Scales of Empire

by Kylie Chan

  ‘We really need to stop.’ I put my hand on his shoulder and gazed into his eyes. ‘But I don’t want to be parted from you. I want to go with you when you set up the Japanese colony.’

  He pulled me close again and brushed his mouth over my hair. ‘I don’t want to be parted from you either, but you need to spend time with your spouses.’

  I sighed with feeling. ‘I know.’

  He drifted backwards, smiling. ‘Race you to the other end!’ He spun in the water and splashed away.

  There was another message from Dianne and Victor on my screen when I returned to my room. I winced: I hadn’t responded to any of them, I’d been too caught up in the Shiumo thing. Time to make it right with them. I opened the message.

  ‘Hey, lovely,’ Victor said. ‘We’re trying to get through to you and keep getting a vidmail. I hear you’re out of quarantine now – can you come visit? Ping us the minute you’re free, and we’ll arrange something.’

  I checked the time and pinged them back. Victor appeared on the screen and grinned when he saw me. ‘Jian! About time.’ He leaned into the screen. ‘Dianne’s asleep, but big news! The baby’s a boy.’

  ‘That’s wonderful,’ I said trying to sound enthusiastic. I’d never been interested in having kids, it wasn’t my thing … and then my mind filled with images of what a little boy would look like, half Victor and half Dianne, a son for all of us to care for, cheeky and playful …

  He snapped me out of my reverie by speaking again. ‘So you’re out of quarantine now?’

  I nodded.

  ‘Come and visit us as soon as you can, Jian; we want to hear all about it. Last time we spoke you were off to outer space, and now you’re back and with this amazing alien. I want to see her in person and sculpt something! Can you arrange it?’

  ‘I’ll come and visit soon; I’ll be free when she takes the Japanese colony to Kapteyn-b,’ I said. ‘I’m ferociously busy, Vic, but I’ll do my best.’

  ‘I’m so glad you didn’t leave,’ he said. ‘We can reconnect, be the three of us again. I can’t wait to see you, my darling, and Dianne can’t either.’

  ‘I’m looking forward to it too,’ I said, thinking about Shiumo’s male form and those silver eyes.

  14

  Shiumo and I sat across from each other on the floor of her ship. ‘That’s the way,’ she said. ‘You’re in the right range. Now ping it.’

  The tiny sliver of paper on the floor between us quivered, and I gasped with delight.

  ‘Well done,’ she said. She shook her head like a horse. ‘I can’t believe I’m trying to teach you this. I have no idea what I’m doing. It should have taken a day, not two weeks.’

  ‘Second-hand is close enough,’ I said. I rubbed my temples. ‘I’d better stop. I’ll have a massive headache if I try more.’

  ‘Ten minutes until you’re due in Tokyo,’ Marque said. ‘You can leave now, if you like.’

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘I made it move. Shiumo has to tell me about the picture.’

  ‘Are you really sure?’ she said, rising onto four legs. ‘Some species find the nature of this art extremely disturbing.’

  ‘I’m a professional soldier; I can handle a bit of blood.’

  We went to Shiumo’s art gallery, and stopped in front of a splendid blue-tinted watercolour hanging suspended in the air. It showed an alien landscape with a much lower gravity than Earth. The trees were impossibly tall with extremely narrow trunks, and animals with short stubby wings flew between them. A cluster of spindly towers stood in the middle of the picture: transparent and lovely, with round windows at intervals. The entire picture was painted in delicate shades of blue, with no other colour present.

  ‘This is definitely my favourite,’ I said. ‘Copper-based blood?’

  ‘Yes,’ Shiumo said. She moved closer and gazed at it with longing. ‘Their atmosphere is higher in oxygen than yours, and the gravity is lower. Their metabolism is copper-based, and they have no skeletons. You’d see them as translucent blobs, that communicate by moving their blue blood through their skin to make meaningful patterns.’

  ‘They’re magnificent artists,’ I said.

  ‘She spent her life creating this,’ Shiumo said. ‘As she grew and matured, and we had our children, she continued to work on it. They only work on one painting throughout their whole life.’

  ‘And that’s her blood? She kept bleeding herself to make the painting?’

