Chapter Six

Alex was bored, and a little frustrated by his own plodding use of a computer keypad after seeing what Evan could do just by thinking. Sure, he could have used the verbal interface and saved himself all that annoying typing. But even the best programs didn't always understand individual inflections, and despite all the promises coming from the programming giants, he didn't expect to see one in his lifetime that worked as well as they were intended. At least the keyboard didn't care if you had a cold, or if you were eating, and it didn't ask you to repeat your last sentence when all you'd done was sneeze.

Besides, talking out loud might distract Evan, who was hard at work on the couch delving into God knew what on the PDA. He still found it hard to believe someone was trying to snoop into his private files. There was nothing in there worth looking at. His bank balance wasn't anything to get excited about, and he couldn't think of anyone interested in his itinerary who wouldn't just call him up and ask where he was.

He really tended to believe this was a mistake, maybe a lucky break. But Evan was convinced otherwise, and the Sha'erah was so convinced, he was hard pressed not to believe him. It was a sure bet Alex couldn't find whoever had done it. He was lucky just to find the public records he needed half the time. Normally for him, research was limited to space, finances, or unknown objects that appeared as mere blips or blurred marks on probe data. Finding the virtual trail of some computer-hacking Sha'erah wasn't anywhere near his league. Hell, it wasn't even in the same ball field his league could see from where they were standing.

No, he'd stick to finding out what little they could about one Regian Kellman and leave the security work to Evan. It was what he did best. Alex knew how lucky he was to have the guy around, and wasn't going to risk pissing him off.

But he was bored!

Kellman wasn't the wealthy business tycoon Alex thought, but rather his planet's version of royalty, complete with jealous brothers and feuding union workers. The man's life was the stuff dreams were made of, but only because reading about him had caused Alex to doze off twice. Each time he woke when his chin had started to roll off the back of the hand holding it up.

The way he saw it, he had two choices; keep reading, or take a much needed nap. The third choice -- leave Evan to his work while he went for a workout in one of the Newton III's gyms -- probably wouldn't get him farther than the door. The Sha'erah might look completely and utterly involved in his work, but Alex had seen the occasional black-eyed glance directed his way.

Alex hit a key and the computer flipped "pages", showing him images of the grounds around the Kellman residence, loosely described as a castle of high order. There was an image of a man, tall and imposingly large, standing behind a somewhat shorter, rounder man who looked arrogant even in the hologram. The next page showed the inside of the mansion, equipped with every manner of security and high-end technical comforts. The taller, imposing man was standing in the shot again, looking directly into the screen as if he was staring at Alex. The eyes looking up at him were as black and alien as Evan's.

Another image showed a close up of Regian Kellman and the larger man, not identified in the legend. Had to be his Sha'erah. Kellman wasn't much to look at, but there was a look in his eyes of arrogance brought on by wealth and power, and the knowledge that no one could take them away from you. The man standing behind him was the force that kept Kellman together, you could tell. He had the same determined look around his jaw that Evan got when he wasn't going to let Alex do something he felt would be dangerous in some way.

Thomas, Kellman's Sha'erah, was again looking into the screen from the image, staring right at Alex with black, shimmering eyes. Was it possible his talent was mind reading, or just another one of those stupid myths that had been shot to hell with the rest of Alex's past?

He looked at the image of Thomas again. He was imposing, and not just due to his height and size. There was that look about him, alien and dangerous. The same look that had freaked him out all those months ago, back on Cryian. Evan still had that look, and still had that ability, too. Especially when he was in one of his moods, arguing about Alex's safety. Whoever broke into the PDA could have done so from anywhere, any planet in any system. Alex had set the thing on silent, so he didn't hear it ring when the connection was made. He flipped past the images and went back to the reading that was putting him to sleep.

Alex suppressed a yawn, but he didn't know why. He was beginning to wonder why he was even bothering to pretend to be reading these files. If he was tired, he should just give in and take a well deserved nap.

Evan hadn't looked up to check on him in almost an hour. In fact, he was so involved in whatever it was he was doing, Alex didn't think the man had even blinked.

Alex stood and stretched. Black eyes focused instantly, like some alien motion detector. Eyes that had probably seen right through him before they even met, right there at VanHolt's office, outside by the grave. Sure, he probably had Alex figured out just from that short glimpse, before he even got that ring on his finger, realizing even then his new Keeper didn't know what he was doing.

