Beast Master's Circus

Chapter Five

Laris seemed to drop into the Quade ranch as if she had been born there. She learned to ride with a speed that made it seem as if she'd had only to be reminded of her skills. That did her no harm with Storm or his father. Prauo was aloof but sensible with the other beasts of Storm's team. His longer legs and rangy body carried him miles alongside Laris's mount as he hardened to the exercise. He hunted with her, the two so clearly attuned that Storm nodded approvingly.

For Prauo it was all delightful, but it was the girl whose soul expanded in the freedom. She reveled in being able to ride down the miles; in the new sights, sounds, and scents. And in the quick give and take, the clatter and chatter of family life. Logan was with her everywhere. It was he who taught her to ride, accompanied her on those rides, and who sat beside her at meals.

They talked, sometimes casually, sometimes with more seriousness, discussing events on other planets as seen on the newscasts. Laris started to realize she had a good mind. She could argue a point and make her reasons plain. And from the camps and overheard conversations at the circus on an assortment of planets, she had a hard-headed appreciation of what could be contributing circumstances to the problem as disasters unfolded. She'd been there five days when her own origins came up again.

"Logan said you came from Kowar?" Brad Quade looked at her kindly. Laris heard the unspoken part of the comment, that she did not look like a Kowar settler. They'd mostly been from the Asiatic parts of old Earth.

"I said 'sort of,'" she noted. "I don't really remember. Dedran adopted me out of the De Pyall refugee camp on Kowar. I'd been in camps for years. That was just the latest. But I was at the camp there for the last two years so I think of Kowar as where I came from, I guess."

Brad looked interested. "What do you remember from before that?"

Laris leaned her chin on her fists. "Not a lot." She thought back. "I was on a ship with others. No one I knew. I was eight or nine. We landed at Meril and I was there maybe a couple of years. Before that another camp. Ermaine I think. The camp before that they called De Pyall as well. It might have been on Yohal. My mother was still alive. I think I might have been four or five."

Storm looked up. "What happened to your mother?"

"She died," Laris said briefly. "She got sick. I think there were a lot of deaths in that camp. A woman looked after me for a while. She went to a different ship when they moved us again."

Brad's voice was gentle. "Don't talk about this if it distresses you."

The girl shook her head. "It's old. It doesn't bother me."

"Then, what do you remember about your mother? What did others call her when they spoke? Did she ever tell you stories of some place?" Brad leaned forward. "Do you remember any names, words that don't match other places you've been?"

Laris looked back—into the blank times. The times when she must have been loved and protected. When maybe she'd had a family of her own. They were still as they had always been for her ever since. Blank.

"I think I was sick when my mother was. I don't remember much about her. No names or people. Sometimes I think I dream. But I can't remember anything when I wake." She shrugged. "It doesn't matter."

Brad nodded. "But you know your name," he said quietly.

She answered without thinking. "I'm Laris. I've always been Laris."

"Yes." The tone was contemplative. "Yes, you are. Your name is the first thing you learn as a child and probably the last thing you forget. If it could be discovered where you come from, would you like to know?"

She thought about it. Knowing wouldn't cut her any slack with Dedran. But it would be nicer, good to be able to say that she was Laris of a particular place, not just a camp stray. She felt a sudden surprising flare of hunger. She'd like to know. She said so and Brad nodded.

"I'll make inquiries."

It was two days later before something dawned on the girl. If Brad started at the De Pyall camp on Kowar, the records there would show that she'd been bonded, not adopted. She thought of trying to persuade Brad to drop the idea, but it was probably too late. Anyway she could always say she'd just signed papers. That she'd thought it was an adoption. After all, she'd been twelve. Uneducated, ignorant, straight from a camp. Brad would believe that.

She was wrong but it would be months before she found out how wrong. It wasn't spoken about again until she was due to return to the circus for a day.

