Wayfarer - Satori Part 14

This was the point of gravest danger for the Seeker. For while it freed one from the Mus.h.i.+n by ridding one of desires, it also set one adrift in a directionless void. If the whole world-view derived from the experience of being-in-the-world was nothing but the delusion of a limited and fallible sensual apparatus, if there was no true correlation between everyday reality and ultimate reality, if even the self was but a trick played by consciousness-where was purpose in the universe? How could one act in aworld without form? And why? Was there any value to struggle and striving if ultimately only entropy and chaos ruled?

Jerome had found the answer for himself. Many others had found it since then. Myali could not. She only saw the void, the ceaseless flowing, the loss of all place to stand and be.

It wasn't that she hadn't tried. The G.o.ds knew she'd tried! Again, again, until the search had all but consumed her energy and her life. Eventually she'd given up everything, family, career, friends, everything, to become a Wanderer and devote all her time to finding ... That was as close as she'd ever gotten. For the darkness always loomed in the background. And all she ever found for sure was despair.

Lucidly, the machine had been turned off before she'd reached the abyss. Luckily, because she didn't know what to do if it pushed her to the edge.

No. She knew. And that was the final honor of all. She only had two choices: Give up and let the bishop have his way with her mind-which meant death for Josh and Father Kadir and Dunn and ...

Kensho. Or leap off into the dark-which meant the thing that was worse than death for her.

The bishop dismissed the guards as he entered the room. Myali lay quietly on the gurney, against the far wall. He watched from the door for several moments. The girl's breathing was regular, smooth, slow.

The drug had worn off and she was undoubtedly sleeping.

He walked over and stood looking down at her. Heavy straps held her body securely in place, arms tight against her sides. The machine hadn't quite finished with its work, but it should have done enough to make it a simple matter to get the information he needed. It was time to wake her.

Before he could move, Myali's eyes snapped open and stared full into his. With a shock of surprise and confusion, he stepped back. Her head turned to follow his motion.

An inarticulate curse escaped his lips. "You ... you're ..."

"I'm fine, thank you," she said, a mocking smile curving her lips. "I've been better, of course, but everything considered, I'm fine."

"It can't be," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "It can't be. An hour and a half at least under the machine. It's not possible. Those little anomalies, they ..." He paused and gazed silently at her for a long time. His mind was racing, trying to understand it. The machine couldn't fail! Couldn't!

Without a warning, the door burst open and the admiral stood there, flanked by two marines with drawn lasers. Throwing a swift, cold glance at the bishop, he strode over to the gurney and looked down at Myali. The girl looked back without flinching. "Somehow," she said drily, "I don't think this is the cavalry to the rescue."

Thomas's face was quick to show his surprise, but equally quick to show his appreciation of her humor. He smiled and laughed quickly. "Ha! I see his Wors.h.i.+p hasn't made a dent in you. Good. That means he's learned nothing." He turned to Thwait, his smile turning vicious. "So now anything we learn will be shared equally by both the Power and the military."

Andrew sighed in an admission of defeat. "All right, Thomas. I intended to share the information with you anyway."

"No doubt, no doubt. After you'd already used the most interesting part for your own ends."

The bishop shrugged. "Irrelevant now. How did you know about her?"

Admiral Yamada looked smug. "Guess. Surely the devious Bishop Thwait can figure out the simple plots of a mere Admiral of the Fleet."

"Hmmmmmm. Yes. There is really only one way, unlikely as it might seem at first glance. Yes, I should have gotten rid of Chandra earlier."

Thomas gave an admiring nod. "Direct hit on the first salvo. d.a.m.n! How'd it get past you at all?"

He shrugged again. "The obvious is always the most difficult to see clearly. After thirteen years, I had come to accept his loyalty as a basic a.s.sumption rather than as a hypothesis."

Yamada nodded and turned his head toward Myali. "Let's not ignore the obvious this time."

"Meaning?"

"You've failed, Andrew. Miserably. You've had her for two days now and been unable to break her, machines or not."

"Any suggestions?""Nothing as refined or sophisticated as the Power has to offer. But perhaps a bit more effective in this case."

The bishop bowed his head slightly. "Pray proceed. I am all attention."