The idea was to treat Evan like a friend, not a possession, and sooner or later the guy would come around and think like a friend. Maybe even grow to appreciate him as a person, instead of some omnipotent Keeper. After all, a friend would stick by you, thick or thin, good times and bad.

Of course, Evan would, too. But would it be out of friendship, or duty? And would Alex ever be able to tell the difference?

Get a grip, idiot. Alex started twisting the ring out of habit. After all they'd been through, in just these past nine months, it was perfectly clear Evan was only doing what he did out of a concern for Alex's health and well being. No one does that out of duty. Not what Evan had done. Besides, even duty and honor could be bought. Jeff was proof of that.

And if that wasn't proof enough, Alex knew all he had to do was revisit that scene on his bridge, facing Spencer, watching that ring stay affixed so tightly to his finger it wouldn't have come off with a laser torch. Watching Evan refuse the logic he'd so staunchly held onto. Refusing to go back to Spencer. Alex preferred to think it was more a matter of refusing to leave him and the life he was starting to enjoy. But, truth be told, it had felt good to put that gaping hole in his father's chest, just to seal the deal.

And it had felt even better launching his cold body into space, never to plague either of them again.

With a shake of his head, he flipped off the computer and stood "Find anything yet?" He sat on the table, facing Evan.

"Not as much as I hoped," Evan sighed and set the PDA on the couch, then rubbed his left palm. "I'm positive it was another Sha'erah, but I don't know who. And I'm convinced it didn't come from this ship. Whoever it was called in by bouncing off several satellites. If he calls again, I could track him."

"Well, that's all I need to know." Alex stood and looked down at his partner. "At least for now. If it came from off the ship, then we're in no immediate danger, yes?"

Evan looked slightly confused, but he slowly nodded. "Yes. At least, not from this attack."

"Come on," Alex reached down and retrieved the PDA, still warm from long use, and shoved it into his pocket. "We both need some air and a distraction."

"Air?" Evan got off the couch and quickly located his shoes and some clean socks. "Getting air on a ship is a misnomer, you realize."

"Yeah, yeah." Alex rolled his eyes. "Just come on. We both could use a change of scenery and some exercise. Even climbing a simulated mountain has got to be better than sitting here, trying to find answers we're not going to find."

Evan shrugged his agreement and followed along, pausing long enough to lock the door. "I set the alarms with a louder audible signal."

"Thanks for the warning."

"And I think we should talk to Doctor Zane tonight, make sure he hasn't been talking to anyone on this ship about where we're going and why."

"We can have dinner with him, if he's not busy." Alex stopped at the nearest lift door and checked the location of the Newton III's climbing chambers. "Level four." The doors opened and both men stepped inside. "I don't think he did. Talk to anyone, that is."

Evan glanced around the empty lift car, then rubbed his eyes. "He's been waved off this kind of investigation before. I'm sure he knows the risks if someone were to find out he was trying again. But someone wants to know what you're doing."

"We," Alex corrected. "Someone wants to know what we're doing."

Evan looked up, eyebrows knotting over black eyes.

"Remember, before you came along I was just another unimportant space explorer with bills to pay." Alex let out a snort of air. "I still have bills to pay."

"You're a Keeper. That's not unimportant."

"Sure, now. Which proves my point."

"What point?"

The lift stopped and the doors opened, revealing three passengers waiting to step on as soon as they stepped out.

"That whoever's doing this is checking up on us, not just me." Alex knew he'd get no reply to that, not until they were clear of the passengers patiently waiting for them to get out of the way. It was nasty, but a trick he was starting to appreciate, especially when he wanted the last word in a particular conversation.

By the time they were alone in the corridors again, Evan didn't bother replying to Alex's last statement. The climbing rooms were sectioned off and divided into skill levels, ranging from beginning climbers using ropes and pulleys, to the more advanced skills of free hand open-face cliff climbing. Alex chose the open-face cliff, but one with a moderate skill level. There were safety precautions and each climber wore a panic button that, when pressed, would instantly call up the floor, reducing the fall to a mere four or five feet in seconds. They checked in, attached all the proper gear and safety measures around waists and feet, and were assigned a room to themselves.

