Beast Master's Circus

Chapter Twelve

On Arzor Logan healed slowly. The injuries had been severe and Arzor, like many of the more rural settled worlds, had little of the faster-healing technology. Storm fretted at the lack of news. Tani rode Destiny, retreating more often to the healing calm of the desert fringe. She was welcome in the camps of the Norbies. They knew her to be clan-friend to the Djimbut Nitra. What was good enough for the wild ones of the clans was better still for the civilized clans.

That she wore some of the jewelry of a Thunder-talker was impressive. The items meant that while she had not received the training, she had the potential. Because of it she was welcomed also in the tents of the clan's shamen. It did not hurt that none but she or Storm could ride Destiny. The filly was three-quarters duocorn. She bonded to her rider, accepting Storm as an extension of her human friend. She had not yet accepted a stallion. It was hoped that when she did she would produce colt foals.

This day Tani had ridden over to the Larkin ranch. Put Larkin had a small place on the edge of the basin where he sent mares due to foal. They had warmer weather and better feed than in the High Peaks, and cooler temperatures and fewer predators than on the edge of the Big Blue, as the main desert was known. Tani leaned on a fence with the middle-aged man, Destiny standing hipshot behind her, and admired the first of the still wobbly new foals.

"From Fate?" Once she'd taken Destiny and named her, Put had been amused enough to call the filly's half-brother by a matching name.

Put shook his head. "Nope, I don't reckon he should be used until next season when he's rising three. I used a crossbred colt I already had for the main herd. It makes them half-bloods with him and the mares both being half-duocorn. Enough to add that duocorn toughness. Not so much they bond to one person only." He grinned at her. "Not saying many riders wouldn't appreciate that. But it makes it hard for some."

Tani knew. Not everyone wanted to teach her own mount. And what about those ranches which needed their horses to be available to any who might need a mount?

"What about Fate and Destiny's dams?"

"Risked him there. Just two mares wouldn't spoil him. They'll foal later. Should be interesting to see what we get. But maybe I'll have to sell them to riders as can do their own training. They'll be five-eighths duocorn. They'll likely bond. Dumaroy's already interested." He laughed softly. "That won't go down well with any Nitra horse thieves. Mounts they can't ride and which could be too dangerous to even try stealing."

The girl agreed with that. Her filly, Destiny, had killed two men thus far. One, a Nitra who'd tried to ride her against her wishes. The other was one of the clan camp raiders who'd run into Destiny in the dark and struck out angrily to drive what he believed to be a loose horse from his path. He hadn't lived long enough to scream.

Tani lingered, talking casually. It felt good to be here in the sunshine. She could feel her shoulders relaxing from the tense hunch they'd been in. The heat soaked through her. The foals' play made her smile. Later, the feel of Destiny's powerful body under her made her sing as they cantered for home. She missed Minou and Ferarre painfully but she'd learned to live with the loss—for the moment. She returned to an atmosphere which was tense but, as she realized in the first minutes, with information, not danger. She looked at Logan.

"What is it?"

"You know the raider ID came from Trastor? And there was a suggestion from Mandy's imitation of them that the raiders could be Baris and Ideena. Brightland thought they might also be on their way to Trastor." He spun it out and Tani squealed in mock rage.

"Tell me!"

"It seems that whatever else may or may not be right, that last bit was. They've been seen and positively ID'd there."

She sucked in her breath. "That's wonderful. It is—isn't it?"

"Not quite," Brad said heavily. "Trastor says that the pair have done nothing against its laws. It won't pick them up, won't hold them, won't do anything but question them politely if we insist on it." He looked at her.

"Now Terra's gone, most planets won't let another world tell them what to do. If they believe we're trying to give them orders they'll dig their toes in and we'll learn nothing. What's more, it would put that pair on their guard and almost everyone in authority against us."

Tani froze, her mind racing. People might well feel that way and she could accept it. But this world owed a debt. Trastor, where her father Bright Sky had died helping the people escape the invading Xik. Where he was buried with a memorial calling the whole planet to acknowledge the debt. She straightened, her face shifting into almost feral lines. The raiders had stolen Minou and Ferarre. They had tried to kill her kin, abducted Storm's team.

"The patrol officer, Versha? She said you could go with her to Trastor. I shall go with you. I'll talk to the government. I'll tell them what they owe my blood. If they forget I'll remind them. Make a fuss, Asizi. Just in the upper levels. Give them no time to spread the news. We're to be told when we're a couple of hours out from port." Her voice was crisp and Brad blinked.

