"I hate you," said Turhi."
"Tire you of saying that are you ever?" asked Thul.
Deep in the bowels of the dungeons beneath the palace that was once Turhi's home, Turhi and Thul were securely held. It had taken significantly more effort to keep Thul in one place. While reinforced cable was enough to hold Turhi, Thul was anchored with neural feedback blockers. The large electronic shackles amplified whatever energies he put into the cuffs that deadened all sensation in his arms and legs. Try as he might, he just couldn't command his limbs to do what he wanted them to.
"I will tire of saying it when I tire of thinking it. First you fabricated that whole story about your parents in order to gain my sympathy. Then you were unable to help me overpower our captors..."
"Outnumbered we were thirty to one," said Thul. "Little point seemed there to fighting them."
"Little point?" said Turhi incredulously. "Clearly they want to kill us!"
"If want to kill us they, in the first place rescue us why?" said the Malon reasonably.
"Isn't it obvious? They want to make an example of me."
"Example?"
"They want to torture me and force me into making all kinds of confessions. They want to humiliate me, drag me down in front of the people of Centauri Prime. To them I'm a symbol of everything wrong with this planet."
"Are you not truly a symbol? Tell me you, Vito Turhi----rule on your behalf did you, or on behalf the people of?"
"It's not that simple, Thul."
"Should be simple this," rumbled Thul."
Turhi sighed impatiently, clearly uninterested in continuing the conversation. He looked around the cell and said, "You know---the irony of this is sickening."
"Why sickening it?"
"Years ago, I allowed Seleya Soleta to escape from a dungeon cell....for all I know, this very one. So now I convince her to aid me in returning to my home----and I wind up in the dungeons. It goes full circle."
"Often does life go full circle," Thul said.
Turhi tested the strength of his bonds. He pulled on them as hard as he could, but they seemed disinclined to give in the least. Thul watched him impassively as, for long minutes, Turhi struggled, snarling and cursing louder and louder. Finally with an exasperated moan, Turhi sank to the floor.
"Display impressive very this," Thul said.
"Save the sarcasm, Thul. It doesn't matter." And then, in a surprisingly soft voice, he said, "I guess none of it matters."
"That defeatist somewhat sounds, say I."
Turhi seemed to have taken an interest in staring at his feet. "Thul----what if I succeeded?"
"Not understand I."
"Let's say that I triumphed over my enemies. The people rose up and supported me. That those who destroyed my life were, in turn, destroyed. Let's say that, once again, I was in power."
"Pleased would assume you I by turn of events that."
Turhi looked at him balefully. "It occurs to me that it would be as futile as pulling at these chains. Even if I wielded that power once more, I couldn't make my life the way it was. I couldn't bring my sister or any of the others back to life. I could do no more than create a shadow resemblance of my former existence. I have my admirers, my supporters----but so what? For any rational, thinking person, there has to be more to life than that. There used to be, for me. But now there isn't."
"Turhi...."
"Besides, for every single supporter I may have, there are twenty who would just as soon see me torn to ribbons. People who, if handed a blaster, would aim it at me and pull the trigger themselves. I have spent my life trying to do my best, Thul. And clearly it was not enough." He nodded slowly. "Let them torture me, I suppose. Let them do what they will. It doesn't matter anymore. None of it matters."
"Enemies what of? Said that you minded dying not, but were upset you that Cartagia outlive you might? Changed has that?"
"If I die before he does, or he before me, eventually we both end up in the same place. That's the odd thing about life. Nobody gets out alive."
Jakar Thul eyed him speculatively. "Say I must, Turhi, new attitude of yours find I annoying. More interesting were you when insufferable were you."
"I contemplate a life where I survive but know nothing but loneliness and memories of lost loved ones...or a life where I die after a battery of nauseating tortures. If those two possibilities render me 'annoying,' that's your problem, Thul, not mine. You're only the innocent bystander in all this. If and when your vessel arrives on Centauri Prime, they'll likely release you with no difficulty. But I'll be long de...."
The ground rumbled beneath their feet. Although Turhi was already seated on the floor, the force of the seismic shock sent him sprawling. Thul, for his part, didn't seem rattled at all. He just sat there, looking---at worst---mildly vexed.
As the vibrations subsided, Turhi shook his head. "Now there's something to hope for: Maybe the ground will simply swallow me up."
"Turhi----still on me grate you," said Thul. "If survive this we, doubt I that be any more inclined for friendship to feel for you than now be I. Notion of torture dislike I nonetheless. Promise you thus, will not be tortured you."
Turhi looked at him with a smirk, ever so slightly condescending. "That's very kind of you to promise, Thul, but I hardly think that you're in any positon to do anything about it."
At that moment they heard footsteps approach.....a lot of them. The door to the cell sizzled open and Turhi blinked against the sudden flood of light. There was a brace of guards there. The highest-ranking officer stepped forward, and he was smirking in a rather insufferable manner.
"Ah," Turhi said, "Hello, Meles."
"Hello, Vito," replied the ranking officer. His speaking of Turhi's first name was done in such a manner that it was clear that he was enjoying the absence of any preceding title, such as "lord." "I'm flattered that you remember me."
"Thul, this is Meles Molla. He was dismissed from our service," Turhi mentioned in an offhand manner to Thul, "after two Vulcan prisoners escaped. Since the revolution, I see you are once again gainfully employed."
"Yes, no thanks to you. We have immediate plans for you, Vito, and I assure you I have waited a long time for this."
"Intend to abuse him physically, you? Wait then long while shall you," said Thul. "Him take out here of you will not."
There was something in his voice----something very sure, and very unpleasant. So unpleasant, in fact, that the guards seemed disinclined to get any nearer than they currently were. Impatiently, Meles said to them, "What are you standing there for? He can't break those neural blockers. Ignore him and take Turhi."
