The Lost Animas (The Ammonite Galaxy Series, Book 5)

Chapter 6

BACK ON VALHAI, Grace had been called into Mandalon 50's office in the Valhai Voting Dome. She was curious to see why he wanted to talk to her; she was still theoretically a repudiated Sellite, and it was hard to see what he thought she might add to his already extremely complicated life.

Even stranger, he had not asked Arcan to accompany her. She found herself flushing slightly as she waited to be shown into his presence. The Second Valhai Votation was less than a month away now, and he had doubled his security contingent; several burly Sellite guards were staring down at her with impassive faces. Grace unwittingly touched her catana, and there was a spine-chilling metallic unsheathing sound as the guards all drew their own weapons. She shivered, and moved her hand cautiously away again. It seemed that Mandalon 50 was taking his own safety very seriously indeed. She wondered that she had not been required to hand in her own weapon at the entry.

Then the head of Sell was standing in front of her, and she found herself obliged to hold up her mangled hands in the standard Sellite salute.

"May the perfect triangle remain stable!" he intoned.

"And may the flares on Almagest remain quiescent." she replied, exactly as Sell custom required.

Mandalon seemed to relax, and smiled at her. "It is good to see you. How was your journey of colour?"

"Very pleasant, thank you. It ... err ... cleared up some things."

"Then the man who speaks to canths was correct in his estimate?" The young leader had raised his eyebrows in some surprise. "I think I should visit Xiantha one of these days."

Grace nodded. "I am sure that you should. Xiantha is not only a beautiful planet; its people have a unique vision of the world. You should visit the Emerald Lake; it is one of the wonders of Xiantha." Then she thought for a moment. "And the Xianthes, of course," she added.

Mandalon's eyes tracked down to her hands. "You saw rather more of them than you anticipated, I believe."

Grace gave an involuntary shudder. "I did. I think I saw more than I need for the rest of my lifetime. But they are still worth seeing, and any visitor should travel up the dark Xianthe if they can."

Mandalon looked wistful. "One day, perhaps." Then his eyes flickered around the stolid guards and he made a small moue with his mouth. "Perhaps you would be interested in seeing the gold-weave robe which has been prepared for the Second Valhai Votation?"

Grace blinked. "Oh ... err ... of course."

The head of Sell led her out of the reception chamber, through two enormous cupboard doors, and into a large room leading off the small sleeping chamber. The room was chilled to an appropriate temperature, and there were several mannequins dotted around the impressive closet. As the guards made to follow, Mandalon raised his hand.

"No more than two people in here at a time," he told them. "You know the rules. Otherwise the thread could suffer deterioration."

The guards made an obeisance, and stationed themselves with their backs to Mandalon and Grace, just outside the double doors. Mandalon took hold of Grace's elbow, and moved her well to the back of the huge wardrobe, where nobody could overhear him.

"I want you to help me," he whispered.

"Me?" For the life of her, Grace couldn't think what this boy who was still twelve could need of her.

"I need another guard."

"But ... I can't ... I don't know how ..."

Mandalon grinned. "Not you, Grace. I hardly think the rest of Sell would let me have a renegade as a bodyguard. No, I was thinking of those two Namuri you know."