The illusion was as good as any he’d ever seen, if not better. Above them stretched a huge cliff, topped with scrub brush and greenery and a simulated blue sky. Alex had ordered no wind and perfect climate conditions, to keep the challenges to a minimum. He hadn't done this in a long time, and danger wasn't what he was after. Just some exercise, a nice mental challenge to take his mind off things, and some fun.

"You want me to lead?" He rubbed powder into both palms and glanced at Evan.

"That's fine." Evan looked up, blinking at the height of the rock they were about to climb. "Whoever does these holograms is good."

Alex stepped up to the rock face. The hand holds weren't hard to find at first, and he was pleased to realize his body hadn't forgotten the tricks after all this time. The simulation included the sound of wind that one would expect in a mountain range, but no breeze actually tugged at his form, trying to pry him away from the face of the rock where it could get a better hold and push him off his precarious position.

It didn't take long to work up a sweat. The hand holds were getting harder and harder to locate, but when he did, he found them sturdy and easy to grip with his finger tips and toes. For a moderate skill level, the cliff was a challenge. One that forced all thoughts not vitally linked to hand-holds and body positioning straight out of his mind. There was room for contemplating his next move, and making sure Evan had seen which crack or knob he'd used.

It occurred to Alex that if his PDA, which was neatly strapped to his belt, should happen to ring, he'd fall for sure. But there was no way to reach down and change the setting on it now, unless he thought Evan could reach it. Best to just keep climbing, and hope his concentration would be enough to block out any sudden distractions. For either of them to risk taking a hand off the rock would be too dangerous.

The sound of the wind increased as they gained altitude, but there was no tell-tale tugging on aching arms or sweat-soaked bodies. No coolness, either. Sweat was becoming a slight problem. Alex had to secure his hold twice so he could spare one hand to wipe moisture from his forehead, before it could drip into his eyes and become a more serious problem. A more skilled climber could have spared a hand at any time, and probably even reached the PDA and changed some settings. But Alex knew his limits.

Two hours after they started, he felt the top of the cliff. It was smooth, with three neatly arranged grips just at the lip to aid the successful adventurer up and onto the wide expanse of simulated stone. With a final pull, Alex got his upper body over the edge, then pressed both palms onto the rock and heaved the rest of himself up. He offered the holographic scenery the barest glimpse before turning around on his belly and reaching down for Evan's hand.

With his hand as a steadying force, Evan pulled himself up onto the summit easily. He laid there, face down, breathing hard for a moment before turning over and scooting himself to a sitting position beside Alex. Both men were sweating and breathing hard, but smiling slightly with their triumph.

"How many times have you done this?"

Evan was looking out over the holographic scene of a mountain range and valley below. He shrugged, still looking around. "Including this time . . . Once."

Alex blinked. "Once? This was your first time? Why didn't you say something?" A chill chased away the last of the sweat sticking to his body. He looked down, checking out the extent of the fall should this have been a real mountain. "I thought you said -- "

"I needed a challenge." Evan shrugged. He looked at Alex, a serious expression taking over. "Something I could accomplish."

"What?" Alex realized there was more going on here than just mountain climbing. "Why didn't you at least let me know?"

"You would have chosen something easier." Evan stood and looked over the other side of the cliff, unconcerned. "I needed this. Something difficult."

Alex wanted to read the man the riot act, naming everything that could have gone wrong and why. But he knew there really was little danger here. After all, the Newton III didn't want to kill off its passengers. He sighed. If this had been a real cliff somewhere, with real danger attached, Evan wouldn't have done this. He was sure of that.

"Nice place to hang out." Alex looked around, appreciating the holographic scenery. Maybe Evan needed some time away from his thoughts, too.

"Good for meditating."

"Never was good at that."

Evan turned to face Alex. "Have you tried?"

Alex shrugged, remembering his one failed attempt. "Not really, no." He'd wanted to. People who could meditate whenever they wanted, regardless of their surroundings, always looked so calm and relaxed. Not that he experienced that much tension. Okay, maybe he did, but he just couldn't get the hang of meditation.

"I can teach you, it's easy." Evan sat down and waved for Alex to join him.

