Shael laughed. A harsh, bitter sound. But it did stop the incipient conflict for the moment. "Betters!" she jeered. "One of my friends is an original member of the Cru you pay lip service to. The others are people that any just ruler would ennoble tomorrow. From you all they can expect is murder. However, if you guarantee their safety, I'll put up with your scheme. Once they're safe to Dublin Moss, that is. Well?"
Keilin felt the man above him suddenly snap. It was a terrifying maelstrom of rage, insane hatred and desire. How dared she dictate terms!? She was just like that bitch of a mother of hers. Well, he'd killed that fettering ice box as soon as she'd littered this one. Now he'd rid himself of her. He would not be controlled. He was the master!
The boy had his hand in the ankle pouch even as she said, "Well?" He stood up in the boat holding the core section as close to the boards of the pier as he could reach. He shut his mind off from the bellow for guards, and simply reconstructed in exquisite detail her naked body lying on his bunk in the moonlight. Then he allowed his mind to go further . . . filling in the details, even the scent of her . . .
"Jump!" Beywulf shouted. "Come on! Keil's got us a boat." They splashed into the water like ripe fruit all around him. Some things even hit the boat. Keilin grabbed S'kith and hauled him inboard before he even had a chance to panic. Then the two of them heaved Shael out from Leyla's supporting arms. The boat was moving away from the pier into the mist. Looking over the side Keilin saw Bey and Cap pushing it along. And the cold misty air was full of a delicate perfume. Keilin passed an oar to S'kith and pushed them still further out into the mist. Ahead he could see the dark outline of the river-parallel quay.
As the sonic boom struck, Cap, Beywulf and a third man struggled onboard. They slid under the quay, feet thundering above them, and out onto the river. The supercargo found a knife being pressed to his throat. Behind them the mist was suddenly retina-searing purple. "Hell's teeth!" Cap burst out. "That's no hand weapon. The Beta-Morkth have brought a bloody strike craft in. Over the side everyone, and hang onto the boat. You too, you Amphirian fool. They have heat-imaging sights on those lasers. Mist and darkness are no cover at all."
CHAPTER 16
The rain and snow-melt upstream made the Elbe a fast-flowing river at this time of year. Also numbingly cold. Still, judging by the actinic light flashes, and mist-muted screams, its chill and its speed were something to be intensely grateful for. But it was still teeth-chatteringly icy. It was with great relief that Keilin greeted Cap's "Okay. All aboard. Gently. We don't want to capsize the damned thing. S'kith and Bey from opposite sides first."
Soon the wet and shivering party, including the terrified-looking Amphirian official, were back on board. "Thank goodness you dropped those packs onto the boat and not into the water, Bey," said Leyla, her cold-clumsy fingers struggling with the catch on hers.
It was slowly growing light, the mist hazing into grey indistinctness, instead of virtual darkness. Bey primed a little alcohol burner down on the floorboards of the boat. The others, including the Amphirian, whom someone had taken pity on, huddled in blankets or struggled into dry clothes. Cap looked across at Keilin with measuring eyes. "When we get rid of this gentleman, you've got some explaining to do." He looked at the still shivering, wide-eyed involuntary passenger. "You can stop looking so afraid. We'll drop you off at the first safe landing we see. Then you can trot along to your high command and tell them that our debt to them is discharged. That'll at least get them out of our hair. I don't think any of your companions will have survived that fracas back there. As to you," he turned to Shael, "I'm afraid you're an orphan."
"I didn't lose anything," she said shortly, turning away and staring off into the mist.
* * *
They set the unfortunate Jewel Recovery Unit man off at the river's edge a mile or so beyond a small fishing village. Then, once they were out in the stream again, Cap rounded on Keilin. "Well, little psi. That was your work back there. Where's the other core section?"
Keilin had had time to anticipate this. The ankle pouch was safely in S'kith's keeping. "I haven't got one, sir," he said, putting as much forthright honesty into his voice as he could muster, "but I think I can explain."
"Make it good," Cap said grimly.
"You've the pendant you took from me in that bag. And some others. I climbed the pier pilings and was just below you when it happened. I . . . got hit by a wave of mad hatred. I think it must have come from Shael's father. Could he have been a psi, too? Ask Shael and S'kith. They also felt it, I bet. I . . . I think we all panicked. All of us. Even though we weren't touching the sections it must have been enough to activate them." He held out his hands. "That's all I can think of, sir."