"Laris, we'd like you to come back to the ranch once you've seen the animals are well. Would you like to do that?" Brad's smile was gentle.

"Yes. If Dedran says I can. It's fun on the ranch." Her rare grin lit up her face. Beside her Logan bit back a sigh. He loved to make her smile. Laris smiled seldom and often tentatively, as if she wasn't sure she should. Considering what his father had discovered so far that wasn't surprising. Camp records had disclosed that the girl had been about ten when she arrived on Kowar. No known family. She'd left again at twelve.

Brad had checked how it was that a twelve-year-old had walked out of a refugee camp. He'd found her bond registered with another office. Except that the bond claimed her as sixteen. All of them could guess the reasons for that. Logan would have discussed their discoveries so far with Laris but Brad forbade it.

"I believe Laris knew she was bonded but hopes I won't have discovered that. She lied, probably out of shame; being bonded is quite a stigma on some planets. A child learns pragmatism in a refugee camp and accepting a bond was probably her only way out. Letting her know we've found out would spoil her time here. She wants to know where she came from and who she is. Leave it lie, son."

Logan had. At almost twenty-one he was discovering reasons why people could be fragile, but it had made him gentler with her. Storm, guessing at more than Logan could know of what Laris's life had been like, remained suspicious. A child growing up in the camps learned to care about their own needs first. Ethics would have gone to the wall as Laris fought to survive. He watched her with Prauo and later with the meercats and Surra. She was a natural. The animals liked and trusted her and she seemed to know by instinct what they wanted. After that thought his gaze on her sharpened; it could be he was right in his belief, that she had the true beast master empathy as well.

Maybe that was why the circus boss had bonded her. Anyone whose livelihood or passion was beasts would pay highly for someone that good. Perhaps his allowing her to visit the ranch was simply an employer making sure a valuable employee was content. He let his suspicions lapse temporarily and rode out with his wife, his brother, and Laris the next day. Tani was on Destiny, the silver three-quarter duocorn mare which was her usual mount.

Her coyotes put up a merin deer and all of them chased it laughing, not too serious in the pursuit. Minou and Ferarre joined in the spirit of it as the deer ran, their tongues lolling out in amusement. The deer doubled, twisted, and finally shook them off. She paused to look back at them from a small rise as her pursuers halted. Laris started to laugh.

"She looks so surprised. As if she thinks we're all mad." Her laugher was infectious and even Storm chuckled.

"It will keep her in practice."

"Oh," Laris said in mock-amazed tones. "So that's why we chased her. We're exercising the wildlife. Maybe we should find a few more. After all, Logan said that it's the growing season. The animals could be getting fat. Don't you think it would be a kindness to keep that from happening?"

"Couldn't we just set up a gymnasium for them?" Tani murmured. "That way they can exercise and we don't have to do half the work."

Storm looked at her. "Deer, deer. Aren't we lazy."

Logan groaned at the pun. "Puhlease. I only had breakfast a while ago. I may be sick." Laris was laughing again, a joyous carefree sound which somehow warmed them all.

"It isn't breakfast," she said sweetly. "It's as I said. Logan's just exercising the wild..." she paused and added the final word, "life."

This time they all moaned. Tani snorted. "Laris, you're being corrupted. That has to be one of the worst puns I've heard in years." Laris giggled. Storm studied her from the corner of his eye. She looked like a child when she was happy. But she wasn't. Brad said from the records she must be somewhere between sixteen and seventeen. So far he'd traced her to Ermaine. Still no more name than Laris. No planet of origin. No family listed.

He knew what it had done to him to be alone before he found his stepfather and half-brother. What had it done to her? It hadn't broken her. But things like that could warp and twist in ways which often weren't apparent to an outsider. Then too, small children could be amazingly resilient. Maybe she'd come out of the camps mind-whole. Brad thought she had, and his stepfather was a shrewd man. Storm sat back as his mount ambled after the others. Logan liked her. But Storm was very fond of his younger half-brother. He didn't want the boy hurt.

