“Remember what I taught you. Shut your eyes and visualize the thorn slowly sliding out of her. At the same time picture her skin healing, the muscles healing, blood regenerating. Picture her very life force as getting stronger and stronger. Hurry, Hedric. Her life is fading.”
Hedric reached out with his mind and felt the small fading life of the fairy, and fed it his own energy until it brightened and flared with renewed life. Only then did he withdraw the thorn and repair the wound. He opened his eyes to see a glow surrounding his spread hands. As he watched the glow slowly faded. Liriope, glowing faintly, sat up and stretched luxuriously, a slow sensuous smile spreading across her perfect face. Her iridescent wings, once dull, now shone like a million sparkling jewels. And she was purring.
“Liriope!” Zanna snapped. “Cover yourself, and act modestly!”
“Oh give it a rest, sister.” The reclining fairy answered in a sultry voice. “He’s already seen me and touched me. He saved my life and I’ve drunk his blood. Besides, what’s he going to do to me? Rape me?” There were giggles from the other fairies. “Really…” She looked down at her body, and brushed away a few flakes of dried blood. “I guess I should probably get cleaned up and put on a few clothes.” She stretched out her wings and lifted off from his hand, hovering lightly in front of his face. With a swoop she dove, and he felt ghostly lips brush across his. An electric jolt flowed through him, and his green eyes widened. “You know what they say about fairy kisses, don’t you?” She gave him a wink. “I’ll be back.” With that she passed through the open window and was gone.
“I apologize for my sister.” There was an angry note to Zana’s voice. “She is a bit wild, but she was right about the fairy kisses. They do engender certain—changes. I hope it won’t be inconvenient. It was poor repayment for saving her life. We are in your debt.”
“I was happy to do it, and there is no debt. You are a friend, and consider what I did a gift, freely given.”
Zana gave him a stiff, formal bow. “You are a strange man, Hedric Schwendau. I will honor our friendship.” She made a brief motion to the rest of the squad, and the fairies lifted off in perfect formation, flew out of the window, and into the night.
The Golden Fleece made a quick stop in Memphis, for wood, food and harpoons, before continuing her journey north. In the short time the ship was there they could see that panic was spreading, and Captain Isenhart had to fend off several boatloads of refugees begging passage out of Memphis. The enthusiasm of the evacuees waned somewhat when they found out that the Fleece was heading north and not south.
The sun had set and the evening temperature had dropped several degrees to uncomfortably hot rather than scorching hot. Hedric and Lexi sat on top of the wheelhouse, accessed by a small ladder at the rear, enjoying the evening and privacy. Both bow and stern rails were manned by lookouts, now that they were headed north.
“Do you think that this is ever going to end?” Alexandra was staring out into the darkness that was the Mississippi. A heavy overcast hid both the light of the moons and the glimmer from the rings, leaving only a sullen glow in the evening sky.
“I really don’t know.” A fish jumped, and he glared at the inoffensive sound. “I just don’t think it’s fair for us to have to do this again. Hells, we’re just a couple of kids.”
“It’s your job, Hedric. Yours and Alexandra’s,” Medin’s mellow baritone said out of the night sky.
“You’re wrong, my friend.” Hedric growled. “It’s Selene and Rhiannon’s job. What are they doing about it?”
There was an embarrassed pause from the invisible voice. “They’re waiting for you to fix the problem.”
Hedric sighed, and took Lexi’s hand. “My Uncle Padraig taught me that you can delegate authority, but you can NOT delegate responsibility.”
“I suppose that you could try to tell that to Selene and Rhiannon.” Medin mused. “I’m not sure they would listen, or even understand.”
“And they’re the custodians of the planet?” Hedric asked, disbelief in his voice.
“For the moment.” Medin’s voice was dry. “I’m working on the problem.”
“Why do I suspect that we’re about to be drafted—again?” Lexi murmured into Hedric’s ear.
Somewhere above them, Medin chuckled.
“Tell me, Medin.” Hedric asked, just to change the uncomfortable subject. “Where do the fairies come from? The D’Tril I can see resemble the Zzzkntti, but they’re nothing like the fairies, and the fairies are nothing like humans. It doesn’t make sense.”
