Chaos Space - Marianne de Pierres [104]
After a while, arms slipped around him and a warm body moulded itself lightly against his back. Two small hands patted his arms and soft whispers soothed him. When his tears were spent he turned into Bethany’s embrace and stayed there.
Later, she took Thales back to her cabin. She was not much taller than him and yet he leaned on her shoulder as if he was injured. She helped him onto her bed and disappeared, returning a short time later with a cool, sweet drink.
She watched him drink it from the edge of the bed, her eyes serious. ‘I went to the medi-facility for my headache. I saw you leave. I knew you were upset but it took me a while to find you. You ran so quickly.’
Thales huddled into her pillows like a sick child. ‘Why would you bother? You barely know me.’
She frowned, and the lines made her face older: a worried mother’s face. ‘I know my brother,’ she whispered. ‘He’s found a way to force you to do this. Lasper has seen some opportunity in you and he will exploit it—as he exploits everyone.’
Bethany’s voice trailed off and they sat in silence.
‘He has infected me with a bacterium that will alter my genome. If I bring him the DNA that I was meant to receive, he will nullify the infection,’ said Thales abruptly.
‘He could be bluffing.’
Thales shook his head. ‘The infirmary gave me an analysis of my immune activity. I’m fighting a bacterium—and losing.’
Bethany paled. She sprang up, her fists clenched. ‘Crux!’ She paced the length of the cabin. ‘Msr Thales, I am deeply sorry. I-I. . . I loathe him in so many ways but you have to understand.’ She turned back to him, her eyes burning. ‘He can accomplish anything. Anything. He will save my daughter.’
Thales’s anger waned in the face of her honesty. He understood this woman’s motives, at least: her desperation for her child.
‘I will collect the DNA and return it to Edo,’ he said. ‘And then I will be free of him. When he has retaken Araldis, maybe you will be free of him as well.’
Beth hugged herself tightly. ‘I believe that you will be, Thales. Despite everything, he is a man who keeps his bargains. But for what I ask from him, I will never be free.’
Thales saw into her then, to the heart of her guilt and her weaknesses. They mirrored his own so perfectly that he could not stop himself climbing from the bed to stand next to her.
‘Comfort me,’ he said simply.
JO-JO RASTEROVICH
Rast called a meeting in the cucina after the biozoon calmed near Rho station. With the exception of Jo-Jo, they all gathered together around the table. He stood near the door, watching.
Randall sat next to Mira Fedor, a slight protectiveness that was now apparent in her manner. Latourn stood behind her, equally attentive. The scholar, Thales, leaned close to Bethany, his knee touching hers.
Jo-Jo had heard their muffled passion on the previous nights and found it hard to begrudge Bethany her pleasure even though he thought her taste in men was atrocious. Necessity changed perspectives—Jo-Jo knew that better than most. But the sounds of their ardour had only sharpened his own desire and it had plucked at his nerve ends. His craving for Mira Fedor had grown so powerful that he could not bear others to be close to her.
Get control of it, he ordered himself.
Only Catchut seemed detached from everything. Rast’s second in command rocked his chair back against the food compactus so that it made an annoying repetitive clunk.
Rast scowled at him and hooked her foot under his seat, toppling it over. ‘Desist!’
Catchut climbed to his feet and righted the chair without a word.
‘We need you to get us landing permission.’ Rast addressed Jo-Jo.
Jo-Jo nodded. ‘I’ll request a speaking tour.’
‘Catchut will go with you, in case there’s trouble. Once we’re docked Berniere will make his contact. Latourn will go with him to collect. I will stay on the ‘zoon with Beth and the Baronessa.’
Her last statement triggered a wave of suspicion in Jo-Jo. Rast Randall wasn’t the type to stay behind anywhere. Was she manufacturing time alone with Mira Fedor? No! He wrestled his paranoia down. There