Prophecy

She looked at it, surprised by his concern. There was a red mark around it, but no real damage. “No, it's fine.'

'Good.' He paused. “For future reference, in case you’re tempted to try that again, my weapon is keyed to my DNA, so you can’t use it, or even release it from the holster.” His tone became brisk. 'We're going to my ship now. We'll be more comfortable there. Stand next to me, so I can activate the transfer Net.'

Rayne longed to refuse, but there was no escaping, and if she did he would only force her to do as he wished, a humiliation she chose to forego. The golden light of an energy shell engulfed them, and dispersed to reveal a room decorated in pale blue and cream. A thick carpet of the grey moss covered the floor, and comfortable chairs formed a half circle around a low glass table. Two slanted windows gave a view of Gergonia's dull yellow globe and the sullen red planet beyond it.

The Shrike went over to a console and placed his hand on the sensor pad. The crystals lighted and sparkled at his touch. Although no sensation was evident, she sensed that a Net link had been forged, and the ship headed into the unknown. A glance at the windows showed a golden haze crawling over them, obscuring the view and confirming her suspicions.

'Where are we going?'

'To my base.'

'Where's that?'

He shook his head, studying the holographic readouts that scrolled up from the console.

'Won't you at least tell me your name?'

'Most people call me ‘the Shrike’.' He wandered over to a chair and sank into it, indicating that she should take the couch opposite, and she perched on the edge of it. She longed to point out that this was not the answer she had been looking for. It sounded more like a title.

'So, who's your benefactor on Atlan?' he enquired.

'Commander Tallyn.'

'Ah, Tallyn.' He nodded. 'Now there's a man with a devious mind.'

'He's a good man.'

'Oh yes, he is, and you seem to like him.'

She looked away, embarrassed. 'He was good to me and my brother. He saved us.'

'Why?'

She shied away from telling him the reason for her rescue, which was also the reason for her kidnapping. He might be another enemy of Atlan, and decide to kill her if he knew who she was.

'It has nothing to do with you.'

'Don't be difficult.'

'I don't have to tell you anything. If you want to force it from me, then put a slave collar on me.'

'I'm not going to collar you.'

She stared at him, puzzled. 'Why did you buy me?'

He shrugged. 'I have my reasons.'

Rayne glanced around, a few wild and improbable plans presenting themselves for her common sense to dismiss. If she could escape from the room, she might be able to evade pursuit long enough to locate the emergency life pods. Once on board one, she could escape, deactivate the pod's beacon until the Shrike's ship was out of range, then reactivate it and wait for rescue. Her roving eyes lighted upon the open door, which seemed to beckon to her, inviting her to use it and find the freedom she craved. Glancing at the Shrike, she found him facing her, his hands clasped before him. He seemed to be watching her, but it was difficult to tell. As she looked at the door again, his deep chuckle made her tense.

'That's the most ridiculous plan I've ever heard. Even if you managed to escape this room, which you won't, do you really think you'll be able to launch a life pod by yourself, and without any of my crew noticing?' He chuckled again, and her humiliation grew.

'You shouldn't read other peoples' minds,' she retorted, wishing she could think of a more scathing rebuttal.

'Probably not, but yours is most entertaining.'

Rayne tried to imagine what he might look like, conjuring an image of a deformed, malevolent alien much like the mutants she had seen on Earth.

'How unpleasant,' he said. 'I can assure you, I don't look anything like that.'

'To me you do.'

He sighed. 'Will you tell me your name?'

After a moment's hesitation she did, aware that he might try to learn it telepathically if she refused, and discover her secret. She tried to block his mental intrusion with the method Tallyn had taught her, aware that she pitted slight and unpractised skills against a vastly experienced intellect.

The Shrike stood up, taking her by surprise. 'I must go and see to the running of my ship. I'll see you later.'

Rayne paced the cabin, racking her brains for a way out of her predicament. The door was locked, and no other avenues of escape offered themselves. Getting off a space ship in flight had to be almost impossible, she had never heard of it being tried. Once they reached their destination, her chances would be even slimmer, and she did not even know where they were going. Appealing to the masked marvel seemed hopeless, so she had to find her own way home. After an hour or so of fruitless pondering, she sat down, deciding that she would have to wait for her situation to change.

The door opened as she was dozing off, and she jerked awake, cursing the fact that she always seemed to be falling asleep whenever she was left alone for a while. The Shrike stood in the doorway, and gestured for her to precede him into the corridor. Grey moss carpeted it, and the smooth white walls seemed to have been moulded from a single sheet of plastic, or whatever they were made from. Harsh white lights overhead cast stark shadows, and the only colours seemed to be grey and white. The cold corridor led to a smooth, featureless room, rather like a shuttle bay, where two guards waited. At the Shrike's signal, they stepped forward and gripped her arms. Before she could protest, the shimmering gold of an energy shell engulfed her.

When it dispersed, she stood on a planet's surface. The increased gravity made her knees buckle, and the guards held her up. It must have been half again as much as Earth or Atlan, whose slightly stronger gravity she had grown accustomed to over the last four years. She stood at the edge of a vast transparent dome, and, beyond it, a desert strewn with rocks of varying shapes and sizes stretched away as far as the eye could see. It reminded her of Mars. A wind blew dust against the clear barrier with a soft hiss, and she sensed the aching cold beyond it.

Scudding clouds moved across the grim planet's dull grey sky, and the sun was a dim glow. She turned to look at the dome's interior, which a sprawling city filled. The air was calm and warm, and stunted trees bordered the road that led into the metropolis. The guards guided her between white buildings, some festooned with greenery. Skyways looped overhead and gravcars hummed past. The plasglass dome created a tropical greenhouse where the desert soil yielded all manner of vegetation. Further off, between the buildings, water sprinklers irrigated tracts of agricultural land, and the dome gave the sky a pearly glow.

They entered a nondescript building and traversed a short corridor to a door, which slid open. The guards pushed her inside and the door shut. She gazed around at a sleek, modern room with elegantly understated decor and every creature comfort. Light poured in through skylights, and a warmly decorated bedroom, plush bathroom and an auto kitchen led off it, all tastefully furnished. After an hour or so, she decided to have a hot bath to ease her tension. When she was dressed again, she wandered about, growing bored and restless.

Chapter Eleven

In his Spartan quarters, the Shrike faced a space line screen and activated it with a flick of his thoughts. The wafer-thin crystal that stood on a graceful wand of pale green quartz filled with the chubby, cheerful face of his most trusted friend and second in command. The man's eyes twinkled and his grin revealed square white teeth.