Channel's Destiny Part 21

And then Zeth saw what lord had put on that last line. There were two names, side by side: DEL ERICKa"RIMON FARRIS Suddenly grief poured through Zeth. His loss was real. Rimon was no longer wasting 'away in the back room of the chapel. He was dead, and with him the hopes of the community to which he had brought such change. If only I'd mastered junct transfer sooner . . . ! Zeth sobbed. He was not alone. Owen and Jana put their arms around him, and the choir struggled through their hymn with choking voices.

When the emotion began to wane, Dan Whelan stepped back to the podium. "All who founded our new way of life are gone now: Kadi Farris, Abel Veritt, and now Rimon Farris and Del Erick. But Fort Freedom continues. They left us a legacya"their beliefs, their teachings, their practices. Even more, they left us their children. Abel's son Jord, his granddaughter Marjia"both channels. Del's son Owen, a Companion. His daughter Janaa"one of the new generation of Simes who have never killed.

"But more than any of the others, the fate of our commu- nity depends on one young channel who has been called upon to endure more and work harder than anyone might reasonablya"or unreasonablya"expect, and who has never failed us. He is Rimon and Kadi's sona""

Zeth listened with growing horror. But I have failed. He waited for the rejection of the congregation. Surely they could see he was the most dangerous ~of all the channels, the one with the highest capacity. He could be controlled by only one person in the communitya"and if something happened to Owena"But the ambient nager did not deny as Dan said, "G.o.d has taken our leaders into His peace. They worked and suffered and died to start us on the right path. Now as we continue, let us thank G.o.d for our new leader, Zeth Farris!"

The wave of grat.i.tude nearly drowned Zeth. He cried out in dismay, "No! Noa"you're wrong. I can't do it!" And he bolted from the chapel, Owen dashing after him, while everyone else sat in stunned bewilderment.

There was no place to run. Ice crunched under his feet in the dry cold. He half thought of the Old Homestead, but there were people staying there.

Patches came bounding up to Zeth, tail wagging. He yipped, pacing Zeth for a few strides, and then drew ahead, making for the Veritt home. Zeth followed him into the room he shared with Owen, where he sank to the floor and buried his face in the dog's s.h.a.ggy fur.

All he could think about was the day when Owen lost his arm. Owen should have been the channel. Then he could be their leader! Oh, Patches!

There was no accusation in Owen's field when he opened the door. Zeth looked up, and Patches licked his face. Owen held out his hand, his field pure kindness. It wasn't right that Owen should be so good to him!

"Owen," he said wretchedly, "I killed my father."

"No you didn't, Zeth," said Owen, pulling Zeth up onto the bed. "He died of a lateral injury, which my father inflicted. Certainly Jord and Uel told youa"''

"They didn't feel it! He was actively drawing for the first time since Mama died. I knew the only way to save him was to get enough selyn into him to support him till we could stop the leakage ... so when my secondary system was empty, I let him draw from my primary. There was enough there to keep him going the few minutes it'd have taken . . . but I couldn't control, Owen! When it got lowa""

"Low! Zeth, you almost died!"

"Oh, no," Zeth said bitterly. "I saved my own lifea"and let Dad die. I wanted to refuse to kill. I wanted to give Dad the selyn he needed to live . . . and I aborted out! Just because it hurt, I couldn't save my own father's life!"

"Zeth, how could anyone voluntarily give away all their selyn? A reflexa"perfectly natural and unavoidable ..."

"Reflex? Natural and unavoidable? Isn't that why Simes kill Gens, Owen? Simes are killers unless Gens stop them."

"What about Abel?" Owen asked.

"Yes . . . Abel," Zeth said in despair. "He showed us, didn't he? There's one way not to killa"and that's to die. That's what I didn't have the strength for. He'd really be proud of me, wouldn't he, Owen?"

"Not right now, he wouldn't. You've forgotten the difference between responsibility and blame."

"But I can't be blamed! I'm Simea"and you've got the responsibility for me."

Nothing else Owen might say would budge Zeth. Having worn himself out emotionally, he fell asleep. An hour later Owen woke him. "Come on, Zeth, there's a council meeting."

"Tell Uel," Zeth said dully, "I'm not channeling anymore."

"Don't be ridiculous," said Owen, flicking Zeth wide awake with his indignation. "Get up and wash your face, and come on out to the kitchen!"

