The Illegitimate Claim (32 page)

She was getting tired of everyone in Nuworld thinking she was Rog’s lover. She had

some words for that man.

“I don’t understand why Andru and Gilroy aren’t here yet if you said they were

that close behind you.” Ana looked around the backyard as the three women hurried

back toward the gliders.

“I lost them in Bryton. I landed and drove through the streets before taking off

again. When I left to find this cottage, they weren’t following me.”

“The landlink says they’re at the Bryon house, but I’m willing to bet you they’re

flying without landlinks. Did you alter their comms?”

“Yes, I did.” Meah looked at Ana and groaned. “We could be walking into an

ambush.”

Ana pulled her laser, and Sharay looked from one of the cloaked Runners to the

other, as she walked in between them across the yard to the trees. Twilight cast long

shadows, and made it difficult to see who might be out there.

“You’d actually shoot one of them?” Meah asked in disbelief.

“I may shoot a foot.” Ana shrugged.

“It would be kind of fun to see either one of them hopping around right about

now.” Meah met Ana’s gaze and the two of them grinned at each other.

“You two are both crazy women,” Sharay said in her singsong accent.

Both women continually looked over their shoulders as they landed where the

Neurians were camped. Their consoles showed no sign of anyone flying around them,

and it still maintained that Andru and Gilroy were at Andru’s house. That didn’t make

sense, though. Both women agreed the men would assume Meah would go to Sharay.

They gave the men credit for their ability to second-guess Meah’s next move accurately.

But they were nowhere in sight. It was unnerving.

“Does Rog know we’re coming?” Ana asked.

“No, he doesn’t,” Meah said.

“Why are you doing this, Meah?” Sharay spoke up after being quiet for a while.

“I don’t love Rog, Sharay. I never have. He’s a great man. I can see what you see in

him, but I don’t see him that way. We worked together, served Crator together, and

built a temple together. That’s it.”

Sharay sighed. “I’m sorry. This whole situation has just been so confusing for me.

My papa makes me come up here to meet this Gothman who has a terrible reputation.

And then all the Gothman does is put me in this cottage. I’ve seen him three or four

times, and then not for very long. You’re his claim, aren’t you?”

“Yes, and I intend to keep it that way.” Meah sounded determined.

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Sharay didn’t say anything else. She understood. Both women were in very similar

positions. They each wanted a man and would do anything to be with them.

* * * * *

“Darius.” Torgo spoke into his comm then rolled his eyes at his brother’s irritated

response. “We’ve got an incoming transmission from Semore. They’re requesting

video.”

Torgo simply shook his head as his brother growled in frustration and hardly

listened as the lord ranted. Minutes later he heard his brother’s bedroom door open

down the hall, and then footsteps, before Darius and Tara appeared in the doorway of

the landlink room.

“Go ahead and acknowledge it,” Darius said as he placed a hand on Tara’s back

and escorted her to a nearby seat. He sat down opposite Torgo, crossed one leg over the

other, and scowled at the screen.

Dorn Gowsky materialized on the monitor in front of them. “Lord Darius, Lady

Tara…I appreciate your taking the time to speak with me.”

“What do you need?” Darius growled.

Tara groaned inwardly at her claim’s inept manners. She kept her expression blank

though, being equally curious as to why he contacted them and interrupted what

would have been some really great sex.

“I need to make you aware of…um…a situation that has arisen here.” Gowsky

paused for a moment but continued quickly when neither Darius nor Tara commented.

“Part of our nation has started a revolution. The council was aware of some unrest but

didn’t realize the magnitude to which these people had prepared themselves.”

“A revolution? What are you talking about?” Tara leaned forward.

“There are some people in our nation who don’t wish for us to form an alliance

with your people.” Dorn Gowsky’s eyes darted nervously back and forth from Darius

to Tara. “The council doesn’t support this belief, and neither do most of our people.”

“It’s normal for some unrest to exist among people when change is suggested.”

Tara spoke calmly, although there was reserve in her voice.

“Why do you tell us this?” Darius didn’t care about civilities, and shot Tara a

warning glance.

“An army from this movement has bombed some of our government buildings here

in Semore.” Dorn Gowsky maintained the pleasant look on his face that never ceased to

annoy Darius. His pretty boy looks got him too much out of life, he feared. “I’ve taken

several precautions for my household as have other members of the council.”

