01 Taxilas Children

TAXILA'S CHILDREN
Other eyes were on him, as usual, his thoughts were being monitored and his sentiments
were being broadcast loud and clear. Quite suddenly, he sensed that he was a target! The
thought caused a surge of adrenaline. Jabez had nearly succeeded and would have done so, if
Danyk hadn't intervened. The question was, could he rely of being rescued by Danyk a
second time, especially whilst he was a guest in the Thanehold of Rho Arpor?
There was always Taxila! The thought didn't give him a burst of confidence. Taxila had
hitched a ride with his physical body during the journey from Mars. He had no need of a
physical form, perhaps the intention was to use it as a sacrifice!
Steve tried to switch his thoughts to another subject, but persistently, they returned to the
thought of his impending death. It took a little time for him to realise that he was being
manipulated. He looked into the shrouded faces of the seven remaining Adepts, they were
seated close to Rho Arpor. Their eyes were concentrated on him, there could be no doubt as to
the source of his unrest.
When he was free to return to his quarters, he faced himself in the mirror. He wasn't sure
what he intended to do, but he knew that the time of indecision had to end. He stared into the
eyes of his mirror image. The eyes contemplated him in return. Thoughts articulated in his
mind.
"You realise that you cannot resist me? You understand that I must become dominant?"
Steve clung to a the reality of a physical expression. He nodded in agreement.
"What will happen to me?"
The thought was a soothing.
"You will survive."
Every sense screamed for self preservation, but yet, he understood that there could be no
escape. It was the inevitable moment of abdication, when he had to acknowledge that Taxila
was more than a schizophrenic image, but was a reality. Beyond that time, Steve Holt and
Taxila would fluctuate within him. Sometimes, Taxila would be content to recede and allow
Steve Holt his moments of ascendancy - but those moments would become increasingly rare.
The physical form would remain for as long as it was required. It might even alter in
nature, perhaps it would not age, as Danyk had suggested on the escarpment. Eventually,
Taxila would occupy it unchallenged, he would be the undisputed master. Steve formed the
words, his lips trembled over the sentence.
"You must take control."
There was no blast of psychic power at the moment of transition. The fear seemed to drain
from him, there was an exchange of personalities and the Steve Holt who had once been, was
relegated to some deeper part of his psyche - but he still existed. Taxila grinned at himself in
the mirror.
"Just for a little while, my timid host. I will rule until I've done what must be done. I still
have a future use for what Maia calls your blundering innocence and your clumsy
sweetness!"
He turned to the Bole, it was the next test.
"Status."
"Integrity."
"What is my status?"
"Integrity."
"Good - see you remain alert, my electronic friend. We will both be busy tonight!"
He stretched out on the bed fully dressed. His visitors would come within the hour. He
reached out into their minds and created unrest - enough to ensure that they would be drawn
to him. He looked into the blackness which surrounded Rho Arpor and his seven Adepts and
then scanned the minds of the others who waited for the approaching hour of sacrifice. He
searched for the victim and was not surprised to find it was the Scarn who had attached
178