Breaking
the Code
Part
One: Loyalty
Chapter
Two
A clatter and a curse sounded somewhere in the echoing depths of the Paw Hangar. Bengali was on the verge of abandoning his mission, but once again a sense of duty turned his reluctant feet around and sent him in the direction of a battered-looking Thunderclaw. Angry words rang out in the still morning air, roundly cursing the belligerent vehicle. Bengali bit his lip, feeling his resolve turning to jelly, and forced himself on. He had travelled half the night to get here and was tired, dirty and inclined to scrap the whole idea. When Panthro was in this sort of mood, only the brave or foolhardy dared approach him. Right now, Bengali decided that he was probably the latter.
"Panthro?" he said tentatively, stopping just out of striking distance.
"What d'you want? I'm busy," came his voice.
"I know, but can I have a word?"
"What, now?"
"It is important."
Panthro huffed with obvious displeasure and pulled himself out from under the vehicle. "Well, what is it? Make it quick."
Bengali sighed and, not for the first time, wondered why he bothered. Reminding himself that this was important and that annoyed was fast becoming normal for Panthro, he cleared his throat and began.
"You know I've been out at the watching station in the western mountains?"
"Yeah, I know," Panthro grunted. "Been very quiet round here without you."
He shot him an uncertain glance, not sure whether to take that last remark as a compliment or an insult. "Well, a couple of days ago," he continued, "I noticed that something was wrong with one of the secondary systems. Normally, I wouldn't think anything of it, except it happened again last night. I wanted you to have a look at it."
Panthro grudgingly took the proffered sheet, read it quickly and shrugged. "Well?"
"'Well?'" Bengali echoed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"What are you showing me?"
Snatching the sheet away from him, he turned sharply on his heel and made to leave. "Don't bother if it's too much trouble for you."
"Wait," Panthro called after him. "Let me have another look at that." Bengali retraced his steps, handed the sheet back to him and waited as he studied it with more care than before. "Looks like a fault with one of the relays. Perhaps a feedback loop or something."
"That's what I thought, so I checked it out and couldn't find anything wrong. That got me thinking..." Bengali hesitated, glancing about to be sure that they were alone. "Actually, I think it's a covert communication, disguised as something less innocuous to enable it to escape detection by the long range sensors."
"That's a bit of stretch for a glitch," Panthro grunted.
"Perhaps. But I found others and when I ran a correlation between them and recent Mutant attacks, guess what? There's a perfect match."
Panthro rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What you're saying is that someone has been feeding information about us to the Mutants. Any idea who?"
Bengali gave a quick nod. "The messages are being sent to someone here in Cat's Lair."
"Lot of Thunderians have access to the Lair's operating systems," Panthro reminded him. "Thundercats, nobles, civilian workers, hell, even the House Leaders. Could be anyone."
Bengali found himself bristling at the panther's tone. "Have you got any suggestions then?"
"Yes. Take it to Lion-O."
"We're not actually on speaking terms at the moment. Especially after..." He gave a deep sigh and scrubbed his mane from his eyes. "I only asked for some time off to go to Third Earth and try to patch things up with Pumyra. He went ballistic. I've never seen him like that. So I told him to grow up. I've been stranded out in that accursed watching station ever since."
"You seem to forget, Bengali, that ruling a world isn't easy, especially one with Thundera's current problems. We all have to pull together. You can't go running off to Third Earth just because you've got personal problems."
Bengali snorted. "Seems to work just fine for Tygra."
"That's different. He's on guard-duty."
"For two straight years? Don't insult my intelligence!"
Panthro seemed taken aback at his outburst. Some of the fire died in his eyes and his mood noticeably softened. "All right, maybe Lion-O is a little worked up at the moment. We've all got problems. Not least of all this," he said, jabbing a finger at the paper in his hand. "But I can't take it to him. It's your responsibility." With that, he turned his attention back to the Thunderclaw. For him at least, the discussion was at an end.
"Then you won't help me?"
"Not a lot I can do, Bengali."
