THE TWELVE -- Chapter 35 - A Last Surprise

Jaeger immediately dropped the gun that he held and reached forward to catch Djaisiuk as he fell.  Lifting him carefully, Jaeger then looked to Eriane for instruction.  Eriane had come hurriedly forward and now instructed Jaeger to lay Djaisiuk gently on the medical bed.

The officer, watching the proceedings in growing irritation, emitted a suppressed sigh and turned to one of the soldiers behind him.  “Summon a medic,” he said shortly.  He then stepped forward toward the bed himself.

“And tell him to bring a transfusion,” Eriane called after the departing soldier.  “B452–, no, wait a moment.  It would be K6-17, by Vukasovian measurements.  And hurry!”

“What’s wrong with him?” asked the officer, stepping up to the medical bed as the soldier left.  “Nothing life-threatening?”

“I hope not,” said Eriane, not looking up as he continued to work.  “But I can’t be sure yet.”  He moved a scanner over Djaisiuk, focusing particular attention on his head and chest.  "At the moment, the highest priority is to get some blood back into his veins.  He’s obviously suffering from massive internal bleeding.”

The officer motioned several more of the soldiers to enter and turned to the other boys.  “You will all go to your quarters to gather what belongings you may have brought in preparation for departure.  You will then be escorted to your ship.  If you brought no belongings, then you may go immediately to the docks.”

The boys looked at one another.

“Meaning no offense, sir,” began Christopher quietly, “but how can we trust that you’re telling us the truth?  How do we know that this isn’t just a trick by Kandryl to separate us?”

“He couldn't have put together something like this so quickly,” said Jade.

“Kandryl?” the officer repeated.  “Ah, yes, the traitor.  He’s no longer issuing commands here.”

“Traitor?” echoed Cycil.

“It seems that he’s been functioning outside of the boundaries of Vukasovian law of late,” the officer continued.  “Kidnapping is, as I’m sure you know, an interplanetary offense.  It is by no means condoned by the Vukasovian government.  This entire facility has been functioning without the blessing, or even the permission, of any higher officials.  Its existence has only just been brought to our attention, and I assure you that it will be immediately shut down and possibly destroyed in its entirety.”

“Then we really are going home?” asked Leil with a touch of hope in his voice, though there was still some skepticism as well.  “When?”

“As soon as I can get you all assembled in the docks,” replied the officer impatiently.  “The quicker you comply, the sooner you can be on your way.  Now, if you’ll consent to go along with these soldiers . . . .”

At this moment, the medic who had been summoned entered and, at a word from the officer, approached the medical bed and reluctantly began to speak to Eriane as he scanned Djaisiuk himself.

“Why do we have to go along with the soldiers?” asked Sandy, looking at the officer.  “And why so many of them?”

“They’re for your own protection,” the latter explained, still sounding impatient.  “We do not yet have Kandryl in custody.  He is still somewhere in the base.  It is possible that he would attempt to do one or more of you some harm yet.”

“Creole!” exclaimed Christopher.  “Please sir, there is one of us missing.  Creole is still being held prisoner.  He could be in danger!”

“Where is he?” the officer asked.

“I can take you there,” said Wysire.  “I’ve been to see him.  As long as they still have him in the same cell, I know where he is.”

The officer at first instructed two soldiers to accompany him, but Christopher insisted on going too, explaining that he had been a prisoner as well and had, therefore, no possessions to retrieve, so the officer assigned them a following of six guards.  The other boys then moved forward to follow their example and were each assigned two soldiers to accompany them.  Eriane alone seemed to take no notice of the proceedings, being completely engaged in caring for Djaisiuk.  Jaeger too stood silently next to the bed, watching the medical proceedings.

“I’m not leaving either,” Jaeger had said when the officer suggested that he go with the soldiers.  “I’m staying with here with Djaisiuk.  I’ve nothing to pack anyway.  Kandryl destroyed the single item that I had brought with me long ago.”

The officer shrugged slightly as if to say that he didn’t care whether Jaeger stayed or went.  He then turned to the argument being held between Eriane and the medic.

"You can't give Vukasovian blood to a Komislavian," snapped the medic.

"There's no difference!" Eriane snapped back.  "He's going to die if he doesn't get a transfusion."

"Then let him die.  Look at the scan; there's no point in trying to save this one."

"What?!"

"Give him the transfusion," ordered the officer, looking at the medic sternly.

The medic looked up at him, still angry but trying not to show it.  "He's Komislavian," he said.  "We can't give him Vukasovian blood."

"I said give it to him," repeated the officer in a low voice.

The medic looked for a moment as though he would refuse, but then turned and began the transfusion.  The officer then assigned four soldiers to remain with the three boys, then turned himself and left the room.  As the blood began to flow in his veins again, Djaisiuk slowly regained consciousness.

"We'll need braces and some means of carrying him," said Eriane, speaking again to the medic.  "We'll also want an anesthetic."

"Why do you want braces?" asked the medic.

"One for his leg, and one for his arm," replied Eriane.  "I think that--"

"Why not just amputate them here and now?  It won't take long."

Jaeger had watched quietly as Djaisiuk regained consciousness, not really paying attention to what Eriane and the medic were saying.  Djaisiuk blinked once or twice, then lay still, breathing very lightly and staring up at the ceiling.  Jaeger then reached forward and gently placed his hand on Djaisiuk’s left hand, which lay close to him, but, at the touch, Djaisiuk inhaled sharply and cringed slightly as a brief expression of pain passed over his face.  Jaeger pulled his hand back quickly, and Eriane turned to look at them.

“Please don’t touch his arm, Jaeger,” he said.  “Actually, it would be better if you don’t touch him at all, now that he’s awake.  I know that it doesn't look like it, but he's covered in injuries, and physical contact will, for the time being, only exacerbate the situation.”

Jaeger lifted his hands and started to apologize, but Eriane had turned again to continue his argument with the medic.  Djaisiuk seemed to pay none of them any heed, so Jaeger simply moved back from the bed half a step and remained, watching quietly.

"I'm not going amputate without trying to repair them."

The medic laughed sharply, then suddenly thrust the scanner in Eriane's face.  Eriane started back.

"Look at it!" snapped the medic.  "You think that you could repair this?"

“I won’t agree to amputation, no matter how bad it is, without at least attempting reparation,” insisted Eriane.  “I’ve seen medical miracles in my lifetime.”

“You’re wasting time and energy,” replied the medic firmly.  “It can’t be done.”

“You’re wasting time yourself now.  We’re not going to amputate, and that’s all that there is to it.  Now you can help me to prepare him to be moved or not.”

The medic sighed and shook his head in disgust.  “Very well then,” he said.  “If he dies, then all it’ll mean is one less Komislavian in the world, and I say good riddance!”

The medic turned towards the door.  Eriane bristled at his last statement and glared after him, but he set his jaw firmly and said nothing.  The medic turned back again as he reached the door.

“Are you coming?  Or do you trust me enough to pick the braces myself?” he asked sarcastically.

Eriane stepped forward silently to follow him, biting back a sharp retort.  As the two of them were leaving the room, Eriane looked back at Jaeger.

“Please stay with him,” said Eriane.  “I’ll be back shortly.”

Jaeger nodded.  “I won’t leave,” he said.

Eriane smiled wearily and left, following the medic and accompanied by two of the soldiers.  The other two soldiers remained behind and stood at attention, watching Jaeger and Djaisiuk.  The door closed, and silence fell over the room.

Jaeger looked down at Djaisiuk for a long moment, then walked around the bed to stand at Djaisiuk’s right side, feeling rather nervous after the contact made with his injured left arm.

“Djaisiuk,” he said at last, speaking softly.  “You’ve been braver than any of us.  I can’t imagine what you’ve been through over these last few days.  There are so many questions that I’d like to ask you, but I won’t.  I do still trust you.  And I won’t question you.”  He smiled.  “You said that we needed to wait.  I wish that I knew whether you meant that we should wait for our people to arrive.  I can’t help but wonder: did you know?  And, if so, is this the 'sabotage' of which Kandryl accused you?”

Djaisiuk still did not look at him.  Jaeger continued to smile.

Suddenly, both were startled to hear the door open and two shots fire, all at nearly the same time.  Jaeger turned quickly towards the door at the front of the room in time to see the two soldiers fall to the floor, both having been shot.  Djaisiuk turned his head a little to the right, but he was lying at such an angle that he could not see the door.  He had given the slightest start at the sound of the gunshots, but the surprise did not register on his face.

As Jaeger watched, Kandryl entered the room.

Kandryl was carrying two small hand weapons which he had apparently just used to dispatch the two soldiers.  He now stepped silently into the room, glancing carefully around him.  He held Jaeger’s gaze for a moment, then turned and closed the door, sealing it from within.  Turning back to look at Jaeger, he continued into the room, walking around to the left-hand side of the bed, opposite Jaeger, and looked down at Djaisiuk.

Jaeger tensed, looking more like a wild-cat than ever, obviously ready to leap across the bed, if necessary.  Djaisiuk simply turned his head slowly to the left to look up at Kandryl.  There was no fear in his eyes, but neither did he look quite normal for him.  He looked very tired, and the pain still showed somewhat in his otherwise indifferent expression.

Kandryl looked up at Jaeger again.  “Get out,” he ordered calmly.

“No!” exclaimed Jaeger indignantly, seeming shocked at the order.  “You can’t possibly imagine that I’d leave him alone with you, especially now!”

Kandryl raised the gun in his left hand to point across the bed at Jaeger’s forehead.  “I’ll kill you, if I must,” he said calmly.  “I no longer have any need of you alive.”

Jaeger lifted his chin and stared at Kandryl defiantly.  “I’m afraid you must then,” he said in a low, firm voice, “for I’ll not leave otherwise.”

Djaisiuk had inhaled audibly at the first part of Jaeger’s reply and, with a little effort, lifted his right hand and placed it over the gun, his hand resting partly on Kandryl’s as well.  Kandryl gave a slight shudder at the touch.

“No,” said Djaisiuk hoarsely, in the same strained voice with which he had spoken earlier to Jaeger, though now it no longer trembled.  Then, turning to look at Kandryl again, he swallowed and said slowly, “What?”

Kandryl looked from Djaisiuk to Jaeger and back again for a moment, then slowly lowered the gun.  “I want to speak with you alone,” he said to Djaisiuk.  “Only for a moment.”  Then, looking up at Jaeger again, he continued, “I swear that I won’t try to hurt him.”

Jaeger gave a short exhalation of incredulity and contempt.  “And do you expect me to believe you?”  He shook his head.  “No, I won’t leave.  Do what you will, I won’t leave.”