“You mean you’re in hiding,” Darius huffed, and crossed his arms across his broad

chest. “I ask you again, why do you tell us?”

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“If we’re trying to establish a truce, Lord Darius, don’t you think it would be polite

to let the other nation know if there is unrest within our borders?”

“Noted. I don’t think it would be advantageous for Gothman to assist you in any

way at this point. You have approached us for a truce. If some of your people disagree,

resolve it among yourselves. Then your majority may approach us.”

“I’m not asking for your military assistance, my lord.” There was an edge in

Gowsky’s voice.

“Then what is it that you need to let us know, other than your civil unrest?” Tara’s

tone was polite, soothing, and again it got Darius’ dander up.

Darius turned slowly to look at her, giving all indication to the landlink’s camera

that he was following the conversation. The look he gave her told her otherwise. She

smiled back…adding fuel to his fire. Torgo rolled his eyes.

“There’s a camp of Neurians outside your borders right now. I believe you’ve had

contact with them.” When Tara and Darius nodded, he continued. “At first I believed

Rog’s reasons for being there were simply to bargain with you for Sharay. My sources

show you haven’t released her to him, and for that I’m grateful. What you may or may

not realize is that Rog is one of the leaders of this revolution. He believes his nation

should stay isolated from your continent, and your people. He believes Crator is the

Neurian god, and not for you to worship.”

“It seems to me that you once believed that way, Dorn.” Tara’s tone was

reminiscent, and both men looked at her. She could feel the heat of Darius’ gaze, and

knew she’d catch hell from his jealousy once this transmission was over.

“That was a long time ago, my lady. My beliefs have grown.” His smile was

reassuring.

“Do you believe he’s a threat to our people?” Darius asked.

“He might be. I don’t know. If he’s involved with the attacks down here, he might

be inclined to plan one up there. I don’t know. I just wish for you to have this

information.” Dorn glanced down at some papers in front of him and then looked at the

monitor with a neutral smile.

“Your concern is appreciated,” Tara said. “Keep us informed, if you can, on your

revolution.”

She gave Torgo a nod, and he cut the transmission. She leaned back and blew out a

sigh.

“He’s definitely not telling us everything,” she groaned, and then looked up from

one man to the other. “What do you think of establishing several outposts along your

western borders?”

“The thought already entered my mind.” Darius pulled out his comm and

contacted Geeves, his first assistant, then stood and walked behind Tara and rested his

hands on her shoulders. “I also think we should contact Rog and determine his

intentions for ourselves.”

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“Agreed.” Tara patted his hand.

Darius flipped his comm back on.

“Yes,” Andru said quietly into his comm as he and Gilroy sat on their gliders

outside the Neurian camp. Hidden by nearby trees and the darkness, they sat in silence

watching three women walk into the camp.

Gilroy kept his eye on the women, but glanced at Andru every now and then, as the

lord spoke through the comm. When he finally flipped off his comm, he exhaled

silently.

“Papa wants to arrange another meeting with Rog. I guess there were some

bombings in Semore, and Gowsky thinks Rog’s involved.” The two men stared at each

other momentarily, and then turned to the women who now stood at the edge of the

camp. “We need to organize a meeting time and call in some scouts.”

“Are those women walking into trouble?”

“They could be.”

“How much trouble is this going to cause for us?”

Andru gave his friend a crooked smile. “I guess that depends on whether it’s

discovered that we were here. The landlink says we’re at our house.”

Gilroy nodded.

“But handing Sharay over to Rog is definitely going to cause some trouble.”

“It was getting a bit boring, my lord.”

* * * * *

Large rectangular tents arranged in orderly rows spread farther than they could see

across the open field. Torches lined the pathway in between the tents offering ample

light and keeping mosquitoes to a minimum. The Neurians were dressed in their usual

thin khaki clothing. And as was common to the cultures in the desert regions, they wore

long capes with hoods. In their own land this would keep the sand off their clothing

and out of their hair. There was no sand in the dirt in Gothman, but old habits died

hard.

For the most part, the Neurians ignored the three women, but Meah kept having

the uncanny sensation that they were being watched. Her instincts didn’t usually fail

her, but they offered no advice on what to do about her feelings. Within minutes

however, two hooded men approached them, their skin so black under their hoods that