"Whatever you' say, Owen," Zeth replied. Owen's field flickered with annoyance, but he quelled it for the moment.

Zeth joined the group at the table: Dan Whelan, Slina, Eph Norton, Maddok Bron, and Owen. Dan started with an apology. "Zetha"I forget how young you are. It's the worst time of your life, and I loaded all of us onto you."

"You're not alone, Zeth," said Maddok. "You'll have help and counsela"but until the channels can be relieved ofa""

"No you don't!" Slina inserted. "Ain't none of my people nor me gonna kill them poor folk you're preachin' at. Flamin' superst.i.tious, vicious teachings! Rimon woulda"!" She choked off, swallowing back her grief.

"No, Slina," Zeth said. "Maddok is right."

"Thank G.o.d!" Bron murmured, but Zeth continued.

"I don't believe in demonsa"but need is as much of a demon as anyone would care to face, and the fact is my father was wrong. It's not possible for a Sime not to kill. The Gens have to do it for us."

Eph Norton said, "I couldn't do it for my sona"but you did, Zeth. You saved my life, and you kept Jimmy on the patha""

"On the path toward an empty promise!" Zeth flashed. "Over ten years my father didn't killa"but only because my mother kept him from it. Jorda"who knows? Maybe Sessly can do it for him now. Willa dida"his wife, years back," he added for those who didn't know. "But when she died, he had to kill again. Dan, do you think your son could prevent himself from killing? Uel's never been tested, has he?"

"Zeth, you're upset," said Owen. "I should never have let you come out herea""

"Let me? You made me!"

"I'm sorry," Owen apologized to everyone.

Slina said, "Zeth, you got every right to grieve. It's no time for us to be worry in' you with our problems. Owen, take him and get him to rest till tomorrow."

"No more!" said Zeth. "No more channelinga"I can't hold people's lives in my hands like that ever again!" He gasped as a spasm rang sharply through his whole body, followed by another. "Oh, no!" he groaned, doubling over, clutching his middle. It's only been a couple of days since I worked! Another cramp hit, and he gritted his teetha"but Owen had already recognized what was happening.

"That's what happens to any channel when he stops workinga"G.o.d's way of telling you that you're responsible for using His gifts."

"Shen youa"don't preach at me!" Zeth grated. He turned to Maddok. "Help mea"please?"

Bron held out his hands willingly, his field instantly a.s.suming the soothing att.i.tude of prayer. Zeth balanced his fields, leaning back finally with a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

Owen's field rang with shock and rejectiona"and Zeth remembered that Bron could not possibly match him if he tried to draw. Suppose he had lost control? "I shouldn't have done that," he apologized to Bron.

"My sister provided transfer for a channel," Bron reminded him. "Zeth, if you ever need mea""

"You don't understand," Zeth said sadly. The energy of his momentary anger had drained away. "I'm sorry, Owen.

I'll do whatever you want me to. You're my only match here'.''

So Zeth went back to work. As the days pa.s.sed, he found it easier and easier to leave decisions up to Owen as his olda" dangerous, he thoughta"habits died. His job was easier now, for Jord's health had improved, Marji's capacity was increasing, and Zeth's new skill at junct transfers meant less juggling of Bekka's slate. Sessly was quickly learning to be a Companion, and she and her brother encouraged other Gens who had been donating for some time to try transfer.

The Brons were not stupida"they saw the channels as having the function of matching Simes and Gens for transfer, as well as healing. Though the channels would not cooperate, they figured out a pretty fair rule-of-thumb matching system, and soon there were transfers going on all over Fort Freedom. Zeth shook his head in dismay at some of the matches, wondering how they avoided disaster.

Changeovers were left up to the channels, but out-Territory there were three that grueling winter. In Mountain Chapel, one child was successfully given First Transfer by Maddok Brona"but when the second one occurred, neither he nor Sessly was there, and the girl killed her mother before being shot dead by her father. He then left town, weather notwithstanding. Word reached the ranches, and the next victim was shot before breakout.

The result was that one day five children from the ranches turned up at Fort Freedom, having crossed the frozen river. The channels treated them for frostbite and listened to their story. All of establishment or changeover age, they were determined that they wouldn't chance killinga"but neither were they willing to be murdered when they knew about Fort Freedom. Therefore they had come to stay until nature declared which they would be. Two of them turned out to be already Gen; the other three showed no sign one way or the other, and Fort Freedom willingly found room for them.

