efforts, or perhaps because it was attracted in turn to what they were spinning out from issha strength.
The thread had wound and now was in a whirl which had begun to thicken, to encompass the darkness as if that had substance. And the darkness drew in farther and farther upon its own core until it was like a single nugget of pain and fear. This the thread netted and drew towards its own source.
Jofre was aware again of the woman beside him, of her body trembling in a hold he had tightened to keep her erect and steady. Then the last remaining fragments of the break-bond spread into him and his clap on her shoulders would have fallen away save that there rang from her to him the issha touch—enough to steady him.
He accepted the break-bond as he would swallow some bitter potion if such an act was necessary. Then made one more call, issha—assha—he could not tell which answered but, as the blowing out of a lamp, the flash of a blaster, the darkness was gone.
Into its place there flowed something else—a warmth which was not of his own, not issha at all—alien—yet with no harm—rather lightness of spirit, peace of mind and heart. Jofre realized that their linkage still held but what it had done was more than they had thought—the Jat was free of that despair which would have killed it— but it was—rebonded—with them!
He could see over Taynad's shoulder that the creature was no longer a hard ball in her arms. One of its small forepaws was raised, drawing the blunt finger growths down the Jewelbright's cheek. It chirped inquiringly and she gave a small cry and hugged it closer, rocking a little back and forth as might one who had feared for a child and now found that fear had gone.
'Friend—' Jofre's head jerked. The Jat had moved in Taynad's hold and was now looking over her shoulder to him. Again its forepaw advanced, to stroke caressingly his hand which still caught at the Jewelbright. From that touch came the warmth and peace which he had earlier felt, but increased, as if fueled with the same power as one of the starships.
'You have done it!' The medic was standing over both of them, staring down at the Jat, which kept its hold on Jofre as well as remaining within the circle of Taynad's arm.
For the first time Jofre heard the tinkle of the Jewelbright's laugh.
'Perhaps not as the Patrol captain might wish,' she returned. 'I am afraid that he will be unable to follow orders even now—Yan has rebonded with—' She glanced at Jofre. Her face had a slight softness which had gentled the masklike beauty she had always turned upon them. 'Yan has bonded with—us!'
'And,' Jofre swiftly spoke for himself, 'I do not think that you can try a second time.' He was surprised at the warmth of his own feelings. Issha were not bond-worthy except by oath, and certainly no oathing had passed here. Or had one which was deeper and wiser than that of Lair knowledge?
The woman also, he was sure that some of his feeling at least had been shared by her, known to her now. Which was a muddle—they had indeed wrought thoughtlessly, for it would seem that the two of them were now linked in a way unknown to their breed before—by one small, warm, and peace-spreading creature. He wondered what complications they had both drawn to them by what they had done.
He loosed his hold on Taynad, feeling a little awkward, but he reached forward to draw his hand in a half caress across the bobbling head of the Jat, between those up-pointed ears.
'You are sure?' The medic was demanding. 'This is going to present a problem—'
'We are sure,' the Jewelbright answered calmly. 'Though we could have done no other to save the little one's life. Bond-breaking,' she shivered and her arm tightened a fraction about the small furry body, 'is deadly.'
The medic looked at them both indecisively. 'I shall have to report—' And with that he was gone.
Taynad waited until the door closed behind the spacer. Then she squared her body around on the bunk so she was facing Jofre as well as she could.
'Brother.' She had freed her one hand from the Jat and gave him finger greeting.
But dare he answer her as Shadow to Shadow? That was deceitful and not issha way.
'I am no longer of the Brothers,' he said, watching her face carefully, waiting for that small softening of the expression to vanish. 'The story is a long one, Jewelbright. But thus it stands—' And quickly he sketched all which had happened to him since the morning when the Master had paid the Dead-Stone-price and he himself had been denied. Though he did not mention his night in Qaw-en-itter nor his find there, for that was something he felt he could not share—there was too great a secret about it and he must have the unlocking of that first himself.
'You are issha—for all the blathering of the Shagga,' she returned unexpectedly. 'Have you not followed the proper pattern and oathed yourself—and to a lord who is well worth the serving? Do you think we could have linked to free this one,' she glanced down at the Jat and then to him again, 'if you were not a true Shadow? The Shagga sometimes take too much on themselves.'
He was startled by her questioning of authority. Perhaps in some fashion she, too, had had something to be angry over after some priestly encounter. But that she accepted him—with a lift of heart he solemnly made the gesture of welcome and dared to change it so that it was not just to a Shadow met in passing but to one who shared a common goal.
ONCE MORE THEY WERE GATHERED IN THE OFFICE OF the Patrol captain but this time two more had been added to their number. These were Tssekians but not in the uniforms the unwilling visitors had seen everywhere during their travels in the city and at the keep of the Holder. It seemed to Jofre that they were trying to make a special effort to break with the restraints of their former clothing. For one wore a one-piece suit of green girded by a brilliant scarlet belt and the other a loose shirt of crimson over dull purplish breeches. But both were armed, carrying a fringe of various weapons about their waists and slung across their shoulders, and the speaker for the duo was a woman.
'We have no quarrel with the Learned One,' she spoke the trade tongue with an accent as if it was one she was not used to using. 'He and his guard were brought here against their wills and what he would have used for the purpose of increasing knowledge was not misused—it showed us the first great treachery of that one—' Her lips moved now as if she would spit, though she did not. 'That which is his and that which belongs to his man, we have brought with us.'
Zurzal inclined his head in a small formal nod. 'My thanks for your courtesy. I bear no ill will to those of you who now rule here.'
