by Robin Roseau
“Indartha is already well compensated with the imperial presence,” Sartine said. “We support the general goal but will exert no influence on the distribution. Clearly it wouldn’t do us any use at all. We do believe Maddalyn and Cecilia should be compensated, but like Beacon Hill Vendart, we are biased.”
“Then we must pick a village,” said Chasatain. “Maddalyn has said the efficiency is best if the fields are large. Governor, would it be possible to review the possible sites and pick the best village?”
“Tomorrow?” Cecilia asked. “Maddalyn, would your guests like such a tour?”
“I think that’s a fabulous idea, Governor.” I paused. “There’s something everyone here can do to help me.”
“Name it,” Chasatain said.
“My guests are three of my friends from Tarriton. Two work at the rejuvenation center there, and one works for a university, which is a school for adults. The fourth guest is my mother, visiting from Frantzland.”
“How can we help you, Maddalyn?”
“Just be yourselves,” I said.
“Maddalyn hopes to convince the four of them to remain on Talmon,” Cecilia said.
“Get one to call me ‘Vendart’, and I’ll see she stays,” Chasatain suggested.
“Like that suggestion hasn’t been made,” Sartine said with a laugh.
“Governor, even if we take no one else, this means we have 18 people.”
“And?”
“Four jumpers.”
“If you check the schedule, you’ll see every jumper on the planet is assigned to us tomorrow.”
“When did you do that?”
“About twenty seconds after I realized what you wanted to talk about.”
“We do not need to visit Tarlotte,” said Bellain, Tarlotte’s vendart. “Our land is rugged, and we have no large fields.”
“Bellain, will you stay for the dance tonight?”
“I would like that. Could my family join me? This dancing: do women dance together?”
“Oh yes,” I said. “They certainly do.”
“I have a wife, two daughters, and a son.”
“If you write a note,” I said, “I’ll send someone to retrieve them. That goes for all of you. We’ll need to start now, though, as it’s going to take a few trips.”
“If it is too much trouble,” Bellain started to say.
“It’s not any trouble at all,” I replied. “But unless we trouble Colonel Blue and Arthur, you’ll be here overnight. We can’t land at most of your villages after dark.”
“We have ample room in our home,” Baardorid said.
“Or at the rejuvenation center,” Cecilia said.
“Perhaps some will stay in our home, and some at the rejuvenation center,” Baardorid suggested. “This will require less sharing.” He smiled. “We can let Valtine organize that. Won’t she be surprised?”
“Let me get this handled,” I said. “Vendarti, could you write your notes while I arrange pilots?”
Cecilia helped with that, and I used Melina to ping Kalorain. She picked up, and I asked, “What are you doing?”
“Talking to you.”
“So if I said I need you to do some flying, you’re available.”
“Yes.”
“With you and me, find out what jumpers are available. We need to go pick up some families. Reserve the available jumpers and find more pilots.”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you.”
* * * *
There was no subtle way to collect anyone for Tressalarine without explaining ourselves to the Malaratine’s Cove vendart, and it was impractical to collect Hilopid from Indartha, and so we had nine villages to visit and three jumpers to do it. Each of the vendarti had indicated how many people would come from each village, so we were able to disperse notes based on the number of passengers expected.
Unfortunately, the vendarti had all brought their tablets with them, so there was no way to send notice ahead, and I only had three jumpers available. Kalorain had collected Mordain, and so we divided the tasks.
“This won’t all be even,” Kalorain said. “When you drop off your first set of passengers, take one of the notes and leave the other one behind. It’s possible one of us will finish quickly and she could take an extra trip. I left Margotain and Hazelvarn at the embassy but told them to arrange ground transportation, and Margotain has a tablet.”
“Good idea. Please be careful with your landings.”
