Chapter 26 - Tymos Heals the Injured
He returned, able to present a façade of his usual self. “When did you learn nursing, Kel?” He asked, trying for mild humour to ease the tension.
Keleb wasn’t in the mood for it. “There is a swelling on the side of Tanya’s head, and it is very hot there. Can we bring in help? Stenn insisted that we waited until you came.”
Tymos met Stenn’s direct gaze, and understood when he saw Stenn glance down at his uncle. They did not know who else might have been compromised, and there was more in that look, but Stenn was not about to speak his concern.
“Let me where you are Kel, and go and see what my sister has here to drink. Probably nothing stronger than juice or flavoured cordials, though she might have some biscuits.”
Llaimos understood every word, and followed Keleb like a shadow. He was hungry.
Tymos needed to concentrate on his foster mother and wanted no interruptions. He glanced at Jonko, and signalled with his eyes to go and back Stenn up. It was a precaution in case Perrin woke and was less than docile. Jonko nodded and walked casually in that direction.
Allowing his mind to read the energies he saw swirling in his foster mother, he sought the cause of the problem. He had seen the Ciriot fire a weapon at close range, but it had been neither a projectile weapon nor an energy weapon. Had it been, she would not be alive.
“Tanya,” he spoke softly, trying to reach her essence. She did not respond. He gently rolled her to one side and examined the energies again, looking deeper into the area of the swelling and afraid of what it might be doing to her brain. He saw it finally, a tiny pinprick of a glow, with the hot swelling around it.
“So that is it,” Tymos murmured into Tanya’s ear and taking her left hand. “I can help you.” Under his hand, he felt the faintest twitch from her fingers. “You are a true warrior of the spirit, Tanya. They tried to control you, but your body resists. I have dealt with these infestations before, and this time, you have done half of my task for me.”
He kept up a calming flow of chatter as he focussed his power to a finer and finer point, deeper into the tissue being compacted by the swelling. As he had for Stenn, and Zacary, he sent his power into the alien energy mote and overpowered it. Then he gently massaged the swelling, encouraging the excess blood to return to the normal circulation patterns. He contrasted this use of his power, with what he had done to kill, and came to understand that he had a duty to heal, and to remove evil that threatened innocents. He silently asked the Guardians for the wisdom to know when he must kill to bring healing.
Tanya stirred under his hand, her eyes opened and tears began to leak from them.
“You are fine now, Tanya,” Tymos assured her. “We all are.”
Llaimos came and crawled onto the couch next to her, as if oblivious to his increased size. His mouth was surrounded by cake crumbs. He gave his mother a hug that she returned – finding relief in his nearness but shock at his abrupt growth.
“Little bro, if you keep stuffing your face with cakes everyone will call you a barbarian and no one will be able to keep you in clothes. Why don’t you go with Kel and see if our sister has something you can wear that is not split at the seams.”
Again, Tymos was deliberately speaking lightly. He had noticed Tanya’s shock, but now her maternal instincts resurfaced as she dealt with her son’s embarrassment.
“Let me up,” Tanya requested of Tymos. “I will see what I can find.”
She spoke softly to Llaimos who was hiding his face on her, like the youngster he really was. As she walked slowly towards Kryslie’s sleeping room, she glanced at the figure of Perrin Reslic, as if she knew without being told that Llaimos was better away from what Tymos needed to do next.
“Keleb, I lost the headset I had. Can you get through to Arden and tell him they need a clean up crew in father’s suite. Ciriot corpses, one of which is a leader. And have something to eat too, Kel. We all need the calories.”
When Keleb was across the room activating Kryslie’s computer console and communicator, Tymos walked to where he could stare down on Perrin Reslic. The older man was conscious now, but his face showed no anger or frustration, just resignation.
“You know what you have to do,” the President’s brother stated calmly. “I have become a traitor, and you must act in your father’s place.”
On the other hand, I could summon Xyron here to deal with this, Tymos thought, but I know Perrin did not willingly obey those alien monsters.
“I delved into the sewer of a mind of the leader of that group of creatures,” Tymos said flatly. “They like to break strong willed people, like you. It gives them a real sensual high. It’s sick. If I were to kill you, or have you locked up, I would be serving those vile creatures. Yes, they controlled your body, but not your mind.”
