Rakken regarded Targyn with acute disdain. "I thought I would test the legend which states that a Shieldmate can open her husband's kit. Sariana was about to show me the truth of that tale."
Targyn grinned humoriessly. "Fool is not the word for you, banker. Stupid is a more appropriate term." He walked over to the low table and picked up the weapon kit. "I'll get rid of this so the banker won't be tempted to explore any of its secrets. Or tempted to give it back to you, Chassyn." He jerked the blade bow at Gryph. "Get up. I'm taking you back to your chamber."
Gryph started to rise, moving even more slowly and awkwardly than the twist required. He made a show of trying to extricate himself from the low bench and table arrangement and deliberately fell into a painful sprawl in the process.
"Keenshee guano," Targyn muttered, not moving. "Get up, you clumsy bastard. Sariana," he added sharply as Sariana jumped to her feet and came to Gryph's assistance, "get away from him."
"How do you expect him to get to his feet wearing this awful contraption?" she retorted as she
crouched beside Gryph and took his arm.
"I said get away from him," Targyn gritted. "If you don't I'll put a blade in him right now and be done with it."
Sariana nodded and stepped back quickly.
But not before Gryph felt the tiny palm knife slide into his hand. He kept it concealed in his own palm with a practiced movement as he turned slowly and moved toward the door. He didn't look back but he could feel Sariana's eyes on him as the door closed.
A stray, fleeting vision floated through his mind. It was a picture of an infant. He had seen that particular image before, on the night Sariana had seduced him beside the river.
This time he had the strangest impression that, although the infant was definitely his, it wasn't a boy. It was a little girl who looked up at him with blue-green eyes.
Chapter 18
"What kind of deal did Rakken offer you to kill me?" Targyn asked in amusement as he thrust Gryph back into the small chamber.
Gryph tried to regain his balance but staggered again as the twist straps jerked in response to the quick movement. He wound up slamming against the cold metal wall. "About what you'd expect. My life and a cut of the prisma. Not bad, considering the alternative."
Targyn's eyes glittered as he lounged in the doorway. He touched Gryph's weapon kit. "Not a bad deal, true. Unfortunately, we both know you won't be able to keep your side of it. I'd like to keep you alive for a while, Chassyn. My goal now is to get one of the weapons out of the ship. I want to test the old theories. But when that's finished I'll want to practice on you."
"The minute you start playing with prisma the whole Shield class will be down on this gorge like the first snow of winter."
"Most will keep their distance rather than risk the destruction of whole towns. By then they will know I am fully capable of carrying out my threat. But there will be a few who will feel it their duty to try to stop me. That's why I must strengthen myself by practicing my mind skills on you. For some reason the skills are useless against untuned minds. The strongest blast of light goes unnoticed by a non-Shield. I know. I've experimented. But I'm sure I can devastate a tuned mind. I need to know precisely how strong I am before I take on the fools who will try to stop me."
"You can't escape all of them. Look how close I got to you," Gryph said, pushing himself cautiously away from the wall.
"You are here only because that idiot Rakken thinks he can use you and because I have a use for you. I've let Rakken have his way on several small matters because I needed him until recently. But soon I will no longer need him and then I'll get rid of him. He thinks he controls me, but the truth is just the opposite."
"How about letting Sariana out of the middle of this power struggle?" Gryph asked. Targyn grinned. "Why should I let her go? You and I both know how hard it is to find potential
Shieldmates. You've been able to link with her so I can assume she's a proven mate. Intelligent and educated, too. I think I'll link with her when this is all over. She can not only produce sons for me, she can replace Rakken as my business manager." Targyn laughed as Gryph stared at him expressionlessly. "Think about it, Chassyn. You won't be around to enjoy my good fortune, but your Shieldmate will. Take what comfort you can from that."
Gryph didn't move as the door slid shut. The lock outside clicked into place. He waited a long moment and then he fingered the palm blade in his hand.
It took some work, but the finely honed blade eventually sliced through the leather straps of the twist. When the last of the shackles had fallen away Gryph surveyed the door as he absently massaged his wrists.
Getting free of the twist was only the first step. Now he needed someone to open the door to his cell.
Having nothing better to do at the moment, Gryph closed his eyes and started groping mentally for Sariana. When he had successfully conveyed the image of the palm knife to her earlier he had learned something very interesting. It might not be possible to sort out the myriad prisma rays that were ricocheting through the mountain around him, but linking with Sariana was no trick at all now. The strange bond between them seemed to be growing stronger all the time.
In the chamber where the meal had been served, Sariana paced the floor and tried desperately to appear attentive to and interested in the plans Etion Rakken was outlining for her. But all she could think about was Gryph. She had to get to him.
"This is only a minor setback, Sariana," Rakken assured her. But his attempt at reassurance was hampered by the fact that he was very nervous himself. He poured himself some more wine in an apparent effort to soothe his anxiety. "Targyn walked in at a most inopportune moment, but there will be other chances to complete our plans."
"I'm not so sure about that." Sariana rubbed her palms up and down her forearms as she concentrated. "If you ask me, Targyn is nearly out of control. Who's to say he hasn't already killed Gryph?"
Rakken's hand shook. Wine slopped over the edge of the glass. "He wouldn't dare. Targyn knows I want Chassyn alive."
"Yes, but does Targyn care about your wishes? I got the impression he thinks he can complete his grand scheme without any further aid from you. He's dangerous, Etion."
Rakken's palm slapped the table. "I know he's dangerous. But I've been able to handle him until now. Damn it, he's just another hotheaded westerner. I can handle the locals."
"Don't count on it. I've been learning some lessons about the locals lately and I'm here to tell you they shouldn't be underestimated. Targyn's dangerous. He's needed you until now." Sariana stopped her pacing and gazed levelly at Rakken. "But does he really need you any longer?"