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more to say to you." Turning on his heel, he hurried away,
disappearing around the corner.
"Wait!" Tiger took two long strides and entered the main
hall, stopping in surprise. Moonlight was nowhere in sight.
Tiger questioned the Lightning Tribe initiate coming in the
front door, but the messenger hadn't seen anyone leaving.
Though Tiger searched until it was time for bed, he found no
sign of Moonlight or anyone who had seen him. Knowing he
wouldn't sleep, he sought out Mallet.
Mallet looked up from the book he was reading when Tiger
stopped in front of him. "What can I do for you, Tiger?" he
asked.
"I can't find Moonlight."
Mallet put down his book and invited Tiger to sit.
"I can't stay," Tiger said. "I need to find him."
"You will or you won't, and your entire life will be different
depending on which occurs. And the hell of it is... you'll never
know if the other would have been better or worse for you."
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by Connie Bailey
Mallet glanced out the window of the Denkouzoku dormitory's
common room. "I know you boys wonder what your lives
would have been like if they hadn't been forfeit to the
Kagehito." He met Tiger's eyes again. "You will never know
the answer to this question. You were taken in by the
Kagehito, and that can't be changed."
"I know this."
Mallet nodded, conceding the point. "But neither of us has
been able to teach this lesson to Moonlight. I would stake my
life that, in his heart, he still hopes to find his family and
make everything the way it was before he was brought to the
island."
"I don't know about that," Tiger said evasively.
"Of course you do. You know him better than anyone, even
me. You know he's never truly accepted that he belongs to
the Shadow."
Tiger was quiet for a few moments before he spoke again.
"Do you know why the onmyoji allows Moonlight to visit me?"
"Incentive would be the obvious reason, but the wizard is
seldom obvious." Mallet shook his head. "I don't pretend to
understand why he's breaking so many traditions lately, but
I'm not the man to question someone of his stature."
"Maybe someone should."
"I've never heard you talk this way." Mallet looked up in
surprise. "If I were in charge, you would not have seen
Moonlight again after your creche was broken up. He was
useful for controlling you when you were boys, but now his
influence is weakening you."
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"You're wrong about that. My love for him makes me
strong."
"Only a very young man is blind to the way love weakens
him." Mallet sighed. "Moonlight's getting a reputation for
being the onmyoji's ears... among other things. I'd caution
you to be careful with him."
"He wouldn't do anything to hurt me."
"It's not what he might do, but what he is that should
frighten you."
"And what's that?"
"Roses cannot be trusted. Deceit is their way of life.
Everyone knows this."
"Moonlight would never deceive me."
"You don't think so? Have you kept things from him?"
"Only if I thought they would hurt him."
"What makes you think he hasn't done the same?"
"I know him."
Mallet sighed. "I guess you've stopped listening to your old
teacher. I knew it would happen one day, and you've
certainly made your mark with the Blue Iron fire team. Maybe
you don't need my advice anymore."
"Don't try and play on my sympathy. I don't have any. You
made sure of that."
Mallet smiled. "Just try not to make too big a fool of
yourself out there in the world without my guidance. I
wouldn't care except that it would reflect badly on me."
Tiger aimed a mock punch at Mallet and dodged the return
swing. "I'm going to run a circuit," he said. "See if I can tire
myself out enough to fall asleep. You want to come?"
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by Connie Bailey
"No. I'd like to stay here and finish my book. Tiger... be
wary."
"Aren't I always?"
"Except when it comes to Moonlight."
"I'm going to ask Ladder if Moonlight can come to Russia
with me."
"That's not what I'd call being cautious. Do you really want
to call attention to your... relationship with him?"
"Other Kagehito have formed couples. It isn't forbidden."
"Maybe not for men who've been in service for years and
have earned privileges. You're barely twenty and at the
beginning of your service."
"The quality of my service will make up for the lack of
quantity," Tiger said over his shoulder as he trotted away.
Mallet shook his head as the young man disappeared
behind a screen of trees. In his way, Tiger was as much of a
dreamer as Moonlight. Mallet had recognized how potent their
pairing could be back when they were soft six-year-olds, but
he'd counted on the secondary training to break that
childhood bond. Instead, their separation made their longing
to be together even stronger. Down that path lay obsession,
and it worried Mallet to see his best pupil taking the first
steps in that direction. It was true that this craving could be
used to control Tiger, but it could just as easily impair him.
Without much hope that his words would be heeded, Mallet
took up his pen and wrote a letter to the onmyoji. He was
surprised to receive a reply and even more surprised when he
was sent back to Blue Iron as a team member. However, the
wizard's carefully worded command to keep an eye on Tiger
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by Connie Bailey
cleared up the mystery. Mallet intended to do exactly as the
onmyoji suggested, but for his own reasons this time.
Humming tunelessly, he began to pack.
[Back to Table of Contents]
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Moonlight, Tiger, and Smoke
by Connie Bailey
Part Five
"You know what this team really needs?" Tiger asked.
Over the top of his monitor, Dandy gave Rain a look of
incredulity at Tiger's audacity.
Rain smiled and glanced over at the fire team's junior
member. "Enlighten us, Tiger," he said.
"A Rose."
"A Rose?" Dandy echoed.
"Yeah. Wouldn't it have been nice on that last job to have
a Barazoku to seduce that gay head of security? A Rose would
have brought us the key to the building, and we wouldn't
have had to use all that climbing equipment."
"That's true," Rain admitted. "You know, it used to be
standard for all fire teams to have a Rose as a member.
Wonder why we don't anymore."
"Because they cause too much internal strife," Dandy said.
"It's a matter of historical record that when you have a
Barazoku on the team, it leads to a breakdown in integrity."
"What?" Tiger looked over at Dandy.
"Just having one of those witches around causes tension
that causes division that causes team members to be at one
another's throats."
"That sounds like crap to me," Tiger said. "We're Kagehito.
We don't get distracted by the things that distract ordinary
men."
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by Connie Bailey
Rain and Dandy exchanged a glance. "If you feel strongly
about it," Rain said, "I can mention it to Talon and see what
he thinks."
"I'm just trying to improve the team," Tiger said. "When
do we meet Talon?"
"He'll be here soon. The plan is for him to run a mission
with us before we leave for Russia."
"I'm looking forward to working with him. He's a legend."
"Someday someone will say the same thing about you,"
Rain said. "If you live that long."
"I love your motivational speeches," Tiger said.
Something that sounded like a giggle came from behind
Dandy's monitor.
"What are you simpering at?" Rain said. "You encourage
his cockiness with your hero worship."
Dandy gasped. "That's not true!"
"Then why is there a picture of Tiger under your pillow?"
"There isn't!"
"Don't be embarrassed, Dandy," Rain said. "It's only
natural that you'd look up to a guy like Tiger and that you've [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]