Family Law

by Mackey Chandler

  "Every time I have spoken since I got here was in response to a direct question, including right now and a child or an adult, either one, can do that. I haven't interjected anything into the conversation yet on my own. So I don't feel I've used any adult freedom to speak yet."

  "I was backed in a corner. I had to answer, because if I told her to ask Gordon instead of answering, I'd have made it clear I did consider myself a child. That would contradict my walking in armed. Your Mother however, implied she might insist I was a child and yet still hold me responsible for my words. That is contradictory. You simply can't have it both ways."

  "That seems... logical," the youngest Mother allowed reluctantly.

  Lee thought about thanking her, but decided she was doing better just responding to questions. Suddenly she was overwhelmingly weary. She was still way too fragile emotionally for this kind of confrontation, on top of the hike.

  "Gordon," she said, tearing up and voice all shaky, "can we just go?"

  "Sure Lee. I had no idea you'd get this kind of interrogation. The hill fort we passed is the boundary and the moons are both up tonight. I'll carry you past the saddle to camp and we'll walk to the road in the morning."

  "You'd shame us and refuse our hospitality after all this trouble and turmoil over you?" the new head asked incredulously.

  "You haven't offered any hospitality," Gordon said bluntly. "I was offered a beer, but it seems the family is too terrified by what was happening to bring it in. I was bade sit and have some talk and I think I've had enough, thank you."

  "What else do you want after making me force the First Mother out?"

  "Fool," said a deep voice from the darkening entry. "I may be old and of dubious merit in your eyes being a mere male, but I have wits enough still to quote the whole shameful dialog I heard, word for word."

  "After your Mother left you could have offered a welcome. Remember that word? Since you like to phrase everything in snippy little questions I will too. You might have offered roof and bed, or a seat at dinner, or at least a spot to sleep by the hearth like you would a traveling merchant. But what did you say?" It was William the old guard.

  "Well, uh, I..."

  "Shut up," he bit off, in tones that didn't encourage any argument. "I'll tell you what you said. It was, 'Well, girl, your freedom to speak has certainly made for a whirlwind entry, hasn't it?' - You still put the blame off on her, same as the First Mum. I wasn't aware Gordon needed hospitality offered in his home, but I can see where he'd feel the need tonight. As for his daughter, family is who you treat as such. It isn't by blood, nor by demand, nor debt, unless it's a debt of honor. As Mother I expect you to dispense such as a ruling, now that you've been reminded."

  "You don't tell the Mothers what law to make," she said angrily.

  William's fur stood off him like he'd taken a static charge. She'd thought he was angry before, but saw now she'd been wrong. He'd been in good humor, compared to what stood before them now. His claws stood fully unsheathed and his ears spread taunt like radar horns. The sudden stillness from the Mothers told her they saw the same danger radiating from him Lee felt. He spoke again, but the softer word by word statement of someone who expected no interruption.

  "We males let you run things, because your temperament is better suited to it," he reminded her in this odd, quiet voice. "But when you lose your way and shame us, the custom of old has been we can remove you without needing a vote, like the women folk do. Of all people, you shouldn't need to be reminded of that. I speak for posterity; the girl is my kin. Think well if you want to disown her. Maybe time to cull some, if the line is too inbred. Don't press your luck."

  He drew the great ax and swung it one handed, so the blade crashed through the thick plank top of the table and stuck out below a hand's breadth. The whole massive table bounced off the floor from the blow. He left it embedded in front of them, as a reminder how the headship was culled when the males were forced to do it. As he passed the kitchen door he bellowed, "Get that man a beer, gods all damn it and a short one for his daughter, or I'll fetch the barrel myself when I come down and open it with my ax instead of your fancy bung! The crowd gathered to eavesdrop at the serving door froze in terror, afraid to move until he stomped off up the stairs.

