by Sharon Rose
“Yeah, I’m like that, you know. Shall we try for some coffee?”
“A latte sounds good.”
They strolled to the dining hall in companionable silence, then took their drinks to the lounge seating at the back. The crowd was thinning after first meal.
Tevd noticed them and stopped on his way out. He dropped into a chair and propped his elbows on his knees. “Uh, Kena…the other day, when you pulled our damaged craft out…”
“Yes?”
“I, uh, listened to the recording. There was more to it than I remembered.”
“I’m not surprised.” She arched her eyebrows. “I heard that Metchell diagnosed a concussion.”
“Yeah, but…” He rushed his words. “I’m sorry, Kena. The way I spoke to you was so inappropriate.”
She laughed and let her voice glide. “Yes, it was. Almost like you’d been knocked in the head or something.”
He made a sound in his throat, and his face twisted in one of those weird Veet expressions. “Still…”
How uncomfortable he looked. “I do realize none of that was your considered opinion,” Kena said, “and that you were no more than half lucid.”
“Good.” Tevd straightened. “Anyway, thanks for getting us out. And for being patient with me.”
She smiled. “Who knows. Maybe you can return the favor, someday.” Her voice dipped. “Although, I sincerely hope not!”
He uttered a crack of laughter. “Indeed. Enjoy your day off.”
Antony watched Tevd stride out the door. “See? He’s not half bad.”
“No.” She scrunched her eyes. “I think I can put up with him.”
She got a few more sips of her latte, before Ghent took Tevd’s place.
“I’m sorry, Kena” Ghent said, “but I must disturb your rest day.”
“I rather suspect that it’s the PitKreelaundun who disturb it.”
“Yes. What messages did you get?”
“One from TarKeen, in answer to my questions.” She took another sip. “He says that Pernanyen’s despondency is due to her uncomfortable circumstances, which cannot improve until I return. He also mentioned that another ship is departing from the reassessment effort.”
Ghent nodded.
“And, I suppose I should tell you what he omitted,” she said. “The phrase, ‘All else is well.’”
“All else?” Antony’s tone lifted with the question.
“TarKeen always ended messages with that phrase,” Kena said. “I believe he referred to our last private conversation, when I warned him of civil war.”
“So, this means what?” Antony asked.
“Either he forgot to mention it…or things are getting worse.” Kena stared into her latte. “If they do descend into civil war, I’m not sure what that means for Pernanyen. It could become impossible for me to complete the constrained link with her.” She took another sip. “Have you received any messages I should know of, Ghent?”
“Leonfir sent me the status of tra-pentazine assessment, planned ship movements and departures, and the Shennasee arrival. Nothing remarkable, in that,” he said with his quick nod. “Travannesal says some among the crew complain that the constrained link completion is delayed too long. He states it as a bare fact, with no indication of his opinion.”
Silence stretched until Ghent said, “No comment, Kena?”
“I don’t know what to say. We’re in dimensional slip, chasing down our next hope of benzlium. It’s not as though we can just stop and go back.”
“We’ll soon resolve our power issues,” Ghent said, “and return to the sample collection, which will again bring us near the Epri7. I think they’ll ask you to return to them at that time. Before your trip to Earth. You don’t have to answer that question yet, but you will need to at some point.”
Kena grunted and drained her cup. “Any other concerns?”
Ghent watched her for a moment. “Language nuances. Being near the Epri7 will again give us access to their inter-ship messages. Inewin and his staff have figured out some basic translations, but they cannot approach your understanding.”
Was that an unspoken suggestion, or did Kena imagine it? She could share her knowledge telepathically. Any of Inewin’s staff would gladly receive the PitKreelaundun language from her. Then, they could translate without summoning her. Even format it for artificial telepathic learning. All she had to do was get past the angst that rose with her least thought of Pernanyen. “Are there any particular nuances you’re concerned about?” she asked.
Ghent waited longer, this time, then stood. “Come.”
