The Priestess and the Thief Kindred Tales 30 - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,98
Ascending Priestess said blankly. “Whatever do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m doing what I should have done from the beginning!” Beedra gasped. “You’ve bullied and belittled and frightened me from the minute you stepped on board this ship but I won’t let you lie about poor Ellilah and then shoot her in cold blood. I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!”
“Oh, Beedra, thank you!” Elli exclaimed.
“I should have done it before.” The other priestess burst suddenly into noisy sobs. “I’m just s-sorry it t-took me so l-long to get enough c-courage to confront her!”
The Ascending Priestess was clearly astonished by this surprise attack by her assistant, but she recovered her composure quickly.
“What in the name of the Goddess are you wailing about, Beedra?” she snapped. Turning to Commander Sylvan, she shook her head. “Commander, I must apologize for my assistant. She’s been acting rather erratic lately but I had no idea she had gone completely crazy. I really think the best thing for her is to be locked safely away and sedated for a while.”
“I don’t think so.” Commander Sylvan’s voice was hard as he frowned at the Ascending Priestess. “You’re the one who’s going to be locked away, Priestess.”
The Ascending Priestess widened her eyes innocently and put one skinny hand to her chest.
“Me? But Commander, I assure you—”
“Save your assurances—and your lies,” he snapped. “I heard what you said to Novice Ellilah before I came through the door. You’ve been up to no good from the moment you stepped aboard the Mother Ship and may the Goddess forgive me for not noticing sooner.”
At last the Ascending Priestess’s cool veneer cracked and she shot Commander Sylvan an ugly look.
“If you heard everything I said, why didn’t you say so earlier?” she snapped.
“I wanted to see how far you’d go with your lying,” Commander Sylvan said calmly. “Now I see that your duplicity in the search for power knows no bounds.”
“Why shouldn’t I want power?” the Ascending Priestess demanded. “You have it—why shouldn’t I?”
“The Goddess assigned me to my position—I never sought it,” Sylvan said quietly. “And I certainly never tried to kill anyone for it.” He motioned with his blaster. “Get up—you’re going with these guards to be locked up until your trial.”
“My trial? So you can get rid of me and put someone else in my place? I’d rather die!”
And the Ascending Priestess raised the bottle of Dreaming Drops to her lips.
“Stop her! She’ll kill herself!” Beedra gasped through her tears.
Commander Sylvan charged forward, seized the bottle, and threw it against the wall. It exploded in a shower of green glass and purple liquid which oozed sluggishly down the wall in long, thin streams.
“Guards!” he shouted as the Ascending Priestess tried to run. “Take her away!”
The armed guards grabbed the struggling priestess and dragged her out the door, shouting and swearing in a most un-priestess-like way.
Commander Sylvan turned to Elli, who was still reflexively shielding the old Priestess Superior from harm.
“It’s all right, Ellilah…” His voice was gentle this time. “I know what you’ve been through to try and save the life of the old Priestess Superior.” He shook his head. “I’m just ashamed that I was taken in by this ruse. I examined her myself, when she first fell ill you know—and I didn’t catch the Dreaming Drops at all.”
“They’re almost impossible to detect, Commander,” Beedra offered in a watery voice. She had stopped sobbing but her eyes were still red and she still looked terrible. “My own mother was addicted for years before we found out she’d been taking them.”
“I still consider this whole situation at least partially my fault,” Commander Sylvan said heavily. “I should have tried harder to find out what was wrong with her.” He looked sadly at the old Priestess Superior.
At last Elli found her voice.
“Commander, do you mind…can I still try giving her this piece of the Healing Lattice?” she asked, pulling out the handkerchief and opening it to show him the shining piece of rainbow crystal. “I know she doesn’t really have wasting sickness but, well, this is supposed to cure just about everything, I think.”
Commander Sylvan examined the piece of Lattice for a moment and then nodded.
“I don’t see why not. I’ve read about the Healing Lattice of the Tenebrians—it’s supposed to be excellent for all kinds of internal ailments.”
“All right—thank you.” Gently, Elli lifted the old Priestess Superior’s chin and looked into her faded eyes. “Priestess Superior, do you remember me?” she asked softly.