  "I believe William made us an offer it would be pretty hard to refuse," Gordon said softly into Lee's ear. "Could you sit quietly at dinner and we'll go to bed right after? If we're gone when he comes back, he might take it badly," he warned. "I'd hate to be responsible for that. He honors you as a champion. If they reject you, they reject him. That would be - dangerous."

  The beer appeared before them at a run, the server still visibly worried.

  "Yeah, I'm tough. I can do it. Don't you dare say anything about stringy," she warned.

  "Lee," the eldest Mother addressed her, ignoring the quiet by-play. "I am corrected and genuinely extend hospitality. It is exactly as William says, family are those whom we treat as such. We extend such treatment to you. I have said it," she said formally, raising her voice, looking about even though there were few witnesses, but enough a few acknowledgments came back. Gordon also muttered a low "I hear."

  "I won't keep snipping at you and I'll try not to phrase everything in gods-be-questions. The Mother sighed. "Gods blighted miserable details, I don't even have a customary name for dealing with humans," she lamented.

  "Why don't you just show me how your folk address you," Lee offered. "I'm not as clueless as most humans and can even learn the long form names if needs be."

  "Why don't you just have her say First Mum and Second Mum for your daughter? That's how they'd describe you in the kitchen if you ordered something to the table. It's a short form, but nothing disrespectful," Gordon suggested.

  "Fine, it's simple and one less thing to ponder." First Mum agreed.

  About the time their beer was gone dinner started being served. The servers looked a little rattled until William returned and sat on the other side of Lee from Gordon, but they calmed as the peace held. If it wasn't his usual spot nobody asked him or them to move. His ax was surrounded by dishes and ignored there like a centerpiece. Nobody seemed in a hurry to see it back in his hand.

  Chapter 12

  Lee was confused and didn't know where she was in the morning. Part of that was she was carried away from supper asleep again. That's why she was dressed still, with even her boots on. She was with Gordon, so that was enough to make her feel safe, even if it was some strange room she'd never seen before. The wall was plaster and a geometric design was scratched in it before paint was rubbed on the tops of the pattern. It looked a little like an African fabric she'd seen in a book. Somehow she was sure this was something the men did, not the women.

  It was still not very light out. She could see the open window, pale with bluish light of dawn, but the smell of bread and some sort of meat cooking was strong. Lee was content to stay still and listen to the faint noise of work and murmur of voices and try to figure out what was happening. The sharp sounds of crockery bumping and much of the speech was clearly from the kitchen. It must be close outside the open window. It was cool in the room, but she had a blanket draped over her from behind and snuggled against Gordon, who radiated heat like the morning coals of a banked camp fire.

  A polite tapping came at the door, too polite, Gordon didn't stir at all.

  "Lights up," Lee commanded and nothing happened.

  "There isn't any general access household computer and if there were there are no lights of the sort it would control," Gordon explained, awakened. "Come in," he called, loud enough to be heard outside the door. He stretched in place.

  The young female that entered showed surprise they were sleeping together and then quickly covered it up. Her eyes remained on the window though and she seemed as surprised it was open to the chill as their sleeping arrangement.

  "Youngster, come here please," Gordon asked her nicely.

  "Have I offended you, Sire?" she asked timidly.

&nb
sp; "Not at all - daughter - he said awkwardly. Do you have a short name you want humans to use?"

  "I have never known one before, but I thought if I did I'd go by Rebecca. The short form of it, 'Becca, is nice too. I like the sound of both, if it would please you to accept that. The Mothers of course could tell me to use another, if they hear and don't care for it."

  "I don't know that I'm any sire, Rebecca. It's been fifteen years since I've been home and if I had left a legacy you'd think the dame would have told me, but I appreciate the honorific. I can tell our ways are strange to you, it was written plain on your face, even though you were entirely proper with us. I fear you'll think poorly of us. Would you like to know the why of it?"