  ‘In a way. They make the picture with wax from one of the plants in the corner there. They have no other pigments available to them, so you can’t see the final image until it’s splashed with blood.’ She lowered her head. ‘When they feel the picture is perfect, they open a major vein.’

  ‘No way,’ I said. ‘They die to see the painting finished?’

  Shiumo nodded.

  ‘Time, ladies,’ Marque said.

  ‘I can understand why Marque saved the art from the water before he saved Richard’s prosthetics,’ I said. ‘It would be a tragedy to lose a life’s work like that.’

  ‘If I’d been more alert I could have saved them both,’ Marque said.

  ‘In the end you did, and that’s all that’s important,’ Shiumo said. ‘How are the biologicals coming along?’

  My tablet pinged: Richard. The Japanese were packed up and ready to go.

  ‘Another four and a half weeks and they’ll be fully grown. I’ll show you when you return,’ Marque said.

  ‘Ew, no thanks,’ Shiumo said. ‘Half-grown cloned parts are revolting.’

  The Japanese colonists’ headquarters were in the Imperial Palace grounds. The tops of the old Tokyo skyscrapers, protected by the enormous sea wall in the bay, were visible a kilometre away. The hundred-hectare park was wide flat lawns with a number of narrow internal roads, providing plenty of room for the equipment. Large marquees had been erected over the lawns, the leaves from the turning maple trees making their tops a patchwork of white, red and gold. Equipment was stacked on the grass and under the trees, and we had to move as a truck rumbled past on the internal road. The Palace itself – a multi-storey white castle with distinctive pitched roofs – overlooked it all.

  Richard touched Shiumo’s head. ‘I promised I wouldn’t leave you,’ he said.

  ‘This isn’t leaving me. This is temporary. Go and see your mother.’ She looked around. ‘I have something for you both.’

  Two black spheres the size of tennis balls floated out of Marque’s sphere and hovered in front of us.

  ‘Marque will protect you, and connect you with me,’ Shiumo said.

  ‘Not the same as being with you,’ Richard said. ‘I want to stay with you.’

  Shiumo bunted him with her forehead. ‘Go see your mum. And you.’ She focused her silver eyes on me. ‘You go and see your mum as well, and your husband and wife. I’ll see you both in five days. And if you get lonely, Marque can relay messages between us when I’m on Earth. Okay?’

  ‘Just keep reminding me that Maxwell is a paranoid idiot, okay, Marque?’ Richard said.

  ‘That should be obvious,’ Marque said.

  Shiumo hoisted herself onto her back legs, and placed her foreclaws on Richard’s shoulders. ‘I won’t change here. It embarrasses everybody,’ she said. She brushed her face against his, and he kissed the scales on her cheek. ‘I love you.’

  ‘I love you too,’ he said, smiling through the grief of leaving her. ‘I’ll miss you.’

  ‘Come back to me.’ She dropped to all fours and turned to me. ‘You too. I need you to help me out, my friend.’

  She approached me and hesitated.

  ‘Oh, come here,’ I said, and put my arms out.

  Shiumo put her foreclaws on my shoulders and hugged me; she was surprisingly light for such a large creature.

  I kissed her on the cheek. ‘I’ll miss you.’

  ‘See you in five days,’ she said.

  ‘Choumali, Alto, your transport’s ready,’ General Maxwell said as she approached across the grass.


  We followed her to the car, the Marque spheres floating above us.

  Maxwell turned to address them. ‘You aren’t necessary. We can handle the security ourselves. Concentrate on Shiumo.’

  ‘Sorry, General, orders from the Princess,’ Marque said from one of the spheres. ‘Shiumo knows how much hysteria her presence has generated, and she wants me to make sure that her escorts,’ it emphasised the word, ‘are safe.’

  ‘I feel like an expensive courtesan,’ Richard said as he entered the car.

  I sat next to him, and Maxwell sat across from us.

  ‘Nah, you’re one of the cheapest she’s had by a long way,’ Marque said, floating in as well.

  ‘So what’s going on between you two?’ the general said as the car drove off.

  ‘We’re sharing our love,’ Richard said, radiating almost childish defiance.

