"Yes, he's fine, he's working at..."
Again the woman shook her head.
"Don't tell me the details. I can't reveal what I don't know," she said, serious.
"I'm sorry, but now I'm very confused," Dadina said, frustrated. "Hiro was as mysterious as you are! What the hell happened here?"
Hiro's mother sighed and leaned back in her chair.
"Hiro had to run away to avoid a life sentence or be killed. He has people still looking for him, that's why I don't want to know where he is, only that he's fine."
Dadina exchanged a puzzled glance with Erika.
"Who's after him?"
"Theoretically the government." Doctor Shibata sighed. "He has killed two men. But a trial would probably give him a lenient punishment. That's why some people don't want him arrested, they want him dead. And that's why I told him to run away and hide."
Dadina gaped.
"But... why did he kill those men? Was it a gang job? Is he in a gang? He mentioned all his male relatives are involved in micro-criminality or something..."
"Most people are," the woman said gloomily. "Hiro's father was a brilliant scientist, working for the government. Hiro and his brother followed him into cybernetics. And then one day a criminal overlord demanded a war prosthetic. My husband refused to help – he was a pacifist – so the gang leader sent two of his goons to 'persuade' him. They attacked him at the lab, only Hiro was present. They knocked him out, but he recovered faster than they thought and seeing his father bloody and beaten, he took on both thugs and killed them. His father died in his arms and the shock made him feverish for a few days. As soon as he recovered enough, I gave him all the money I could spare and told him to get away from this wretched planet. The gang was already trying to get to him and kill him for murdering two of them – but he was only avenging his father!"
"And what about his brother, where is he?" Erika asked.
"He's hiding too. He's older and was his father's assistant, so he ran away as soon as they killed his father. I was hoping Hiro had joined him, but obviously he didn't follow the same path."
"At eighteen Hiro was able to kill two men?" Dadina asked, incredulous. "How much older were they? And surely they were better trained?"
Doctor Shibata smiled. "Hiro is a martial arts buff. He finds it's the best way to exercise and keep his inner balance. His master told him the secrets of this ancient discipline, and he unleashed his inner strength on the assailants, killing them. Which also drained him of his energy. I hope he has recovered."
"He never mentioned killing someone," Dadina grumbled. "He is so sweet and cheerful..."
The woman smiled. "Then my Hiro is on a healing path. Thank you for letting me know and send him my love when you see him. I'm monitored, so I can't really communicate with him, that's why I'm very grateful for your visit. And no, don't tell me your names. I don't want to be forced to reveal anything to the criminals still looking for my sons."
"We'll keep him safe," Dadina promised, touched. "You take care of yourself."
It was time to visit Shan-leo. A male nurse was putting back the oxygen mask after having helped Shan-leo back in bed. The Sire looked much better, but Dadina was too taken by the thought of Hiro to notice.
"Erika, can you give us a moment?" she said quickly, sitting by Shan-leo's bed.
"Sure." Erika left the room with the male nurse, who must be in his twenties.
Shan-leo stared at her while she tried to untangle the jumbled thoughts in her head.
"Dadina," he said at last. "It's okay, he's fine on Marc'harid. No Xi-kongian goon can breach the Vaurabi Labs security. In fact, he's safer there than at Bess-lin's."
"You knew!" she accused him.
"Of course." He smiled. "I read his mind."
"And so did Bess-lin, I guess," she muttered. "Why did you allow a murderer next to a child?"
"He's not a murderer. He didn't kill in cold blood. And you know who actually helped him overcome his grief and guilt?"
Dadina shook her head with a lump in her throat.
"Kay-low," Shan-leo said, squeezing her hand. "The fatherless boy who discovered what it meant to have a loved and loving father through Hiro. That's why he was so mad at Kol-ian when he first met him."
Dadina couldn't believe even Kay-low had known Hiro had killed somebody. Bad guys, revenge, still, he'd wasted two lives, lost his balance, done something awful.
"And he's paying for it with exile," Shan-leo told her. "He didn't even find his brother, so he's on his own forever."
"Stop reading my mind!" she snapped, jarred.
