He wasn't able to hide his smile. “She must have been very angry to do this."
Cathy didn't answer. She was still shivering feverishly under the fur blanket. How cold was it outside anyway? Minus twenty? It certainly seemed like it. What was Atuk thinking? Throwing her out in the cold like that. How did she do that anyway? The one minute she was at the stopover and then in Atuk's Hall and then she was out in the cold. Literally.
She felt Karu's yellow eyes on her, and wondered why he seemed so relaxed. The cold probably didn't have much of an effect on him, seeing he had that thick fur to protect him.
He disappeared for a few minutes, returning with something in his hand. He held it out to her. “Drink this. It will return the heat to your body."
She glanced at the steaming mug and shook her head. There was no way she could hold the mug even if she wanted to. Her hands were too numb. He nodded as if he understood, and carefully held the mug as she drank a few sips. It had a bitter, burning taste, but she could feel the warmth spreading as it glided down her throat into her stomach. It made her feel almost instantly warmer. After a few more sips, her teeth stopped chattering and he put the empty mug down next to her.
“This stuff really works. What is it?” she asked inquisitively.
He smiled mischievously. “We call it a sunstog. Would you like some more?"
She nodded eagerly. “Yes, please.” After the first few sips, the taste didn't matter that much anymore.
He got up to make her another drink, and returned just as there was a loud banging at the door. Seemingly puzzled, he went to answer it.
Moments later both Anya and Eqin came stumbling in. They were covered in snow and the tip of Anya's nose was bright red. She rubbed her hands frantically. “C-c-c-Cathy, w-w-we thought y-y-you'd...” She stopped mid-sentence and flopped down directly next to fireplace, putting her hands almost into the log fire. Karu threw a blanket over her shoulders, and Cathy couldn't help but notice that his hand seemed to linger a bit longer on Anya's shoulder than it should. Then he turned to hand a blanket to Eqin who had slumped down next to Cathy. Without saying a word, she handed Eqin her mug to take a sip.
He pulled his face as he brought the mug to his lips. “What is this stuff?"
She grinned. “Drink it. It will make you feel warmer."
Karu had brought a mug for Anya and sat down with them next to the open fire.
Now she was feeling warmer, Cathy looked around the room. It was different from what she'd encountered elsewhere on the planet—much more primitive and yet pleasantly welcoming. The rugged furniture, furs and open fire reminded her of Earth and she felt a twinge of homesickness. At least there was no vindictive Atuk to throw her out in the snow to fend for herself.
“Where are we?” she asked.
Karu glanced at her. “We're outside the Sanctuary."
“But it's so cold..."
“It's winter."
“But it's warm and cosy at the Sanctuary...” She couldn't figure this out. How could two places so close together have such different climates? She'd heard that the cities were climate-controlled, but she hadn't been aware that the Sanctuary was climate-controlled too.
Eqin, who hadn't said much, frowned. He seemed more relaxed than when he came stumbling into Karu's house. He turned to the creature and asked, “Who are you anyway?"
“I am Karu."
Anya looked at him curiously. “You're Karu? What were you doing at Regnos Navis?"
Cathy felt strangely relaxed and looked suspiciously at her mug. She was convinced that this sunstog was some type of alcoholic drink. And a strong one too. She could feel it taking effect, making her feel warm and secure.
Anya put her mug on the floor next to her. “What happened back there?"
Cathy shook her head, and shrugged her shoulders. “Don't know. Atuk somehow returned me to the Sanctuary, but she was unhappy with me for having disobeyed her. So she threw me into this ... this ... uh ... place. I had to promise that I would never disobey her again."
“And did you?"
“Does it look like I did?"
The other two shook their heads seriously. No, clearly she hadn't.
Anya nodded solemnly. “She said nothing to us. Just threw us out into the damned cold. She knows how much I hate the cold."
Eqin leaned back in the chair and took another sip from his mug. “Yeah, she was pissed off, and I don't even know her."
“I thought my goose was cooked!” Cathy took another sip of the drink. It tasted good. The bitter taste seemed to have gone, and although she knew it was some sort of alcohol, she couldn't really care.
“We thought your goose was cooked too!” Eqin concurred.
The three burst out laughing, but Anya lifted her hand and looked gravely at Eqin. “Well, Commander, now that you are officially running from the authorities—how about officially joining the Resistance?"
Eqin seemed puzzled. “What Resistance?"
“The Resistance to the Algidan rule,” Anya said solemnly.
“What do they do?"
“They resist,” quipped Cathy.
Anya started giggling uncontrollably. “That's funny. They resist."
Eqin nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I think I can do that—resist. It doesn't sound too complicated."
Anya slapped him on the shoulder and he nearly spilled his drink. “Good, then you are now officially a member of the Resistance.” She turned to Cathy. “What about you?"
Cathy's expression was grim. “Can't join. I'm the Chosen One, remember?"
“Oh. Yeah. Right.” Anya had a serious expression on her face. “I forgot that."
“But you can always choose me to be a member,” Cathy offered helpfully.
Eqin held up his mug. “Cathy, we choose you to be a member."
Cathy smiled brightly. “Well, thank you!"
“Let's drink on that!” Eqin announced. Then he thought of something and turned to Karu. “What about you?"
“What about me?"
“Aren't you joining us?"
“I'm a Caretaker."
“It doesn't matter,” Anya said encouragingly. “You can be both."
Karu seemed to think about it. “I'm not really a team sort of person."
Cathy smiled. “That's okay. Neither are we."
Eqin frowned. “We're not? I thought we were a pretty good team back there."
Anya nodded. “Yes, I thought so too."
“I guess we were then.” Cathy held up her mug. “Let's drink on that!” Then she noticed that Karu didn't have a drink and puckered her brow. “Where's your drink?"
His yellow eyes had a hint of amusement in them. “I never touch that stuff."
“Yeah, right. So why is it in your house?” Even in her inebriated state, she knew that he couldn't possibly be serious. “Get yourself a drink so we can celebrate our union."
He hesitated for a moment, and then smiled. Moments later he was back with a mug similar to theirs. She nodded approvingly and held up her mug again. “Very good! Now let's drink on us all being members of the Resistance!” Then she thought of something. “Wait, wait. We should drink on us all being chosen ones and on being leaders in the Resistance. And on Atuk being such a complete pain in the arse for punishing us like this!"
“Good point!” the others chorused.
Then the four clinked their mugs and burst out laughing.
The sound of their laughter travelled through the tiny dwelling and out into the snow-swept plains, only to be drowned out by the howling wind.
Outside, seemingly unaffected by the wind and snow, stood the lone figure of an ancient woman. She stood motionless for a long time as if listening to the laughing inside the dwelling. A brief smile seemed to reach her eyes. Then there was a flash of light and she was gone.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Petra was born in the Netherlands, but spent her formative years in Germany and South Africa respectively. She now lives and works in Au
ckland, New Zealand (sometimes referred to as ‘Middle Earth') where she teaches at AUT University. The unique backdrop provided by the ‘City of Sails', with its volcanic cones and surrounding ocean, provides an inspirational and supportive setting for her science fiction and fantasy writing.
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Alien Genes 1: Daughter of Atuk Page 29