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Chapter 14 Katrina, daughter of the late emperor of the galaxy, sat on the cold stone floor, surrounded by scraps of cheap, dark fabric, humming happily. She and Tabi had spent most of the morning ignoring their work and planning something special just for Katrina. They had been careful in cutting fabric and had finally decided that they had enough to make Katrina a new set of clothes separate from the ugly uniform the school forced on her. It had been Tabi’s idea and Katrina had been thrilled by it. Katrina and Tabi worked constantly through the day, stopping only long enough to eat a quick meal and use the refresher. They worked mostly in silence, occasionally taking note of one another’s words or humming softly, but rarely saying much of anything. Tabi embroidered the finished products, a long-sleeved tunic and a loose pair of pants, with some special metallic thread she had kept hidden among her personal possessions. Katrina sat to her side, watching the needled flash in and out of the fabric so quickly that the stitches seemed to appear before her eyes. “Try it on,” Tabi said gently as she held up the finished tunic. “Really? You’re done?” “We’re done, yes.” Katrina took the garment and stroked it lovingly, awed. She just looked at it for several long moments, until startled by Tabi’s laughter. She looked up at the Weequay, startled then blushed and ran for the ‘fresher to change. She came back a short time later, smiling and strutting proudly. “How does it feel?” Tabi asked, obviously suppressing laughter. “Very soft,” Katrina grinned as she rubbed her cheek against a sleeve. “Really, child, you act as though you’d never owned anything before,” Tabi chuckled. “I’m glad you like it but it will have to be our little secret, for now.” “I know, if Madame Zinkrey was to find out she’d be angry about the waste of time and materials. Thank you, Tabi.” “I am glad you are happy, Katrina, but the rooms will be locked soon, you should get going.” Katrina told her friend good night and hurried through the shadowed halls, her mind more on the gift than where she was going. She moved quickly but distractedly from corridor to corridor until she realized that she had traveled too far not to have reached her room. She looked around herself and realized that she was in the wrong hall. Silently Katrina cursed herself with the few bad words that she knew and turned to backtrack her steps. A chill stopped her suddenly down her spine. All of Katrina’s senses burst to life as she closed her eyes and let her mind and feelings stretch out and scan the area. She looked for danger and anything strange. She was dimly aware of the lock-down bell ringing and began searching for the mind or presence of someone who wasn’t where they were meant to be. Madame Zinkrey shuffled through the halls at the other end of the school. Tabi was lying on her bed, shifting restlessly with worry for Katrina. Several of the older students crept loudly through a hidden tunnel somewhere below the basement level of the school. Two of the younger students giggled in one of the bedrooms as they mocked their teachers and the school as a whole. On the fringes, somewhere nearby but not somewhere that Katrina could pinpoint, a shadowy presence made itself known to Katrina. She took several steps and turned down the hall she had come from, never losing her concentration on the dark figure trying to worm itself into her mind. She turned down one hall then another, noting how the other mind followed her without hesitation or qualm. She was frightened all the more when she realized that not only was it following her, but it was also getting closer. Petrified, Katrina forgot trying to keep track of the other’s presence and fled blindly through the halls in a futile attempt to get away. She ran as fast and as hard as she could, caring little for where she was headed as long as she believed it was in the direction opposite to that of her pursuer. Absently she noted that she had returned to the hall near Tabi’s room even as she passed her friends door. She could find no help from the strong Weequay, all rooms had been locked for the night. With a grunt of frustration Katrina stopped suddenly, facing a blank wall. “There you are,” a slimy, familiar voice said, far too close to her ear. Katrina spun around to see a black shape moving in the darkness before her. It was coming closer and Katrina felt like a trapped animal. She moved restlessly backwards until her back was flat against the wall but the figure continued forward. “I have been looking for you, little Katrina,” the same voice said easily as its black hood slid down to reveal the grinning face of Alvis Ker. “But you know that already, don’t you?” |
