No Safe Haven

By Carmen Webster Buxton

Ran-Del Jahanpur still doesn’t know what his clan shaman foresaw in his vision of the future. Whatever the old man saw made him force Ran-Del to leave the forest and marry Baron Hayden's daughter. In spite of minor jealousies, Ran-Del and Francesca have forged a strong marriage. Ran-Del is still a warrior, but he's comfortable in the city partly because few people know of the psy abilities that make him so useful to the House of Hayden. Francesca is happy Ran-Del can see her thoughts well enough to know her feelings for her old flame Freddie Leong have cooled. Fortunately, psy talents are rare in the city, and no one knows the true circumstances of her marriage, not even Freddie. As heir to House Leong, Freddie has his own problems; he spends his days trying to escape his mother's iron control and ensure she never kills his father.
But not all the dangers of Haven lie in the cities. In the mountains to the north, the fiercely independent people known as the Horde have changed their ways. Instead of fighting among themselves and raiding in force, they now use cunning to get what they need. When the Horde strikes, Ran-Del and Francesca face a threat far worse than either of them ever imagined. And then finally, Ran-Del confronts his destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carmen Webster Buxton
• Release date: Apr 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9780983187134

Carmen Webster Buxton

I'm a pretty balanced person. I like both cats and dogs. I like a firm mattress but with lots of pillows. And I write science fiction and fantasy.I have several several novels and one novella as ebooks; check my website for more information on me and my work.

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No Safe Haven

A Cracked Mirror Press book

ISBN: 978-1-7325317-0-3 (paperback)

ISBN: 978-0-9831871-1-0 (Ebook - Kindle)

ISBN: 978-0-9831871-3-4 Ebook - EPUB

Published by Cracked MIrror Oress

Rockville, MD 20852

Cover design by Danielle Fine

https://www.daniellefine.com/

Copyright 2011 © Karen Wester Newton

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living, dead, or undead, is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.

No Safe Haven

by

Carmen Webster Buxton

cracked_mirror_sandy.jpg

Cracked Mirror Press

Rockville, MD

USA

Dedication

For my mother,

who found my stories under the mattress

and told me I should be a writer

Chapter One

Ran-Del watched his son press his face against the glass museum case. Christopher seemed entranced by the navigation control panel from a Terran starship. Having grown up in a wood and leather hut in the Sansoussy Forest, Ran-Del had no feeling for technology. The array of lighted displays, buttons, and levers perplexed him without inviting further interest.

Just think, Dad, Christopher said, straightening up to his full height. Eight seasons old and tall for his age, he didn’t quite come up to Ran-Del’s shoulder. That was made on another world.

Put that way, the device did seem more intriguing. Should he remind Christopher that he had been instructed to address his father properly? Ran-Del decided against it. Rebuking his son in public didn’t seem like a good way to win the boy’s respect.

What about that? Ran-Del pointed to a coffin-like metal container that stood against the wall. Someone born on another world spent over three hundred seasons sleeping in that thing.

Being in hyperstasis wasn’t the same as being asleep. Was there a faint hint of contempt in Christopher’s voice? Ran-Del’s psy sense told him Christopher felt nothing but curiosity and eagerness. It must be Ran-Del’s own feelings of inadequacy—still faintly present after nine seasons of city life—making him look for disparagement where none was intended.

A sudden sense of someone being close behind him made Ran-Del put his hand to the dirk on his belt.

It’s only me, Eduardo Merced’s voice said. Don’t go all Sansoussy warrior on me right here in the museum. The senior guard advanced to stand beside Ran-Del and grinned at Christopher. I wouldn’t worry too much about what hyperstasis is, Master Christopher. These days we can’t put anyone into stasis for more than a few days. The grin slackened, and his brow creased as he grimaced at Ran-Del. And if it comes to what we know how to do, sir, why did I bother training you in how to use a stun gun, a shock pistol, and a beamer if the first thing you reach for is still that Sansoussy toy?

Ran-Del took no offense. Merced was a friend as well as an employee of the House of Hayden, and city life had taught him to cherish friendship when he found it. Old habits are the most difficult to break. And I’m still better with a knife than with a more modern weapon. He didn’t want to point out, in front of Christopher, that Merced had witnessed Ran-Del’s execution of a murderer with the dirk he had just called a toy.

