A Dubious Peace

by Olan Thorensen

  “Mark Caldwell. As I told you, I lived in Reston, Virginia. I worked for the General Dynamics Corporation and was traveling to meet with potential clients.”

  Both men looked at Heather.

  “Oh . . . uh . . . I’m Heather Chen. My family lives in San Mateo, California. I was just graduating from high school and was traveling to visit a music school in Boston.” She stopped for a second. “Uh . . . is that all you want for now? Because I have a zillion or two questions.”

  “You’re not the only one,” said Yozef, “but we’ll have plenty of time for that. First, we have to settle some ground rules. I got left naked on a beach. When people asked how I got there, I stuck to the simple story of being kidnapped, kept below a ship’s deck, and then abandoned—all for unknown reasons. Since you arrived on Caedellium, what have you told anyone about where you’re from?”

  Mark nodded. “I see where you’re coming from. Once we left Frangel, the only two people I told about Amerika were a Rustalian guide and the Buldorian leader who got us here from Buldor. I can’t say who else they may have told later, but I told both of them well after the Narthani started chasing me.

  “In Frangel, it was different. I had no reason to keep Amerika a secret. I’ve stuck to the same simple story. Sounds pretty much the same as yours. I’m from a place called Amerika, and I’m not familiar enough with maps of the whole planet to point to Amerika. I was kidnapped, kept confined on a long sea voyage, and then dumped naked on a beach in Frangel. That’s it. I figured it was a simple enough story that I wouldn’t contradict myself, no matter how many times I told it. I was actually surprised how few people probed further. I thought they would be more skeptical. Maybe I was predicting that based on how I thought people on Earth would react to such an outlandish story. The people I interacted with were not likely to mention Amerika to anyone the Narthani would have contact with.”

  “And on the way here?” Yozef asked. “Just those two? No slips of the tongue in pubs or anywhere?”

  “Well . . . who can say what any of us might have said without realizing it? All I can report is what I remember. I suppose one slip-up led me to end up here. I was in a tavern in Landylbury. That’s the third largest city in Frangel. I thought I overheard someone use the word Amerika in a conversation. I must’ve reacted. Maybe a change in expression or body language or who knows? Anyway, one of the men asked me if I knew of Amerika. Without thinking, I blurted out that I thought I recognized the word. When he pressed me about it, I told him I’d been drinking too much beer to remember, but I’d meet him in a tavern the next morning so we could talk about it.

  “I was torn. I’d been religious about not saying anything that could get me in trouble, but if I’d heard correctly, then there was a chance of someone else on Anyar being from Earth. I decided to sleep on it and figure out what to do the next day. I didn’t get that far. During the night, men came to my room with the intent to kidnap me. I fought them off, and I questioned one of the attackers. He told me that it was the Narthani who were after anyone who knew something about Amerika or a man named Yozef Kolsko.”

  “Well, that’s a pisser,” said Yozef, disgusted. “All the way on the other damn side of the planet!”

  “Wow!” exclaimed Heather, looking at Yozef. “You must have made quite an impression on these Narthani. Where I was, I didn’t hear much about them, but since leaving Sulako, I’ve heard enough to want to steer clear of them.”

  “No doubt they’re serious,” said Mark. “They followed me back to where I was living with my family in central Frangel. It was just too damn hot for me to remain, and I couldn’t leave my family unprotected, so we headed this way.”

  “Damn,” said Yozef. “I’ve been thinking that going around with guards all the time is unnecessary. However, it sounds like the Narthani are looking everywhere for more people who know about Amerika. I’ll have to rethink security for myself and my family. We kicked the Narthani off Caedellium, but who’s to say they don’t still have active agents on the island? And if they’re looking for Amerikans in Frangel, it’s likely the same everywhere. The two of you may be lucky to have gotten here.”

  Yozef turned to Heather. “How about you? Did you tell anyone you’re from Earth?”

  “Do I look stupid? It was bad enough being a naked woman dropped on a beach . . . yeah, the same as you two. I assume the aliens thought deserted stretches of a beach were isolated enough that no one would notice when they dumped us off—either that or there’s a surfer culture.”

