by Lyn Gala
He had asked for time to visit two people, and the government car waited on the street for Liam. The Grandmothers had asked Ondry to stay in the ship. Now that the tuk-ranked traders understood the parental grief behind the protestors’ anger, even Ondry hesitated to leave the ship. Liam knew how much Rownt cared for children, but he hadn’t understood that the love of children would translate into sympathy for adults who had lost one. Liam would have sworn Rownt didn’t have sympathy for able-bodied adults, but the grief of losing a child was the one pain they respected.
He knocked at the unit door. The place must have incredible sound insulation because when Framkie opened the door, a blast of heavy Mongolian rock hit him. “Liam! Hey, let me turn this down.” He hit a button and the music vanished. He stepped back to study Liam. “Holy shit, what the fuck happened to you?” Both shock and amusement colored his voice.
“What?” Liam asked with exaggerated innocence, enjoying the shock on Framkie's face. Normally the man was unflappable.
“Don't give me that. What the hell did you do to yourself?” He stepped back.
Liam had to duck to fit through the door, and once inside, he had to stay hunched over to fit under the low ceiling. “I didn't do anything.”
Framkie’s place was small enough that the only window, other than the one in the door, was in the far rear of the unit in the bathroom. Modular cabinets covered one entire wall. By Earth ship standards it was a palace, but Liam had gotten spoiled.
Framkie dropped into a chair. “Knock it off with the sarcasm. Your turtle has turned you into a freak of nature. What the hell were you thinking?”
A tickle of aggravation crept into Liam's soul. “I am not a freak.”
Framkie sighed and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “No, you aren't,” he said seriously. “However, you sure as hell look like one. There are days I cannot figure out what you have in your head. Why are you eight-feet-tall?”
Liam sat in the only other chair. “Closer to seven.”
“Not the point.”
“I know.” Liam huffed. He would miss annoying Framkie. The others were good guys and Liam appreciated everything they’d done for him at Landing. Without them, he would have been one more body in the recovery zone. But Framkie had organized that. Framkie had spoken up for a kid who had made more mistakes than any human being should make in a century. “An alien species called the Imshee maximized my genetics. They were trying to help me be a better match for Ondry.”
“Well, they did accomplish that,” Framkie said with a sigh. “So what's up? Where’s your entourage?
“All the Rownt have gone back to the ship. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye.”
Framkie’s smile was easy and avuncular. “Hopefully you’ll be back around this way soon. I kinda like this new you—confident, sticking it to the officers, saying what you think. It's a good look for you.” He frowned. “Except for the extra height. That's just freaky.”
Liam ran his fingers over his knees, which were almost jutting comically into the air. There was something very symbolic about Rownt furniture being more comfortable than the human versions. “Unfortunately, I don't think we’re going to be back anytime soon. I'll still be on the soc nets, but I'm not sure we are going to see each other again.” While he was tempted, he didn't tell Framkie that by the time Liam came back, Framkie's grandchildren might be old. It was weird to think that Liam was going to outlive every human currently alive. He was going to outlive his siblings and his siblings’ children, and possibly his siblings’ grandchildren.
“What are you talking about?”
“The Grandmothers have learned that the protesters at the spaceport are afraid the officers are moving too fast with the Rownt and that there will be another disaster like with the Anla. Some of those protestors are parents who lost children to the Anla.” That last part was the one that mattered to the Rownt.
Framkie snorted. “I'm not entirely convinced the protesters are wrong. I just hope if something does blow up that you keep on that side. Far, far, far on that side.”
Liam smiled. Even after all this time, Framkie was still trying to keep him safe. It made Liam think that if he was a human version of a palteia, that Framkie might be a human version of a chilta. If they had been sexually compatible, maybe Liam would've found happiness with Framkie. It was a weird thought because back when Liam had been at the front, he hadn't even noticed that there were good people who would protect him so steadfastly. Somehow he had gotten the impression that anyone who would offer long-term protection would demand sex.
“The Grandmothers would say you were wise for thinking as much,” Liam said.
“I don't know what to think of those Grandmothers. I never thought I would be afraid of a giant grandmother turtle, but they're terrifying.”
“They are a little bit,” Liam admitted. As much as Liam felt physically safe, the idea of disappointing a Grandmother twisted a part of his soul he hadn’t known existed. “They’re old, and that means they understand things. Right now they understand that being here is frightening good people, and they can't make any reassurances because they don't know where this relationship between Rownt and humanity is going.” Liam hoped the two species would be allies for as long as any of them lived, but he wasn’t naïve enough to believe his hopes could influence the universe.
“Wait. Are you leaving and not coming back? Ever?” Framkie sat up, his expression alarmed.
“We’ll still trade with humans and bring trade goods to the orbital stations, but the Grandmothers think that Earth needs time to heal from the tragedy with the Anla and from the war with the colonies. And I can't disagree with them.” Liam shrugged.
For long seconds, they stared at each other, Framkie’s frown deepening. “Well, shit. I was getting used to the idea that you might be around every once in a while.”