Perhaps Merced was thinking the same thing because he made no further comment, but only eyed the throng of people, half of them children, strolling through the long gallery. He nodded once at the two other Hayden guards stationed nearby, one of whom was discreetly checking the display on a hand-held device. None of the guards wore uniforms. Francesca followed her late father’s philosophy that security staff were more effective if they could blend in with the crowd. Are we about ready to go?

Ran-Del looked at Christopher. Have you seen everything you wanted to see?

Christopher pointed to a row of large silver pylons that stood at the near end of the gallery. A boy and a girl about his age were inspecting the surface of one of them as if looking for something. Yes, except I want to find our ancestor’s name.

Ran-Del suffered a pang of disassociation. His son meant an ancestor on his mother’s side. Francesca’s people had founded the city of Shangri-La, building roads, factories, and houses where wilderness had been, and had recorded their efforts for posterity. Ran-Del’s ancestors had settled in the forest, intent on living at peace with the new world around them. They had found a renewed sense of purpose in learning about the mental gifts endowed on some of their offspring by the long journey in space, but they had lost most of their knowledge of technology, even of reading and writing, and relied on oral traditions to keep knowledge and memories alive.

Christopher trotted over to the pylons, and Merced hurried to keep up. Ran-Del followed, feeling the presence of the other guards, nearby but not too close. Most of the times that he went out in the city by himself, Ran-Del refused to take more than one guard, but with Christopher in tow, he agreed with Francesca’s caution.

Both sides of the pylons were covered with names. The boy and girl already there had found the name they were seeking and touched it. The air in front of them lit in a half-life-sized hologram of a young black-haired woman, who smiled at them as if she could see them.

There! Christopher said, pointing at the same pylon. There’s Nicholas Hayden’s name.

Ran-Del reached up and touched the name of the first Hayden to live on Haven. The man who appeared in front of them was older and more serious than the young woman, whose image overlapped his at its edges. Instead of smiling he kept his gaze neutral, rather like he was assessing them. He looked nothing like the only Baron Hayden that Ran-Del had ever known.

Well, Christopher, he doesn’t look much like your grandfather, Merced said, echoing Ran-Del’s thought. No sense of humor that I can see.

Ran-Del had been reading the small block of instructions on the pylon’s face. Do you want the biographical data?

His son shook his head. I read that already, at home. I just wanted to see his name here, with all the other Landers.

A sudden sense of claustrophobia came over Ran-Del. He wanted to be out of this room, with its horde of strangers, and out in the open. If you’re ready, then let’s go. I promised your sister I would listen to her reading lesson. At least he could help with those lessons. He enjoyed reading, but a glance at Christopher’s mathematics text had convinced him that he had come to that subject too late in life to ever learn to master it.

Christopher fell in step beside Ran-Del as they made their way to the exit. They picked up a fourth Hayden guard as they passed through the wide doorway. This guard was new on the Hayden force, but his face struck Ran-Del as familiar. It took him a second to place the young man as Enos Toth, whose father had been Hiram Toth, the late Baron Hayden’s most trusted guard. Hiram Toth had shared the Baron’s fiery death because of that trust.

Ran-Del hadn’t thought of that terrible afternoon in a long time. He tried to put the thought out of his mind as they stepped into the sunshine of a warm autumn day and the bustle of a busy street in downtown Shangri-La.

Merced was on his com, speaking to their skimmer pilot as Ran-Del glanced around, recalling the first time he had seen the city from the tall tower of the Hayden compound. It had panicked him then, to see so many people at once, so many strangers he would never know.

He felt a little panicked now, and it came to him that it was his psy sense, nagging him to be careful, almost as it had on the day Baron Hayden died.

Ran-Del took a deep breath and hastily glanced around, looking for any sign of hostile intent. A feeling of impending danger overwhelmed him so suddenly he couldn’t concentrate on the myriad thoughts of the crowd around him.

