Earthbound by DM Arnold (read book .TXT) 📕

can be. The green tea's as good as anything found on Earth, though.” Nyk reached across the table and touched her hand. She stroked his forearm. “Your skin is so light and clear. You hardly have any coloring at all. I know I'm not dark, but next to you I look as dark as Suki. She once said a meal and conversation, with good food, enjoyed among good friends is one of life's greatest pleasures. You and I are good friends, so we're halfway there.”

The vidisplay signaled another call. Nyk scanned his wrist and saw Seymor sitting at his desk. The New York City skyline was visible through the window behind his desk, and it made Nyk homesick. Seymor addressed him in English. “Nykkyo, we're making progress. There'll be a major realignment in the Service as a result of this.”

“How much longer?” Nyk asked, also in English.

“I wish I had the answer to that one, myself. We're concerned for Baxa's wife. Is she still with you?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Don't let her out of your sight. There are some who think she's an accessory.”

“I think they're wrong. She's incapable of involvement in something like that.”

“She's an ax'amfin.”

“She's a sweet girl.”

“Ax'amfinen are witches, Nyk. They're sweet on the surface but vicious underneath.”

“Andra's not like that.”

“Nykkyo, I don't like it when I see a good Agent become emotionally involved. I saw it with the Earth woman, and I fear I'm seeing it now.”

“It's not emotion, it's logic. I don't believe she's any more than an innocent bystander in all this.”

“Nonetheless, don't let her out of your sight.” The vidphone screen went dark. Nyk paced around the main living floor.

“What's the matter? You look upset. What did he say?” Nyk stood directly in front of her, placed his hands on her waist and looked into her eyes. “What is it, Nyk?”

“Andra, I need to hear it from you. I need to hear you say you had nothing to do with Zander's plotting.”

“I know nothing about it. I've told you I know nothing.”

“Swear to me you had nothing to do with it. After our talk of bonding, of friends for life --after last night, after amften -- I need to hear you swear to it.”

“I swear, Nyk, I know nothing of what he was doing -- nothing. It's the truth, Nyk. Honestly, it's the truth. I know nothing.” Tears were filling her eyes. “I could never lie to a friend-for-life. We must trust each other with our lives.”

Nyk embraced her. “I believe you. Forgive me, but I needed to know for true. Some of the evidence implicates you, Andra. You may be detained for questioning.”

“Please don't worry about me, Nyk. I have nothing to fear. I'll submit to interrogation willingly.”

“I do worry. Truth drugs have been outlawed on this world because ... because sometimes the person being interrogated ... isn't the same, afterward.”

“Worrying won't make things better. I trust you, Nyk.” She rested her head on his shoulder and he caressed her hair. “Do you think it would be safe to go outside?”

“Probably. I'll go up to the observation deck and scout around, and if it looks clear, we'll take a walk on the bluff. I'll go crazy if we have to stay cooped up inside.”

Nyk held her hand and led her around the perimeter of the Residence. He stopped at an outcropping of basalt and pointed to a memorial plaque.

In loving memory

Xarvo Kyhana, born 6569.084, died 6627.147

Jylla Retsa Kyhana, born 6571.201, died 6627.147

They loved the sea nearly as deeply

as they loved each other

“Your parents?” she asked.

“Yes. I took them for granted when I was a boy. Even now, part of me doesn't want to believe they're gone. It's why I can't sleep in their bedrooms.”

He and Andra walked out on the bluff. Andra stood at the edge and leaned into the breeze, extending her arms as if to embrace it. Nyk stood beside her and put his arm around her. She leaned against him as he savored the breeze. “The surf's even more violent today,” Nyk said. “We forgot to check for a forecast, but by the looks of things, a storm will hit us during the night.” He pointed to a grey line of storm clouds hugging the eastern horizon.

Andra pointed to an object in the distance. “What's that?” Something was riding the sea, rising and falling in and out of view with the waves.

Nyk shielded his eyes with his hand. “Probably the University of Sudal research vessel.” He looked a bit longer. “Or maybe it's someone watching the house. We'd better go back.” He pointed skyward toward an aircraft circling overhead.

