexa wouldn’t let herself worry about that other ten percent. As it stood, the water they carried wouldn’t have been enough to sustain the two of them all the way to the science station, so between certain death via dehydration or a ten-percent chance of getting the Mandala equivalent of Montezuma’s Revenge, she would go for the latter option.

  “Looks good,” she said.

  He nodded and set the testing kit aside. “It would appear so. But let me drink first.”

  She let out an uneasy laugh. “Really? How…chivalrous of you.”

  A lift of the shoulders beneath the heavy robes. “I do not see it that way. I have a larger body mass than you. If there is something toxic in the water, I would most likely be able to process it better than you.”

  There didn’t seem to be much an argument to counter that reasoning, so she only said, “All right,” and watched him dip his gloved hands into the water and bring few mouthfuls to the face hidden within his robes. A long, tense moment as he apparently swallowed and then evaluated the effects — if any — of the water he had just drunk, before he said,

  “I am not noticing any adverse reactions. It appears to be safe. In fact, it tastes very good.”

  That was all Alexa needed to hear. She came up beside him and knelt in the soft grayish sand at the stream’s edge, and scooped up some water for herself. It was cool against her skin, and nothing, not even the expensive Eridani wines Trin had shared with her, had ever tasted so good.

  Once she had drunk enough to drive away the dry tickly sensation she’d been feeling in the back of her throat for the past few hours, she gathered up a few more handfuls and splashed them against her face. Any cosmetics she had been wearing would have been long gone by that point anyway, so she figured she might as well feel more or less clean.

  “Better?” Lirzhan asked, once she was done with her ablutions.

  “Much,” she replied. “There are little expandable bags somewhere in the emergency kit that we can use for water storage, but I suppose we might as well worry about that in the morning when we set out.”

  “That is a good idea.” He got to his feet.

  As much as Alexa felt like sticking her whole head in the water, to get rid of as much trail dust as possible, she knew that heading into the cooler nighttime hours with a headful of damp hair wasn’t a very good idea. So she pushed herself back to her feet and began to head toward the sheltered spot Lirzhan had suggested as their evening’s campsite. Her heel twinged, and she stumbled.

  At once the Zhore was at her side, gloved fingers on her elbow. “What is wrong?”

  She made an offhand wave. “Oh, nothing. I think I have a small blister. It will be fine once I sit down.”

  “Let me look at it.”

  “No, that’s really not necessary — ”

  “But it is.” His voice was firm. “If you have a wound, it may become infected. It should be treated as soon as possible. There is a medical kit in the emergency bag, is there not?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, then.”

  With an air of resignation, she limped over to the little cubbyhole between the two rocks. She eased herself down onto the ground, and watched as the Zhore dropped to his knees, then got out the first aid supplies. Nothing too elaborate, but there were bandages in various sizes, and antiseptic wipes, cold compresses, and a variety of analgesics and antibiotics, all of which were designed for Gaian constitutions. She had no idea whether Lirzhan would even be able to take any of them, should the need arise. The shuttle had been a Gaian craft, outfitted for Gaians, or, in a pinch, Eridanis, whose biology was very similar. Lirzhan had come on the ship at the last minute, with little accommodation for his being there. Then again, it was supposed to be a routine flight. None of this should have been an issue.

  He reached for her boot, and she lifted a hand. “I’ll get it.” No way she was going to let the Zhore play a reverse Prince Charming and yank her shoes off her feet.

  Good thing the sun had already begun to go down behind the hills and they were in shadow, or there was no way Lirzhan could have missed the flush that went over her face in that moment. She bent her head and unzipped the offending boot, then rolled down the thigh-high stocking she wore.


  To her relief, he did not appear particularly enthralled by these actions, and in fact had busied himself with getting out the LED lanterns from the emergency kit while she was baring her foot and leg. Now that he had sufficient lighting to work with, he turned back to her.

  “May I?” he asked, gesturing toward her heel.

  Well, no point in stopping now, she thought, but she only nodded.