Merced, something’s wrong, he said, stepping in front of Christopher. Something— before he could finish the thought, a sharp pain hit his side. He looked down to see a brightly fletched dart protruding from his shirt, right above his belt.

Déjà vu struck Ran-Del at the same moment that a peculiar fuzziness overcame his mind. Nine seasons ago he had been brought down by a dart fired from a Hayden employee’s dart gun. Then he had fallen; now his limbs seemed suddenly heavy as he tried to lift a hand to remove the dart.

This drug must be different. Ran-Del had no sense of losing consciousness, only of being in a mental fog that made it hard to move or even think. He knew he should be worried for Christopher, should draw his weapons as all the Hayden guards had done, but all he could do was stand and watch as the street erupted into chaos.

Merced shouted orders; he and the other guards raked the crowd with their shock pistols. Ran-Del heard the combined hum of the weapons as pedestrians began to jerk and twitch and totter over, like game pieces knocked down by an invisible ball. People screamed in fear and ran for cover.

Christopher clutched Ran-Del’s arm. What’s happening?

Ran-Del couldn’t answer, couldn’t speak at all. He wanted to scream at Christopher to stay behind him, but the words merely reverberated in his mind and refused to reach his tongue.

Merced jerked suddenly and then staggered a few steps. He kept on his feet but his left arm hung at his side and twitched.

G’ back inside! Merced shouted, the words slurring together as if he were drunk.

Two men who had been crouched behind a bench suddenly jumped to their feet and raced toward Ran-Del, weapons in their hands. Merced tried to fire at them, but his right arm wavered and his shots seemed to have no effect.

Just then the Hayden skimmer shot forward onto the sidewalk, swooping over fallen bodies and barely avoiding impact with a staggering woman and two children. Ran-Del could see the pilot’s horrified expression as the skimmer’s nose hit the two attackers, knocking one man flat and throwing the other one three or four meters forward.

Reality took on an eerie quality, as if Ran-Del were watching a video instead of being in the middle of the action.

Sirens blaring, a police flyter dropped out of the sky and set down abruptly in the street. Just as uniformed officers jumped from the flyter, two Hayden guards, a man and a woman, hustled Ran-Del and Christopher back into the museum. The guards herded them away from the entrance, and the horde of museum visitors who were all trying to look through the doors without actually going outside.

Are you two all right? the younger guard asked, giving them both a head-to-toe glance once they were at the pylon end of the gallery. It was Enos Toth. You don’t look so good, Citizen Jahanpur.

Dad got shot with that! Christopher pointed to the dart.

The woman guard reached out and touched the fletching on the dart. This might hurt, she said, and then she yanked.

It hurt a lot, but Ran-Del didn’t react, even when blood stained his shirt.

Must be drugged, Toth said. How do you feel?

Ran-Del couldn’t answer. He wasn’t sure what he would have said if he could. He didn’t really feel anything. He tried reciting the mantra for the First Discipline in his mind, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. He couldn’t reach samad state, and he realized with a detached sense of alarm that his mental control had waned so quickly, the thoughts of those nearby were seeping into his consciousness.

The woman guard flicked on her com and relayed the information to an unseen someone that Ran-Del was drugged and dazed, but Christopher was unharmed. Ran-Del couldn’t hear the answer, but he knew from her thoughts that she was told to stand by and stay vigilant.

Ran-Del could feel Christopher gripping his arm; the boy exuded fright bordering on terror, an emotion so strong it dampened Ran-Del’s awareness of other minds and spared him greater confusion. Ran-Del shuddered, horrified to be relieved by his son’s fear. Not since he had awakened in the hospital after his own death and resurrection had he been so out of control of his psy talent.

Time slowed to a standstill and yet somehow things seemed to happen while he wasn’t watching. Someone appeared and ran a medi-scanner over Christopher and Ran-Del, and then took the dart away. Someone else brought two chairs, and the guards pushed Ran-Del into one of them and directed Christopher to sit in the other.

Finally, the door opened and a female figure stood outlined by the afternoon sunlight.

Over here, Baroness, the woman guard said.

Christopher jumped up. Mom!