He hadn't known his stepson's wife except as a nice young girl with beast master potential who loved Storm. He'd known her courage but forgotten that with her aunt and uncle she'd landed on many worlds. Often it had been Tani's job to order and check supplies for her kin's huge ship. To make plain to the suppliers that she would not be cheated or ignored because of her youth. He was hearing the voice she saved for such times and it startled him.

Storm gave his stepfather one of his rare smiles. "As Tani says. Tell the government we'd like cooperation." His smile turned into an intent expression signaling danger to any who saw it. "If they can't see their way to that, I may find and speak to this Baris myself."

Brad winced. Baris wasn't likely to survive that experience intact and the Trastor peacekeepers wouldn't approve. He said so, to receive in turn a flat blank look. Right now Storm didn't give a damn. Nor did Tani, or Logan—who was demanding to be permitted passage as well. Brad turned to deal with that.

"You still need to rest."

Logan eyed him. "I can. It's two weeks to Trastor even on a patrol courier ship. I'll spend the weeks taking it easy. By the time I arrive I'll be fit to get about." He caught Tani's attention and looked imploringly at her; he had no wish to remain behind but his father might object. Tani understood his plea, responding by nudging Storm, who nodded.

"Let him come, Asizi. He saw the raiders face-to-face. He can verify that under probe if need be. If he identifies this Baris and Ideena we can put in an arrest warrant with proof to hold them. Versha would back that with patrol status. Once the patrol has them they'll probe. We find what they did with Surra and the others. Logan files charges of theft, assault, breaking and entering, and anything else we can legitimately bring. We may find out then who took the beasts and why. I doubt it was this pair—they seemed more interested in loot. Maybe the third one who was with them was responsible. But these two were only guns for hire, if what their world says is correct."

Brad threw up his hands. "Who runs two ranches while you three go galloping off halfway across the known worlds?"

"You, the same as always," was his younger son's retort. Logan laughed. "I'm no use to you in bed anyhow. Besides which, I ride for the rangers most of the time. Kelson's the one complaining about my being useless right now. By the time I get back I'll have recovered enough to start riding again. As for Tani, did you ever seriously think Storm would go alone when part of her team is out there somewhere as well?"

"Not really. All right. So I don't get any work out of the three of you for several months. You'd better come back in good health. I can't afford to hire new hands." Tani saw beneath the assumed gruffness and flew to him, hugging him hard.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine. I'll look after these two. They'll look after me. Was there any more news or is that it?"

"Not exactly news." He turned to glance at Logan. "This is about that nice child from the circus. I promised I'd see what I could find from the camps about her."

Logan looked up sharply. "You found something?"

"A few minor items. She came from the De Pyall camp on Kowar. She was able to tell me approximately the date she was transported there. I checked incoming traffic for that time frame. She got there on the old Sally Ann, and I managed to connect to the captain. Still the same man and he has records. Not great ones but enough to say that the load she came in with were from the main De Pyall camp on Meril as she'd thought." Brad snorted.

"He copied me everything he had and you've never read such a mess. Barely half on computer, the rest on paper with portions crossed out, written over, then written over again. I've accessed those lists for Meril though. They have her on one. No real information. Still alone. No record of where she came from to Meril. I think she said her mother died at a camp farther back. But they do have the girl listed quite clearly on Meril. Somehow they lost most of the name in the next transit. She's only listed as 'Laris' on Kowar. But for Meril she's Shallaris Trehannan."

"Sounds like an English name," Tani commented. "The Trehannan bit anyhow."

"So I think. But Meril is quite sure that none of those refugees came from Terra. Which may mean either her family had lived elsewhere for a while, or that she'd been transferred in from yet another of the camps. Since she's sure she started out with her mother, there must have been at least one previous move. I think there may have been a number. They seem to have shuttled some of those poor damned refugees all over half the systems during the war." His face went bleak.

"If the circus is there when you arrive, let the child know what we have so far. It must be hard for the girl not to even know her full name. Tell her I plan to keep digging." Unspoken was the thought in all of their minds. It would help Brad to keep his mind occupied while the rest of his family followed another trail.

"I can let her know about the name," Logan offered. "It won't be too exhausting for a poor invalid."

His brother snorted. "I'm sure it won't." Logan flushed then grinned.

"So I'd like to see her again. No crime."

Storm's eyes were kind. "No crime at all. She may even have seen something. After all, a circus uses animals. It's possible someone could have approached them offering to sell beasts. See if Laris has heard anything."

Brad spoke quietly. "If you do ask, do it without anyone else hearing, son. I didn't take to that boss of hers. I'd say he wasn't the most honest man around. I doubt he'd take openly stolen beasts to use. Too much trouble could come of it. But I suspect a couple of those tigerbats of his may not be completely legal. They were all but wiped out on Lereyne. Since they've been preserving them in special reserves this last five years the bats are banned from being taken off-planet."