Liam shrugged. “I was starting to get used to that idea myself.”
Framkie stood and held his hand out. Liam thought he wanted to shake so he returned the gesture. However Framkie pulled him into a fast, hard hug. “Don't you let anyone give you shit. You're a good man, Liam Munson, even if you are a freak with an officer's commission.”
Liam hugged him back equally hard. “So are you, even if you talk like an asshole. Find someone that you can take care of.”
Framkie released his hold. “I'm too old for that. I've lost too many people I tried to take care of. It never ends well for me.”
Liam stepped back. “It didn't work well for me until I found the right person. Don't stop looking for your right person.”
Framkie's expression was stuck somewhere between a grin and a grimace. Liam couldn’t even hope to interpret what it meant and he felt an intense void between himself and humans.
“I guess I should be thankful I got to see you again. When you left after you passed your language test, I thought that would be the end of it. It's good to see how far you got with that training of yours.” He shook his head and half turned away. “I hate this goodbye shit. So you let me know what you're up to on the soc nets. Or I might have to track you down.”
Liam smiled and thought about the drama that would cause with the Rownt. They had come to the conclusion that human palteia always had a weird lingering attachment to those they used to serve, so maybe they would put Framkie in the same category on the chilta side. They would theorize some lingering sense of responsibility would send him out into space to check on a man he had once cared for. The Grandmothers would’ve probably been amused, and they would’ve definitely been impressed by a chilta like Framkie.
“Take care of yourself.” Liam turned and headed for the doorway. He had never known how to say goodbye before encountering the Rownt, and after living with a species that had no ceremony for letting go outside a formal transition at the temple, Liam still didn't know how to.
He walked out the door. Colonel Ito waited next to the government car, his face illuminated by the datapad he was reading. He
looked up when Liam came down the stairs.
“I thought you would take longer.” He put the datapad in his pocket and opened the door. Rather than allow a colonel to open his door for him, Liam walked around to the other side.
“I told him we were leaving.” Liam folded himself like origami to fit into the car. He had so much more he could have said, but Framkie had never been one to accept gratitude, not even back when he was actively saving Liam’s life every time he went out on retrieval duty with him a lifetime ago.
“Your brother is meeting us at the base. He actually answered his phone,” Colonel Ito said with some amusement. He likely knew that enlisted personnel avoided answering their phones during off time because they didn’t want to get called back to base. And Framkie’s taste in music would be the perfect cover.
Liam nodded, his head brushing the top of the car even though he was bent over.
“I regret that you’re leaving,” Colonel Ito said. That surprised Liam.
“We’ll still trade.”
“Yes, but I enjoyed tea with the Grandmother and working with you.”
Liam opened his mouth, but couldn’t find an immediate response appropriate to the situation.
Colonel Ito chuckled. “I hadn’t expected to shock you.”
“I have made a significant profit off your trades,” Liam said, which was as good as accusing Ito of incompetence. While Liam wouldn’t go that far, a more experienced trader would have demanded far more in return for a temple gift, an introduction, and an explanation of human nature that a Grandmother could understand. Even Liam had misunderstood the depth of human anger and grief driving the protests.
The driver took a corner a little fast and Liam put a hand on the door for balance. His larger body required him to pay more attention to himself if he wanted to avoid the sort of clumsiness that gangly teenagers were famous for.
“I suspect you could have made more profit.”
That was true. Liam watched the city. Everywhere he looked, he saw signs of the war. Recruitment posters promised wealth and a chance to see space. Ads calling for workers were posted on the trunks of dead trees and light posts.
The Earth authorities claimed it was near an end now, but Liam had been at the front when those rumors had started, and years later, the fighting continued. Ribelians would not yield easily, and Earth would have to fight for every inch. Liam felt sympathy for the troops who first landed on Ribelo.
Ito put his pad down and asked, “Why didn’t you demand more profit?”
“Are you opening a negotiation to obtain that information?”
“Perhaps I will put my trade goods on the table,” Ito said. “The generals do not understand why the grief of one obstinate grandfather has changed the policy of your ship. They distrust the Rownt motives for leaving and plan to reinvest more money into planetary defense so they can counter any aggression the Rownt may show in the future.”
Liam lifted his eyebrows. That was... stupid. Especially stupid for a planet still trying to support a war on the boundary of their space. No Earth technology could ever defend Earth against the Rownt, and the Rownt would never launch the sort of attack the generals feared. It was wasted money.
But Liam got it. Rownt embraced their rural roots so much that sometimes it was hard to internalize how technically advanced they were.
Ito continued. “The generals have asked Colonel Diallo for a psychological profile of Rownt, but she said that she was incapable of providing that report and that the only two people who could were you and Lieutenant Mora. The generals don’t believe you will provide any intel, so they hope to contact Lieutenant Mora as soon as he appears without a Rownt escort and offer compensation for his family in return for the information.”
Liam blew out a breath. Zach grew closer to his Grandmother each day, so much so that Liam worried because Eldest was so old that she was nearing the end of her life. But Zach adored his family on Earth. He was on the soc net talking to them all the time. He might give away a few details to help them. It would put him in a horrible position no matter what he decided to do.