He chuckled. "You'll get over it. And tell Erika that yes, Shinto is okay."
"What?" Dadina stared at him, puzzled.
"The nurse. His name is Shinto. They're talking outside. If she wants to date him, he's safe," he answered, amused.
"Oh." Dadina quickly glanced at the door. "I better go check on her." She kissed his cheek over the mask and rushed out.
Erika was indeed talking with the male nurse – hospital experiences at the moment – and Dadina wasn't too happy to see her half-sister talking to a stranger. But she could understand Erika wanted to try as many men as she could before going back to Sylvania, and at least this particular man had the same job.
So Dadina joined the conversation, putting on a non-hostile face. Shinto suggested they grab a bite together that night, and Dadina agreed, to Erika's happiness. Back at the motel, she told Erika what Shan-leo had said, and let her go on her own. She knew she wouldn't see her until morning and went to bed thinking of Hiro. She didn't call him, but she dreamed of him all night.
***
Erika kept seeing Shinto for the rest of the week and parted amicably with him when they picked up Shan-leo, who was dismissed from the hospital with clean lungs and only a hint of a remaining cough.
He knew Dadina was edgy on the planet, so they took off as soon as they could, and headed for Vilas Lok where Erika could have more fun. Her month off was almost over, so the least they could do was take her to the pleasure planet to try some real entertainment.
Dadina was still brooding and hadn’t talked to Hiro again, so Shan-leo thought Vilas Lok would be good for her too. It would take her mind off the prospective boyfriend, and hopefully bring back the cheerful Dadina.
He himself was curious about the pleasure planet, although his father and uncle had had a very bad experience there. But Leo-will and Cass-lun had conceived their firstborn on Vilas Lok, and he was eager to discover if the slave traders were truly gone.
As the Haiduc flew towards Vilas Lok, he left Dadina on the deck and went looking for Erika, who was reading in the lounge.
"Thank you for your help," he said, sitting next to her. "I really admire you for your chosen profession. You and Shinto and the doctors and nurses have become my new heroes!"
Erika giggled. "It's refreshing to see that a mighty Sire can get sick too. And thank you for allowing me to meet Shinto. We might keep in touch."
"Usually long distance relationships don't last," he warned. "But I'm glad you're enjoying the company of men. I've always wondered if all Sylvanians were lesbians or what."
"Most are," Erika said, thoughtful. "We are almost clones of our mothers after all. But sometimes someone wants more... except it's not really easy to leave, not the way Sylvanian society works."
"Let's say there's no real indigenous life on Sylvania, and all the women living there come from some other planet." He smiled. "But they forgot their origins and had to set up a civilization on a very strange world... I guess they got stuck. I'm sure that if you apply to another planet's hospital system and show your qualifications, they'll happily pay your fare to join their numbers."
"That's what Shinto said. We'll see." Erika averted her eyes and put away her e-reader. "If having a relationship with a man makes me as grumpy as Dadina..."
Shan-leo chuckled. "I've seen relationships fail on the whole spectrum, Erika. Be it same sex or not, it takes two pe
ople to make them work. And when they fail, usually one of them – or both – aren't ready to commit."
"And what about you, Lord Shermac?" she asked, amused. "Any significant other in sight?"
"Not yet." He grinned. "But I'd like to show you my gratitude for your help."
"Oh. I thought you told Dadina you wouldn't do it," she said, pleasantly surprised.
"I wouldn't be the first," he corrected with a smile. "I can be one of the many, if you want me to."
He'd shield himself and try not to read her secret wishes. He had enough experience to please a woman without reading her mind anyway.
Erika smiled and they retired to the only cabin with a double bed.
***
The final days were Erika's real vacation, and Shan-leo and Dadina enjoyed the stay on Vilas Lok as much as she did. They went out, met other people their age, danced, had fun and some sex. They mingled with people from all over the galaxy and did a day-trip with a group of Felines who turned out to be a cheerful company. They stayed away from Reptilians and admired the few Caroids parading in the streets like haughty angels who often took off to dance in the sky with their Carian relatives.
