Андрэ Нортон - Beast Master's Circus

"Don't tell Dedran about their theories. Nothing about dead beast masters and stolen teams and a conspiracy. Let him think they believe it's a one-off. Just a pirate raid and that they took the animals to sell to rich VIPs. Don't say any more on that. Not yet. Say you're getting the boy to talk but it's taking time." His look was thoughtful as he considered her information.

"Tell him everything the lad said about his side of the raid. Especially that he can identify Baris and Ideena. Tell him about Tani's father, the hero of Trastor. That the government will listen to her and they've got the ports sealed up. That the patrol's interested because of the attack on the native camp and the theft of sacred jewelry." Laris nodded obediently.

*Prauo?*

*He speaks with honesty and care for you. I read that there is danger and he fears what may happen. What that may be I cannot read. Listen and agree.* Laris nodded at Cregar as he spoke, his face earnest.

"You mean I should emphasize how dangerous it could be having Baris and Ideena here?"

"Exactly but be subtle. Then leave it to me. Just try to let me know when you're telling Dedran all this."

She considered. "He'll know where I've been already. Once the evening performance is done he'll want to see me. If you keep an eye out you could go in once I leave."

"Good girl. I'll do that. You take care." He moved then swung back. "If Dedran ever thinks the peacekeepers are after him, if they come here, you stay away from the cages. Particularly the ones with the hidden sections. Hear me. That's a true warning. I'm not saying more so don't ask. But you and your cat stay away."

He strode off before she could ask questions. He'd asked his own after that comment of Dedran's. He'd found answers he didn't like. The circus boss was ruthless, Cregar had always known that. What Dedran had done made sense in that way. But Cregar didn't have to like it. He sighed as he walked. A man did stupid things. Then he got in deeper and deeper. Until he'd dug himself into a hole too deep to climb out of.

So far the kid wasn't in any holes, Cregar thought. She was straight. That wouldn't last. He knew Dedran was using her and that big cat of hers for burglaries. A bond-servant couldn't be punished if she testified under probe she'd been in fear of her life or safety, or the life or safety of another. But how long before Laris succumbed to the lure of money, if only for the funds to escape? He'd seen it before. As for Baris, his smile was savage. Let Dedran hear the kid, then Cregar would tell him a few things. After that there'd be no more worries about Baris and Ideena.

He strode in the direction of the circus mess tent. He'd help things along with a nice jug of something for Baris to drink. He drew half a jug of the cider then added, not the innocuous fruit juice, but Fever brandy. A wicked mixture which would prime Baris well. With that inside him the big man would be mad to don a disguise and get out into the midway. When half drunk, Baris always looked for a woman other than Ideena. Cregar would watch to know when he went out. He looked grimly across to where the circus boss's tent stood. Everyone had plans, not just Dedran.

Tani was one of those who certainly had plans. She grilled Logan about what Laris had said about the tigerbats, collected the tigerbat samples, and saw preliminary testing begun on them. Matching the samples fully would take much longer than the basic tests, but with that begun she could speak to Aunt Kady.

"Send the second set of samples now," Kady advised. "Not to the ark, send them to Lereyne. See if the patrol has a ship going from Trastor sometime soon."

"Should I send any notes with the results?"

"No. I'll do that. I'll talk to a friend." She reeled off a name and address. "He's involved in the prevention of endangered species smuggling. I'll see to it that if the results match tiger-bat DNA held on Lereyne, he'll talk to me before he moves on the information."

Storm, with a wider knowledge of how far evil would go to be safe, interrupted. "Make very sure of that, Kady. If samples indicate the beasts were stolen or smuggled and your friend goes in to get the animals too openly, the owner is likely to destroy the beasts so there's no proof against him."

"Officer Tarwyn will know that." Kady's lips quirked on the com screen. "It's hardly the first raid he'll have led over illegal animals."

"Better check footing than fall."

Kady chuckled. "So true. Love to you, Tani. Take care. And you too, Storm." Her voice and image faded into the static of the starlanes. Storm considered the samples and the basic results which had just arrived.

"I'll duplicate copies of these results and split the samples. I'll send our original results and half the samples to Lereyne, hold the other samples, and a copy of the results here. That way we have backup if we need it." He glanced at Logan. "I think you should spend as much time with Laris as you can. If those tigerbats are illegal, we don't know what else the owner could be doing. If things get nasty it would help if you were there to get her and Prauo out quickly."

"If you think so." Logan kept the exultation from his face with an effort.

"I do. Don't you, Tani?"

She nodded. Logan glanced at the chrono on the wall. "Then I'll go and see the afternoon performance tomorrow." He left so quickly it was more of a controlled run. His brother and Tani grinned at each other.

"Were we like that?"

Storm shook his head. "No, but then we met over Mandy. The first thing I heard from the pair of you was rude." Tani laughed. She remembered that. Her paraowl had been taught—by a disaffected worker on the ark—a number of rude phrases in several languages with a common word for each as the trigger. Storm had inadvertently spoken the trigger word and embarrassed Tani to blushing fury. She'd blamed him. But not long after that Arzor had been in danger, and they'd learned to work together to save the planet she'd come to love. But there'd been no time for walking in the park holding hands.

She sobered. "I think I preferred it our way. By the time we had leisure to talk we both knew what we wanted."

Storm hugged her. "I still know, dearling," he said, using his word for her which had become their own. "And if Logan is away tomorrow we can spend time by ourselves. Unless Anders has something urgent in mind. But it isn't likely he'll be laying hands on Baris and Ideena that soon."

For which mercy those named were grateful. They were not so happy about everything else. Still, life was improving fractionally, Baris thought. Their tiny quarters were quiet while the evening performance was on. Just as it became quieter he'd thought he heard a tap at the door. He checked the spy hole. No one. But by the door stood a lidded jug. It had probably been the girl. She wasn't risking coming near him just now. Baris slid the door open a little, grabbed the jug, and flicked the door shut.

"What is it?"

"Just fruit juice," he assured Ideena. He gulped a large mouthful and swallowed as he turned away. Unseen by his companion his face turned pink and his eyes bulged as the liquid seared its way down. Baris opened his mouth to correct his words and shut it again. Why tell Ideena? She'd only keep him from drinking too much of it. And after all this time shut up with her a man needed a bit of amusement. This stuff was good! He gulped again and smiled. Very good!

Ideena ignored him and drifted back into a doze. Quietly Baris got drunk. For two people the jug would have left both happy and somewhat dizzy. Perhaps inclined to sing. But Baris wasn't a peaceful or pleasant drunk, he was drinking alone, and several liters of the mixture inspired him not to sing but to find either a woman or a good brawl.

He drifted off into a brandy-fueled daze for a while. He'd had most of the jug. He surfaced again an hour after the performance in the ring ended and the people returning past his room woke him. Good. If people were about he could don a disguise and get out for a while. He dressed carelessly. He still looked like the ponderous, respectable, middle-aged man he had before, except that the man was now drunk, and contentious with it. He crept out quietly after finishing the last few gulps in the jug. That he took with him. Maybe he could refill it somewhere.