Most Simes who succ.u.mbed to the Brons' matchmaking service were the older semi-juncts who had been heavily dependent on Abel Veritt's strength of character to keep them from despair. When no new spiritual leader rose from among their own, they turned to Brona"and believed that the Gens who served them were, indeed, warding off demons.

Not surprisingly, Dan Whelan, Margid Veritt, and the others who had been closest to Zeth all his life rejected anything but channel's transfer. At least over the years these Simes had moved apart in their cycle of crisis, and would not all face the overpowering need to kill in the same month or two. But Slina and the other Simes from town also refused to have anything to do with Bron's program. Zeth knew they were offended by his religious tenets as they had never been by Abel's, but he didn't understand how they could resist real Gen transfer. He almost wished they would succ.u.mba"it might avoid another cascade.

Maddok Bron kept trying to persuade Zeth to see his religious point of view. AH Zeth could say was "It doesn't mattera"demons or need, it's all the same thing." Even though he now felt that Abel Veritt had died futilely, he was certain that Abel had been right about that. "It is in us," he had always said.

Owen insisted, "Abel died to prove that every man is responsible for his own salvation. I can't be responsible for yours, Zeth."

"I don't believe in that kind of salvation."

"That doesn't mattera"the point is the very lesson Abel made you teach me! You weren't to blame for my losing my arm, but you were responsible, remember? And so Abel made you responsible for me until I rebelled. Come on nowa" it's time for you to rebel against me!"

But Owen's arguments did no gooda"at least for Zeth. Dan Whelan, though, asked Owen to speak at the services in the chapela"and Zeth was surprised at the way people listened, and seemed to be comforted. Soon there was a rivalry going when Maddok Bron was in town. Then there would be two services, and Zeth noticed people beginning to count the attendance at Bron's versus Owen's. Some people attended both, but there was a growing schism between the two factions.

There was also a growing rivalry between Bron and Owen for Zeth. Bron had learned a great deal about the work of channels and Companions, mostly from Jord, who now planned to marry Sessly in the spring. Soon Bron was working his own cycle into phase with Zeth's, and hanging around Simes in need to encourage his capacity to grow. Owen wasn't blind to Bron's intentions and Zeth found the only amus.e.m.e.nt in his life in watching the two Gens compete for his attention. Zeth wasn't worrieda"Bron could not possibly realize how great the difference was between him and Owen, and Owen could always handle Zeth. So Zeth relaxed and enjoyeda"and maybe encouraged a little.

Finally the harsh winter ended. Slina's shipment of Gens arrived just as the roof was going onto her new pens. The town Simes who had gritted their way through the winter allowed themselves kills, and the worst tension went out of the community.

The thaws dissolved the route across the frozen river and turned the other trails to mud. Travel time across the border began to approach the day's journey of last summer, although it was a long, hard, muddy ride. Visitors from out-Territory voiced concern about the government investigation. "Oh, we'll handle it," said Eph Norton on one of his frequent visits. "They'll probably have Commander Whitby, from the local garrison, conduct it. He has no patience for paperworka"he just wants to go out and shoot Simes, and then go back to the garrison and get drunk."

"Since there won't be any Simes on your side of the border, it shouldn't be much of an investigation," said Dan.

"A hearing, probably, and it'll be dropped. Glian figures he'll never get his horses back, but if we don't make a fuss, and if we slip enough money under the table, it'll all blow over. I never thought I'd be grateful for that bunch of slobs in the garrison! We've been protesting for years that they were no protection against the Simesa"who'd ever have thought one day we wouldn't want protection!"

It was tax time again, on both sides of the border. The out-Territory Gens went home, to avoid the fiasco of the previous quarter, and Norton also wanted the three ranchers' children to return. "They take a family census. A kid that age ain't accounted for, they a.s.sume he's dead or turned Sime and escapeda"and he better not be there the next year!"

Maddok Bron said, "There are now enough of us who can give transfer to handle any changeover that might occur."

"Unless it's a channel," said Zeth "The solution is obvious," said Bron. "Zeth, you must let me give you transfer this montha"then I'll be qualified to serve at any changeover, channel's or no."