"Thunderians are dying because someone is selling us out to the Mutants and you don't care?"
Panthro rounded on him, a raised wrench tightly gripped in his hand. "Don't you dare say that to me!" he roared. "I was out defending Thundera when you were but a cub in arms!"
"Then what's stopping you now?"
He continued to glare for a moment, then his hand slowly dropped and he shook his head. "If I told you," he said heavily, "you wouldn't believe me. Now go, before I completely lose my rag with you. And make sure Lion-O gets that paper." As Bengali turned to go, Panthro called after him. "Just for the record, I do care."
"I know," he said, giving him a faint smile. "You can't help being a grumpy old cat."
Leaving him to his work, he set off to find Lion-O, striding purposely through the Lair and ignoring the surprised looks that accompanied his passing, as though he was the last person they expected to see. He probably was, given that he had been shuffled away out of sight into the wilds of Thundera. Given a choice, he would have happily turned around and headed back there now. As it was, it was taking every ounce of his courage to make it to the upper levels of Lair. The last time he had been there, words had been exchanged and things said that he now regretted. He hoped Lion-O did too.
Reaching the landing of the third level, he paused and took a deep breath. This would sound so much better coming from Panthro, he thought. A lingering doubt still tortured him with the fear that Lion-O might refuse to see. Had they really come to that? No, surely not. All their time together on Third Earth had to count for something. With renewed determined, he pulled himself together and headed down the corridor towards Lion-O's office. Now he was here, he was determined to see him. Whatever animosity still simmered between them, he owed it to all on Thundera to lay this matter before him. It was with some annoyance, therefore, that he found his way blocked by an old lion called Leosus.
Officious to the point of arrogance, Leosus was one of the old guard, who liked to remind all and sundry that he had had the great honour to serve under Claudus. Oh, yes, he could remember how good life was then and, alas, how Thundera had suffered since. To his credit, he was capable and loyal. Quite where that loyalty lay was another matter. To his House, the Lions, of course, but not necessarily to its shining son.
"I've already told you," Leosus said, twitching his glasses a little higher on his nose. "Lord Lion-O isn't to be disturbed."
"And I've already told you that this can't wait," Bengali returned. "It's very important."
Leosus sniffed disdainfully. "If it's that important, give it to me. I'll see it gets to him."
"I'd rather give it to a swamp adder. This is for Lion-O's eyes only."
"Are you saying that my discretion is to be questioned?" Leosus said, visibly bristling. "You seem to forget, commoner, that I served Lord Claudus."
Bengali rolled his eyes and decided that a more direct course of action was needed. Pushing Leosus aside, he made straight for the door to Lion-O's office and entered. The two occupants of the room looked up at his sudden entrance, one in surprise, the other in annoyance.
"S-sorry," he stammered, stopping in his tracks. "I--"
"Forgive me, Lord Lion-O, Lord Saturnus," Leosus twittered in his wake. "I told him that you weren't to be disturbed. But would he listen? Typical tiger."
"Yes, thank you, Leosus," said Lion-O. "I'll deal with this." Leosus gave a stately bow and swept from the room. "Bengali, this isn't a good time."
"Indeed not," remarked Saturnus, eyeing him with mild amusement. "We have more important matters before us than your love life."
Bengali felt his stomach knot. It wasn't so much what Saturnus had said, but that he knew, that Lion-O had told his uncle, no doubt making fun of him behind his back. The hurt was devastating. If he hadn't realised it before, it was plain enough now. The happy days of Third Earth were long gone.
"Come back later, Bengali," Lion-O said. "We'll talk then."
"No, you have to see this now," he said, finding his voice. Whatever they thought of him, this still mattered. "This concerns Thundera."
"And what exactly do you think we're discussing?" Saturnus said, arching a single elegant eyebrow.
Bengali bit his lip and stepped forward to place the sheet of paper on the desk in front of Lion-O. "Look at it. See what you think. That's all I'm asking."
Lion-O barely glanced at it before looking up again. "I'll look at it later."
"Well, I'll return to the watching station."