Kena and Antony followed him from the dining hall.
“My messages,” Ghent said, “were in Prednian, of course. They’ve shortened ‘representative of Shennasee vessel’ to ‘Shennasee cruiser.’ Does that mean anything?”
“I’ve no idea,” Kena said. “Maybe they finally figured out how bad their Prednian grammar is.”
Ghent laughed as if she had made the funniest joke ever. They reached the turn to Ghent’s consult room, but he continued straight. Where were they going?
Antony exchanged a smile with Kena. “What’s the deal about Shennasee?”
“They just never use the representative’s name,” Kena said. “Which is odd. It’s tempting to speculate about that ruling family, since their heir, Kendimarron, was killed during that disastrous incident between the Prednians and PitKreelaundun.”
“That was ages ago.”
Kena tilted her head. “In our minds, yes, but the current primary, Jenarsig of Shennasee, must have been a near relative. It’s even possible they were brothers. So, you see, we are particularly interested in their stance on peace. They could be quite helpful or quite detrimental.”
“I’d rather focus on the things we can control,” Ghent said, stopping at Kena’s quarters.
How odd.
“The dining hall was the wrong place for our previous conversation,” Ghent said, gesturing to her door. “May I come in?”
Kena’s stomach tightened. She touched the door control, opening it. “You may.”
“That tonal variation spoke volumes,” Ghent said, following her inside.
Antony rested a hand on the doorframe. “May I join you?”
Ghent stepped aside. “That is Kena’s choice.”
She motioned Antony in, and he took a place beside her on the couch.
Ghent eyed the hanging hammock-chair, then pulled an ordinary one over from the table. “I know you don’t want to talk about this, Kena, but if Travannesal asks you to return sooner, you need to have an answer ready. How can I help you prepare?”
She hesitated. “I don’t see how you can.”
He watched her. “I understand your wish to go to Earth, but timing is a problem. The PitKreelaundun wanted the link completed in days. You negotiated for months. Now, we spend extra time searching for benzlium that we can safely collect. The time you require extends, while the time they are able to wait seems to shorten.”
She gripped her hands, longing to rant that the PitKreelaundun should give her all the time she needed.
“You mentioned once,” Ghent said, “that you wanted to seek counsel on Earth. What, exactly, does that mean?”
“Mostly, it’s that I, uh…” She twined her fingers. “…don’t know how to go about this link I’m supposed to do with Pernanyen. I can’t really ask about that without also getting an opinion on whether I should.”
Ghent’s brow fur puckered. “Remember, I’m a natural telepath. What, exactly, is the problem?”
“The idea of constraining her to link. That is morally wrong.” Kena swayed. “She has requested it, which removes the moral issue. Still, it is so bizarre to Humans that—well, naturally, I have no training on how to do such a thing. You have linked with me, Ghent. You know that’s not how I approach telepathy.”
Antony turned to Kena. “Have you heard from any of the four trainers?”
She shook her head.
Ghent’s
eyes widened. “Four trainers? What do you mean?”
“There are only four Humans who can teach our form of telepathy,” Antony said.
“Oh!” Ghent paused. “That…doesn’t sound adequate.”
“It’s enough.” Antony shrugged. “But that’s not the point. It’s hard to imagine that even one of them has ever taught someone how to constrain another to link.”
“That does worry me,” Kena murmured.
“But then…” Ghent leaned forward. “You don’t know if this will ever be possible? Even if you go to Earth?”
“Theoretically, it should be possible. It’s just…” Kena swallowed. “I’ve sent my report—the Human version—directly to the four trainers, so they would have time to consider it before I reach Earth.” She blinked rapidly. “I suppose, I can contact one of them.”
Ghent leaned back. “I see. Perhaps it would help to set up live communications. We’ll need at least one relay through a space station.”
“The delay should be tolerable,” Antony said, turning back to Kena. “But is that your only reason for going to Earth?”
