Medusa _ A Tiger by the Tail by Jack L. Chalker

Author:Jack L. Chalker [Chalker, Jack L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780345293725
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 1983-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

The Goddess Medusa

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"What're you mad about?" Bura wanted to know. "You're the one who's leaving."

"Well, at least I expected you to try and talk me out of it," I retorted.

Angi looked me right in the eyes. "Would it matter? Would you not go if we cried and pleaded?"

I sighed. "Probably not. I have to go."

"And we understand that," Bura said. "We don't like it, but we know you well enough by now. There's something inside you, something eating away, that just isn't going to go away. It's just. .." Her voice trailed off and she turned away.

I reached out and put my hand on her shoulder. "I know. The children to come. You can't believe how rotten I feel leaving you now—but, with luck, I'll be back in fourteen weeks. If it was much longer I'd wait until after, you know that."

"You probably would," Angi agreed, "and you'd slowly go nuts. You know it and we know it So—go. But . . . come back to us, Tari."

I admit I was starting to feel a little teary myself, and I hugged and kissed them both, and they hugged and kissed Ching. I turned to my original pair-mate. "I still wish you wouldn't come. They need you here. Particularly if—"

"I go where you go," she said once again. "I'm not going to sit here and not know."

"All right, then," I sighed, "let's get going."

We walked out to the courtyard, where the rest of the party was gathering. With Ching and myself it was a group of fourteen, led by an experienced northerner named Hono. Like the others, she'd been born in the wild; the Free Tribes tended to keep to one name if doing so didn't lead to confusion. We had been practicing with the group for several days, and I had to admit that Ching seemed to have a better handle on spear and bow than I did. Yet using my increased muscle power and some of my fencing steps and moves, I could wield the sword very effectively in close quarters. It was a close quarters weapon only, though, and I sorely missed those two laser rifles at the bottom of the slag. pit.

There was one more round of emotional good-byes, and attempts on all parts to pretend that things were really just fine and normal, but both Ching and I were glad when we left the compound and our people behind. It wasn't a question of out of sight out of mind, but, rather, a strong feeling inside me that if I didn't get out of there soon I would be unable to leave. Having found a closeness and an emotional bond I had never before even conceived of, I was now turning my back on it and going back to work for a system in which I no longer had any faith. I liked to tell myself, and Ching, that we were doing this for ourselves and for the planet's protection and not for any outside force or government.

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