"No, wait. I need you to gather all the Thundercats together in the Council Chamber. There's something we have to discuss."
"Oh? What?" Bengali asked, noticing at the same time that Saturnus had picked up the paper from the desk and was studying it intently. Even as he watched him, the lion looked up and met his gaze. Something deeper than hatred burnt in those piercing red eyes and forced him to look away.
"I had an interesting conversation with Slithe a little while ago," said Lion-O, apparently unaware of his uncle's change of mood. "I'm not sure I believe it myself, but it seems that the Mutants want peace with Thundera."
***************
"Those blasted Mutants want what?" roared Panthro, making the other Thundercats seated around the table jump at his outburst.
"Peace," said Lion-O. "Peace between Plun-darr and Thundera, subject to terms of course."
"And we all know what they're likely to be."
"What exactly did Slithe say?" asked Lynx-O.
"That the Mutants want an end to this war," said Lion-O. "Simple as that."
"Slithe was always simple," said WilyKit. "But enough to come to you with a peace deal? It's a trap, got to be."
"I'm not so sure. He was quite reasonable about it. He's even willing to meet on a neutral planet."
"Definitely a trap then," said WilyKat. "Tell him to get lost. We can whip his scaly hide any day."
"Yes, but what if we didn't have to?" said Lion-O. "Imagine that. We could devote our energies to rebuilding our planet and bringing our fellow Thunderians home instead of fighting this futile war. You have to admit that has a certain appeal."
"At what cost?" said Lynx-O. "You spoke of terms. What will Thundera have to concede?"
"Slithe wasn't specific. 'Peace in exchange for a few tokens', that's what he said. We'll have to wait and see when we get around the negotiating table."
"Which is to be held where?"
"Ursa," Lion-O said.
A low murmur went around the table. Ursa, the planet of the Bears, home to one of the most technologically advanced peoples of the sector. They were generally a peaceable race, although not unable to defend themselves. In the distant past, pirate attacks on their trading vessels had met with a swift reprisal. Ancient Thunderian writings spoke of lights of a thousand colours that had painted the sky on that day. What was left of the pirate fleet limped away to spread the warning that the Ursans were not to be messed with. They had never been troubled again. Not even the Lunatacs dared to tangle with them.
"Which is why I'm confident that Slithe is serious about wanting peace," Lion-O continued. "I have spoken to the Ursan High Council and they are willing to permit such a meeting on their planet. One of their senior officials will mediate. They assured me that any attempts at trickery on either side would be dealt with severely."
"Okay, so when do we leave?" asked WilyKit. "About time we got to go on an off-world mission!"
"Sorry, Kit. It's just the House Leaders and me on this one. Slithe was quite definite about not wanting any other Thundercats at the negotiations. We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, which is why we're having this meeting. I don't expect the Mutants to try anything on Ursa, but I wouldn't put it past them to try to attack on Thundera. From now and until the peace is finalised, I want a state of full alert maintained at all times. In my absence, I'll be leaving Panthro in charge."
"Me?" said Panthro. "What about Tygra? He's second-in-command, after all."
"He's busy on Third Earth. Pumyra said that they've got a few problems over there at the moment, although she assured me they can manage. However, in Tygra's absence, you will have take over."
"All the same, I'd rather not."
Lion-O gave him a puzzled look and sighed. "Fine, then Cheetara--"
"No," she said quickly before he had a chance to finish.
"Why not?"
"Because..." She paused, glancing round the table to see that all eyes were on her. Colour rose to her cheeks and it was a moment before she answered. "Well, Lion-O, traditionally, it is the Lady of Thundera who is left in charge when her mate is absent."
Lion-O leant forward and placed his elbows on the table. "I see," he said slowly. "Are you seriously suggesting that I leave Liodella in charge?"
"It would be inappropriate for me to take a position traditionally accorded to her."
"But she has no idea about what is involved."
"She is allowed to appoint a deputy to help her," said Lynx-O. "Usually, the Lord's second-in-command takes the role as deputy, but in this case it will be at Liodella's discretion."