Thomas snorted. "Huh. I'm the direct type. To h.e.l.l with the needles and all that c.r.a.p. Trouble with this little lady is she's too d.a.m.n c.o.c.ky. I know the type. Thinks she's tougher and smarter than us." He walked over and looked down at Myali again. "Need to knock a little bit of the s.p.u.n.k out of her.

Physically. Teach her she's just another piece of meat. Too proud, my dear," he said softly to her, "too proud by a pa.r.s.ec. Got to humble you, drag you down through the s.h.i.+t and rub your face in it. Hurt you, make you cry and whimper. Then, when you've realized your real place in the scheme of things, why, you'll open up to us like a little bird and sing and sing and sing."

"Torture? Physical torture?" the bishop asked, distaste strong in his voice.

Yamada looked back over his shoulder at him. "Yes and no. I think the little lady might be able to handle straight torture. Make her feel n.o.ble and all that. I have in mind thorough, brutal degradation.

Something that will smash and destroy her spirit and self-esteem."

He turned and walked back to face the bishop. "I'm thinking of a nice, vicious gang rape."

Andrew couldn't help the look of disgust that flitted across his face. "Gang rape?"

"Yes." The admiral's grin was positively feral. He was clearly enjoying the bishop's discomfort. "I was thinking of locking her in a room, this one would do, with Chandra and three very nasty marines of mine, with instructions to do anything they liked to her. Short of killing her, of course. ' Take your time, boys,'

I'd tell 'em. ' Enjoy yourselves. Anything goes.' Might take a few hours. But in the end, I'd be willing to bet we'll have ourselves a very cooperative little lady."

"Chandra," the bishop mused.

"Right. We both know what he's like. Besides, he might as well be useful to both of us one last time, eh?"

Andrew turned and walked to the door. For a moment, the marines held their ground, then stepped back to let him pa.s.s. Halfway through, he turned and spoke. "Do what you wish. I will have no part in anything so barbaric. Call me when it is over. If it fails, Thomas, you will have destroyed a valuable source of information. Just remember that."

One marine unstrapped her while the other kept his laser aimed at her head. Once she was loose, she sat up on the edge of the gurney, flexing her body carefully to make sure everything was in working order. Then she stood and stretched a little, getting the blood flowing again.

At that moment, she heard a faint voice in her head. Myali? it called.

Josh? she responded.

Hey, yeh! I finally reached you. Knew we could do it!

Are you okay, Josh? How's Dunn?

I'm fine. Dunn's a mess. How are you?

Oh, I'm getting along. This link is very weak, Josh. I can barely hear you.

Concentrate harder.

Can't right now, big brother. Got other things to do. Think you could call back in, oh, an hour?

Guess so. It's night down here. Let me check with the others in the network. Yeh, okay. About an hour. Sis, are you all right?

Ask me in an hour.

If I'm still alive, she added silently.

Chandra swaggered in, a leer spread carelessly across his face. Despite his bravado, Myali could sense an underlying tension. His face was pale and drawn and his eyes had a tight, hunted look about them. His shoulders were slightly hunched and the muscles in his neck were tense. There's fear just beneath the surface of his mind, she thought. Myali felt a stirring among the Mind Brothers she carried.

Yes, fear. And they sense it, too.Thoughtfully, Myali evaluated Chandra as a fighter. Big, strong, he looked fast the way he walked slightly up on his toes. Dangerous. His hands were large and his fists would be enormous. She guessed, given his size and weight, he would be the type to close quickly and grapple. Once in his grip, she imagined most opponents wouldn't have much of a chance.

Three more men came into the room at that moment, dressed in marine fatigues. All looked like nasty customers. One was tall and slender, with a narrow face, thin lips that he constantly licked, a hook nose, and small, furtive eyes. The other two were rather nondescript. Medium height, a little overweight, with pasty, uninteresting faces. The only thing unusual about them was the burning, hungry look in their eyes as they gazed at her. The tall one, she decided, is dangerous. The other two are just brutal fools.

The admiral called the four men over to him and whispered his instructions. She looked straight ahead, out the door, at the two marines who stood there with their lasers still drawn. A third stood halfway between the gurney where she sat and the door, his weapon trained on her chest. There was no escape short of instant death. She decided against it.

A snicker and a throaty laugh came from the group around the admiral. A few more whispered instructions and he stepped back with a hearty, "All right, boys. To work. Duty calls!" The four chuckled appreciatively and turned to stare at Myali. Emotionlessly, she returned their stare.

