heels and rejoined Auxana, waiting at the other end of the corridor.
She asked me what was happening and I replied with a look of extreme exasperation:
“It's Josiane! She wanted to set me up against the Efeghis!”
“Why?” she asked.
Fearing she might perhaps overdo it a bit, I just shook my head, changing the subject to talk excitedly about the party. Meanwhile, my heart sank at the thought of all those that Josiane would manage to lure into her net. Were there other freedom fighters lurking amongst the enthusiasts? Would they fall into her trap?
We left the HQ and set out joking towards the market. I teased Auxana on how great she was looking and she blushed. I confessed I'd caught Olden leaving her room and begged her to fill me in on all the details.
She began to list all the amazing things that had led her to “falling in love” with Olden. I deduced from this that she had prepared her coup from the moment I'd dropped her. I couldn't help admiring her for that.
At the market place, I led her to the noisiest corner and said, without turning my head:
“Why did you do it, Auxana?”
“You've nothing to blame yourself for; I didn't do it for you.”
“Why, then?”
Her eyes blazed: “For the Earth, Lauren! Have you forgotten we've been invaded? Do you want all our children to be subjected to the sort of education Afren is dishing out to us?”
Reckoning that she'd acted rather too vehemently, I went up to a stall and began to enthuse about the fabrics on display there. Auxana draped one around herself and inspected herself in the vendor's little mirror with a dreamy smile.
She was the picture of the woman in love dressing for her lover. I would never have believed her capable of acting so well. After what seemed a reasonable time, she bought it, and we carried on walking.
Without turning round she asked: “Is Josiane a traitor?”
“Yes”
“So, they suspect us…”
“Not necessarily, but we do need to watch our step.” She smiled at my use of the plural.
“ I found out something very interesting”, she said, pressing a crystal into my hand. Its contents made me shudder with horror.
“ Never again will I touch any of those monsters!”
“The Resistance must be told about these auxiliaries!” declared Auxana.
“We can't do anything for the time being”, I replied, firmly. “We still have a lot to find out.”
“Like the reasons for their interest in you?” she asked.
I gazed at her for a moment before replying:
“Yes. We're going to have to do some probing around the infirmary.”
She nodded and I added: “I want one thing to be clear, Auxana. I don't want you to disobey my orders ever again. If you can't promise me that, I'll work on my own.”
“OK”, she replied. “I promise, but in that case you must promise me never to doubt me again.”
She held my gaze with a tenacity that I would never have credited her with.
“It's a promise”, I said.
“What are you going to do about Josiane?” she asked after a while.
“I'm going to make use of her.”
“How?”
“You'll see.”
We got back just in time for lunch at one o'clock. The Efeghi table was full and I hazarded a furtive glance in that direction. Oniar was still watching me. Feigning confusion, I looked away fairly quickly. And joined Auxana at our table.
I looked for Afren and spotted him with Elden at a table near the bottom of the refectory. They were alone, and even the occupants of the nearby tables seemed ill at ease around them. We lingered until the meal was over and the last of the earthlings had left, and then I got up and made my way towards the auxiliaries' table. The whole of officers' table was watching me and I pretended to blush as I made my way towards Afren.
“ Excuse me, Sir?” I said.
He turned towards me and stared at me for a while: “Yes?”
“I need to talk to you”, I replied hesitantly, with a glance at his companion.
“You need have no fear about speaking in front of
She asked me what was happening and I replied with a look of extreme exasperation:
“It's Josiane! She wanted to set me up against the Efeghis!”
“Why?” she asked.
Fearing she might perhaps overdo it a bit, I just shook my head, changing the subject to talk excitedly about the party. Meanwhile, my heart sank at the thought of all those that Josiane would manage to lure into her net. Were there other freedom fighters lurking amongst the enthusiasts? Would they fall into her trap?
We left the HQ and set out joking towards the market. I teased Auxana on how great she was looking and she blushed. I confessed I'd caught Olden leaving her room and begged her to fill me in on all the details.
She began to list all the amazing things that had led her to “falling in love” with Olden. I deduced from this that she had prepared her coup from the moment I'd dropped her. I couldn't help admiring her for that.
At the market place, I led her to the noisiest corner and said, without turning my head:
“Why did you do it, Auxana?”
“You've nothing to blame yourself for; I didn't do it for you.”
“Why, then?”
Her eyes blazed: “For the Earth, Lauren! Have you forgotten we've been invaded? Do you want all our children to be subjected to the sort of education Afren is dishing out to us?”
Reckoning that she'd acted rather too vehemently, I went up to a stall and began to enthuse about the fabrics on display there. Auxana draped one around herself and inspected herself in the vendor's little mirror with a dreamy smile.
She was the picture of the woman in love dressing for her lover. I would never have believed her capable of acting so well. After what seemed a reasonable time, she bought it, and we carried on walking.
Without turning round she asked: “Is Josiane a traitor?”
“Yes”
“So, they suspect us…”
“Not necessarily, but we do need to watch our step.” She smiled at my use of the plural.
“ I found out something very interesting”, she said, pressing a crystal into my hand. Its contents made me shudder with horror.
“ Never again will I touch any of those monsters!”
“The Resistance must be told about these auxiliaries!” declared Auxana.
“We can't do anything for the time being”, I replied, firmly. “We still have a lot to find out.”
“Like the reasons for their interest in you?” she asked.
I gazed at her for a moment before replying:
“Yes. We're going to have to do some probing around the infirmary.”
She nodded and I added: “I want one thing to be clear, Auxana. I don't want you to disobey my orders ever again. If you can't promise me that, I'll work on my own.”
“OK”, she replied. “I promise, but in that case you must promise me never to doubt me again.”
She held my gaze with a tenacity that I would never have credited her with.
“It's a promise”, I said.
“What are you going to do about Josiane?” she asked after a while.
“I'm going to make use of her.”
“How?”
“You'll see.”
We got back just in time for lunch at one o'clock. The Efeghi table was full and I hazarded a furtive glance in that direction. Oniar was still watching me. Feigning confusion, I looked away fairly quickly. And joined Auxana at our table.
I looked for Afren and spotted him with Elden at a table near the bottom of the refectory. They were alone, and even the occupants of the nearby tables seemed ill at ease around them. We lingered until the meal was over and the last of the earthlings had left, and then I got up and made my way towards the auxiliaries' table. The whole of officers' table was watching me and I pretended to blush as I made my way towards Afren.
“ Excuse me, Sir?” I said.
He turned towards me and stared at me for a while: “Yes?”
“I need to talk to you”, I replied hesitantly, with a glance at his companion.
“You need have no fear about speaking in front of
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