‘I think we should try it, all the same.’
Flick was alerted by a certain tone in her voice, and the fact that her aura seemed to condense around her like a protective blanket. ‘What makes you say this?’
‘Nothing, a hunch… What harm could it do?’
‘It’s more than that. I can sense it. Why won’t you tell me?’
Mima stood up and walked away from him. She went to the window by the sink, rubbed at a new pane of glass where some of Flick’s finger marks were still visible, close to the frame. ‘You might not approve of what you hear.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Tell me.’
She sighed. ‘I suggested it because it… because it was what happened to me.’
Flick stared at her for some seconds. ‘What?’
Mima turned to face him again. ‘Can’t you tell? I know you can. You’ve sensed it. I was waiting for you to ask.’
‘You have drunk Wraeththu blood?’ A dozen hideous images splashed across Flick’s mind.
‘Yes,’ she answered, ‘but not in the way you’re thinking. Before you came, but not long before, Lileem fell badly and was injured. I was… ill then, mentally ill. It was because of all that had happened, but… Anyway, when Lileem was hurt, I wanted to help her, but I didn’t know how, so I licked her wound, like an animal would. I don’t know why I did it. I can’t remember what it was like to be me then. The blood affected me. I became… different. Not completely har, but different.’
‘Do you realise what you are saying?’
‘Not as much as you do, obviously.’
‘This is astounding. The implications are immense. Have you changed physically?’
‘Yes, and before you ask, I’ll not show you. Forget me. What I’m trying to say is…’
‘Forget you?’ Flick interrupted. ‘You can’t just skim over this, Mima. You don’t know how important this is. So many women have died during inception. As far as I know, no female has survived it. Hara should know about this. It should be investigated, studied…’
‘Be quiet!’ Mima snapped. ‘We are stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, and I have no intention of letting curious hara investigate me. If it’s happened to me, it’ll inevitably happen to someone else – if it’s meant to – and they can be investigated. Ulaume said my experience was probably an anomaly, a one off, and maybe it is, but the same process – of ingesting blood – might work for Terez. I should have thought of this before. It seems obvious now.’
Flick considered this, simultaneously attempting to accept the enormity of what she had told him. He shook his head. ‘I don’t know. I’ve never heard of anyhar trying that. And the results might be unpredictable. You are not completely har, as you said yourself.’
Mima came back to the table, thumped it with a closed fist. ‘We must try. Look at me. I have my wits, my health and quite a bit more besides.’
Flick raised an eyebrow.
‘Strength, increased psychic ability and – yes – some puzzling physical adjustments. I don’t think we could use my blood though, or Lee’s, but yours or Ulaume’s might be suitable.’
Flick sighed, rubbed his face. ‘Mine then,’ he said wearily. ‘I predict Ulaume will not approve of your plan.’
Ulaume was indeed scathing of the idea. Later that day, while Mima took some blood from Flick’s arm in the kitchen, Ulaume stood with folded arms behind them, saying, ‘You are both mad. This won’t work. What happened to you, Mima, was a fluke.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Mima said.
‘At best it produces an incomplete inception,’ Ulaume insisted. ‘You are evidence of that. You are not har.’
‘But I’m not dead either,’ Mima snapped. ‘Aren’t women supposed to die?’
‘We don’t know anything,’ Flick said, wincing as Mima sliced into his arm with a sharp knife. ‘We have always accepted that women can’t be incepted. But now we are faced with new evidence, in you and Lileem. More things are possible than we know. I remembered something today. Don’t our own legends tell us the Aghama created the second Wraeththu by letting him feed upon his blood?’
‘Legends,’ Ulaume snapped. ‘Only that. Otherwise inception wouldn’t be what it is.’
‘Perhaps transfusion is a more effective and direct method,’ Flick said. ‘And Terez has already received one. What he lacked was the proper care during althaia and presumably the aruna that completes the process. If we could somehow awaken the harish parts of himself, the inception might progress as normal.’
‘Aruna with that?’ Ulaume laughed cruelly. ‘Good luck, Flick. You haven’t seen what Terez has become.’
