Nightmare

'Kendi,' Father Ched-Hisak said intently, 'you said you attempted to locate Dorna but found her in a pair of places.'

'Yeah. And once I tried to tag someone I thought was her but it turned out to be Zelda. Another time I thought I had her and it was Buck.'

'I wish this to be clear. You were sure you felt Dorna but you found someone else both times. You also felt her in pairs of places at the same time.'

Kendi nodded. Father Ched-Hisak settled back on his haunches with a grumbling, muttering noise that Ben recognized as a symptom of careful thought among the Ched-Balaar, though he decided not to translate that.

'I have made studies of human psychology,' Father Ched-Hisak said half to himself. 'Humans have varied and fascinating reactions to tragedy so different from members of my species. I think this is one of those reactions.'

'What do you mean, Father?' Mom asked before Ben could translate.

'It is possible,' Ched-Hisak clattered slowly, 'that your Dorna has a psychological problem known to humans as-' But the rest of the sentence was lost even to Ben.

'I’m sorry, Father,' Ben told him. 'I don’t know those words.'

'Dissociative identity disorder,' Mom supplied. 'How do you know, Father?'

'I don’t,' Father Ched-Hisak admitted. 'I only suspect. However, it would explain many things.'

'What’s dishie-dissipate-' Kite said.

'Dissociative identity disorder,' Mom repeated. 'It means multiple personalities.' When her words met with further blank looks, she continued. 'Some people who suffer terrible abuse as children retreat into their own heads. The things that their parent-or parents-do to them are so horrible that the children can’t believe it’s truly happening, so they create other people for them to happen to. The creation is so complete that they actually become someone else, and the alternate personality takes the memory of the abuse.'

'So there are other people living in Dorna’s head,' Willa said softly.

'Possibly. I’m not convinced,' Mom said.

'It would explain a great much,' Father Ched-Hisak chattered. 'If Dorna has more than one self, it would make sense that she would have more than one Dream self. When we visit the Dream, after all, we become only what we believe we are. It would explain also why Kendi felt more than one Dorna-there was more than one Dorna, truly.'

'And it would explain why her speech patterns changed,' Kendi said excitedly. Then he deflated a little. 'Wait. I asked her about it-why I felt more than one of her. She said she had no idea, and you can’t lie in the Dream.'

'That is not correct,' Father Ched-Hisak said gently. 'A Silent can tell an untruth in the Dream if she believes it to be true. I think Dorna remains unaware of the other personalities. She did not lie. She told the truth as she knew it.'

'But why would she be able to get up and leave before she-or whatever personalities-left the Dream?' Mom objected.

'Human minds are powerful,' Father Ched-Hisak said. 'I have read of people with many personalities doing similar things. It is quite common for one personality to drink heavily, for example, and leave the other personalities unaffected completely. If many of Dorna’s personalities are in the Dream, one left behind might take body control.'

'She said that,' Ben put in after translated Father Ched-Hisak’s words. 'She said something about being in control now and keeping it.' He shuddered involuntarily. 'She’s insane, then?'

'This is a bad word,' Father Ched-Hisak said. 'If we are correct, Dorna has many difficult problems. We shall say only that.'

Mom, who had slumped into a chair, sat bolt upright. 'Father, are people with multiple personalities violent?'

'Often there is a violent personality, or two, or three.'

'I have a call to make, and then I’ll have to leave. Ben, you and Kendi stay here. The rest of you can go or stay as you like, but stay out of the Dream.' She got up and left the room without a backward glance. Ben watched her go with a grim expression. His mother always left without a backward glance.

Ara paced outside the door to Dorna’s dormitory room, her mind moving furiously. Dorna Saline. Third year student, average grades, student of Mother Ched-Maruk.

Serial killer?

It made dreadful sense. They had been looking for a man because serial killers were usually male and the victims in this case were women. The fact that the killer could change shape in the Dream enough to hide facial features had gone right past both Ara and Tan. If the killer could change a face, how difficult would it be to change gender?

The vast majority of Silent were stuck with their own shapes in the Dream because that was what their subconscious minds expected. And a mind that thought of itself-or one part of itself-as male would take at least one male shape in the Dream, Ara thought grimly.

Was this how Kendi had split himself? Kendi had largely grown up in what he called 'mutant society' but was trying almost desperately to get back to his Real People roots. Had living in two worlds combined with powerful Silence to allow him multiple Dream forms?

Soft footsteps came up the hallway carpet and Inspector Lewa Tan approached, a computer pad in her hand and an intense expression on her face.

'Got the warrant,' she said without preamble and pressed the computer pad to the door’s electronic lock. 'It was a real trick getting it. Dorna’s only crime is hitting your son and there’s no proof she’s done anything else. Lucky I have an uncle on the bench. Baran, release lock on authority of Guardian Lewa Tan. Warranted search.'

'Scanning warrant,' the computer said. 'Access granted.'

The lock clicked open. Tan drew on a pair of gloves and hurried inside. Ara followed.

Dorna Saline’s small room was perfectly tidy. Desk, computer pad, chair, bed, balcony door. No wall decorations or houseplants on the stark white walls. After a quick glance around, Ara knelt by the bed and Tan opened the wardrobe.

'Nothing under here,' Ara reported. 'Not even dust. Should I strip the bed?'

'We’ll get some techs to do that.' Hangers scraped the rollbar as Tan leafed through hanging blouses. 'We’re doing an overview right now. Check the desk, will you?'

Ara moved to obey. 'Where’s Linus?'

'Coming. He was-shit!'

'What?' Ara spun to face her. 'What is it?'

Tan wordlessly held out a pale green blouse with long sleeves. The cuff showed a small red stain.

'Blood?' Ara said.

'Maybe.' Tan whipped a small scanner from her pocket and ran it over the spot. 'Definitely.'

'Whose?'

'This scanner doesn’t have the memory to hold that kind of database. It might be hers, of course.'

'Or someone else’s. Do we keep looking?'

Tan eyed her. 'You think just because we find one potential clue, we stop searching? Welcome to the tedious side of Guardian work, Mother Ara. Let’s get to it.'

The two of them set back to work.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The smell of your deeds will follow you forever.

— Daniel Vik