“Are you all right?” Quinn asked, coming toher side to put an arm around her shoulders. He had seemingly dropped down outof the thin air. He looked down at her uniform that was ripped in places andwas dark with expended blood.
“I will be,” she said.
He hugged her to him. “Did I tell you theElfinish is expecting?” he asked.
She nodded wearily, her head sagging to herchest.
“Did I also tell you Munchkin wishes foryou to be the Keeper of the Offspring?”
Shanee lifted her head. “Are you justsaying that, Phantom?” she asked.
“No,” Quinn replied. “She and Dasher madethe decision together. They feel you will make a good servant to the youngone.”
Giddy elation filled Shanee’s weary bodyand she hugged Quinn back. “I am honored,” she said. “I am so honored.”
“Well, better you be the young one’sservant than Kenni and me,” he grumbled. “One Elfinish is one too many in myhousehold sometimes.”
“Boy or girl?” Bakari inquired as he joinedthem.
“Munch says it will be a girl,” Quinnreplied.
“A female,” Shanee breathed. “Oh by thegods, I am doubly blessed.”
“Blessed by what?” Polemusa asked. She wasnever too far from the ex-Burgon’s side.
“Quinn’s Elfinish is pregnant and she isgracing me with her offspring,” Shanee said. “A female!”
“Oh my,” Polemusa said. “That is indeed ablessing.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Quinn growled. “Whattablessing.”
“A name!” Polemusa said. “You must pick anappropriate name for a Worldly One.”
“Gabrielle.”
Everyone turned to find Ailyn’s eyes open.His voice had been weak when he spoke. “She’ll be Gabrielle,” he repeated,smiled tiredly and then fell into a painless, healing sleep.
Shanee leaned over him and smoothed histousled hair back from his forehead. “His body temperature is lower.”
“We have Gabe to thank for that,” Bakaristated.
“Gabrielle,” Polemusa said. “Aye, and it isappropriate, I believe.”
“He’s going to be fine,” the healer toldShanee as he looked up at the diagnostic panel. “His breathing is much easierand his heartbeat is stronger. The proof he is on the road to good health willcome when he begins to urinate.”
“We came to tell you that your mother willbe leaving us on Breva’s ship,” Bakari said. “And I’ve a small matter to takecare of in a few minutes.”
“Why are you leaving, Mother?” Shaneeasked. “I was hoping you would stay to help me care for Ailyn.”
Polemusa lifted her chin. “It was reportedto us that the identity of the second person who contracted for your death hasbeen discovered,” she said. “I will be making a visit to that person.”
“That’s my right,” Shanee said.
“No,” her mother disagreed. “It is mine.The culprit is your Aunt Molpadia. I will call her out and we will end thisfeud between us. The Council of Elders will be shocked to learn what theirdomestic queen is capable of doing and will want to execute her but that is myright. She will die at my hand and no other’s.”
“But why?” Shanee asked. “Why would shewant me dead?”
“To hurt me,” Polemusa answered. “It is mybelief that during my grieving period, she would have struck to eliminate me.Alone, weaponless on the Plains of Memory, I would have been defenselessagainst her were she to come with Dóigra in hand. There is no honor inmy sister and she brings disgrace to the Iphito name.”
Shanee saw Bakari leaving. “You have mygratitude, Burgon,” she said.
He waved a hand but did not turn around. Hewas anxious to remove the last obstacle to Ailyn Harmattan’s future happiness.
“I’ll be leaving with Breva too,” Quinntold Shanee. “If you ever need me, you know where I am.”
“I know you were going to stay here inLeveche’s stronghold,” her mother said. “But we don’t think that’s a good ideawith Ailyn having been so close to death. You should go back to Riezell withthe healer just in case.”
Shanee’s shoulders slumped. “Aye, I thinkyou’re right.” She looked up as her two Class 10s came lumbering into thesickbay. She gave the larger of the two an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, PrimäOne,” she said. “I know you wanted to tear apart those Ceannus ’bots.”
The Class 10 ’bot nodded. “Another time,milady,” it declared.
“You may stand down,” she said. “I’m afraidyou make him nervous.”
Quinn snorted. “Them? They’re pussycats,aren’t you, Primä One?”
“Unless we are rolling downhill, milord,”the ’bot said then chuckled, startling everyone in the room. It nodded againthen pivoted around and with its partner close behind shuffled from the room.
“Did you program those ’bots with humor?”Polemusa asked her daughter.
“I’m trying to make them moreAilyn-friendly,” Shanee answered. “He is uneasy around them.”
“That could be because Cean used them totorture him,” Quinn said. “Give him time, Shanee. He’ll come to like those ’botsas much as I do.”
“Let’s get going, Phantom,” Polemusa said.“My sword hand is itching and you look as though you are having Elfinishwithdrawal.”
Quinn’s eyebrows shot up. “Another Amazeenwith a sense of humor? The gods preserve us! What is the megaverse coming to?”
“Tell the Burgon I’ll be seeing him,”Polemusa said.
“I’m sure he’ll be interested to hearthat,” Leveche mumbled as he struggled to sit up on the gurney. “Steady as shegoes, Rory.”
Quinn saluted the Reaper then with Polemusawalking ahead of him, got into the elevator.
“Are you okay?” Shanee asked.
“I hurt like hell but that’s to beexpected,” Leveche said. He slumped on the gurney. “Thought I could stand upbut I’m thinking better of that notion.” He looked over at Ailyn. “How’s hedoing?”
“Healing,” Shanee told him. “Sleepingeasily.”
“Good,” Leveche said then heaved a longsigh. “I was worried.”
“You should worry about the Burgon,” shesaid. “I believe my mother has him in her sights.”
Leveche shrugged. “Won’t do her any good.Ry’s heart is well on the way to being claimed.”
* * * * *
Ryden Bakari sheathed his scythesword, tookone last look at the body of the man he had executed then left the gymnasium,kicking at the black ashes that were sprinkled in his path. He went to hisprivate quarters, locked the door then stripped out of his black uniform andclimbed into a piping hot shower that washed away the day’s accumulation ofdeath and destruction.
He had no regrets about the deaths that hadbeen dealt on his ship or those that had ended on the Ceannus
