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shield against the sun. After three years, he still loathed Haka. No lush
mountains here. Just heat. And sand. It drifted through sculpted holes in the
wall, blown by
The Last Hawk 385
the keening gales Outside, the forever keening wind, until he almost believed
he heard voices in its eerie song.
Rev stopped. That was a voice. It had alled his name.
He looked through an opening in the windbreak. At first all he made out were
clouds of swirling sand, like ruby-topaz powder veiling the land. Then he saw
the woman; dressed in rough trousers and jacket, with her hood pulled up
against the storm, she looked like a freight hauler from the docks.
He drew away from the wall, insulted. But when the hauler called him again, he
paused. How did she know his name? He looked out the hole again.
The woman came closer. "Revi?"
He regarded her.
"Don't you recognize me?" she asked.
He shook his head.
She pulled back her hood and she was a he.
"Hayl?" he asked. "Is that really you?"
"I've come every day for half a season, hoping to see you."
"Winds, Hayl! I can hardly believe it." Revi grinned. "Climb on over! Get
yourself in here."
"Someone might see."
"No one's around. Come on!"
Hayl clambered up the wall and half slid, half climbed down the inner side.
The instant he jumped to the ground, Revi threw his arms around him.
"Winds above." Hayl's voice came out muffled against his shoulder. "You sure
got big."
They sat on the grass under a grove ofjahalla trees and Rev listened while
Hayl told him all that had happened since Avtac separated them. "So I got a
ride to Viasa by playing lyderharp for the crew on a merchant rider," Hayl
finished. "In Viasa I gambled at the market. It was easy. Outsiders can't play
Quis worth spit. I used the money I made to buy passage here."
"Is that what you do now? Gamble?"
Hayl shook his head. "Men aren't allowed to gamble at the Haka market. Even if
they were, I couldn't risk it. Someone will figure out I'm a Calani. I
shouldn't have done it at Viasa."
At sixteen, Hayl looked almost as vulnerable to Revi as the
386 Catherine Asam
first time Rev had seen him, when he was five and Hayl an t:
infant curled in his crib. "How do you live?" |
"One of the Men's Houses took me in," Hayl said. 'They give me meals and a
room in return for chores." . "What if someone sees your Calanya
guards? X Hayl pushed up his sleeve, revealing a bandage that hid
his | guard. "I say I burned myself. I know I have to find a way to , take off
the guards. But once they're gone it's final." He dropped his hands in his lap
as if it hurt to remember what cir- j cled his wrists. "I hate it Outside,
especially here. People i like I'm pole-dung because I have yellow hair. A
kinsa-boss wants me to work for her and she won't stop bothering me. I used to
be a Second Level Calani and now I'm nothing." "Ask Rashiva for asylum."
|| "Manager Haka7" Hayl laughed harshly. "She'd pack me
i' off to Avtac faster than you can roll your dice." | "Not if
you tell her what you've told me." H "Not a chance." "Hayl, I'm
serious." "You trust her that much?" When Rev nodded, Hayl -| exhaled. "You
better be right."
The rider soared above the Teotec Mountains, piloted by Aka ¥, Kam, a merchant
taking her cargo of spices to Bahvla. To starboard, she sighted an octet of
riders flying in formation. Feel- | ing gregarious, she switched on channel
two of her co. "This is Kam Greenbird, calling octet north by east. Beautiful
day, | hen?" . I.
The co crackled. "Varz Nightrider here. You're violating '| our airspace,
Greenbird." t
Violating their airspace? What did that mean? "I'm headed ;
for Bahvla." 1
-5
" .i
"The Bahvla lanes are closed," Nightrider said. "Pull off, Greenbird,"
"Cuaz and Khozaar," Aka muttered. She flew in a large arc j that took her away
from the octet. Maybe she had better approach Bahvla along a different route.
The co spat static. "Pull off, Greenbird! This is your final | warning."
,
The Last Hawk 387
"Pull off? I am pulling off. Pull off where?"
With growing apprehension, Aka realized the riders were closing in on her.
Somehow Nightrider released a metal hawk from under its belly. When it became
obvious the bird was going to commit suicide and fly into her rider, Aka tried
to veer off. The hawk managed to graze Greenbirds wing anyway and an explosion
rocked the craft.
"Nightrider, are you crazy?" she shouted into the co, struggling to keep
Greenbird under control.
In response, Nightrider launched another false hawk and Aka just barely
brought up her craft in time to avoid it.
Then she set course and ran back to Kam.
Rashiva Haka paced across her den. "It gets worse and worse. Abductions,
accusations, and now this."
Her Senior Aide stood by the fireplace. "I would advise against giving Hayl
asylum. He broke his Oath. Winds, he pulverized it. Avtac is the one who
should deal with him."
Rashiva stopped in front of her. "I can't send him back to Varz. Not after
what he's been through."
"If you keep him here you will antagonize the Minister."
"If I send him to Varz I will antagonize my conscience." Rashiva leaned one
hand against the mantel and stared at the flames crackling in the fireplace.
"There are times when I wish it was Ixpar who ruled in Varz and Avtac who
Managed Kara. It would make this matter of alliances more palatable."
The Senior spoke in a low voice. "Take care, Rashiva. You never know who might
hear."
The Manager looked at her. "Avtac has my loyalty, not my soul." She
straightened up. "Hayl stays here."
Ixpar walked out of the hangar with Captain Borj. "Who was the pilot?"
"A merchant named Aka Kam." Borj unhooked her flight jacket. "She had already
left Kam when we found out about the blockade. Greenbird barely made it back
here in one piece."
Ixpar scowled. "I want armed riders on patrol along the perimeter of Kam
airspace."
388Catherine Asaro-
"I'll see to it."
As Ixpar headed to the Estate, she brooded. So. Varz was blocking every route
into Bahvla It cut Kam off from a crucial ally. Worse, Avtac's noise about
Hayl's supposed reabduction had finally convinced Shazoria normally a Kam
ally, to speak in support of the Varz Ministry. That meant Ahkah, Lasa
Shazoria and Eviza all stood behind Varz. And whatever Rashiva's personal
feelings toward Avtac, Ixpar knew the Haka Manager put a high value on
loyalty. In a confrontation Haka would support Varz. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]