Ahead, Laris dropped from her horse to reach out slowly within a small jumble of recently cracked rock. Prauo came trotting back to stare at her find. She cradled it in her hand and showed it to them, eyes wide with pleasure.

"I saw the sun catch it. Look, isn't it pretty?"

Storm glanced at the cat's-eye gem. "It's valuable too."

"Oh," she hesitated then held it up to him. "It was on your land."

Storm realized that both his wife and brother were glaring at him. He shook his head. "Finders keepers."

Logan took it from her carefully and turned it over in his fingers. "That last frosty night, it would have split the rock this was in." He touched her arm. "Storm was teasing. It's pretty but it's the green ones which are really valuable. This is gold. It isn't a large stone either. It would take ten or twelve of them to make a green one's value. But it's yours. You found it. Just don't start digging holes like a Djimbut to see if you can find more."

Laris took the gem back. She admired the gold color with the black line like a pupil which split it in two. She pointed. "Is that why they're called cat's-eye stones?"

"Yes. Look." Prauo had moved to her side and was looking to see what his sister-without-fur had. "It would look just like one of his eyes if it was purple," Logan pointed out.

Laris nodded. "But I'd rather he had his own eyes than I had this. It's very pretty though." It was, she thought. And Dedran would have it from her as soon as he saw it and once they were away from Arzor. "What's a green one worth?" If this one was still quite valuable it might give her a chance to escape. She could keep Dedran from knowing about it if she was careful.

Logan thought a moment. "Don't see many green cat's-eye stones. But I think the last good-sized one went for about five thousand credits on the market. That gold one would be worth around a hundred credits maybe, considering the size."

Laris kept her face blank but Storm saw the sudden glitter of her eyes. That had surprised her. To a camp child a stone worth only a fraction of the value Logan had quoted on a green cat's-eye gem was still real riches. He was right. To Laris it meant jumping ship and still having enough to survive at least a half year on the stone's price. It could mean safety, freedom from Dedran and the guild. The guild wouldn't look for her. And they might keep Dedran moving on, too busy to turn back and seek her out.

Smiling, she dropped the stone in a pocket. She nudged her horse up alongside Logan's mount and continued an earlier conversation. Tani dropped back with Storm.

"Has Brad found out any more about her?"

"Nope. He's still chasing through Ermaine's bureaucracy. They closed the refugee camp they had there about seven years ago. Just over a half year after Laris was shipped out. They claim that a lot of the records were dumped after five years."

"Claim?"

"Uh huh. Brad thinks they're holding out for a bribe to look."

Tani smiled unpleasantly. "Let me at the com when we get back," she said, referring to the ranch's method of communication, not only locally, but also planet to planet. "Aunt Kady would enjoy lighting a fire under a few bureaucrats. The ark's important to most planetary governments. Aunt Kady asks, Aunt Kady gets. And if I can tell her we've got tissue samples from two Terran dogs she hasn't found before, she'll get those records if she has to go there herself. I don't think she has many carra samples either."

Storm knew Tani's Aunt Kady. She was a scientist. Nothing deterred her when she was on a trail. And it was true she'd be delighted about the dogs. He touched his mount into a canter to catch up with Laris and Logan. He addressed the girl.

"Would Dedran mind having a scientist take tissue samples from your carra as well?"

"I don't think so." Laris frowned. "Why would they want to?"

Tani had caught up with them. She explained how Terra had created a space-faring ark with beasts and embryos in stasis, with huge tissue banks, all to save Earth's flora and fauna if the worst happened. "And it did. But the ark was safe," Tani said softly. "Now my aunt and uncle seek out other Terran animals or rare ones from other worlds and take samples to hold. She'll be so pleased about the dogs' samples you got us already but carra are quite rare too."

"What if something happened to the ark?" Laris was fascinated.

