Андрэ Нортон - Beast Master's Circus

"Taking my name in vain?" Logan had returned.

Laris explained and he nodded eagerly. "I can do that. I think it'd be great if Prauo couldn't ever be taken away from you. He's beautiful."

*The human has discernment.*

*He likes me.*

*Great discernment. A good beginning, furless-sister. I think they understand your dilemma, their feelings of distrust and anger against you have faded somewhat.*

He was gone again and Laris returned to showing her visitors about, gradually relaxing with Logan's teasing. If there was word about the tigerbats they'd let her know about that too, she was assured. It might be possible to use that information, if the animals had been illegally obtained, to secure Prauo to her as well. How, they weren't sure. But a way might be found. She slept soundly that night. Her heart lifted with the beginning of hope.

Logan came the next day. Laris didn't mind seeing him alone and openly. Dedran was still happy for her to learn all she could from Logan. The boy laughed as he explained his early visit.

"Storm says I'd forget my head if it wasn't screwed on. I forgot to give you the official hard copy report on your family." He sobered. "Listen, Laris. You know who your parents were. Aylaris Trehannan was your father. He and your mother combined names for you."

"Which may mean I was their first child?"

"It's likely. You don't remember any other smaller kid with you?"

Laris shook her head. "I don't remember much of anything about my mother. I told Mr. Quade. I think I was about five or six when she died."

"According to this report your father must have died at least two years before that. There may not have been any other children. There was no trace of him in the two camps before your mother died. But in that last one Brad found your father's name listed as deceased. It sounds as if your mother knew how he died and had given the authorities the information so it could be correctly listed along with her, and your, details."

"But will Brad find anything more? That's the question."

Logan snorted. "You don't know my father. Once he's on a trail he's relentless. If there's anything at all he'll find it."

The girl took a deep breath. She'd thought about this all night and had talked it over with Prauo. She would gamble now with both their futures, trusting that what Tani and Storm had offered earlier was true. Logan liked her, maybe he'd see that promises made to her were kept.

"I have to tell you this, Logan. You know I'm bonded to Dedran?" He nodded silently, waiting. "He's made me break laws for him. Me and Prauo. We've had to do burglaries. He said that I'd obey him or he'd take Prauo away. When I still argued he said he'd sell Prauo to an arena, or kill him for his skin. I couldn't let him do that." Her mouth trembled.

"I always planned to get away. Prauo stole credits he found on some of those jobs and gave them to me. Sometimes Dedran threw me a few part-credits as well. We've saved for years. I've enough saved now to manage for a while once the bond ends and I'm free." She shivered, waiting. "Do you hate me?"

Logan remembered the things Brad had said. Bits and pieces about the De Pyall camps. One night he'd mused aloud, and quite graphically, on what it must have been like for a small girl left alone, shifted from camp to camp, struggling to survive. To Logan it sounded like horror. He could only marvel that Laris had survived and done so with her courage intact. He reached out, curled her into the circle of one arm, and looked down into deep brown eyes.

"I don't hate you. Brad told me some of what it must have been like in the camps. Even after all that you could find a half-dead cub and love him back to life. Care so much you'd do things you hated to keep him safe. Dedran's a lousy clicker."

A flash of amusement showed in the eyes which surveyed him. "More than that. He's guild, I think."

"Is he? Versha would be interested in that. No," he corrected as she startled. "We'll keep that quiet. But if all this falls apart it might help get her on our side." He hugged her hard. "Go and do your show. I'll see you afterward." They spent time together later as she cared for the animals. Once he'd gone she vanished to check Surra. Cregar would be taking care of the other hidden beasts.

In a secret room Cregar cradled meercat babies again, his heart filling with love. Hing blinked sleepily at him. The babies scrambled, churred, and trilled affectionately, ending up in a jumble in his lap. His hands slid over small, firm, warm bodies. The faint mind-touches from them were growing stronger. If battle-fortune favored him, in a few more weeks he would have part of a team again. At least two of the babies would accept him as their beast master.

His conscious mind worried at the problems they faced. Baris and Ideena were gone. But Larash-Ti was more energetic than ever. Dedran seemed to have no idea of how to deal with events. Worse, the local Thieves Guild patrons complained that all the peacekeeper activity was inhibiting their business. It wouldn't take much more before the local patrons leaned on Nhara to close the circus and provide a scapegoat.

Also Cregar had found a reason why Dedran seemed so smug about lack of proof. It wasn't that it didn't exist as of now. But when he wished it to stop existing it would. Cregar didn't like that idea. Not considering what it meant. He'd come into this business on a promise and a belief. It looked as if the promise was hollow. The belief was possible but without the promise, he'd still have little. So where did that leave him? He could think of answers to that question and he didn't like them any better.

He should act. But he wasn't sure which direction was the best way to jump. He'd wait a while longer. Observe, be ready. Keep an eye on the kid and her cat too. He didn't want them hurt and Dedran was a great believer in clearing away loose ends. Cregar stroked the meercats and allowed his mind to run free, to a time long ago when he'd been more than he was. When one had been many and many one. The enemy had slaughtered his team and Terran Command had refused him another. They'd claimed not to have enough beasts but he was sure they'd lied.

Driven by need he'd done something stupid and after that there was no chance for him to ever regain what he'd had. Then Terra was gone, and, as he'd feared, all hope of a second team with it. If he could have remembered how to pray he'd have prayed then. To have back, even for an hour, what togetherness had once been his. Belief, hope, consciousness faded. He slept as the furred ones snuggled close.

Two days later Storm woke to an urgent beeping. He rolled over and peered at the wall chrono. Great Spirit. It was barely four in the morning. What message had that importance? He touched the comunit to life and mumbled at it. The unit squawked cheerily in response.

"Up and awake, my lad. I'll be with you in ten minutes bearing news."

"Versha?"

"The same. Move it." The unit clicked off and she was gone. Storm groaned as beside him Tani stirred.

"I heard that," she said sleepily. Her eyes cleared as she sat up. She focused on the time. "Better do as she said. If it wasn't important she wouldn't have woken us this early after such a late night." She yawned widely. "Last night was worth it though. I enjoyed myself."

Storm could only agree. They'd gone to a place Anders knew. It served lightly frothed fruit drinks, tart and delightful to the tongue. The entertainment was provided by one of the allied alien races, a team of half a dozen who sang, juggled, and ran a very clever and amusing beast show. Afterward Storm and Tani had stayed a while talking to them and swapping animal tales. They'd had a wonderful time even if they had only returned three hours before Versha had woken them again.