The Black Sky

by Michael Dalton

  I turned to Meridrian.

  “Start backing up,” I said quietly.

  The line began stepping backwards, forming a half-circle around me, Lorelat, and Mereceeree.

  “I could help here,” Mereceeree said quietly.

  “Possibly. But I’m not ready to show you just yet.”

  The cunelo began following us slowly. I backed us around the corner and toward the alley.

  “Quicker now. Normal pace.”

  We began moving more quickly. The cunelo appeared in a few seconds, with the officer in the lead.

  “If you follow us into this alley,” I shouted at her, “I will order them to shoot. If we see you again, they shoot. Starting with you. Don’t force me.”

  The cunelo slowed down, pulling up short of the alley entrance.

  “This isn’t the end of this!” the officer shouted.

  I kept backing us up until we turned another corner and moved out of sight. Then I had the group double-time back to the house.

  ◆◆◆

  When we reached the house, I could see many of my wives up on the balconies waiting for us. They began yelling as we approached. I saw Merindra and Ayarala jumping up and down waving.

  The crowd parted before us, and the guards opened the gate. As we entered the compound, the guards inside began shouting and waving their weapons in the air.

  “Makalang! Makalang! Makalang!”

  The crowd took up the chant, even though most of them likely had no idea what was going on. The guards who had stayed behind embraced the ones who had come with me, who in turn cheered and shouted to each other, then screamed triumphantly at the crowd and my wives above. The crowd and wives screamed back at them.

  Eladra and Merindra appeared from the house, running for Lorelat. They all came together in a group embrace. Then Ayarala and Kisarat joined them, all of them crying in joy.

  I found Meridrian and hugged her roughly.

  “You did good.”

  She hugged me back.

  “You are a strong leader, my tsulygoi. I am proud to follow you.”

  “Come see me tonight.”

  She laughed against my chest.

  “I will.”

  Chapter 16

  We had been back less than an hour when a guard came to me in the office.

  “My tsulygoi, there is a messenger here from the leader of the cunelo.”

  I scoffed.

  “Of course there is.”

  I got up and followed her downstairs. We found a cunelo who was not as brave she was trying to appear.

  “What?” I said.

  She thrust a folded sheet of paper toward me.

  “I can’t read that, and you know it. How about you read it for me?”

  She quavered.

  “Makalang, this message is for you alone.”

  I snatched it from her.

  “Fine. Go.”

  I found Ayarala, who was up in our bedroom with Lorelat and the others. I tossed the message at her.

  “It seems Loreloo has some thoughts about today’s events. Tell me what it says.”

  She opened it and scanned the message.

  “She requests a meeting.”

  “Is that it?”

  “Yes.”

  I looked around at the six of them.

  “Thoughts?”

  “She has to be really, really pissed off,” Eladra said.

  Lorelat laughed. “Obviously.”

  “We need to resolve this somehow, Will,” Kisarat said.

  “I’m frankly unclear on what I need to say to her,” I replied.

  “It’s not just us, though,” Ayarala said. “The girls who were killed yesterday were of all the clans.”

  “Almost,” Mereceeree said.

  Ayarala glanced at her. “Yes. I am sorry.”

  “How are you still awake?” I asked Mereceeree.

  “Do you really think I can sleep at a time like this? For the makalang, you are remarkably dense when it comes to the emotional state of your wives.”

  The rest of them laughed. Then Kisarat put her hand on Mereceeree’s shoulder.

  “You should rest, awasa-late.”

  “I can tell from just two days with this family that I will need to adjust my nocturnal ways. I am fine.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Okay. So what do we do?”

  “I think you should request a meeting of all the clan leaders,” Merindra said. Then she looked at Mereceeree. “All of them.”

  The mirth left Mereceeree’s eyes.

  “My mother will never leave our home and our people. She sent me here to deal with such things.”

  “Could you attend in her place?” I asked.

  “Possibly. I must speak with her.”

  “Call the meeting,” I said to Ayarala. “Whether or not she attends, or the panikang reveal themselves, we can decide later.”

  I looked around at six faces. None of them objected.

  “I will do it,” Ayarala said.

  ◆◆◆

  She sent out the request. But within an hour, another guard came to get me when I was in the bedroom sitting with Lorelat and Eladra. Mereceeree had finally gone to sleep, and the others were elsewhere in the house.

  From the look on her face, I knew my day was about to get worse.

  “My tsulygoi . . . the clan leader of the cunelo is here to speak with you.”

  “By herself?”

  “She brought only her second.”

  I looked at Eladra.

  “Gear up.” She stood and went for her things. I looked back at the guard. “I will see her in the third-floor sitting room.”

  When the others had left, I pulled Lorelat to me. She cuddled against my chest.

  “There is no force on this planet that will take you away from me again, bunny-girl. But I think you should be at this meeting. Just to make things clear.”

  “If you think so, Will.”

  When Eladra was ready, we went downstairs. I found Loreloo waiting for us, with a single cunelo solider who glared at me murderously.

  When they saw Lorelat, both their eyes swelled.

  “You bring her to this meeting? Her?” Loreloo said.