Francesca’s face swam into focus as she came closer. She gave first Christopher and then Ran-Del a quick hug, then stepped back to look at them. Ran-Del could smell her perfume. She looked well, if anxious. She wasn’t showing yet, but she had just recently told him she was pregnant again. He was glad she hadn’t been with them during the attack.

Francesca let out a deep breath and spoke to the guards. You can take them home now. It’s safe to go outside.

Yes, ma’am, the woman said.

Ran-Del wanted to say his wife’s name, but his tongue was still disconnected from his brain. Toth had to pull him to his feet because he couldn’t make himself stand.

You’ll be all right soon, Ran-Del, Francesca said. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.

Ran-Del could tell from her thoughts that the kidnappers were no longer an immediate threat, but she was still worried. A thought floated into his mind like a twig dropped into a river; if he wasn’t careful, he would find himself locked up in the Hayden compound again because Francesca would be afraid to let him leave it.

FRANCESCA folded her arms across her chest. The inside of the police station was a good deal more orderly than the street in front of the museum, and she felt safer for the moment, but it would be a relief to get home inside the walls of the Hayden compound. Knowing she was pregnant made her feel more vulnerable. So, what are you proposing?

The lieutenant in charge of the case lifted his hands. I’m not so much making a proposition as asking a question. What do you think you could gain by claiming dominion?

Claiming dominion? She put some steel into her tone. This was an attack on the House of Hayden. My rights are without question.

Your right to defend yourselves is without question, Baroness. He might have used her title, but the lieutenant’s voice was every bit as hard-edged as her own. Even killing the attackers would probably be upheld. Mowing down a street full of bystanders with shock pistols is something else.

Francesca got to her feet. My guards took the steps necessary to ensure the safety of my husband and my son. Shock pistols are never fatal, and they didn’t even draw their lethal weapons.

The lieutenant stood up to face her. That’s the only reason I’m willing to play nice.

She bit back a sharp retort. She needed to rein in her temper, or she would say something unwise. I repeat, what are you proposing?

I’m suggesting you give up dominion rights in this case. He raised one hand in a questioning gesture. Do you really want to put the House of Hayden into the prison business?

It was true that exercising her rights meant she had to be willing to follow through on the punishment. Could she impose a death sentence on a failed kidnapper? In the heat of the moment, she would kill to protect her children. She had faced that about herself when Christopher was a baby. But in cold blood, after a botched attempt, could she order someone’s death? She hadn’t even been able to press the firing switch on the man who had killed her father and tried to kill Ran-Del.

That left corporal punishment or imprisonment. A flogging might look suitably bloodthirsty, but was unlikely to deter future kidnappers. The thought of more drastic maiming made her cringe. And where could she hold prisoners securely? What do I get in return if I yield dominion?

A moment of surprise flickered over his face. He must have expected her to dig in her heels and refuse to consider surrendering her dominion rights. What do you want?

Security. Or if not absolute security, the knowledge that these particular kidnappers were out of circulation and couldn’t hurt her family. You have two suspects in custody. If you question them under nempathenol and let me attend—and record—the interrogation, then I’ll let you deal with them—provided my guards don’t face any criminal charges. Her lawyers could handle the individual civil complaints. A lavish application of money would smooth over any problems with aggrieved citizens.

The lieutenant held out his hand. You have a deal, Baroness.

She shook his hand, but asked a question. Why did you want dominion over this? A lot of cops would just as soon walk away when a Great House is involved.

He grinned. It made him look younger and much less stern. Because the more we can diminish Great House dominion rights, the more we can assure the citizens of Shangri-La that we can maintain order in the streets.

Possibly he was a secret—or not so secret—republican. She decided not to comment. He was, after all, a police lieutenant and not a good person to aggravate for no discernible gain. And when will you interrogate the suspects?

He glanced at a desk monitor. It looks like the datawork has come through on the use of nempathenol. We can start as soon as the medtech gets here. He cocked his head as he looked at her. Have you ever seen anyone under the influence of nempathenol, Baroness? Don’t worry. Those two will spill whatever they know.

