When they'd gone, Klyd wiped his face on his cloak and breathed a little easier.

"Sectuib, could you do that?"

"What?"

"Jump out of that cage."

"If the door wasn't locked from above, certainly. Scarcely requires augmentation. But they aren't going to unlock that door until I'm safely dead."

"If I get a chance, I'll unlock it."

The channel peered through the bars at the fragments of Valleroy's face that he could see. "And I thought I was delirious. You better get some sleep." He pulled himself to his feet and tottered carefully to the far corner, where he resumed his prone position.

Valleroy was thankful that his partner was still fighting. But there was no telling when he'd give up. To minimize the field-gradient between them, Valleroy took himself to the farthest corner of his cage and prepared to spend the night scheming. But he fell asleep to the monotonous throbbing of his ankle.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

Aisba's Kill

"HUGH! NAZTEHR, WAKE UP! HUGH!".

Valleroy rolled over, groaning and tried to pull the sheet higher over his head. But there was no sheet. That brought the flood of wakening memory. He sat up aching from the hard floor.

"Hugh?" It was Aisha's voice!

He gathered his feet under him and staggered toward the corner of the cell. She was standing, haggard but calm, in the center of her cell, and she was almost smiling. "I don't believe it's you. I must still be dreaming!"

"Aisha. It's no dream. We're here."

"I wish it were a dream. It was only me who'd die before. Now they'll get you too! They made me watch it... how they do it. It's horrible. I can't stand the thought of them doing that to you."

"Don't worry. My partner here saw to it I had my immunity shots before he brought me."

Her eyes traveled to where Klyd stood gripping the bars and watching her.

Valleroy said, "You two have met, haven't you?"

"I'd appreciate a formal introduction, Naztehr," said Klyd in his most cultured English.

Feeling a bizarre sense of propriety, Valleroy said, "Sectuib, this is Aisha Rauf, model and artist extraordinary. Aisha, this is Sectuib Klyd Farris of Householding Zeor. He's the finest channel within a hundred miles and I'm proud to be here as his Companion."

With a quizzical little smile playing about her mouth, Aisha said, "I'm pleased to meet you, sir, but I doubt if I'd shake hands under the best of circumstances."

"No need to be rude," chided Valleroy. "It's usually quite safe to shake hands with Klyd, though I wouldn't recommend it at the moment. He's a channel."

"A channel of what?"

"Selyn. He's one of those Simes that can take selyn from any Gen without killing and then channel it to Simes so they don't have to kill."

"I thought that was just a story."

"It's true. I've lived in his Householding for several weeks while we were looking for you. I ate with Simes, roomed with them, and worked beside them. I don't look very dead, do I?"

She inspected what she could see of Valleroy and then shifted her attention to Klyd. "He's kidding."

"Madame, my Companion speaks truth."

"Companion?" she echoed as if perceiving the unique intonation for the first time.

Valleroy explained the more obvious implication of that title. He finished, "So you see, they can't kill me the usual way. And they won't kill me until after..."

She picked up when Valleroy choked on the thought. "Until after Klyd dies? Are you dying?"

"Slowly."

"But even so, you wouldn't kill Hugh if you were put in the same cage?"

"Definitely not, but they wouldn't allow us contact."

"How cruel. I can understand the poor beasts killing us because they can't help it But torturing their own kind with that same instinct... they ought to be exterminated!"

Klyd turned to Valleroy and spoke in Simelan, "You see? Typical reaction. Exterminate the Simes and solve the problem. Haven't the centuries taught the Gens anything about this?"

Valleroy nodded. "I see what you mean. The channels are really the only answer, and even the sensible Gens can't see it." Valleroy suddenly realized just how far he'd come from the night he'd entered Sime Territory feet first. Aisha spoke for her whole society, but Valleroy was no longer a part of it.

"Naztehr, this is the woman you love. Give her time to adjust. She may yet learn."

Aisha said, "Hugh, I didn't know you spoke their language so well!"

"I couldn't before I went hunting for you. You've led us a merry chase, you know.

"I've been right here the whole time."

"But," said Klyd, "we didn't know that. I lost one of my best men getting the lead that brought us here."

Suddenly, the thundering of horses hoofs broke the morning stillness. Lathered, blowing thin puffs of steam, the horses cantered under the archway and disappeared behind the buildings. A large, ornately decked party of riders... obviously someone in authority... "Who do you suppose...?" said Valleroy.

"Andle, no doubt," said Klyd.

"Who's he?"

As Klyd withdrew to a far corner, Valleroy explained Andle's part in the complex of events that had brought them all here. His heart lifted as he watched her assimilate the information. She wasn't beaten. She was defiant. He thought it was a very special woman indeed who could be heartened by the knowledge that she was a victim of a truly meaningful, gigantic war maneuver rather than of random chance.

From the outer bars, Klyd called, "Here they come!"

The sharp clatter of shod hoofs on bare stone echoed from the cliff face. Then a party of riders erupted from the passage between two barracks buildings. They were all well-dressed Simes, men accustomed to commanding others and proud to advertise that fact in their appearance.