He walked briskly into the Residence, secured the door and checked the vidisplay. “I was right, there is a storm approaching. It's category one, not a big one. It shouldn't last more than a day or so.” He sat on a bench, trying to calm himself. She sat beside him. “I'm spooked, Andra. With this storm coming, we can't even walk on the bluff to take my mind off it.”

The storm winds howled. Nyk sat at the kitchen table playing with the wrapper from a luncheon package, folding it and refolding it into abstract shapes. The vidisplay signaled a call. He answered with a wristscan.

Seymor spoke in English. “Nyk, is Andra around?”

“She's upstairs, resting.”

“The investigators want to question her. We think she may know something.”

“Andra told me she was taught to ignore what goes on around her. She was taught to let it in one ear and out the other, and I believe her.”

“She may have seen something or heard something that could be of use to us. We can't coerce her, but I hoped she might volunteer.”

“I'll speak with her.” The vidphone session went dark.

Nyk climbed the stairs to the third level. The door to his mother's bedroom was partway shut. He rapped on the door, opened it and walked in. Andra was reclining in her tunic. She looked up at him.

“Seymor would like it if you'd answer some questions about Zander.”

She shook her head. “I've told you. I'd be of no help.”

“You must've seen something -- heard something. We must put a stop to whatever Zander's doing.” He sat on the bed. “You have some of his drug mixture with you. It acts as a hypnotic. Perhaps...”

“No! I won't use it.”

He held her hand. “Andra, we're bonded and friends for life. We trust each other with our lives. Won't you trust me with your mind? I'd never take advantage of you. All I want to do is to unlock some secrets so we can put an end to this.”

She looked into his eyes, then away. She nodded. “All right, I'll do it.”

“I'll call Seymor and make arrangements.”

Andra sat on a sofa in the living room. Nyk pulled a table near her and turned a vidisplay in her direction. Seymor's image was on the screen.

“Nyk,” he said. “I have Illya Kronta standing by. He wants to hear what Andra has to say.”

Seymor's image was joined by one of a middle-aged man in a Floran tunic. His xarpa identified him as an ExoService official. “I'm pleased to meet you, Nykkyo,” Kronta said. “I want you to know I'm a Kyhana scholar, and I've begun reading your translation of Koichi's journal. It's fascinating.”

“Let's begin,” Seymor said.

Nyk picked up a green cartridge and loaded it into an injector. He handed it to Andra.

She took the injector. “After the drug takes me, you must utter the words zidev m'obe. Whoever first says that, commands me.” He nodded and placed his hand on her shoulder.

She removed the needle guard and lifted the hem of her tunic. Her hand hesitated for a moment, then drove the needle into her skin. Nyk heard the snap of the roller pushing the drug into her thigh muscle. She withdrew the needle and replaced the needle guard.

Nyk helped her recline on the sofa and propped her head with cushions. She folded her hands across her stomach. He watched her face as her eyes glazed and their lids grew heavy. Her lips parted and her jaw slackened.

“Andra, zidev m'obe,” he said. Her eyes focused on him. “Andra, you now remember what you forgot about Zander. You will answer questions for me and for the gentlemen on the vidisplay.”

“Andra, please look at this photoimage,” Kronta said. An image of a young man appeared on the screen. Nyk recognized the photo as the one who handed him the box aboard the transit platform. “Can you identify him?”

“No.”

“Andra, think hard,” Nyk said.

“Don't lead her, Nyk,” Kronta said. “We mustn't contaminate her memory.”

Andra stared at the photo. “Go deep,” Nyk said.

Recognition spread over her face. “Yes, I remember him. He came to the apartment.”

“How often?” Kronta asked. “Do you remember the most recent time?”

“Dot-200. Yes, Zander gave him a box on dot-200.”

“The day after I was there,” Nyk said.

“Excellent,” Kronta said. “Good job, Nyk, I think we've unlocked her. Andra, I'd like you to look at some more photoimages. Tell me if you recognize any of these men.”

Andra regarded the vidisplay. “Stop. He visited the apartment.”