Lion-O shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't believe it, but very well. Liodella is in charge and she can appoint someone to help her. Okay, meeting over."
As he got to his feet and started for the door, Panthro hurried after him. Catching his arm, he made him pause until the newer recruits had left. What he had to say would not bear overhearing. Yet, when the time came, he couldn't get the words out. A warning echoed in his brain and held his tongue. Sensing this, Lion-O waited, expectant, if a little impatient. But it was no use, and Panthro gave up the unequal contest and moved on to safer territory.
"I just wanted to say be careful, that's all," he said. "You know what I think of those Mutants."
Lion-O smiled. "I certainly do. How are you going to cope when we're all friends?"
Panthro shrugged. "I'll have to be put out to grass, I guess."
"You? Never," said Lion-O. "Actually, I'm more worried about facing the House Leaders than the Mutants. Don't worry." With that, he gave him a reassuring pat on the back and went on his way.
"'Don't worry'," Panthro muttered under his breath as the door closed. "How can I not worry?"
"Yeah, I know what you mean," said WilyKat. "I mean, Liodella in charge? I do not want to be around if there's trouble and she has to make a decision."
"That is ungenerous, young WilyKat," Lynx-O chided him. "This is a role Liodella must learn to assume as Lady of Thundera. It is our duty to help her all we can."
"So who d'you think she's gonna pick as her deputy?" asked WilyKit. "It's gotta be one of us, right?"
"She will do as she is told, no doubt," he said ominously. "Perhaps it would have been wiser for either of you, Cheetara or Panthro, to have taken control when it was offered."
"No!" they both said quickly.
"As I said, it's not appropriate," said Cheetara, getting to her feet and nervously sweeping her mane back from her face. "It's Liodella's role, not mine. It would have looked bad if I had taken it."
"Yeah, like Lion-O wanted you for his wife rather than Liodella," giggled WilyKit.
"Mind your manners, young lady," said Panthro with a warning growl.
"True though," she said, sitting back and putting her feet on the table. "He's fancied her for yonks."
"Well, we can't always have what we want," Cheetara said. "If anyone needs me, I'll be with Snarf."
"I'll come with you," Bengali said, getting to his feet and following her to the door.
"Cheetara, wait," Panthro called after her. Stepping aside to let Bengali pass, she hovered at the doorway, torn between leaving and staying. Panthro went over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you all right?" he asked with concern. "You're a bundle of nerves."
"A bad night, that's all," she said. "What did you want?"
He knew her too well to be deceived by an obvious lie. He also knew that if she didn't want to tell him, then he would never get it out of her until she was ready. "Okay," he sighed. "I didn't want to ask in front of Bengali, but what's really happening on Third Earth?"
"I don't know," she said with a shrug. Her manner was uncharacteristically offhand and Panthro felt the first beginnings of worry tug at his stomach.
"Didn't I see you on the communicator to Third Earth this morning?" he said.
"Oh, yes, I was. Everything was all right. All under control."
"And who told you that?"
"Pumyra, I'll bet," said WilyKat from his place at the table. "She always says that. Something's up though. I haven't spoken to Tygra in ages. You don't think something's happened to him, do you?"
His sister sat up and gave him a cheeky grin. "Maybe Pumyra's done him in!"
"Aw, shut up, sis. Can't you be serious about anything?"
"I am," she retorted. "Come on, guys, be honest. When was the last time anyone spoke to Tygra? I mean, face to face, not just over the audio."
"Couple of months," said Panthro. Lynx-O nodded to that, while Cheetara remained quiet. "You know what he's like," he went on. "He's probably busy. I'm still waiting for his opinion on a couple of projects I sent him a while back."
"Perhaps he's found a new distraction," said WilyKit mischievously. "Third Earth can be boring when you're there all on your own. Oh, but he's not, is he? Silly me."
"Meaning what?" said her brother.
WilyKit giggled. "Perhaps he's found true love."
"I've already warned you once," said Panthro, returning to the table to chide the teenager. "I don't want to hear you say that again. Tygra and Pumyra are friends, nothing more."