My first trip was to Mallishta to pick up Chasatain’s family. Nearly every village on Talmon was beside water of some sort: the ocean, a lake, or a river. Mallishta was beside the river that flowed to Beacon Hill, and so I flew first to Beacon Hill, following Kalorain, then as she circled the town, I turned inland to follow the river. It was a beautiful flight. I loved following the rivers. And the coastline. And flying over the lakes.
Okay, I loved flying. What can I say?
It was an easy flight. I circled the little village twice, and I could see that I was garnering attention, but the Talmonese understood I would need a place to land, and so they cleared space for me. I flew two kilometers back down the river then turned back and descended, flying barely thirty meters off the water.
Have I mentioned I loved flying over the river?
I slowed and then turned in over the green, right beside the river, then settled the jumper, pretty as pie.
Have I mentioned how much I love my job?
The villagers held back. I popped the canopy and climbed out, and that was when a woman stepped forward, some of the other villagers clustered around behind her. “Where is Chasatain?”
“Chasatain is fine,” I said. “I am looking for Ashalartine.”
“I am Ashalartine,” replied the woman.
I stepped forward and said, “I am Maddalyn, Senior Assistant to Governor Grace.” We greeted, and then I said more quietly, “There is an event in Sudden. Chasatain sent me for you and your children.” I handed her the note.
She opened it and read it quickly then raised her voice. “Our Vendart apparently cannot be without her family.” She looked around. “Vessatine, please locate your brother and sister and meet us inside.”
“Yes, Mother,” said a girl of perhaps sixteen.
“Would you like to relax while we collect our things, Maddalyn?”
“That would be lovely,” I said. And so I followed her to her home.
This was not a rich village, and in that moment, I wondered about Indartha. Sartine’s home was much larger. This was a modest home, no larger than the others of the village and smaller than some of the farm houses in the surrounding area. But Ashalartine offered tea and a comfortable seat.
“I should collect our things,” she said.
“I didn’t read the notes,” I said. “So I don't know what yours said. But the event tonight is dancing, and you will return in the morning.”
She disappeared towards the bedrooms. I sat and drank my tea while using Melina to check my messages. I’d been there a minute or two before a boy of 14 stepped into the house. He came to a sudden stop, looking at me.
“Hello,” I said, climbing to my feet. “I am Maddalyn.”
“Is that your flying carriage on the green?”
“It is,” I said.
“I’ve never been flying.”
“Haven’t you?” I asked. “Do you like to dance?” He made a face. And so I put on a crestfallen expression. “That’s too bad. The price of a ride is you have to spend the evening dancing.”
“You’re teasing me.”
“True, but I’m not lying. I am here to bring you, your mother, and your sisters to Sudden for a dance. Your vendart sent me.”
He eyed me carefully then asked, “Do I have to dance?”
“Well, ultimately that will be for your mothers to decide, but I personally think it would be rude if you didn’t dance with me after I took you flying.”
“You want to dance with me?”
�
�I love to dance!” I said. “And this is a new style from Tarriton.”
“Where’s that?”
“It’s another planet,” I said.
“Another planet!”
“That’s right,” I said. “But if you don’t want to dance, maybe you should ask your mother if you can stay here.”
“No one is staying here,” said Ashalartine, stepping back into the living room. “Bendano, good. Your sister found you. You need to assemble a bag, and be quick about it. Maddalyn is waiting. You need your best outfit, and don’t forget good shoes, and something clean to wear tomorrow. Go.”
“Do I have to dance, Mother?”
“It would be rude if you didn’t dance with your mother when she asks,” Ashalartine replied. “And Maddalyn came all the way to collect us, so if she invites you to dance, it would be rude not to dance with her, either.”
“And the pretty girls will think you don’t like them if you turn them down,” I added.
He didn’t make a face at that, so I decided he must be old enough to appreciate girls. “All right,” he said a little sullenly. He disappeared in back with Ashalartine and I both watching after him.
“Boys,” I said, shaking my head.
“That’s a difficult age,” Ashalartine replied.