  "I don't have any right to question you, but if you are offering freely yes. I apologize for my face. I should be old enough to control it. But why is your daughter sleeping with you like a little child that is afraid of the night? I'd think you'd want your privacy visiting home. And why do you sleep in the chill, when you have a room with a fireplace and a wood box that will be filled for you?"

  "I've been exploring on worlds that were both hot and cold and in vessels with poor environmental systems. I've grown used to ignoring it. I'm near like our ancestors that lived in the forest and were content with a pile of leaves in a hollow to winter, or a dip in the stream in the heat of the day. I have to hide how amused I am, when a youngster like you says it's chill, when there isn't even ice on the pond. It seems to me the whole clan is getting as soft as Earth Humans. As to Lee sleeping with me - would you care to tell her your story Lee, or do you want to keep it private?"

  "I can tell her," Lee volunteered, but then sat silent a moment composing herself. As she recounted it Gordon was glad to see how calm she stayed. He was afraid she wasn't ready yet, but she didn't break down, didn't cry. He hadn't heard her memory of the day recited, so it was interesting to get her viewpoint.

  The young Derf had horror grow on her face, as the tale of the dino attack progressed. "I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight, after hearing that. I'll lay there waiting for something to come snuffling around my bed and try to carry me away," she shuddered.

  "Tell your dorm mates with sufficient drama, Rebecca, and one will probably stay awake all night and keep a light going for you," Gordon laughed.

  "You don't mind if I repeat the story?"

  "No, I'd tell anyone that asked, though I might get tired of telling it. But I'm glad I told you, if it helps you not think too badly of me. If anybody feels it makes me weak to be afraid in the dark - well - if they've been in a bag with monsters trying to rip their way in to eat them - I'll accept their judgment."

  "Huh, you won't hear any more out of me. I'll stay here where First Mum's temper is all I have to worry about and leave the far roaming to you. They sent me to let you know breakfast is cooking, if you want to clean up before."

  "Thanks, I didn't think to set an alarm so we appreciate it," Gordon told her. "I'll set one to repeat every morning until we are on our way."

  "Do you know how long that will be?" Rebecca asked. "I'll let the kitchen know, so they make allowance every day and tell them if you have something special you want cooked."

  "Why? Are the bets favoring us hitting the road today, or do they give us a few days?"

  "Gordon! What a terrible thing to say!" Lee exclaimed, embarrassed.

  "Most think you'll stick around for two days, but only William thought you'd be here a week. Just a few people predicted you'd leave this morning," Rebecca admitted.

  "See? Gossip is free and everybody's hobby, Lee. Very seldom do they have this much to talk about. The high office passed and Third Mum is up for grabs. Some of the folks here have never seen a human. William doesn't commonly threaten to put the Mothers to the ax and after fifteen years just having me back home would be a topic of much discussion. They have a lot to talk about."

  "Just having someone back home, who has been away to work for cash in Fish Town for a couple years is a big deal," Rebecca assured them. She looked at the closed door like somebody might overhear and dropped her voice. "Nobody here would ever dare speak to the senior Mum like you did, right or wrong, much less intimate it within their thoughts to shoot her dead. More than a few are scared of you now, for all you're a tiny thing. Not to mention you had the Great Champion proclaim Himself kin. Good for you girl! I have to go set the lanterns out to charge, but I'll see you at breakfast," she said and hurried out.

  "So, you'd have some females volunteering to cozy up with you if you didn't have me to baby sit," Lee observed after Rebecca left. "I didn't know how Derf handled such things," she said, with a vague uncomfortable wave of the hand. "I can sleep by myself if you want your privacy, like Rebecca seemed to expect." The whole thing was obviously a bit embarrassing to her.

  "Lee, you are just old enough to be aware of such things, but still too young to understand how it works in Human or Derf society. When you are older we'll talk about it. But you aren't stopping me from doing anything. If I wanted to accept the offers any visiting clan member get, I could find time in the day to go off someplace private. The sort who might interest me aren't tied to working in the field all day. Derf aren't all that different than humans from my experience and talking to your folks. They are just a bit more matter of fact about it. The way things have gone, I'm just as happy to stay too busy and tied up to accept any offers," he said shaking his head.