  “So . . . you never mentioned Earth or how you got here? I’m assuming you must’ve given anyone who asked a similar story as ours.”

  Heather shrugged. “To be honest, I can’t say for sure what I initially said. The first couple of days were a blur. I don’t know if I was in shock or there were some residual effects from whatever the aliens did. It was maybe the third or fourth day before I remember thinking I should be careful what I said once I learned the language. After that, I stuck to a simple story like yours. Turns out, no one really cared where I came from. They just saw me as a thing.”

  The bitterness in her voice was unmistakable. She must’ve had a rough time, thought Yozef. It was bad enough to be a man in a mainly paternalistic world. I’m not sure I want to know her details unless she decides to share them.

  Yozef relaxed. He had initially feared the unnamed man claiming to be from Amerika would have blabbed to anyone who would listen. His worry had only increased when he learned there was yet another earthling.

  “Okay,” Yozef said. “I have to admit I wished neither of you had ever mentioned Amerika to anyone, but I had no reason to think it might be a problem as long as this Amerika was somewhere on Anyar. I don’t know about either of you, but even after I’ve been here a number of years, I’m still not sure what would happen if I told people the truth about Earth. You should’ve figured out that my status here is pretty solid, but who knows?”

  He paused to carefully choose his words. “Maybe I shouldn’t have to say this, but I will anyway. You’re both to keep the secret without exception. I’m afraid I have to insist on this.”

  Mark frowned. “Out of curiosity, what would happen if one of us were to say something? You know . . . ‘Oh, by the way, did you know that Yozef and I are from another planet, and we came here on a spaceship? Let me tell you about television and smartphones.’”

  “Are you trying to threaten us?” asked Heather, suddenly looking worried.

  “Nothing so drastic,” said Yozef. “However, to start off, I could say you’re lying or insane. If it came down to your word versus mine, take a guess how that would come out. And that’s not considering whether anyone would believe such an outrageous story, even without my version.”

  “Well, I’m not saying shit,” said Heather. “I definitely want to stay on your good side.”

  Mark smiled at their countrywoman’s assertion. “I think we’re agreed. Now that that’s settled, what’s next?”

  “Someone will come tell us when a meal is ready,” Yozef said. “Mark, maybe you should go and let your wife know what’s happening. Heather, you can go with Mark or wait here in Balwis’s office.”

  “Are you staying here?”

  “No. I need to talk to Balwis.”

  “Then I’ll go with Mark. I’m not letting one or the other of you out of my sight if I can help it.”

  Twenty minutes later, a teenage girl announced that the new arrivals were to follow her. She led them out of the headquarters building down a busy street toward the harbor. Two guards walked behind them, different men from earlier. Most people ignored them, busy with their own activities, but a few curious stares and questions to the girl leading them indicated that the newcomers did not totally blend in.

  The sea air was fresh. The sky was Anyarian cerulean blue with only scattered clouds. Birds and not quite birds flew and glided in the breeze. Halfway to the harbor, a bird landed on the street and pecked at something that might have been a bread cru
st.

  “Hey . . . that almost looks like a seagull,” said Heather.

  Alys let go of her mother’s hand and ran to chase the bird. It looked like those the Kaldwels had seen at the shore near Munmurth before they found a boat to take them to Novaryn across the Timbar Sea. The bird took off with the morsel in his beak, but a second, similar bird swooped past it, and the crust was dropped. The disappointed bird took off after its harasser, both birds calling out.

  “Oh, my God!” blurted Heather. “They are seagulls.” Tears welled and ran down her cheeks.

  Maghen put an arm over her shoulders. “What is it, Heather?”

  It took several breaths and a hiccup for Heather to get words out. “It’s a bird, and from my home. We could hear or see them almost every day. I never saw or heard them in Sulako, so it was such a surprise they were here.”

  Mark vociferously cleared his throat and glared at Heather. She flushed, wiped her cheeks, and said, “You know . . . here on Caedellium.”