"Then we'd still have the samples. They split those into three. Two others go to planets with groundside storage facilities. They're held in those as well. Lately Uncle Brion's been talking about increasing the groundside places to five. That way it would be even less likely everything could be destroyed."

She started to tell Laris about her days on the ark. Then how she had come to Arzor. The girl listened, wondering if she should say anything about the rumors Dedran had heard. But she didn't know who'd told him. Maybe he wasn't supposed to know. Tani and Storm had said nothing and it sounded like an exciting tale. Surely if it was all right to tell it they would have. In the end she listened with interest but asked few questions and those carefully chosen.

The next week passed quickly. Then there were only a few more days. Dedran had commed the ranch to say they would up-ship in five days. The call had come in late one afternoon, insisting Laris must be back well before the ship's departure to see to the animals. Few of them enjoyed takeoff. Some started becoming agitated early as they understood that the time was coming. She could have another three days.

She hoped Brad would hear from the Ermaine camp before she had to go. Tani had taken samples of tissue from the carra and sent those and the dog tissue to the ark. Kady hadn't received them as yet, although she had mentioned getting the message asking her to interrogate Ermaine's people. She'd replied she'd do her best and that was the last they'd heard.

Laris sighed. Perhaps even a scientist who knew people still hadn't enough influence to open those files. She dimly recalled some strange events at the camp shortly before she was transferred. It was likely that there—as in many places during and after the war—there'd been corruption. The people involved wouldn't want records found. And others wouldn't want such events exposed. It could reflect badly on the current government. Besides, would all of this be worth the effort? She was in the ranch house the next evening when she decided to ask the one who'd know.

"Mr. Quade, if Tani's aunt does get the camp records opened, what could you find?"

"Your full name for a start. I had a search done in Kowar. They have no record of you as other than 'Laris.' No last name in their records. But many of the camp's records simply list the adults of the family who arrived and note 'with three minor children,' giving only the children's first names.

"If we had your full name we could track that. Once we had the full records we could trace how you came there and from what planet." He looked at her kindly. "It takes time to do that sort of thing, Laris. But governments thrive on records. They're there somewhere." He paused. "I know it seems like a long time to you. But it's only ten or twelve years. A few seconds to a planetary government."

The girl twisted her hands together. "There were some things that went on..." Her voice trailed away and Brad Quade understood.

"In the camps? And you think some people in power now might not want to remember them? That's very likely. But I can make it clear to them there's no legal trouble in mind. Don't worry. I know you have to leave soon. I'll get the circus schedule and spacegram any information that comes in. Or won't Dedran like that?"

She thought. "I think he won't mind. But maybe if you sent it to the port office for collection. I could just pick it up there when we land."

He nodded. "I'll do that."

He returned to the book he was reading and Laris departed quietly. She adored the excellent library the ranch owned and understood that a reader liked to read in peace. She read late most nights in her bedroom and her companions were amused at the wide variety in her reading.

The three days passed. Laris sat down to her last meal at the ranch and was conscious of sadness. Prauo sprawled behind her. He'd eaten earlier but preferred to stay with Laris. She kept her face blank but the others were beginning to know that look. It meant that emotion lurked and the girl was determined not to show it. They combined to make her laugh, sharing old jokes and retelling amusing incidents.

Finally she excused herself. If she didn't leave she was going to cry. Laris, who hadn't cried since she was six and had learned she would never see her mother again. That she must move on alone.

*You are sad, sister-without-fur.*

*I won't see them again. Dedran's going to do something awful to them and they'll never forgive me.*

*You could warn them.*

She sent nothing in reply. Better he not know that Dedran had once made a threat which had turned her heart cold with terror. But the big cat had learned. He picked it from her mind in part, guessing the rest. *You keep silent for my sake. Well, they have each other. We have only the two of us. But if there is a chance, if we escape, then warn them.*

*I will.*

She read late that final night. Losing herself in the adventures of another. She rose to eat and then to take one last ride with Tani and Logan. Only Logan was there.