“How much of that were you authorized to tell me?”
Ito shrugged. “The part about the plans for new planetary defense. I think the generals hope that will serve as a warning.”
“It doesn’t.”
“I suggested as much to the generals,” Ito said with a dry amusement in his voice.
Liam squirmed into a slightly more comfortable position and considered the information. The idea of human planetary defenses wouldn’t interest the Grandmothers. It wouldn’t rate more than a derisive trill of amusement. However, the idea of humans trying to play on Zach’s loyalties would be of great interest. Personally, Liam was more concerned about Zach as a friend.
“I didn’t demand more of our trade because Ondry covets the title of a nutu trader. That requires that we seek to maximize profits for both sides. It’s the Rownt equivalent of a trader telling you that he is so secure in his ability to make profit that he does not need to take advantage of fools who leave the meat on the table for others to steal. It is an insult and a promise of fair treatment all at the same time.”
Ito shook his head, the amusement front and center now. “Every time I think I understand what might motivate a Rownt, you pull the rug out from under me.”
“I think aliens in general do that,” Liam said. “I just hope we can avoid any massacres as we navigate the chasm between the two species.”
“Wisely stated,” Ito said.
“A Rownt would say that the truth is so obvious I should not have stated it,” Liam corrected him. The car pulled up in front of the warehouse that had been converted into diplomatic use for the Rownt. Liam took a deep breath.
Liam stretched his neck. Even though the ground was dry, the scent of petrichor hinted at recent rains. As different as Earth and Prarownt were, they both smelled the same when it rained. The scent was especially strong around Janatjanay because it rained so rarely there. The town was in an inhospitable, dry region of the planet, and the scent gave Liam a jolt of homesickness for the little house he and Ondry had shared. He wondered if the cinnamon trees had been delivered and whether humans still sent a trader to the plaza.
He was avoiding thinking about the man waiting in the warehouse, but Liam couldn’t avoid Luke forever. They hadn’t seen each other in so long that Liam didn’t know the man Luke had become, so it was time to meet him.
Liam strode toward the door with all the confidence he could muster. A niggle of guilt gnawed at him when his stride forced Colonel Ito to run after him.
When Liam opened the door, the man inside stood. He was tall and had the lean look of someone who missed meals. That gave Liam a jolt of discomfort. He should talk to Ito about funneling more of his salary to the family. When the younger kids aged out of the foster system, there wasn’t going to be enough for everyone. Liam didn’t want any of them going hungry.
His second impression was that Luke resembled their mother. His eyes were a darker blue; their mother had gray-blue eyes. However, Luke’s eyes were the same shape, and he had the sandy blond hair that went in every direction at once. He remembered their mother standing in front of the bathroom mirror and cursing as she tried to tame it with hair spray. The whole house would stink from it, and her hair would still escape her bun. The memory hit Liam like an electrical jolt.
The military had informed him that Luke was attending university, but Liam didn’t know what he was studying or if he was married. He hadn’t asked. He’d told himself that his loyalty to Ondry kept him from seeking any details. But now that he was faced with Luke in the flesh, Liam realized he’d lied to himself. Luke was part of a life that Liam had left behind. A humiliating life.
However, Liam’s mistakes were not his brother’s fault. Liam just wished he knew why Luke had requested a meeting. As much as Liam felt an obligation to honor his brother’s request, he didn’t want to endure family drama in front of government official
s.
“Luke.” Liam stopped, not sure what else to say.
Luke shifted from one foot to another. “Liam.” He sounded terrified. They both did.
The room was huge since it was designed for Rownt. Liam walked toward Luke, but he didn’t know when to stop. Did he leave a Rownt-polite six feet between them or did he get closer? Did he hug Luke or offer a handshake. In the four seconds it took him to cross the distance, Liam had worked himself up into a near panic.
He stopped three feet away and said, “I received your message.” That sounded pathetic, even to his own ears.
“Um, yeah.” Luke scratched above his ear, causing his hair to move into a new configuration. “I’m glad you could come. It’s sort of late and short notice, though. I was hoping for something less military...” His gaze darted over toward Ito. “Like a dinner maybe.”
That would have been the most awkward dinner in history. “My ship is leaving tonight or tomorrow at the latest. The Rownt have been here long enough.”
“Oh. Yeah, if you’re traders, it makes sense that you would want to be out there trading.” Luke nodded too enthusiastically.
Liam didn’t know this man who had their mother’s eyes. He didn’t even look like the weedy little boy who had tagged along every time Liam had tried escaping to the beach to hang with the floaters.
“When are you coming back?” Luke asked.
“I don’t know if we are.”
For the first time, Luke met his gaze. “What?” The word carried a wealth of surprise and unhappiness. Liam hadn’t expected Luke to genuinely care.
“The ship, the Calti, it might not come back to Earth before the end of the century.”
“But...” Luke took a step backward. The silence between them was painfully uncomfortable.