  His gloved fingers touched her foot. For some reason she had thought they would be cold, but she could feel the warmth of the flesh beneath the black — well, it couldn’t be real leather, not if the Zhore were vegetarians, but the material was remarkably similar. He turned her ankle slightly so as to cast more light on it, and she could see then that the blister in question had in fact popped, and was now an angry red, the moisture beneath the broken skin gleaming in the blue-white light of the LED lamp.

  “Ah,” was all he said before he reached for the antiseptic wipes.

  She let out a hiss as the sharp disinfectant touched the raw wound.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  “Well, it hurts, but it’s not your fault. It’s fine.”

  He nodded, and swiped a second antiseptic patch over the blister before taking out a bandage and applying it to her skin. While he worked, Alexa tried not to think too hard about the strangeness of the situation — of having a Zhore handle her bare foot, gloved fingers of one hand supporting her ankle as he finished treating her heel with the other. Had any other human ever had contact this intimate with one of the aliens?

  Somehow she doubted it.

  But at least he went about the process quickly and efficiently, and showed no desire to continue fondling her foot or leg after he was done. He set her foot down gently, and asked, “How does that feel?”

  She bent to touch the bandage; it was padded, and should afford some protection against further chafing when she put her boots back on the next day. “Better. Much better. Thank you.”

  Another nod, and then he reached into the emergency bag and pulled out her half-eaten protein bar. She had a feeling she was going to be heartily sick of those things by the time they got off this rock.

  If they got off it.

  No, she wouldn’t let herself think that. They’d survived their first day, and so far Mandala had seemed serene enough…besides the attack by that feline predator back near their landing site. But they’d seen no animals larger than that since then, so perhaps most of Mandala’s fauna was relatively harmless.

  Lirzhan retrieved his own bean-and-rice bar, and settled himself against one of the rocks while he ate quietly. He didn’t seem particularly inclined toward conversation, for which Alexa was grateful. She was already tired, and she found it hard sometimes to know what to say, to attempt to guess what he would respond to, or what would make him shut down. Not that that was necessarily a bad thing. She had a feeling she’d probably already told him too much.

  Oh, well, she thought, as she settled herself down for the night. It’s only four more days….

  He’d taken the first watch, saying she needed her rest more, and after a few attempts at demurral, Alexa had given up and wrapped herself in one of the odd reflective blankets that had come with the emergency kit, huddling against one of the boulders as if trying to access some of the sun-warmth that had been stored in it during the daylight hours. Now she slept, and something hard and wary in her features seemed to smooth itself away in slumber. How he wished he could go to her, wrap her in his robes, hold her close and keep out the night’s chill, but he knew that time was not yet here. Perhaps it never would be.

  Still, he had to permit himself a tiny flicker of hope. She had let him help her, let him touch her and treat the wound on her foot. Surely if she were disgusted by him, she would not have allowed him to do even that much, would have insisted on handling the matter herself, even if it required a good deal of contortion.

  Or perhaps she is merely practical, and realized that letting you take care of it made the most sense. From what he had seen so far of Alexa Craig, that appeared to be the most logical explanation.

  Across the canyon, some creature let out a long, mournful cry, and he stiffened, scanning the darkness for any imminent threat even as his hand strayed to the pistol, which he’d kept in a pocket of his robes. But the sound moved off and he relaxed, even as Alexa stirred within her blanket, then pulled it more tightly about herself as she seemed to fall into heavy sleep once again.

  He allowed himself a few seconds of admiration, not just for the symmetry of the features revealed by the light of the LED lantern, but also the steely determination that had forced her to keep up with him across the rough miles. She was a city dweller, certainly unused to such exertions, and yet he had not heard one word of complaint from her. Of course, they had days to go yet, but he guessed she would not complain. Not aloud, anyway.

  It might only be her diplomatic training that had kept her from grumbling about their situation. Perhaps if she were around one of her own people, she would be acting quite differently. Somehow, though, he did not think that was the case. He sensed that she presented the same face to everyone.