“I cannot be trusted,” Perrin said, getting more emotion in his voice. “You cannot let me loose.”
“There is another option,” Tymos countered.
“No! You know what your father and my brother would say and do. You must not let me…”
Tymos interrupted him, “Your brother is not here, and as you reminded me, I am acting for my father. I do not have to do as you command. Quiet! Answer this question – do you wish to die rather than do your duty?”
The question had the desired effect. Perrin snarled, “I am no coward and I can still tie you in knots, Prince Tymos.”
Stenn muttered, “I wouldn’t bet on that, Uncle. After all, I knocked you out.”
“And I will prove it to you that it was a lucky accident,” Perrin snarled, trying to sit up. He saw the stunner in his nephew’s hand and settled back.
“Well,” Stenn remarked calmly. “Now we know you have incentive to live.”
Tymos flashed Stenn a warning look, and then turned his full attention back to the man on the floor.
“What do you remember?”
Perrin considered. “I remember not being able to move until those cowled creatures told me to stand up and made me bring them here.”
“When you arrived in Amik, they had a force field on,” Tymos prompted. He saw Perrin trying to remember.
“Yes, but some of us could still move.”
“Krys saw seven bodies in the beam-in chamber there. They died from the effects of a concussion grenade. Five were missing.”
“His Majesty?” Perrin asked, alarmed, and again trying to sit up.
“Krys will find him,” Tymos assured him. He felt the waves of guilt suffusing his former teacher.
“Perrin Reslic, you are not a traitor,” Tymos insisted, not giving Perrin a chance to speak. “And you can argue that point all you like with his Excellency at a later time. I can help you!”
“You are little more than a wet eared whelp,” Perrin snarled. “My brother would have me disempowered. He would have no choice.”
Tymos was perfectly serious when he asked, “Is that what you want? Really want? I can do that too.”
“It is necessary. You must not allow those creatures to use me again. I know too much. I can endanger everyone.”
His voice was insisting, and his mind was thinking the same, but Perrin’s eyes betrayed the sentiment. It was true, he wasn’t a coward, and in truth, he didn’t want to die, he didn’t want the Ciriot to win, but he did not want to bring harm to innocents.
“Very well,” Tymos seemed to agree, and when Stenn was about to protest, he gave his friend a slight headshake.
He stared down at Perrin, looking for the energy glow he knew had to be there. It was, and it was brighter than Tanya’s, but then, hers had just been inserted. The Ciriot had longer to work on Perrin.
Ideas moved in Tymos’s mind. Was the energy glow a life form or a device? From examining Zacary, he knew the glow could control the host even when, or especially when, it could not be in contact with the Ciriot…programmer?...but did it matter which Ciriot mind spoke to it? Had the Ciriot in the purple armour been the one to purpose it? Would it be reachable by any other Ciriot, if there were more on the Estate?
He considered all points, and how it had made no difference to the glow if the host had power or not. So, what if he did disempower Perrin? It would not make him forget all the sensitive information he had as his brother’s second in command. It really wouldn’t stop him endangering others if the glow controlled him. All it would do, if Perrin was locked up or dead, was to deprive the Tymoreans of a very able war leader.
No, the answer was to remove the glow, as he had done for Stenn and Tanya. The few hours that Perrin had been in Ciriot hands were not enough time for them to play deeply with his resisting mind.
So, the question boiled down to what this glow was going to do when it realised that Tymos was going to remove it. The one in Zacary had reacted violently, and this time, he did not have Kryslie to help him.
“Very well,” Tymos repeated, making his voice sound reluctant. “I see the truth in your view. You cannot be allowed to retain your power. I honour your courage, Perrin, and as I have not done this before, it may be a very agonising procedure. If you remain still, it will be easier for you. Better still, would be if you placed your mind in a meditative trance and allow your body to relax, so you do not resist me.”
Tymos saw the eyes close, and he placed his hand gently on Perrin’s face. Once again, Perrin had his mind completely unshielded, and Tymos sensed him clearing his mind of all thoughts. The emotions took longer, to clear, and Perrin did not try to hide them. He was afraid, but there was trust there too.
