force-uneven spray. Still, Maia kept from spluttering at once to the surface. By willpower, she ducked
Maia felt her limit nearing. At the last second, she aimed for the sharp, black pool-edge and surfaced. Gasping, she threw her arms over the side, followed by an ankle, straining to lift. But almost at once a lancing pain struck her leg, knocking it back in. Blinking saltwater, Maia saw her foe already standing over her, foot raised for another blow.
Stoked by urgency, she focused on that object and lunged, seizing and twisting. Inanna teetered with a cry and came down hard, loudly striking the stone floor with her pelvis.
Again, Maia struggled to get out. This time she had one knee on the shelf and pushed …
The other woman recovered too quickly. She rolled over, knocking Maia back, throwing her into the water once more. Then Inanna’s arms and fists were windmills, landing blows around the girl’s head. One hand seized Maia’s scalp, pushing her below the surface. Maia pulled hard to get away, to swim elsewhere, even the middle of the pool. The tunnel might offer shelter, of sorts, though beyond that lay the open sea and death.
She got some distance, then stopped with a sudden, jarring yank. Inanna had her hair!
Maia burst out, sucking air, and felt herself hauled back toward the edge. She kicked against the stone jetty, hoping to drag Inanna in with her. But the big woman held fast, pulling Maia near then, once again, resumed pressing Maia’s head, forcing her under.
Bubbles escaping her mouth, Maia clutched at her belt. The blanket strips got in the way, but at last she found the sliver of stone. Working it free from folds of belt and trousers brought her almost to her limit before success rewarded her. Desperately, without much effort to aim. she flung her arm around and slashed.
A scream resonated, even underwater. The pressure gave way and Maia emerged, grabbing air with shattered sobs. Then, almost without respite, the hands returned. Maia stabbed at them, connecting another time. Suddenly, her wrist was seized in a solid grip.
“Good move, virgie,” the reaver snarled through gritted teeth, biting back pain. “Now we’ll do it slowly.”
Still holding Maia’s wrist, Inanna used her other hand to resume pushing Maia’s head deeper… then yanked her up again to gasp a reedy wheeze. The blurred expression on the woman’s face showed pure enjoyment. Then the moment’s surcease ended and Maia plunged down again. Still struggling, she tried to leverage against the wall, straining with her thrashing legs. But Inanna was well braced, and weighed too much to drag by force.
Numbness from the cold enveloped Maia, swathing and softening the ache of bruises and her burning lungs. Distantly, she noticed that the water around her was turning colors, partly from encroaching unconsciousness, but also with a growing red stain. Blood ran in rivulets from Inanna’s cuts, down Maia’s arms and hair. Inanna would be weakened badly. Good news if the fight had much future.
But it was over. Maia felt her strength ebb away. The stone sliver fell from her limp hand. The next time Inanna hauled her head out, she barely had the power to gasp. Blearily, she saw the reaver look down upon her, a quizzical look crossing her face. Inanna started to bend forward, pushing for what Maia knew would be the final time.
Yet, Maia found herself dimly wondering.
The woman kept coming forward, leaning farther than necessary just to murder Maia. Was it to gloat? To whisper parting words? A kiss goodbye? Her face loomed until, with a crash, all of her weight fell into the water atop Maia, carrying them both toward the bottom.
Astonished surprise turned into galvanized action.
From somewhere, Maia found the strength to push away from her foe’s fading grip. Her last image of the reaver, seared into her brain, was the shock of seeing an
Breaking surface, Maia emerged too weak for anything but a thin, whistling, inadequate, inward sigh. Even that faded as she sank again… only to feel distantly another hand close around her floating hair.
It was the last she thought of anything for a while.
“I suppose I could of conked her, or done somethin’ else. I had one knocked, though, ready to fly. Anyway, it seemed a good idea at th’ time.”
Maia couldn’t figure out why Naroin was, apologizing. “I am grateful for my life,” she said, shivering on the chair, wrapped in what seemed a hectare of sailcloth, while the former bosun went over Inanna’s body, searching for clues.
“That makes us even. You saved me from bein’ a dolt. I figured on followin’ the bitch, too, but lost her. Would of fell into that crater, too, if you hadn’t lit the torch when you did. As it was, I had th’ devil of a time, findin’ those stairs after you’d gone in.”
Naroin stood up. “Lugar steaks an’ taters! Nothiri. Not a damn thing. She was a pro, all right.” Naroin left the body and stepped over to the table, where she peered at the comm console. “Jort an’ double jort!” she cursed again.
“What is it?”
Naroin shook her head. “What it
“Oh. I … hadn’t th-thought of that possibility.” There was nothing to do about the shivering except stay here, enveloped in the sail taken from the tiny skiff. No dry clothes were to be had from the dead, and Naroin was much too small to share. “So we can’t call the police?”
With a sigh, Naroin sat on the edge of the table. “Snowflake, you’re talkin’ to ’em.”
Maia blinked. “Of course.”
“You know enough now to figure it out, almost any time. I figure, better tell you now than have you yell
“The drug… you investigated—”
“In Lanargh, yeah. For a while. Then I got reassigned to somethin’ more important.”
“Renna.”
“Mm. Should’ve stuck with you, it seems. Never imagined a case like this, though. Seems there’s all sorts that don’t care what it takes to make use of your starman.”
“Including your bosses?” Maia asked archly.
Naroin frowned. “There’s some in Caria that’re worried about invasion, or other threats to Stratos. By now I’m almost sure
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it,” Maia cut in.
“Yeah. Sorry.” Naroin looked troubled. “All I can speak for is my direct chief. She’s okay. As for the politicos above her? I dunno. Wish th’ Lysodamn I did,” She paused in silence, then bent to peer at the console again.
“Question is, did Inanna have time to send word o’ the escape attempt tomorrow? Have to assume she did. Kind of sinks any plan to take advantage of our uncovering her. With a reaver comin’, there’s no way to even use this little dinghy.” Naroin gestured toward the boat moored nearby. “Sure, you saved a bunch o’ lives, Maia. The others upstairs won’t sail into a trap now. But that still eaves us stuck here to rot.”
Maia pushed aside the folds of rough cloth and stood up Rubbing her shoulders, she began pacing toward the water and back again. Through the tunnel came sounds of an outgoing tide.
“Maybe not,” she said after a long, thoughtful pause. “Perhaps there is a way, after all.”
