* * * *
Piras couldn’t movehis gaze from the nano’s closeup of Mereta’s face.“Is it me, or does he suddenly look different?Like he was before the Darks?”
The undercurrent of anger and despondency Mereta usually wore had vanished.Only the crease between the secretary-general’s brows betrayed anything besides peace in his aspect.He appeared to again be the spiritual master Piras had known him as.
“That isn’t all.The Dark on him is less...present.Hazier and thinner, somehow.”Lokmi’s tone was awed.
“You’ve never seen this happen to the ridden?”
“Never.”
The nano kept pace as Mereta drifted quickly but serenely through Galactic Council headquarters.When he paused to answer an aide’s question, the sneering quality he’d spoken with since they’d begun their surveillance was gone as well.
Hope uttered a startled noise.
“What is it?”Piras asked.
“The second voice...the Dark’s telepathy.I can’t hear it.It’s justhim.Mereta.”
“What the hell is happening?”Kila growled.
“I don’t know.Could he have shaken off the Dark’s influence?Is he in control?”Piras aimed his questions at Hope.
“How would it be possible?”She shrugged helplessly as Mereta continued on his way, appearing to head for the exit.“I heard the Dark perfectly well earlier.”
“We need to know about the plot you said it referred to,” Kila said.“It sounded like the All is up to something big.Didn’t the Dark say something about his death?”
“It did, but I didn’t get any details.”
“We have to reach Mereta.We have to talk to him.”
Piras’ clanmates turned from the vid feeds to stare at him.“Talk to him?”Kila spluttered.“He’s ridden by a Dark.You might as well tell the All itself we’re on the planet.”
The Dramok pointed at their subject.“That isn’t the Dark.It’s Mereta.He has command of himself right now.I’d bet a year’s pay on it.”
“You’re betting a hell of a lot more.You’re betting our lives if you think we can walk up to him and have a conversation.”Kila stared at him as if he’d lost his mind.
“Not to mention roaming the city to reach him.We’d be caught before we got one hundred feet from this building,” Lokmi added.
“We have to try.”Piras insisted.“Look at him.Look!This is the chance we’ve been waiting for.”
“I think Piras is right,” Hope said, though her tone was reluctant.“We came to pull Mereta out.Whatever is going on with the Dark, it’s got to be in our favor.”
“Insanity,” Kila muttered.
Mereta had reached the building’s shuttle bay.A security guard greeted him, and he answered.
“No second voice,” Hope confirmed.She glanced at Piras.“You need to get to him in a private setting.Somewhere no other Darks are present or could happen by.”
“His home.Guards patrol the outside, but they’re never allowed in.None we’ve observed are Dark-ridden either.”
“Sure, great.There are still plenty of Darks prowling around between here and there though,” Kila insisted.“How do you propose we get all the way to his house, Piras?It’s miles off.”
Mereta was on the move again, walking faster toward the shuttle they’d learned was his.He was forced to pause as a hovercart laden by bins passed in front of him.
A desperate idea flashed in Piras’ head.He considered it only a bare second.He pulled his com out and clicking Elcoger’s frequency, which would go straight to the Dantovonian’s earpiece.It would keep anyone in his vicinity from hearing Piras’ end of the conversation.
A brief beep responded to let him know Elcoger was listening.
