amc.killashandra-第69章

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he　boots　kicking　her。　She　tried　to　curl　up；　but　hard　rough　hands　grabbed　at　arms　and　legs。　Someone　was　really　attempting　to　kidnap　her；　even　with　Corish　beside　her。　He　was　no　bloody　use！　She　heard　him　yelling　above　the　unintelligible　and　malevolent　growls　of　the　people　beating　her。　There　were　so　many；　men　and　women；　and　she　knew　none　of　them；　their　faces　disguised　by　their　hatred　and　the　insanity　of　violence。　She　saw　someone　haul　back　a　man　with　a　knife　raised　to　plunge　into　her；　saw　a　face　she　knew　…　that　woman　from　the　street。　She　heard　Corish　howling　with　fury　and　then　a　boot　connected　with　her　temple　and　she　heard　nothing　else。
　Chapter　24
　Of　the　next　few　days；　Killashandra　had　only　disconnected　memories。　She　heard　Corish　arguing　fiercely；　then　Lars；　and　under　both　voices；　the　rumble　of　Trag　who　was；　she　thought　even　in　her　confusion　and　welter　of　physical　pain；　laying　down　laws。　She　was　aware　of　someone's　holding　her　hand　so　tight　it　hurt；　as　if　she　didn't　have　enough　wounds；　but　the　grasp　was　obscurely　forting　and　she　resisted　its　attempt　to　release　hers。　Pain　came　in　waves；　her　chest　hurt　viciously　with　every　shallow　breath。　Her　back　echoed　the　disfort；　her　head　seemed　to　be　vibrating　like　a　drum；　having　swollen　under　the　skull。
　Pain　was　something　not　even　her　symbiont　could　immediately　suppress　but　she　kept　urging　it　to　help　her。　She　chanted　at　it；　calling　it　up　from　the　recesses　of　her　body　to　restore　the　cells　with　its　healing　miracle；　especially　the　pain。　Why　didn't　they　think　about　the　pain？　There　wasn't　a　spot　on　her　body　that　didn't　ache；　pound；　throb；　profest　the　abuse　that　she　had　suffered。　Who　had　attacked　her　and　why？
　She　cried　out　in　her　extremity；　called　out　for　Lars；　for　Trag　who　would　know　what　to　do；　wouldn't　he？　He'd　helped　Lanzecki　with　crystal　thrall。　Surely　he　knew　what　to　do　now？　And　where　had　Lars　been　when　she　really　needed　him？　Fine　bodyguard　he　was！　Who　had　it　been？　Who　was　the　woman　who　hated　her　enough　to　recruit　an　army　to　kill　her？　Why？　What　had　she　done　to　any　Optherians？
　Someone　touched　her　temples　and　she　cried　out　…　the　right　one　was　immeasurably　sore。　The　pain　flowed　away；　like　water　from　a　broken　vessel；　flowed　out　and　down　and　away；　and　Killashandra　sank　into　the　gorgeous　oblivion　which　swiftly　followed　painlessness。
　〃If　she　had　been　anyone　else；　Trag；　I　wouldn't　permit　her　to　be　moved　for　several　weeks；　and　then　only　in　a　protective　cocoon；〃　said　a　vaguely　familiar　voice。　〃In　all　my　years　as　a　physician；　I　have　never　seen　such　healing。〃
　〃Where　am　I　going？　I'd　prefer　the　islands；〃　Killashandra　said；　rousing　enough　to　have　a　say　in　her　disposition。　She　opened　her　eyes；　half…expecting　to　be　in　the　wretched　Conservatory　Infirmary　and　very　well　satisfied　to　find　that　she　was　in　the　spacious　bed　of　her　quarters。
　〃Lars！〃　Hauness　called　jubilantly。　His　had　been　the　familiar　voice。
　The　door　burst　inward　as　an　anxious　Lars　Dahl　rushed　to　her　bedside；　followed　by　his　father。
　〃Killa；　if。。。　you　knew。。。〃　Tears　welling　from　his　eyes；　Lars　could　find　no　more　words　and　buried　his　face　against　the　hand　she　raised　to　greet　him。　She　stroked　his　crisp　hair　with　her　other　hand；　soothing；　his　release　from　uncertainty。
　〃Lousy　bodyguard；　you　are。。。〃　She　was　unable　to　say　what　crowded　her　throat；　hoping　that　her　loving　hand　conveyed　something　of　her　deep　feeling　for　him。　〃Corish　was　no　use；　after　all。〃　Then　she　frowned。　〃Was　he　hurt？〃
　〃Security　says；〃　Hauness　replied　with　a　chuckle；　〃he　lifted　half　a　dozen　of　your　assailants　and　broke　three　arms；　a　leg；　and　two　skulls。〃
　〃Who　was　it？　A　woman。。。〃
　Trag　moved　into　her　vision；　registering　with　a　stolid　blink　that　her　hands　were　busy　forting　Lars　Dahl。　〃The　search　and　seize　stirred　up　a　great　deal　of　hatred　and　resentment；　Killashandra　Ree；　and　as　you　were　the　object　of　that　search；　your　likeness　was　well　circulated。　〃Your　appearance　on　the　streets　made　you　an　obvious　target　for　revenge。〃
　〃We　never　thought　of　that；　did　we？〃　she　said　ruefully。
　The　movement　to　her　right　caused　her　to　flinch　away　and　then　offer　profuse　apologies；　for　Nahia　was　moving　to　fort　the　distraught　Lars。