  “Joe’s right. You have to be careful what you say,” said Mark in English.

  “I know. It was just that seeing seagulls surprised me and reminded me too much of home. And look who’s talking about being careful. His name is Yozef and not Joe.”

  Maghen looked questioningly at her husband.

  “I was just reassuring her that she’s still getting used to being free.”

  “Please, let’s continue,” said their girl guide. “We’re almost there.”

  She led them past the harbor to a two-story timber building overlooking what seemed to be a small park abutting a rocky shoreline. They climbed stairs to a large covered balcony where several small tables had been pushed together, surrounded by cushioned chairs.

  “Please sit,” said the girl. “I’ll tell the kitchen you’re here.”

  “I bet this is some kind of a tavern,” said Mark, as they watched the girl go through a full-length swinging double door. “Everybody . . . find a seat.”

  Allyr didn’t hesitate and took the nearest chair. Senwina sat next to him with Onyla on her other side. Alys pulled on Maghen’s hand and went to sit by Onyla. Mark and Heather were the last to sit by Maghen and Allyr, respectively.

  “Do you know when you’ll be going home?” Maghen asked Senwina.

  The Seaborn woman didn’t answer immediately, but Allyr filled the void. “The man that didn’t look scary like the others said it would be a few days. He said either they will find a ship headed that way or will arrange for one of the Fuomi sloops to take us there as soon as possible.”

  Maghen didn’t ask further questions. From their time on the Buldorian ship, she knew that although Senwina longed to be home, it would bring confirmation that her husband, Kort, had been killed in the raid when they were taken prisoner. Allyr patted his mother’s hand.

  “I think food’s coming,” said Heather, gesturing toward the door their guide had gone through. A gray-haired woman approached, carrying a tray with wooden cups, plates, and metal utensils with wooden handles. She didn’t say anything but distributed the tray’s contents and returned to whatever was behind the still swaying double doors. A different woman carried in two pitchers of water. From that point on, the traffic was continuous. Loaves of fresh bread. A bowl of butter. A platter of what looked like fried chicken but smelled more like pork. Two bowls of steaming vegetables, one looking like yellow carrots and the other resembling a tangle of long, thin green beans.

  Maghen began distributing the bread as soon as it hit the table. Heather lathered her chunk with butter, took a large bite, rolled her eyes, and sighed in contentment. By this time their plates were full, and they were digging in. Then the same woman who had brought cups returned with a tray of steins in one hand and a large pitcher covered with condensation in the other hand.

  “If that’s beer or something similar, I’m going to kiss Yozef,” Mark said in Caedelli—or at least in a hybrid version of Caedelli and Frangelese.

  Maghen raised an eyebrow.

  “Just a saying in America,” he said and started filling steins. The aroma and the foam confirmed his wish.

  “I suppose I’ll be hearing a lot more about your homeland now that you have someone from there to talk to,” said Maghen. “Maybe you should teach me English, so I know what the three of you are talking about.”

  Heather tittered, followed by an “Omph!” when Mark kicked her under the table, firmly but not hard.

  “Oh . . . I just swallowed something too fast.” She glared at Mark, then looked down and blushed.

  “I don’t know if it would be worth your time, dear,” said Mark. “I’m sure that when Heather and I learn to speak Caedelli better, we’ll use English less often. Ah . . . here’s Yozef.”

  Thank you, Joe, arriving just in time, Mark thought. He worried that they might have to keep an eye on Heather.

  Yozef stopped by the table. “Good. I see they had a meal ready for you. I think I’ll join you.”

  The instant he said the words, a woman began laying out another place setting, and an eleven- or twelve-year-old boy pushed a chair to the table. The other diners shifted their chairs and food to accommodate him.

  “I think I’ll start off with the beer. This is usually too early for me, but this is a special day. I know it is for me, and I hope it is for all of you.”

  Conversation before Yozef’s arrival had been sporadic as hunger was addressed. Now, with his addition, the group ate silently for several minutes.

