by Sarah Zettel
“Good, good, everybody,” said Ceian. She was the First Named. Her pouch-sister had died of lung chills and plague. “But there'll be nothing else to see until the lights come on. So, it's back to the books. Good?” She also was going to be taken to one of the father-houses to be made a mother next week, and had excitement wafting around her like a perfume.
A general groan went up, but no real argument. They all trooped back into the house and resumed their places around the tables in the main room with open books: math, history, language, geography.
That was the weirdest part, learning at home, and Ancestors! what they learned! There seemed to be three categories: basic, boring, and stuff Res and she had finished up five years ago, except for the history and geography. Those were completely new. Ceian had been appalled at how little they knew. She set them copying information out of big, elaborately printed books. Two for one learning, she called it, because she was not happy with their writing either. It was deadly dull, but it felt good to be part of the studious atmosphere that permeated the house.
Mother was over at the Home of Queens with Neys and Silv, who were almost as good as blood family. She had made Theia and Res stay behind, explaining her day would be spent organizing drafts of essays, speeches, and appropriation requests, and that their time would be better spent becoming closer to their cousins. So, there was no way out of it. It was books until Ceian said otherwise.
Outside, a wheezy engine coughed and sputtered up to the gate and fell silent. All the cousins raised ears and heads.
The door opened and the aunts came in. The cousins surrounded them, hugging and laughing and tussling. Res nodded to Theia when she felt it was all right for them to get up and join in. They both loved the boisterous greetings, but Theia agreed with Res. Since the aunts had turned away from Mother, it was not right that they should be as enthusiastic with them as they were with her.
They joined the swirl of cousins and were happily shoved to the front so they could receive their hugs from the aunts.
When the loudest part of the ritual was over with, Theia and Res had learned, they were supposed to stand around and wait for some pronouncement, good or bad, about the state of the house, their general industry, or some errand that needed doing.
“Important news today, daughters.” Aunt Senejess laid a hand on Res's shoulder and one on tight-skinned Jaiu's. “The relocation schedule has been changed.”
The cousins eyed one another, and Theia eyed Res. Were they leaving early? Nobody'd even started packing yet.
“Not for us,” said Senejess. “For the ‘Esaph. They want to be relocated right away. The Humans have agreed. Their coordinator is going to the Hundred Isles to work with them.”
A ripple of anger tinged with fear ran around the room. Theia squirmed uncomfortably. Res squeezed her hand to remind her it would probably be gone in a minute.
“What we do not know,” Armetrethe went on, “is why this is being done. Mother Senejess and I are agreed that we must find out.”
Senejess drew herself up straight and proud. “I am leaving for the Hundred Isles as soon as I have packed.”
“Alone?” Ciean seized her mother's hands. “You can't, Mother, it's not possible! You wouldn't…”
“I won't be alone,” said Senejess. “If your Cousin Res or Theia agrees to go with me.”
“WHAT?” Theia and Res chorused. Confusion pressed them together.
“Why us?” asked Res, while Theia's head was still swimming.
Aunt Senejess turned both ears to Res. “Because to facilitate my movements, I will be traveling under your mother's name.”
“Why would you do …” Theia let the sentence die. “You're going to spy on them.” She felt her eyes and nostrils open very wide. “You want us to help.”
“We need one of you to come with me for two reasons,” Senejess said gently. “First to complete the illusion that it is your mother traveling. Second, because you understand Humans and the way Human technology works far better man we do. We will be beginning our work at the spaceport; it will be filled with Human machinery, and I will need help finding my way around.”
Theia could feel Res's excitement. It ran up her arm like an electrical current and set her heart beating fast. But could Res feel her fear? Could she make that swim upstream against all this eagerness?
Res shivered. Remember, Theia willed her. Remember what Mother said to Neys and Silv. The aunts think the Humans are conspiring with the Getesaph. They want to prove it. This is wrong. Res! This is a Jupiter-sized bad idea!
“Our mother doesn't know about this, does she?” Res's ears dipped toward her scalp.
“No.” Aunt Armetrethe didn't even twitch. “If you can tell us honestly that she'd agree to such a plan, we will go back to the Home of Queens and tell her about it.”
No, she'd never agree, and you know it, and we know it. Res, stop thinking about this.
Aunt Senejess turned her ears toward Theia. “Things are not good in t'Aori, you know this.” She opened her hands to the ground to appeal to the Ancestors. “Why are things not good? Because nobody knows whether we can truly trust the ‘Esaph. Some say yes, some say no, and they pull against each other.” She shook her head until her ears flopped.
“If we go and search out the ‘Esaph's reasons for changing the schedule, and there is nothing dangerous, then we know we can trust them. If there is something dangerous, then we know we cannot trust them.” She spread her hands. “Either way, we will know, and we will put an end to this division in the Great Family.”
Her aunt leaned close. Theia could feel how Senejess needed, wished, willed her to understand. She wanted to, badly, but it was wrong. Res wanted to do this, she could feel it running hot through her veins and into her brain, washing away all her own thoughts.
