Odd Girl Out

is the Abomination? A couple hundred symbionts and a few chunks of coral. What kind of threat can they possibly be to you?'

He gave a loud, derisive snort. It was followed immediately by a wince of pain from his still-tender abdomen and lung sacs. 'Of course the Abomination is not a threat,' he said. 'This is not about threats.'

'No, it's about principle, and cleansing the universe of a crime against nature,' I acknowledged. 'Believe it or not, I understand the concept. But the Abomination has something far more valuable to you than simple revenge.'

'Explain.'

'Think about it a minute,' I urged. 'The Abomination was hidden on New Tigris for close to ten years. In the past few months, he and his symbionts have been moving to some other location. You've probably been hunting him for a lot of that time, with every outpost and walker and soldier you've got.' I raised my eyebrows. 'And yet, with all those resources, you still haven't got a clue as to where they've all gone.'

The Modhri snorted again, more gently and carefully this time. 'If you have a point, make it.'

'It's very simple,' I said. 'The Abomination has found a hiding place for his new homeland that no one has been able to find. Which is exactly what you want for your own homeland.'

The Modhri made as if to say something, then stopped. 'You suggest I destroy the Abomination and use its same location?' he asked at last. 'A location which you already know?'

'Actually, I don't already know it,' I corrected him, fudging the truth only a little. 'And of course that would be silly. What I'm suggesting is that you figure out his method or technique and adapt that for your own purposes. Whether it's a matter of the location itself, or some kind of camouflage, if it works for Abomination coral it should work equally well for you.'

'And what then of the Abomination?'

'What of it?' I asked. 'We both agree it's no threat to you. Find out how they're doing this, then leave the Abomination to itself and go find a place where you can do the same thing. Live and let live, I always say.'

His beak opened in a mocking gesture. 'As you and I already do?'

'I offered that option to you once,' I said. 'I was nearly killed for my trouble.' I gave him a tight, slightly mocking smile. 'But you probably never knew about that.'

'On the contrary, I know about everything,' he said coldly. 'And your subsequent actions show clearly that your offer was not sincere.'

'Actually, it was,' I said, feeling a shiver run through me. Bayta, I knew, still thought our brief side trip to the Yandro transfer station on our way to New Tigris had been a complete waste of time. Up to now, I had suspected differently.

Now it was no longer merely a suspicion. 'But that's water under the bridge,' I went on. 'Do we have the making of a deal here?'

For a few seconds he eyed me in silence. 'I will keep the Human Bayta,' he said at last. 'You will lead my Eyes to this place. When I have seen it and learned its secrets, I will release her.'

'You'll release her into my direct custody,' I said. 'And you'll do it immediately after I've led your Eyes to the Abomination's hideout. If you want to stick around and root out its secrets, you can do it on your own time.'

Again, he took a moment to study me. 'Agreed,' he said. 'Which train do we need to take?'

'Whichever the next train is on the Kalalee Branch,' I said. There was a fair chance that he'd seen the label on our crate, and I might as well keep my lies consistent and easy to remember. 'We're heading to Benedais.'

'Benedais,' he repeated, his eyes boring into mine. 'Be certain you speak truthfully to me.'

'You be certain you have Bayta ready to hand over to me by the time we reach Benedais,' I said. 'And in mint condition. I presume you'll want to make the travel arrangements yourself. Rebekah and I will need a double adjoining compartment.'

'No,' he said flatly. 'You will stay in a first-class coach car where I can watch you.'

'Do you want Rebekah to take us to the Abomination's hideout, or don't you?' I asked patiently 'Because if you do, she has to think that things are back to normal, and normal means a double compartment.'

He considered. 'And the Abomination?'

'It'll be in the compartment with us,' I told him. 'Just in case you get the urge to go poking around in baggage cars again.'

He took a careful breath. 'As you wish. What will you tell the young Human female?'

'I'll think of something,' I said. 'You just get the tickets for our train. While you're at it, you might want to expedite my getting out of here.'

'It will be done.' Tas Yelfro stood up. 'I will take the weapon now,' he added, holding out his hand.

I looked at the kwi still wrapped around my knuckles, 'It's of no use to you,' I said.

His beak clacked sarcastically. 'While I have it, it's of no use to you, either.'

There was no way around it. Slipping the kwi off my hand, I tossed it to him. 'I'll want it back when this is all over,' I warned.

'We shall see,' he said, pocketing the weapon and moving toward the door. 'I shall let you know which train you will be taking.'

He opened the door and paused. 'And,' he added, 'I will be watching.'

'Yes,' I said. 'I'll just bet you will.'

Even with the Modhri's assistance, it took nearly four hours for the stationmaster to officially release me from my hotel room. Or maybe the delay was because of the Modhri. There would be some preparations he would want to make for our trip, and he probably preferred me kept on ice until they were complete.

I headed down the stairs again to the hotel lobby. Tas Yelfro himself was nowhere in sight, but one of the Halkas on his backup team was waiting at the main door with the news that our train would be arriving in two hours. I assured him we'd be ready, then headed across to the Spider storage area where Bayta had said Rebekah was waiting.

I'd told the Modhri I would figure out something to tell Rebekah. Over the long hours of my forced idleness, I had.

I told her the truth.

She listened in silence as I described the situation. 'What do you want me to do?' she asked when I'd finished.

'That depends on what you're willing to do,' I told her. 'Option one is that you put your neck into the noose along with Bayta's and mine. Option two is to say no thanks, and be home in time for dinner.'

She wrinkled her nose. 'That would be a good trick.'

'Actually, at the moment it would be simplicity itself,' I said, pointing toward the station's service area. 'There's a Spider tender parked right over there, ready to go. Usually Bayta's the one who coordinates these special travel arrangements, but I could probably muddle through the process without her this once. You and your coral could be aboard and out of the station before the Modhri even knows you're gone.'

She looked in the direction I'd pointed, as if she could see through the wall by sheer willpower. 'What would happen to Bayta if I did that?'

'Do you care?' I asked bluntly.

She looked back at me and smiled, a sad, wistful sort of thing. 'This is a test isn't it?' she asked. 'You want to know if I'm willing to risk my life for her. Whether I and the rest of the Melding are truly worth saving.'

'It's a fair question,' I pointed out. 'I do know you're wiling to risk your life for your chunks of coral. Otherwise, you could have destroyed it back on New Tigris and slipped away. That kind of loyalty certainly counts for something.'

'But the coral is family?' she said.

'The coral is family,' I agreed. 'It's a different thing entirely to take the same risk for a relative stranger.'

'And if I'm not willing, I'm no better than the Modhri?'

'Or you're young and scared, neither of which I could really hold against you,' I said. 'Besides, in the grand scheme of things, what does it really matter what I think?'

'It always matters what a friend thinks,' Rebekah said quietly. 'Do you have a plan for us to use?'