  Whether it was her true face…well, that was the question. He had a feeling she kept much hidden. That same sadness he had first sensed on the shuttle seemed to pulse from her, but he did not think it had very much to do with their current situation. Certainly it was nothing one could see in her public aspect. But she was sayara, and her soul resonated with his, even if she did not know it yet.

  He shifted, finding a slightly more comfortable position, and lifted his face to the heavens. The stars here were numerous and bright, but there was no moon. According to the data on Alexa’s tablet, the planet did have two satellites, but they had not yet risen yet. All was utter blackness around them, save the small pool of pale light from the lanterns, pushing back the darkness.

  A small gasp, and her eyes fluttered open, blinking at the unfamiliar surroundings for a second or two before she focused on him. Comprehension lit their deep blue depths, and she relaxed slightly, although her mouth was still grim.

  “I heard something,” she said.

  “There was a night bird, or the Mandala equivalent, a minute ago. But that is all,” he added, trying to reassure her. “Other than that, I have only heard the wind in the grasses, and the sounds of the stream moving over the rocks. It is safe here, I think.”

  “You think.” Her voice held a note of dry humor.

  “Well, I cannot be positive, since we do not have the necessary scanning equipment to tell us if the surrounding area is completely clear. But it feels safe.”

  “Oh, then, it’s fine, isn’t it?” But she took the sting from her words by chuckling, and he saw an amused glint in her eyes. Then her expression sobered. “Is it time for me to take over yet?”

  “Not yet,” he replied at once. “You still have some hours left.” He didn’t add that he intended to let her sleep longer than she planned. His body did not require the same amount of rest hers did, and she needed to maintain her strength. But trying to explain that would most likely result in another argument.

  “Good,” she said. “Despite everything, I was having a nice dream.”

  “About?”

  She only shook her head, and smiled, then rolled up in the blanket again and turned away from him.

  Four

  The chronometer strapped to her wrist had not been calibrated to Mandala time. Even so, Alexa had a feeling she’d slept for more than the four agreed-upon hours when Lirzhan finally woke her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. Oddly, she had not startled at his touch, but only nodded and said, “I’m awake.”

  He withdrew then, huddling in his robes and burrowing into a depression in one of the boulders that sheltered them, and seemed to go to sleep. In the darkness he almost appeared to be part of the rock itself, in his bulky, shapeless robes. Apparently they were warm enough on their own, as he hadn’t taken the second of the two blankets in the emergency kit.

 
Now, in the bitter hours just before dawn, she thought she could use that blanket herself, so she rummaged through the bag and pulled out the little folded square, then shook it over her legs before wrapping the first blanket more tightly around her shoulders. She wasn’t precisely warm, but at least now she thought she could survive the chill until the sun came up. Funny how uncomfortably warm it had been here during the day — and how quickly that warmth had disappeared once night fell.

  She pulled her knees up to her chest and settled her chin on them, eyes straining against the dark beyond the small circles of light provided by the lanterns. Just above the horizon to the east hung two moons, one a fingernail crescent so thin she could barely see it, the other just past the quarter. Neither of them provided much in the way of illumination.

  Figures, she thought. As Lirzhan had told her earlier when she’d briefly wakened, all was still here. The stream chattered softly over the stones a few meters off to her left, and beyond that she heard a soft, eerie rustle that had to be the wind in the grass, although she’d never heard such a thing before. But there were no animal sounds that she could detect. Just as well, because Lirzhan still had the pulse pistol hidden somewhere about his person. Now, maybe he would wake up fast if they were attacked — he’d certainly been speedy enough when that feline came out of nowhere and almost made her its lunch — and maybe he wouldn’t. She didn’t have the heart to rouse him now just so she could retrieve the pistol, so she’d have to hope for the best.

  It’s not as if you could hit what you were shooting at, anyway, she thought, and let out a sigh. Sure, she’d had some rudimentary arms training, enough that she knew how to shoot a pulse pistol, but that didn’t mean she was a very good shot. She’d never seen the need, frankly. It wasn’t as if she were a member of the Defense Fleet or even the Exploration Commission, where having such skills would come in handy. Up until today, all the predators she’d ever met had walked on two legs and faced her across a negotiating table.