Theia bolted. She ran out the door and into the yard. The sprawling heutai tree loomed in her path. She caught hold of one of the smooth-skinned lower branches and swung herself up. The tree had plenty of branches, and she was barefoot, so she climbed easily from one to the other until she felt them bending under her weight. She perched on a limb as thick around as her forearm, and waited for Res to catch up with her.
Res climbed more carefully, but eventually she got there.
“You're acting like a baby.” Res hunkered down in a cleft in the trunk.
“I am not. You're acting like an idiot,” Theia spat. “Ancestors mine! Can't you see what's going on!”
“I can, but you can't,” Res cuffed her shoulder gently. “Theia, they're giving us a chance to help Mother.”
Theia shifted herself around until she straddled the branch and looked Res in both eyes. “What are you talking about?”
This is the absolute, Theia.” Res's voice dropped to an excited whisper. “I'll be able to watch Aunt Senejess the whole time. I'll learn who all her contacts are, how she does her work. I can pretend to be really interested in her side of things, and she'll tell me what they think and what they're planning. Then, I can tell you and Mother.”
“You'd leave us, just like that?” Theia felt her ears sinking slowly toward the scalp. “You'd leave me? You'd leave Mother when the Change could happen any second?” She knew that wasn't true. So far, the hormones were working, but she said it anyway.
Res's face furrowed. She reached out and covered Theia's hand where it grasped the branch. “I'm scared, too.”
“Then don't go.” Theia felt her throat tighten. “Don't leave me alone. This place is crazy. Our family, they hate everybody. They're all crazy.”
Res didn't say anything. She hunched in the crook of the tree with her hand on Theia's. The branch dug into Theia. Parts of her bottom started to go numb.
“I want to help Mother,” said Res, finally. “I know the aunts are crazy, but they're right. We need to find out if the Getesaph are up to anything. If they are, we can tell Mother and Mother can tell the Queens, so they can take it to the Confederation before the aunts and their friends can do anything
with it.”
Theia's ears drooped. She'd never win this. Res wanted it too much.
“What can I do?”
Res's ears quivered. The skin on her palms rolled against the back of Theia's hands. A jolt of hope and happiness ran through her but did not sink in.
“Mother probably won't be back until after midnight. The aunts've got to know that, or they wouldn't be doing this now. So, tonight when everyone's gone to sleep, you use the comm station to get her a message. Say she should contact Lynn and let her know what's going on.”
“But what'll Lynn be able to do from here…”
“They said the Human coordinator's going to the Hundred Isles. That's got to be Lynn. She'd be right there. She won't let us down.” Res squeezed Theia's hands again, “This isn't so stupid, Theia. We've got more friends than they know about I won't be on my own.”
Theia couldn't think of anything to say, so she just sat there, holding on to her sister and her supporting branch.
“Mother and I need you to be strong for us, Theia. This isn't going to be easy for anybody.”
Theia dipped her ears. “I need you to come back, Res.”
Res bared her teeth. “Let anyone and their Ancestors try to stop me.” She chafed the back of Theia's hands. “Now come down with me and let us put this plan into action.”
Theia followed her down and stood beside her on the damp grass. They wrapped their arms around each other and walked back to the house, hanging on tight.
Chapter IX
It didn't have to be like this, Arron.” On the other side of the video screen, Marcus Avenall shook his head. “There are some plum jobs up and down the Human Chain. You could have any one of them.”
Arron sighed. “Obviously, I don't want any one of them.”
“Obviously,” said Marcus drily. He leaned toward the screen. “Listen, Arron, we can still work this out. Zombie the knot and come back here. We'll stick you behind a comm station for a couple of years and then get you back out in the dirt.” He leaned toward the screen. “You've got a lot of work left in you. This is not the time for a kamikaze run.”
He meant it. Marcus was bending over backwards to get Arron out of his handmade mess, and Arron wanted to thank him for it.
“I'm not going to untie my knot.” It had actually been doing some good. The debates had grown hard, furious, and crowded. A number of contractors had pulled out of the project. When he left… Well, at least he could keep some connection to this Earth through the work on web. “If that's the condition, then I'm not coming back in, Marcus.”
Marcus shook his head. “All right, Arron. I can't stop you, and if you're going to be like this, I can't help you.” He paused. “You realize that if you're stripped off the roll, I won't even be able to get you home from there?”
“Yeah, I know,” said Arron softly. “I'll find my own way out. It won't be the first time.”
“No, I guess not.” Marcus studied his keypad. “I don't know whether to wish you luck or sense, Hagopian,” he said without looking up. “Call if you change your mind. Maybe we can still figure something out.” He cut the connection and left Arron sitting there alone.
He stood up. “Station. Power off.”
The station's low hum shut off, and Arron stood alone with the sound of the ventilators.
Shut them down, too? No. He picked up his portable and slung it over his shoulder. Why risk any extra contaminants getting out before Bioverse can get to it?
He crossed the empty room. His was the only station remaining. Cabal had stripped the others out, having, he said, found somebody who'd buy them for parts salvage.
Arron reached the front door and turned around. It seemed like an incredible waste to leave all the furniture and hardware, but, what were any of them going to do with it? Cabal had taken all he needed. Who else would use the place? The corpers certainly didn't need it, and the Dedelphi wouldn't touch it because of the Human contamination.