The cliff top was warmer than it should be, heated for the adventurer's comfort, no doubt. The simulated stone was surprisingly comfortable for sitting, and the sound of rushing wind had died down. Alex wondered idly if there were sensors detecting their movements, and adjusting the scene accordingly.

"Are you comfortable?"

"I'm sitting on a rock."

"You can mediate standing up, as long as you're comfortable. Where you are doesn't matter."

"I'm comfortable, then." He knew this wasn't going to work. He wasn't the meditating kind, no matter how much he thought he'd like to be. But Evan was willing to teach him something, so he was willing to give it a shot.

"Just close your eyes, and count your breaths." Evan demonstrated, closing his eyes and breathing a few times. "Don't alter your breathing or concern yourself with it at all. Just count each time you exhale."

"Okay. Then what?"

"That's it. Do nothing else. If a thought enters your mind, just take note of it and push it aside, and start counting all over again."

Alex opened one eye. "Just count?"

Evan opened both of his. "Just count. You won't get much further than ten, probably. But that's a start."

Alex let out a quick snort of disgust. "Ten? Where's the faith?"

"You're new." Evan's face tried to defy his control and grin. "You'll see."

Ten. Right. All I have to do is count, and . . . Oh, right, that's a thought, not a count. Alex took a breath, then began.

One. Two.

This is too easy . . . damn.

One. Two. Three.

I can't believe he didn't tell me he'd never climbed before.

Okay, one. Two. Three. Four. Going down was harder, did he know that? One. Two. Three. This kinda sucks.

Alex mentally hit himself in the face. He was supposed to be counting, not thinking.

I thought meditation was supposed to help you think. One. Two. Three. Was Evan thinking, or counting? And what was he thinking about? One. Two. Three. Four. He seems quieter than usual, ever since last night. One. Two. Something's bothering him that has more to do with who broke in than why they did. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Another Sha'erah? How many were there? And how many with Evan's special talent? Didn't they all have their own unique method of doing . . . damn . . . One. Two. Three. Four.

My ass hurts. One. Two. Three. Come on Alex, you can do this. How many new things has Evan mastered for you? Surely you can sit quietly and count . . . shit! One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Look, you made it up to . . . Dammit! One. Two. Okay, this isn't as easy as he said it was. One. Two. Come on, Alex, concentrate. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven.

Wait a minute . . . If this was another Sha'erah who could do what Evan did, and he didn't know there was one . . . he must be pretty rattled. Is that why he wanted to climb this thing? One. Two. Enough counting! That's it, isn't it? Evan ran into something that scared him. Or at the very least, startled him. That can't be good.

Alex opened one eye and found Evan with both eyes still closed. He opened the other, remaining as still as he could so as not to reveal his meditation cheat, and studied the Sha'erah. He looked relaxed, physically. Sitting cross-legged just a few feet in front of him, his arms were somewhat limp, hands resting on both knees. The silver in his left palm glistened in the simulated sunlight, adding a slightly alien touch to his appearance. Alex had gotten used to the tattoos on Evan's neck and left hand, and his black eyes weren't quite as freakish as they had been in the past. In fact he found them oddly pleasant and reassuring to look at. The man sitting opposite him on top of that simulated mountain had become such a stable, ever-present force in his every day life, he couldn't remember what had felt so wrong about it in the beginning.

But that silver section of his palm was something he was never going to get his brain wrapped around.

He'd already asked Evan once about how it worked, and received very little in the way of explanation. But that was like asking any human being to explain the scientific procedures behind thought. Sure, it could be done, but not many people could do it. It was like . . . Like teaching a Sha'erah how to be a friend. Might be hard, or some would say impossible, but Alex liked to think he was doing it.

Even if he was the only one to be successful.

But it took two. And right now, it was time he started thinking like a friend. Evan appeared calm and relaxed, but Alex could see tension around his face. It couldn't be a fear of more invasions, since he'd set the PDA to ring loudly, and set up more security. They were safe onboard the cruise ship, and had no tangible evidence suggesting they had anything to fear anywhere, really. So it had to be something else.