“They’re all difficult ages,” I countered.
She laughed. “I suppose that’s true.”
Just then the door opened. Vessatine appeared. And then a second Vessatine appeared, and I realize the girls were twins. “Ah,” Ashalartine said. “Trallafain. This is Maddalyn. She is here to take us to Sudden. There is to be a dance, and we will return tomorrow. Both of you need to pack a bag. Bring your best clothes, and don't forget dance shoes, plus something clean to wear in the morning.”
“We’re going to Sudden?” Trallafain asked. Or maybe it was Vessatine. “We’re flying?”
“You can ride your horse if you prefer. Go on, and check your brother. Make sure he makes appropriate choices.”
The two girls hurried towards the bedrooms. We watched after them, then I said, “How do I tell them apart?”
“Good luck with that,” she said. “I wanted to tattoo their names across their foreheads, but Chasatain put her foot down about that.” She smiled. “They’re good girls, but they share a wicked sense of humor between them.”
“They get along?”
“Yes, as well as any sisters. Chasatain and I worked hard to make sure they never felt a need to turn competitive with each other. They’re good workers, and if you want something done well, put the two of them on it.”
It took another five minutes, but then we had three teenagers lined up. Ashalartine questioned what they had brought and then gave them a lecture about the big city.
Okay, that wasn’t how she put it, but it’s what it was.
We headed out to the jumper. Melina opened her up for me, and I helped the kids stow their gear. “Someone has to sit in the middle.”
“One of you volunteer,” Ashalartine said.
“I will,” said one of the twins.
“Okay,” I said. “You get in first, and I’ll help you.” I guided her to her seat and then helped with the buckles.
“Will I be able to see?”
“Yes, but not as well. I’m sorry. But one of your siblings can have the middle tomorrow when you come back.”
“That’s all right then. Will we fly very high?”
“Let’s discuss that once I get you settled,” I said. I raised my voice. “Okay, Bendano, you’re here. And I’m sorry, but I can’t tell the sisters apart.”
“No one can,” said the girl already seated. “I’m Vessatine. I’ll be wearing the green dress tonight. Trallafain wanted the red one.”
“Well, Trallafain, if you climb in over on the other side.”
I helped Bendano. Trallafain watched and did her own, but when I helped her mother, I checked the girl, then tightened them a little further.
Then I climbed in and turned to face them. “Let’s talk for a minute. If we fly straight to Sudden, it’s about fifteen minutes once we’re in the air.”
“It takes us four days!” Ashalartine said.
“This will be faster,” I said. “Now, some people get a little sick the first time.” I talked about how to avoid that. “So, what we’re going to do is take off over the river, and then we’ll circle Mallishta once. If everyone is doing well, we can take two routes. We can fly straight, right over the forest. Or we can follow the river to Beacon Hill then fly along the coast. That takes a few extra minutes, but it’s really pretty.”
“How high will we fly?” Vessatine asked again.
“That’s the other decision,” I said. “This won’t make sense, but flying low is a little scary but exciting. You can’t see as far, but everything goes by really, really fast. Flying high lets you see a lot further, but everything is small, and it’s entirely different. If anyone is going to be scared, we should fly higher.” I looked from one to the other. “You should be honest about it, so when I ask, you’re going to tell me. There’s nothing wrong with admitting that flying scares you. Sudden Vendart’s Wife prefers to travel on the ground, but Indartha Vendart’s sister giggles the moment we lift off, and she’s been flying for years herself.”
“Really?” ask Ashalartine.
“Really. Her name is Mordain, and you’ll meet her tonight, so you can ask her yourselves.”
I checked them once more then turned forward. I saw to my own buckles and powered up. “Okay. We’re going to lift a half-meter. This is the most startling part of the entire trip. Here we go.” I gave the command, and the jumper lifted from the ground. No one spoke, and looking around briefly, I saw some clenched knuckles, but no one displaying clear signs of distress. “Okay. Turning for the river.”
