01 Taxilas Children

TAXILA'S CHILDREN
The Bole spoke.
"Surveillance report."
"Proceed. Keep down the volume."
"An intruder entered this chamber during your absence."
"Identify."
"Insufficient data."
"Describe the intruder."
"Sensory observation only."
Steve swore under his breath. He couldn't expect the Bole to work miracles but he
unreasonable enough to insist on it. It couldn't be expected to describe the physical
appearance of the intruder. Steve had commanded sensor scans only, this it had done. Steve
went through the possible candidates for forced entry. It might have been Laoni or anyone
else in the population. He had nothing to steal except the Bole and the Pentacle. It did
indicate that he was under some sort of surveillance - someone was expressing interest. The
unknown visitor made him feel uneasy. It would have been simpler to have arrested him and
to have brought him before someone in authority. Surely the arrival of a stranger by
mysterious means should have provoked some sort of official response.
He was quite sure that he hadn't heard the last from Laoni. Things couldn't remain as they
were and she might well be the catalyst for change. There seemed to be no point in eating
alone in his room. He had something to wear, he had proved he could walk on his own two
feet and he saw no reason to give Caela additional work in providing him with room service.
He pulled aside the curtain and emerged into the main room of the house and in so doing,
frightened the wits out of his hostess, she dropped something which he hoped was not the
evening meal and retreated to the far side of the room.
Steve smiled reassuringly and bent down to retrieve the dropped utensil. She darted
forward and grabbed it away. Jabez chose this moment to make his entry. He looked at his
woman suspiciously as she tried to scrape up the mess from the floor and at the same time,
tried to keep her distance from her lodger. Steve hoped that Jabez had enough sense to realise
that he was much too young for his woman and that she had more sense. The old man uttered
something rather sharp and unkind and seemed to have forgotten that Steve could now
understand and speak.
"I should apologise. I appeared suddenly and startled Caela."
The old man frothed a response in thought.
"My Lord is most benevolent. My Lord has no reason to apologise on behalf of this stupid
and lowly woman."
"On the contrary, I am the one at fault, not Caela. For some reason I make her nervous."
"My Lord is most kind."
The old man was at his most obsequious. Steve felt like planting a kick on his ancient arse.
"I am getting very much stronger. In a short while I will no longer impose myself upon
you. I must seek out those who will help me to return to my own - er - land. First of all, I
would like to ask you about my arrival. I remember nothing except being welcomed and then
waking up in your house."
For the first time, the initiative had been taken out of Jabez's hands. A variety of
expressions crossed his face in quick succession. Some of them didn't increase Steve's
confidence. The old man was hiding something, eventually the ingratiating mask was
restored. He answered deferentially.
"I will be honoured and pleased to answer all the questions my Lord wishes to ask. If my
Lord wishes, I will take you to the place of my Lord's revealing."
There was nothing like striking while the iron was hot.
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