“No. I’m hoping that Liza might be able to relieve the, uh…I don’t quite know a word for it. The way I feel when I think about what happened. The instant I constrain Pernanyen to link, I’ll be plummeted right back into the midst of…of her probing my memories. It’s hard to predict how that will play out.”
“Who is Liza?” Ghent asked.
“Elizabeth, really,” Kena said. “She’s the one who taught me to link. They do know how to work with a Human mind—for the purpose of healing injuries. Quite different than constraining, of course, but, well, if anyone can help me figure out how to go about this, it would be one of the trainers.”
Her face must be revealing too much, for Ghent asked, “What else, Kena?”
She met his gaze, then sighed. “I would love to visit my whole family. I miss them so much! Just being with them and having time to talk through everything and…my father…Well, it’s hard to explain.”
“You don’t need to,” Ghent said. “Besides, Andrew Talgarth’s cultural expertise is well-known. Even if he weren’t your father, I would understand your wanting to talk with him. Let’s try looking at this another way.” He began sweeping his fingers in a slow arch across his thigh. “If we didn’t have time to bring you to Humans, could we bring Humans to the nearest Prednian space station? How many people would that include, and would they be willing to travel?”
Kena quirked the corner of her mouth. “I’ve never heard of any of the four trainers leaving Earth, but I suppose I could ask. My family is all on Earth at the moment. My sister, Lela, and her husband have a child, plus another on the way, so they may not want to travel. My mother…” Kena stared at the distant lake displayed on her sitting room walls. “She’ll be torn between my needs and Lela’s. My father will come. It’s conceivable that the ESC—uh, Earth Space Consortium—would send someone. That should cover it.”
“Not many people,” Ghent said. “It’s a matter of logistics. They’ll require gravity in transit. Gordahl could determine which ships are on the correct routes and how quickly we could get them to the nearest space station. The Ontrevay’s return route is also problematic. We cannot pass between the nebula and PitKreelaundun space, as we did on the way here.”
Kena shifted on the couch and propped a foot against her coffee table. “We would need to confirm our course with the PitKreelaundun, which means we must tell them what we’re considering.” She chewed on her lower lip.
“You don’t look happy about that,” Ghent said.
“Distant negotiation with the PitKreelaundun. Always a great joy!”
Ghent laughed. “Even in sarcasm, I can’t force myself to call that a joy. Could we tell them we are attempting to shorten the time until your return?”
She rubbed a thumbnail. “As long as we stress that we’re not certain it will work.”
He nodded. “Do you want to tell them, or shall I?”
Kena considered for a moment. “I think we need to tell their triad jointly. I will send a personal message to Pernanyen.”
“Tomorrow should be soon enough,” Ghent said. “Now, you may have your day off.” He stood. “You don’t mind if I talk to Metchell about this, do you?”
“Well, no, but…” Kena tilted her head. “What could Metchell do about it?”
Ghent’s eyes widened. “Ah, Kena. Every now and then, you say something that reminds me how alien telepathy must be to you. Enjoy your day.”
After Ghent left, Kena hmphed. “Whatever that meant.” She exhaled a long sigh. “What do you think of all this, Antony?”
“The sooner you can finish it, the better.”
She drew a deep breath. “I keep thinking about what you said a few weeks ago. And wondering if you really believe I should go through with it.”
He looked down for a moment, his brow furrowed. “I hate to see you having to endure this. So, I guess…in a way…it makes me feel like letting Pernanyen reap the consequences of her actions. And, yes”—he shifted—“even suggesting that makes a part of me cringe. I also understand the benefits that could come from completing the link. Peace between the PitKreelaundun and the Collaborative would be huge. So, what can I say? Peace for you or peace for billions.” His voice held no irony. “That’s a hard call.”
“Wow!” she said. “I guess I’ll never be able to complain that you undervalue me.”
“Not a chance.”