She had seen someone do just that, and shortly after the drugged man had finished revealing his crimes, she had seen her husband execute him by slitting his throat. A tiny rush of nausea made her grab the back of a chair. Was it morning sickness or was it the memory of blood spurting onto the floor of her office? I’m sure they will. She pulled her corder from her pocket. And I’ll be very interested to hear what they have to say.

RAN-DEL let out a long cleansing breath and felt samad state fade as he relaxed his control. He unfolded his legs and rose to his feet just as the door opened and his wife came into their sitting room.

You look better, Francesca said. How do you feel?

Fine. Ran-Del stretched his arms out, happy that the movement felt effortless, and gave her a brief hug. Touching someone was the ultimate test of the mental shield provided by the Sixth Discipline; none of her thoughts leaked through to his own mind. The drug has worn off completely.

Francesca stepped back and gave him another quick look. I’m happy to hear it. It wasn’t a strong dose because it was intended for Christopher.

Ran-Del had come to that conclusion himself. It’s just as well it hit me instead, then.

She nodded. As it turns out, it was purely a monetary crime. They planned to snatch Christopher and demand a ransom.

She spoke with a certainty in her tone that his psy sense reinforced. How do you know this to be true?

She grimaced. I cut a deal with the cops. I gave up dominion rights, and they let me sit in on the interrogation. Nempathenol leaves no doubt.

Do you know why they picked Christopher as a target?

Her expression darkened into something close to a frown. They chose our House because we’re the only one without a cartel behind us. They figured that made us less risky to attack, and they wanted either Christopher or Jiana because they’re too scared of you to try to snatch you.

Ran-Del could sense her unhappiness. She had worked hard at keeping the House of Hayden independent mostly because her father had wished it so much. If independence made her children more vulnerable to attacks, that presented her with a difficult choice. Are all the kidnappers in custody?

Her expression grew even more sour. No. We got the two who were trying to make the snatch. They came damn close to succeeding because they had shields. They turned them on when they made their move. Luckily, your warning gave the skimmer pilot a heads-up, and she knocked them flat. Energy weapons won’t work against shields.

How many others were there?

There were two more in a skimmer nearby, a pilot and a woman with a com scanner.

Ran-Del had never heard the term. What’s that?

She shuddered, and a blast of fear erupted from her. It’s a device to detect a transponder signal. If we had implanted a transponder on or in Christopher’s body, they could find it and—and remove it.

A vision of Christopher lying in a skimmer, a bloody, gaping hole in his chest intruded itself in Ran-Del’s mind. He wasn’t entirely sure if it had originated in his own brain or somehow got past his guard from hers. It’s just as well we never did that then.

I suppose so. She shook herself as if ridding herself of an unpleasant thought. At least Enos didn’t muff it. Since I asked Marina to give him the job, I’m glad he knows how to do it.

Ran-Del was more concerned with the location of the kidnappers than with the competence of a new guard or the ties of an old friendship. So what happened to the two people in the skimmer?

They left when the police got there. The cops think those two have fled the city and gone to either Paradise or Eden. Unfortunately, the two in custody have no clue where their accomplices would go.

Surely you’re not still worried they would try again?

Her expression hardened into one he rarely saw. She looked not so much angry as fierce. If they do, they won’t get off as easily as their friends.

An idea blossomed in Ran-Del’s mind, a way to take a bad thing and turn it into a good thing. Perhaps this would be a good time to grant Christopher’s wish?

Her eyes narrowed. What wish is that?

He wants to know what life is like in the Sansoussy Forest.

For a second Francesca didn’t react. And then her face went blank, just as it did in business meetings when she didn’t want the person on the other side of the table to know what she was thinking. You mean you want to let him go stay with your grandparents.

Ran-Del had to laugh. You know I can sense your disgust. Why do you bother to try to hide it?

She looked stern for a second, and then her expression relaxed almost to a smile. Habit. She shrugged. I’ll never understand the appeal of living in a leather hut in the woods, without running water or a power field.

Christopher is eight. He doesn’t care about those things nearly so much as the adventure.

Her nascent smile twisted into another sour look. I’d just as soon do without anymore adventure.

Well, Ran-Del said, besides getting him out of the city, away from the reach of kidnappers, letting him stay with my grandparents would be an education of sorts. Hauling water and gathering firewood might teach him that some kinds of adventure involve hard work.