Finally, Perrin was fully relaxed. Tymos was en rapport with his mind, he began speaking quietly, explaining what he was going to do – or rather, what he wanted the energy mote to report to its masters. Lurking in the older man’s mind was a presence that was gleeful, aroused by having caused the downfall of a powerful enemy. The glee increased as Tymos warned that the process would be agonisingly painful.
Tymos was aware of the presence as he began to draw Perrin’s power from him, and was abetted when Perrin put himself into a deep trance, that might seem like death. And then, when it seemed like its host could no longer resist, the energy mote took control. Perrin’s hand jerked up, grabbed Tymos by the throat, and began to squeeze.
Jonko and Stenn started to move to help him, but Tymos was ignoring the attempt to strangle him. The personal force field was preventing the hand from tightening too much.
“Jon, Stenn, hold him still.”
The energy glow was clear to Tymos’s adjusted eyes. He focussed on it, even as Perrin’s body began to thrash in an attempt to get into a better killing position. To trick the entity controlling Perrin’s body, Tymos reduced his own power, closed his eyes and waited for the thrashing to pause. Then he slowly sank from his knees to fall over Perrin. In truth, it was to help hold the body down, but he wanted it to seem like he was unconscious.
Perrin’s eyes were open, though he was too deep in trance to see. The mind observing through the energy mote gave a satiated laugh. Tymos gathered power in an instant, causing the room lights to dim for that time, and sent that power to the point of his mental focus. The awareness of another mind vanished, and Perrin dropped from trance to unconsciousness.
Carefully, Tymos rose to his knees and checked Perrin’s condition. He sent healing energy into him and then sat back – too weak to stand.
“Jon, would you let Xyron know what happened? He will want to check Tanya and Perrin over, and he might have the means to make them rest.”
Stenn gave a soft snort. “Uncle won’t. Are you sure he is rid of…”
Tymos nodded.
“I am surprised that he let you have him in a position or inferiority,” Stenn uttered his belief – only because he thought his uncle was still unconscious. “Or that I got the better of him.”
“It won’t happen again, nephew,” Perrin growled. “Nor will I let those…creatures…have me again.”
“I doubt that would be interested in you now,” Tymos said, as if carefully considering the idea. “Not after you proved to be so weak that you let a child get the better of you.”
Perrin growled again. “What did you do to me, Prince Tymos? My head feels like a bomb exploded in there.”
“That’s what that Ciriot watcher thinks happened,” Tymos told him, but he knelt down, rested his hand on Perrin’s forehead, and sent his healing energy to reduce the pain. “You now have the chance that you really wanted – to get even with the bastards.”
“You didn’t learn to be so devious from me,” Perrin growled, but this time it was with grudging respect.
“Didn’t I?” Tymos said with a faint smile. “I had to learn to be devious to outsmart you.”
Jonko returned from sending the message and raised an eyebrow in query at his friend. Teasing Perrin Reslic was never a good idea, but Tymos merely turned his head slightly and winked at him.
Governor Xyron arrived, bringing a med team with him. Jonko, Stenn and Keleb bowed when he arrived, but Tymos did not. His friends stared at him, wondering why he ignored the traditional courtesy.
“What happened here?” Xyron asked Tymos.
“You have seen the bodies in father’s suite?”
“Yes. Ciriot are they?”
“The one with purplish armour is a leader. He had control over Perrin, via another of those energy entities. The leader under-estimated me, and did not succeed in taking Llaimos. However, he took the opportunity to infect Tanya, as he had Perrin. I have removed the energy glows from them both. Tanya should be fine. Perrin was only in their control a matter of hours.”
Xyron directed the med team to examine and tend both victims.
“And Llaimos is unaffected?” Xyron asked with concern.
“The Ciriot did not harm him. Being a child, they did not try to control him. As for seeing them being killed, he seems to be fine. Although his mind is advanced for his age, he is still very young. He obeyed my directions, and his major concern was for his mother.”
Xyron nodded, keeping his reactions private. “Do you intend to remain here?”
“For now,” Tymos decided. “Stenn mentioned a place in his Excellency’s palace and if we have to move we will go there.”