  The general’s face turned grim. ‘Is that even possible?’

  ‘It is with her,’ Richard said. ‘I love her. Deal with it.’

  The general’s face grew even grimmer. She glanced up at the Marque spheres floating near the ceiling, then settled back in her seat, her jaw working, but didn’t say a word.

  She remained silent as we drove to Kansai Airport, where we would be taking a military transport to New London.

  The general escorted us through the terminal. ‘Are you sure you don’t need security?’ she said when we were on the tarmac next to the transport.

  ‘No, we have Marque,’ Richard said. ‘It’s just a short drive to my mother’s after we drop Jian at the train station.’

  ‘I’ll be fine on the train, ma’am,’ I added. ‘As Richard said, I have a Marque, and the train to Wales rarely has more than five people on it.’

  ‘When Shiumo’s back, we need to move our own colonisation project into high gear,’ the general said. ‘Your skills will be vital, Alto. And your psi ability, Choumali.’

  ‘We can help,’ I said.

  ‘I hope you can. I’ll see you in five days.’ She saluted us, and we returned it. She turned to go, then said, ‘Oh, I nearly forgot.’ She pulled out her tablet and sent each of us a security code. ‘If you need me for any reason whatsoever, send me that and I’ll come to you as fast as I can.’

  Both of us caught up with paperwork on the plane to New London, filing a variety of reports that we’d neglected while busy with Shiumo. When we landed, Richard pinged the car with his tablet, and it came to the lay-by.

  As we crossed the bridge from the airport’s island of reclaimed land, the city of New London came into view, on a flattened plateau surrounded by terraces. The engineers had created the plateau by cutting off the tops of the Chilterns, and using the earth as raw material to create the island carrying New Heathrow. They’d carefully relocated the major landmarks of Old London – the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Cathedral, the Tower of London and St Paul’s – to the centre of the new plateau, away from the rising waters of the Thames. Nearby, a small artificial lake was spanned by Old London’s ancient bridges.

  The rest of the city was a congested mass of high-rise residential blocks built of bare, ugly concrete. The edges of the plateau, like New Paris, were terraced down to the old water level, and inhabited by refugees who didn’t have permission to live in the city.

  Richard was broadcasting loneliness and misery, and I patted his arm.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘You can probably sense it. I miss her already.’

  ‘So do I.’

  ‘Marque,’ Richard said, and looked around. ‘Where are you?’

  ‘I’ve integrated with your tablet,’ Marque said.

  Richard raised his tablet. It appeared normal, then shifted in his hands to something blacker, slimmer and sleeker. He turned it around. ‘Nice.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Marque said.

  I checked mine, and it changed similarly.

  Richard settled back in his seat. ‘I have a question for you, Marque.’

  ‘Fire away.’

  ‘I saw that Shiumo wears jewellery. Does she have any preferences?’

  ‘You want to buy her something?’

  ‘Would she appreciate it?’

  ‘Yes, she loves receiving gifts, particularly jewellery. Art goes in the gallery, but she can wear jewellery wherever she goes.’

  ‘Good,’ Richard said. ‘I noticed she prefers silver –’

  ‘That’s platinum,’ Marque said.

  ‘Okay. Platinum, and she likes green stones.’

  ‘Yes, she likes the contrast with her red scales.’

  ‘Jade? Emerald?’

  ‘She loves both of them.’

  ‘Opal?’

  ‘That’s not on my database. Let me look that up on your network.’ Marque was quiet for a moment. ‘Well, that’s unusual. Goodness, some of these are very striking. This may be a trade resource that could make your planet extremely wealthy.’

  ‘So a gift of a black and green opal in a platinum setting would be suitable?’

  ‘Depends. Are you asking her to marry you? Because if you’re asking her to be monogamous …’

  ‘No. I’m willing to be flexible for her. I won’t ask her to be monogamous.’

  ‘So it’s just a gift of love?’

  ‘Precisely so.’

  ‘Then go for it. She’ll be absolutely delighted.’

  ‘Can you help me choose for her?’ Richard said.

  ‘Sure,’ I said.

  ‘Yes,’ Marque said at the same time.