“Please,” said Djaisiuk softly, looking up at Jaeger.  He then motioned toward one corner of the room, indicating that he wished Jaeger to at least step back to let them talk.

“Djaisiuk, you can’t possibly trust him,” said Jaeger incredulously.

Djaisiuk held Jaeger’s eye for a moment, looking even more tired, and again motioned toward the corner of the room.

Jaeger looked from Djaisiuk to Kandryl and back again, still hesitant and openly distrustful of Kandryl.  Finally, he withdrew to the far corner of the room, still watching closely, ready to leap forward quickly if necessary.

Once Jaeger had withdrawn, Kandryl pulled the tall stool up to the bed, sat down on it, and leaned forward to be able to speak to Djaisiuk in a whisper such that Jaeger could not overhear.  Djaisiuk had allowed his gaze to again settle on the far wall, and this was just as well, considering the fact that neither would likely have enjoyed looking into the eyes of the other at such close range.

“Djaisiuk,” whispered Kandryl in his usual purring voice.  “You have succeeded.  You have shown that you are not only as great as your friends suggest; you are better.  You have defeated me and lived to tell the tale, although perhaps only just barely.”  He smiled briefly and paused for a moment, then continued, “I have come now to issue you a challenge, Djaisiuk.  You have performed the very difficult; now perform the impossible.  There is one who will be executed now, because of what you have done.  I challenge you to save him.”

The slightest hint of a reaction passed over Djaisiuk’s face at this last comment, but Kandryl continued quickly.

“I am not speaking of myself,” he whispered firmly.  “No, I am not afraid to die.  But you know what will happen now: I will not be the only one to die.  No indeed, there will be many others who will suffer for your success.  There is one here who is young, and who has many years ahead of him, and it is of him whom I speak.”  Again he smiled.  “Come, perform the impossible once again.  Say that you will do it.”

Djaisiuk’s face had relaxed entirely by this time.  It still showed some small amount of the pain that he was feeling, but it betrayed no tension.  His eyes were half-closed, and he did not look at Kandryl.  As the latter finished, Djaisiuk slowly closed his eyes completely.  Kandryl frowned.

“Djaisiuk,” he almost hissed, still whispering.  “Do you not understand me?  I’m not asking for myself.  I’m asking for you to save the life of a boy: your assistant, Kiacyl.  Think of him.  He’s young.  He’ll be executed now, and you’ve accomplished it!  You can’t be sorry that you’ve killed me.  But he has done you no wrong, and it is for his life that I now ask.  Yes, Djaisiuk, I’m asking you to save him.  There is no one in the world now who can help him except you, and if you refuse, he will die, and you will have accomplished it.”

Djaisiuk did not move or open his eyes as Kandryl spoke.  He continued to lie perfectly still.  He did not react either to Kandryl’s words or to the increasing urgency in his voice.

“What do you want from me?!” Kandryl hissed through clenched teeth, glancing nervously at the door as he spoke.  “Do you want me to get down on my knees and beg for his life?!  He’s a child!  And you are a Komislavian, even if you don’t act like one.  Show some pity!  You can save him.  Don’t try to deny it.  If you leave him here, then you alone will be responsible for his death.  His blood will be on your hands!  Djaisiuk, I beg you to save his life.”

In his agitation, Kandryl took hold of Djaisiuk’s left arm that lay before him.  Djaisiuk gasped and opened his eyes, and Jaeger leapt forward immediately.  Kandryl quickly let go and glanced at Jaeger.  The latter stopped, but looked at him cautiously.  For a moment, the two regarded one another.  Then Djaisiuk’s voice interrupted them.

“Yes,” said Djaisiuk softly.

Djaisiuk had not been ignoring Kandryl’s request; he had been thinking.  What Kandryl had asked was, indeed, very nearly impossible, and it required a great deal of thinking and planning to judge whether even Djaisiuk himself could hope to accomplish it, particularly in the state in which he now found himself.  Also, there was the question of whether he ought to do it.  The consequences would be far reaching indeed.  So many factors had to be considered.

With the great loss of blood that Djaisiuk had sustained from the tortures of the last two days, thinking was far more difficult than was normal for him.  The transfusion he had received was helping, but he was still far from well.  Even so, his mind was still the greatest that Komislava had ever known.  And it had not failed him now.

Kandryl turned back to Djaisiuk and frowned uncertainly.

“You will do it?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Djaisiuk.

“And will you swear to me that he will not be harmed?”

Djaisiuk was quiet for a moment.  Before he could answer, footsteps were heard in the hall.  A noise was then heard outside the door as someone attempted to open it.  Knocking was heard, and this quickly changed to a pounding, and Eriane’s voice was heard outside, calling to Jaeger and Djaisiuk.  The voice of at least one Vukasovian was heard, calling to the guards within the room.  Jaeger started to move forward but stopped, looking to Djaisiuk for instruction.

Kandryl rose quickly to his feet but looked down again at Djaisiuk, waiting for an answer.  Djaisiuk looked up and met Kandryl’s eyes.

“Yes,” he said simply.

“He’ll be waiting for you in the hall as you leave this room,” Kandryl whispered hurriedly to Djaisiuk.  He then turned and walked swiftly out of the door at the back of the room.

Djaisiuk looked at Jaeger and gave the slightest nod.  Jaeger then rushed forward to open the door.

“What happened?  Are you both alright?  Why did you seal the door?” asked Eriane as soon as the door was opened.  He stopped in shock at the sight of the two soldiers lying motionless on the floor.  “Jaeger, what did you do?”

“I didn’t do it this time,” answered Jaeger.  “We had a . . . an unexpected visitor.”

The two remaining soldiers who had accompanied Eriane had apparently already sent for assistance, for the officer whom they had met earlier entered the room almost immediately with several more soldiers.  He looked over the situation darkly.

“What happened here?” he demanded of the remaining soldiers.

The two soldiers explained that they had left the room with one of the Komislavian boys, leaving the other two guards with the remaining two Komislavians.  They had returned to find the door sealed, and, once it was opened, they found that their companions were dead.

The officer stepped up to the medical table and looked from Jaeger to Djaisiuk.

“What happened here?” he asked again, directing the question this time to them.

“Kandryl decided to pay us a visit just after Eriane and the other three left,” said Jaeger matter-of-factly.  “He came in here with his guns blazing and shot those two before I even realized that anyone had entered the room.”

Eriane looked up in shock.  "Kandryl?!" he exclaimed.  "He was here?"

“Are you certain that it was him?” the officer asked.

Jaeger gave a short laugh.  “His is not a face that I’m likely to forget for a very long time.”

“Why did he kill them and not you?" continued the officer.  “And where did he go?  Do you know where he is now?”

“He said that he came to talk to Djaisiuk,” Jaeger shrugged.  “They talked.  He left.  He did threaten to kill me, and I don't know why he didn't.  I don’t know where he is now, and I really don’t care, as long as I never see him again.”

“Did you seal the door then when he left?”

“No, he sealed it when he entered; I would assume that it was so that he wouldn’t be disturbed.  He left through the back door there, and I opened the front door when Eriane came back.”

The officer dispatched several of the soldiers through the back door indicated with instructions to find and apprehend Kandryl before he attempted any more mischief.

“He won’t evade us for long,” said the officer, turning back to Jaeger.  “This base is large, but there are only so many places where he can hide.  We’ll have him in custody within the hour.”

The officer then turned to Djaisiuk, asking Kandryl’s reasons for wanting to speak with him, but Djaisiuk would neither answer nor even look at the officer.  This frustrated the officer at first, but Eriane quickly intervened, saying that Djaisiuk did not speak much under normal circumstances, and, as he had recently been under an extreme amount of physical and emotional duress, the officer mustn’t expect him to offer any sort of explanation on any subject at this time.  He gave his opinion that if Djaisiuk knew anything about the whereabouts of Kandryl, he would surely have volunteered the information.  Djaisiuk had little enough reason to like Kandryl, Eriane assured him, the latter having been the one directly responsible for Djaisiuk’s current condition.  The officer had reluctantly acknowledged Eriane’s logic and had then ceased his questioning.  He assigned all of the remaining soldiers to remain with the young Komislavians and to accompany them to their ship as soon as they were ready to move.  He then went himself through the back door to follow the soldiers whom he had sent “in search of the traitor.”

Eriane had, by this time, examined Djaisiuk again quickly and assured himself that he, at least, had not received any further harm.  He then became calm and very business-like.  Eriane and the medic no longer argued with one another – indeed they scarcely spoke to each other at all.  Eriane produced an anesthetic which he would then have given to Djaisiuk, but the latter shook his head and lifted his right hand to waive the drug away.

"Djaisiuk, this is only a simple anesthetic," said Eriane.  "It will enable us to move you to the ship.  You can't possibly want to be conscious when we do that; it would be unbelievably painful."

Djaisiuk did not answer, but neither did he lower his hand.

"Djaisiuk, please let me administer this," said Eriane.

Again, Djaisiuk shook his head.

Eriane looked at Jaeger and frowned questioningly.  Jaeger merely shrugged.  Eriane considered for a moment, then sighed.

"Djaisiuk, I'm going to have to overrule you on this," said Eriane at last.  "You know that I can, when it comes to anything medical.  I'm not going to have you moved without an anesthetic."

"Chair," rasped Djaisiuk.

"What?" asked Eriane.

Djaisiuk swallowed painfully and repeated, "Invalid's chair."

"Absolutely not!" exclaimed Eriane.  "Djaisiuk, I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm not going to allow it."

"He's insane," said the Vukasovian medic scornfully.  "I've seen it happen many times.  With the tortures they used on him, it's almost to be expected."

Eriane frowned at this, but he did not answer.  He turned instead to Djaisiuk.  "Whatever you want can be done once we're on the ship and these wounds have been treated," he said.  "In the meantime, seeing the condition that you're in, I'm taking charge."

"Jaeger," said Djaisiuk in a strained voice.

Jaeger stepped up to the bed again, and Djaisiuk looked at him with what was -- for him -- an almost pleading expression.

"Djaisiuk, I don't know what you want me to do," said Jaeger.

In response, Djaisiuk lifted his right hand, reaching toward Jaeger.  Jaeger accepted the hand, still looking confused, and Djaisiuk pulled as if trying to raise himself.

"Stop!" exclaimed Eriane in horror, taking hold of Djaisiuk's shoulder to hold him down.  "Djaisiuk, stop!  What are you doing?!"

The medic shook his head.  "He's insane."

"Djaisiuk, please; tell me what is so important," pleaded Eriane.

Djaisiuk lay back again, breathing a little heavily with his recent exertion, and shook his head.

