That went well. Lantash felt cautious optimism.
His host's answering thought was flavored with irony. Ya think?
Ah, an O'Neillism.
The Colonel is a lousy influence.
You are skeptical, Kevin, why?
Call it ingrained Tauri cynicism. I know humans, Lantash, we can be right bastards.
That has not been my experience, Lantash replied stiffly, offended on behalf of his former hosts.
Yeah, well we can be good guys too. Trouble is it's a toss up which we'll decide to be at any given time.
Lantash was becoming concerned. Troop Leader Ulmesh and Scholar Ashptim seemed sympathetic.
I agree. I think we've got both pretty solidly on our side, but they're not the ones making the decisions. We're aliens, pal, to some that makes us un-people. There were those back home who wanted to dissect Teal'c you know.
Concern flashed into alarm as Lantash picked up the subtext Kevin tried to hide. You think my presence has put you in danger!
Maybe, he conceded. It helps de-humanize me. On the other hand I wouldn't be alive to be in this mess if not for you, that kind of evens it out. Anyway symbiote or no symbiote I'm still from a mythical planet and chock full of valuable technical and military information. There are bound to be some who want to drain me dry.
Why do I not find that comforting?
Because it isn't. Kevin sighed, turned onto his side. Look, there's nothing we can do about it at the moment. I don't know about you but they trained me to rest as much as I could in captive situations. Uh - do I sleep or do I kelno'reem? And how exactly do you do that anyway?
Kelno'reem will not be necessary. Lantash returned, amused. You may sleep if you wish, but I believe you will find you need much less than you used to.
So, become a Tok'ra and learn the joys of insomnia eh?
Lantash laughed.
----
Elsewhere the Governing Council of Erech was in the process of justifying Kevin's pessimism. The President and his Deputies sat in their usual places at the long golden table with Troop Leader Ulmesh and Scholar Ashptim at its foot.
"So what you're saying, Scholar First, is that the Tradition is literal fact, war of the gods and all, and it's still going on today," said the President.
"I'm afraid so, sir."
"Meaning that an army of the Oppressors could come through this 'stargate' at any moment," said the Deputy First for Security.
"Lieutenant Elliot considers that unlikely, sir," Ulmesh put in. "Our god is apparently dead and his armies long scattered."
The Deputy for Intelligence steepled his fingers. "This Lantash parasite visited Nisir on a scouting mission four hundred or so years ago. What's to prevent an Oppressor from doing the same?"
Ulmesh grimaced. "Luck?"
"Which will surely run out one day," The Intelligencer pointed out.
"Kevin Elliot advises us to bury our gate to prevent that, sir," said Ashptim.
"He also said that the Oppressors have space travel and could find us that way."
"They've ignored us for two thousand years, sir," said Ulmesh, sensing the direction this was going and not liking it one bit. "No reason why they shouldn't continue to do so."
"Except that one of their enemies is here," the Intelligencer looked at the President. "Even if we send him home as he requests, sir, we may have become a target in this war."
"Assuming they know he's here," Ulmesh argued.
"Dare we assume that they don't? Mr. President, I think it would be extremely unwise to throw away our only source of intelligence on the Oppressors."
"Lieutenant Elliot is a very junior member of the Tauri military," Ulmesh pointed out tightly. "His knowledge will be quite limited."
"His symbiote is three thousand years old," The Intelligencer said flatly.
"Think of the history it has seen," said the Deputy for the Sciences with enthusiasm. "Not to mention the scientific and technological knowledge it must possess. This being knows how to operate the stargate, what else might it know?"
By now Ashptim had caught the drift of the discussion too and was looking alarmed. "Mr. President, I'm sure Kevin Elliot will be willing to answer any questions we might have, he's been most cooperative -"
"And very general," the Intelligencer said dryly. "Specific information may be a different matter, Scholar First."
"Sir," said Ulmesh directly to the President, "Lieutenant Elliot belongs to a military force that routinely kills gods. They are bound to take the restraint of one of their own as an unfriendly act. Making an enemy of the Tauri would be a very bad move."
"He himself has said his people don't know where he is, indeed they believe him killed in action," the Intelligencer countered.
Ashptim's wide, innocent eyes darted from face to face in mounting dismay. "You can't... Please, gentlemen, he's just a boy -"
"A boy in symbiosis with a three thousand year old alien being," the Scientist interrupted. "Not a simple human being, Scholar!"
"One might wonder if he's human at all," the Intelligencer agreed.
Ashptim looked in horror at Ulmesh, and saw by the Troop Leader's grim set face that he saw no hope at all of swaying the Council.
"What can we do?" he demanded desperately of his companion as they left the President's Palace together.
"Nothing," the Troop Leader answered. "We've shown our hand, Scholar, they won't let us near Elliot again."
"But this is wrong!"
"I know." Ulmesh reached into his pocket, fingering Elliot's twisted and bent spoon. "But the Lieutenant isn't as helpless and vulnerable as he looks, Ashptim. He eluded the Oppressors, I suspect he's more then a match for our Intelligence Service."
The Scholar failed to brighten. "I thought we were a better people than this."
"And I feared that we were not."
----
A twig snapped. Kevin's eyes shot to the right side of the clearing, he was too weak to turn his head. A Jaffa stepped out of the trees, staff weapon at the ready and Anubis' mark on his forehead. Kevin's heart began to pound painfully, the blood throbbing in his ears, as more Jaffa appeared. Slowly, cautiously they circled him and drew closer. He tightened his grip on the tiny canister.
Not yet, said the voice in his head. Not till they bring us before Zipacna.
Right. Kevin drew in a deep breath and choked on it. Pain knifed across his lungs as he fought not to cough. The Jaffa loomed over him, very close now, looking down impassively as he struggled to hold himself together.
'Just a little longer, Lantash,' he thought desperately. 'Just a few more minutes.'
I've done all that I can. You must hang on. We must hang on.
Kevin's lips moved in a silent 'I will' as the Jaffa bent down, cutting off the sky, to lift him.
KEVIN!
He woke with a start, soaked in sweat in the unfamiliar dark. "Lantash?"
I'm here. We're all right. We're safe.
"Safer anyway." He shuddered, heartbeat and respiration falling to normal. "Damned nightmare!"
I know. I shared it.
"Sorry about that."
It may be I who should apologize. It is my memory too.
"Tok'ra get flashbacks?"
Oh yes. The tone of the thought was grim. Eventually you will meet my nightmares, Kevin. I have many, too many.
"I can believe that."
A knock on the door of their holding cell made both jump. "Sir? You awake, sir?"
----
Ulmesh knew he would not be permitted to see Elliot alone again, but there was no reason why he couldn't stand in the lobby and watch the boy being handed over to Intelligence. Just why he wanted to do so he wasn't quite sure. To warn Elliot, perhaps?
The boy came out of the lift, surrounded by an armed detail, looking pale and shaken. Ulmesh crossed to him without thinking. The guards, his own men, made no move to stop him. "Are you all right?"
Elliot nodded, his eyes on the black uniforms of the waiting Special Intelligence agents. "Nighmare." He said briefly, then gave Ulmesh a look, half wry half apprehensive. "I'm in trouble aren't I, sir"
"Yes, Lieutenant," he answered heavily. "I'm afraid you are."
Lieutenant Elliot let out a slow sigh. "And this was supposed to be an easy mission!"
Ulmesh saw his eyes flicker back to the Intelligence men, taking in details of weapons, stance and dispersal. Measuring, judging, "Elliot -" he began.
The eyes flashed to him, followed by a tight smile. "Don't worry, sir. I won't do anything foolish."
"Good luck," Ulmesh told him, and meant it with all his heart.