Righteous Anger (Okal Rel Saga #2)

5.4: A Little Demonstration of Jump Stealing

Di Mon shimmer danced a code. Dot dash dash dot.

Dash dot dot dash, the Demish ship shimmered back.

If there was one thing the Demish could be trusted for, it was observing protocols, no matter how complicated. A Vrellish blockade would never have lasted this long, let alone put up with passcodes that required them to memorize a rotating schedule of transformations.

Di Mon could make his point now without fear of starting a shakeup. He had identified himself as part of their blockade.

He flew in a broad arc, watching for the Reetion ship he stalked to commit to the jump. Then Di Mon dove at a punishing six skim'facs. He braked just as hard to match mix with his prey as he plunged into the jump with him, catching the man's alarm in soul touch.

Di Mon knew the Killing Jump. The Monatese had known it for two hundred years, although they never made it except to teach new members of the ruling family so that the knowledge would be preserved. But if he had not known the jump, he could have learned it just now. That was the point he was trying to make — that jump stealing was possible for Sevolites. And that it was very hard for a surprised pilot to overcome his instinct to survive in order to take the hitchhiker into oblivion with him, instead of through the jump to safety.

They burst out together on the other side in the stretch of space the Reetions called the Reach of Paradise. Di Mon turned, and dove right back into Killing Reach again.

He attracted anxious Demish ward ships who were following his own directions to prevent hitchhikers making it out of the jump again. Even his shimmer-danced password did not reassure them entirely. A couple dropped out of skim to dog him in real space, but at that stage he was able to make radio contact and explain.

Quicksilver's grand Challenge Floor lay between the rim dock Di Mon favored and the quarters he and Tessitatt had been allocated. Their rooms served as a sort of Green Hearth embassy for the duration of the blockade, although the two of them were seldom present at the same time. One had to be at court as much as possible.

The Demish had rolled out a high-traffic carpet to protect the Challenge Floor, and locked up the fencing gear, as well, after Branst Nersal's sparring bout with his brother Horth. Apparently Demish cooperation did not extend to damaging the plush seats or scuffing the wood inlay on the Challenge Floor unnecessarily.

But it wasn't the Demish who were irritating Di Mon the most today. His little demonstration of jump stealing was an act of desperation to make the Reetions see they shouldn't be here. Ranar was waiting for him near the far end of the Challenge Floor.

"Do you feel better now?" the Reetion asked, in a tone more like that of a perplexed parent than a suitably impressed commoner.

Di Mon halted, ground his teeth, and waited until he could draw a steady breath before retaliating. "Do you feel safe?" he demanded.

Ranar sighed. "I told you, we know we put ourselves at risk by being here. But what is the alternative? Waiting on the other side of the jump, in ignorance?"

"Yes!" Di Mon exclaimed. "Because every day you stay here, you risk starting a shakeup that will do untold harm!"

"The buildup out there is about Amel. Not us," Ranar insisted. "Why don't you go convince D'Ander to transport Amel to Gelion and settle things the way you want?"

"I can't!" Di Mon said bitterly.

Ranar relented. "Yes," he said with sympathy, "I know. You can't resolve the conflict over Amel because the Goldens and the Silvers do not trust each other enough. You need your friend, Liege Nersal, back on Fountain Court to reassure them both that the challenge will be fairly fought." Ranar touched Di Mon's arm. "I do understand it complicates things for you to have us around. But just like you, there are things that I can do out of friendship and things that I cannot. We are here because we have to know what's going on. That is as basic to our culture as honor is to yours. Reetions will never trade safety for ignorance."