Jaeger swallowed.  "Eriane, I think that he'd rather walk to the ship than have you give him that anesthetic."

Eriane licked his lips uncertainly and looked from Jaeger to Djaisiuk.  The medic sighed in disgust and murmured something about "stupid Komislavians."  This rankled Eriane, but he bit his tongue, took a breath, and nodded.

"Alright, Djaisiuk," he said.  "I'll trust you, if you're sure that this is what you want."

Djaisiuk opened his eyes, looked up at Eriane, and whispered, "Thank you."

Eriane's eyes widened in shock.  He glanced up at Jaeger and saw that he was just as surprised.  This must be something important indeed, if Djaisiuk would speak unnecessarily for it.  With another nod, Eriane turned to send for an invalid's chair.

With the medic’s help, Eriane carefully fitted Djaisiuk’s leg with a metal brace that would keep it from moving or causing further damage when he was moved.  Eriane had ruefully to admit to himself that it was hardly possible to cause any more damage to the leg than had already been caused.  Even so, movement of any kind would be excruciating, and, with Djaisiuk wishing to remain conscious, it was best, he reasoned, to keep it as still as possible until he was aboard the ship.  This done, they then fitted a similar but smaller brace onto his left arm.  Once they had finished their preparations, Eriane and Jaeger carefully transferred Djaisiuk to the invalid’s chair.  This was a chair on soft wheels whose power was controlled by the occupant.  There was an addition in the front which Eriane raised on which Djaisiuk’s right leg could lie, so that it would not have to be bent.

As soon as all was made ready, the three left the room, Jaeger walking on Djaisiuk’s left side and Eriane on his right.  The soldiers walked with them, some in front and some behind.  The medic left to return to wherever it was from whence he had been summoned.  They had not gone far when they saw Kiacyl, standing to one side of the hall, watching them.  Eriane opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as Djaisiuk extended his right hand towards Kiacyl and beckoned him to follow.  Eriane and Jaeger exchanged silent glances of confusion, but asked no questions.  The soldiers made no attempt to hinder Kiacyl, so he walked with them, a large silent group, down the halls and to the docks.

THE TWELVE -- Chapter 34 - An Unexpected Meeting

It had been a full nineteen days since the capture of the boys.  The eight who worked willingly had all but ceased to speak of returning home.  They worked each day without argument and met each night for a time of fellowship together.  It was the same, day after day.  It was, therefore, rather strange when they were all called together late one morning with no explanation offered.

Kandryl had sent for them: all of them.  They were brought together in a small room in the medical section to wait for orders.  None knew what was going to happen.  There was quiet conversation and speculation as they waited.

Very soon a medic entered the room and told them that Kandryl was ready.  The boys were then led together into a medical room.  Eriane gasped and drew back as he recognized the room.  He had never been inside of it, but he knew it well enough by sight.  In the center was a medical bed, and at the foot of this bed was a squarish device.  The boys had entered from the back of the room and stood now facing the bed, nearest the foot.

"No, no," said Eriane softly, trying to back away.

"Djaisiuk!" cried Sandy in surprise and joy.

The other boys looked up and saw Djaisiuk sitting on a tall stool at the left hand side of the medical bed, facing the bed.  His eyes were lowered and his shoulders drooped.  He did not look up as they entered, and it seemed to them that his usually emotionless face was very pale and was laced with a touch of sadness or hopelessness, though it was difficult to tell which.  His left side was facing them, and Eriane's trained eye immediately detected something definitely wrong in both the way that Djaisiuk's left arm hung limply at his side and in the lack of color in his face; Djaisiuk's breathing too, and the whole way in which he sat indicated that something more was wrong than immediately met the eye.  Wysire too looked quite concerned upon seeing Djaisiuk's strange expression.  Eriane stepped forward cautiously.

"Djaisiuk?" he began.  "What--"

Before he could finish, two doors, one at the front of the room, in front of the boys, and one near the back of the room, to the left of the boys, opened at almost the same time.  Through the front door, the one facing the boys, Kandryl entered.  Through the rear door, four guards entered, leading Christopher and Faquire.

The boys were startled but overjoyed at seeing one another, and, to their surprise, the guards made no attempt to restrain the two prisoners from interacting with the other boys.  Exclamations of joy and inquiries about health and well-being were quickly exchanged.  The guards retreated to the very back of the room, and left the boys standing in a group, a few feet from the foot of the medical bed which sat in the middle of the room.

Kandryl gave the boys a minute or two to converse before interrupting them.  He stepped forward to stand on the opposite side of the bed from Djaisiuk in front of what Eriane knew to be the controls for the horrible little device and looked at the group of boys before him.

"Doubtless you are wondering why you are here," said Kandryl.  The boys grew silent immediately and looked up at him.  "You are here to help me, if you will, and to suffer the consequences, if you will not."

Kandryl's voice was slightly lower than the free boys were accustomed to hearing.  Danger seemed to hang in the air, and they all felt it.  They waited quietly and expectantly for they knew not what.

"Your friend Djaisiuk," continued Kandryl, turning to look at Djaisiuk as he spoke, "has disobeyed orders.  He has broken into an area in which he had no business, and there, it is believed, he has performed some sabotage.  He now refuses to tell us what he has done."

The boys looked at Djaisiuk, and Kandryl could see that their astonishment was unfeigned (although he was very displeased to see admiration as well in several of their faces).  Faquire alone did not look surprised, for he had already known this.  The others, however, obviously did not know what to think.  Djaisiuk had been working for the Vukasovians willingly, they had thought.  They would never have expected any action of the kind that Kandryl now described from him.

Realization seemed to dawn on both Eriane and Wysire as they looked at Djaisiuk, though in different ways for each.

"What have you done to him?!" demanded Eriane angrily.

Most of the other boys looked at Eriane in surprise, but Kandryl merely ignored him.

"This is where I need your assistance," continued Kandryl.  "You will convince him to tell me what I wish to know.  This you will do of your own accord or by other chosen means.  Which do you prefer?"

Kandryl paused and looked at each of them in turn.  The boys looked from Kandryl to Djaisiuk for a moment.  Eriane looked furious, and Wysire began to look far more concerned than he had earlier.

"No one questions Djaisiuk," said Jaeger at last.  "If he doesn't want to tell you something, then there's nothing that we can do or say to change his mind."

"And we wouldn't want to either," said Faquire sharply.  "If he's done something against you, then I say, 'good for him!'  I'll not help you to get information out of him."

"Oh, you will help me," purred Kandryl.  "Have no doubt on that score.  I only asked whether you would help willingly or unwillingly."

Kandryl raised a hand and motioned to two of the guards.  He then pointed to Jaeger, and the guards took hold of him to lead him forward.

"Your friend Eriane has, no doubt, told you about this place," Kandryl continued as the guards led Jaeger to the medical bed.

"Stop!" interrupted Eriane, seeing now what Kandryl meant to do.  "Please!  He'd help you if he could, but he's right.  None of us could convince Djaisiuk to tell you something that he doesn't want to tell you, no matter what we said.  Jaeger's not being rebellious; he's only being honest."

"What do you intend to do to me?" Jaeger asked Kandryl.  His voice was almost angry now and not a bit fearful.

"I have told you already," said Kandryl.  "You will help me, indeed all of you will help me, to learn what I wish to know.  This machine, with which you may not be familiar, is very well known to Djaisiuk.  He will know the pain that you feel, and he will have the option to end your pain at any time that he chooses.  If he will but tell me what I want to know, then all of you will be able to go back to your work.  If not, than you will each feel what this device is capable of inflicting, starting with the oldest," Kandryl, looking at Jaeger through this speech, now turned slowly to look over the other boys, his eyes coming to rest at last on Sandy, "and ending with the youngest."

Jaeger struggled suddenly, but the guards, ready for this, held him fast.

"Let them go!" said Jaeger sharply to Kandryl.  "You've no right to be frightening the little ones like this.  They've served you willingly; let them go!  Keep me here, if you must, and do what you like to me, but I won't let you do this to the younger ones."

Kandryl smiled menacingly at him.  "Then convince your friend to tell me what I wish to know, and you will all go free."

Jaeger turned to look at Djaisiuk silently for a moment, but Djaisiuk did not move.  For a moment they remained thus, then Kandryl motioned to the guards to proceed.  Jaeger no longer struggled as the guards forced him onto the table and strapped him to it.  The medic who had led the free boys into the room prepared Jaeger's foot for the device.  Jaeger continued to watch Djaisiuk silently through all of this, but Djaisiuk did not look up.  He sat now less than two feet from Jaeger's left hand, but he seemed perfectly oblivious to anything and everything else in the room.

One of the guards returned to his place at the back of the room, but the other walked over to the group of boys again.  This one took Eriane by the arm and led him to stand before the controls of the device.  Eriane pulled back with a cry.

"No!" he exclaimed.  "No, you can't expect me to do this!  I won't!"

Kandryl stepped forward again to stand at Jaeger's right hand, positioning himself between Eriane and the medical bed.

"You may also talk to your friend Djaisiuk," said Kandryl.  "If he relents, then you will be forced to do nothing."

Eriane looked across the bed at Djaisiuk, then looked up again at Kandryl.  "I . . . I can't," he said softly.  "Even if I wanted to do so, I couldn't."

"Try," said Kandryl.

"No," said Eriane, swallowing.

"Then begin," said Kandryl roughly.

Eriane shook his head half-fearfully.  "I won't," he said.

Without a word, Kandryl picked up a small hand-held device from a table and turned and pressed the tip to Jaeger's neck.  Jaeger gave a short cry as a strong electric shock was administered.  Kandryl turned immediately back to Eriane.

"This," he said, holding up the device, "need not be employed.  That," he pointed to the device encasing Jaeger's right foot, "will be.  If you refuse to operate it, they will both be employed; if you obey, he need not suffer this one again."

Eriane looked from Kandryl to Jaeger to Djaisiuk and back, tears starting to form in his eyes.  "Please don't make me do this," he whispered.

Kandryl turned again and lifted his hand to Jaeger's neck.

"Eriane, just do it!" cried Jaeger, before Kandryl could touch him again.

Kandryl stopped and smiled.  He turned to look at Eriane and raised an eyebrow expectantly.  Eriane, biting back tears of anger and shame, turned to the controls with trembling hands and began the procedure.

Jaeger was strong; he had been raised a hunter, living in the wild, as much as there was on Komislava.  When he had first joined the IC School at age twelve, he had prided himself on his muscular, athletic form and had done all that he could to maintain it throughout his training.  Now, after seven years of study and a life spent mostly indoors or on a ship, he was still as strong and wiry, although much more grown, than he had been at twelve when he had first joined.  Indeed, on his visits home to his father's house, he had always impressed his younger half-brothers and sisters with his strength and bearing, so unlike any of the other students that they had known.  Creole had been strong as well, not so much by choice as by necessity, because of his occupation on the ship.  Jaeger, however, by far surpassed Creole.  Because of this, he found himself better able to bear the torture to which he was now subjected than even Creole had done.  He took the first several needles with scarcely so much as a flinch.