“When you brought Zanna to Medin for the serum, I studied her biology. You’re right. Fairies are only remotely human. They have hollow bones like birds, but their internal organs are based on human anatomy. The wings are definitely from Anisozygopteraor, the ancient dragonfly. I would guess that they are mutations from owls, or some other great bird. During the time of initial mutations, just after the ship crashed, an owl probably ate a piece of human tissue, and instead of simply digesting it, actually incorporated the human genome into its own genetic set along with the genome for a dragonfly. Amazingly enough, it actually worked to produce a viable species. The odds are so wildly against this ever happening that it leads one to make all sorts of improbable speculations.”
“Something along the lines of me falling from the sky, surviving, and pairing with a local K’Dreex to defeat the plague?” The voice of the moon was silent for several long moments. “Medin?”
“Those occurrences bring up a very disturbing possibility, Hedric.”
The young man laughed. “Oh, you don’t like the idea of someone else pulling the strings?”
“Now that you mention it—no.”
“Well, my friend.” Hedric was still chuckling. “That mysterious string-puller has kept me alive in some nearly impossible situations, so I think I’ll trust it a bit further. You might as well do the same. I think it’ll get what it wants one way or another.”
“I agree, Hedric.” Medin replied, sounding a bit glum. “But I don’t have to like it.”
It had been raining earlier that evening, and the wheelhouse roof was dark and slick with the warm water. Hedric and Lexi sat on a soggy blanket, and watched Medin rise, white and full, on the far horizon. Elysium, a waning crescent, lent a light blue tinge to the slightly hazy night sky and the rings had a watery look, rippling slightly in the thick humid air. Everything smelled damp and hot.
Lexi suddenly gripped his arm and pointed. “What’s that?”
Hedric followed her finger. In the water, a hundred yards from the side of the Fleece, a heavy vee of ripples was closing with them…fast. “Lookouts!” He shouted, pointing. “Something off our port side, closing fast. Get your harpoons! NOW!”
There was a babble of voices, a brief curse. “There!” A man shouted. “Wait!” A second commanded. “Let it get a little closer…NOW!” Four harpoons arched out and struck the approaching ripples. Something screamed in the water and reared up, thrashing the air with pincered claws. Another harpoon flew, and another. The monster screamed again and fell back. Shouting on the deck, the harpooners pulled in their lines. Attached to one barbed harpoon was a roughly three foot square plate, half inch thick, bright red chitinous shell. Green gore still clung to one end evidence of the creature’s wounding.
Hedric and Alexandra lay on their stomachs, peering over the edge of the wheelhouse, watching the excitement play out below them. The Captain was on deck now, congratulating the harpooners. A man pointed and Dolores turned and looked up, frowning, but the two young people had already hidden their faces.
“Why don’t you want Mom to know?” Lexi whispered in Hedric’s right ear.
“I don’t need the recognition, or want it. The crew saved the ship tonight. We just pointed them in the right direction.”
Lexi made a small warm noise, deep in her throat and snuggled a little closer to Hedric. Below, the men stared into the blackness, while the Golden Fleece bored on into the dark.
New Atlanta had changed. The small white fishing boats were still out in the harbor when they arrived, but now the numbers of small vessels had decreased by half, and those that remained clustered close together as if for protection. The people that met them on the quay had nervous, frightened looks on their faces, and the scent of fear was thick.
“Hedric, what’s that?” He jumped. The young chief engineer had been standing by the starboard railing, and never heard the Captain approach. “Over there, on the fo'c'sle of that boat.”
Hedric squinted. “Looks to be a cannon of some sort, Captain, but it’s small and thin. I can’t imagine what it would shoot.”
Dolores was frowning. “I think I’ll find out.” She moved away, in search of an official on the quay.
“Hedric.” Medin’s voice was quiet, meant for him alone. “The thing you’re looking at is a harpoon thrower, or harpoon gun. It will throw a larger and heavier harpoon much farther than you could by hand. They used them on your ancient Earth, before the practice was banned.”
“Captain!” Just stepping off the gangway, Captain Isenhart stopped and turned. Hedric called down his new information.
