"Lisanne Norman - Sholan 05 - Dark Nadir" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norman Lisanne)

asked hopefully, lowering his long neck until his head was level with the view screen.

"Negative. Like all other Traders, we're keeping to our-selves. This is an internal matter now that they
are no longer targeting us."

With a sigh, Ashay lifted off and headed down to where the Profit was berthed. The news of Carrie's
injury sad-dened him. He'd liked the small Human female.
"Shuttle Venture to Rryuk's Profit," he said, toggling the comm unit. "Permission to land for protective
duties. Re-quested medical supplies on board but need your crew to unload."

"Profit to Venture, permission granted. Our people will be waiting for you," came the reply.

The next half hour saw a nonstop procession of person-nel carrying supplies from the shuttle to the sick
bay. Jo, the Human female, supervised the proceedings, rushing be-tween the two locations, relaying
what little news there was on Carrie's condition to Ashay to pass on to their compan-ions on the
Hkariyash. As soon as the transfer was com-pleted, Captain Tirak ordered Ashay to clear the landing
pad and return to his own ship.

In the sick bay, as he worked frantically on the uncon-scious Carrie, Kaid was vaguely aware of the
sounds of the ramp retracting and the hatches closing as the Profit began to ready herself for takeoff.
They'd reach their rendezvous in two weeks. Only two weeks, half the normal time, but it would be too
long for Carrie unless she was put in one of the Profit's cryogenic units.

From the moment he realized she'd been injured in the fight with the spaceport officials, he'd locked his
feelings behind a wall. The life of this fragile Human female, and that of her partner Kusac, lay in his
hands. Kusac: her Leska, his sword-brotherтАФtogether the three of them were the first Human and
Sholan En'Shalla Triad, bound tele-pathically to each other. Without them, he was incomplete.

He fastened off the dressing, touching his fingertips briefly to her flesh. Still too hot. The drugs should
have brought her temperature down by now. For an instant, he felt curiously disembodied as he saw his
dark-furred hand against her pale skin. With a wrench, he pulled himself back. There was no more he
could do; she would only deteriorate if he waited any longer. She needed surgery, and she couldn't get
that until they reached their rendez-vous. Sighing, he carefully disconnected the drip from the cannula and
picked her up, carrying her over to the far side of the room where two of the cryo units stood open and
waiting. Placing her on the contoured mattress, he stepped back. He'd done all he could. The rest was up
to the U'Churian medic, Mrowbay. Now it was time to treat his sword-brother.

Kusac sat watching him on one of the adjacent beds. For a wonder, he'd managed to remain conscious
despite suffering the full measure of her pain through their Link. The Venture's basic medikit lay open on
the bed beside him. He'd dosed himself with an analgesic, but Kaid knew he hadn't taken nearly enough.
He looked bad. Against the blackness of his pelt, the skin surrounding his nose and eyes was deathly
pale and his ears were lying back, invisible among his hair. The mental link Kusac and Carrie had meant
he would also have to travel in cryo.

"Kusac, let me give you the premed now," he said, reach-ing for the hypoderm from the medikit.

His friend's amber eyes, though dulled with pain, held his steadily. "No, Kaid. I want to be aware of her
till the last. I'll wait till Mrowbay's done."

Reluctantly he laid the hypoderm down and sat beside his sword-brother. "She'll be fineтАФyou both will.