"Yeah, right," she snorted. "So why are they always on Third Earth together?"
WilyKat thumped her. "Hey, what are you saying? She and Bengali have only had an argument."
"He was cheating on her."
"I don't believe it."
WilyKit adopted a superior expression and folded her arms. "I was there. I saw everything. He kissed this other female right in front of her. Pumyra was devastated. No wonder she hates him."
"And is that any of your business?" said WilyKat.
"Serves him right if he's been banished to the mountains. I've no sympathy for him. Frankly, I hope Pumyra and Tygra are very happy together. It's about time she found herself a proper mate."
From the corner of his eye, Panthro caught a swift movement and, by the time he had turned around, Cheetara had gone. He sighed out of exasperation and thumped his hand on the back of the kitten's chair. "Blast it all! You've got a big mouth, WilyKit. It's going to get you into trouble one day."
"It's all true."
"Only as you see it. Or as you think you see it."
"The truth is rarely straightforward," said Lynx-O. "I have known those two young people for a long time and it grieves me that such a thing should come between them. As for Tygra, I cannot help but wonder if there is another reason for his behaviour."
"You mean a Silky-like reason?" said WilyKit.
"He wouldn't succumb to that again," said Panthro. His tone wasn't convincing enough, for the twins both turned to look up at him. "He wouldn't," he insisted. "He's over that."
"Agreed," said Lynx-O. "But how else are we to explain his behaviour?"
"He's busy, that's all. Any day now, he'll turn up here on Thundera with some marvellous new invention he's been slaving over."
"Yeah, right," snorted WilyKit. "With Pumyra on his arm, I hope. Hey, d'you think they'll invite me to the wedding? I'd love to be a bridesmaid."
"That's enough," said Panthro. "If he marries anyone, it won't be Pumyra."
"Won't be Cheetara either," she retorted. "She doesn't like him."
"And you know that for a fact too, I suppose," said her brother.
"It's obvious. If I liked someone that much, I'd want to be with them all the time. But how often has Cheetara been to Third Earth? So, she doesn't like him. Anyway, boys are yuck. Who needs them?"
An argument ensued between sister and brother, in which Panthro found his attention wandering to the still open door where Cheetara had been only moments before. Again, worry rose and, on impulse, he left them to their squabbles and went in search of his fellow Thundercat. A short way down the corridor, he found her by one of the windows. From the way she quickly wiped her eyes and sniffed, he could tell she had been crying.
"Cheetara, what's wrong?" he said, moving to her side and comfortingly rubbing her back.
"Nothing."
"Liar."
"Am I that obvious?"
"Blatantly," he said, offering her a tissue. She took it and dabbed her wet cheeks with more care than the task demanded. If she was stalling for time and hoping that he would go away, she was wrong. "So are you going to tell me?" he said.
"What's to tell?" she sighed heavily.
"WilyKit isn't right."
"Of course she is. I wondered whether they were getting closer, especially after Pumyra broke up with Bengali." She was trying to be strong, but the façade failed and her face crumpled. "It's why he won't talk to me, isn't it?" she sobbed.
"Don't be silly," he said, putting his arms around her and pulling her to him. She cried freely onto his shoulder, soaking his fur with his tears. "He won't talk to any of us, not even me, and I count Tygra as one of my oldest friends. Frankly, I'm worried about him."
"Sounds as though he's managing well enough without us," Cheetara said, pulling away and pushing her damp mane from her face.
"There's only one way to be sure. Someone has to go to Third Earth and find out what's going on."
"I can't do it," she said. "Lion-O won't let me."
"Won't?" said Panthro, arching his eyebrows quizzically. "Since when?"
She shook her head, dismissing the question. "Anyway, what if I found something I didn't like? I'm not sure that I could cope with it."
"He loves you, Cheetara. From the first time he saw you, he was smitten. There's only one love in his life and it's you."
At his words, she glanced nervously up and down the corridor, as if making sure it was empty. "Don't say that," she said.
"It's true though."
