Chapter 17c

“I know and I'm sorry. I apologised to Ursus too. No of course it doesn't bother me, you know better than that, not because she's a gladiator anyway.” Herz exhaled loudly. “Ben says there are no pre-war records on the twins and I can well believe that. That means their life started when they were brought here to Azoria.” Lily nodded. “Lily don't you recognise Kore at all? She doesn't remind you of anyone? Doesn't look familiar?”

“No, I don't think so.” Lily said warily. She didn't like the feel of this conversation at all. “All I know is that she's obscenely beautiful and if her brother shares those looks as much as people say he does, then I think I'll start a harem.” She tried to lighten the conversation somewhat. It didn't work.

“Lily I'm willing to bet everything I own that she's an Athula.” Herz said. “I don't mean a descendent of an Athulan supporter, or sympathiser, or an innocent who just didn't happen to be DeGaise, I mean I bet she was born Athula, obviously Leo too.”

“A direct relation?” Lily was very surprised indeed. “Not one of Guill's though. The poor man's entire family were killed. Are you sure?”

“No, not totally, I'm going on the evidence of my own eyes and nothing more. The Athula gene was so noticeable that it used to be a standing joke in pre-war days. You could spot one a mile off.” Herz said. I remember a full scale ... hunt ... being sanctioned to find Guill's sister. I'd have to refer to the library for names and so forth. She'd moved to Canuska for the summer to learn some sort of art trade, I don't fully remember. Loram DeGaise was jailed before the hunt was finished and it was aborted, obviously. I think it must have been presumed that she'd been caught among all the rest of them. I know nothing else of her at all, but it isn't beyond belief that she was a young married woman. As I said, I've only my own memory and my own recognition to go on here and neither are infallible.”

“I'm presuming you're thinking of the potential panic factor of this, if the news is abused?” Lily asked and Herz nodded.

“And it's bound to be abused right now. How in hell no one else has noticed is beyond me. Or maybe they have and realised it's potential too and kept quiet. Why did Bonetti mention her?” Herz frowned. “He doesn't suspect who she is otherwise he'd be collecting the firewood for the bonfires. Just to try and get a cheap shot in about Ben's personal life?”

“Even given his shock at the quorum announcement, he's still an Administrator and should be above such references, especially in an official meeting. Do you think Ben will manage to get Toller to Haggardan? I'm so very proud of him, Herz. I know his official reasons for that are to minimise the scandal but he also realises that a lot of what he's using is true. He was used and he was exploited, but many of his actions and thoughts were his own, his despicable treatment of Ursus, for example.”

“If he goes about it properly, he'll get Toller to Haggardan and he'll ensure he stays there by letting Toller know exactly where he stands, that is, two steps from the hanging rope if he comes back.” Herz said flatly. “Do we tell Ben about his girlfriend?”

“What about her?” Ben come walking through the door looking very pleased with everything. “And that's friend who is a girl, dad. She is OK isn't she?”

“Improving drastically.” Lily assured him. “Jyp's still in there. He's been talking to her all the time Ben, he really is a loyal and noble man. He was telling her all about his farm on Nellatia and how the gulls once ate their entire corn crop. He was flapping all round the room in demonstration.” She laughed.

“He's something else, isn't he?” Ben smiled. “He's bound to be exhausted. I'll go and see if I can persuade him to let me spell him off for a while.”

Ben found Jyp asleep on the floor with a feather scarf of his mother's tied around his head. Kore still looked terrifyingly frail and battered, although a few of the superficial cuts and bruises were healing nicely. She looked so small lying in the expanse of the huge four poster bed among mountains of pillows and quilt-work. A bowl of pink coloured water with a few scraps of linen in it showed that Jyp had cleaned her wounds recently.

“Still asleep eh?” Ben sat on the edge of the bed. “I have no rural tales to tell you, like Jyp does and my pre-military life at home wasn't adventurous at all. I can tell you all about the state of the city though.” Ben told Kore's unresponsive form of all the events since her sleep began and it made his own head reel to report it in a straight narrative form like this. His crowning piece of news was the announcement of Civic Administrator Leo Blacklock. “Kore you'll be so very proud of him, he's wonderful. He cried and cried when Ursus told him and his health has improved no end. He's already conducting official duties from his sick-bed via Vespus. He's kicked that ridiculous block hinge order to the gutter for a start. He outranks all the cadets and all the second grade Captains. It's just a pity that arsehole Pape wasn't still second grade then Leo could sack him.” Ben smiled. “He's answerable to Ursus and enjoying that particular part of it all immensely, as is she. Faust took it upon himself to make Jyp an official body-guard, he created the position especially. I don't think Jyp's taken his armlet off since. Jasmine is now more Deputy's Legal Clerk than she is call-girl and I think you've lost Shawn as your chief ogler and you're second to Jasmine.” Ben rubbed Kore's hand. “Having said that, I think you lost Shawn as your chief ogler a while ago, Kore. He's second to me.” He pushed a strand of hair away from a scratch on Kore's forehead. “Kore it's killing me to see you battered and bruised like this. My innards turned to water when I saw that abuse you went through in that arena and I know I'll never get used to that. I also know that the arena is your life and that's as much a part of you as your heart. If you ever decide that your days of battling are over, I'll always be here, just like I have been for ten years.” He stood up and quietly stepped over Jyp, then left the room.