“ ’Night, Lynn.” He lay down.
“ ’Night.” She curled up, huddling in on herself and at the same time willing herself to relax.
A small strange part of her remembered the feeling of Arron's arms around her and missed it. Another part thought of David, and she almost started crying again.
When sleep came, she accepted it as a blessing.
The Inner Office of the Sisters-Chosen-to-Lead was full of Byvant's selected audience when the speaker-guard brought in two of the Members Shavck, Vreaith and Pem. Ishth had the satisfaction of seeing them glance nervously around the room, taking in the witnesses. Four sisters from the upper house, four from the lower, and two complete families from the Defenders’ House that they could still count on, not to mention all the usual clerical staff, special advisors, official recorders, and a pair of journalist sisters with their noters. They were not under any circumstances going to be allowed to take their pictures or notes out of the room, but they added a nice touch.
She and Byvant had bluffed their way through another Confederation session today, but, judging from the tones even their allies were using, they wouldn't make it through a third. Disturbing rumors were running about what the t'Therians were doing in their peninsula. If anything happened, it was going to be important to appear cooperative and blameless. Byvant had agreed firmly. So, late at is was, they had staged this little scene.
The Members Shavck both dressed in very bad taste for a pair of sisters who were supposed to be enacting the business of the people. Vreaith wore a thin, shiny black tunic that hung down to her knees, and the mottled pink hose might as well have been an additional layer of skin. Pem's belted kilt and jacket were a little better, but the yellow and grey were very close to the gold and silver reserved for the Sisters-Chosen-to-Lead, and Ishth couldn't help wondering if that was on purpose.
The speaker-guard locked the door and took up their stations; two on either side of the entrance. The next thing Pem and Vreaith noticed was that there was nowhere for them to sit down.
Ishth and Byvant had agreed ahead of time that Byvant should start, and they had also agreed that all polite preliminaries should be dispensed with.
“Where are they?” asked Byvant.
Pem started so badly she almost backed into her sister. Vreaith laid a warning hand on her shoulder.
“Where are who, Rchilthen Byvant?”
Ishth let herself look weary. “Your people abducted two Humans and two devna. Where are they?”
One of the Parliamentarians coughed. One of the journalists lifted her noter a little higher. Vreaith smoothed her ridiculous black-satin blouse down.
It's practically a robe. Who does she think she is? One of the devna Queens?
“There has been a misunderstanding,” Pem said.
“On which point?” Ishth dropped her ears back just a fraction. “On the fact that you and your sisters should be brought up on charges of treason, stripped of office, and bled to death for embarrassing your mothers and sisters in front of the Confederation? Or in identifying exactly whose hands took hold of the Humans who came here at our insistence to help us?
“Or as to what kind of clemency could possibly be offered if you give us a quick answer here and now?”
Do we all understand each other now?
Pem's lips twitched like she wanted to bare her teeth. “If all this is true, why are we and our sisters not under arrest?”
“Because we don't have time.” Byvant's lame ear quivered violently. “We need an answer for the Confederation and the Humans. We decided to start the questioning with you. The trials will come later. The evidence for your arrest has been distributed to your sister-members.” She flicked her good ear toward the silent audience. “There is clemency for whoever tells us what we need. As we said, we are starting with you.”
“And if we choose not to agree to this patently illegal and unfounded request?” asked Vreaith.
She gets full credit for calm, thought Ishth.
“Then you leave,” she said aloud, “and wait for the police and the warrants in whatever fashion you choose. We, meanwhile, send for the next sisters on our list.”
Vreaith looked at Pem, and Pem looked back at Vreaith. Vreaith smoothed her tunic over her pouch. Pem took her sister's hand. Ishth felt her skin bunch and bubble across her back.
Vreaith sucked in a deep breath. “They were being held forty-five miles outside of Mrant Chavan. The mother devna died during debriefing. The daughter and the two Humans have since escaped.”
A tide of incredulous murmuring rushed through the room. Ishth waited for it to fade to a background whisper.
“Escaped?” Ishth gestured for Vreaith to go on.