Eriane had, at first, been unable to watch.  He had stood with his head down and eyes closed, hating himself for having helped to create this horrible device, and even more for now being the one forced to cause the pain being inflicted.  He could hear the needles shooting out and penetrating, but there were no corresponding gasps or cries from Jaeger.  At last Eriane did look up and saw that Jaeger lay still, face set, eyes closed, and muscles taunt, refusing to show any signs of pain.  Eriane watched in awe.

The other boys (excepting Faquire) had heard of the device through Eriane, but had never expected to see it.  Faquire alone among them had experienced it and could truly sympathize with what Jaeger was feeling.  Jade understood Jaeger better than did the other boys, and he alone was not surprised at how well Jaeger controlled himself through it all.  Even Kandryl was surprised at Jaeger's strength.  He was, however, careful to conceal this surprise.

"You care nothing for your friend's pain?" asked Kandryl, stepping over to stand beside Djaisiuk.  "You don't even look at him.  Perhaps you care only for yourself?"

Djaisiuk had not looked up since the boys had entered, and even now he did not move.  Apart from his slow, painful breathing (which was a little more audible than normal), he might have been carved from stone.  His expression had not changed.  When Kandryl thus drew attention to him, several of the other boys turned to look at him, questioning with their eyes, though not with their lips, why he would not speak, and whether it was possible that anything could be so important a secret as to allow this to continue rather than to tell it.  Wysire alone turned away, unable to watch either Jaeger or Djaisiuk, understanding fully Kandryl's intentions and fearing for the result that they might produce on Djaisiuk as much as on any of the others.  He wondered what emotional damage might already have been done.  Djaisiuk had been able to heal Faquire when he had been hurt, but who would be able to heal Djaisiuk if he needed healing?

Soon enough, the procedure had finished.  Jaeger had not uttered a cry, though his face had paled slightly.  He let out a breath then, and, for the next minute or two, he breathed a little deeper than was normal for him.  He did not yet open his eyes.  Eriane caused the needles to be withdrawn and leapt forward to tend to Jaeger's foot.  The medic had already come forward, both to ready the device for its next use and to tend to Jaeger, but Eriane firmly intervened with the latter task.

 "No," he said sternly.  "If you will force me to inflict the injury, then you will at least allow me to treat it!"

Kandryl smiled, amused, as if at a child's eccentricity, and motioned the medic to stand aside.  Eriane saw the look and hated him for it.  He said nothing, however, but quickly cleaned and sealed Jaeger's foot while two of the guards unfastened the restraints.  Jaeger was then allowed to replace his shoe and walk back to the other boys.  This he did without a wince or a limp; he held his head high, still refusing to show any pain.

Without a word, the guards then took hold of Jade and led him forward.

"I'm afraid you'll put me to shame, Jaeger," said Jade, smiling nervously as he was strapped to the table.  "I know that I'm not quite as strong as you are."

Jade was already a little pale as the medic carefully positioned his foot in the device.  Eriane stepped back to his assigned position, but could not take his eyes from Jade.  When the medic finished and stepped away, Eriane still hesitated.  It was not until Kandryl stepped forward towards the table that Eriane pulled his eyes away and began the procedure anew.

Jade uttered a cry of pain with the first needle.  He tried hard to stifle the second cry, but only partially succeeded.  Jaeger, heedless of Kandryl's frown, stepped quickly forward to stand at Jade's left hand, between Djaisiuk and the bed.  He took Jade's left hand in his own left and placed his right hand on Jade's shoulder.  Jade looked up at him gratefully, but closed his eyes again suddenly as the next needle entered him.

"Djaisiuk," said Jaeger quietly, not looking at him, "I know that we're not to question you, but please assure me that this is truly necessary.  Please tell me now, before this goes any farther."

Djaisiuk still did not move or speak, and Jaeger did not turn to look at him.  He continued to stand, still holding Jade's hand, his face growing darker.  Jade, unused to pain and not as strong of will or body as his friend, continued to gasp or to cry out with each new puncture.

"Send them away, please!" Jade begged between needles.  "Kandryl, please send the others away!  They don't need to see this!"

"No, but it is good for them to see it," said Kandryl.  "Remember that should your friend not be moved by your own cries, it may be that he shall be moved by theirs.  Let them see what fate awaits them if he should not relent."

Jaeger's head snapped up suddenly, and he glared at Kandryl.

"Stop that thing, Eriane," he ordered.  "Turn it off now!"

Eriane hesitated only a moment, looking to see Kandryl's reaction, then swiftly stopped the machine.  Kandryl did not look at Eriane, but stepped forward, looking only at Jaeger, towards the left side of the bed where Jaeger stood.

"Let them go," said Jaeger quietly but firmly.  "They have served you without question or argument; they've done everything that you've ever asked of them, and this is how you repay them?"

Kandryl motioned towards Djaisiuk, his expression calm.  "If they care to exercise what influence they may have--" he began, but Jaeger did not let him finish.

"Djaisiuk will do as he pleases!" exclaimed Jaeger angrily.  "If he has chosen to conceal something from you, then nothing that we say or do and nothing that you may choose to do to us will change his mind!  You had nine willing workers and one who disobeyed.  If you go on with this, you'll still be in the same place as far as Djaisiuk goes, but you'll no longer have the nine workers that you once did.  Continue this -- this torture, and you'll lose at least one and maybe more of your nine workers just as surely, for I swear that I'll never serve you again if you continue this atrocity.  And if you attempt to subject any of the younger ones to this device of horror, I'll kill you with my own hands!"

Through all of this speech, Kandryl's calm expression did not falter.  He stood now immediately in front of Jaeger, quite close to Jade.  Kandryl looked Jaeger in the eye as if daring him to attempt something.  Finally he turned to Eriane and ordered him to continue.  Eriane looked from Kandryl to Jaeger, unsure of what to do.

Kandryl lifted his right hand towards Jade's neck, holding out the electrical device.  Jaeger's left hand leapt forward and caught Kandryl's hand by the wrist, holding it a few inches above Jade.  Two of the guards started to step forward but stopped, unsure of what to do for Kandryl did not look at them.  Kandryl and Jaeger looked one another in the eye, a real battle of wills silently being fought between them.  Both were strong, and neither was willing to back down.  At last, Kandryl reached across with his left hand, took the device out of his imprisoned right hand, and pressed it suddenly to Jaeger's wrist.  Jaeger, not having expected this, let go immediately with a short cry and grasped his left wrist in his right hand.  Without a pause, Kandryl passed the device back into his right hand and pressed it to Jade's neck.  Jade then cried out as well as the pain of the shock entered his neck and spread quickly through the left side of his face and his left shoulder.

It seemed to those standing there that something snapped in Jaeger then.  He pulled his right hand back in a fist and swung hard.  He hit Kandryl squarely in the left side of the jaw, just as Kandryl was turning back to look at him.  Kandryl was thrown sideways from the force of the blow and fell over Jade.  The two guards hesitated no longer but jumped forward immediately and grabbed hold of Jaeger.  Jaeger did not struggle, but watched silently as Kandryl lifted himself from the bed and put a hand to his mouth.  It came away with blood on it.  He looked up at Jaeger darkly.

"You shouldn't have done that," said Kandryl coldly.  His voice was altered somewhat as if it was almost difficult to shape words, and, as he spoke, Jaeger, who was still very near to him, could see that two of his teeth on the top left of his jaw had been knocked out.

The medic had come quickly up to Kandryl, holding a scanner which he lifted to Kandryl's face for a moment.

"There's some damage," he said quietly.  "May I suggest, sir, that you come away to have it treated?"

Kandryl had not looked away from Jaeger.  "I could have you killed for this," he said quietly.

Jaeger did not answer.  He continued to look at Kandryl threateningly.  He suddenly realized that Djaisiuk, sitting there at his right elbow, had raised his head and had been watching.  As soon as Jaeger turned to look at him, however, Djaisiuk again lowered his gaze to stare at the floor.  None could have guessed how fervently Djaisiuk was praying just then.  Jaeger turned and looked at Kandryl again.
"Lock him in a cell," said Kandryl to the guards.  "I'll deal with him later."

All eyes in the room were on Jaeger and Kandryl, so none noticed as Djaisiuk closed his eyes and gave a silent sigh, as if in relief.  He reopened his eyes almost immediately and did not move otherwise.

Kandryl then turned and walked out of the room, followed by the medic.  The two guards began to lead Jaeger towards the door at the back of the room, but as soon as the door at the front of the room closed behind Kandryl, Jaeger suddenly sprang to life.  He lifted his good left foot and kicked one of the guards hard in the knee.  That guard loosened his grip and bent forward a little in pain.  Jaeger ripped his left arm free and turned to land another strong punch square in the face of the second guard.  The two remaining guards at the back of the room sprang forward.

"Leil!  Christopher!"  shouted Jaeger.  "Take them!'

"Jaeger, what are you doing?" cried Detrin, but Jaeger was past hearing.  His blood was hot now, and he was not about to submit.  He had turned to administer another blow to the other guard and soon laid them both flat on the floor.  He then jumped forward to help Christopher who had attacked one of the two remaining guards.

Leil had not moved, but stood looking dazed.  Faquire, however, had leapt forward unasked to assist Christopher in delaying the other two guards from reaching Jaeger.  He had struck the first guard in the stomach, but, not being full grown or especially muscular, he had done little real damage.  The guard had responded by striking a blow to Faquire on the side of the head, using the butt of his gun, and Faquire fell.

Christopher was assistant to Creole and strong in his own right, and, though not yet quite as tall as the oldest boys, he was nearly full stature and had, therefore, more weight behind his own blows than did Faquire.  He held his own very well for the moment or two that it took for Jaeger to reach him.

The guards were well equipped with guns, but they had been sternly warned from the time that the boys had first arrived that none were to be killed; the guns were only for show and intimidation.  Now, though they could not be used for their designed purpose, they made rather handy clubs.  The guard who had used his to strike Faquire found it a most satisfactory weapon.  Satisfactory, that is, until he tried to use it so on Jaeger.  Jaeger came toward him and the guard swung his gun at Jaeger's head.  Jaeger, rather than attempting to duck or to move out of the way, lifted his hands and actually caught the gun mid-swing.  The guard was startled at the obvious strength in this young man as Jaeger slowly turned the gun, twisting it from the guard's hands.  Jaeger then raised the weapon himself and laid the guard such a blow than he was rendered unconscious before the astonishment had even left his face.

