The Lord of the Plains

by Sarah Chapman

Chapter 23

  Eventually, when Aerlid asked, she told him.

  He was the only one.

  She didn’t talk about it with her unit, Razra or Jillia. A mixture of hurt and humiliation swirled in her heart and she could not bear to reveal that to anyone else. It was bad enough to feel she had been a fool, to feel she had acted wrongly and ought to have known better. Bitterly, she thought that everything fit together quite nicely when you added, ‘he thinks you’re a human’ to the picture. She didn’t want to see her own feelings reflected in anyone else’s eyes.

  When the rest of the unit went to the air force base, she didn’t. It was a struggle, but she refused to stop going to the park, though every time she dreaded seeing him.

  Luckily, she never saw Peitar there again.

  It was not long after this that Colonel Hamnar called her to meet with him. She dragged her feet going to his office. Was this about Peitar? Was she to be treated to a lecture on not deceiving young human men about her humanity?

  The Colonel’s office was small. Everything was neat and tidy. Just like Astar.

  ‘Come in, sit down.’ The Colonel said.

  Riley responded with a ‘yes, sir, thank you, sir.’ and obeyed.

  He observed her from under thick brows. His eyes were grey and steely. They were always steely. The military was full of people with a steely gaze.

  ‘I understand you passed the test to enter Astar when you were a child, correct.’

  It wasn’t a question though Riley responded with a ‘Yes, sir.’

  Not as bad as she thought. Or was it? she wondered as soon as that thought had crossed her mind.

  ‘Hmm, yet your arm, you move it as though you were never injured.’

  She replied again, ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Such regenerative powers are not unknown among the gemengs. Around Coastside there are some sea creatures that will reform if you cut them in two.’

  ‘It’s also not unknown for some gemengs to develop late. You were just a child when you passed the test, I imagine you’re quite different now.’

  Riley didn’t say anything.

  ‘For these reasons, I believe you should be retested.’

  Riley’s heart felt like it stopped. They were going to shoot her. Her hand went to her shoulder. She didn’t realize.

  ‘No.’ he replied calmly. ‘I don’t believe that’s necessary at the moment.’

  ‘Y-you won’t shoot me?’ her voice was very small. His reaction left her cold.

  ‘No, we have no reason to go that far. But we will retest you. I’d like you to come to the testing centre next Restday before ten o’clock. You may bring your uncle if you wish.’

  Riley found the walk to the testing centre surprisingly tiring. She barely registered Garrondin. Aerlid had been cranky since she told him. Now though, he was holding her hand gently.

  When they arrived they didn’t have to go through the forms again. Colonel Hamnar was already there when they arrived. He took them to one of the rooms where another man waited. It all felt so familiar to Riley as she looked around at the equipment that had been so alien and interesting during her first visit. Now the vials and measuring instruments were threatening.

  Her shoulder ached.

  The man explained what he’d do, just like last time. He started the tests, taking blood and so on. Riley stood silently while Aerlid and Colonel Hamnar talked.

  ‘And if she doesn’t pass?’ Aerlid asked.

  ‘Well, we’ll have to consider an appropriate course of action.’ Colonel Hamnar said calmly. ‘She has performed well in the training and her unit has had no complaints. These things would be taken into consideration.’

  ‘Well, thank you for your consideration.’ Aerlid replied acidly.

  ‘You’re a human, correct?’ Hamnar asked, ignoring Aerlid’s tone.

  ‘Yes, yes I am. Would you like to retest me too?’

  ‘I don’t think that will be necessary. And Riley’s mother was human?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Hmm, interesting.’

  ‘The gemeng blood is strong.’

  ‘Very true. Curious though. And how did it come about that her mother had a child with a gemeng?’

  ‘She was kidnapped.’ Aerlid lied, his voice vicious. ‘It wasn’t by choice I can assure you. She died soon after Riley was born.’

  ‘I’m sorry for your loss. Kidnapped from where?’

  ‘She was in the military. One of her patrols outside Astar was attacked. I don’t know what happened to the rest of her unit.’

  ‘Hmm, do you know what unit she was in?’

  ‘I can’t say, I’m sorry.’

  ‘And what was her name?’

  ‘Leili.’ Aerlid said with another vicious smile. It was a common name in Astar. ‘Her name was Leili.’

  ‘Lovely name.’

  ‘It is, isn’t it?’

  ‘And last name Meilis.’

  Aerlid nodded, realizing he could have a serious problem if the colonel checked into the information. How many women had been kidnapped from Astar in the last twenty years?

  The testing took a long time. When Aerlid asked, Colonel Hamnar said they were being thorough. He didn’t mind too much; it gave him time to carefully confuse Hamnar’s mind so he would think he’d already checked on the story. It was difficult and delicate work.

  They were thorough, but they didn’t shoot Riley and once again she passed.

  After that, things more or less went back to normal. She kept her hurt at Peitar’s rejection locked away. Perhaps when she was alone she let it show, but only then. In a way, it was a bit like learning to control her reaction to the energy weapons. She just clenched her teeth and got on with it.

  So things were normal.

  At least for a while.