Alex was convinced he'd figured it out. Evan -- probably for the first time in his life -- was up against someone as good as he was. Maybe even better, though Alex doubted that could happen. Which was why he wanted to climb this rock and prove to himself he could take something on and beat it. Okay, so he ran into some competition. That wasn't such a big deal. People come along all the time that are as good, if not better. You just have to find your own way of winning.

And maybe that was all there was to it. Evan probably hadn't even considered that angle, but it made as good an explanation as anything.

"You're supposed to count your breaths, not mine." Evan opened his eyes and a hint of holographic sunlight shimmered against the blackness. "How far did you get?"

Alex cleared his throat and shrugged.

"You didn't reach ten because you had too many thoughts you wouldn't push away."

"How did you know that?"

This time Evan shrugged. "I did too." He unfolded his legs and stretched both arms out in front of him, then pulled them behind.

"Okay, then you won't mind me bringing this up." Alex straightened until his back popped. He moved both legs and leaned back against a synthetic boulder. When Evan stopped stretching and looked at him, he continued. "You're the only Sha'erah you know who can do what you do, as good as you do it, right?"

Evan blinked. "I was told that." His face flushed ever so slightly with his admission.

"So, follow me for a second. Even if this is wrong, it's a theory." Alex shifted against his boulder. "It's possible that somewhere down the line, after you, they . . . " he cleared his throat, trying to buy time enough to find a polite way to put this. "Another Sha'erah came along with your talent, only maybe a little newer. A little different. Or, maybe, just the same as you. And maybe, if any of this makes sense, the Keeper who has this new one, has heard of you, what you can do, and just wanted to see if he had the best or not."

Evan blinked again, staring at Alex.

"What I'm saying is, maybe this was an attack directed at us, but it has nothing to do with what we're doing. It's just some jerk trying to see if his Sha'erah is better than mine."

After a long silence, Evan let a breath out slowly. "It's possible. I suppose. I did have a sense of youth or inexperience at first." He shook his head. "But then it changed."

"Changed how?"

"It seemed arrogant at first, like a young person would be. But then I took a closer look at the damage and it . . . It looked like someone very powerful, who ran into something he hadn't expected to find."

Alex felt his eyebrows knit together, reflecting his confusion. "What do you mean, it looked like? What does it look like to you, inside?"

Evan shrugged. "Like someone had gotten angry, and was hitting anything and everything in reach. Like they thought they could get inside with the tools they had, and found out they couldn't. But someone strong enough to do some damage when throwing a fit. I can't explain it very well. You'll just have to trust me."

"Oh, I do. Believe me, I do." Alex swallowed, nodding once. Just when he thought he had this figured out, something came along and made it feel wrong. "Well, whatever it was, they haven't tried again."

"Yet."

"You know, I'm really starting to hate mysteries." Alex stood, wiping some simulated dirt from his pants. He understood now what Evan had meant by wanting to face a challenge he could win. "I say we put this one on the shelf for now. If they never try again, we can call my idea right."

"And if they try again?" Evan stood as well.

Alex met the Sha'erah's gaze and held it as they shared a worried moment. When it passed, he sighed heavily. "Then we'll deal with it head on. I trust you, Evan. You'll be on top of this, whatever it is, and together we'll figure it all out." He looked down the side of the cliff they'd climbed. "Now, how do you wanna deal with this?"

They chose the risky alternative and climbed back down the same way they'd come up, ignoring the ropes hidden in one of the synthetic boulders for use should they prefer the quicker, easier descent. Going down that way took almost twice as long as climbing up had, and Alex paid more attention to Evan's technique, giving him pointers now that he knew the facts of the Sha'erah's experience. But when they did reach the bottom, they were glad to have had another several hours of relatively clear thinking. And Alex couldn't help but feel a certain sense of accomplishment, having been able to teach Evan something basic, something he hadn't mastered immediately, and enjoyed the satisfaction of watching him learn quickly and easily. It struck him just then how well they could understand each other when they weren't trying overly hard to do just that.

They turned in the gear and hit the showers, keeping Alex's PDA on a hook just outside the stall in case it rang again.

But the unit remained quiet and undisturbed.

"I'm starving." Alex flipped the PDA open and dialed Zane's room number. After two rings, the smiling face of the gray-haired doctor appeared on the small screen. "Hey, Doc, how about dinner?"

"Alex! Yes, I got Evan's message."

