“I’m building a power network. Trying to, anyway, as a back-up to our current systems. I’ve created the equipment here but I need to actually put it out in the field. Giels insisted I needed a bodyguard.”
No reaction, but she had an impression that he was paying attention behind the emotionless mask. Sunniva felt for the opal at her wrist, to see if it was causing the feeling, but it sprung to life at her mental touch and started to glow a warning yellow. She snatched her hand back.
“I’m delighted to be of assistance.” The flat monotone sounded anything but.
“Was there anything you wanted to ask?” Why would a non Dreki whose life she could end with a touch have anything to say to her?
But he surprised her. “My lady.” A pause, as if deciding how much to say. “What do you mean by a ‘back-up’?”
The reference took Sunniva a moment to place. “Oh. At first, anyway. Ideally it would be a replacement.” There was more than enough power in the crashing thunderstorms that regularly split the sky around the aerie for their own network, although supporting the permanent worldgate that would open at uplift was another matter. “The human power plants are less efficient, and the conversion is wasteful.”
“Wasteful.”
“You’d probably know more about that I would.” The dry facts she’d absorbed about the local situation, with humans being deprived of all power for the aerie’s purposes took on a darker tinge. “Do you — did you work on the power plants?”
“The mines.” It sounded even flatter.
Before she’d arrived on Earth Sunniva had thought the mines were like the living crystal caves on the homeworld’s tiny emerald moon, glittering underground halls filled with priceless treasure. Then she’d seen the gouged-out hillsides and the toxic run-off from processing the ore, and revised her opinion. Giels had complained bitterly about the ridiculous human demands for safety equipment.
The mines were horrible, but surely Marcus’ current situation was worse. Sunniva was unable to think of anything to say. Instead, she turned to her workbench and poked at the matrix she’d been working on with a thin metal probe.
Marcus watched her in silence. It felt awkward initially, as if she were in an examination of some sort, but as time went by it became apparent that he was good at predicting her movements and keeping out of her way, and after a while she grew used to it. Seeing his intent profile whenever she glanced up from her work was strangely reassuring.
She had finalized the calibration on six of the sensors when Marcus wobbled and fell, grabbing at the bench next to him just a second too late.
“What — ” Sunniva reached out to grab him. He shook his head and pushed himself back up, swaying alarmingly.
“Are you all right? Sit down,” Sunniva added, as he tried to straighten to attention at her voice. She looked around hurriedly and located a stool under a stack of technical readings. “Here.”
He sat, although he
didn’t look happy about it. “My apologies, my lady.” He was looking past her again with that distant blankness.
With a pang of guilt Sunniva realized she’d been working for — she checked — nearly three hours. And she’d left him standing there, because it made her feel better. Giels would have used this as yet another example of how unsuitable she was as a clan leader.
Thinking of Giels brought another possible explanation to mind. “When did you last eat anything?”
The blue eyes flicked briefly to hers. “Two days ago.”
She’d brought bread and cheese up to the workshop that morning, and she hadn’t eaten it all before Giels summoned her. Sunniva found the half-full plate, put it next to Marcus, and went to run him a glass of water. When she set it down next to him the food was still untouched.
“You don’t like it?”
Marcus put out a hand. As he lowered it towards the plate his fingers started to tremble, then shake violently.
Sunniva stared, appalled. “Do I have to feed you by hand?”
Marcus coughed. “Your — ” his throat worked, as if trying to say something difficult — “Your brother commanded me.”
Oh. Well. That would be tidier. “Eat.” It didn’t sound like a command. “I order you,” she added. He shot her an assessing look and cautiously lowered his hand again. This time he was able to retrieve a roll. Still watching her, he bit into it.
Watching him chew felt far too intimate. “I order you to drink,” she said firmly, and then regretted it as he instantly obeyed, taking great gulps that had him choking on his mouthful of bread. “Stop!” She thought frantically of alternatives. “Eat and drink, in your own time.”
That order seemed to work. Marcus ate every morsel of food with an alarming quickness and drained the water. As soon as he replaced the glass he stood up again, locking himself into place by what looked like sheer willpower.
“I don’t want you falling on me.” Sunniva said sharply. “Sit down.” He did, folding his hands in his lap obediently.
What she needed to do first was stop reacting and actually assess the situation. She’d learnt to do that when working with power of such intensity that any mistake could be instantly fatal. Surely she could manage it with people?