Mima took up the small bowl of Flick’s blood and soaked bread into it, adding herbs and chilli to make it more appetising. This, she carried to the shadowed corner behind her old home, where she habitually left food out for Terez. This time, Flick accompanied her. Usually, Mima would not hang around, because Terez would not appear if he sensed her near, but this night, she and Flick concealed themselves on a nearby roof to keep watch. Mima was still unsure Terez would make an appearance with them so close, even though they took care to shield their thoughts. Terez was damaged, but his senses were acute. They stayed out all night, huddled in blankets, and never heard a thing, but in the morning, they saw that the offering had been taken, and hopefully by Terez rather than a passing animal.
‘Now what?’ Mima asked.
‘We’ll need to sedate him,’ Flick said. ‘Capture him. I’m hoping the meal will affect him in some way, perhaps revive him, but I believe there is only one thing that will truly make a difference. The energy centres within the soume-lam have to be reactivated. It initiates a chemical process, I think, which is why aruna after althaia is so important.’
‘I don’t think aruna is an option,’ Mima said. ‘Ulaume is right about that. Terez is monstrous, Flick. Could you really do it? Think about it.’
‘The centres could be activated manually,’ Flick said fastidiously. ‘Even you could do it.’
‘This is bizarre,’ Mima said. ‘You are all freaks.’
‘And so are you. Get used to it. At least I’m in a majority of freaks, you are unique.’
‘As far as you know.’
‘As far as I know. Have you any ideas what we could use as a sedative?’
‘Spider agave,’ she said. ‘It’s a man-made strain like the cable crop that we used to grow here. Its sap could be made into a pain-killer or an anaesthetic. The Santos place, a few hours away, used to grow it though I guess the Wraeththu marauders burned most of it. We could go and look for some.’
‘You go,’ Flick said. ‘Take my pony. It’d be quicker than if one of us rode a burro.’
‘OK.’ Mima began to clamber down from the roof.
Flick leaned over the eaves. ‘If you find any, bring as much as you can. Bring roots, seeds, whatever. We need to add this plant to our own collection.’
‘You sure? It’s a devil plant. The leaves are like blades and can pierce the thickest leather. I have seen men lose a leg to it. Unprocessed, its sap is a poison. I should have the proper equipment or at least protective gloves to try and harvest it. It resists being useful, believe me.’
‘Sounds like a Wraeththu plant,’ Flick said.
Mima grinned. ‘I’ll do what I can. There must be something I can wrap around my hands.’
‘Cut up my saddle bags,’ Flick said.
Mima nodded and dropped to the ground. Flick watched her running steadily and gracefully along the narrow alley between the dwellings. She was as tall and slim as a har, her hair swinging out behind her. He wished, for a moment, that Seel could meet her or, more interestingly perhaps, Cal. Now that might be amusing.
Mima did not return until long after sundown, by which time Lileem was frantic with worry. Ulaume too was moved to show some concern and suggested he should take one of the burros and go and look for her, even though none of them even knew in which direction the Santos farm lay. However, in the midst of rescue debate, Mima wal
ked into the kitchen and dumped a collection of wicked looking foliate knives and lances onto the table. ‘Only one wound,’ she said, displaying a bloodied rag wrapped around her left forearm. ‘It’ll need stitching. Lee, go find needle and thread.’
Lileem ran from the room, while Mima washed herself at the sink. Ulaume went to examine her wound, while Flick carefully inspected the leaves on the table.
‘Extract the sap and boil it,’ Mima said. ‘If there’s anything more to the process, I don’t know it. We’ll have to hope for the best.’
‘What about dosage?’ Flick asked
She shrugged, pressing a towel to her arm. ‘I’ve no idea. We’ll have to guess.’
‘That wound is bad,’ Ulaume said. ‘You must let me give you healing after you’ve stitched it.’
‘A scratch,’ Mima said, grinning, although Flick noticed the skin around her mouth was sallow and damp and there were shadows beneath her eyes. He hoped her semi-Wraeththu condition might prevent any serious effects from the agave wound.