Erika tried her luck at a slot machine and managed to win a few credits that she spent on souvenirs to take back to Sylvania. Then Shan-leo bought her Galaxy Express ticket and she hugged them good-bye with tears in her eyes. After she was gone, Shan-leo and Dadina went to pack, ready to leave the pleasure planet and continue their itinerary.
"I'm going to miss her." Dadina sighed. "I quite enjoyed having an older sister."
"You're smarter and more traveled than her," Shan-leo replied, amused. "Oh, look! Friport is in the quadrant! What do you remember of those rogue years with Uncle Kol-ian?"
"Uh... not much, I'm afraid. Do you want to have a look and see if you can find the missing manuscripts from Gaia?"
"I told Halyss I would, so why not." He chuckled. "I'm sure there's a black market, even if I'm not interested in stolen goods. But maybe those Gaian manuscripts are still there. I'm curious to see where Kol-ian met you and your mother and the others, and started his adventure of Three. And I'd love to be on a planet where I can take down my shields and relax for a while..."
Dadina shrugged. "You're the owner of the Haiduc. You decide where to go next."
Shan-leo thanked her, glad she had put away the obsessive thought of Hiro's past for now. They went back to the spaceport and took off, pointing the starship towards the stars in search of the Wandering Planet, or Friport, the artificial world of adventurers and rogues.
9. THE MANUSCRIPTS COLLECTOR
Friport was a world-sized spherical starship. It had no atmosphere on the surface that looked like a desert moon, but inside it was full of life.
A "crater" opened to allow entrance to the main spaceport and the world of adventurers, rogues and mercenaries. The Haiduc was parked in the main hangar with dozens more – the official visitors who didn't need secrecy or private transactions – and Shan-leo and Dadina reached the underground main city, where the buildings were ten-story high.
The spaceport was a bunch of hotels, clubs and shops under 24/7 artificial daylight. Dadina didn't remember anything of her previous visits, so they chose what looked like a respectable hotel and asked for a room.
"What are you looking for, Sire?" The hotel manager stared at him with some hostility, obviously wondering what an aristocrat with a bionic limb and a pretty blonde who wasn't going to share his bed were doing in his establishment. Friport's structure inhibited Shan-leo's telepathy, but Sire weren't really welcome on the outlaws’ spacecraft, not even now that they'd lost power.
"I was wondering if there's a black market for old manuscripts," Shan-leo answered, ignoring the hostility. He knew money could buy anything and that Sire did come to Friport for special transactions. He'd pretend to be one of them, and since he couldn't come up with another excuse, he thought he might as well have a look at stolen goods – just in case he saw the pieces missing from Serenaide and Earth.
The hotel manager raised his eyebrows, skeptical.
"Old manuscripts? What's with that stuff that they've become so popular all over?"
"Are they? I developed an interest in calligraphy during my last year of university, but I wasn't aware of others... My family looks at me as if I'm nuts because I dream of paper and quills..." Which wasn't true, but it made the hotel manager scoff and relax.
"Oh, you're not the only one, sir," he assured. "There is someone who is obsessed with those old things. They call him the Manuscripts Collector and I'm sure he already owns a lot of rarities."
"Did he purchase them here?" Shan-leo inquired.
"Some, some he probably hired pros to steal." The man shrugged. "I've never seen him and nobody knows who he is. Anyway, if you'd like to talk to the manuscripts dealer, I'll give you the address."
"Thank you." Shan-leo grinned and glanced at Dadina who had been listening with a puzzled look on her face.
They retired to their room – which had two single beds – before heading for the dealer's. They ordered room service while Shan-leo gathered information on missing or stolen manuscripts, just in case he saw one in the dealer's shop.
"Do you think there's really something going on?" Dadina asked, frowning at the sight of the list of missing manuscripts. Most thefts were one or two years old, the Manuscripts Collector had barely started, but he already had almost a hundred rare handwritten or illuminated manuscripts from all over the galaxy.
"I'm sure the Galaxy Police are already on it," Shan-leo said. "Why don't you contact T'ymi'chel and ask him if he knows who's on the case?"