Yamada walked to the door, motioning the one guard left in the room out ahead of him. Stepping across the threshold, he turned and looked at Myali. "Soon, my dear, you'll be telling us everything we want to know. Oh, yes, soon. Men, we'll lock the door from the outside. When you've had your fun, and don't hurry, just use the intercom and we'll open up for you. Enjoy yourselves, lads!" he slid the door shut and they all heard the lock click.

"The room," Chandra said softly, "is soundproof. You can scream as much as you like and no one will hear. Not that there's anyone about to help you anyway." He began to move toward her. The other three followed, the tall one's tongue out, furiously licking his lips. Myali stood and slowly backed to the far wall. In all too few steps, she felt its cool firmness behind her.

There was no more room for retreat.

Bishop Thwait searched the face of the man standing in front of him. Kohlsky. Second in command of his security force. Now, with Chandra's dismissal, first in command. Andrew had already perused the man's records. Excellent. A very competent servant of the Power. His only character weakness seemed to be a penchant for young boys. But it had never gotten in the way of his job, so Andrew saw no reason to be concerned. Besides, the current situation hardly had anything to do with young boys!

"Kohlsky," the bishop said gently, "Chandra made several serious errors. I hope his fate will serve as an object lesson for you."

"Yes, Wors.h.i.+p," came the instant reply. "But, Wors.h.i.+p, I need no lessons. My loyalty is unquestioned. I-"

Thwait shook his head. "My child, no one's loyalty is unquestioned." He sighed. "That was my mistake with Chandra. I ceased doubting his loyalty. Which made it extremely easy for him to be disloyal.

No, my child, from now on, no one's loyalty is unquestioned. It is better that way."

"Yes, Wors.h.i.+p."

"Now we must plan against the problem that faces us. I fear the admiral has serious intentions of seizing total control of this mission and forcing contact with the planet in his own manner. This cannot be allowed. Control must remain with the Power. Do you understand?"

"Condition Kuvaz, Wors.h.i.+p?"

"Yes, Kohlsky. Condition Kuvaz. All forces to all strategic positions. All secretly armed. All alert and ready until further notice. Issue drugs as necessary. I will prepare the shunt into the s.h.i.+p's intercom from the Room so we can flood every compartment, every pa.s.sageway with subsonics. Also see that an override is rigged on the external comm channels. I do not want any unauthorized messages leaving this s.h.i.+p once we strike. It must be swift and flawless. If we do it right, great credit will redound to the entire staff. If we do not... well, I do not like failure and neither does the hierarchy.""There will be no failure, Wors.h.i.+p."

"Good, my child. Just remember Chandra."

The four men closed in on her. Chandra was slightly in the lead, about three steps in front of the others. The tall one was on the far left, about four feet from the wall opposite the door. The other two were bunched together on the right.

Chandra lunged at her, his arms wide to grab no matter which way she darted. Myali didn't run.

Instead she snapped a quick, vicious kick with her left foot up into Chandra's groin, moving forward to bring her weight onto her kicking foot as it came smas.h.i.+ng down onto the man's right toes. Her hand, stiff as a spear blade, slammed into Chandra's throat just at the point where the chin meets the neck at the same instant that her descending foot crushed his. Unable to even scream through his ruined windpipe, Chandra simply collapsed in a heap.

Without missing a beat, Myali spun to her left, deflecting the tall man's reaching arms by striking his elbow lightly with her right hand, palm open. Then she grabbed the arm just above the elbow, slipped her left hand on the other side of his arm near the wrist and jerked quickly in opposite directions, breaking the arm neatly at the elbow. At the same time her right foot slashed out and downward, striking his left leg at the knee, dislocating or breaking it instantly. The man twisted sideways and crashed against the wall.

Myali turned her head just in time to see one of the two remaining men leap at her, fear and hatred twisting his face into a fury. The second was frozen in place, a stunned look in his eyes. She threw her Mind Brothers at him and concentrated on the one who was attacking.

Having no time to turn, she dropped forward, placing her hands on the floor. From that position, like a mule, she kicked back and up, her heel slamming into the man's groin. He staggered back, merely stunned, since the kick had not hit dead center. Myali sprang to her feet and attacked. A swift roundhouse kick smashed into her opponent's left temple, followed by a solid punch which shattered his nose and sprayed blood all over his face. Stepping right up to his body, she thrust her elbow into his solar plexus and swept his left foot out from under him. He hit the floor with a thud, his head making a sound like a melon breaking open when dropped from a height.

