Faldin wasn't with them, but Darletta was. Dantel was also missing. I suppose the little wrinkle hadn't been smoothed out yet. Two others I recognized—Matiss Meldrim and Gescht Prekisule. I was beginning to get the bigger picture now. Maris Krastel may have gone crazy because she was controlled. She'd been doing the basic legal work on the antitrust case for her firm. Perhaps she'd found out that there was something to all of it and Faldin had made sure it didn't go any farther. An elaborate scheme, but then there was collusion going on and billions of Alliance credits at stake if all of them were found out.
Dantel Schuul had likely set these two up as heads of Meldrim Enterprises and Prekisule and Co., when he actually owned all of it or at least controlling interests in all of it. And it helped with whatever the comp-vids had to do with the controllers, I'm sure. Lendill, are you getting this? I asked through mindspeech.
I am. Breah-mul, this is getting more complicated by the moment. Do you know who that other one is? The one with the black hair that looks a little like a troll?
They call him Nedrizif, and they're all bowing and scraping to him, I returned.
He isn't in any of our databases, but then a lot of them aren't, Lendill said. I had to cut off the mental conversation; Nedrizif was coming toward me.
"And here's the little cook," he announced. Another male followed him. He was older, with silver hair and gray eyes. Was still handsome and probably knew it. The silver-haired one put his hands on me, doing the examination. I suppose he was Nedrizif's physician.
"We're not doing her any good by having her out on display like this, she's frightened," the man leaned back after checking my pulse. "And likely weak as well; I spoke with Geldis."
"We need her to be stronger and better in five days," Nedrizif growled.
"Then put her to bed and make sure she eats," the physician said.
"Do it," Nedrizif growled at Zendeval, who lifted me from the chair, kissed me twice on the way to the bedroom, covered me up in his bed and walked out. The fact that he seemed more lucid whenever he held me made me wonder if some residual effect from the device Nefrigar planted in my collarbone was interfering with his controller from so close a distance. Worrying over it wearied me, so I closed my eyes and slept.
"This will help," the physician was back, slipping an IV needle into my hand and taping it down before hanging the bag of fluid on a pole beside the bed. "Now, be sure to eat the broth they're bringing for you. I told them under no circumstances are you to be forced to work before the sale."
Some physician he was. He didn't care that I was to be sold, he only cared about what I looked like during the sale.
"She won't be damaged permanently?" Nedrizif was right behind the physician, as was Zendeval and Perdil. "This one can make desserts that you only dreamt of before."
"If you let her rest. The infection that some of them get was quite virulent in this one. We will try to keep the damage to a minimum." I turned my head away, no longer willing to watch while the physician spoke as if I weren't in the room. I'm sure Lendill had already run his image through the available databases. If he held a license anywhere, Lendill would know it.
"Daddy may want to bid on her," Darletta walked in to see what was happening. Perdil's drawn breath was a hiss.
Chapter 12
"It's bad enough that Nedrizif may bid," Perdil snapped when I woke the following morning. Food was waiting on a tray and Zendeval was glowering in a chair beside the bed. "But if Dantel Schuul starts bidding," Perdil didn't finish the thought.
I felt a little better physically; Geldis had come in twice during the night to check the IV and change bags, working around Zendeval's arms, which were wrapped tightly around me.
I wanted to tell Perdil that Dantel Schuul's head might be removed first thing if he attempted to place his hands on me, but I didn't. I wasn't supposed to speak unless I had permission. I'd read stories—old ones, of slavery before the Alliance was born. I hadn't gotten the full impact of their subjugation until now and I had to force myself not to snap at everyone present.
"First morning without fever," Geldis observed when he walked in with a fresh bag of fluid.
"You should have been doing this all along," Perdil grumbled. "But then Nedrizif holds your leash."
"I do as I am told," Geldis muttered, slipping the bag onto the hook.
"Reah, eat," Perdil sighed and walked out of the room. Zendeval sat on the chair, never moving, watching me place every shaking spoonful of bland, hot cereal in my mouth. I was wishing for a bit of fruit or brown sugar at first, but I couldn't eat n="3nee place emuch of the stuff anyway.
"A little more?" Zendeval urged with his hands.
"I can't," I said without thinking, my head falling back against the pillows on his bed.
"Reah, I can't think unless you are close," he was pulling me against him, making me whimper, he hugged so hard.
