PRINCE REYN
When Rlinda Kett returned from her trip to Pergamus, she was devastated. “I am so sorry, Raindrop.” Her big brown eyes were full of sadness. “Those people have no interest in helping, that’s for sure. And I’m convinced that I barely got out of there with my skin intact.”
She enfolded him in a big hug, and he let himself sink into it, just as when he was a boy. She was shaking, and he tried to reassure her more than himself. “We’ve got every other researcher in the Spiral Arm working on it. Somebody will come up with a treatment, just you wait.”
She hugged him tighter. Frankly, he was most disappointed in Dr. Paolus, who had betrayed his patient’s trust by selling Reyn’s private information to Pergamus, then profiting again by betraying the location of Pergamus to his parents.
King Peter was disturbed to hear Rlinda’s report. “I don’t like the idea of that secret installation. If Pergamus is hoarding disease specimens, that could pose a danger to all humankind. What if they are developing biological weapons to sell to the highest bidder?”
His mother was also grim. “Lee Iswander just delivered information about that horrific alien plague—what if there are even worse viruses at Pergamus? Even if Zoe Alakis doesn’t have evil intentions, how do we know that her security is adequate?”
Peter’s anger was clearly visible. “Pergamus hasn’t heard the last of us—I will send the whole CDF fleet if I have to.”
Estarra was concerned, and when she turned to him, she had tears in her eyes. “Don’t give up hope, Reynald.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
He had no reason to believe that Pergamus had developed any cure or treatment for him. Yes, Dr. Paolus had sold them his original test results, but that data was now widely available across the Spiral Arm. Why would one hidden facility with no financial incentive, and no particular interest in Reyn’s disease, do better than a hundred other research installations? He was trying to be realistic even if everyone else chased after false hopes.
He feared what would happen now that the location of Pergamus had been revealed. Surely they would expect the Confederation to take notice. What if Zoe Alakis retaliated by unleashing one of her fatal diseases on a helpless colony? Reyn didn’t want to be responsible for that.
Rlinda embraced Reyn in a last apologetic hug so enthusiastic it nearly smothered him. Then she took Declan’s Glory and headed back for Earth.
* * *
When Osira’h arrived unexpectedly, she brought much better news. Reyn was delighted that she had come back, especially so soon. That in itself made him feel rejuvenated. Osira’h’s pearlescent eyes sparkled with delight as she greeted him without formality, giving him a quick enthusiastic embrace, and he responded with just as much enthusiasm. “What are you doing here?”
“I wouldn’t let anyone else bring the news, and I wouldn’t let my mother just send a message through telink. I wanted to tell you in person.”
“What? What is it?”
“My sister found something in her research on Kuivahr! A possible treatment for you. We have to try it!”
It was the last thing Reyn had expected to hear, and he didn’t know what to say. “Tamo’l? I thought she was tending the misbreeds. Why was she studying my disease?”
“Because I asked her!” Osira’h sounded exasperated. “She has been testing rare kelp and plankton extracts, and she believes she has a strain that will mitigate your symptoms, if not destroy the microfungus.”
Stepping forward, King Peter caught his breath. “Did you bring a sample?” Reyn had been so preoccupied with Osira’h he’d forgotten that his parents were there to receive the Ildiran delegation. “We’ll try anything.”
Reyn didn’t like everyone making decisions for him, even though they did it only out of love and concern. He looked at his mother and father, then Osira’h. “If you tell me I should try it, I think I should listen.”
Osira’h turned to the King and Queen. “There are many variations of kelp and plankton strains on Kuivahr, many possible ways to administer the treatment, and the method and dosage may need adjustment. I was hoping…” She looked at Reyn and then at his parents. “It makes the most sense for Reynald to accompany me to the sanctuary domes. My sister can test the medicine, alter the formulations if need be, and try again. If you allow him to come with me, I will stay with him to make sure he has all the support and protection he needs.”