The woman’s face lit up. “Well, now.” Hedric, almost reading her mind, tossed her a small leather pouch containing three fat golden coins. She snatched the pouch out of the air and opened it, her grin growing. “Well now indeed. Thank you, Mister Swimming.”
Hedric knuckled a salute and returned her wide grin. “Any time, Captain.” He watched the woman walk away, the now confident set of her shoulders. “Thank you for the coins, Medin.” He murmured softly.
“That’s what friends are for.” The moon replied, just as quietly. “I suspect that it will take several days to install the guns on the Golden Fleece. Tomorrow on Medin, the people who live here celebrate their rescue. They call the day Thanksgiving. There will be a feast, dancing, singing and music performed by those that can. I thought that you and Miss Alexandra might like to participate. Many of the residents have seen you before, so you wouldn’t be total strangers, and Selene and Rhiannon will probably make an appearance too. They eat up that sort of adulation.” Medin finished dryly. “This may be the last chance you have for a while to take some time off. I recommend that you take advantage of it.”
Hedric stared over the railing. “It sounds like an awfully good idea, Medin. Since Selene and Rhiannon have never seen you or Thallia before, why don’t you come too? You might even enjoy it.”
The moon was silent for several long moments. “I hadn’t thought of it. Nobody has ever considered inviting me as a guest before.” There was another, shorter pause. “Thallia said she’d be delighted, and thank you.”
Hedric chuckled. “Maybe I’ll bring the fairies along too. Other than Liriope, they’re a pretty stiff necked bunch. They could do with a party.” He was still chuckling when he turned to go find Alexandra.
The two young people found Captain Isenhart sitting at her desk, humming softly to herself. She looked up, and the humming stopped. “Yes?” Her voice was wary.
Hedric took a deep breath and Lexi, helpfully, gave him a push forward. “Alexandra and I have been invited to a party tomorrow.” He blurted out in a rush. “It’s,” he glanced at the ceiling, “out of town.”
One of the Captain’s eyebrows rose, fractionally. “Are you asking me, or telling me?”
“Yes.” Hedric gave her a level look. “This is a Thanksgiving Day for the people in this village, and there will be feasting, music, and dancing. Medin suggested that we go. We know several people there, so we won’t be strangers.”
“And how long will this celebration last?” Her tone was still cautious, and Hedric swallowed.
“If we get tired we will probably spend the night in the observatory—again.” He could feel Lexi squeezing his hand.
Dolores Isenhart looked from one young person to the other. Alexandra had once been her daughter, but who this poised young woman who faced her now was, she didn’t have a clue. And the young gentleman who stood beside her? He was even more a mystery. “Even if I could, I wouldn’t forbid this to you.” She said carefully. “All I ask is that you be careful.” She glanced pointedly at her daughter.
The poised young woman gave her a level, loving, look. “After Medin rebuilt us, I had a long talk with Thallia, Mother.” Hedric quietly closed the office door. “I may look human, but I’m not.” She turned a look filled with love on Hedric. “It will take a bit more for us to have children, than just casual sex.” Lexi flushed brightly, and Dolores suddenly saw her almost adult daughter standing there. “Not that we’ve even done THAT yet.” Hedric was blushing now.
Captain Isenhart laughed. “Get out of here you two, and have a good time. When you get back our two new harpoon guns should be installed.”
Impulsively, Alexandra threw her arms around her mother and kissed her warmly. “Thank you, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too, Alexandra.” The young man began to turn toward the door. “And that goes for you too, Hedric, my future son-in-law.”
Hedric froze, his ears turning red. Strangely there were tears in his eyes, and his throat was tight. “I, uhhh…”
Lexi grabbed his arm, rescuing him, and dragged him out the door. “Let’s go, loverboy.”
“So, Hedric.” Lexi asked in a nervous voice. “What should I wear?”
“I have no idea. I planned on asking Medin and Thallia to handle clothing details. I’d like something that won’t draw attention. Something that will blend in.”
“And you didn’t even ask me?” Lexi was trying to hide a smile.
