Plague of Memory by S. L. Viehl Page A

use it to stop another war."
    Her white eyes softened. "Then your House will stand with you."
    All around us expressions changed, and heads nodded before people went back to eating and conversing in a normal fashion.
    "I would ask two favors of you," I said to Salo's mate. "Would you look after my child while I am on Vtaga?"
    Darea finally smiled. "Of course I will. Salo and I honor Marel as if she were our own ClanDaughter. How else may I help you?"
    My cheeks grew hot and I lowered my voice. "Will you tell me what, exactly, transition is?"
    I knew that Reever would become impatient if he were waiting for me, so after Darea explained how transition used different dimensions to move the ship over great distances, I went to confront him. Neither he nor Marel were in our quarters when I arrived, which made my heart grow cold.
    He has taken her from me.
    I hurried over to the console to make a computer inquiry as to their location, but before I could finish inputting the request, Reever entered and secured the door.
    I saw no anger in his expression, but that meant nothing. Reever did not show his emotions on his face. He came toward me, but as I braced myself he walked past and went to the wall machine. "Marel is spending the night with Garphawayn and Squilyp."
    "There is no need." Although I was relieved to know Darea would look after Marel while I was on Vtaga, I disliked having others care for my child when I could. "I will go and fetch her."
    "She is asleep by now. You were out all day. You must be tired." He began using the machine to prepare a meal. "Would you prefer hot or cold tea?"
    "I am not thirsty." Why was he behaving like this? Why was he not shouting at me? Did the man truly have ice for blood? "I ate in the place where all the crew gathers to share food and conversation."
    "It's called the galley." He reprogrammed his selections and filled a server with a murky-looking liquid. That was all he brought from the machine to the table where we ate our meals. "You should go to bed."
    "I am not interested in sleeping. Darea said she would care for Marel when we go to Vtaga." I sat across from him. "Did you know there is a giant cat on this ship that walks on two legs and talks?"
    "Alunthri." He nodded, but kept his head down, so I couldn't see his expression.
    "That beast scared the wits from me when I met it today. I thought I might jump through a wall panel. Reever, I know you are angry with me. I also think you will not beat me for what I have done. We should"—what was the way he always said it?— "discuss this."
    "You never liked talking to me," he told the server in his hand, not me. "You always thought I said too much. We shared few interests. You often became bored or impatient with me."
    "I have never said or felt such things," I was happy to tell him. Whatever that stupid female had felt, I could not call Reever tedious or dull. "You speak of my former self."
    "Yes. Your former self." He lifted the server and drank from it. "However much I despise what you have done, Jam, it gives me hope. Cherijo would have made the same choice to go to Vtaga."
    He said the last with such venom that I flinched. Not because he despised me, but... "Did you love her, or hate her?"
    "I hated myself for not being the man she wanted. For not inspiring enough love in her." Now he looked at me, and there was so much pain in his eyes that a sound escaped me. He ignored it. "She chose another man over me."
    "Another?" I felt alarmed.
    "He is dead."
    Why had Cherijo not written about this? "You are not," I pointed out. "She remained with you, did she not?"
    "It doesn't matter. Even dead, he always took first place in her heart."
    I would have to discover who this dead man was. "A woman would not love a memory more than a real man."
    "I thought what happened to you would at last give me some advantage." He looked at the server as if he couldn't quite recognize what it was. "You have no memories of him, only me. I took the first place