The fourth guard was as easily dispatched, and the few bruises that Christopher had sustained were quickly judged not dangerous.  Eriane had rushed forward to see to Faquire who was now sitting up and shaking his head, looking a bit dazed though still defiant.  Jaeger turned back to the medical table and called to Eriane.

"Get those needles out of him," said Jaeger, walking purposefully up to the table and beginning to undo the restraints holding Jade.  "After that, give those four something that'll keep them out for a while, if there's anything here that'll work for the purpose."

Eriane moved quickly to obey.  The other boys looked around at one another, none seeming to know what to do or say.

"Jaeger, what have you done?" asked Jade.

"I've shown Kandryl that he can treat us only so badly before we will revolt," said Jaeger.  "As for myself, I intend to leave this place today or to die trying.  I'll not stay another night in this den of horror."  He finished unbinding Jade and turned back to the other boys, leaving Eriane in charge of tending to Jade's foot.  He bent and lifted the guns of the two guards that he had first attacked and also the one that he had wrested from the third.

"We have arms now," he said.  "Anyone who wishes may join me, though I assure you that our dying is much more likely than our escaping."

Christopher immediately stooped and picked up the fourth gun.  "I'll follow you," he said.

"So will I," said Faquire, stepping forward and taking one of the guns from Jaeger.  "If I'm going to die, then I intend to take a good many of these Vukasovian dogs with me."

"We're not cold-blooded killers," said Jaeger.  "I don't mind killing in self-defense, but this isn't about revenge."

"It isn't for you," muttered Faquire.

"Faquire," admonished Wysire.  "You need to keep your self-control.  Surely you don't believe that you can simply go out there and kill every Vukasovian that you see without compunction."

"You haven't been their prisoner," retorted Faquire.  "Yes, I do believe that I can."

The other boys looked at Faquire in surprise.  Wysire, however, maintained a calm expression.

"Then kill these four now," he said, pointing to the four guards lying unconscious on the floor.  "If you just want to see every Vukasovian dead, then start with these helpless four in front of you."

Faquire looked at him defiantly then turned and pointed his gun down at the nearest guard.  Jaeger reached forward quickly and snatched the gun from Faquire's hands.

"Faquire!" Jaeger remonstrated.  "What's wrong with you?"

Faquire still looked recalcitrant, but he said nothing.

"Jaeger, if you mean to attempt escape, I'll come with you," said Jade.  "We'll never have another chance after today.  If we move now, why can't we attempt to carry out our original plans?"

"Can we get a ship?" asked Detrin.

"We can try to take ours," replied Jaeger.  "I know that the chances of success are practically nonexistent, but I'll take them."

"But Creole!" exclaimed Christopher.  "We can't leave him!  And we don't know where he is."

"I do," said Wysire softly.  "I can lead you there, though the chances of freeing him are probably the same as those of retaking our ship."

Eriane had just finished administering some drug to the fallen guards and turned now to Djaisiuk.

"Djaisiuk, may I examine you?" he asked, picking up a scanner off of one of the counters and stepping towards Djaisiuk.

Djaisiuk glanced at him and shook his head silently.

Eriane gasped as he stepped in front of him.  "What have they done to you?!" he exclaimed, looking down now at Djaisiuk's right leg which hung in a frightening manner down the far side of the tall chair, out of sight of the other boys.

Eriane had turned on the scanner and now lowered himself onto one knee bringing the scanner close to Djaisiuk's leg.  Djaisiuk, however, carefully leaned forward, wincing as his left arm slipped forward, and extended his right hand and placed it over the scanner.  Eriane stopped and looked up at him.

Slowly, Djaisiuk shook his head.

"Djaisiuk, please let me see if there is anything that I can do," pleaded Eriane.

Djaisiuk did not reply.  Eriane looked at him for a long moment, then powered down the scanner.  Slowly he rose to his feet.

"We can't escape," he said, turning to the others.  "Or if we do, Djaisiuk can't come.  Even though he won't let me examine him, I can tell you judging by sight alone that he's not going to be able even to stand, let alone walk or run, for a very long time.  Even if I had all of the necessary equipment here to treat him, it'd take several hours before he could be moved without great pain."

"What have they done to him?" asked Leil quietly.

Eriane shook his head and shuddered slightly.  "I don't even want to imagine," he murmured.

Just at that moment, the door at the front of the room opened.  The boys froze and looked towards the door.  The medic from earlier had returned.  He stopped short on seeing the strange state of things -- the four guards lying unconscious or dead on the floor and their guns in the hands of the Komislavian boys -- then turned quickly and rushed out of the room again, closing the door behind him.  Jaeger leapt forward and rushed to the front of the room.

"Jade; Leil," he called as he went, "check those other two doors."

Jade and Leil did as they were bid, but all of the doors in the room were sealed.

"We can't get out," exclaimed Jade.

"We're trapped!" cried Faquire.  "And he'll go now and tell Kandryl or summon more guards.  It's too late!  We've waited for too long.  Now there's nothing that we can do."

"We may not be trapped," said Jaeger quietly.

The other boys looked at him puzzled, but Jaeger did not explain.  He turned and walked over to stand in front of Djaisiuk.  The latter still did not raise his eyes.

"Djaisiuk, we need you," he said.  "I know that you must be in a lot of pain right now.  I understand that you can't walk, but you could be carried.  I know that this would be excruciating for you, but would you not be willing to attempt it?  You're the only one who could get us out of here now.  Please tell me, will you help us?"

Very slowly, Djaisiuk raised his head and looked Jaeger in the eye.  His face wore a pained expression, and Jaeger was suddenly aware of what seemed an incredible amount of stress in Djaisiuk's face.  Still moving slowly, Djaisiuk shook his head slightly.

"Wait," he said in very hoarse and trembling voice.

The boys looked at him silently for a moment, then looked around at each other with confused glances.

"Wait for what?" asked Wysire at last.

No sooner had the words left his mouth then the door at the front of the room opened again.  An officer of high rank entered the room and surveyed the boys.  Behind him in the hall they could see a large group of soldiers.  The officer's eyebrows rose slightly as he noticed the fallen guards.

"I should very much like to know what has happened here," he said calmly, still looking over the scene before him, "but that is not my current business.  I am here to see that the twelve Komislavian students are taken safely to their quarters to gather what belongings they may have in preparation for returning to their home planet."

"Returning home?" stammered Cycil.  "We're going home?"

"A Komislavian ship has been sent to fetch you," stated the officer, looking now at Cycil.  "Both it and its crew await now in the docks for all of you.  As I said, I am here to escort you safely to them."

The boys stared at him open-mouthed for a moment, then Eriane cried out.

"Djaisiuk!" he exclaimed, rushing forward.

Djaisiuk had lost consciousness.

THE TWELVE -- Chapter 33 - An Acrostic

The morning of the nineteenth day found Kandryl growing more and more frustrated and concerned with the passing time.  He still did not know how Djaisiuk had managed to access the external controls.  He did not know what the strange program was designed to do nor when it would do it.  They had, in the very early hours of the morning, finally found a small bit of evidence that had securely linked Djaisiuk's unauthorized access to the strange program.  Kandryl had then concentrated all of their efforts on discovering exactly what this program was intended to do.  The writing process within the program was nearly inextricable; it was constantly changing, and no one could yet predict what it would do next.  Several workers were still working on it constantly.

In the meantime, Drayl had been unable to draw any more information from Djaisiuk than an admission that he had written the incriminating code.  Drayl had indicated that he expected to be able to learn more, given time, but Kandryl also knew that every hour Djaisiuk spent under Drayl's control was a great risk to Djaisiuk's life.  Moru had also suggested a few more techniques to try, and Kandryl was still considering these.  Again and again the question came back to time.  How much time did he have?  The program may finish at any time, and then would the hold still secure it?

The door to his small office opened to admit the officer in charge of studying the strange program.  His expression looked pleased but uncertain.

"Sir, I believe that we've been able to break the coding of the program," he said.  "We think that we now know exactly what it was designed to do, though we are still unsure about its purpose."

Kandryl frowned.  "What do you mean?" he asked.  "What is it designed to do?"

"It will complete its work of writing itself in less than two days, or in about thirty-nine hours, to be exact," the officer replied.  "It somehow keeps a record of everyone who has worked on researching it, and, once it has finished, it will send each of them some sort of message.  If it finds that no one has studied it, it will simply erase itself.  Indeed, after it has sent its . . . missive, it will then too erase itself."

"What?" asked Kandryl, his frown deepening.  "That makes no sense."

"I know, sir, and that is why I say that we think that we know," replied the officer, somewhat uncertainly.  "If the answer were different, then I would say that I was certain, for I do not doubt our work; but the conclusion makes no sense."

"Have you a copy of the message that it supposed to send?" asked Kandryl.

"Yes, sir," said the officer.  He drew out a sheet of paper on which were some printed lines, and he handed this to Kandryl.  "I don't know whether it is simply Komislavian humor or something darker, but it seems to make no sense.  I can't tell whether it is a taunt or a riddle or something different altogether."

Kandryl accepted the sheet of paper and read:

Read Ye Well And
Enter In
Do Not Fear
How I Will Win
Examine Closely
Return Again
Remember Lest
I Come Back Then
Now The Game Is At An End
Gamble With Me, And You'll Lose, My Friend

Kandryl's face grew dark as he read the strange lines.  The insolence was unbelievable!  Kandryl had previously been pleased with the seeming Vukasovian tendencies shown in Djaisiuk, but now that this same formerly admirable trait was being used to taunt Kandryl himself, it was no longer amusing.  But what did the lines mean?  This was either a strange riddle or the ramblings of a mind that had taken leave of its moorings; that was obvious.  It was not like anything that he would have expected from Djaisiuk.  But, then again, what could one ever expect from Djaisiuk other than the unexpected?  There was meaning behind the words, surely, but what was it?  He stared hard at the lines, oblivious of the officer standing silently before him, and read them again and again.

Before a full minute had passed, a slow transformation came over Kandryl's face.  The confusion and frustration all melted away to give way first to understanding and then quickly to fury.  Standing suddenly to his feet, he snatched up the paper, crumpled it in one hand, and threw it violently across the room.  The officer took a quick step back, obviously intimidated by the fury blazing in Kandryl's eyes.

"You may go!" snapped Kandryl, his voice hoarse as he tried to hold his emotions in check.

The officer did not wait to ask questions.  He saluted quickly as he turned and left the room.