  Well, this is awkward, he thought. Mark and Heather have those zillion questions. Mark’s wife is probably taking her lead from him because she doesn’t know me or what’s in store. The freed Seaborn family wouldn’t know what to make of someone called the “Paramount Hetman.” So much has happened after they were captured.

  He waited another couple of minutes until he thought people were nearing their fill. The beer pitcher was empty, so he held it up to a woman standing by the double swinging doors. When she returned, the pitcher was once again covered in condensation, and foam slid down one side.

  “Mark, refill?”

  “Don’t mind if I do. And you’re right. This is a special day.”

  “Heather? Maghen? Senwina? More beer?”

  “Not me,” said Heather. “Most of you people are twice my size. I’m already feeling a little loopy. In fact, another stein of that strong stuff, and I’ll fall asleep right here in the chair.”

  “Savronel Storlini is looking into better places for you to stay,” Yozef said. “He’ll meet us here when it’s arranged, and you can all go and rest. Balwis Preddi will host us all for evening meal at his house about sunset. Hopefully, that’ll give you at least a couple of hours to sleep, clean up, or just rest.

  “In the meantime, I’d like to hear more of how you got here. I’ll start since my story is so simple. I woke up on a beach of a province in southern Caedellium. I was fortunate to be cared for by—”

  He broke off speaking when Storlini walked in.

  “Looks like Savronel was his usual efficient self,” Yozef said to those at the table, then turned to Storlini. “Everything arranged?”

  “Yes, Paramount. I assumed our new guests’ next priorities would be cleaning up and resting. There’s a carriage outside ready to take them to a vacant residence near Balwis’s villa. It’s furnished, including bedding and a fully equipped kitchen. There’s more than enough room, and our guests can use it as long as necessary.”

  Yozef noticed Maghen trying to send silent signals to her husband.

  Yozef didn’t need an interpreter. “Mark, I’d like to talk some more with you and Heather, but maybe the others would like to go ahead to the villa.

  Mark looked at Maghen. “What do you think?”

  Yozef suppressed a laugh after hearing her belly-deep sigh.

  “A good idea. Both Alys and me could use a nap after we wash.” Maghen turned to Senwina, who quickly nodded.

  “If it’s not impolite, I’d like to go, too. Allyr may not nee
d to rest, but I know Onyla and I do.”

  It was Heather’s turn to sigh.

  I’m sure she’d rather go with the others, thought Yozef, but my curiosity is eating at me.

  He knew there was time, but since he’d received Balwis’s semaphore message, his mind had run nonstop, wondering what he would find if there really was another person from Earth, much less two.

  Senwina and her children followed Storlini out of the room. Maghen and Alys stopped beside Mark for a hug and a promise to see them later.

  Yozef waited until the door closed before starting in English. “We won’t take too much longer. It’s been so long since I used English, it’s strangely refreshing and awkward at the same time.

  “I’ll start us off with who I used to be. As I said earlier, I was a Ph.D. student in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. I was six months to a year from finishing my degree, but most of the work was already done. I had a couple of papers published and was starting to write up my thesis. It was all pretty much a formality. I developed a new method of synthesizing ringed compounds. I won’t go into details—it involves processes and compound names I’m sure neither of you ever heard of. You’d probably drop off to sleep while I explained it.

  “I wasn’t interested in academia . . . you know, university positions. Too much scrambling after grants, teaching classes, dealing with students, and the usual bullshit politics I’d heard about in university departments. I’d already had some feelers from the larger chemical companies. My girlfriend, Julie, and I talked about our future. The only thing we’d settled for sure was getting married in a few months. We were dealing with finalizing the decision to go corporate, plus we had just learned she was pregnant. In retrospect, our future was laid out—I’d take a well-paying corporate job, and we’d spend the rest of our days in a comfortable upper-middle-class life.”

  He stopped, smiled ruefully, and said, “Life got considerably more exciting than I wanted.”

  He started to address Mark next, but most of the conversations had ignored Heather. If there were now three of them from Earth, he didn’t want her to feel left out.