  ‘Actually, I meant you, Jian. But, Marque, your input would be appreciated,’ Richard said.

  ‘This will be a lot of fun,’ Marque said with enthusiasm. ‘What about this one?’

  A black opal with striking red, blue and green highlights appeared on the tablet screen, with a notation underneath about its origin and sale price.

  I choked with laughter. ‘That’s in a museum!’

  ‘That is so outside my price range it’s insane,’ Richard said. ‘We can’t buy that.’

  ‘Heh. I make ten kilos of gold, trade it for the stone, done.’

  ‘You can synthesise gold?’ I said.

  ‘I can synthesise anything.’

  ‘You made the coins that Shiumo paid us with!’

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘Can you synthesise opal?’ Richard said.

  ‘That would cheapen the intent of the gift. A natural stone is more sincere.’

  ‘Good. Let’s look for something a little saner.’

  ‘Most of the best opals come from that country on the other side of your world,’ Marque said. ‘Delivery might be an issue.’

  ‘You can collect it for me,’ Richard said.

  ‘I can’t leave you alone.’

  ‘I’ll be perfectly safe with my mother and stepfather. But we may find a stone here in New London, or over in Old Geneva. Search the vendors and see what you can come up with.’

  ‘All right,’ Marque said. ‘Here you are. These are the most suitable; a larger stone will look more appropriate on Shiumo’s larger hands. What do you think?’

  Richard studied the stones. He pointed. ‘What about this one, Jian?’

  ‘I like the green and blue,’ I said. ‘They’ll complement her scales. But it’s just a bare stone with no setting.’

  ‘Can you make a setting for that one, Marque?’ Richard said.

  ‘Of course. Say the word – yes or no – and I’ll purchase it for you.’

  ‘How do I pay for it?’

  ‘I’ll take it out of your salary.’

  ‘I should buy her something as well,’ I said.

  ‘Do you love her?’ Richard said.

  ‘Not like you do.’ I understood. ‘This is a gift of loving commitment?’

  ‘Something like that. But,’ Richard raised one hand, ‘not an engagement ring. Don’t worry, Marque.’

  ‘I won’t ruin the moment for you,’ I said. ‘I’ll buy her something small – maybe something Welsh from the village, or a small piece o
f art to add to her collection. You can be the main event.’

  ‘Thank you, Jian.’ Richard nodded at the screen. ‘Let’s buy it for her.’

  ‘Done,’ Marque said. ‘It will be delivered to you in the next couple of days. When do you want to give it to her?’

  ‘While I’m here and she’s in Japan, to let her know that I’m thinking of her,’ Richard said. ‘Can you carry it to her?’

  Marque was silent, then said, ‘Yes, I can. That’s very thoughtful. You’re one of the best consorts she’s had, Richard.’

  ‘One of the best?’ I said.

  ‘What happened to the other ones?’ Richard said, broadcasting a sudden shot of concern.

  ‘You know she’s not monogamous,’ Marque said.

  ‘What happened to the other consorts?’ Richard demanded.

  ‘Well, three of them had their planet destroyed by cats,’ Marque said wryly.

  ‘The Nimestas,’ I said.

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘Oh lord,’ Richard said. ‘All three of them?’

  A spreadsheet appeared on his tablet.

  ‘Full disclosure,’ Marque said. ‘Deceased means that she outlived them – not unusual with a species so long-lived.’

  ‘I see.’ Richard scanned the list.

  I peered over his shoulder. It contained more than a hundred names. ‘What’s that in the first cell? Is it encrypted?’ I said.

  ‘That’s their name in their own language.’

  ‘Oh.’

  Richard scrolled down the list. The first fifty or so were marked as ‘deceased’, with one in the middle marked ‘new relationship’.

  ‘New relationship?’ Richard said.

  ‘They moved on. Shiumo has never had a relationship end non-amicably.’

  ‘I see,’ Richard said again.

  Different notations appeared further down the list: ‘Living on home planet, no children’; ‘Homeworld with two children’ …

  ‘Two children?’ I said. ‘How many children does Shiumo have?’

  ‘Some of her spouses take their joint children to live on the dragon homeworld,’ Marque said. ‘She has five families currently resident there.’