Mirror Space - Marianne de Pierres [14]
‘Madre di Crux,’ cried Joe Scali in disbelief. ‘It is raining.’
THALES
A fever had beset Thales, leaving him shaky and sweating and with little appetite.
‘But you said you didn’t receive the bio-package. Perhaps it’s something else?’ said Bethany. ‘I should call the medic.’
She sat close to him in an armchair in the luxurious cabin that Tekton the archiTect had procured for them, part of his promise to give them passage back to Akouedo system so that Thales could receive his antidote from Lasper Farr.
Tekton resided in an adjoining cabin but had kept to himself other than entertaining Bethany to dinner last evening. She’d returned restless and a little irritable and it had stayed with her.
‘You’re a medic.’ He smiled weakly, but his comment only seemed to annoy her.
‘I’m a scientist, Thales, and not at all versed in pathologies. You must get help.’
He shook his head firmly. ‘Too much explanation.’
‘What do you mean?’
“I think the bacterium your brother gave me has broken down the barrier earlier than it should have. He is the only one who can help me.’
‘But you don’t know that.’
Thales shrugged and rolled away from her. He did. He knew. Yet his HealthWatch was superior. Thales should be unable to get sick, unless he encountered something that could defeat the immune booster nanites in his system. And there was no naturally occurring disease that could do that.
Bethany clicked her tongue impatiently. ‘You stubborn .. .’ She didn’t finish. A moment later he felt the bed move, as she sat on it and her hand stroked his arm. ‘Please, Thales. I-I am worried for you.’
He sighed and rolled back to face her. ‘It’s only a few days until we shift.’
She offered him a glass of water.
He rose onto an elbow and sipped it gratefully. ‘How was your dinner?’
‘I’m not sure I trust him. He’s very clever and he wants something from Lasper.’
Thales handed her back the glass. ‘So do we.’
She sighed. ‘I’m not sure how things will go when we get to Edo. Lasper promised to help me find Jess but with the Baronessa gone—’
‘The mercenaries and your friend Rasterovich will find the Baronessa.’
She squeezed his hand. ‘I believe they will. But if the Extros have taken her, will she still be alive? Or at least, will she be the same?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘They’re Post-Species. Crux knows what they might want to change about her.’
‘I suppose,’ said Thales slowly, ‘that it depends upon why they took her in the first place.’
Bethany nodded. ‘I’ve thought about it over and over. It must be something to do with her Innate Talent. What else could it be?’
‘She is a most decent and refined woman. Life has brought her misfortune.’
Bethany fixed him with the piercing stare that reminded him so much of her brother. ‘You admire refined women?’
‘I-I am used to th-them,’ stammered Thales. ‘That is all. She reminds me of. . .’ He trailed off, suddenly aware that he had said too much. He had not spoken to Bethany of his wife, nor would he.
‘There is someone on Scolar?’ she asked.
He didn’t answer.
She placed the glass on the side table and stood up. ‘Of course there is. How could there not be? — a young man like you ... I suppose you intend to return to her.’
Thales’s palms grew moist and the heat returned to his body. He wanted to tell Bethany how much her affection had meant to him but she became blurry before he could form the words.
‘Thales. Thales, I’m so sorry ... I didn’t mean to . ..’ Her voice grew thick, and distant.
And then it was gone.
It came back again - he wasn’t sure how long afterwards - sounding even more desperate. ‘Lasper? Is he . . .? Will he . . .?’
‘He’ll recover,’ replied her brother.
‘You said the bacterium wouldn’t affect him if he brought the DNA sample back in time.’
‘It shouldn’t have. I checked his HealthWatch was current before we administered it but our latest blood screen analysis shows it’s an inferior version to the