The Way Back (Champions of the Crystal Book 4)

Chapter 12: Promises Redeemed

"They will," Mara insisted. "It is part of the agreement. He is merely to go and submit to certain examinations. Homeworld has always been concerned that Tirqwin's and my children could pose a threat to them. This will serve to assure them they are safe. Niavar will go when Scotty's treatment is complete; Tirqwin will oversee everything. It will be perfectly safe."

Mara sounded as if she were trying to convince herself, and Sabrina was aghast at the possibility she was wrong. "Mara, you can't—"

"Scotty is worth the risk," Mara replied firmly. "Tirqwin and Niavar and I all believe that. He saved us. We owe him this. We are resolved."

There was no arguing with the finality in her tone. Sabrina searched desperately for something to say. "Thank you," she said at last. "I appreciate the risk you're all taking. I wish you didn't have to."

"And I wish Scotty hadn't blown himself up," Mara replied. "We must deal with reality as we find it, Sabrina."

"Mara...Asnefer said they would probably have to replace some of Scotty's genes with Wayfarer ones. Is that true?"

"Tirqwin mentioned that. He said to warn you that Scotty may be quite altered by the treatment. He intends to volunteer his own genetic material for it."

"That's like him," Sabrina smiled mistily. "Do they know how long it will take, Mara?"

"No. But several weeks, at the very least. It may be quite a long time, Sabrina. We must bear it, however long it takes."

"Yes. I know. It's so hard not to be there."

"Tirqwin will watch over him," Mara said. "I must go, Sabrina. Are you comfortable? Is there anything you need?"

"Selémahs and Justek are taking care of me," Sabrina said. "And Ford. He's been incredibly sweet to me, Mara. You did a good job with him."

Mara smiled. "It's kind of you to say so, Sabrina, but I'm afraid I can take very little credit. Relax, my friend, and try to enjoy yourself. I expect to be home in a week or so. If there is news in the meantime, Tirqwin will try to get it to you here rather than trying to contact me. Asnefer has agreed to relay his reports."

"Thank you, Mara."

"I require no thanks, Sabrina. I love Scotty too, you know." Mara hugged her, and was gone.

Sabrina sat in bed for a while longer, turning over the news in her mind. It was a great relief to know that Scotty was in the best possible scientific hands; she could only hope there would be no political ramifications. It was out of her hands, anyway. Political ramifications were no longer her responsibility. It was hard to get used to, somehow. She wondered if she would get used to being out of the loop, or if she should try to get back in.

Tassan. First she must see him, and—what? She still didn't know. Beg for his forgiveness, she supposed. Tell him how much she missed him, that she had always intended to come back and marry him. Would it mean anything to him now, after so long?

She got up and went into the bathroom. The fixtures still operated as she remembered; there were fresh towels and linens in the drawers, and luxuriously soft scented soap, hand creams, and other toiletries thoughtfully laid out for her. She had a quick bath, then washed and dried her hair. There wasn't much choice of what outfit to wear; she chose the blue-white dress. Tassan had liked her in white, she recalled, or silver. Wishing she had a white rose to put in her hair, she put it up in a loose bun, leaving a few strands loose around her face. Maybe, if it was still early, she could find her way to the conservatory and her roses. She did want to take a bouquet to Tassan; it was all she had to give him now.

She was too nervous to eat, but she went into the kitchen and drank a glass of milk to fortify herself. It had a sweet, buttery taste she had forgotten, and it made her hungry, so she ate a muffin she found in the breadbox. Smiling, she realized that she would be able to assure Tassan she was eating properly. He would be happy to know it, she thought, remembering all the times he had coaxed her to eat when she was too nervous or upset to want food.

Ford still hadn't arrived, which surprised her a little. She had gotten used to his being around when she didn't expect him, and to be noticing his absence was a strange experience. Not to mention irritating. She wanted to go, now, before she had a chance to get any more anxious. Waiting would play havoc with her nerves.

Perhaps she should go to the conservatory after all. It was better than sitting here working herself into panic. She went into her study and activated her comconsole, bringing up a map of the palace. It took quite a while; the mapping system had to update most of its files from the central database. The configuration that finally came up was largely unfamiliar, and Sabrina saw that the rebuilding had not been an exact copy of what the Reissians and Xoentrols had destroyed. The Royal Residence, for instance, no longer occupied the prominent central position in the huge palace complex. The Queen's Garden, the largest on the palace grounds, was there instead, with the new Residence off to one side. Sabrina's conservatory was, of course, in one of the old, untouched buildings, but the route there had changed. It looked like she needed to traverse one of the Ministry buildings to reach it. Perhaps she should call for an escort, she thought. But no, she wanted to see the palace for herself, at her own pace. If she got lost she would simply ask for directions. Sabrina downloaded the map files onto her portable pad, pulled on her borrowed boots, and set off.