Kandryl seated himself again, pressing his hands against the desk.  Djaisiuk had defied him for the last time.  This was insupportable.  So Djaisiuk wanted to play with him, did he?  So be it; Djaisiuk would learn what it meant to compete on a Vukasovian playing field.  Kandryl would have the information that he wanted at any cost.  Djaisiuk would divulge the information today, or he would not live to see tomorrow.  All tactics would be employed: mental and physical.  Whatever suggestion either of the two doctors might have would be tried.  Thirty-nine hours, was it, until the program was to complete?  Well, Djaisiuk had now eighteen hours in which to tell Kandryl what he wished to know or to know that he would never tell anyone anything again.

THE TWELVE -- Chapter 32 - Further Interrogations

That day was a living nightmare for Djaisiuk.  I will not attempt to relate what he experienced, but suffice it to say that no information was gained by any of the means that Drayl could provide on short notice and that were approved by Kandryl.  At the end of the day, Djaisiuk was taken again to the small holding cell.  When he entered, his eyes fell upon the heaped wreckage of his instrument.  He closed his eyes immediately, understanding that Kandryl had had it moved here to provide a continued emotional torment during the times that the physical torment was halted.

Stretching himself out carefully (and painfully) on his small cot, Djaisiuk tried to sleep.  His lungs hurt when he breathed; at least one and possibly more of his ribs were broken; his left arm was completely immobile, and it caused him no small amount of pain.  These and the fact that the light in the room was never extinguished worked together to make sleep very difficult for Djaisiuk.  When at last he did fall asleep, he slept fitfully, and every time he opened his eyes he could see the mass of broken brown and white pieces there scattered about the floor.  The night seemed interminable.  Even so, when, in the morning, a guard brought a small meal to him, Djaisiuk could think only of the fact that his brief reprieve was now ended; the previous day would now begin again.

Djaisiuk ate the small meal, and the guard led him from the cell.  Djaisiuk still made no resistance, but the guard was a little more rough with him today.  This could have been simply because he was unable to move as quickly as easily now, Djaisiuk considered.

As they entered the medical ward and continued down a few familiar hallways, Djaisiuk began to guess their destination.  Sure enough, they continued straight onward to a room which he had entered before.  Djaisiuk inwardly sighed with relief as he recognized the room.  There was a medical bed in the center of the room with a small, square device at the right side of the foot of the bed.  He knew now what to expect, but it confused him.  This would certainly be far gentler a punishment than yesterday.  He had expected that today would be just as bad, if not worse.  Why would Kandryl wish to lighten the pain?

Kandryl was there.  He stood, looking over the preparations of the coming procedure.  He looked up as Djaisiuk entered and smiled cruelly.

"Welcome," he said, approaching Djaisiuk.  "I'm sure that you recognise this room.  Do you remember why you are here?"

Djaisiuk returned Kandryl's gaze emotionlessly for a moment before lowering his eyes to the floor.  He thought that he was prepared for whatever they had to offer.  But something in Kandryl's bearing confused him; something was wrong.

Kandryl motioned to the guard, and the latter led Djaisiuk to the medical bed.

"I will not stop until you tell me what it is that I want to know," said Kandryl.  "You can save yourself much pain by simply telling me now.  Does it not seem to you a waste to continue thus when it is plain that you must, eventually, relent?"

Djaisiuk ignored him now.  Kandryl simply smiled.  He motioned to a medic who brought a tall chair to him.  This chair was then positioned next to the left-hand side of the bed, close enough to it that the person sitting could easily reach out and touch the face of the victim strapped there.  Kandryl stepped back and motioned Djaisiuk to sit.

Djaisiuk glanced up at Kandryl and his blood ran cold as realization came.  Suddenly he wished that yesterday could be relived today rather than what Kandryl apparently had planned.  Physical pain was so much easier to bear than emotional, simply because the body provided a means of escape if the pain became too great.  With emotional pain, it was not so; there was no natural relief for emotional pain.  Absolute madness was the only outlet to which the mind would eventually turn if its own pain grew too great to withstand, and sickness of the mind was the one thing that Djaisiuk feared above all physical injuries.  And to witness another person suffering for his own actions was the worst form of emotional torment that Djaisiuk could imagine.

The door opened again to admit two guards leading a second boy.

It was Creole.

Creole had been looking around himself and had not noticed Djaisiuk at first.  When he did, he sprang forward with a cry of joy, but guards quickly caught hold of him and pulled him back roughly.

"Djaisiuk," exclaimed Creole, seeming to ignore the guards' interference, "how are you?  I've wondered how you were.  Do please tell me that you're not really serving them willingly.  I'm afraid you may upset my mental balance considerably if you say that you are.  You're not, are you?"

Djaisiuk looked at Creole, and, though few of the other observers could see any more than the slightest, almost imperceptible, changes in Djaisiuk's face, Creole breathed a light sigh of relief.

"Oh, I am so glad," he said with a smile.  "You can't imagine how relieved I am.  They kept telling me that you were, but I never believed it from the start.  Although what happened to you?"  This last exclamation came with a look of concern as Creole seemed to notice Djaisiuk's left arm, hanging in a rather unnatural position.

The guards had paid no heed to the one-sided conversation and simply moved Creole forward to the bed.  Djaisiuk had said nothing, and he lowered his eyes again as Kandryl came forward.

"You know well what we are going to do," said Kandryl, looking at Djaisiuk.  "I will ask, and each time you do not answer, a needle will be placed.  You did not last above six needles before losing consciousness, but I assure you--"

"Do you mean to say that you submitted Djaisiuk to whatever torture it is to which you now intent to submit me?!" interrupted Creole as the guards strapped him to the medical bed.  "You truly are a beast!  I know that he didn't submit to you though."

Kandryl ignored him and continued.  "I assure you, this one will last many more.  You will decide exactly how much he will be forced to endure."

Creole rolled his eyes at this speech and sighed audibly.  "Must you be so melodramatic?" he asked.  "If you have something that you intend to do, then do it."

"Oh, we will proceed," said Kandryl smoothly, turning now to Creole.  "You need have no fear of that.  Your friend, for all his intelligence is both stubborn and selfish, and I do not believe that simple threats of violence to those for whom he cares will move him to compliance.  Perhaps, however, when he is able to witness your pain first-hand, he may--"

"Your arguments are truly pitiable," interrupted Creole.  "If Djaisiuk knows me at all, then he knows that it would be far worse torture to me for him to submit to you out of concern for me than would be anything that you could do to me.  So if you truly think that I will help you to draw information from him, you are sorely mistaken."

"We shall see," was Kandryl's only reply, then he turned to oversee the last of the preparations.

Creole tried to move his left arm but found it bound too tightly.

"Djaisiuk," he said.  "I cannot move, but would you grant me a great favor?  Would you take my hand?"

Djaisiuk looked Creole in the eye and turned slightly so as to place his right hand in Creole's.  Djaisiuk's left hand was closer, but, as was mentioned earlier, he could no longer move his left arm.  Creole, noticing this, looked at him for a moment in concern, but Djaisiuk's gaze seemed to reassure him.  Creole then smiled.

"Djaisiuk, I don't care what they plan to do to me," said Creole firmly, pressing Djaisiuk's hand and looking Djaisiuk in the eye.  "I don't want you to give in to them on account of me.  That would be harder for me to bear than any pain that they can inflict.  Please don't compromise because of me."

The preparations were soon finished, and Kandryl turned again to Djaisiuk.

"Tell me, Djaisiuk," began Kandryl, "what the purpose was for the cancerous program which you implanted?"

Djaisiuk did not answer, and the first needle shot out and into Creole's foot.  Creole flinched as the needle entered, and Kandryl was very pleased to see that Djaisiuk flinched as well.  So he did feel his friend's pain, Kandryl thought.  He opened his mouth to make a comment, but Creole spoke first.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Djaisiuk," said Creole quickly.  "I forgot that I was still holding your hand.  Have I hurt you?"

Djaisiuk did not answer verbally, but his look (emotionless though it appeared to all else in the room) seemed to comfort Creole.

Kandryl was quite irritated.  Djaisiuk had not flinched from emotional pain but from physical: Creole, clenching his fists in the first shock of pain, had doubtless squeezed Djaisiuk's hand uncomfortably hard.  Creole was, after all, a strong young man.  Creole had realized immediately that he had hurt Djaisiuk and let go the hand quickly.  Djaisiuk, however, did not draw back his hand.

"Tell me what you intended to do," said Kandryl to Djaisiuk, his voice low and displaying the slightest edge of anger.

Djaisiuk did not look at Kandryl or respond, and a second needle entered.  Creole was careful not to close his hand on Djaisiuk's this time.  He was glad for the touch, and he did not want Djaisiuk to draw his hand away, but he certainly did not want to hurt him again.

The command was again repeated and a third needle entered.  Creole began to look annoyed.  A fourth entered.  A fifth.  After the sixth, Creole sighed, somewhat impatiently.

"Really, is this all the more that you plan to do?" he asked.  "You may as well stop asking your ridiculous questions and just finish with me."  He flinched again as another needle entered, for Kandryl chose to ignore Creole and to continue asking, whether the latter spoke or not.  Creole, seeing this, felt no qualms about continuing his monologue as the torture progressed.  He voiced somewhat of his pain now, finding it easier to interrupt himself with exclamations than with gasps.

"Ouch," he said.  "Yes, they are starting to hurt again now, -- ouch! -- but really I don't mind.  The only reason why Djaisiuk would answer you, would be to -- ah! -- to stop you from hurting me.  But really, it -- ouch! that was a good one -- would hurt me far more if he -- ah! -- if he were to give in to your manipulations.  I don't want -- ow! -- I don't want him to tell you anything, so it's really only wasting your time to -- ouch! -- to continue to demand it of him in exchange for -- ouch -- my own personal comfort."

Kandryl still ignored Creole.  The first side was finished, and the second side was already well underway, but Djaisiuk showed no signs of relenting.  He sat silently, staring down at the floor, refusing to show any sign of emotion.

Creole, on the other hand, seemed almost to be enjoying himself.  Of all of the boys, he was the second-best to have been chosen to undergo this physical abuse.  Jaeger, having been raised almost in the wild, could endure nearly incredible pain without flinching.  Creole, though he had been raised on a farm, had lived most of his life indoors at the IC School.  Even so, both from his specialty being engines and from his natural foolhardy nature with regard to physical activities, he had become quite strong for his age, and many were the injuries for which Eriane had had to treat him in the past.  He was one not unaccustomed to pain; he could endure it.  So it was that he was still in complete control of himself when all twenty needles had been placed.  He was, perhaps, breathing a very little bit heavier than usual, and there may have been some sweat on his forehead, but all in all, he seemed quite himself even after this whole affair.