　〃So　you　took　the　pain　away；　Nahia？　My　profound　thanks；〃　Killashandra　said。　〃Even　crystal　singer's　nerve　ends　don't　heal　as　quickly　as　flesh。〃
　〃So　Trag　told　us。　And　that　crystal　singers　cannot　assimilate　many　of　the　pain…relieving　drugs。　Are　you　in　any　pain　now？〃　Nahia's　hands　gently　rested　on　Lar's　head　in　a　brief　benison；　but　her　beautiful　eyes　searched　Killashandra's　face。
　〃Not　in　the　flesh；〃　Killashandra　said；　dropping　her　gaze　to　Lars's　shuddering　body。
　〃It　is　relief；〃　Nahia　said；　〃and　best　expressed。〃
　Then　Killashandra　began　to　chuckle；　〃Well；　we　achieved　what　I　set　out　to　do　in　meeting　Corish。　Got　you　all　here！〃
　〃Far　more　than　that；〃　Trag　said　as　the　others　smiled。　〃A　third　attack　on　you　gave　me　the　excuse　to　call　a　scout　ship　to　get　us　off　this　planet。　The　Guild　contract　has　been　fulfilled　and；　as　I　informed　the　Elder's　Council；　we　have　no　wish　to　cause　domestic　unrest　if　the　public　objects　so　strongly　to　the　presence　of　crystal　singers。〃
　〃How　very　tactful　of　you。〃　Belatedly　remembering　caution；　Killashandra　looked　up　at　the　nearest　monitor；　relieved　to　find　it　was　a　black　hole。　〃Did　the　jammer　survive？〃
　〃No；〃　Trag　said；　〃but　white　crystal；　in　dissonance；　distorts　sufficiently。　They've　stopped　wasting　expensive　units。〃
　〃And。。。〃　Killashandra　prompted；　encouraging　Trag　since　he　was　being　uncharacteristically　informative。
　He　nodded；　Olav's　grin　broadened；　and　even　Hauness　looked　pleased。　〃Those　shards　provide　enough　white　crystal　to　get　the　most　vulnerable　people　past　the　security　curtain。　Nahia　and　Hauness　will　organize　a　controlled　exodus　until　the　Federated　Council　can　move。　Lars　and　Olav　e　with　us　on　the　scout　ship。　Brassner；　Theach；　and　Erutown　are　to　be　picked　up　by　Tanny　in　the　Pearl　Fisher　and　leave　with　Corish　on　the　liner　…　〃
　〃Corish？〃　Killashandra　looked　about　expectantly。
　〃He's　searching　most　thoroughly　for　his　uncle；〃　Hauness　said；　〃and　attending　the　public　concerts　which　have　been　hastily　inaugurated；　to　soothe　a　disturbed　public。〃
　〃What's　the　diet？〃
　〃Security；　pride；　reassurance；　no　sex；〃　Hauness　replied。
　〃Then　you　didn't　get　to　the　other　organs；　Trag？〃
　〃Corish　suggested　that　some　should　be　left　in；　shall　we　say；　normal　operating　condition　as　evidence；　to　be　seen　by　the　Federal　Investigators。〃
　〃What　Trag　doesn't　say；　Killashandra；〃　replied　Nahia；　a　luminous　smile　gently　rebuking　the　other　crystal　singer；　〃is　that　he　refused　to　leave　you。〃
　〃As　the　only　way　to　prevent　the　Infirmary　from　interfering　with　the　symbiont；〃　Trag　said；　bluntly；　disclaiming　any　hint　of　sentiment。　〃Lars　thought　to　send　for　Nahia　to　relieve　pain。〃
　〃For　which　I　am　truly　grateful。　I've　only　a　tolerable　ache　left。　How　long　have　I　been　out？〃
　〃Five　days；〃　Hauness　replied；　scrutinizing　her　professionally。　He　placed　the　end　of　a　hand…diagnostic　unit　lightly　against　her　neck；　nodding　in　a　brief　approval　of　its　readings。　〃Much　better。　Incredible　in　fact。　Anyone　else　would　have　died　of　any　one　of　several　of　the　wounds　you　received。　Or　that　cracked　skull。〃
　〃Am　I　dead　or　alive？〃
　〃To　Optheria？〃　Trag　asked。　〃No　official　acknowledgment　of　the　attack　has　been　broadcast。　The　whole　episode　has　been　extremely　embarrassing　for　the　government。〃
　〃I　should　bloody　hope　so！　Wait　till　I　see　Ampris！〃
　〃Not　in　that　frame　of　mind；　you　won't；〃　Trag　assured　her；　repressively　stern。
　〃No　more　of　us　for　the　time　being；〃　Hauness　said；　nodding　significantly　to　the　others。　〃Unless　Nahia。。。〃
　Killashandra　closed　her　eyes　for　a　moment；　since　moving　her　head　seemed　inadvisable。　But　she　opened　them　to　warn　Hauness　from　disturbing　Lars；　who　was　still　kneeling　by　the　bed。　He　no　longer　wept　but　pressed　her　hand　against　his　cheek　as　if　he　would　never　release　it。　The　door　closed　quietly　behind　the　others。
　〃So　you　and　Olav　can　just　walk　into　the　scout　ship？〃　she　asked　softly；　trying　to　lighten　his　penitence。
　〃Not　quite；〃　he　said　with　a　weak　chuckle；　but；　still　holding　her　hand；　he　straightened　up；　leaning　forward；　toward　her；　on　his　elbows。　His　face　looked　bleached　of　tan；　lines　of　anxiety　and　fear　aging　him。　〃Trag　and　my　father　h