The following evening, it was clear that Mima was running a fever, albeit a minor one, but she was insistent she must help with capturing her brother. Whether through concern for Mima, or a genuine interest, Ulaume offered his assistance also. Flick had made darts of the tips of agave leaves, which had been no easy job as it seemed the spirit of the plant was intent on causing damage to tender living flesh whenever possible. Even lying dismembered and inert on a table, the strong hard leaves presented dangers. Accidentally brushing against the blade of a leaf caused a painful cut. Flick told Lileem there was strong magic in the plant and she said that perhaps there was a dehar of agave, who was a god of weapons, pain and war. ‘That is his name, of course,’ she said. ‘Agave. Perhaps we should make him an offering and say a prayer, so that he’ll help you get Terez.’
‘We could,’ Flick said.
‘The offering should be blood, not yours or Mima’s, as you’ve already given, but mine or Lormy’s.’
Flick’s flesh went cold for a moment as Lileem innocently put her request to Ulaume, presumably because she was a little frightened of the cruel agave. Flick expected Ulaume to glance at him contemptuously and say something like, ‘Now who’s been filling your head with this rubbish?’ Instead, because he was gradually proving himself to be a creature of surprises, he said, ‘Tell me about it.’ His strong brown hands worked dextrously with the agave. Of all of them, he had received no wounds.
Lileem described Agave and his preferences in terms of offerings, then said gravely, ‘Flick has seen the dehara, the gods. We see them together now. They are pouring out of the stars.’
‘The Kakkahaar have a dehar,’ Ulaume said. ‘His name is Hubisag, and he sounds similar to your Agave.’
‘I remember you calling on him,’ Lileem said, ‘though you don’t do that now.’
‘I am far from home,’ Ulaume said, ‘and in a landscape of agave. I will acknowledge its god, if that is what it takes.’ Now he looked at Flick directly. ‘I danced in Hubisag’s honour for my tribe. Perhaps I miss it. I like these ideas you have. They make sense.’
Astounded, Flick could only nod and turn away feeling embarrassed. Ulaume’s approval was somehow worse than his scorn.
Much to her annoyance, Lileem was told to remain at the white house while the rest of them went hunting. ‘You might be a prodigy,’ Ulaume said, ‘but you’re still a child and you’ve never done anything like this. Show your maturity now and accept you might mess things up.’
Grudgingly, she agreed, and watched the rest of them forlornly from the lighted window as they crept down the hill. It was clear in her face she was aggrieved to miss the nearest thing to an adventure since Flick had arrived at the settlement.
Mima had brought a more sumptuous meal than usual: a whole freshly cooked chicken in herbs, which filled the night air with mouth-watering fragrance. This she laid down in the usual place and the three of them took up their positions, each armed with an improvised blow gun, created from some hollow metal tubing Flick had found in the stable block behind the house. The guns were armed with agave darts. They waited for most of the night and Flick was beginning to think that Terez was wise to them and wouldn’t show, when his senses detected a furtive movement in a stand of sumac bushes. The movements came closer to his position, shaking the leaves of a feathery esperanza. He became utterly still and strained all of his senses out into the darkness. He could sense also the alert tension of his companions. Suddenly there was a soft rushing sound and the esperanza shook violently. Someone, possibly Mima, had fired a dart.
Flick saw a dark scrabbling shape emerge from the bushes and scuttle on all fours across a narrow open space, heading for the other side of the settlement. He was too far away to fire, but then the shape jerked almost upright, its feet leaving the ground. It uttered an enraged shriek and tried to run. At that moment, Ulaume dropped down from his hiding place on one of the roofs, clearly having fired a dart. Terez was so quick, like a monstrous spider. Flick saw a brief struggle, heard a cry. There seemed to be a dark, noxious smoke hanging over the whole scene, and Flick feared that Ulaume would be consumed by it. A sickly putrid smell like rotting vegetation filled the air. Flick called out, and his voice sounded low and slurred. Ulaume snarled and cursed, then Terez had managed to wriggle away from him. Like a black wraith, he shot off into the shadows between the buildings.
‘Damn!’ Flick said aloud.
Mima jumped across from a neighbouring roof, wiped her upper lip, which was sweating. ‘I think he took Ulaume’s dart. We can follow.’