Estarra looked concerned about sending him away, but Reyn turned to his parents. “You said you’d try anything—and this is something we can try. Rlinda had no luck at Pergamus, and none of the other research teams has a better solution. I’m willing to give Tamo’l a chance.”
Estarra gave him a wistful smile. “Then of course you can go.”
* * *
The Ildiran ship delivered Reyn and Osira’h to Gorhum, the nearest world with a Klikiss transportal, which was the most straightforward way for the two of them to reach Kuivahr. So that the Prince would not be entirely cut off, they were also accompanied by the green priest Beltrias, who had recovered from his injuries sustained in the great wyvern hunt. He had volunteered to serve as a communications conduit, since Kuivahr’s small colony had no green priests.
Because Klikiss transportals were a useful alternative to direct travel on ships, Gorhum had a receiving center by the trapezoidal stone wall, surrounded by a small support settlement; a crew of staff engineers monitored the flow of travelers. Other transportals were more active as travel hubs, but this one had little traffic. Reyn was fine with that, because he did not desire a great deal of attention.
Without any fanfare, Reyn submitted his request and used Confederation credits to pay for their passage. Accompanied by a green priest and a halfbreed girl with pearlescent eyes, Reyn was the least interesting of the group. As the three of them stood gazing at the coordinate tiles on the alien trapezoid, he drew a deep breath and strengthened his resolve. He had promised Arita and his parents and Osira’h that he would not give up hope.
Beltrias held a potted treeling in his arms and looked eagerly toward the blank stone wall that would open a doorway to another planet. “Shall we go?” he asked.
The tech who operated the transportal didn’t seem interested in who they were. He activated the appropriate coordinate tile for Kuivahr. The stone window shimmered and opened onto a world with cloudy skies and shallow seas.
Beltrias stepped through first, showing no fear. Osira’h took Reyn’s hand, and he squeezed it as they stepped forward together. Just before they passed through the dimensional membrane, they heard the tech’s voice call out, “Wait, aren’t you the King’s—”
And suddenly the three of them were standing on a mounded reef outcropping that held the transportal wall above the ocean. Two meters below the lip of the stone doorway, waves sloshed around the rocks.
Disoriented and dizzy, Reyn caught his balance on a rock. He tried to convince himself his imbalance was because of the dimensional passage, not from his illness. He looked around at the gray-green waters of the broad flat sea. Shading his eyes, he could see a tall industrial structure on the horizon, platforms on stilts that rose above the sea. That must be the Kellum distillery.
Beltrias sat on one of the large rocks and placed the treeling at his feet. “This is like Shorehaven, in a way.” He connected through his treeling, informing the other green priests that they had arrived on Kuivahr.
Osira’h pointed in another direction, past a murky patch of drifting kelpweed. “Those are the sanctuary domes. I can feel Tamo’l close—she knows we’re here.”
The rocky outcropping had very little space and nothing for them to do while they waited to be retrieved. Reyn didn’t mind. He enjoyed spending the time with Osira’h. Even on a barren rock in the middle of an alien sea, he was glad to be with her.
A waveskimmer arrived for them in less than half an hour, piloted by a redheaded man and a thin female who looked vaguely like Osira’h, a splash of human features mixed with Ildiran ones. Osira’h waved.
When the skimmer pulled up to the reef outcropping, Osira’h took Reyn’s hand and practically ran down to the waterline. “Tamo’l! This is Prince Reyn. Thank you for what you’re doing for my friend.”
Reyn gave a small bow, and Tamo’l responded with a pleasant smile. “I assist those in need. It doesn’t matter whether they’re misbreeds or princes.”
The green priest followed them down to the water line. As they climbed aboard, the redheaded man said, “I hope you have a high tolerance for people with unusual appearances. Some of our misbreeds can be a little unsettling.”
Tamo’l interjected, “I assure you, their hearts are good.”
Reyn had been stared at and poked and prodded ever since his condition was known. He could sympathize. “Then that is the part I’ll look at.”