“Do you think there are more intruders? We have sealed the beam-in chamber now and the guards all have lenses to see the glowing trails you mentioned.”
“If the guards do a thorough search of this palace checking out any trails, and find no more Ciriot, I think it will be safe enough to cancel the lockdown.”
The med team escorted Perrin Reslic from the suite, and decided that Tanya could remain. They arbitrarily insisted that the entire group needed to eat and rest. No one argued, but they knew that lockdown had to be lifted before that would be arranged.
When the suite was quiet again, Tanya re-emerged, from Kryslie’s sleeping room telling Tymos that Llaimos was asleep and had usurped one of Kryslie’s one-piece exercise outfits. She said that she intended to copy her son’s example.
“What do you think, Kel, are all those Ciriot creatures gone?” Tymos asked.
“Can’t you tell?” Stenn asked.
“I am exhausted,” Tymos admitted. “And Kel is a bit more sensitive to unnatural creatures than I am. If Krys were here she would know – but she isn’t.”
“I think there are no more,” Keleb gave his opinion.
Stenn exhaled a deep breath and then demanded, “Are you going to go and help Kryslie now?”
Tymos went and collapsed into one of his sister’s chairs.
“No.”
“What?” Stenn, Jonko and Keleb all exclaimed at once.
“Kryslie is as competent as I am. I have to trust her to survive and do what she intends. I have to stay with Llaimos, and it isn’t because I don’t trust all of you to protect him.”
“Why then?” Stenn asked bluntly.
“I am the only one here that can control his growing,” Tymos told them.
“Can’t our Guardian do that?” Keleb asked.
“Well, he could, but he has to oversee an awful lot of things at the moment,” Tymos admitted.
“I guess so, but why is your brother growing so fast?” Keleb wanted to know.
“It isn’t something I can explain,” Tymos said. “Truly, the Guardians…”
“He’s the third,” Stenn stated bluntly. “Kryslie said that. Kel, he’s just being modest –at least he is now, when he’s no longer pulling rank on my uncle.”
“Modest? How?” Jonko glanced at Stenn for the information.
“This whole useless war is a symptom of the ending of an age. The heralding of a new millennium – history repeating itself. Tymos is one, Kryslie is another and Llaimos is the third.”
“Make sense, Stenn,” Keleb grumbled. “I haven’t had time to study much history.”
Stenn took a deep breath, and walked to another chair. “The Guardians of Peace always choose three advocates during times of trouble here on Tymorea. Tymos and Kryslie are two, and to act, Llaimos must be grown. There isn’t time for us to wait fifteen years. But I don’t know why you have to hold him back.”
Tymos murmured, “He must come into his full power in the Temple, but we cannot go there yet.”
“I’ll accept that,” Jonko decided. “But what does that have to do with teasing Perrin when he is helpless?”
“Best time don’t you think?” Tymos tried to joke. His friends were looking at him as if he were someone they had never seen before.
“He will pound you when he is better,” Jonko predicted.
“Tymos forgot to greet our guardian properly too,” Keleb noted. “I am surprised that nothing was said.”
Stenn gave a weak chuckle and dropped backwards into the chair. “I am slow witted today. With Uncle Ty missing, Tymos is acting for him. For now, he out-ranks my uncle and is Uncle Xyron’s equal.”
“That is just part of it,” Tymos finally sobered and admitted. “Your uncle still sees me as a child, lacking experience. That is truthful enough, even though they tested Krys and me and graduated us out of lessons. I am not sure that he realises that the three Governors melded their minds with ours. What that means, is that all their knowledge, all their memories, and the memories of all the previous Governors, are in our minds. When we need to know something, the relevant details surface.”
“Have the Guardians spoken to you?” Stenn asked, partly in awe.
Tymos nodded. “But we don’t know what we must do yet. All I know is that Krys and I must be free to act. We are not any kind of super being. We cannot fly out and kill every enemy. We don’t need to – that is what the Peace Corps and the space fleet are for. The Governor’s know their roles. We are wild cards – when we need to act, we will know.”
“So what must we do now?” Keleb wondered.
“We wait,” Tymos said. An answer that satisfied no one.