  "It would take forever to explain the social dynamics, but such favors don't come without obligations. It gives the Mothers a big lever to pressure you to increase your support of the clan substantially. Or even try to tell you to take a break from the outside world and come back home for a decade or so to help raise your cub."

  "It's nice to be home after years, but I'm thinking a week is about as much nostalgia as I can stand. You see how the Mothers try to keep everybody firmly under thumb. You want to hang around here for a few years, to learn all the politics and fit into this big happy family?"

  Lee thought about how everybody tippy-toed around the Mothers and fled in terror when the First Mum displayed some temper. "Maybe a day short of a week would be enough. I don't even want anybody thinking we enjoyed it too much." She had a sudden thought. "Is a Derf week seven days, like humans?"

  "Yes," Gordon said, visibly amused. "The same, because weeks are a human invention we adapted. Used to be we counted season days, similar to your quarters, but once the traders set up, we got used to them saying it was Sunday, or Thursday, or whatever. They'd say something unthinking like, 'Can you get that to us by Friday?' so pretty soon we were using it too. It offended some of the older ones, but all the young people act like we've always used weeks. It's a totally artificial system for us, because we use a base twelve math."

  "The really old history dad had me study, said some of our early civilizations used base twelve and now we use base ten or two. I don't know where anybody came up with seven."

  "Maybe it was just as long as anyone could work really hard without needing a day off," Gordon speculated. "Come on, I'll show you the community bath house and make sure you don't drown getting washed up," Gordon promised.

  A naked human drew astonished stares, but Lee didn't mind. She knew she must look ridiculous to them, with all her bare skin. In the morning chill fur seemed like a pretty good idea. They soaped up and rinsed with a hose. The big tub looked inviting. Big enough for her to do laps even, but that was for the evening. If they lingered now they'd miss eating.

  Breakfast was a leisurely affair for about sixty, back in the big room they'd first came in when they arrived. There were almost as many serving the ones seated and a steady stream of workers going through, who grabbed a combination breakfast and lunch pail and took off to parts unknown. A few sat off by the wall and read hard copy, or in just a few cases had book readers turned on, studying the small screens. Gordon grabbed a plate and Lee copied him. They set to the side by the wall and nobody noticed or seemed to feel it a snub.

 
"If you only have the one phone, how do the people with readers get their downloads?" Lee wanted to know, seeing them used. Somebody stopped and served them meat off a platter.

  "Whoever is the First Mum uses the phone to download overnight and the workers who need crop reports, or a weather forecast, or whatever, pick up their reader and drop it off at night, to have fresh files loaded. Mum keeps a dock rack on the one computer like a small office would use." Gordon said.

  "It can't cost that much to have five or six sat phones and spread the work around. I mean you must have school lessons to load and people will want music and entertainment. How do they access the local web mirror, if they want to look something up?"

  "If you need to research something you ask one of the Mothers and if they agree they will do a search and print the results out for you. It's the same with school lessons. They find what material they deem suitable and have hard copy lessons printed out. Some things like math, they will save the hard copy and use them several years. Some things they make their own lesson plans. A lot of teaching here is like an apprenticeship. You work under an experienced master to learn a trade and if you don't need calculus to make roof tiles, you don't get it."

  There was some sort of grilled vegetables and a bowl of hot cereal that appeared at her elbow. Lee could see they stopped serving you, if you pushed your plate to the center of the table.

  "But what if you just want to explore from one link to another and find interesting stuff?"

  "Data service as entertainment, is something the Mothers would find too foreign to imagine. It has to serve some purpose the household needs. Maybe two or three of these youngsters will go to university and they will study something like accounting or agricultural science, that the family needs. They school those kids extra, but if somebody is going to be a hunter or a carpenter, they go to work after about six years of schooling."