Logan looked puzzled. "So?"

"So Laris mentioned that the two females aren't related to the other three. They're only about two years old as well. He might just have bought them from a reserve or some private collector on a different world. But it's in my mind he could also have had them smuggled from Lereyne. There'd be plenty of collectors who'd be ready to sign fake papers for a price. But two unrelated females—they'd spread the gene pool, breed far better. Tigerbats are becoming so rare now that any he breeds would sell for high prices on several worlds with arenas we could all name."

Tani was thoughtful. "That's true. We could also have Versha talk to Lereyne wildlife officers about that. Lereyne may have some way of telling whether the two young ones were born there. If so maybe I can get Laris to take blood or tissue samples. If we prove the bats were smuggled then Lereyne will apply for their return. If they fine Dedran they might be able to confiscate the other three tigerbats as the fine. I think Laris would like that. She doesn't like them being in the circus. She says they aren't really happy there."

"Sounds like a possibility. All right. You three start to get ready. Versha commed while Tani was gone. She'll pick up any who are leaving at around nine-hour. Get moving. You don't have that much time if you want to eat, pack, and sleep before she arrives." They scattered at once.

Versha was on time, her teeth showing white against the dark skin as her face broke into a grim smile. "All three of you. I expected that. I heard the Trastorian authorities were being difficult but there's ways around that if you know the right people." She grinned with wicked amusement.

"I've talked to the patrol officer on Trastor. Jared trained with me until he transferred to the patrol. He confirms that the raider pair were seen again only a few hours ago. He's arranged a stop on their own personal IDs. If they try to board a passenger ship they'll be very politely turned away. I've taken a precaution or two myself. He's also identified their own ship. It looks as if they may be staying on Trastor a while." Her smile broadened.

"Oh?" Logan grinned back.

"Oh, yes. We don't want to spook the game before we reach them. But he's arranged a small party if it looks like they're planning to up-ship before we reach Trastor. After all, they have the ship registered under a false ID. And guess what?" She surveyed three amused faces. Storm was the first to reply.

"You've tied in the fake ID with some complaint."

"Exactly. So until they can prove that the ship the complaint is listed against is not their ship, then they stay right where they are."

"Won't they realize that it's a setup?" Logan queried.

"Possibly. But they may also assume that old enemies have caught up. Gods know they have them if Brightland speaks true. The Trastor broker could have sold them a fake ID to achieve just this. He'd deny it either way and once he hears about this mess—and Jared has arranged that the broker will hear first—he'll vanish anyway. We have a front-man making the very serious and convincing complaint. It can be tied in via Meril and if they get that far, to criminal figures from Bright-land." Versha chuckled richly.

"By the time they've unraveled that rat's nest, talked to Trastor, Meril, and Brightland, found no one there is involved—that will acknowledge it or help them very much, and then traced back our front-man to Trastor again. We could have had enough time to arrive, decide the meaning of life, and arrive back on Arzor lifting on a ship traveling solely by pedal-power. Believe me. They won't up-ship until the patrol says so."

By now all four were grinning. It was bad enough trying to trace an error through the bureaucracy of one planet. Trying to sort out a mistake through the red tape of several was the sort of thing which sent the would-be tracer completely crazy. Experienced bureaucrats had even been known to turn green and resign on the spot at the suggestion. The usual method was to come to an agreement with one's opposite number. Cut out the whole loop and start again. Except that for civilians with suspicious antecedents this wasn't an option.

Storm had been thinking. If it was his problem he might just decide to act like a pirate. Cut out the loop, not in records but in real life. He hoped Versha had thought of that. Better to ask and find she had, than not ask and discover the raider ship had quietly vanished from under the authorities' noses. He asked.

"Hmmmm. You and I would think that way. Jared's a good man. But he's never been in the field. His whole career's had him flying a desk. I never thought to mention that chance. I'll check he's taken precautions. Boot up the com for me while I get the code settings."

Versha was back quickly, taking over the seat Tani swiveled toward her. "Thanks." She flicked a dial, moved a switch carefully, then spoke quietly. It seemed little time before a slow voice answered.

"Patrol Office, Trastor sector. Jared Anwar speaking. That you, Versha?"

"It's me. Listen, there is no time to waste. Have you done anything physically to see the ship we're interested in doesn't lift?"

"Physically?" The slow voice sounded startled. "But there's an injunction against departure on the ship."

"The owners don't seem to be the types to necessarily obey court orders. If they lift and clear Trastor how do you make them come back?"

"Why, I ... well ... I suppose we ... Um. Versha, have you any reason to think they could try that?"

