Андрэ Нортон - Beast Master's Circus

He nodded. "I'll do that."

He returned to the book he was reading and Laris departed quietly. She adored the excellent library the ranch owned and understood that a reader liked to read in peace. She read late most nights in her bedroom and her companions were amused at the wide variety in her reading.

The three days passed. Laris sat down to her last meal at the ranch and was conscious of sadness. Prauo sprawled behind her. He'd eaten earlier but preferred to stay with Laris. She kept her face blank but the others were beginning to know that look. It meant that emotion lurked and the girl was determined not to show it. They combined to make her laugh, sharing old jokes and retelling amusing incidents.

Finally she excused herself. If she didn't leave she was going to cry. Laris, who hadn't cried since she was six and had learned she would never see her mother again. That she must move on alone.

*You are sad, sister-without-fur.*

*I won't see them again. Dedran's going to do something awful to them and they'll never forgive me.*

*You could warn them.*

She sent nothing in reply. Better he not know that Dedran had once made a threat which had turned her heart cold with terror. But the big cat had learned. He picked it from her mind in part, guessing the rest. *You keep silent for my sake. Well, they have each other. We have only the two of us. But if there is a chance, if we escape, then warn them.*

*I will.*

She read late that final night. Losing herself in the adventures of another. She rose to eat and then to take one last ride with Tani and Logan. Only Logan was there.

"Tani had to talk to people at the Peaks ranch. It'll be just the two of us. Do you mind?"

She shook her head. How could she mind a few hours alone with a man she was coming to care about? But she mustn't think of that. Once Dedran struck, Logan would hate her. A hopeful part of her mind pointed out that Logan might never know she'd been involved in whatever Dedran did to the Quade family. She could get away from the circus boss. Use the cat's-eye gem to buy passage back to Arzor.

And what, the sensible part of her brain pointed out, what would she do if she got back and found Logan had just been being kind to her? How would she feel if he was surprised to see her? If she was just a nuisance coming back where she wasn't really wanted? It wasn't Logan's ranch. It belonged to his father. Mr. Quade had been nice and he was helping find her background. But then by now he must know a few things she'd rather he hadn't discovered. He wasn't likely to want her back either, even if he was being nice about the records.

She rode with Logan, laughed, and galloped her pony. She hid what she felt and concentrated on enjoying her hours before she must go. Live for the day. It was all she had. She had no way of knowing how her eyes mirrored her thoughts whenever she remembered she was leaving, even as she twisted her face into a smile.

They turned back to the ranch house in the distance. Laris halted her pony for a brief moment. She sat looking at the only place where she'd been happy in so many years. She wondered if her own home, wherever it had been, had been as nice. Had she had family there? Been a happy child surrounded with love? She shrugged. What was gone was gone. She heeled the pony into a gallop and forgot her sorrow briefly in the joy of speed.

"Laris?" She turned to Logan as they slowed, trotting the ponies into the big corral.

"Yes."

"You can come back, you know. Anytime the circus is on Arzor. You'd be welcome here."

"Thanks. But it's the only time we've landed here since I've been with them. I guess we may not be back for years." She held her mouth in a firm line. She would not whimper like a motherless cub. She would not!

Logan took her hand, glanced quickly around. No one in sight. He tipped her chin up with the other hand and brought his mouth down on hers. Her lips were warm, sweet with a startled half-shy response; then she freed herself quietly.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done that," he told her. "But I'm not sorry."

"Neither am I." Then she was running for the ranch door. It had felt strange. She'd fought in the camps to stop anyone touching her and succeeded. Not until now had she understood how that had deadened her emotions. For many years she'd touched only Prauo and the animals. With Logan it had felt good. No coercion. Just safety, warmth. A melting inside.

Her mouth went wry. Logan hadn't said, "Come back." Just, "Stay with us if the circus is back on Arzor." And if Dedran knew how she felt he'd never trust her again. But she couldn't let him harm her friends here. Yet how could she stop it? She did her best as they dropped her at the edge of the circus area.

"Storm." She held his eyes with her own, willing him to understand. "Tani's aunt can take other samples if she meets the circus. Sometimes tissue samples can be worth a lot. There's always someone who wants to use things. Other samples, other reasons." She turned away, hoping he'd understood enough to take care.

"Logan, I'll miss you. Thank you all for letting me stay at the ranch." She spun, hiding her face as she ran. By the time she and Prauo reached her cabin she had herself under control again. It was just as well. Dedran met her.

"There's been a message from Cregar. He was successful at Trastor and he's going on to Lereyne to meet us there. Get the hidden cage ready. We'll need it for the wolf he's got. Get on with your work now that you're back." He paused as he studied her face.

"I hope you learned plenty. You'll have to tell it all to Cregar. Did you get to their place in the Peaks?" She nodded. "Good. What about security systems?"

"Only corns and computer lock-codes. No security in the houses apart from the animals. There is a safe. Lock-coded. I couldn't get the code." That was a lie but it was a secondary target. Dedran probably wouldn't care much. He didn't.

"Too bad. But Cregar should be able to get in, gas the beasts, and get out again. What's he likely to find?"

"That depends on what's there on the day he picks. Unless he's very unlucky there should be several animals."

"Right. Go and fix that cage. We up-ship in a few hours. I've decided to leave a day earlier and I let you stay longer. It does seem to have been worth it but I need you for the animals now." He gave her a shove. "Don't think you can come back and be idle, my dear ward." The last words were a sneer as he turned away.

Laris nodded. No, she wouldn't make that mistake. She plodded in the direction of the animal hold. She was leaving, she could never return, and all her world was dark right now. Nothing mattered anymore.

She worked hard for the next half day as she reassured the beasts, prepared the hidden cage to receive Cregar's victim, and now and again listened to conversations. They were taking on two new people, desperate men from the port who'd never quite settled on this new world. They were already planning an act on the high wire. They'd seen it done, thought it looked easy enough. The girl sighed.

Others had thought that. It was one of the things which brought crowds. This pair would end up on a new world. But at least here they'd been whole, undamaged. On Trastor once they'd failed it would still be a new world but now they'd be injured as well, maybe permanently crippled or dead.

*In which case they'll have no more problems,* Prauo sent.

Laris grinned. The big cat was such a realist at times. She waited until no one was about and moved to where the largest cage stood in isolation. It held the five tigerbats. They sometimes reached out for those who passed and most people in the circus gave it a wide berth. Just as well. It had secrets other than the inhabitants.

She drifted around to the rear of the cage, pressed two places on a panel, and leaned hard. A door-sized piece of the back slid aside. Laris entered, stooping through the entrance, light already in her hand. She turned slowly. It wasn't dirty; she could sweep it though. There was a little dust. There were built-in containers for food and water. She would bring bedding.