“How? He whispered in my ear.”
“Is it true or not?”
“I’ve killed thousands of vampires since that day.”
“No doubt. But I saw one the other day. She was present at the great battle. I watched her as she watched you. You saw each other, although you tried to pretend that you didn’t.” Umara paused. “Her name is Sita, if I’m not mistaken.”
I shook with anger. “She is no concern of yours!”
“She’s a vampire, and you’ve taken a vow to destroy them all. Tell me, Yaksha, with Sita so near at hand, why didn’t you spare a minute and sneak up on her and cut off her head?”
“It is . . . She’s someone I once knew.”
“Now she’s someone you must kill.”
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“The time’s not right.”
“You can’t do it, can you?”
“Silence!” I yanked my sword free and put the tip to her neck. “You will not speak of her again.”
Umara was unafraid of my sword. She casually brushed the blade aside and stood. I couldn’t understand how warm her eyes were when her words were so harsh.
“I can do it for you,” she said.
“What?”
“Kill her. Help you fulfill your vow.”
“Now you speak nonsense.”
“Are you afraid I’ll do it?”
“You wouldn’t stand a chance against her. She’s stronger than she appears.”
“The same is true of me. I’m old, Yaksha, very old. You’re the first vampire, the most powerful, but I’m one of the first Telar. I’m from the beginning. The stars in the sky have changed since I was born. To me you’re but a child.”
There was strength in her words. I sensed it came from the fact she spoke the truth. My grip on my sword wavered.
“If I’m such a child, why do you speak to me?” I asked.
“I’m here to help you fulfill your vow. I’m the only one who can. Krishna spoke to me about this yesterday. He knows I’m the last of the original Telar, the only one who still knows the secret of their origin.”
“Tell me their secrets.”
“Not now. But I should warn you that a handful of the Telar know how old I am and have ordered my death. They fear me.” She paused. “But think how much more they will fear me if I return to Egypt with you.”
“Has Krishna ordered you to help me?”
Once again she shocked me. She threw her head back and laughed. “He’s never ordered me to do anything. I volunteered to help you because I want to.”
“Why?”
“It’s the right thing to do. Besides, I like you.”
“You can’t care for someone you don’t know.”
“Really?” She touched my hand that held the sword. “Are you saying you have no feelings for me?”
“We’ve only just met.”
“You only care for Sita?”
“We spent a lifetime together.”
“Fair enough. What are you going to do when the day comes that you have to kill her?”
The question filled me with pain. It was only the soothing quality of her touch that made it bearable. I realized then she was as old as she boasted. She could see right through me.
“That won’t be for a long time,” I said.
“If you want to give her that time, then let her go.”
“And leave with you?”
“Yes. And stay with me.”
I close his book and close my eyes.
I have read enough.
I’m not jealous.
I’m happy Yaksha got to be with such a wonderful soul.
TEN
In the morning, I check my cell and find three pressing messages. One is from Teri’s parents, who are now my parents. The next is from Lisa Fetch, a fringe member of our group, back in Missouri. Finally, Matt has called. God knows where he is. He wants me to call immediately.
I should call Matt first, he’s the boss now that I’m not.
But Matt intimidates me. Humans, Telar, vampires—we all put off what we don’t want to do.
I call Lisa Fetch to start. I figure hers will be the shortest call. Lisa’s a mathematician; she’s sort of hyper, smart, quick to get to the point. She’s presently teaching math at Truman College, a school Teri is supposed to return to in the next two weeks. I wonder how I’m going to get out of that commitment.
Lisa and Teri are not close, although Sita was a friend of hers, a point I have to keep in mind while talking to her. In a way, I’m surprised Lisa did not ask for Shanti, until I realize Lisa’s call is about Shanti.
“Did Sita talk to you about how the two of us puzzled over why Brutran wanted to eliminate Shanti when the girl appeared to contribute to the accuracy of the Array?” Lisa asks.
“Yes. Sita and I talked about Shanti’s relationship with the IIC in Goldsmith. She said you had come up with mathematical data that proved Shanti both helped and hurt the Array.” I pause. “To be frank, it confused me a little.”
“Don’t feel bad, Teri, it confused us. Why did Brutran want Shanti dead when she was one of their most accurate psychics? That was the mystery Sita wanted me to solve. There was stuff I had discovered that I wanted to talk about at the funeral, but it didn’t seem like the time or the place. Everyone looked too bummed out. Plus I had to get back to my classes here.”
“I understand.”
“If I explain my findings to you now, can you pass them on to the others?”
“Sure.”
“Ever since you guys ran off to Europe, I’ve been studying the data the IIC fed me when I worked for them. I discovered that when Shanti joined the Array, as an individual, she gave a high percentage of correct answers. At the same time, her connection to the Array caused it to falter.”
“Why?” I ask.
“I don’t know why. I just know that it did. As soon as the IIC hired Shanti, the Array dropped four-point-three percent when it came to picking successful stocks. That might not seem like a lot, but it’s staggering when you think how many thousands of kids make up the Array.”
“Did the IIC know it was Shanti’s fault?”
“They must have thought so. They hired a hit man to kill her, didn’t they?”
“Sita told me about that guy. Marko.”
“What else did she tell you?” Lisa asks.
“She had a theory that Shanti’s goodness somehow short-circuited the Array. It was just an idea of hers, but it sounds like you’ve proved it.”
“Maybe. There was another kid who joined the Array the exact same day as Shanti. This kid also scored real high individual numbers.”
“What was the kid’s name?” I ask.
“He or she is designated by IIC’s computers as M3014. We’d have to hack into their system to get personal data on the kid. But you know what happened to my ex when he hacked into their computers.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t,” I lie.
“He got killed.”
“Oh.”
“Look, Teri, the main reason I called was to let the gang know the Array can be weakened. At the same time, I’m not a hundred percent sure Shanti’s the magic bullet we’ve been looking for.”
“Because of M3014.”
I wonder who this kid might be. I want to find him.
“Right,” Lisa says. “I’m sorry I can’t give you guys a conclusive answer. But I’ll keep studying the data, see what I can come up with.”
“I’ll tell the others you’re working on it.”
Lisa hesitates. “How is everyone doing without Sita?”
“It’s rough. She was our leader. I’m not saying Matt’s not doing a good job, but it’s not the same.”
“I understand. Stay in touch. I still want to bring that bitch Brutran down.”
“Don’t we all,” I say.
Mr. and Mrs. Raine are up next. I procrastinate ten minutes before making the call. I feel like I’m screwing with my own mind when I talk to them. This won’t be the first time since I took over her body, but I can’t say I’ve gotten used to it. I have all of Teri’s memories inside. I can recall every birthday party they ever threw me.
Dad’s what people call “salt of the earth.” He works as an engineer at a local aluminum factory. Mom’s soft-spoken. She takes care of the house and spends a lot of time helping at church. They couldn’t be more harmless, or more divorced from the world I live in. That’s why they sound upset on their message. It seems Detective William Treach has called and is looking for me. Just what I need.
“The detective told us you left town without telling him where you were going,” my father says after I explain the misunderstanding about room-service Ken. My mother is on the line as well but generally lets Dad do the talking when it’s important.
Damn! My hypnotic suggestion didn’t work.
“I don’t have to report to him,” I say. “I gave him a full statement about what happened at the hotel. And I warned him I wasn’t going to be staying in Denver. I don’t know why he keeps bothering me.”