He pressed his fingertips against the light panel. Darkness filled the room. The sealed doors opened and closed behind him, locking automatically. If it came to it, the corpers would have no problem slicing their way in.
Arron climbed the stairs out into the watery daylight and walked to the pier where he'd left his boat. The ferries had stopped running. He'd had to bring himself out. The harbor managers had been happy to rent him one of their motorized boats, as he'd known they would. Those two were squeezers of an old, proud school. He paid their outrageous price without grumbling.
He stepped into the rocking boat and dropped his backpack into the bottom. He tossed the switches on the engine. Gripping the tiller firmly, the way Lareet had taught him, he pointed the nose for shore.
For the first time since he'd come to the Hundred Isles, the harbor was quiet. Boats rocked at anchor, but none of them plowed through the water. All the traffic was on the shore. Lines of mothers, sisters, and daughters filled the streets, bridges, and rooftops. They carried their bundles under their arms and on their heads while the smallest daughters clung to their backs and shoulders. Open-sided trucks stuffed with passengers and baggage crept between the pedestrians. All of them headed the same way, to the spaceport to wait for their relocation.
Arron had seen the bulletins that asked the families to stay home until they were specifically called. He could have told Lynn that was never going to work. The Getesaph were used to shortage living. If something was going to be distributed, whether it was a service or hard goods, you had better get there early and stake your place. If you waited for someone to tell you to turn up, whatever-it-was might be gone before you got there. If they got to the distribution point and found out nothing was happening yet, they'd calmly sit and wait until something did happen. It was amazing.
Arron steered the boat toward the dock. Two figures came out of the nearest shack. He assumed they were the harbor managers, who had no confidence in his ability to securely tie off a boat, but when he looked again, he saw they were Lareet and Umat.
“Dayisen Umat, Dayisen Lareet!” He flipped the reverse switch and eased his power off so the boat pulled in slowly, if clumsily, to the dock. Lareet shook her head and jumped down into the boat. She shooed him off the tiller. Arron let himself be replaced and handed a rope up to Umat so she could tie them off.
“Ten years, Scholar Arron, and you have not learned you cannot properly work a boat alone.” Lareet flicked her ears at him as she shut off the engine. “I despair.”
“Well, you were a bit busy this morning, my Sisters.” He gave Umat his hands, and she heaved him up onto the dock. “How goes the preparatory wave?”
Lareet handed him his backpack and climbed onto the dock beside him. “We have set the final roster…”
“After much heated debate in the Halls.” Lareet touched his shoulder, but she wasn't focused on him. Her ears leaned toward her sister.
Something was going on. Arron's gaze shifted from one sister to the other. Umat looked fine, but Lareet's face was smooth and tight with some inner worry.
“Scholar Arron, what did your employers have to say?” Lareet asked.
Arron shook his head and wrung his hands to simulate flapping ears. “I'm stripped from the rolls and have to find my own way home.” He bit down on his lip so hard he tasted blood. “Or, at least I will be soon, since I won't behave the way they want. So, from here on out, it's Hitchhiker Arron.” He slung his pack over one shoulder, stuck out his thumb, and waited for them to ask what he was talking about.
But he saw they weren't listening to him. The Dayisen Rual watched each other over the top of his head.
“All right.” Arron waved his arm. “You up there. What is going on?”
“An additional judgment was reached today that might interest you,” Lareet said, almost hesitantly.
“Indeed,” said Umat. “Your concern for our well-being, and your careful studies have not gone unnoticed.”
Lareet dipped her ears. “And it has been seen how ready you are to help
us with the other Humans. So, an additional debate was introduced.”
“After which we were empowered to invite you to come with us,” concluded Umat triumphantly.
“What?” Arron blinked.
Lareet turned one ear toward her sister. “We are inviting you to relocate with us aboard the Ur and continue your studies of ourselves and our ways from there.”
Arron resisted the impulse to let his jaw drop. “Dayisen Umat, Dayisen Lareet, I thank you with all my soul, but…” He searched for the right Getesaph words. “You… your members do understand that I still regard this relocation as a mistake?”
“It has been made quite clear to them, and to us, yes,” said Lareet solemnly. “We hoped you would want to stay with us and find out if you were right.”
“But,” he sputtered, unwilling to believe what was happening, “my employers stripped me from their rolls because of how I spoke against the relocation. I have no way to pay Bioverse for my maintenance.”
Lareet slapped the side of his helmet lightly. “Do you think our employers intended you should labor like a slave for our benefit without compensation?”
“Trust us, Scholar Arron,” said Umat. “Bioverse has been spoken to. We have claimed you as a sister, and your salary will enable you to live on the ships and on the ground, should you still be with us when we are returned.”
“It will probably be necessary for you to make your home in the Human quarters, but that should not cause you hardship.” Lareet's voice was full of satisfaction. “What do you have to say about all this, Scholar Arron?”
Arron's chest swelled, but at the same time his throat tightened. It's not over! he crowed in the back of his mind.