  “It concerns her, does it not?”

  Loreloo took a moment or two to compose herself.

  “In part, I suppose. But not in whole. She is not why I came.”

  “She’s staying here. That’s not negotiable. If you try to take her from me again, there will be blood. I held back this time. I won’t do it the next.”

  She took a deep breath and exhaled.

  “I concede to this. She may remain here. And I will make no further efforts to remove your cunelo wives.”

  I had not expected this. I looked at Lorelat, who seemed equally stunned. I motioned to her, and she left.

  “Then why are you here?”

  “I seek to resolve this tension between our clans.”

  “Are you talking about yesterday?”

  “That, and the rest of it. The cunelo are being pressured by the other clans. I must defend my position with you. Absent something I will discuss at the meeting later, I insist on fair representation amongst your wives. That my people are more fertile than the linyang, and the others, is not my concern.”

  “It is a concern of theirs. What is your explanation for yesterday?”

  “I sent the guards with that group of girls only because of the size of the crowd, and the reactions they have encountered previously. Many in the crowd are upset at the cunelo because more of them are with child. I only sought to protect the girls I sent. But the group was surrounded and attacked. The guards panicked. Their reaction was unacceptable, but, I hope you agree, understandable. They have already been punished. I have reached out to the other clans about this. I am sure this will be a subject of this meeting you have called. I only want to convince you that I seek no conflict between us.”

  “One of my guards is dead.”

  “As are two o
f mine.”

  We stared at each other for a few moments.

  “The last thing I want is to spark a war between the clans,” I said.

  “We are in complete agreement on that. My only desire here is to have you put as many of my people with children as possible.”

  I weighed my next words very carefully.

  “Then why the bombings?”

  Her eyebrows went up.

  “What?”

  “The Black Sky. Someone is trying very hard to stir up conflict. Someone who seems to want to weaken the linyang. Who seems to have some specific grievances with them.”

  I watched Loreloo struggle through several reactions.

  “You accuse me of being behind this?”

  “I know that the last few bombings have not been like the first. I know that these attacks have been aimed at provoking Ceriniat.”

  “And why should I want to do that? You, who are so obsessed with your ‘bunny-girls,’ to the point of doing what you did today? You seem to understand so little about us. We want nothing more than for all the clans to live in peace! What would we have to gain from attacking the strongest clan in Phan-garad?”

  And then, at last, I saw it. And everything made sense.

  ◆◆◆

  I had called the meeting, so the clan leaders came to me. Loreloo and I remained in the sitting room as the others arrived, Ceriniat of the linyang, Missok of the dwenda, Uhagian of the talalong, and Varycibe of the sorai, each with their second. I sent Eladra away and asked Merindra to stand with me.

  When they were all in the central area, with our seconds behind, I stood.

  “I called this meeting for two reasons. The first is to discuss what happened outside my home yesterday. Loreloo has been in contact with all of you about this. Your discussions with her are your business. My goal here is to give this incident some context, because I want it to end here. I do not want it to cause any further strife.”

  “Twelve dead,” Uhagian said. “For what?”

  “Yes,” I said. “For what? Why did it happen? We could blame the guards for panicking, and put all responsibility for this on Loreloo. That would be easy, and it would be wrong. Because the final responsibility for this rests with me.”

  The other four all grumbled softly, looking at Loreloo, then back at me.

  “How so?” Missok asked.

  “Because those girls out there are here for the makalang. They’re here for me. And I have, in retrospect, done nothing to control that crowd. I have actually done quite a bit to stir it up, and keep its attention focused on me. And that’s why those girls reacted the way they did when Loreloo’s guards tried to force their way in.”

  “Which they should not have done,” Ceriniat said.

  “As I have expressed to all you,” Loreloo said. “I take full responsibility for their lack of discipline. And recompense will be made to the families of every girl who was killed. I know that will not bring them back. So instead, I will consent for each clan to send two additional wives here to the makalang for each girl who was lost. And I will consent for that ratio to be maintained until two additional children are born to each clan.”

  The others looked around and slowly nodded.

  “I accept that,” Varycibe said. The others murmured agreement.

  “So we may put this behind us?” I asked.

  “So it seems,” Ceriniat said. “What is the other matter?”

  “The Black Sky bombings. I have two things to say here. The first is that the panikang have nothing to do with it.”

  All of them, save one, objected, speaking over each other until I held up my hands.

  “How do you know this?” Ceriniat asked. “How do you state this with such certainty when we have yet to apprehend any of them?”

  I motioned to Merindra, who had been waiting for this. She went to the door.

  “Because I have seen, far more than any of you, what my true purpose is here. Because I know who the panikang are. Because I have been to the mountains and met with their clan leader. And because, in the spirit of the six clans that some of you have forgotten, I have taken a panikang as wife.”

  As I spoke, Mereceeree entered the room in her long cloak. And when I finished, she opened it and let it fall to the floor.

  The entire room erupted in confusion and outrage. All of them were shouting over each other. I stood there calmly until the initial shock started to subside.

  “If any of you object, tell me why.”