"Stop it, Panthro. It's bad enough that everyone thinks that there's something going on between Lion-O and me without you spreading more rumours."
"Only if you stop denying you feel the same way about him and do something about it."
She gave him an uncertain glance, then lowered her gaze to the tissue that she was twisting in her hands. "I can't, you know that," she said quietly. "And you know why."
He did, but he didn't understand it. He had given up counting the number of times that his friend had deliberately sought her out as his companion on missions, or when he had walked into a room and found them deep in discussion. They looked so natural together, so at ease in each other's company. He had finally lost patience and broached the subject with Tygra when the question came up about who was to remain on Third Earth. It had embarrassed the tiger deeply, as anything touching the personal always did, and his face had flushed as red as his mane. From then on, Panthro had detected a certain coolness between them and had blamed himself when Tygra had announced that he would stay. And stay he had, resisting all attempts to come back to Thundera on any permanent basis. He had become more and more reluctant over the past two years to visit and not even a royal wedding had been sufficient to tempt him back.
"Actually, Cheetara, I don't know why," he said. "It all seems pretty simple to me. He should have married you when he had the chance. If my meddling was to blame, then I apologise."
"What?" she said with surprise.
He returned her look. He had assumed wrongly, it seemed. "Tygra didn't tell you?" She shook her head. "I told him to stop messing about and marry you before it was too late."
"You did?" she gasped, her eyes turning glassy with tears.
"Yes, I'm sorry," he said. "It was none of my business. As usual, I must have made a complete pig's ear of the whole thing. I told him to ask you, but..."
"What makes you think he didn't?"
Panthro's mouth dropped open. "He didn't!"
Cheetara gave a small nod. "Went right down on his knee too. I said no. I had to."
"What?" Panthro spluttered. "Why on Thundera--"
"Because of Thundera," she said. "Can you imagine what would have been said if we had married? Two nobles from different Houses, each with claims on the leadership?"
"It would have been done and dusted. They wouldn't have been able to do anything about it."
"We would have been disgraced, accused of putting lust before duty."
"And what's wrong with that?"
"You need to ask me that?"
He looked away, knowing what she meant. He had confided to her a while ago the details of his last relationship, omitting names for the sake of propriety. True, it had been lust, but there had also been love. The deeper they had fallen, the less wrong it had felt. Even when she had talked of leaving her husband and taking her child with her, still neither of them had seen any wrong in it nor thought of the scandal that would surely follow. Duty had seemed nothing compared what they had felt for each other. It had seemed even less important when she had been killed in a Mutant attack before their plans could be realised. Anger had kept him going since then, spurring his vow to forsake all others until he had avenged her death. All these years later, he was still alone. It was a promise he had meant to keep, but having lived with it for so long, he found that the thought of being without it made his insides churn. The lack of a sense of purpose was terrifying.
"I'm sorry," Cheetara said. "That was a cheap shot."
"Yes, it was," he said. "I loved her. It should never have gone as far as it did, I see that now, but I will love her forever."
"I can see that," she said, giving him that sad, sympathetic smile that always won him over. "She was lucky, whoever she was."
"She was special. And you are too."
"Thank you," she said, to his surprise reaching up and kissing him on the cheek. "For trying to put us together. We had some good times, but it was never meant to be."
"Come here," he said, putting his arms around her. She rested her head against his chest and sighed. "Life is what you make of it, Cheetara. We've spent too many years on this crazy roundabout to give into it now. This is New Thundera, not the old. The possibilities are endless."
"Were that true," she murmured. "The trouble is--"
"Good day, Lady Cheetara."
At the sound of the voice and its sneering tone, she jerked away from his embrace. "Good day, Castor," she said to the cheetah male who stood staring at them.
Panthro recognised him as one of the many who trailed in the wake of the House Leaders, but had never put a name to the face before. What was clear was the effect his presence was having on Cheetara, who nervously fidgeted and kept her eyes firmly fixed on the floor.
"I trust all is well with you, lady," said Castor.
"Yes, thank you," she replied.
