Not for the first time, Zilik cursed his own cleverness. Why did he send Alex to the north? Why not the swamps where the alligators hated the Anolis? Or the rainforest where the Anolis were similarly despised? Or somewhere that wasn't so cold?
He had to find her today. He was sluggish from the cold, despite the winter clothing and fires. He couldn't last another day up here.
At least the horse didn't care about the cold and trotted obligingly through the dying grass of the plains. He hoped Alex had followed due north along the river. It was his only chance to find her.
"Alex," he called out yet again. "It's me, Zilik. I need to talk to you."
His horse startled then reared, front hooves pawing at a presumed attacker diving down from the air: Alex.
"Hang on." Alex easily evaded the hooves, grabbed Zilik's hand, and in an instant they were aloft, arrows bouncing off her slipstream. "You were followed. I saw the ambush from the air."
Zilik clicked gibberish, wrapping himself around her as they flew. The horse happily galloped off, unharmed.
"Sorry to surprise you like that. Better than being shot to shreds," she told him.
"I never . . . we never knew . . ."
"Your kind was already freaked out about me. They would have lost their minds if they knew I could fly. I didn't want to be chained down. Now, which way do I go?"
"Huh?" Zilik was still twined around her.
"I'm heading south, but you'll have to direct me. Where should we go?"
"Chameleon City. We'll be safe there. I can hide you. How do we find it from the air?" Zilik sounded more coherent, but still had a death grip on her.
"It won't be easy. I only have this little wrist compass, but what choice do we have?"
***
Zilik recovered enough to help navigate and they landed north of Zilik's home after sunset. Alex set them down in dense foliage.
"You have to keep us alive now," Alex said as they set down in the thick bushes.
"Staying alive is a Chameleon specialty. Now follow me."
Zilik peered around before grabbing her hand and dashing out of the bushes of the Chameleon Quarter park. Once on the street, he resumed a normal walk and nonchalant manner.
"What was so important that you risked your life for?" Alex asked gloomily as they walked the streets in the dark.
She looked around at the red brick buildings with grey cornices, carvings and statues abounding in Chameleon Quarter.
"It's your friends. According to my contacts, they, and the revolution, are in serious trouble," Zilik said.
"What contacts?" Alex asked. "What revolution? So that's what Gabe shut me out of. Macho moron. I should squeal to the Portal Guardian that he broke her direct orders."
Zilik grinned at Alex's tirade. "Deela is my contact. Your friends are prisoners of the Kuni. She's claimed them for her own harem. They couldn't overthrow a children's club where they are. I thought you would want to know. I thought you would want to help them."
"Who me? I'd get them killed, remember? I'm useless."
"Alex," he said simply.
"Of course, I want to help them. That's all I ever wanted. Well, that and strangling Cla were right up there together. What's the plan?"
"We'll talk about that later. Here's my place," Zilik said, pointing.
The building was a massive red stone edifice. One story, red brick arms jutted out from a central two story building. Alex admired the carved grey stone cornice crowning the red building.
A large fountain bubbled in the forecourt. Two marble Chameleon statues reached toward each other over the center entrance.
"You own a palace?" Alex asked.
"Just an apartment inside it." Zilik smiled.
Alex followed Zilik's slinking figure to a simple back door and inside.
"We won't be staying. Everyone knows where I live and you must hide."
"Nice pictures," Alex said as she looked around his apartment. There were frames scattered in every corner of the main room. Each picture showed Zilik with various species, and Alex bet they were all female. "Sleep-mates, Zilik?"
"What?" he called out from the bedroom. He poked his head out for a look. He rumbled in his throat in what Alex figured was his version of a chuckle. "Some are. All ancient history, though. I collect pictures of friends and acquaintances. I don't know why, but I like looking at them."
"A trophy case," Alex replied, too low for Zilik's hearing, she hoped.
"Let's go." Zilik held a small suitcase and handed her a cloak. "Take off that heavy coat and put this on."
Zilik led her to a small, one horse carriage parked in back. He climbed into the driver's box and Alex crammed next to him. He took the reins and gently flicked them on the horse's back.
"Zilik, you're a lot more important than you've let on, aren't you?"
"I would love for you to consider me important," he replied cheerfully, but at her reproving look added, "I'm the secondary to the Chameleon Council member."
"I'm not surprised. I bet you're involved in a lot of new policies and treaties, aren't you? You travel constantly, you have contacts in high places with lots of species, you hang around with dangerous types such as revolutionaries and alien mammals. You're working more to change the politics on this planet than all the Council members put together, aren't you?" Alex asked.
"I wouldn't go that far."
"I would. Zilik, you are a radical. Don't try to deny it. Tell me what I'm getting involved in," Alex said.
"Freedom, my dear, freedom. You can sympathize, I'm sure. I don't think all these dictators and oppressive monarchies should flourish because no one wants to intervene."
"Dangerous thinking, Zilik. Could start a lot of wars," Alex warned.
"But I'm right. I believe—"
"Zilik, I agree with you. There's no need to convince me. It's still a dangerous idea. I should have known only a bleeding heart would care what happened to me."
"A what?" he asked.
"Doesn't translate well. Not exactly accurate if you're willing to start wars. Where are we going?" Alex asked.
"I know where some of the revolutionaries are hiding. We'll find out their plans," Zilik said.
"Will Deela be there?" Alex asked.
"No, she's deep in Anolis territory. She's also a secondary to the Kuni. But she's been sending us word and she told me about your friends. That's when I decided to find you."
"I would have never forgiven myself if anything had happened to my friends. They mean everything to me." Alex stared moodily at the landscape. "That reminds me. Is Razz okay?"