“Rud Vadima.” Kronta said. “He's assistant adjunct to the chancellor of the Lexal colony.” More images flashed by. Andra identified additional men from the group. “An interesting bunch,” Kronta remarked.

“Yes,” Seymor added. “Some have done Agency tours.”

“All have had Agency training and conditioning -- training for Earth assignments.”

“Did Zander ever mention if these men were on Earth and why?” Seymor asked.

“Yes. They were on Earth for training.”

“What kind of training?”

“I don't know,” she replied.

“Military training,” Nyk conjectured. “Weapons and tactics.”

“Andra, did you ever hear Zander speak of Earth weapons shipments?”

“Yes.”

“Did Zander say where the weapons were headed?” Nyk asked.

“Lexal,” she replied.

More photos flashed by. “Stop,” Nyk said. “Go back one.” The image was of a well-groomed late-middle-aged man in a jacket and wearing a large medallion. “Do you recognize him?”

“No,” she said.

“Think hard. Do you recognize him?”

“No. I've never seen him.”

“Andra, that looks like you standing beside him!”

“Gads, Nyk!” Seymor said. “You're right.”

“Is that you?” Nyk asked.

“No,” she replied.

“Who is it? If it's not you, it's your twin.”

“It's Janna.” Tears formed in her eyes. “Janna... Oh, Janna!”

“That's Mykko Wygann, chancellor of the Lexal colony,” Kronta said, “with his consort and wife. She's known on Lexal as Princess Janna.”

“Was she your roommate and friend?”

“Yes. I miss Janna. I miss her so much. I didn't know she went to Lexal, or that she married.”

“No wonder your classmates called you the twins.”

“There've been rumors,” Kronta continued. “Wygann is turning Lexal into an armed camp. Zander must've been supplying Wygann with Earth weaponry.”

“That explains the triangular trade,” Seymor said. “Floran diamonds are free for the asking. Zander arranged to have them cut and polished. There are plenty of buyers in New York for cut-rate gems. He found one willing to pay cash. I imagine finding an arms dealer willing to take his cash was no great difficulty, either.”

“Andra, why?” Nyk asked. “Why would Zander do this?”

“Revenge ... To avenge Gunder.”

“Gunder?” Nyk asked. “To avenge Gunder Baxa? Andra, I knew him when he worked for the Food Service. No one ever did harm to him.”

“No, Nyk,” Kronta said. “About thirty-five years ago, a junta seized control of the Lexal colony. Gunder Baxa was that regime's security chief. The junta was deposed by a political alliance led by one Zygon Vellod ... and by Mykko Wygann. Gunder was exiled.”

“He came to Floran and slipped into the Sudalese population,” Nyk said. “I never knew, and I'm sure neither did my dad. What did Zander say of revenge?”

“He said Mykko and Lexal were in for a surprise,” Andra replied. “Lexal will soon have a new princess.”

“This gives us a primary hypothesis,” Kronta said. “Wygann deposed the junta and forced Zander's father into exile. Zander is arming Wygann's forces on Lexal. He intends a double-cross to turn those forces against Wygann. Zander wants to establish himself as chancellor, and he'd have his own princess bride at his side.”

“That's too ambitious a project for one man,” Seymor replied.

“That's where Altia comes in,” Nyk said. “The ricin affair started on Altia. The Altians want independence, and the ricin plot was an attempt to draw attention to their cause. Zander's been spending time on Altia. Let's suppose the Altians are providing personnel and materiel. Once Zander seizes control of Lexal, he can form an alliance with the Altian faction.”

“We're looking at civil war!” Kronta exclaimed.

“How unprepared are we for that,” Nyk added. “There must be an ExoService connection, too. Zander has at least one Exo cruiser at his disposal.”

“And a tie-in with Vebinad Academy,” said Kronta.

“Yes, Zander chose Andra because she's a ringer for Janna. Could it work? I thought Zander had snapped -- he'd gone crazy. This isn't madness -- it's cold, calculated ambition.”

“Thank you, Nykkyo,” Kronta said. “Thank Andra for us. This gives us what we needed.” The vidisplay went dark.

Nyk turned