Francesca still looked hesitant.

My grandparents have the com set you gave them, Ran-Del went on. They could call if he got sick.

Her expression softened again. I suppose he could wear a transponder, in case he got lost or anything.

Certainly, Ran-Del said, pleased she was putting up so little resistance. He might have grown comfortable in Shangri-La, but he very much wanted his children to experience something of his childhood as a Sansoussy. Just as he had learned a lot from life in the city, Christopher and Jiana could learn from life in the forest.

How long do you plan for him to stay?

A few weeks, Ran-Del said. Long enough for him to get used to it. Three or four weeks of chores would be enough for the adventure to wear off. Christopher would get a feel for what life was like for a Sansoussy boy of his age.

Francesca made a face. Four weeks? Would you stay in the forest the whole time?

Ran-Del shook his head. I would stay overnight when I take him there and when I pick him up, but he’ll learn faster on his own.

She lifted her brows. One thing he would learn quickly is that you have a strong psy gift. The Sansoussy don’t make any secret of it.

Ran-Del had already thought of that. We planned to tell him soon anyway. This just moves up the date.

Francesca let out a sigh. I suppose it would be all right.

Well, the one thing we can be sure of is, Ran-Del said with conviction, no one in the forest will try to kidnap him for money.

Chapter Two

Ran-Del had wanted to tell Christopher about his psy gift at Hayden. Whenever they spent time at the estate he felt less enclosed than he did in the compound in Shangri-La; instead of walls, the house and estate grounds were protected by hi-tech security systems, and Ran-Del could walk and even run without a security escort. He and Christopher often explored the woods together. They even had a favorite spot where they sometimes built a fire and sat on a fallen log while Ran-Del told Christopher about Sansoussy customs and life in the forest.

In Shangri-La, the best Ran-Del could do was to take his son outside the next afternoon, and sit him down on a bench in the formal gardens at the front of the house where the plants were mostly Terran-Haven hybrids.

So, what is it, Dad? Christopher practically jiggled in his impatience. I need to pack for tomorrow.

Ran-Del decided not to let the appellation pass this time. I’ve asked you to address me properly—now that you’re old enough to learn the rules of good behavior.

Christopher looked down at the ground, his enthusiasm lost in a cloud of mortification. Sorry, Da—Father.

Ran-Del relented and sat down next to him. It’s all right. But in the forest you’ll find that my people are a little more formal. You’ll need to be careful how you speak.

I will.

Ran-Del drew in a breath and thought about the best way to break his news. There is something I need to tell you, Christopher. You’re old enough now to understand, and I know I can count on you not to talk about this with your sister.

Christopher’s eyes got rounder. Yes, Father. I won’t tell Jiana.

Good. I’ll tell her myself, when she’s older, but she’s too young now, to understand the need for secrecy.

Christopher looked expectant and hopeful.

Ran-Del held out his right hand. Do you know what this is?

Christopher’s face fell, as if he had been expecting a more exciting revelation. Of course. It’s a caste bracelet. All Sansoussy wear them. It shows who they are.

Ran-Del nodded and touched the beads one at a time. These three blue beads represent my family, the Jahanpur. He moved his fingers over the larger carved stone. This is my clan marker. I was born to the Falling Water People, and even though I married out of the clan, your mother’s not a Sansoussy and has no clan, so I count myself still one of the Falling Water People.

Christopher nodded, clearly wondering where this was leading.

Ran-Del fingered a black bead next to a silver-colored bead. This black bead is for my grandfather. I’ll wear it until the day he dies. The silver one is to hold my father’s place. I can’t wear a black bead for him because he died when I was young, but I wear this one to mark his place and show who my living ancestor is.

Christopher was looking bored until Ran-Del touched the single red bead.

This is a warrior bead. It shows that I agreed to fight to defend my clan, and that I’ve killed in doing so.

Christopher swallowed but didn’t ask any questions. Ran-Del slid his fingers over the four golden orbs. Unlike the other beads, they were colored glass, not glazed and fired clay. I earned these four beads in my Ordeal of Revelation.

