Read Plague of Memory for Free Online

home-world. "TssVar's physicians are unable to account for the spread of the plague, the source, or the means of transmission. That is all the information we have."
    "During the war, whole companies of Hsktskt chose to cut their own throats when defeated rather than be captured and taken prisoner by the League," Salo said. "Is it possible this plague is more a form of mass hysterical response to the peace talks?"
    "It seems unlikely." Xonea frowned at my husband. "Duncan, you know these people better than any of us. What say you of Salo's theory?"
    "Some conservative Hsktskt might protest the end of the war and having equal dealings with the warm-blooded, but they would not be driven to violence and suicide by them." Reever sounded slightly impatient. "It does not matter. After the liberation of Catopsa, the Faction levied a blood bounty on my wife's head. Whatever TssVar may say, that bounty cannot be lifted by anything but her death or execution at the hands of the Hsktskt. She cannot go to Vtaga."
    "But I have died," I said, drawing everyone's attention. Moments such as these were why I wished I could wear a head wrap. "The death of my former self—her mind, her memories—occurred on Akkabarr, when the slave ship transporting her crashed on the surface."
    "That may serve as justification to lift the blood bounty," Xonea said. "What other objection have you, Duncan?"
    "Have you forgotten what happened the last time she went to stop a plague, Captain?" my husband asked, his voice soft and low. "They took her from us. Took her as if she were nothing but an exotic animal to be chained and caged and sold to the highest bidder."
    Another good reason not to recover Cherijo's memories, I thought. I did not wish to relive any of what she had suffered at the hands of the League.
    The captain's skin darkened. "We will take measures to protect her."
    "As the Jado did? Every member of their House-Clan save Teulon and his son died on that day. Our daughter and I nearly joined them in death." Reever spoke without emotion coloring his words, which gave them a ghastly, appropriate emptiness. "From that day it took us almost three years to find her, only to discover that she had been attacked while wounded by primitives. Their brutality caused the brain damage that destroyed her memory."
    The captain sighed. "I understand this better than you think, Duncan."
    "If what you say is true, then you would not ask this of her." My husband looked at all the other men in the room. "Forget that this woman is my wife, and your kin. Look upon her as a sum of her experiences. How much more must she suffer? When will she have sacrificed enough to have earned her freedom?"
    No one seemed to know what to say.
    Reever came from his place and drew me up from mine. "I made a promise to someone after I first met you," he said to me. "I vowed that no matter what happened I would keep you safe. I have done a poor job of that in the past, but I am determined, if nothing else, to keep my promise now.
    That is why I must say no to this scheme. If you go to Vtaga, you will die there."
    This was the reason I had given myself to Reever. He had sworn to care for me and Marel, and protect us with his life. How could I undermine that by providing aid to a species that had wanted me hunted down and killed? "It will be as you say, Husband."
    Reever kept my hands in his as he addressed the captain. "You will signal SubAkade TssVar and refuse his request."
    Xonea looked angry—and a little relieved— before he replied with, "Yes. I will do so at once."
    Reever did not permit me to return to Medical Bay. Instead he signaled Squilyp from one of the command center terminals and informed him that I would be unavailable for the remainder of my shift. The Omorr must have heard about TssVar's request, for he only asked if we were going to Vtaga, and seemed quite happy to learn that we were not.
    I followed my husband to a lift, but instead of taking me to his quarters, he sent