The fourth man was no problem. He was writhing in his final death throes, driven into the Madness by the Mind Brothers. She could sense them feeding joyously as the last gurgle of terror escaped the twisting body.

Suddenly it was silent in the room. The only sound was her own breathing. She went to check each of the men. The Mind Brothers had done their job well. Dead. She retrieved them. The other one had died when his head had hit the floor. In three steps she was standing over the tall one. He lay in a heap, his head at an odd, unnatural angle. Neck broken. Must have happened when he slammed into the wall, she guessed.

She turned and examined Chandra. Dead. His throat was crushed. He had strangled, unable to make a sound. Carefully she straightened out his body. Then she pulled the others over beside Chandra and straightened them out, too. Four bodies. Menacing in life, rather foolish-looking in death.

Finished, Myali went back to the gurney, got up on it and arranged herself in a cross-legged meditation posture. Slowly, she calmed her breathing and her mind. Four dead, she thought. How many more to go? She waited, unaware of time, for Josh to call.

XIV.

"No, sir. Not a sound." The marine's voice was crisply military.

"Hmmmmmm," responded Admiral Yamada thoughtfully. "Been three hours now. s.h.i.+t, doing the job right is one thing, but those boys are taking too much time. Stay here. I'm on my way down. Time to break it up." He cut the connection even as the marine was saluting.

A small worry lurked around the edges of his mind. Three f.u.c.king hours. Could anything have gone wrong? What the h.e.l.l could go wrong? Andrew. Did that b.a.s.t.a.r.d have some secret access to the room?Had he already taken away the girl to get the information from her? d.a.m.n! That 'd be just like the son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h. He picked up his pace, forcing the marine guard in front to trot to hold his position. He heard the one behind puffing to keep up.

As he approached the corridor that led to the room where he had left Myali with the four men, he saw the bishop with three of his security-force guards hurrying toward him. They met at the mouth of the corridor. The bishop was blunt. "Something is wrong. I grew concerned when I realized three hours had pa.s.sed. I tried to raise them on the intercom. No reply."

"s.h.i.+t," Thomas said and began to run toward the room. The others pounded down the corridor after him. Two marines were standing about fifty feet from the door, their weapons drawn. As the admiral came up, they came to attention and saluted. "All's quiet, sir," the senior one said.

"Still nothing, eh?" asked the admiral.

"Not a peep."

"Open the door," demanded the bishop. "Something is wrong, I tell you."

"You bet your sweet a.s.s something's wrong," Thomas snarled. "That girl d.a.m.n well better be in there, Andrew, or the s.h.i.+t's going to start flying." He gestured with his left fingers and suddenly all the marines'

weapons were drawn and ready. The security-force men were an instant too slow and stood looking foolishly at the lasers pointed at them. "Not a sound, Andrew. Not one f.u.c.king sound. Not a move or a twitch. Dead still, dead silent, or dead. You," he gestured to one of Andrew's men, "go open the door.

Slide it back quick and then hit the floor to give my men a clear field of fire." He indicated two of his own men. "You and you watch this sc.u.m. If they move, fry 'em all." He turned to the other two marines as he drew his own laser pistol. "Come on." Together, the three moved toward the door, following the security guard.

Arriving at the door, the three armed men placed themselves in a semicircle so each could fire into the room without the danger of all being hit with a single blast from inside. The guard reached out, fingered the lock open, and slammed the door back with a swift jerk.

He hit the floor with a thud, twisting to get out of the way.

For a moment, there was a dead, stunned silence. Then the admiral said softly, "Holy s.h.i.+t," and walked to the door. Andrew hurried down the hall, the others following in his train.

He reached the door and looked in, discovering what had so amazed the admiral. There seated on the gurney was Myali, unharmed and calmly meditating. On the floor, near the left wall of the room, lay four bodies.

Admiral Yamada had just finished examining the last of the four. He looked up at Andrew. "Dead,"

he said tersely. "All four of 'em." A thunderous scowl on his face, he rose and stared at the bishop. His laser pistol came up and pointed directly at Andrew's heart. "This has to be your doing, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

"Don't be a fool," the bishop said. "How in the name of Kuvaz would I have done it? You had two guards in this corridor the whole time!"