Ran-Del studied his son’s face. Christopher looked intrigued now, as if he had figured out this was about to get more interesting. You’ve seen me meditate, haven’t you? And I’ve told you about the Disciplines?

Christopher nodded again. You use the First Discipline to meditate, the Second when you’re angry and need to get control of yourself, the Third to help deal with pain, and the Fourth for any time you feel really bad—from pain or wounds or grief or whatever.

Ran-Del hid his surprise. Christopher remembered well what had been only a passing reference. There are two other Disciplines. The Fifth is to be used only in very limited circumstances. If a Sansoussy is captured or forced into a situation where living could lead to dishonor, he has the right to use the Fifth Discipline. He stops his heart and his breathing, and his body dies in consequence.

Christopher drew in a breath, his boredom gone. Can they really do that?

Ran-Del nodded. Yes. I can do that. In my Ordeal, I had to perform all the Disciplines. In addition, my mind was tested to assess my psy gift. Every Sansoussy learns how to use the Five Disciplines, but not every Sansoussy has a psy gift.

What’s a psy gift?

There are several. They’re much more common among my people than in the cities, but even in Shangri-La there are people who have them. Your Grandfather Hayden told me once that people didn’t have psy talents until they came here—that it was something that happened to our ancestors on the journey here from Terra that caused us to suddenly acquire these new senses and abilities.

Christopher looked intrigued, but Ran-Del didn’t give him a chance to ask any questions before he went on.

Our family—the Jahanpur—have had many people with psy talents. Your great-grandmother can heal with a touch. If she’s near you when you’re ill, it’s much more likely that you’ll get well, and quickly. If you’re hurt or wounded, she can make the wound heal in hours instead of weeks.

What? Christopher asked, his eyes wide and disbelieving.

Ran-Del nodded. Your great-great-grandfather—my grandfather’s father—was a shaman. Among the Sansoussy, only those with the strongest psy gifts can become a shaman. All shamans have what city people call precognition—the ability to see something of the future. When something momentous is going to happen—like a village being attacked—the shaman usually knows about it before it actually happens. He—or she—has a vision of the future.

Christopher’s eyes opened so wide that the whites showed above and below his murky green irises.

Another gift is empathy, Ran-Del went on. That’s the ability to sense feelings. Then there’s telepathy, the ability to know what others are thinking—to see into other minds and read other people’s thoughts.

Christopher sat very still and said nothing. He stuck one thumbnail between his teeth, a nervous habit Ran-Del thought he had broken two seasons ago.

My grandfather, Ran-Del continued, your great-grandfather, got much of his father’s ability—not enough to be a shaman, but he can see some of the future sometimes. And he has a strong telepathic sense. That’s why he also has four gold-colored beads on his caste bracelet.

Christopher looked from Ran-Del’s bracelet to his face, and Ran-Del nodded.

I, too, can see into other minds. I have little precognition—I seldom have any clear vision of what’s going to happen, only vague warnings. But I have learned to use the Sixth Discipline, to control my talent, and I can easily tell what almost anyone is thinking and feeling if I’m close enough to him.

Christopher drew in his breath, and Ran-Del smiled as he skimmed his son’s surface thoughts. For instance, right now you’re wondering if I’m telling you the truth. You’re wondering if I can really see what you’re thinking.

Christopher’s mouth dropped open. You guessed that!

Ran-Del shook his head. Haven’t I always known when you tried to lie to me?

Christopher nodded.

Well, Ran-Del said, now you know how I knew.

His son still looked skeptical, and Ran-Del smiled to himself. This wasn’t an uncommon reaction to a revelation of this kind.

Think of something, he said. Think of something totally unrelated to the last few days—something I’d never guess.

Christopher assumed a serious expression and then nodded.

Ah! Ran-Del said. You’re remembering the last time I took you and Jiana riding at Hayden, the day the weather was so fine and we rode through the stream bed early in the morning. The horses’ hooves splashed in the water and sprayed the air, and you had a wonderful time.

Christopher’s eyes were as wide as a timber cat’s. You really can see into my mind?

Yes.

Christopher blinked. Wow! He looked up at