"Tani had to talk to people at the Peaks ranch. It'll be just the two of us. Do you mind?"

She shook her head. How could she mind a few hours alone with a man she was coming to care about? But she mustn't think of that. Once Dedran struck, Logan would hate her. A hopeful part of her mind pointed out that Logan might never know she'd been involved in whatever Dedran did to the Quade family. She could get away from the circus boss. Use the cat's-eye gem to buy passage back to Arzor.

And what, the sensible part of her brain pointed out, what would she do if she got back and found Logan had just been being kind to her? How would she feel if he was surprised to see her? If she was just a nuisance coming back where she wasn't really wanted? It wasn't Logan's ranch. It belonged to his father. Mr. Quade had been nice and he was helping find her background. But then by now he must know a few things she'd rather he hadn't discovered. He wasn't likely to want her back either, even if he was being nice about the records.

She rode with Logan, laughed, and galloped her pony. She hid what she felt and concentrated on enjoying her hours before she must go. Live for the day. It was all she had. She had no way of knowing how her eyes mirrored her thoughts whenever she remembered she was leaving, even as she twisted her face into a smile.

They turned back to the ranch house in the distance. Laris halted her pony for a brief moment. She sat looking at the only place where she'd been happy in so many years. She wondered if her own home, wherever it had been, had been as nice. Had she had family there? Been a happy child surrounded with love? She shrugged. What was gone was gone. She heeled the pony into a gallop and forgot her sorrow briefly in the joy of speed.

"Laris?" She turned to Logan as they slowed, trotting the ponies into the big corral.

"Yes."

"You can come back, you know. Anytime the circus is on Arzor. You'd be welcome here."

"Thanks. But it's the only time we've landed here since I've been with them. I guess we may not be back for years." She held her mouth in a firm line. She would not whimper like a motherless cub. She would not!

Logan took her hand, glanced quickly around. No one in sight. He tipped her chin up with the other hand and brought his mouth down on hers. Her lips were warm, sweet with a startled half-shy response; then she freed herself quietly.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done that," he told her. "But I'm not sorry."

"Neither am I." Then she was running for the ranch door. It had felt strange. She'd fought in the camps to stop anyone touching her and succeeded. Not until now had she understood how that had deadened her emotions. For many years she'd touched only Prauo and the animals. With Logan it had felt good. No coercion. Just safety, warmth. A melting inside.

Her mouth went wry. Logan hadn't said, "Come back." Just, "Stay with us if the circus is back on Arzor." And if Dedran knew how she felt he'd never trust her again. But she couldn't let him harm her friends here. Yet how could she stop it? She did her best as they dropped her at the edge of the circus area.

"Storm." She held his eyes with her own, willing him to understand. "Tani's aunt can take other samples if she meets the circus. Sometimes tissue samples can be worth a lot. There's always someone who wants to use things. Other samples, other reasons." She turned away, hoping he'd understood enough to take care.

"Logan, I'll miss you. Thank you all for letting me stay at the ranch." She spun, hiding her face as she ran. By the time she and Prauo reached her cabin she had herself under control again. It was just as well. Dedran met her.

"There's been a message from Cregar. He was successful at Trastor and he's going on to Lereyne to meet us there. Get the hidden cage ready. We'll need it for the wolf he's got. Get on with your work now that you're back." He paused as he studied her face.

"I hope you learned plenty. You'll have to tell it all to Cregar. Did you get to their place in the Peaks?" She nodded. "Good. What about security systems?"

"Only corns and computer lock-codes. No security in the houses apart from the animals. There is a safe. Lock-coded. I couldn't get the code." That was a lie but it was a secondary target. Dedran probably wouldn't care much. He didn't.

"Too bad. But Cregar should be able to get in, gas the beasts, and get out again. What's he likely to find?"

"That depends on what's there on the day he picks. Unless he's very unlucky there should be several animals."