Alex glanced up at the Sha'erah, wondering when he'd left it.

"As it happens, I'm free tonight. Can I meet you somewhere?"

"Yeah, how about the Zephyr on level sixteen?"

"I'll be right there." Zane signed off and the screen went blank.

"When did you find time to leave him a message?" Alex shoved the PDA back into the thigh pocket of his pants and walked out of the dressing area with Evan.

"Before you stopped me from working on the PDA and we came here." Evan ran a hand through his black hair, still wet from the shower.

"You set up a dinner meeting with him for tonight, before you mentioned to me you thought it was a good idea?"

"Yes." Evan frowned. "I knew you would agree."

"What if I hadn't?"

"You did."

"Yes, I did, but I'm saying what if I hadn't agreed?"

"Then I wouldn't have done it."

Alex stopped, blinking, then shook his head and continued to walk. The argument was circular, but they would each consider the circle going a different direction, so it was no use even trying.

Luckily the Zephyr sported a casual atmosphere, where patrons took little notice of diners wearing sweat pants and pullover shirts damp around the collars where moisture from recently washed hair had soaked in. They found a table against a back wall and sat down just as Zane entered the diner. He was dressed equally casually, and appeared to have a slight tan.

"You look like you've been enjoying yourself." Alex smiled as the doctor sat down.

"Well, I admit, I've been taking full advantage of finding so many colleagues onboard. Some of us even spent some time in the dermal shading salon. I haven't had a tan in years." He grinned widely. "How about the pair of you? You're both looking fit and healthy."

"This ship has some pretty amazing distractions." Alex wanted to revisit that climbing wall again just once before they left. "Listen, Doc, something happened last night that has us a little concerned."

Zane's expression altered, going suddenly serious. "Already?"

Alex let Evan do most of the explaining while they ate, having a tenuous grasp of the situation himself. When the Sha'erah finished, he added his own somewhat futile explanation, hoping Zane would be more agreeable than Evan had been.

"Well, I admit I like your explanation better, Alex." Zane was leaning forward, elbows resting on the table now that their plates had been cleared away. "And I can see how it makes sense. As far as I'm given to understand, Sha'erah are quite individual and react with different levels of skill, even to the task they're, to put it bluntly, designed for."

Alex felt his face flush at the use of the appropriate but uncomfortable word. He shot Evan a glance but the man hadn't so much as blinked.

"I wish I knew more about the methodology." Zane shook his head sadly. "But it stands to reason that at any given time, someone might have a more detailed adaptation. Though, I must say Evan, seeing you work, I can't honestly imagine someone else being any better than you." He glanced at Alex. "There's truly no explaining his talent, which I would venture to label a perfect blending of mind and machine, if you will." Zane's attention returned to Evan. "It's hard to improve such perfection. But, we must allow that if you are possible, then someone else is, too."

"Someone just as good, but not better." Alex preferred that idea, if only for Evan's sake. He didn't care, personally, if Evan was top-of-the-line or not. But knowing his partner, even in the somewhat limited way he did, he knew that wouldn't be good enough.

"So you believe him? That there's another Sha'erah with my talent, and his Keeper just wanted to see if he could go up against me?" Evan looked from Zane to Alex and back again. "But why?"

Zane shrugged. "Same reason you'd want to try to do it. Just to see if you can."

Evan shook his head. "I wouldn't. Not unless Alex wanted me to."

Alex laughed shortly. "Like hell you wouldn't. You'd find some reason you needed to try, blame it on your duty to keep me safe or something equally stupid, and you'd do it." He had the satisfaction of seeing Evan's face flush slightly before he voiced his denial.

"That's ridiculous."

Alex turned to Zane and jabbed one finger toward Evan. "That's Sha'erah for 'Yes, of course'." He and the doctor shared a short laugh at the Sha'erah's expense before they called an end to dinner.

On the walk back to their rooms, Zane explained the main topics he'd been enjoying as a last minute addition to the medical convention. He'd been very careful to avoid any mention of why he was traveling to Murcadia, and explained how his associates in the medical profession had all politely ignored any and all mention of his research of years past. The entire medical community knew about Zane's thwarted attempts to delve deeper into the Sha'erah mythology, though they knew the story more as his failure rather than his unbreachable dissuasion.

