The Forgotten Way (Champions of the Crystal Book 6)

Chapter 8: Revelations and Reverses

When Sabrina came to, she was in a different place, in a soft bed with Ford's hand resting gently on top of hers. He was speaking softly but angrily. It took her a moment to make out his Lthosyenne.

"No, I am not making threats, Your Excellence. I am merely stating facts. If my cousin dies on this planet, you and all your people will regret it. No one harms my family with impunity. There is plenty of precedence for Praxatillus to act in occupying a potentially threatening planet as a Realm protectorate. If there are any more attempts on her life or mine, I assure you that will become a distinct possibility on Fiersai. I'm not going to pretend to be ignorant of what's really going on here. If your Chancellor acted on his own then I expect him to be punished. If he was acting on your orders, then I expect you to abdicate in favor of your nephew and renounce your actions."

"I will not be dictated to in my own palace!" the High Lord sputtered.

Sabrina gave a little moan at his loud voice, and Ford hissed, "Keep your voice down, or leave!"

Receding footsteps told her which option the High Lord had chosen. She wanted to ask what had happened, but her head hurt so dreadfully that she could not bear the thought of speaking. She blinked, trying to focus on Ford.

"It's all right, sweetheart. I was just trying to scare him a little. You're in no danger, though I am surprised to find out that your head isn't so hard after all," Ford whispered in English. "I've had a little chat with Ranfir. Quite a hornet's nest we've stumbled into, but don't worry, he and I will sort it out. You just rest and get better. And no need to fret. I'm camping out in the infirmary with you, and when I have to take a break, Stecklan will be here. You won't be left alone for a single moment." She could hear a smile in his voice. "I've terrorized all your doctors and nurses so badly that they think their survival depends on yours, and I've made a point of checking all your medication. I'm taking you home healthy if it's the last thing I do."

That made her think of the other Ford, who had made her survival the last thing he ever did. She remembered enough temporal mechanics to know that as the changes he made in the timeline rippled forward, he would have ceased to exist, leaving her Ford to go forward into the future as the only one. There would likely be a few little anomalies left in his wake, but the timeline was resilient. Only she and Ford would ever remember that there had been an alternate timeline where she died. Though it was possible that others connected closely to the fabric of space/time might sense something odd, which was probably why Ford was so insistent they not talk about it. She groaned a little at the thought of the report to come and how they would explain their actions without telling the whole truth.

"What's the matter?" Ford asked her.

"The report," she whispered.

He chuckled. "Only you would be lying there thinking about our alibi. Stop it, Sabrina. I'll have it all figured out by the time you're well enough to be questioned. Just rest and get better."

"I don't want you to get in trouble," she managed to push out before a cough made her head feel as if someone was pounding on it with a sledgehammer.

"Ssh," Ford said, lightly smoothing her hair back from her face. "Don't talk. I'm not in any trouble I can't get out of without your help. Don't trouble your poor bruised head over it. By the time you're ready to get out of bed I'll have dazzled everyone with my brilliant political mind and they will assume you were your usual resourceful self and escaped under your own power. Your only job is to get better and stay alive." His voice dropped back into a whisper. "You're my talisman."

There was something she desperately needed to ask him, but the words wouldn't form in her mind before the pain was swallowed by merciful unconsciousness.

—-+————————

When she woke again, her head felt better, more as if she had a regular headache instead of a skull fracture. She blinked and turned her head slightly to find Stecklan sitting beside her bed working on a notepad. "Where's Ford?" she asked.

Stecklan smiled at her. "Good morning, Lady Sabrina. Are you feeling better?"

"A little. You probably know how I'm doing better than I can tell."

"There was some bleeding in your brain that they'd missed before. They had to go in and cauterize it to relieve the pressure. They said you'd be better when you woke up this time."

"I am. Where's Ford?"

"The prince is taking care of some business. It's been rather busy here," Stecklan said. "He spoke to Ambassador Meera this morning, though, so the lines of communication are back up. There's nothing for you to worry about."

"I get worried when people keep telling me there's nothing to worry about," Sabrina complained.

Stecklan chuckled. "The prince said I should give you a report if you asked for one. Otherwise you'd fret yourself into a decline. I thought he was joking, but apparently not."

"Tell me what's happened."

"Well. The short version is that the prince managed to obtain a confession from the Chancellor that he did in fact order your kidnapping and murder, which was supposed to be recorded to further outrage Praxatillus and the Realm. Apparently the We'edja are a rebellious faction trying to force reforms in the planetary food distribution network. The government has been framing them for atrocities in order to rally Realm support for destroying them, since they've been unable to do it themselves. I guess they thought your death would be the crowning touch. The Chancellor is awaiting formal trial while the government sorts itself out. The prince is with the High Lord right now discussing terms for his abdication."

"How...how long have I been out of it?" Sabrina asked, astonished.

"Three days." Stecklan grinned at her expression. "Who knew the prince had it in him?"

"I may be out of a job," Sabrina agreed. "What about the emergency food supplies?"

"They came in yesterday right on schedule, along with some long-range communications equipment. Apparently Ambassador Meera was getting worried about us."

She smiled. "Thad's always efficient. Well, I'm glad to know everything's under control."

"And," Stecklan said, "since you managed to not only escape but dispatch four professional thugs, I gather that the prevailing theory of female frailty is being questioned."

"Good," Sabrina replied, hiding a wince. Well, if some good could come from her cover story, she wasn't going to quibble over it, she thought. "I'm so thirsty, Stecklan."

"Here. Slowly, now." He held a cup to her lips and let her sip some of the diluted fruit juice. "They've been worried about getting enough nourishment into you. The prince wouldn't let them start a feeding tube. He said it would be too easy to poison you with it. It's a sad day when he's more paranoid than I am."

Sabrina smiled. "Ford never does anything halfway."

Stecklan chuckled again. "He's taken great delight in reminding everyone that he is, in fact, a direct descendant of Lizzila the Pirate Queen."

"Oh," Sabrina said, "Mara's going to love that." She yawned, trying not to move her head while she did. "I'm so tired of being tired."

"You may as well get some more rest," Stecklan said. "The doctors aren't going to dare let you up until the prince is satisfied, so you have plenty of time to get well."

Sabrina sighed as she fell back to sleep.