In this second book of the Terrano Trilogy China gets her revenge on Vic Triller and Bailey Marshall gets into a great deal of trouble.
Bailey Marshall, partnered with Vic Triller, is assigned the mission of discovering the source of a rare mind-expanding drug. He and Vic failed at their previous assignment of delivering India Terrano safely to a CATT laboratory. Marshall is determined not to fail at this one. But he doesn't reckon on China Terrano, India's sister. China kills Triller, frames Marshall for the murder, and leaves him facing a painful death. Only one person can save him: Melalie Noris, a woman who hates him and whom he sent on a mission he did not expect her to survive. Armed only with logic learned from the planet of Thanli's dominant race and with the gift of a small trinde, a tree sacred to that race, handicapped by chala addiction, and left to fend for herself in the jungle of Arn, Melalie finds unexpected peace and happiness among the primitive Arnese. Rescuing Marshall can destroy that peace and bring disharmony and death to her Arnese friends. What she decides will change the course of her life.
Excerpt
The time! Where had it gone? The morning was past and she had no more than an hour before Shemric arrived for her lesson. Her Sendoran tutor was patient, but she did not want to give it more reason to disdain Terrans.
Melalie tied a scarf around her hair, slipped on her light jacket, and hurried outside into the wan Thanlian sunlight leaking through wreaths of cloud. Despite the chill, Melalie savored the fresh salt smell of the air. She took several deep breaths and strode toward the trinde tree that stood in solitary splendor opposite the embassy’s main entrance.
All four-day she’d planned to set aside time to consider the problem Shemric had set for today’s lesson. The Sendor had asked her to consider why its people had presented the trinde to the Solarian Embassy. An odd question, but it would expect her to have reasoned out some answer.
She’d had to arrange the itinerary for a Solar theater troupe and clear all their visas, and her efforts had been repeatedly frustrated by the Chadiassans, who were hosting the tour. She hadn’t yet got final approval from the Chadiassans, but that would have to wait. Her lesson with Shemric was more important.
Melalie huddled against the trinde’s trunk for the slight protection from the wind. Above her, the tree’s long, tapered leaves grew outward and upward from the central trunk, then arched toward each other to join their gray-green tips as if in prayer.
"Think!" she ordered herself. "You’ve got to come up with at least a couple of ideas before Shemric gets here."
What about the tree’s location? The Sendors had chosen it. Encircled by the driveway to the embassy’s main entrance, the trinde drew the attention of every visitor to the compound.
Probably the Sendors saw in the trinde an assertion of sovereignty over the embassy compound. That would be one of their more obvious motives. Being Sendors, they would have several others, some of them incredibly complex.
“Mornin’, beautiful. Nothing better to do than admire this overgrown artichoke?"
She hadn't heard Bailey Marshall’s approach. Melalie didn't bother to conceal her annoyance with the CATT representative. She had little use for Consolidated Associations for Trade and Transport. “I’m working on a thought problem my Sendor tutor gave me. I came out here so I wouldn’t be disturbed.”
“I figured you came out to enjoy the weather. Is it ever anything but cold and wet?”
“Not often. You get used to it. Or you stay indoors. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” She turned away from him to examine the trinde’s smooth-skinned trunk.
He moved in front of her and leaned against the tree. “So you're studying with a Sendor. Are you fluent in Sendor-speak?”
“I do fairly well. It's a complex language.” She straightened and met his eyes. “Maybe I didn’t make clear that my tutor is due to arrive soon. I have a lesson to prepare before then.”
Marshall folded his arms across his chest. “I get the point. But I have business with you.”
Irritated by his persistence, she decided to be equally stubborn. His ego had been overfed by the welcome he'd received when he arrived by interplanetary transport a little over a four-day ago; he needed to learn there was one woman who would not jump at his bidding. “Your business will have to wait. I allow nothing to interfere with my lessons with Shemric.”
“What kind of things do you learn from the big octopuses?”
She felt an angry flush spread across her face. “They aren’t octopuses! You think of everything in Terran terms!”
“I am Terran. So are you.” Marshall waggled a finger in her face. “You’re kidding yourself if you think you don’t see things from a Terran viewpoint.”
“I certainly don’t think of the Sendors as octopuses.”
“I’ll bet you did the first time you saw one.”
“Why should I? They aren’t sea creatures. And they have twelve limbs, not eight.”
He shrugged. “Whatever they are, they have knowledge we need. I’m assigned to a project that involves an exchange of information with them. I’ll need your help.”
“My help?” What game was Marshall playing? He must know of the performance record that had banished her to Thanli. “Mr. Marshall, I don't get involved in trade negotiations. I happen to feel embassy business should be kept separate from the work of CATT.”
She flounced off toward the gate.
He caught up with her and barred her way. “CATT does the government a lot of favors. We expect a few in return.”
“And you get them. More than a few. CATT operates out of the embassy facilities as though it were a government agency.”
“Is that bad? CATT keeps the government solvent.”
“I don’t approve of CATT’s methods. You can look elsewhere for help.”
“The work fits into your duties as cultural attaché.”
“In that case, see me later in my office.” She tried to step around him.
He grabbed her arm. “Look, this is urgent—”
She tore free of his grip. “I told you, I’m pressed for time.”
“Guess you gotta learn the hard way. I’ll see the Ambassador.”
He stomped toward the main office building. Melalie almost called him back. She couldn’t afford to draw the ambassador’s ire. But surely Ambassador Staton would understand; he’d given permission for the lessons with Shemric. She didn’t work for CATT, and Marshall had no authority to order her around. She returned to her contemplation of the trinde.
Heaven sent us an angel. She could be your neighbor. Her friends call her Megan, but when her eyes are glowing, everyone calls her Ember Reign.
Megan Martin was an average teenager. She felt cheated when her grandfather died and grandmother
The Starlords is a science fiction/fantasy story about ancient Starlords (old gods) or ancient aliens who along with their scions rule parts of the galaxy.