Kandryl was angry.  Moru had chosen poorly, it was obvious, in this boy.  Moru had learned that this one was closest to Djaisiuk in an emotional sense of all the boys, hence he had suggested that this one would be the one most likely to move Djaisiuk to a confession.  Kandryl had simply wanted one with a good tolerance for pain, so that he would be able to endure much without fainting.  But he had not wanted one who could endure it all and still smile at the end.  All this time had, indeed, been wasted.

Kandryl stepped forward to stand over Djaisiuk.

"I can see that this boy's sufferings have not loosened your tongue," he began, but he was interrupted by a laugh.

"Say rather," laughed Creole, "that you have failed miserably, you sorry excuse for an officer."

Kandryl turned and slapped Creole hard across the face, relieving somewhat of his pent-up frustration in the act.

"Oh, ow!" cried Creole, mockingly.  "Oh, you've hurt me!  Oh, the pain!  I can't endure it!  I think you may have dislocated my jaw.  I may never be able to speak again, and I'm sure that my good looks are spoilt forever!"

Kandryl clenched his fist, ready to strike again harder, but Creole simply tilted his face towards him with a unique expression that was a strange combination of defiance and pity, and at the same time offering Kandryl the other cheek.  This further infuriated Kandryl, but it had somewhat of a calming effect on him at the same time.  He would not give in to his anger before this boy who would only mock him for it.  He would control himself.  Turning again, he motioned to the medic controlling the device encasing Creole's foot and gave the signal to continue.

Kandryl now watched Djaisiuk half-mockingly as the pain of the previous few minutes was revisited on Creole twenty times worse.  All of the needles together were pushed further and further into the foot, each releasing their tiny trickle of Scrinerian acid on the way.  Creole clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and tensed his muscles, but he would not cry out.  Djaisiuk closed his eyes too and lowered his head, but still he would not speak.

At last the device stopped.  Creole's eyes opened, and he began to breathe again.  His breath was somewhat ragged now, but not quite gasping.  He took a few breaths then smiled up at Kandryl again, though his smile was not quite as bright as it had been previously.

"Ah, so you can do some more," he said, still breathing a little heavily.  "Very good.  I'm not quite as disappointed in you now.  I see that at least some of the stories about you Vukasovians and your abilities must be true."

A moment later, he did cry out, though more because he was caught off-guard than because of the pain, as the needles were all suddenly and simultaneously withdrawn.

Kandryl turned and walked away from the table.  He spoke a few words to the guards, then left the room.  He was disgusted.  The morning had been a complete waste.  He would inform Moru immediately of his failure and find out whether the latter had anything else which he considered worth trying.  This plan had indeed seemed good.  It provided a mental torture for Djaisiuk while doing no long-term damage to the subject and utilized only a test subject at that.  But now time was becoming precious.  What had Djaisiuk done?  What would be the consequences?  And how much time did Kandryl have in which to find out before it was too late?

Kandryl ordered that Creole be returned to the holding cell and that Drayl be sent for immediately..

"Drayl, he is yours," said Kandryl, as soon as Drayl had entered.  "Moru's first attempt failed more miserably than did yours yesterday.  I realize that yesterday I was holding you back, but now I give you leave to go as far as you like.  I have only two stipulations: first, if he calls for me or indicates that he wishes to divulge information, you are to cease immediately and completely until I can be summoned.  Second, I want him both alive and sane tomorrow morning.  Within those perimeters, I give you leave to do as you please.  But do not forget my promise of yesterday: I will require his life of you, if you take it."

* * * * * * *

That night, after he had been in the hands of Drayl for a full nine hours, Djaisiuk was carried back to the same prison cell.  Again he was met with the gruesome spectacle of his destroyed instrument which still lay in a heap on the floor, and again he closed his eyes as they entered.  As the guards then left him, laying him on the cot provided, Djaisiuk considered with mild surprise how much the pain from the loss of his piano had dimmed over the last twenty-four hours.  It still hurt to think about it, but in comparison to all else that he had endured, it seemed almost trivial.  It wasn't as though he would have been capable of playing it for some time, even had it still been whole.  Even so, he would not look at it.

Djaisiuk lay silently, wondering vaguely what Kandryl would do next.  He would not threaten the lives of any of the other boys, or, if he did, it would certainly be a bluff; Djaisiuk knew that he would not take the lives of any of them yet.  Even so, this morning's incident had awakened the realization that Kandryl might do much without actually killing or even permanently damaging any of the boys.  They could still be used against Djaisiuk himself.  He was somewhat comforted knowing that the tortures to which he was now being subjected would not be used on the others, unless at the last extreme.  Kandryl would go to almost any lengths to break Djaisiuk, but he would not permanently damage his other workers to do so.

The last words that Creole had spoken as Djaisiuk was taken from the room came back to him now: "Don't give in to them, Djaisiuk," Creole had called.  "Show them that we're a stronger race than they know; don't give in!"

Djaisiuk had no intention of 'giving in,' but he began to wonder whether he would survive.  He had never before had to endure pain.  When he had lived at home on his parents' farm as a small boy, he had been too young and too cautious to be exposed to any great dangers.  When he had joined the school, his profession had provided no dangers to which he might be exposed.  The greatest pain that he could ever remember experiencing prior to this capture was a short, strong electrical shock once, three and a half years ago.  That had seemed incredible pain at the time.  Now, it seemed trifling.  The physical pain that he felt even now was more than he had ever imagined.  He wondered vaguely how much damage had truly been done to him.  He had been able to make a guess on the previous night, but now he had stopped even trying to think about it.  He wondered how much longer he would last.

THE TWELVE -- Chapter 31 - Further Discoveries

After Kandryl had left the room, Faquire rose from his cot and moved to sit at the table.  His remaining ankle restraint did not allow him to approach Djaisiuk, but he was able to sit in the chair just vacated by Kandryl.  He looked long at Djaisiuk, but the latter did not move or raise his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Djaisiuk," said Faquire at last.

He reached forward and laid his right hand on Djaisiuk's arm, but still Djaisiuk did not move; he sat immovable, his eyes fixed on the floor.  Faquire continued to watch him for a time, then bowed his own head silently.  The two sat thus for some time.

After a short while, the door opened again, and four guards entered.  Two of them approached Faquire and took hold of him.  Faquire fought back as well as he could, but the guards were well-trained and strong.  One of them loosed the restraint on Faquire's left ankle, and then the two led him struggling from the room.  The other two guards waited until a short time after Faquire was gone, then led Djaisiuk out as well.  Unlike Faquire, Djaisiuk made no resistance but walked calmly, staring at the floor.  He was led to a holding cell much like the one in which he had treated Faquire, and there the guards left him.

* * * * * * *

Kandryl spent the remainder of the afternoon and a part of the night in working with the researchers who were still attempting to determine what it was that Djaisiuk had done.  He knew now that it was imperative that he discover what had happened.  If it had been nothing important, such as simply an attempt to test his own abilities, Djaisiuk would certainly have admitted it to save his instrument.  No, it was most certainly something serious, and it must be discovered.  But nothing was found that night.

Early on the morning of the seventeenth day, the officer of the preceding day came to Kandryl with a discovery.

"We've found something, sir," the officer reported.  He handed a parchment to Kandryl showing a large block of coding.  "This was not here before the unauthorized access occurred.  It appears to have been added at the same time that the incident took place.  It may be the whole purpose of the unauthorized access, or it may just as easily be entirely unrelated to the incident.  We cannot yet be sure."

Kandryl studied the code briefly.  "Have you identified its purpose?" he asked.

"Not yet, sir," the officer replied, "but I have three capable men working on it now.  There is a further concern however; it appears to be growing."

Kandryl frowned.  "Growing?" he asked.  "In what way?"

"It almost appears to be writing itself, sir," the officer replied.  "It has already increased its own size by almost ten percent since the time that we discovered it barely two hours ago.  We estimate that it was so small as to be almost unnoticeable at the time of the incident."

"What threat does it pose?" asked Kandryl.  "How soon do you expect to know its purpose?"

"I hope to have a full report on its purpose and capabilities by the end of the day, sir," replied the officer.  "We have identified a thread of commands involving several outside programs that it means to execute; we have but to follow the program's own logic, very carefully, to discover what it means to do.  The largest difficulty is, as I mentioned earlier, that it is somehow in the process of writing itself: it is in a constant state of change, and we haven’t deciphered what it is doing to itself, let alone what it intends to do once it is finished.  Or even when it will finish.  As to its threat, I would consider it negligible at this time.  We have placed a hold on it that allows it to continue to grow so that we may observe it, but does not allow it to interact with anything outside of itself.  If it attempts to do so, the hold will inform both the three working on it and myself."

Kandryl did not reply immediately.  He stared at the small program, deep in thought.  Kandryl did not believe that any hold could keep it from its set course if Djaisiuk had programmed it.  No, it was imperative that they find out what exactly its purpose was before it decided to perform whatever functions it was set to perform.

* * * * * * *

Drayl was again summoned to Kandryl's quarters late in the morning of the seventeenth day of capture. When he arrived, he found Moru there already.  Kandryl was sitting behind his desk waiting.  He motioned Drayl to a seat and began to speak.

"Djaisiuk has defied me again,” began Kandryl calmly.  "It is believed that he has recently worked some sabotage, and I want to find out what and where.  I already know when and how, and at this point I really don't care about why."

Drayl's eyes glittered.  "So you're saying that you want information from him," he said.  "To what lengths are you willing to go this time to obtain it?"

"Suffice to say that I am willing to go farther than I did the last time," replied Kandryl.  "I want to go no further than necessary, but I will go as far as need be.  For the time being, I want to keep him as whole as possible, but I want that information."

Moru shrugged.  "If you intend to use physical means, then I will be of little help there," he said.

"I intend to use whatever means necessary," replied Kandryl firmly.  "I expect both of you to be able to provide means.  Make use of the Komislavians working under each of you, if you want, preferably without them knowing it, but I want answers quickly."

"Give him to me, and I'll give you the answers," said Drayl with a cruel smile.

Kandryl frowned at him.  "Drayl, how often must I remind you that this is business and not pleasure?" he snapped.  "If I gave him to you and you did not provide the answers that I seek, what would you consider a suitable punishment for yourself?  You've killed many people in trying to obtain information from them, in which case the information is lost forever."

"But I have also obtained information where many others have failed," countered Drayl.  "My methods fail me occasionally, but my successes by far outweigh my failures."

"In this case, I will not accept failure," replied Kandryl.  "If you kill him without obtaining the information that I want, then I will see you die by the same method that you use on him.  Am I understood?"