She gazed into his deep, brown eyes. Her chest ached with the yearning to embrace him. But no. Who knew what condition her heart—or mind—would be in after another link with Pernanyen? Even now, she fought a constant battle, for she felt so damaged. Like she couldn’t be trusted. Not after Pernanyen had sifted through all her relationships. She groaned within. This was not right. Not her true self or the path for her future. Yet, she struggled to let friends near. How could she open up to love? What if she never got past this? Was a damaged heart what she wanted to give him? Never.
She tried to get her quivery lips under control. “I wish…” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Oh, distract me, Antony. Get my mind off Pernanyen. Let’s do something.”
“With pleasure.” He stood and pulled her to her feet. “It so happens, I have several more ideas for today.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
ShenLee leaned against a tree trunk, trying not to listen to the single women. Difficult, since she had accompanied them to the garden. At least they had no children to spark the ache for her distant sons. The only problem was, single PitKree were nearly always young, and sometimes the young were naive. Like now.
They were admiring the lenin flowers swaying in the false breeze, but really, they were talking of men. As women did when they knew men on the surface, but still wondered over the depth of a spousal bond. She’d done the same before her ill-fated marriage, but she could no longer share their sense of mystery.
She caught sight of LeckLa strolling with her husband and a few other couples. Children ran, weaving among them. ShenLee looked away.
LeckLa left her group and strolled over. “What do you speak of?” she murmured. “Or should I ask, what do you not speak of?”
Such a relief to have a friend who noticed. ShenLee pushed away from the tree. “Various men, all younger than you and me.”
“Ah. That is why you seemed uninvolved.”
One of the young women turned an arch look their way. “Perhaps we should speak of a man who is a little older. A man who might pique ShenLee’s interest. TarKeen, for instance.”
As speculative gazes closed in on her, ShenLee shook her head. “TarKeen is wholly committed to the Epri7. Don’t you know that?”
“Who, then?” the young woman asked.
“Come, walk with me,” LeckLa said. As they turned away, she murmured, “I’ll rescue you from the unknowing.”
ShenLee smirked. “My deepest gratitude.”
“You may need to prepa
re a better response.” LeckLa turned to one of the narrower side paths. “I’ve heard comments from the not-so-youthful that TarKeen has found an interest to lure him away from the sterile Epri7. It was men who spoke, referring to you.”
“P’fuf.” ShenLee turned her head leftward. “Not the sort of remarks I want to deal with.”
“Laundun may disregard whether one is married, but not PitKree. So rare for us to remain single. I know TarKeen chose to intentionally, but I didn’t think you had.”
“No, I didn’t. Life can veer from our plans.”
“Then, why would you avoid TarKeen, if he reconsiders marriage?”
ShenLee looked side-to-side, confirming no one was near, but whispered anyway. “Don’t you know how I lost my husband?”
“I do, though I didn’t think you’d want to speak of it.”
“I don’t. Nor do I wish to experience that again.”
LeckLa kept her voice hushed. “It’s different, this time. I gathered that your husband kept you in the dark regarding his plans. Else, you wouldn’t have been acquitted.”
“He did.”
“But you are not in the dark, this time. Or do you consider withdrawing?”
“No. Never.”
“Then, why would you not consider TarKeen as a husband?”
Was this the casual conversation it appeared, or was LeckLa probing loyalties? If so, VanDar had asked it of her. ShenLee dared reveal nothing. “I don’t know how things will go. I would rather have no commitment than to be torn between the PitKree cause and a husband.”
“Do you doubt that TarKeen will follow through?”
“Not at all. But it’s not enough for him to make a heroic gesture and die for a lost cause. TarKeen intends to succeed. He will choose opportunities that can achieve his goal.”
“Ah.” LeckLa smiled. “I, too, prefer success over heroic gestures.” She brushed ShenLee’s fingers. “Perhaps when he has succeeded, you can reconsider marriage.”
ShenLee flipped a hand. “I won’t anchor my love to the waves of chance. We draw near others. Speak of anything but this.”