She leapt down to the ground, landing on all fours, her hair swinging wildly as she glanced around her. Quickly, she glanced up at Flick. ‘Come on!’
It was her brother they were trying to capture. Her only surviving brother, in whatever form he took.
Flick jumped down beside her. Close by, Ulaume was trying to examine the top of his right arm by starlight. ‘Bit me,’ he said, ‘felt like to the bone.’
‘Which way did he go?’ Mima asked.
‘He’ll have got away by now,’ Flick said.
‘No, he took the dart in the neck,’ Ulaume said. ‘I saw it.’
‘Which way?’ Mima almost screamed.
Ulaume indicated with a jerk of his head. ‘That way.’
She was gone in an instant.
Ulaume crumpled to his knees in the dirt, holding on his arm. ‘That thing smacked me in the head too. It has a lot of strength.’
Flick squatted down beside him. ‘You should go back to the house. Clean the wound. Get Lileem to give you some healing. I’ll go and find Mima.’
‘Be careful,’ Ulaume said. ‘That thing’s unnatural.’
Flick stood up, but hesitated before following Mima.
‘I know what you’re thinking and you’re right,’ Ulaume said. ‘This was a stupid idea. You don’t know what you’re messing with.’
‘It is our responsibility,’ Flick said. ‘You know that.’
‘It’s a big one, Flick. If you catch the thing, it’s only the beginning. By Hubisag, even just being near it makes me sick.’
Flick found them on the porch of one of the buildings. Dawn had begun to grey the sky and the light was magical and strange. Mima was hunched over an awkward tangle of splayed limbs. She was rocking back and forth, weeping, her hands over her nose in a position like prayer. From yards away, Flick gagged on the stench. He steeled himself and approached, reaching out a hand to Mima’s shoulder. It felt hard and bony beneath his fingers. For a moment, he was back in time, comforting Pell when he was so afraid of inception. Flick closed his eyes, willed himself back to the present. He had to keep swallowing to keep himself from vomiting. Terez was semi-conscious, viscous fluid leaking from his upturned eyes. His skin was a mass of sores, which can sometimes happen during althaia, but they had never healed. He had never risen reborn from inception, as perfect har, but had lingered in some abominable hinterland. What remained was like the dark soul of Wraethth
u, the terrible things that hid deep inside. And what now? Flick asked himself.
‘He needs a transfusion, we have to find a way,’ he said.
Mima looked round at him then. ‘It’s too late, isn’t it? I’ve never been this close. Oh God!’
‘We began this,’ Flick said. ‘We finish it. Help me carry him.’
‘Back to the house?’
‘Where else? You want him back, Mima. We start by bringing him into our fold.’
‘But Lileem…’
‘Lileem is far more robust than any of us. She can take this, probably better than we can. She’ll be of help. We don’t have to worry about her.’
He hoped he was right.
Chapter Fifteen
Over the following weeks, Flick wished many times that he had Orien or Seel to turn to for advice. As Ulaume had told him, he was out of his depth, but felt he had to carry on. They had to keep Terez sedated all the time, because on the only occasion they let him surface to full consciousness, he tore up the room he was being kept in and smeared excrement around the walls. To Flick, Terez was like a mad monkey, uncontrollable, spiteful and sly. He was also very strong. It was hard to feel pity for this creature, who screamed the entire time he was awake and emitted foul fluids from every orifice when asleep. Flick did not know how to give a transfusion, the best he could manage was to cut his own arm and press it against a similar wound he made on Terez. Every day he looked for improvements, and it seemed that Terez’s skin was slightly clearer and Mima was sure he was putting on weight, but his mind would not come back.
Once, Ulaume said to Flick in private, ‘You know what we should do. A pillow. It’d be quick. Better than this living death.’
But Flick could not give up. Perhaps Saltrock sensibilities could not concur with those of the Kakkahaar, but he felt there must be hope. He resorted to something that he felt was bound to work by letting Lileem put her hands on Terez. She sat cross-legged behind his head, her fingers resting lightly on his twisted face. Surely the innocent purity of a child would reach and heal him? It seemed not.