Hedric ignored her, and looked out the open porthole. “I told the fairies to be here just after breakfast. I wonder where they could…”
A small shape darted through the window, flitted once around the room and settled on his shoulder. “Hi, Hedric.” It was Liriope, of course. “Want to fool around?” The little creature was grinning broadly.
“Not at the moment.” Hedric returned the smile. “Liriope, this is my betrothed, Alexandra. You can call her Lexi if you’d like.”
“Hi, Lexi.” Liriope said brightly. “You can watch if you want while we fool around.”
Hedric cleared his throat loudly. “What’s with the pink flying suit, Hot Shot? I thought you wore green.”
“Oh, the green was so boring.”
“I had to look twice to make sure you’re wearing anything at all.” Hedric was trying to glare at the small creature on his shoulder.
“I know.” She was grinning wickedly. “Naughty, isn’t it?”
More buzzing filled the small room as the rest of the fairies arrived. “Liriope!” Captain Zanna almost shouted. “Get into appropriate clothes. NOW!”
“Oh, you’re such a stick-in-the-mud, I ought to…”
A small whip appeared in the Captain’s hand, and with a flick of her tiny wrist, snaked out to snap Liriope on her pink covered derriere with a sharp pop.
“Owww! You didn’t have to do…”
“Change, NOW!” The Captain was coiling the whip for another snap.
“All right!” Liriope flitted to the bureau, and stalked behind the small mirror. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.” The Captain glared, and raised her whip, but the pink clad fairy was already gone. A moment later she stepped out, garbed in the more conventional green flying suit the other fairies wore. There was a deep scowl on her exquisite face. “There, does this make you happy?”
“Get into formation, Liriope. We will at least arrive there with a semblance of order.”
“Oh, sis, do I have to?” She walked over to the rest of the fairies, scuffing her feet on the top of the desk.
Behind him Hedric heard Lexi’s laughter. “All right, ladies, listen up.” Hedric was having some problems keeping a serious tone in his voice as the small fliers came to attention, all but Liriope, that is. “The place where we’re going has never seen a fairy before, and you will probably be a huge sensation. Please don’t let it go t
o your heads. Medin is the custodian of the moon. If you need something, or if you get lost or if you want to find us ask Medin. Just speak right out. He will hear you. I’ll have him deliver you back here around sundown, or when the celebration is over.” He gave Liriope a wink and was rewarded with a wide grin. “Medin?” Hedric asked to the air above his head. “Do you have something appropriate for Lexi and me to wear?”
The deep chuckle made the fairies start nervously. “I believe Thallia is handling that.”
“Then, whenever you’re ready.”
He should have known. They arrived at the top of the long grassy hill that swept down to the dark lake he and Alexandra had seen so many times before. This time a light cool wind was blowing, and from their position they could see the ripples spread out over the still surface of the lake. Below them, and all across the hill were arrayed tents and bright pavilions, where clusters of people mingled. Music and laughter floated in the air, along with the more mouth-watering scents of roasting meats and baking breads. Hedric looked down. Both he and Alexandra were now clothed in earth tones, he in a gray/green tunic with brown hose and soft black boots; Lexi in a snug, forest green dress that ended just below her knees. The soft slippers on her feet were dark green, and curled up slightly at the toes.
Lexi ran her hands down her hips, her cheeks reddening. “Hedric, I feel absolutely naked in this! It’s so soft.”
He gave her a long, appreciative look. “You look terrific, though. Oh my, yes.”
The fairies were hovering as a unit, seven mouths hanging open. “This is where you - live?” Zanna finally managed to get out.
“Well.” Hedric frowned. “I think that this is the closest thing to a home we have, right now.”
“It’s beautiful.” Zanna said softly, her blue eyes large and wide.
“I don’t often agree with my sister, but I do this time.” Liriope said with some decorum, as she lighted on Hedric’s shoulder.
“As far as I’m concerned, Captain Zanna, you and your Amazons are free to explore and have a good time.” The small leader bowed in mid-air, and suddenly the fairies were just green streaks heading in different directions. “You can go if you wish.” Hedric said quietly to Liriope, who was still perched on his shoulder.
The Finger of God: a Thalassia novel Page 21