"Good. I'll pass your compliments on to Histor." Pausing only to look Panthro up and down, his feelings evident from the scornful look on his face, he finally went on his way.
"What's his problem?" Panthro said, loud enough for the departing cheetah to hear.
"Don't," Cheetara said. "He's not worth it."
"Want me to sort him out for you?"
A small laugh escaped her lips and at last she met his inquiring gaze. "It might help, but I doubt it. It would only cause more problems."
"Like?"
Cheetara leant up against the window frame and sighed heavily. "He'll go back to our House Leader, Histor, and spin him some tale about you and me and I'll have the usual lecture about the sin of lasciviousness and the shame it brings on all of us."
It was Panthro's turn to sigh. As the people of Thundera went, cheetahs had to be the most traditional, tied to strict mores and codes of behaviour. One of those dictates was rigid insistence on the purity of marriage partners for both males and females. He knew it wasn't beyond them to declare transgressors to be outcasts. Although exclusion from one's House was not the end of the world, for the high-minded cheetahs it must have felt like it. Back on Old Thundera, he had had to attend a fair number of suicide cases. The majority had been cheetahs for whom a life apart from their people was death anyway. He couldn't blame Cheetara for her caution. A lifetime of such teachings was not so easily set aside.
"I could go to Histor and explain, if it would help," he said.
"No, but thanks anyway. There's not a lot he can do about things while I'm a Thundercat."
"Things?" Panthro asked suspiciously. "Has he been trying to pressurise you into leaving us again?"
She nodded. "He says I have a duty to my people. He has no heir and he says, quite rightly, that as the daughter of the previous leader, I should marry a successor of his choosing to legitimise his claim. If not, he keeps saying that our House will be torn apart by a succession crisis."
"Didn't happen before," Panthro grunted. "Don't see why it should happen now."
He could still remember the night when the affairs of a House not his own had entered his life. He had been on guard duty when there had been a frantic knocking at the main door. Expecting trouble, he had been surprised to find a rain-soaked teenager on the doorstep, seeking shelter from the storm and asking to speak to Lord Jaga and Lord Claudus urgently. Once he had managed to get over the shock, he had shown her straight in to see his commander and his king. They had taken one look at the note she had brought with her and, with Panthro and another young guard standing as witnesses, had sworn her in as a Thundercat trainee that night. The next day had seen a mob of angry cheetahs threatening to besiege Cat's Lair. Only then did he learn that the waif of the night before was the daughter and only heir of Cheetarn, Lord Leader of his House. From what Jaga told him, as female cheetahs were not allowed to take up the leadership, the girl had been expected to be officially engaged that day to secure the smooth transit of power from her father to his successor. Cheetarn, it seemed, had had other ideas and had committed his daughter to the care of the Thundercats, to live or die as the gods saw fit. The mob had gone away empty-handed and Cheetara had settled into her new life at the Lair. The feared succession crisis never happened, for Cheetarn took another wife after the events of that night and, although dying still without issue from this match, secured the leadership on his brother-in-law, Histor. History, however, had come full circle and the whole messy business was happening all over again. The one consolation was that this time Cheetara was well out of it.
"Who are they putting forward as the next boss man, anyway?" he asked.
"One possible candidate is Histor's brother-in-law, Castor."
"You mean, him who just...?"
"Yes, him, although I hear that there are concerns about his suitability." She shrugged. "I try not to get too involved. It makes it look like I'm interested and I'm not."
Panthro folded his arms and studied her. "Mind if I ask you a personal question?" She gave a slight nod. "Why did your father send you here? Did he really think you'd be better off facing death on a daily basis than getting married and having a family?"
"Yes, that is a little personal," she said. "But, since you ask, I might as well tell you. For a long time, I thought it was because he was ashamed of me, for not being the son he always wanted. Then, when he was dying, he told me the truth. It seems that he believed his family line was cursed. He told me that his female relations had all died on the eve of their weddings. He said he would rather see me die doing something of value than just for the sake of the succession."
Panthro stared at her for a minute, not sure if she actually believed what she was telling him. "Are you joking, Cheetara? Have you really let a silly superstition ruin your life all these years?"