"Right. Go and fix that cage. We up-ship in a few hours. I've decided to leave a day earlier and I let you stay longer. It does seem to have been worth it but I need you for the animals now." He gave her a shove. "Don't think you can come back and be idle, my dear ward." The last words were a sneer as he turned away.

Laris nodded. No, she wouldn't make that mistake. She plodded in the direction of the animal hold. She was leaving, she could never return, and all her world was dark right now. Nothing mattered anymore.

She worked hard for the next half day as she reassured the beasts, prepared the hidden cage to receive Cregar's victim, and now and again listened to conversations. They were taking on two new people, desperate men from the port who'd never quite settled on this new world. They were already planning an act on the high wire. They'd seen it done, thought it looked easy enough. The girl sighed.

Others had thought that. It was one of the things which brought crowds. This pair would end up on a new world. But at least here they'd been whole, undamaged. On Trastor once they'd failed it would still be a new world but now they'd be injured as well, maybe permanently crippled or dead.

*In which case they'll have no more problems,* Prauo sent.

Laris grinned. The big cat was such a realist at times. She waited until no one was about and moved to where the largest cage stood in isolation. It held the five tigerbats. They sometimes reached out for those who passed and most people in the circus gave it a wide berth. Just as well. It had secrets other than the inhabitants.

She drifted around to the rear of the cage, pressed two places on a panel, and leaned hard. A door-sized piece of the back slid aside. Laris entered, stooping through the entrance, light already in her hand. She turned slowly. It wasn't dirty; she could sweep it though. There was a little dust. There were built-in containers for food and water. She would bring bedding.

*If there is anything left alive to sleep there,* came to her. She had to agree. Cregar and his abductions certainly hadn't been so successful in the past.

*I'll clean it and put down bedding anyway.*

She found she was thinking of Storm as she worked. He was so calm, so self-contained. How would he react to the disappearance of some of his team? She wished she didn't have to know about that. Or to be involved. It was betraying the people who'd been kind to her. Then camp life came back to her. None of them were her kin. They had no claim on her.

*I too am not kin to you, sister-without-fur. Yet our hearts are bound together. What of Logan?*

Within the hidden cage Laris paused in her sweeping. The name conjured up the touch of his hand on her face, his lips warm and gentle on hers. Sorrow swept over her.

*Logan will never forgive me if he finds out. And if I ever see him again I think he'd know just by looking at me. Our only hope is to get away before they take Storm's beasts.* There was a long silence while she finished her work. She peered through the tiny viewer in the cage panel, then the viewer which looked out through the tigerbat portion in the front. No one was about. She slid aside the panel, stepped out, snapped it shut swiftly, then emerged from behind the cage.

Dedran caught up with her a short time later. "Is the cage ready?"

"It's clean. I've put in fresh bedding. The food and water containers have been scrubbed. I can fill them when the wolf arrives. Everything works well. The viewer lenses are clean. The panel moves easily and without making noise."

"Very well. Cregar has messaged. He's coming here. He'll land before we leave. The wolf will be transhipped to the circus and you'll get the animal under cover in the cage the minute Cregar is up the ramp. Understand?"

She nodded. Why the change of plan? What had happened on Lereyne that Dedran would turn everything on its head and leave earlier than planned? Had Cregar started some kind of trouble and had to run? She asked no questions on that score. By the look on Dedran's face it would be unhealthy. She could ask one question safely.

"What about food for the animal? I could give it some of the carcass the tigerbats have."

Dedran's reply was a snarl. "Give it whatever is suitable. Damn thing may not be eating anyway. Just be ready to help once Cregar arrives. We could have to delay liftoff." He departed, walking in a way which showed he would like to stamp but didn't want to draw attention. It looked as if things really had gone wrong somewhere, Laris thought. Cregar coming here. Liftoff first advanced then delayed. She wondered if those at the ranch knew about the abduction of a beast master's wolf.