Alex relayed what little he'd learned of Regian Kellman, and Evan made the doctor promise a thorough meeting the night before they arrived, to rehash what information they had and re-examine Zane's own files regarding the man. With that agreed to, they all decided to call it a night.

"Here," Alex came out of his bedroom carrying the PDA. "I don't need you coming through the walls in the middle of the night if this thing rings." He handed the small unit to Evan, who was double-checking the room's security for the fourth time. "Sleep with it under your pillow, if it makes you feel any better. But you have to promise me you won't just stay up all night long working on it."

"I'm not going to feel better until I find out who it was, and why." Evan accepted the machine, then walked to his own bedroom, pausing at the door.

"And if it never happens again?"

He glanced at the PDA in his hand.

"Evan, it wasn't Spencer." Alex knew it, and he knew Evan knew it too, deep down. But it didn't hurt to keep reiterating it.

"I know." Evan looked at him, then raised one eyebrow. "But it was someone."

"And whoever it was didn't get in. And if he tries again, you'll stop him."

Evan nodded, then they said their good nights and retired for the evening, Evan with the PDA, and Alex with his thoughts.

He tried again to meditate, lying on his back on the bed, counting his breaths and pushing other thoughts out of his mind, but he never got past nine. It was as if the simple number ten had become an elusive goal dangling in front of his nose that he could never reach. Probably because he mentioned it. If Evan had said, say, thirty, then Alex was sure he'd be reaching twenty-nine.

He gave up an hour later and let himself drift into sleep, counting absently to ten over and over again.

There were no more calls from unknown sources during the night, or the next day, either. Three times the PDA rang, causing Evan to lunge for the machine regardless of where it was at the time. The third time, when the unit was in Alex's hip pocket, prompted him to let the Sha'erah carry it.

"There's nothing in there you don't already know about anyway." Alex shook his head in disgust and refastened the pocket. It hadn't been anything more interesting than a call from Reilly to update him on the repairs to the Ascalon, but he'd had enough of Evan's jumpiness. The man was happier when he was in possession of the thing at night, so he might as well carry it around all day, too. Alex had long since abandoned the idea of privacy in his own files, and no longer felt the need to even try keeping anything, even the results of his physical exams or letters from former lovers, from the Sha'erah.

They spent their remaining cruise ship days in the rooms studying the public, and thanks to Evan, some private files on Regian Kellman and the castle and grounds where he resided. There was more to the family history than met the public eye, and quite a bit of disharmony all around. Evenings were spent working up an appetite either climbing or jogging, but no matter how often he tried, Alex still couldn't manage a true meditation.

Now and again they broke up their routine with a marathon session of battle chess, proving again they were equally matched in the sport.

The evening of their last day onboard, Zane met them for dinner so they could get their thoughts together on the task at hand. Alex knew it might have been a good idea to have some kind of plan, or at least a marginal notion of what they were going to do. But the more he thought about where they were going, and what they were after, he begin to believe too much planning would only get in the way. They had to be able to change direction based on what they were faced with, like any good exploration into the unknown.

"I don't know what this Sha'erah, Thomas, does." Alex leaned back and cradled his coffee in one hand. They'd finished dinner, cleared the round table of dishes, and were gazing at the data displayed on the computer embedded there. "He's got to be some kind of protection for Kellman, I'd wager."

"That's a given." Evan returned to the table with a glass of water and handed Zane a cup of steaming hot tea. "But there's something else he'll do, and I can't tell just by seeing him."

"I believe, if memory serves, Thomas is somewhat of a mind reader."

Alex blinked. "What?"

"Not in so much as he can hear your every thought, mind you," Zane amended. "He's simply tuned in to any thoughts regarding his Keeper. Comes in handy when you're so wealthy or important that you might have assassination attempts on a regular basis."

"So, he can read your thoughts, but only if you're thinking about killing this Kellman guy?"

"Something like that. They weren't very forthcoming with details," Zane sighed. "I'm hoping when he meets you, being another Keeper and all, things will change."

Alex rolled his eyes. "So I'm part of his club now, or something?"

"In a way, you are."

