police needed
success in the fight against Wang’s ongoing operations and she,
too, wanted that sly bitch behind bars.
Wang’s legal
business concerned shipping and handling of trees from Belthraine.
Only by accident, customers on Heligran had found packages with the
forbidden substance Barylom in one of them, and had reported it to
the local police who had informed their colleagues on
Belthraine.
Wang had
claimed to know nothing of the illegal export and had won so far.
There was no connection confirmable that Wang or one of her
employees had personally added the forbidden substance to the
trunk. The police officers had returned to HQ empty-handed and with
a lot of frustration stowed away for further use. They had begun
their work anew, realizing that Wang had been one step ahead,
again.
Barylom
consisted of the ground bones of a medium-sized insect found in
Belthraine’s woods, called Larolydis. Finding it was a game of luck
and intensive surveillance because it could change its color and
melt into the surroundings in a short time. Scientists assumed the
Larolydis lived off the excrements of the Horlyns, but that was
never proved. Fact was that if you wanted to catch Larolydis, you
had to find a group of Horlyns first. This was, of course, neither
an easy undertaking nor a safe one.
From reports,
Rayenne had learned that Wang had expanded her business to
freelancers who were willing to venture into the different woods on
Belthraine to find and bring her Larolydis for a good prize. It was
unclear why she had not been caught, yet since the business
demanded many men and much equipment. Police officers whispered
that she either bribed the police chiefs much better than her own
people or she knew how to frighten them into silence.
Rayenne assumed
the latter. The number of Sanjongy assassins grew from day to
day.
“Are you
done?”
Sajitar’s weak
voice made her gasp. She looked from her makeshift bandage to his
pain-filled face and nodded, relieved. Her smile failed
miserably.
“Hey, you’re
still alive. Guess for my first surgery, that’s a success.”
“What did you
find?” He tried to turn, but stopped, inhaling sharply. “Fuck! Did
you cut through to my intestines?”
“No complaints,
please. The film of the healing spray is the only thing keeping you
from falling apart.”
“Not funny.” He
let out his breath slowly, trying to turn his head in order to
survey the closed wound. He flinched, but didn’t further comment on
her work. “Tell me.”
She used the
forceps to show him the empty shell.
“See for
yourself.”
“That means I’m
a living broadcast tower, and wherever I walk, my enemy knows.” He
slumped back on the sleeping bag to cover his face with his arm. He
sounded weak. “What will the bullet do?”
“It lost most
of its energy on the impact. It’s not like it’ll travel through
your body at light speed.”
“That’s funny.
Try once more.”
“Maybe it’ll
show tomorrow at your ear and I can pull it out. How would I
know?”
He glimpsed
from under his forearm.
“You’re the
surgeon. I want a precise prognosis.”
Rayenne tried
to smile while she put together the first aid kit. Her hands
started trembling again and she did not like the unease that came
like an unbidden comrade.
“I really can’t
say. It’s new to me.”
“If it rips me
apart from the inside, then—”
“Saji, stop it.
I’ve done what I could.”
“And I’m
grateful, believe me. Let’s have a drink to your success.”
Though not
convinced, she drank with him.
Chapter
Four
“ This thing’s quite
impressive,” Sajitar said when they packed their belongings after
Rayenne had collapsed the unusual tent. “I didn’t even hear the
rain fall after a while.”
Rayenne evaded his amused glance by checking
their surroundings. It had been nice to sleep dry and protected,
but the luxury ended when they left the tent. The rain fell light
and steady, so she pulled up her collar over
success in the fight against Wang’s ongoing operations and she,
too, wanted that sly bitch behind bars.
Wang’s legal
business concerned shipping and handling of trees from Belthraine.
Only by accident, customers on Heligran had found packages with the
forbidden substance Barylom in one of them, and had reported it to
the local police who had informed their colleagues on
Belthraine.
Wang had
claimed to know nothing of the illegal export and had won so far.
There was no connection confirmable that Wang or one of her
employees had personally added the forbidden substance to the
trunk. The police officers had returned to HQ empty-handed and with
a lot of frustration stowed away for further use. They had begun
their work anew, realizing that Wang had been one step ahead,
again.
Barylom
consisted of the ground bones of a medium-sized insect found in
Belthraine’s woods, called Larolydis. Finding it was a game of luck
and intensive surveillance because it could change its color and
melt into the surroundings in a short time. Scientists assumed the
Larolydis lived off the excrements of the Horlyns, but that was
never proved. Fact was that if you wanted to catch Larolydis, you
had to find a group of Horlyns first. This was, of course, neither
an easy undertaking nor a safe one.
From reports,
Rayenne had learned that Wang had expanded her business to
freelancers who were willing to venture into the different woods on
Belthraine to find and bring her Larolydis for a good prize. It was
unclear why she had not been caught, yet since the business
demanded many men and much equipment. Police officers whispered
that she either bribed the police chiefs much better than her own
people or she knew how to frighten them into silence.
Rayenne assumed
the latter. The number of Sanjongy assassins grew from day to
day.
“Are you
done?”
Sajitar’s weak
voice made her gasp. She looked from her makeshift bandage to his
pain-filled face and nodded, relieved. Her smile failed
miserably.
“Hey, you’re
still alive. Guess for my first surgery, that’s a success.”
“What did you
find?” He tried to turn, but stopped, inhaling sharply. “Fuck! Did
you cut through to my intestines?”
“No complaints,
please. The film of the healing spray is the only thing keeping you
from falling apart.”
“Not funny.” He
let out his breath slowly, trying to turn his head in order to
survey the closed wound. He flinched, but didn’t further comment on
her work. “Tell me.”
She used the
forceps to show him the empty shell.
“See for
yourself.”
“That means I’m
a living broadcast tower, and wherever I walk, my enemy knows.” He
slumped back on the sleeping bag to cover his face with his arm. He
sounded weak. “What will the bullet do?”
“It lost most
of its energy on the impact. It’s not like it’ll travel through
your body at light speed.”
“That’s funny.
Try once more.”
“Maybe it’ll
show tomorrow at your ear and I can pull it out. How would I
know?”
He glimpsed
from under his forearm.
“You’re the
surgeon. I want a precise prognosis.”
Rayenne tried
to smile while she put together the first aid kit. Her hands
started trembling again and she did not like the unease that came
like an unbidden comrade.
“I really can’t
say. It’s new to me.”
“If it rips me
apart from the inside, then—”
“Saji, stop it.
I’ve done what I could.”
“And I’m
grateful, believe me. Let’s have a drink to your success.”
Though not
convinced, she drank with him.
Chapter
Four
“ This thing’s quite
impressive,” Sajitar said when they packed their belongings after
Rayenne had collapsed the unusual tent. “I didn’t even hear the
rain fall after a while.”
Rayenne evaded his amused glance by checking
their surroundings. It had been nice to sleep dry and protected,
but the luxury ended when they left the tent. The rain fell light
and steady, so she pulled up her collar over
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