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more than
two hours before they ventured out to the sight of the ambush.
The bodies were gone. At first Daniel thought that maybe scavengers had
had
them. But then, walking over to the grass walkway that ran beside the
river, he
saw freshly-turned earth - a patch six metres by two - and understood.
The
rebels had taken the time and trouble to bury their victims.
That, too, he had found something of a shock, for they had been taught
that the
rebels often tortured and then ate their victims. They had been told
that they
were vicious and heartless and that nothing was beyond them. But he had
seen her
with his own eyes now. He had seen that look on her face -a look of
such
suffering and regret that it had reversed in an instant all he had
previously
believed about her.
Lies. He knew now. It was all lies.
Daniel sat there on the edge of his bunk, in full armour, staring
straight
ahead, while all about him the boys removed their combat suits, moving
silently,
loath to disturb him. He was still sitting there when the Commandant
came in.
"Mussida? Are you all right?"
Daniel looked up, then stood, coming to attention. All about him his
boys did
the same.
"Well?" the Commandant asked, trying to make sense of his mood. "Did
something
happen out there?"
Daniel's eyes met the Commandant's briefly. It was impossible to tell
the truth.
"Nothing, sir. I felt... fatigued, thaf s all"
"Ah..." The Commandant seemed satisfied with that "We lost a patrol,"
he went
on. "At least, there's no sign of them yet"
Daniel nodded.
"Is there... anything I can get you, Daniel? For your team?"
He almost smiled at that It was strange how things had changed since
he'd come
back from Eden. Now they deferred to him.
"They're hungry, sir. Maybe ... something special?"
The Commandant grinned broadly. "Of course! I'll send something down
from my own
kitchen." He hesitated, then, "Well, we'll leave the report to the
morning, neh?
You must be tired."
"Sir."
When he'd gone, Daniel sat again. But if he thought that was it, he was
wrong.
Closing the door, his twelve-year-old lieutenant, Robbie, turned to
face him.
"Daniel?"
Daniel sighed. He could sense all the others listening, and knew what
they
wanted. "Yes, Robbie?"
"What did happen out there?"
He looked up and smiled sadly. "Why should anything have happened?"
Robbie glanced about him, then, steeling himself, looked back at
Daniel. "After
the shooting. You left us to see what was going on, and when you came
back...
well, you were changed. It was like ..."
"Like what?"
Robbie shrugged.
He hated lying to them. Even so, it was lie or tell the truth, and he
dared not
tell the truth. He might as well put a gun to his own head.
"The truth is," he began, "I saw something sickening. So sickening that
...
well, I'd rather not mention it It ... disturbed me."They were staring
at him
now, shocked. Only a moment before they had thought him invulnerable,
more a
machine than a man, and now ...
"What... kind of thing?" Robbie asked.
But Daniel shook his head. "You don't want to know."
But he knew they would speculate; would fill the gap he'd left with the
most
lurid imaginings. Something so hideous that it would instantly become
"the
truth". But the truth was worse in a way. For the truth was that they
were all
living a lie. It was not The Woman who was their enemy, it was The Man.
The
truth was they were all living in some hideous inverted mirror of
reality,
wherein black and white had been reversed.
Out, he told himself, looking down at his gloved hands. I've got to get
out.
But how? And even if he did get out, how did he stop them following
him? How did
he get the tracing wire out of his head?
If there's a way to put in, there's a way to get it out.
He just had to find out how. Yes, and where it was done. And who did it
And then
...
Daniel looked up. They were still all watching him, taking their mood
from him
-patterning themselves on him. He was their hero. Their model. What he
did
mattered to them.
"I'll be okay," he said, looking from face to face and smiling. "A good
meal and
we'll all be okay, neh?"
And slowly, tentatively, their faces began to mirror his, until
everyone was
smiling.
Daniel nodded, letting the smile remain on his lips. Yes. All was well
again.
All was ...
DeVore cried out even as he sat up, the dream so vivid that for a
moment he felt
the blow strike the side of his skull and split it.
Emtu, sleeping beside him, sat up and, reaching across, held him as he
calmed.
"What was it?" she asked, her eyes searching his.
"Karr. It was Karr. He ...
"Killed you again?"
DeVore nodded, then, shrugging off her arms, climbed from bed and went
through
to the bathroom, switching on the shower.
She went across and stood in the doorway, watching him. "What do you
think it
means?"
"It means nothing," he answered, annoyed that she should ask "If s just
a dream,
that1 s all."
"But you've had it several times now."
"So?" He switched the water off and turned to face her. "Karr's light-
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