"Only that they're wanted on three worlds including their own under their real names. They've had charges filed for everything from piracy in the space-lanes to assaulting a spaceport official on Aubeare."

Jared was diverted. "Why did they assault the official there?"

"I gather he wanted them to file flight reports from their last couple of stops and as that isn't normally a legal requirement, they didn't see why they should. He tried to prevent them leaving so Baris shoved him down the ship's ramp."

"That's hardly a major offense."

"It can be on Aubeare; most of their officials are minor members of the royal family. But take a look at a few of the other charges. I've just spacegrammed a list. I think you'd better take precautions, Jared. If that ship vanishes, we may lose our best hope in years of getting a line into some of the crime the patrol's been investigating since the Xiks pulled their heads in. If that happens I can name you a whole list of our superiors who won't be happy about it."

There was a thoughtful silence. Then—"Just a minute." His voice was raised in a shout. "Namor, in here." After that they caught scraps of brisk orders being issued. Jared returned. "How much force is reasonable?"

"As much as you have to use. Try to keep that precious pair alive. They won't do much talking dead. But if it's the life of one of your people or theirs, then shoot and we can hold a post mortem later."

There was a moan at the pun. "You owe me a round of drinks to wash that down. All right. I'll put Jola in where she can overlook the ship."

"I want it stopped, not watched as it leaves."

"Oh, don't worry about that. She'll have a scramble-laser. One good burst in the right place, the ship's navcomp is wiped, and emergency set-down is instigated. It can't lift again until the navcomp is recalibrated. Those old-fashioned ships don't have shielding against a well-aimed scramble-laser. Jola's the lady to do it too. She was one of the Trastor's best first-in commando fighters until the Xiks quit."

Versha's tone was envious. "Just how do you rate a scramble-laser?"

"Heh, she liberated it from the Xiks before they pulled back. I slapped a requisition order on it when she joined. Officially it's both her own personal property and ours on permanent lease. That way it can't be taken off us, it belongs to her."

"And it can't be taken off a civilian because it's leased by a secure department," Versha finished. "Smart! If you run into any other civilians with a scramble-laser and an urge to travel, let me know."

"Will do. Now, I'd better have a word with my peacekeeper opposite. If we end up making a shambles of his area I'm sure he'll like to know why in advance."

"No!" Versha spoke sharply. "The pair have friends. They weren't doing this on their own. Our superior says keep events under your hat. We don't know who might be involved in planetary circles. You say nothing. If you have to kill this pair you refer him to me and say nothing until I arrive. I'm bringing people in to file official charges on Trastor."

"They won't listen to off-planet civilians."

"They'll listen to these. Get on with it, Jared. If you lose that duo our superiors may have my head on the block, but they'll have yours first and for sure. Versha out." She flicked a dial and the humming died. Logan stood carefully.

"Twelve days until we know if he managed to hang on to them. I plan to spend the time sleeping, eating, and exercising. Let me know when it's dinnertime. I'll start with that."

Storm nodded. "I hope Jared can hang on to the ship."

Tani turned to Versha. "About Baris and Ideena. I suppose no captain on a passenger ship would go against a patrol warning. How certain is it that the pair can't hop a cargo ship if the captain takes a bribe?"

Versha developed a wicked look. "Oh, fairly certain, I think. I had a confidential notice circulated, saying that the patrol discovered a pirate group has been getting spies aboard cargo ships. The spies either try to get a look around at defenses and cargos, or try to persuade captains or other officers into shipping them illegally. It is suspected they then help the pirates to take the ship and dispose of the crew." She smirked.

"There's a very clear description of Baris and Ideena included in the notice as possible suspects, and Jared's people will be ensuring every cargo ship arriving on Trastor receives that information. Under the circumstances I doubt any captain or officer, no matter how greedy, is going to touch that pair with a very long pole. But he isn't likely to say why either if it makes a pirate group mad at him personally. He'll come up with something moderately believable and wish them happy voyaging—with some other ship. Well?"

Tani was giggling and even Storm was smiling a little. "I'd give a lot to be there listening to any of that," Tani assured her. "I think you have it covered. But it's still going to be a long trip."

It was, but even the longest trip doesn't last forever. Twelve days after that conversation they were two hours out of Trastor's main port and signaling their arrival.

From there they could also pick up Brad Quade's discussion with the peacekeepers. Before that became bogged down in refusals to act against the Lady Ideena or Baris, Brad mentioned that incoming on an official patrol vessel two hours out was Tani, daughter of Bright Sky, the savior of Trastor. Tani believed she had suffered personal hurt from this pair the peacekeepers were trying to protect. The discussion and protection reversed abruptly.