"Sure." Dadina used her tablet while Shan-leo closed his netbook. He took one of his notebooks out and decided to take it with him. On it he had copied some letters or words from what he'd seen so far – including from copies where the originals were gone – and thought it would be a good reference to show the dealer what he was looking for, without giving a list of stolen goods.
"Ready?" he asked Dadina.
"Yep." She sent the email and followed him out of the hotel room.
Through artificial tunnels and two elevators down, they reached another level and another kind of town – darker, dirtier, with lower ceilings but still bustling with life. The pale local militia patrolled the strange bazaar where the dealer had his shop.
Shan-leo had to wait for the previous customer – an outgoing, cute old woman with a strange weapon – to finish her transaction. She was selling old notebooks from her youth, or so she said, but she got only a pittance from the grumpy dealer. Dadina waited by the window, looking curiously at old printed paper books, while Shan-leo greeted the merchant who brightened at the sight of a young and probably wealthy customer.
"Welcome to my humble shop! My name is Drox, how can I help you?"
Drox was a Humanoid with very dark brown skin, long, wavy gray hair and small, sneaky eyes. He was a little short and quite muscular, with a broad build. The smile displayed silver teeth – or maybe some metal alloy – and Shan-leo wouldn't have liked meeting him in a dark alley. He wore a jacket with many pockets and probably had hidden weapons on him.
"Hello, Drox, I'm looking for old manuscripts," Shan-leo answered. "Nothing printed," he waved his artificial hand towards the shelves Dadina was checking, "but genuine pen and ink and paper stuff, like the things you see here."
He offered his notebook for perusal.
"I copied these myself," he explained while the man slowly turned the pages. "But I'd love to find an original to frame, if it's at all possible."
"Mm... ah! I see..." Drox checked all the pages before closing the notebook with a sigh. "These are very old works. They're probably in museums..."
"Not all of them." Shan-leo winked. "And something similar would probably do. I might have copied from the most famous, but maybe there are minor works in the same vein available."
Drox pondered and shuffled through the pages again.
"
This one, here, looks like it may be from Serenaide. I don't think there's much left around. This... it looks familiar, but..." Drox looked closer and frowned. "Can't read any of this gibberish," he muttered.
"Neither can the natives." Shan-leo smiled. "That's from Gaia's 13th century. They call it the Magna Carta, but you can't really read it anymore."
"Gaia? That new planet that's a former Saurian colony? I hear they have a lot of that stuff there!"
"And that's how I filled most of the notebook. But some older pieces were stolen, now, with 21st century security." Shan-leo shook his head and sighed. "I guess entering the Star Nations wasn't too good for that planet's past history."
Drox chuckled. "Low-tech planets are treasure troves for old stuff." He put down the notebook again. "Let me see if I have something for you."
He searched the drawers behind him and came up with a big leather folder containing a dozen loose sheets of parchment, papyrus or vellum pages ripped from old books. Shan-leo leaned to look at them, but the only familiar patterns seemed to come from Earth. He recognized a piece of a Maghrabi manuscript, a sheet in Devanagari with a small illustration of a blue-skinned Hindu god like the ones he'd seen in Delhi and a page of what looked like a medieval Book of Hours. He couldn't be sure, but they looked like pieces stolen from the British Library.
"Are these authentic?" he asked, caressing the old paper of the illuminated manuscript.
"Yes sir! Direct from Gaia. Nobody wants them, so you can have them for a fair price."
Stolen goods, Shan-leo thought. Maybe all of them. The Galaxy Police can't do much here...
"How much for the whole batch?" he asked. "Do I get a discount?"
Dadina's eyes widened at the amount Drox asked for "with discount for quantity, since the single pieces are worth much more."
Shan-leo closed his eyes for a quick calculation. He could afford them, but he would recover only a part of the loot. And he'd prove too eager to spend money. Maybe he should just pick some and try to find a way to bring in the Galaxy Police to stop the trade.
"Nah, too much," he said, looking at Drox. "How much for these three only?" He pointed at the Gaian manuscripts. Daniele and Chantal would be happy to hear he'd saved some pieces of their planet's history.
Star Minds Next Generation Page 9