"Come now, the physician will bathe her. You must go to work," Perdil was back and herding Zendeval away. My hands shook but I bathed myself. I had four days to recover enough to deal with what was coming.
"I think father will make the announcement tonight, a little ahead of schedule," Lendill grumped. Norian, surprisingly, had been invited to dinner with Lendill in Gaelar N'Seith.
"Announcement?" Norian gave his oldest friend a puzzled frown.
"His heir. Who he'll name as Prince-Heir. Faldill and I figure it will be Naldill, and Reldill will be right there to kiss Naldill's ass. I think he asked you to come as support for me since Reah isn't available right now."
"You act as if naming his heir means he's handing everything over," Norian observed.
"The Prince-Heir is expected to rule with him, to prepare for the day when he takes Gaelar N'Seith. When that happens, and I hope it will be a long time from now, the King steps back and only offers advice, which the new King may or may not choose to heed." Lendill didn't like that fact at all, Norian noticed.
"You won't go back, will you, if your oldest brother is named Prince-Heir." Norian made it a statement. Lendill only nodded.
"We may be leaving early tonight. Naldill will be puffed up and insufferable when father names him Prince-Heir. There won't be any room in the Elven lands for a half-human younger brother."
"I see." Norian did understand. Lendill, the few times he'd spoken of his two older brothers, hinted that they'd tormented him during his childhood.
"I can always take you drinking afterward," Norian offered. "Or whatever you want to do. Get back to Reah's cameras, if you want." They'd left Drake and Drew behind to watch the feed from Reah's cameras—they weren't sure who else they might be able to trust.
"We'll do something," Lendill promised, folding both of them to Gaelar N'Seith, the Elven lands.
"Norian, good to see you again," Kaldill took Norian's offered hand. Stay beside Lendill tonight, no matter what, he sent in mindspeech. Norian, unruffled at the mindspeech, barely blinked at Kaldill Schaff's words. Was Kaldill expecting trouble? Norian nodded respectfully to Kaldill and stood beside Lendill at Kaldill's formal table.
Elves were all about the natural world. The table was covered by bowls filled with grapes, oranges, pears, nannas and even gishi fruit. Norian knew that this crop was likely the first of Avendor's new crop. Kifirin's crop had been harvested and shipped, which meant it wouldn't have another crop ready for three months.
Kaldill's guests sat after Kaldill sat. He and Lendill's brothers were dressed richly in long, open robes over tight leggings, the brothers' robes embroidered in gold, silver and copper for first, second and third son. Kaldill's were embroidered in green and gold.
Lendill wore a suit and looked out of sooknd place against the finery of his father and brothers. If he'd dressed according to tradition, his robes would have resembled brass. Lendill had always felt out of place, though. Norian realized that Naldill and Reldill had seen to that, likely torturing Lendill when he was small because he didn't have power. Now he doubted any of them had noticed that this was no longer true.
"Try the rolls, I helped make them," Kaldill smiled at Norian and Lendill. Kaldill had become quite the cook as far as bread making was concerned.
"It's wonderful," Norian agreed after the first taste. Talk was sparse over the dinner table, with Kaldill making most of the conversation. He asked a few questions about the current problem with the pirates and such. Lendill, sending Norian mindspeech that it was all right to speak freely at Kaldill's table, offered the information.
"We're finding controllers in at least half the population, I think. We're not sure exactly what they're planning, but it doesn't look good."
"Fools," Kaldill muttered, lifting his wineglass.
"I've never seen this part of your father's home," Norian whispered as he followed Lendill, Lendill's brothers and Kaldill Schaff down a lengthy hall in Kaldill's palace after the meal was finished. Very little metal existed in his home, which was built mostly of wood, stone, marble and granite. Beautifully carved wood made up most of the furniture, with richly decorated and embroidered cushions. Norian wondered then that he'd never seen any of Lendill's brothers' mothers. He ventured to ask Kaldill about it.
"We mate for a thousand years, and may renew after that if we desire. Or, we go looking for another mate. It is the way it is, and presently I am unmated." Kaldill showed all of them into his private study, where elves must have painted and decorated; the artwork and furniture was stunning.
"I wish I'd seen this before; it would take days just to examine everything in here," Norian sighed appreciatively.
"It has taken millennia to get it just the way I like it," Kaldill beamed at the compliment. "Please, sit down." Seats were set before the desk for all of them while Kaldill sat in the chair behind the wide desk.