"Safe and sound. Here's our stop." Zilik climbed out of the carriage, lead rope in hand. He attached it to the horse's halter and secured it to a hitching post.
"Disreputable, isn't it?" Alex eyed the dilapidated buildings.
"This isn't the half of it. We're walking the rest of the way."
As they walked, Zilik pulled Alex out of the grasp of several disheveled reptiles of various species. "One problem with being an open society," he explained, "Is that a lot of the rejects from other cities come here. They expect everything handed to them. Needless to say, they're disappointed."
They descended some stairs and Zilik knocked on a windowless door. A panel slid open, Alex could see a reptilian eye through it and the door opened.
"Hurry, hurry. Were you followed?" the Chameleon holding the door asked.
"You insult me," Zilik said in a good-natured tone.
Alex was surprised to see so many Anolis crammed in the tiny room. She was even more surprised at several Gilas jammed in as well, leaning against the walls, watching everything.
"What do you mean by bringing this mammal in here?" an Anolis female asked.
"Quiet." A neighboring Anolis smacked that Anolis' arm. "Deela has vouched for her. She's here to help us."
"I don't trust her," the Anolis replied.
"Neither do I. If she helps us, she'll be executed by InterSpec," another Anolis said.
"Or live in hiding the rest of her life. She must be a spy for InterSpec," a third Anolis female added.
"I hadn't counted on such outright hostility," Zilik whispered to Alex.
"Naïve," Alex whispered back. "Always count on hostility." She raised her voice and said, "Excuse me, but I'm already living in hiding. Haven't you heard that I escaped the Institute? Your Kuni ordered my death at the hands of your scientists. No one objected. Only Zilik cared and helped me. I have no love of InterSpec and no fear of the Kuni."
"Why would she help us? What does she know of Amal?" an Anolis asked, ignoring Alex and speaking to her compatriots.
"I know nothing of Amal." Alex crossed her arms and watched as they talked excitedly before she interrupted again. "But if you're talking about the Kuni, then I know that Cla serves her. Cla has humiliated me, stolen my sleep-mate, tried to assassinate me, and the Kuni ordered your scientists to torture and kill me. Are those good enough reasons?"
"Maybe, but what good are you? What with your tender pink skin, you still bear the marks of Cla's blade."
"You don't know half of what I can do," Alex said. "Your hide makes shoes and purses on my world."
"Any good szarek will have knife marks," one of the Gilas spoke. "If you require that all your warriors personally know and hate this Amal in order to fight, then that excludes all of us."
The other Gilas nodded their agreement.
Alex was gratified that grudging respect entered the lizards' eyes. "If you don't trust my abilities or my loyalty, give me some test. Anything to prove myself."
"Alex, that wasn't wise," Zilik whispered in her ear.
"I told you wisdom wasn't my strong suit. Do you have a better suggestion? They aren't my adoring public," she whispered back.
The Anolis murmured among themselves. One spoke up.
"Your task is to retrieve one of your friends from the palace. Deela gave them valuable strategic plans of the Kuni's forces. When your friends were annexed to the Kuni's den and the initial strike-force failed, we lost communication. Bring back one of them and we will have the information we need. If you fail, Cla will kill you."
"What else is new? I accept."
"Alex, don't." Zilik sounded appalled.
"She knows of us. What if Cla forces her to tell what she knows?" an Anolis asked.
"Know what?" Alex challenged. "That there's a group of revolutionaries in Chameleon City? They must suspect that already. If they don't, they're bigger idiots than I think. I know nothing of your true numbers or your plans. You're in no danger from me."
"Well said, szarek. These females have nothing to lose and everything to gain by sending you. I wish you victory," a Gila said in his rumbling voice.
"If you are successful, find Zilik and he will find us."
"This is absurd," Zilik protested. "Alex, you'll be slaughtered the second you step near the Kuni's palace. How do you expect to sneak in?"
"That's not our problem," an Anolis female said.
"There's a way." The Anolis who spoke received several glares, but continued. "There's a ritual that will allow you a chance to reclaim your friends."
*****
After the Anolis outlined her plan, Alex agreed it was clever. The hardest part was entering the palace, but once in, if the Anolis adhered to their own traditions, she would have a chance.
"Now leave us, mammal, we have plans to make."
Alex didn't object to such a curt dismissal and left the room.
"I don't like this," Zilik complained as they walked back to the carriage. "I'm coming with you."
"No," Alex said and walked faster.
"You'll need help entering the palace." Zilik kept up easily.
"No." Alex looked straight ahead.
"I won't let you go alone," Zilik said.
"No. I can drive myself, if you'll loan me the carriage. If you don't, I'll fly there."
"I didn't bring you back so you can get killed."
"You brought me back to help my friends, and that's what I'm going to do. What did you think?" Alex finally looked at him and held up her hands in frustration.
"I thought we would get some help, get back-up. Not you, traipsing off alone, on some impossible mission."
"It's not impossible. You heard the plan."
"You need help. I'm going with you," Zilik insisted.
"For the last time, no." Alex stopped, gripped Zilik's shoulders, and looked him in the eye. "Zilik, part of this is personal. This is trivial in the overall plan of things. You're needed for the big picture, to make all those policies and treaties, and change the world, remember? You're too important to 'traipse off' with a crazy alien mammal into enemy territory."
"But—"
"No buts. Are you loaning me the carriage or not?"
"Yes." Zilik looked defeated. "May I have a picture made of us first?"
*****
A/N
Alex is back in action! Who wants to see her fighting in the Anolis palace?
Isn't the music video astonishing? Who would have broken a leg trying those stunts?
Dedicated to:
Her high fantasy novel is part fantasy, part romance, all well written!