Zeth saw Owen tense, but he would not give Zeth the satisfaction of zlinning his jealousy. When he deliberately removed his attention from Zeth, he also removed his shield against the annoyance of turnover. The onslaught of that sinking feeling prodded Zeth to say, "Well, I don't know, Maddok. I can't promise todaya"but if you stick close to me for the next two weeks, if your field becomes high enougha"" " "You just do that, Maddok," said Owen. "That way I'm free to go out-Territory again. Eph, I'll help you take those kids homea"and do some teaching about changeover, too. Now that the weather's broken, it's possible to get a changeover victim to Fort Freedom in plenty of timea"if the poor kid hasn't tried to hide his first symptoms out of fear."

Zeth fought down panic. Bron's field enveloped him in triumphant promisea"but the man could never reach his capacity by the end of the month. Still he refused to ask Owen to stay.

As Zeth didn't apologize, neither did Owen. He simply packed and traded rooms with Maddok. It was strange to have a different Gen nager in Zeth's room. Awake, Bron was adequate protection against encroaching need, and when he knelt to pray, the calm, meditative state soothed Zeth almost to the point of considering Owen's absence with equanimity. But the moment Bron fell asleep, his field would have kept any of the other channels comfortable, but not Zeth. What likelihood was there that an out-Territory child would change over into a channel of Zeth's power? Virtually none. If Owen makes any move to apologize in the morning, Zeth promised himself, I'll ask him to stay, and tell Bron he can handle any channel he's likely to encounter.

But Owen didn't apologize. Zeth stood back, waiting on the chapel steps, refusing the urgings of his waning field to run to his friend and beg him to stay.

Owen came over to him, leading Flash. When Zeth remained silent, Owen said, "I'll be back in ten days, Zeth."

"Fine," Zeth forced himself to say casually. "See you then. Have a good time."

Zeth felt Owen bite back a retorta"then he mounted up, kicked Flash in the ribs, and was gone.

Zeth's need nightmares inevitably took the form of searching madly for Owen, never being able to find him. It was a week before Maddok even started to wake up in response to Zeth's discomfort, unless he woke up shouting. Still, Bron never tried, as Owen did, to provoke Zeth to make his own decisions. He was content to order Zeth around, and Zeth was content to obey.

The tenth day, though, relief flooded Zeth every time he remembered, Owen will be back today! But he wasn't. The day pa.s.sed, and the night as well, with no sign of Owen. Zeth fought down panic. I can survive one month without Owen. I can take a healing-mode transfer from Bron and balance my fields and then I'll be in good enough shape to go out-Territory and bring Owen home. Never did he let himself fear that Owen was not to be brought home. He's not dead. I'd know.

That afternoon, a mud-covered figure rode through the gates of Fort Freedom, radiating alarm. Eph Nortona"announcing as he slid down from his horse, ".It's not an investigationa"it's a takeover! Owen's been arrested!"

Zeth's panic spiked so high that Bron put his arms about him, as if to hold him from attacka"but there was nothing to attack. Where is he? Who's got him?

Only when Norton had collapsed into a chair in the Veritt kitchen, a cup of tea in his hands and Margid busy making him a meal, did the story come out.

"They send out soldiers from the garrison to collect the taxes in the springa"but two or three together, not twenty or thirty! They come onto my place demanding tax money. I had it, but then they wanted a head counta"and Owen happened to be there. Yesterdaya"no, day before. He was headed back here. d.a.m.na"if he'd've left just an hour earliera"I couldn't pa.s.s him off as a hired hand, him with only one arm, so I said he was my nephewa"but seems they'd met Owen before and he claimed to live in Mountain Chapel. They decided to search the house, sayin' they heard we was harboring Simes, sellin' 'em Gens! I been hangin' these d.a.m.n tags over my gun by the door, so's I'll remember to put 'em on before I ride over here. They found 'em, and then they ransacked the house, found my papers in Simelana"searched Owen and found his tags and papers, and that was enough to arrest him."

Norton's eyes met Zeth's. "Nothin' I could do, unless I wanted to be arrested along with him. They told me to stay put, they were gonna send out more troops to put us under martial law. We all knew what that meant! My men took out the guard they left on my place easy enough, and I rode right out here. By now, I figure they got reinforcements headin' for my place, and all the others, too."

"And maybe in Mountain Chapel," said Bron. "The law says they can execute Sime collaborators or Genrunners, and Whitby would love some action to show he's doing his job! Zetha" "

"I came to you for help, and you gave it. You don't think we'll refuse to help in return?"

"I'm goin'," said Slina. "None of my people're gonna miss this."