Evan agreed. "There are few enough Keepers out there. I've only known Signus Harvey, and I'd heard of one other he mentioned now and again, years ago, but he's long since died. I would expect if two Keepers were on the same planet, they'd find a reason to get together and talk."

"So, we just get there tomorrow and look the guy up?" Alex glanced from Evan to Zane. "Just a Keeper on vacation, checking in to compare notes?" There was something really vile about the idea, but he had to admit it was probably their best angle if they hoped to meet with a man who considered himself king of an entire planet.

"And go from there. It sounds reasonable to me." Zane looked at Evan, eyebrows raised.

"Isn't he going to recognize you?" Evan pointed to the PDA that contained Zane's old records.

"Well, yes. Once he does, I suspect he'll know why we're there. But you'll need something to get you that close in the first place."

Alex leaned forward and rested his cup on the table. "Who, exactly, was responsible for you being chased off this quest all those years ago?"

Zane cleared his throat. "Well, I couldn't say exactly. My funding was cut off from the University of Valgin. And when I applied to several others, I was turned down flat before I got past introductions. Then there were the threats."

"I saw those." Evan tapped the PDA. "Untraceable, now. But you did try, once."

"Yes, I did." Zane's brow furrowed. "I used the last of my grant money and hired one of the best investigative firms around. They traced those messages while they were still fresh."

Alex sensed there was something the man wasn't telling them, and now was not the time to start finding out things that could have had a directly impact on their decision. Especially now that they were already here. "And?"

Zane sighed, shrugging. "And they told me they couldn't precisely determine the source, but what they did find scared them right off the trail. They highly recommended that I drop the issue, took their payment, and promptly quit. I had no more resources or money, so that was the end of it."

Alex looked at Evan. The Sha'erah appeared unimpressed by the news, but was that due to his familiarity with strong-arm tactics, or his way of making light of a dangerous situation? "So, that's all they said?"

"It could have been anything," Evan offered. "If they'd come anywhere near someone like Harvey, they would have been chased off the case, too."

"Well, Kellman doesn't seem to be the type who cares about anything outside his planet's orbit, so there's probably nothing to fear there." He hoped. The two of them had been through enough dangers for a while. "Well, I guess we're as prepared as we're going to be."

"Am I correct in assuming there have been no further attempts to infiltrate your files from outside?" Zane looked from Alex to Evan.

"Not yet."

"Well, Evan, I'm confident if there is, you'll be on top of it."

Alex stood and took his empty cup to the receptacle. "He'll be on it, in it and around its neck, you can be sure of that."

"Yes, I'm sure." Zane smiled and stood. "I'll be off to bed then. See you both in the morning."

"Good night, Doc."

Evan handed Zane his PDA and said his good-nights, walking the doctor to the door that led to his own rooms, then checked the locks before turning around. "I examined his, too. No one tried to snoop into his files at all, not even the day they got into yours."

"It still could have been some random hack." Alex didn't believe that any more than Evan did, but he felt the need to express it.

Evan shook his head, then started to unbutton his shirt and prepare for bed. "We'll see."

Alex laughed shortly and flipped off the room's lights. "Good night."

It was their last night on the Newton III, and their final climb had been a physically exhausting excursion. But Alex found himself too restless to fall asleep right away. They'd dock at Murcadia in the morning, then see about meeting with Regian Kellman, and with luck, he'd figure out a way to get some information from the man that would lead them in the right direction. If not, then they'd find themselves with even less to go on than when they started. Which hadn't been much of anything to begin with, but at least it had given them a direction to take. Alex didn't relish the idea of flying all over the galaxy trying to find every Keeper and Sha'erah in existence.

Now, if he could just fall asleep so he and Evan weren't red-eyed and grumpy in the morning! Not that Evan was ever grumpy, but he sure as hell had reason to be often enough.

Okay, count your breaths, right? It couldn't be all that hard. Meditation could calm his mind and help him drift into sleep.

One. Two. Three. Four.

What if Kellman refuses to see us?

Stop that! One. Two. Three.

Just get there and take it one step at a time. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

You have nothing to lose here. Evan's not going to blame you if this mission doesn't pan out . . . he never cared in the first . . . Come on, Alex, concentrate on one thing, for crying out loud! One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten.

Ten! I made it to ten! Hey, how about . . . Damn!

One. Two. Three . . .

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