Zeta Exchange: A Terran Empire story

the dining hall door, thenbrought him a tray and joined him.

  "Thanks, Kelly." Medart picked up his fork and stared at the food forseveral seconds, trying to ignore his stomach. That didn't work anybetter than usual; at last he gave up the effort and started eating inspite of the queasiness.

  "No improvement?" Kelly asked, after a few minutes' silence.

  "No. I've given up expecting any, but I can't help hoping." Medarttook a few more bites, then shook his head and put the fork down."Who'm I going up against today?" He'd learned the necessary spellsfor a duel the first week, both offensive and defensive; he'd beenpracticing them ever since, trying to learn control, but that wasfrustratingly elusive. One day he'd barely be able to make hisopponent feel his efforts or protect himself, the next it would takethe monitors to erect fast barriers to keep him from injuring theother, while his own defenses were at peak.

  "The warrior Loren of Clan Raynor," Kelly told him. "I think ChiefRyan is trying to force a breakthrough, finding you strong opponentswho won't pull their punches the way we've started doing because wedon't want to add to your problems."

  "Um." Medart frowned at that. "I hadn't noticed--but then mycontrol's so erratic I probably couldn't. Whoever I fight the duelwith damnsure won't pull his punches, though, so I have to go alongwith Ryan--best I train with someone who's going all-out, too."

  "That part no one can argue," Kelly said. "But . . . James, can youtolerate the added stress? Watching you is like watching a warrior inconstant need, with no hope of being able to give you release."

  Medart winced, aware of how much that would distress any warriors'-woman."I'm not in that bad a shape--I've seen some who were, remember? WhatI'm going through is no fun, but I think I can hold out long enough."

  "I pray to all the gods you're right."

  * * * * *

  By the end of the next week, Medart was praying too, to all the gods hecould recall from his childhood. He'd been brought up Omnist, so therewere quite a number of them, and he added a pair the Sandemans in AlphaPrime said should be favorably inclined to him: the two warriors he'dgiven Last Gift to, Leigh DarVader and Keith DarLewies.

  It didn't seem to help. Despite Ryan's instructions, his opponents'best efforts, and his own increasingly urgent attempts over the nextmonth, his control remained erratic. Unfortunately his physicalcondition didn't remain as stable; it worsened steadily. By the end ofthat time, Medart had lost close to twenty kilos, and the constant painallowed him only the sleep his body absolutely had to have.

  He'd given up even trying to eat breakfast, beyond the hot chocolatethat contained the caffeine he needed as a stimulant; he ate only afterhis afternoon practice sessions, when he was too tired to gag.

  And he'd wondered how long Ryan would keep supporting him, so he wasn'tsurprised when the clan-chief joined him, Kelly, and Haley--both ofwhom had taken to remaining close except when Haley was at his owntraining sessions--at the evening meal.

  Medart endured the clan-chief's scrutiny, certain he knew what wascoming, so he wasn't surprised when Ryan spoke. "Prince James, willyou admit I have done my best to teach you as you asked?"

  "You have, Clan-chief," Medart replied. "My inability to benefit bymore than the most basic instruction cannot be laid to your lack ofeffort." He took a deep breath, rubbed his aching eyes. "You've doneyour best; I can't hold you to a repayment I'm incapable of absorbing.As far as I'm concerned, that part of Clan Vader's life-debt has beendischarged."

  "I thank you for your generosity, James. I will have you returned tothe Empire; perhaps they can heal you where we cannot."

  "No. My job's not done, and you still owe me one thing--I have a duelto fight, as soon as you can arrange a meeting."

  "In your condition, I cannot permit that."

  "You don't have any choice, Clan-chief." Medart pulled himselftogether as well as he could, reminding himself that these peoples'origin made them Imperial citizens whether they knew--or liked--it ornot. He didn't have any enforceable authority over them, true, butsometimes that wasn't essential. "You issued the challenge on mybehalf and implicitly agreed to arrange the duel, without specifying myphysical condition. The only criterion was that I be trained to useSandeman magic as well as I could, which has been done."

  "It has, and I did issue challenge for you--but I did not agree to sendyou to certain death."

  "It isn't--I'm running about fifty-fifty minimum power and maximum.That gives me a reasonable chance, better than the Empire'd have if Idon't even try." Medart felt himself weakening, summoned his remainingresources. "You'd do the same if it were the Sandeman race at risk; Iknow that from personal experience. Even if you knew it'd cost youyour life."

  "That is true," Ryan replied slowly. "Very well, Highness, I will makethe arrangements. But you should rest until then, doing no magic--andyou must try to eat. In your present condition, even winning a duelwould be fatal; to have a chance of surviving, you need to buildyourself back up."

  "I will," Medart promised. "I don't want to die; I've got too manyinteresting things to do first. And--" he looked from Kelly to herson--"I have a couple of guardians who wouldn't let me overdo even if Iwanted to."

  * * * * *

  Medart kept his promise. It took Ryan six days to finalizearrangements for the duel, including what Clan Miklos needed tobroadcast it to Sandemans and Empire alike; Medart spent the timeresting as well as he could, nibbling on the food either Kelly or Haleykept him supplied with, and talking to the two of them.

  He regained some strength, but the pain didn't ease in spite of Kelly'shealing spells, so finally, the evening before the duel, he decided toask her for a prognosis.

  When he did, she frowned. "There's been no relief at all?"

  "None that I've been able to notice."

  "That is bad." Kelly paused. "As Ryan told you, we've had littleexperience with training adults to use magic, and you are our onlyexperience teaching our system to a Terran. This makes it difficultfor me to give you an accurate evaluation; I have almost nothing tobase it on."

  "I understand that."

  "With that caution, then," Kelly said slowly, "I'm afraid our effortsto teach you have caused permanent damage. Either your age or yourTerran physical characteristics--or possibly your extra-universeorigin--have made it impossible to clear what Ryan called yourmagical-energy channels. Since my healing spells have no effect, I wouldsay the attempts to train you have been . . . the best analogy I can thinkof is burning . . . them out."

  Medart leaned back, sighing. "That's what I was afraid of. Is myopponent going to be battleprepped?"

  "Of course."

  "Will I be allowed a similar form of preparation?"

  "Of course, if you have it."

  "I do. Not built in, the way yours is, but I had a special medikit setup just in case; I have drugs that'll boost my strength and speed. Andto block the pain, now that the duel's close--unless you think thepainkiller'd interfere with what little control I do have."

  "I can see no reason it should," Kelly said. "It should help, in fact,by allowing you to concentrate better. Why didn't you mention itbefore?"

  "Because I don't have much, and wanted to save it for when I'd need itmost." Medart opened one of the pouches on his belt and took out asmall injector. "As you can see, my medikit's not that big, and Idamnsure didn't think I'd need enough quidine for two months plus.I've got four doses, which is enough for about thirty hours." He feltfor his carotid, triggered the painkiller into the artery, and secondslater sighed in relief. "Whew--that's a lot better."

  "You look better, even so soon," Kelly agreed. "That quidine appearsto be extremely strong--is it dangerous?"

  "No." Medart shook his head, smiling as much at the relief from painas at the question. "It is strong, but it's the safest analgesic everdiscovered. It doesn't affect your reflexes or thinking, and it's notaddictive--all it does is kill pain for about eight hours. The worstit
does is numb you if you take an overdose."

  "Doing that tonight might be wise. You haven't slept properly in thatsame two months plus, and you will need to be rested tomorrow."

  "Recommendation accepted," Medart said promptly.

  "Good." Kelly smiled. "I believe it would also help if you think