"We can be ready to ride by sundown," said Dan.

Zeth was ready to go right that minutea"but preparations had to be made to cover his absence, and the absence of Uel and Marji and their Companions. Most of the Simes would go, so most of the channels had to go as well. Marji, raised in Mountain Chapel's traditions, was astonished that she should be expected to go on a military campaign while Jord, a man, was to be left behinda"but Jord was the least stable channel and therefore best not exposed to battle.

Zeth felt Sessly's resentment that Jord should be called unstable while he was in her care, but he also felt her relief that he would not have to risk his life in battlea"and that kept her silent. Not that the channels were supposed to fight; they were the medical team. Zeth chafed as Dan deployed the people of Fort Freedom, the channels and Companions at the rear of the line of march. Zeth's inclination was to lead the chargea"but of course he knew intellectually that Fort Freedom could not allow him to take such a risk.

Slina left one of her old faithful hands, Flieg, in charge of the new pens. The town Simes formed a separate line. There was no time to practice together, so it seemed best to leave each to its own tactic and leadership in battle.

They decided to head straight for Mountain Chapel, where they could pick up additional manpower to liberate the ranches. Slogging their way across the highest pa.s.s, they met another messenger on his way to Fort Freedom: Lon Carson. He was on foot and exhausted.

"I had to sneak out," he explained. "They sent a whole troop of men in, confiscated our weapons and set up martial law. Now there's only about twenty men guarding the towna" but they have guns and we don't. The troops from the garrison are trying to keep everyone put while they round up reinforcements. Then they plan prejudged trials, and ma.s.s executions for Genrunning."

"Twenty men," said Slina. "Dan, Zeth, you let me and my men go in there and clean 'em out for you."

"We want to avoid killinga"" began Bron.

Slina gave him a look that said her opinion of him had just dropped several notches below its previous rock-bottom position. "That's the idea," she said with exaggerated patience. "My people are professionals. They can handle Wild Gens without hurtin' 'em, so's no one's provoked to a kill. Put 'em up for sale later."

"Slina's right," said Dan Whelan. "All righta"you bring your people around usa"''

Zeth chafed at not being in on the action. It's just the first step in rescuing Owen, he reminded himself. He's not in Mountain Chapel.

The Gens took the easier but longer wagon trail toward Mountain' Chapel, Simes and the Companions riding with channels the shorter but narrower way that Zeth had first come to the town. As the sun rose, both troops approached the bridge. Glinting flashes told them spygla.s.ses were turned on thema"Simes and Gens, meeting and joining to progress inexorably in the direction of the town.

The Gen troops headed out to defend the bridge. Slina and her party rode forward, whips at the ready. Shots rang outa" but none reached its mark. In the second volley, when the Simes were upon them, one townswoman went down, dead, caught full in the face. Otherwise, flesh wounds, but nothing seriousa"and the Simes were riding straight over the soldiers. On the other side of the bridge they turned, cracked their whips, and began herding the terrified Gen soldiers back across the bridge.

In the town, people came running out, cheering. Half the soldiers dropped their guns in panic, and the others' were quickly wrenched out of their hands.

Slina dismounted, coiling her whip, and strode briskly toward the captives. "Prime Wild Gens," she said in English. "Keb, Bree, Tarisa"you take 'em on back to my pena"tell Flieg to tag 'em and make out papers. And tell him to sell the two that give you the most trouble on the way back as Choice Kills, to pay the taxes on the rest!"

The tensed alarm in the captives put an edge on Zeth's need, and he almost objected until he recalled that Slina's pen was the only structure that could possibly contain the prisonersa"and her threat would a.s.sure they went docilely with their escort. None must get away to warn the others!

Beside him, Bron called, "Take those uniforms, and let them travel in their underwear, Slina. They won't give you any trouble."

Slina squinted back at him, zlinning him oddly, and then issued the orders.

Soon the soldiers were on their way back to Fort Freedom. In the town, the people were liberating their guns from where the soldiers had put them, inside the chapela"but no one seemed certain of their next move. "Now what do we do? There'll be more troops on the way here, tomorrow at the latest, with orders to hold executions!" said Lon Carson in the Brons' main room.

"Not if this were Sime Territory," said Zeth. It seemed so obvious he couldn't imagine why Bron was staring at him. "I saw it months agoa"before Abel died. There aren't enough people in any of our communities to survive alone now. We've got to unify."