“It’s a boat, too?” Bendano asked.
“No, but there are no trees over the river, so it’s a good place to get moving, like how a horse needs some time to get to full speed when it’s running.”
“Oh.”
I turned us and then said, “Speak up if you’re not ready.” No one spoke, so I said, “Here we go.”
I nudged us forward. Trallafain gave a little squeak, but that was all. I pushed the controls further, and then we were over the river, first quite low, then I lifted us to a few meters higher as we accelerated. “Going up now,” I said, and the nose lifted.
This time, it was Ashalartine who squeaked, then she reached over and clasped my hand. I looked behind, and Vessatine had given a hand to each of her siblings. They were all holding very tightly.
We climbed to a hundred meters, then I said, “I’ll take a gentle circle of Mallishta. We’ll actually lean a little to the right side, but it won’t feel like it. Remember to look out more than you look down or you can get sick. Vessatine, that is especially important in the middle.”
“I’m looking out,” she said.
“Good. Turning now, very gently.”
We did a circle, and then I asked, “How is everyone doing? Vessatine?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Bendano, you don’t need to hold on so tightly.”
“Sorry,” said the boy. “Can we follow the river, but not too low?”
“Trallafain?”
“I’d like to see Beacon Hill,” she said.
“It’s a lovely village,” I said. “Ashalartine?”
“That sounds good.”
“Okay, then.”
I lifted us to five hundred meters, and before us was Beacon Hill. I pointed. “You can’t see it from in back yet, but Ashalartine, can you see?”
“That’s Beacon Hill?”
“It is. We’ll be there in another four minutes.”
“How fast are we going!” Bendano asked.
“Only two hundred kilometers an hour. Hardly anything.” I waited a minute then said, “Trallafain, as you got the worst view of home, you can pick. We can circle both Beacon Hill and Sudden. I’ll do one on your side and one on the
other. Which one do you want to see the best?”
“Sudden,” she said. “I’ve been to Beacon Hill before, but never Sudden.”
“All right. I’m going to turn left briefly, then we’ll do a partial circle around Beacon Hill before turning south. Remember to look straight out more than down, especially when we’re turning.”
I only did a half circle of Beacon Hill, passing to the north and then turning over the bay before exiting to the south. I glanced at the green, and there was no jumper, so Kalorain had already left. I wasn’t surprised.
“You can see Fessen, Ashalartine, and in the distance, Sudden.”
“I can see both?” she asked. From the way she was looking, I could tell she was looking too far for Fessen, and probably too far for Sudden as well. “Closer,” I said. I gestured. “It’s there. You can see the walkway along the waterfront.”
“It’s right there!” she exclaimed.
“Bendano, you can probably see it, too.”
“I can. And I can still see Beacon Hill!”
“I can’t see a thing,” Vessatine complained.
“I’m sorry about that,” I said.
“It’s all right,” she replied. “Someone had to sit in the middle. Maddalyn, will there be anyone who wants to dance with me?”
“Your mothers will want to dance with you,” Ashalartine said.
“I meant other people.”
“I promise you: everyone will have plenty of dancing. My problem is going to be that I want to dance with everyone, but I couldn’t possibly fit that many partners into one evening. Girls -- and Bendano -- here is what I’d like you to do at the dance. Don’t sit out. If you’re not dancing, find someone else who isn’t dancing and ask him or her to dance with you. You don’t have to wait. Everyone is there to dance, and I can tell you this. I absolutely love when someone asks me to dance, even if it’s someone I don’t know very well.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“What if we’re not very good?”
“That is why you dance more,” I said. “How are you going to get better if you don’t practice? Besides, it’s a new style, one almost no one knows except my friends and me. We’ve taught some others a few nights ago, but most of the people will be learning how tonight. So you’re in the same situation they are. Okay, Ashalartine. Sudden is more obvious, and Fessen is immediately right.”