She stiffened and visibly bristled. "What you call silly could mean life or death to me."
"Be serious for a minute."
"If someone had told you ages ago that you would spend four years of your life battling an Ever-Living Servant of Evil, would you have believed them?"
"Touché," he conceded. "Okay, I believe in the curse. So, what's the reason for it?"
"Can't tell you that. It's too dangerous."
"You can't tell me? One of your closest friends?"
"Still too risky."
"Cheetara, how can I help you if I don't know?"
"No one can help me, Panthro. It's something I have to live with."
"Okay, then perhaps you can help me," he said. He was determined to get to the bottom of the matter. He had spent too many wasted years regretting the past to see the same happen to his friends. If he trusted her, she might just trust him. "You say it's something you have to live with. Well, I've been under that shadow for a long time, Cheetara, and let me tell you it never gets any easier. It eats away at you until you don't know which way to turn any more. I've reached that stage. The past has come back to haunt me and I'm at a loss to know what to do. I have this secret, you see. If it remains hidden, then I have to keep my mouth shut and watch as I see the world I love and the people I care about being corrupted and used. But if it comes out..." He paused and shivered involuntarily. "In that case, I would probably lose everything anyway."
"Panthro, what on earth is it?"
"The person I loved. Her name was..." He swallowed heavily and then leaned forward to whisper it in Cheetara's ear.
She gasped and stared up at him in absolute horror. "Oh, gods. Panthro, I didn't realise."
"I never meant to fall in love with her," he said. "We should have been able enough to say no. But she was alone and unhappy in a loveless marriage. We had love, Cheetara. I'll never say it was wrong. Something that strong and that pure could never be wrong."
She turned away from him to look absently out of the window. "I don't know what to say, Panthro," she said quietly. "If you tell him, he'll be devastated. Well, I think anyone would. But if someone knows and is holding it over you, then you can't remain silent. Is that why you wouldn't take control in Lion-O's absence?"
He nodded. "I was told to back off," he said, giving a snort of laughter. "Me! Can you imagine that?"
"No, not really."
"No, me neither. I can't bear standing by and letting that slime get away with it."
"Who?"
He bowed his head, in acknowledgement of the defeat he felt in his soul. "Saturnus. He's dangerous, Cheetara, more so than anyone we've ever had to deal with. He's a devious, double-crossing piece of--"
"Panthro, I don't know what to tell you," she said. "We have to tackle this in a way that will cause the least damage to all concerned. Let me think about it."
"Sure," he said. "Now what about you and this curse?"
The sideways glance she gave him spoke of her hesitancy. "There's nothing anyone can do about it, even if I do tell you. In fact, you might never speak to me again."
"After what I've done? Is it worse than that?"
She nodded. "It's not that I don't trust you, Panthro, but it's very shameful for our family. Just don't tell any one, but..." She took a deep breath, glanced up and down the corridor and lowered her voice. "My father said that many generations ago, a female member of his paternal line had an affair which resulted in the birth of a cub. The family of the father of that cub swore vengeance."
"That's it?" he spluttered. "An indiscretion warrants a curse? Gods, Cheetara, I never knew cheetahs could be that vindictive."
"I never said that the father was a cheetah," she said quietly.
Panthro felt his jaw drop and for a moment he could only stare at her in shock. "Cheetara, you're talking about -- a Chance cub."
"Yes, I know."
"But -- that's impossible. The chance of that happening... well, the odds have to be a billion to one."
"Chance is just that, isn't it, though, Panthro? In my family's case, the odds were beaten. The cub was only one half cheetah, and he passed on the talents of both his parents to his offspring and to me."
He caught the emphasis. "You mean, the speed and... your sixth sense?" She nodded. "Then the father was..." His thoughts followed through to a logical, if horrifying, conclusion. "Gods, a jaguar."
"Now you know," she said. "Any thoughts?"
Panthro shook his head numbly. "Only, Jaga help us," he murmured. "Help all of us."
Continued
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