  Ceriniat spluttered. “Because – because – because they left Phan-garad generations ago!”

  “And how do you know this?”

  “Where have they been?”

  “We live by night,” Mereceeree said, “and we do not wish to be seen.”

  “The panikang are still here,” I said, “but they are not the creatures you fear. Their aims are the same as mine, to save this world from itself. To restore its life and fertility. And they have nothing to do with the Black Sky.”

  “If not them, then who is behind the bombings?” Uhagian asked.

  I took a deep breath and looked around the room.

  “I know who it is. But I’m not going to tell you.”

  Again they erupted in protest. Again I stood there dispassionately until they started to calm down.

  “It doesn’t matter. The bombings are over.”

  I didn’t actually know this for an absolute certainty, yet, but I had to act like I did. Not just for the other four, but for the one of them who knew very well what I was talking about.

  “How do you know this?” Ceriniat shrieked.

  “Because I do. And because the bombings were never what all of you seem to think they were.”

  “You will tell us nothing?” Varycibe asked.

  “Later, perhaps, when it no longer matters. Not now. If I’m wrong about any of this, if the bombings start again, you’re all free to seek restitution for my mistake here.”

  There was more bickering for few moments before I held up my hand.

  “I’m done. I have said everything I intend to. If any of you have other issues to raise, do it now.”

  I could tell we weren’t entirely done here, but none of them said anything more.

  ◆◆◆

  I asked one of them to stay when the others left. Merindra followed me back into the sitting room.

  “The bombings have to be over,” I said. “I think you know that.”

  “How did you know?” Varycibe asked. “I’m curious.”

  “It was several things. I think the others might have figured it out, had they known what I do, that being the truth about the bombings that happened before you decided to exploit them for your own ends.”

  An eyebrow went up.

  “And you know this truth?”

  “I do. It was pure happenstance, and I’ll say nothing more about it. But knowing it, the rest of it became clear.”

  “Go on.”

  “For a time, I was convinced it was the cunelo, which makes little sense, I know. But you’re aware that Loreloo and I have been butting heads for the past sampar or two."

  “Yes.”

  “Then it occurred to me. Who would most benefit from weakening the strongest clan in the city? Who would benefit from driving Ceriniat into a blind rage by destroying the Tower of Starlight? Who would benefit by thereby distracting her from more mundane matters, like how many linyang wives I took and how many linyang children were being conceived?”

  She nodded.

  “But there are others who would, as well.”

  “True. And I recall how you objected to Ceriniat’s desire to investigate the panikang. But I began to wonder if that objection was purely strategic.”

  “She would have been suspicious had I agreed too easily.”

  “Precisely. And I asked myself, who has been most focused on securing me as an ally? Who has been most focused on ingratiating herself with me? Who, while Ceriniat has been preoccupied with finding the strongest warr
iors to mate, while Loreloo has been quibbling about numbers and where my pregnant wives live, has been scouring her clan for the most beautiful sorai she could find?”

  Varycibe smiled.

  “Convenient, I suppose, that one of those was my own granddaughter.”

  “And it was remembering something Merindra said to me a while back that convinced me.”

  “Which was what?”

  “‘My grandmother is no one to be trifled with. Never forget that gracious smile is made of teeth.’”

  Varycibe looked over my shoulder, scowling.

  “Be still, child. You honor your clan and your tsulygoi. You have twice the cunning I had at your age. Hold your head high.”

  Whatever expression of Merindra’s had drawn Varycibe’s scorn seemed to pass. Varycibe looked back at me.

  “What will you do?”

  “Provided the bombings have ceased, nothing. The genius of your plan, it seems, is that I do need you as an ally. So we will move past this.”

  The wily old fox at the head of the sorai smiled and nodded.

  “So we will. And I will take more care with you in the future, makalang.”

  ◆◆◆

  When Varycibe was gone, I went over to Merindra. She couldn’t meet my gaze at first.

  “I’m sorry I had to do that to you. But I needed you there. You know it would have gone differently with Ayarala, or Eladra, or any of the others.”

  She nodded, then looked up, pulling herself together.

  “You are my tsulygoi, Will. It hurt, but I know why you had to do it. She has more respect for me now.”

  “I love you, and I need you. And every single moment you’re in my life is a gift.”

  She leaned against me. I reached up to scratch her ears. She took my hand and put it on her stomach. I felt our child inside of her.

  “With you as a mom, she’s going to be a killer,” I said.

  Merindra laughed softly.

  “Believe it.”

  ◆◆◆

  My other wives had decided amongst themselves to give me a night alone with Lorelat. But when I explained what I’d promised Meridrian, all of them, Lorelat included, insisted I go to her first. So I did.

  It was kind of funny, really. Minus the ears and tail, Meridrian was exactly the sort of woman I’d have been happy to date back on Earth: fit, athletic, and good-looking in an absolute sense. It was just around my other wives that she kind of disappeared. Unlike Narilora’s black tresses, her hair was a mix of dark brown to light brown, exactly like the coat of a tabby cat. She had a pretty nice body, smooth and hard, tight little butt, soft breasts that almost filled up my hands.