The two looked at one another for a moment, then Drayl shrugged his shoulders indifferently.  "I care not," he said.  "You may make use of me or not as you see fit."

Kandryl continued to glower at him for a moment, then turned to Moru.

"Moru, you are dismissed for the time being," he said.  "I want suggestions from you by this evening.  We will start with the physical methods today, and we may move to psychological ones tomorrow, depending on how well or how ill it goes.  Drayl, for the time being I intend to supervise the interrogations myself, though I will want you there.  Don't bring the Komislavian doctor with you this time; he need not know about this at all.  For now, I want you to provide me with a description of whatever devices you have ready to hand that may serve our purposes.  We will begin as soon as they can be made ready."

Moru rose and left the room, and Drayl began to list the devices that he had ready to hand.  Kandryl leaned back and closed his eyes, listening carefully.

THE TWELVE -- Chapter 30 - Interrogation

On the afternoon of the sixteenth day of capture, Djaisiuk and Kiacyl were working as usual at their computers, and Faquire was sitting quietly on his cot, looking rather bored, when the door to the workroom opened suddenly and Kandryl entered.  Kiacyl and Faquire looked up immediately, and the surprise was evident on their faces.  Faquire tensed and drew back a little, but did not speak.  Kiacyl stood silently, looking up at Kandryl and awaiting orders.  Kandryl ignored both of them and waited until Djaisiuk turned around to look at his visitor.  Once he did so, Kandryl stepped forward and smiled.

"I have only one question for you today, Djaisiuk," said Kandryl in his purring voice.  "And it requires only a 'yes' or 'no' answer, so you should find no difficulty in providing it."

Kandryl drew out a piece of paper and held it in front of Djaisiuk.

"My question is this," continued Kandryl.  "Did you write this code?"

Djaisiuk looked at the paper silently; he did not react to the code.  He merely sat thus for a moment, then lowered his eyes slightly, ignoring Kandryl's question.

Kandryl's face hardened.  "I will not accept a non-answer to this," he said in a low voice.  "This time, you will answer me, or you will face very strong consequences."

Djaisiuk did not move or raise his eyes.  Kandryl slowly withdrew the paper and turned to Kiacyl.

"Go," he ordered.

Kiacyl left the room immediately without a word.  Kandryl then stepped to the door also and instructed the guard to enter.  He then motioned towards Faquire, and the guard stepped forward.  Faquire drew himself back, obviously ready for a fight, but the guard was undaunted.  He reached for Faquire's arm, and Faquire leapt to one side, doubling up his fists to fight.  The guard was quicker though, and he struck Faquire a hard blow to the head.  Faquire was stunned for moment only, but that was enough.  The guard pulled Faquire's hands behind his back and placed restraints on them, binding them tightly together.  He then did the same to his feet, putting close-fitting restraints on Faquire's ankles.  Faquire had recovered himself by then and struggled a little, but the guard ignored this and merely lifted him and dropped him back onto the cot.

Throughout the proceeding, Djaisiuk had kept his eyes on the floor, sitting still with an impassive face.  Kandryl had watched Djaisiuk with a strange expression but said nothing.  When the guard had finished, Kandryl motioned him to leave, then motioned Djaisiuk to come to the table.  Djaisiuk silently obeyed.  He seated himself in his usual chair on the side of the table nearest the computers, turned half-sideways, and Kandryl seated himself in the chair on the far side of the table from the door, practically touching the cot on which Faquire was lying.  Faquire turned over onto his side, lying almost on his stomach, and looked up at Kandryl with a poisonous glare, but Kandryl took no notice of him.

"You've been working extra, Djaisiuk," said Kandryl, still speaking in that low, purring voice which was always indicative of danger.  "Perhaps you'd care to make a confession."

Djaisiuk, as usual, did not even look at him.  Faquire, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows at this and looked at Djaisiuk in surprise and awe.  He guessed what Kandryl was implying, and he seemed very happy to hear it.

Kandryl again pulled out the paper and spread it now on the table in front of Djaisiuk.  Djaisiuk did not look at it.

"Perhaps you'd care to tell me the meaning of this," said Kandryl.  He waited a moment, then took hold of Faquire by the hair and jerked his head back, still looking at Djaisiuk.  Faquire suppressed a gasp with difficulty.

"Or perhaps you'd care to see this one die before your eyes," continued Kandryl in a voice that was low and menacing.

Djaisiuk still did not react.  He did not look at either Kandryl or Faquire.

"Oh, so you're going to kill me now?" gasped Faquire in a strained voice, his throat being stretched by the position in which Kandryl was holding him, making it very difficult for him to breathe.  "Don't think that that frightens me.  And don't think that Djaisiuk would lift a finger to save me either!  He wouldn't, unless it was perfectly convenient."  Faquire was lying, and he knew it, but his loathing of Kandryl had hardened him so far that he felt very little guilt in doing so.

Kandryl continued to hold Faquire, still watching Djaisiuk.  Faquire soon started to gasp, finding it increasingly difficult to breathe in that position, but still Djaisiuk did not move.  Faquire began to wonder whether Djaisiuk really would sit there and do nothing until Faquire himself lost consciousness from lack of oxygen, but Kandryl did not hold him for that long.  Faquire was just beginning to feel dizzy when Kandryl let go.  He fell forward and then rolled himself over onto his back, trying hard to breathe deeply without gasping.  He couldn't help but look across at Djaisiuk, wishing that he knew what the latter was thinking, and whether Djaisiuk had known that Kandryl was bluffing.

"I thought that you might not be moved by that," said Kandryl, still looking only at Djaisiuk.  "So I am prepared to try something, shall we say, closer to your heart."  Kandryl pressed a button on a communicator, and two guards entered the room.

"I'm giving you a chance now," continued Kandryl, "to tell me exactly what it is that you've been doing.  I've been lenient with you for far too long.  I warn you: this will go on no longer."

When Djaisiuk still made no response, Kandryl motioned to the guards.  The two of them stepped around the table to stand on either side of Djaisiuk's precious instrument: the tall wooden piano.

At this, Kandryl thought that he caught the briefest movement of the eyes as Djaisiuk glanced over at his instrument, but still he did not move otherwise.

"I will ask you," said Kandryl quietly, drawing his words out very slowly, "and you will answer.  If you do not answer, then these men will destroy your instrument, piece by piece."

Djaisiuk did not react, but Faquire did.  He struggled again with the restraints and pulled himself up to almost a sitting position.  Kandryl, however, ignored him.

Again Kandryl held out the paper in front of Djaisiuk.  "Did you write this code?" he asked.

Djaisiuk did not answer.

The guards took hold of the top piece of the piano, a long, thin board that lay over the high top, and ripped it off.  Faquire cringed.

"What was its purpose?"

The top board was broken into several pieces.

"Why did you erase it?"

The guard on the left struck the front of the piano, shattering the front panel.

"Stop!" cried Faquire.  "You beast!  You insane, cold-blooded, barbarous, inhuman, vicious--"

Kandryl turned calmly to face Faquire and, reaching out, took the latter by the throat, pressing with a finger in such a way as to nearly stop the blood flow in Faquire's neck.  Faquire choked, and Kandryl held him until the former's eyes began to glaze.  He then let him go, and Faquire again fell to the bed, much closer to unconsciousness this time than previously.  It consequently took a bit longer for him to recover this time, but Kandryl did not wait.  He turned back to Djaisiuk and continued.

"What more did you write?"

The guard on the right reached inside and cut several of the strings.  The instrument seemed to cry out as the strings snapped, and Djaisiuk closed his eyes and lowered his head slightly.

"Did you write this code?"

More strings were cut.

"What was its purpose?"

Several keys were torn out.

"Why did you erase it?"

Still keeping his eyes closed, Djaisiuk put his hands over his ears.  Kandryl was quiet for a moment, then motioned one of the guards to take Djaisiuk's hands down.  Faquire had, by this time, recovered himself again.  As the guard stepped behind Djaisiuk and forced his hands down and behind his back, Faquire opened his mouth to speak again.  But the words died on his lips, for, as the guard held his hands behind him, Djaisiuk did open his eyes.  He looked straight at Kandryl and showed emotion to him for the second time.  This time was different from previously: his expression today was one of pity.  The look lasted a very short time longer this time than it had the last time, but again it soon vanished; Djaisiuk's face became again perfectly emotionless as he lowered his head and again closed his eyes.

Kandryl was surprised, and Faquire was shocked.  Kandryl had seen emotion displayed on Djaisiuk's face once before.  Faquire had never seen emotion on Djaisiuk's face at any time.  There was silence in the room for a moment, then Kandryl continued.

"Did you write this code?"

More of the keys were torn out.  Kandryl, not content, motioned to the guard holding Djaisiuk.  The guard shifted his grip on Djaisiuk's hands so that he held them both in his right hand.  With his left hand, he roughly took hold of Djaisiuk's head by his thick brown hair and turned the latter's face towards his instrument.  Djaisiuk still refused to react.  And he did not open his eyes.

"What was its purpose?"

Piece by piece, bit by bit, the piano was slowly reduced to nothing more than a heap of wood pieces and broken wires.  Djaisiuk had remained perfectly still through the remainder of the procedure.  Faquire had felt hot tears of rage burning in his eyes.  He found that he couldn't watch either the destruction of the instrument or Djaisiuk and had at last turned his face to the ceiling again and closed his own eyes.  He prayed that God would deal justly with these evil men; he did not say, "Lord, forgive them, for they know not what they do," but rather, "Lord, judge them, for they know full well what they are doing!"  And he did not feel guilty praying it.  He did feel a little guilty about not feeling guilty though.

At last the destruction was complete.  The first guard stomped on a few of the larger pieces, breaking them into splinters.  Kandryl surveyed the destruction, then turned again to Djaisiuk.  At a sign, the second guard released his hold, and Djaisiuk again bowed his head slightly.

Kandryl reached forward and lifted Djaisiuk's chin so that he could look him in the eye.  Djaisiuk opened his eyes now and returned the gaze, but still refused to show any emotion.

"This is not the end," said Kandryl, smiling menacingly.  "This is only the beginning."

Reaching to his right, he ran a finger gently over Faquire's jaw-line in a sort of caress.  Faquire pulled back with a look of disgust, but Kandryl only smiled.

"Remember," Kandryl purred, speaking again to Djaisiuk.  "What I can do to inanimate objects, I can also do to animate ones."

With that threat, he stood and again motioned to one of the guards.  The guard stepped over to Faquire's cot and roughly undid the wrist and ankle restraints, leaving in place the one binding him to the cot and also being careful to avoid allowing Faquire to strike him.  This done, Kandryl motioned for the guards to follow, and the three left the room.