The guards started forward, and that was when Thul began to focus his energy. With a grunt that reverberated throughout the room, he began to put pressure on the large cuffs. Immediately power started to ricochet back through his rocklike hide, but the Malon either seemed to ignore it, or even more, to be goaded by it.
"Stop it! You're not impressing anyone!" shouted Meles, trying to make himself heard over the accelerated howling of the cuffs. The fact was, he was ling. All of them were tremendously impressed. They were also having trouble hearing themselves think. The power surge was incredible, earsplitting; the Centauri put their hands to the sides of their heads, assaulted by the intensity.
Turhi watched, wide-eyed, astonished, at the display of unrelenting strength. Thul doubled, tripled his efforts. His muscles strained against his dusky skin, standing out in stark relief, and he was vibrating so violently that there might well have been another ground quake shaking the cell. Power coruscated around his body in an eye-searing display.
And then he broke the cuffs!
"Break" would actually by the understatement of the 24th century. With a roar that sounded more suited to a primordial beast, he shattered them, the bonds snapping under the strain, metal flying everywhere. One piece lodged in the thigh of an unlucky guard and he howled, going down. Another flew straight and true and thudded squarely into Meles's forehead. As it happened, he was wearing a helmet. This was fortunate. Had he not been clad in that manner, the metal would likely have gone straight through his head without slowing. As it was, his skull was ringing, and it would only be removing the helmet later that he would only be upon removing the helmet later that he would discover the metal had stopped short of piercing his forehead by less than a centimeter.
"Fall back! Fall back!" he shouted, and the others did so, dragging the wounded guard with them. They stumbled back into the hallway and Meles punched a button on the wall that slid the door shut. It closed just barely in time as Jakar Thul slammed into it at full charge. The door, made of pure Centaurium, shuddered but held firm.
The guards' breathing came in ragged, disoriented gasps. Thul, for his part, sounded utterly calm. "Carefully listen you," he said. "Listening you are? Will say only once this I."
"You're---you're in no position to...." Meles tried to say, hoping to make up in bluster for his seriously crippled confidence.
"Silent be you," Thul said impatiently. "In exactly position do I wish whatever am I. My mind put I it to, long enough it pound I, can get through door I. Or wall straight through if must I."
"You're---you're bluffing...." Meles declared.
"Confused have you I with someone cares who do think you," Thul informed him. "Listen I now: Torture will not there be of Vito Turhi. Simply not is fallen former noble, he. Space Federation ambassador now he. Entitled he to is certain courtesies do Space Federation law allow, to Space Federation embassy full access such as."
"What?" and Meles looked at the others. "What 'Space Federation' embassy? There's no Space Federation embassy on Centauri Prime."
"Now is there. You it in be."
"This isn't an embassy! It's a cell!"
"Redecorate will we," Thul informed them. "Now---with embassy this cell now as of, shall not allowed you be trespass here to. Door not keep me in this. Out keeps you. Violate embassy this attempt you do to, defensive action take I; consist of apart ripping trespassers will."
"We're in charge here!" said Meles unconvincingly.
"Yes, out there in charge you. In charge here in be I."
"You can't stay in there forever!"
"No desire stay have we to. Shall stay we until time such arrives starship the Universe."
"They don't know you're here!"
"Confidence every have I my associates in that will figure they out where are we," replied Thul, and indeed if there was any doubt within him, one could not have detected it in his voice. "Arrived once have they, take us to them will you. Negotiate will we that point from. Leave kindly, you. Ambassador rest to wishes he. Situation trying has been him for."
Realizing that control of the situation had totally spiraled away from him, Meles rallied himself and declared once more, "That's not an embassy!" trying to make up in volume what he lacked in conviction.
Utterly composed, Thul replied, "Continue you if that attitude maintain to, to formal dance ours will not you invite we. Your loss, sir, will be that."
The wounded guard was still bleeding from where the metal had penetrated his leg, and the guards had decided by this point that further conversation was getting them nowhere. With a quick and angry glare over their shoulders, they hustled off down the hallway. Meles shouted defiantly over his shoulder. "This isn't over! We'll be back!"
"The challenge await I," Thul called back. He peered after them through narrow slits in the door, watched them go, and then walked over to Turhi. With no effort at all, he snapped the bonds that had been holding Turhi. Turhi rubbed his wrists as Thul stepped back and said, "Fired you that guard years back a few. Believe that can I."
"How did you do it?" Turhi said, barely able to disguise his awe. "How did you break those bonds?"
"Refuse to fail did I."
Turhi shook his head. "I'm impressed. I hate to admit it, but I'm impressed. "Now---let's get out of here."
"No."
Turhi was already halfway toward the door when he was brought up short by Thul's curt answer. "What?"
"No say I."
"But we can break out!" Turhi said. "Unless you think you can't break down this door."
"Probably break door down can I."
"Then we can escape from this cell!"
"Where go then we? Are the most single Centauri identifiable on planet this, and blend in I only if avalanche down main street rolls."
He felt the old anger and impatience with the Malon welling up inside him. "So you would give up."
"At all not up give. Exactly do we what said I do we would. Here stay we until the Universe up shows."
"This is the wrong way to go, Thul. I'm telling you, we should leave! Now!"
"Well very," and Thul gestured toward the door. "Leave you now."
"But I can't get through the door!"
"Not my problem that is."
With a roar of anger, Turhi waved his clenched fists in front of Thul, until he realized the utter folly of such ire since Thul was his only definite ally on the planet. And besides, hitting Jakar Thul was---at best---an exercise in futility. His fury spent, Turhi leaned against the door and murmured, "I hate you."
"Not right that. Saved you I being tortured from."
"Yes, you did. And that's why I hate you most of all."519Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0HTBcucWH
