by Sharon Rose
Hrndl gasped. “No!” she cried, dashing for the door. “I will not let her.”
Dhgnr stepped between her and the door. “You are doing exactly what I feared.”
“Get out of my way!”
“You will only cause harm if you interfere now. The decision is Kena’s, not yours.”
For an instant, she considered thrusting him aside. But he would grasp her and, oh, what then? She couldn’t allow physical contact. She spun away to pace the room.
“Was the urgent call to Metchell for Kena?” Hrndl demanded. “How do you know what she is doing?”
“She invited me to stay and talk with her,” Dhgnr said. “I sent for Metchell because I felt the conversation was leading her close to a relapse. I was wrong.” He inclined his head. “But when Metchell arrived, she asked him to stay with her while she records the memory.”
Hrndl stopped pacing and regarded him through narrowed eyes. “So, now there will be proof. Which removes my need for your support before the Council. Oh, yes, I see. That does change things, doesn’t it? Now, you can become one of my suitors.”
He frowned, slow to answer. “Yes.”
“And to accomplish this”—her voice rumbled—“you led Kena right up to a relapse. The very thing I have tried so hard to avoid. In fact, she’s probably having a relapse right now. You have intentionally harmed my coordination partner so that you may court me.”
“No, Hrndl. You misunderstand.”
“How can you possibly think I will ever look at you again? How dare you even come here?”
Dhgnr’s voice grated, his calm swept away. “You are lunging at false assumptions. Do you want to know what really happened, or would you rather cling to your imagined version?”
“Must you insult me, too?” Her façade slipped, allowing her voice to crack.
The heat left his brow, and his back relaxed. “Have I said something worse than what you just flung at me?” His voice steadied. “Hrndl, I am only trying to get you to listen. If I cannot speak to you as a friend, then I must speak to you as a khn. You need this conversation. Try to calm yourself…please!”
As he did? Far beyond calm, that emotion she heard in his voice. No, she must not mislead herself. Hrndl sank onto the end of the sofa, at the extreme edge of the seat.
Dhgnr took the opposite chair, watching her. She averted her face, but not so far she couldn’t see him.
“I didn’t lead the conversation with Kena,” he said, “and we weren’t talking about Frethan or Krdn at first. She wanted to know how Grfdn females coordinate during courtship.” He slid his hands back and forth on the armrests of the chair. “The conversation was—surprising. It turned quickly. All of a sudden, she wanted to know why you needed my support in bringing a charge before the Judgment Council. Perhaps you would have realized where she was taking this, but I did not. Then, she conceived the idea of bringing the charge herself.”
Hrndl faced him with a gasp and widened eyes. “No! She must not. She’ll—”
He nodded. “My reaction, exactly. I intended to convince her that she shouldn’t take such a risk. She started to think about what it would entail. That’s when I sent for Metchell. She asked if the lack of proof was the reason why your charge was likely to fail. I tried, Hrndl, to get her off this line of thought, but she refused to let it go until I answered her.”
“What then?”
“I told her that it was, and then she…well, she just leaned back and relaxed. It cannot be denied, she is extremely proficient at her technique. When Metchell arrived, she told him she wanted to record her memory.”
“And he agreed to that?” she asked, incredulous.
“Yes, but…” Dhgnr shifted and propped his weight on his knees. “The reason she gave him had nothing to do with needing proof for charging Krdn. It seemed to be a product of her thoughts about…I suppose, about hearing anyone question when Frethan died. She argued that it would be better to face one relapse than to risk multiple, unexpected relapses.” He leaned back. “I don’t pretend to know whether that’s a valid argument, but Metchell seemed to accept it. He questioned her, making sure she understood the ramifications, and then he agreed to help her. That’s when he asked me to come to you.”
Hrndl rose and took a few steps, clasping her hands until the knuckles whitened. “Oh, if only you had let me go at once, I might have been able to stop this.”
He, too, stood. He took her gently by the arms and turned her to face him. “Hrndl, I strongly doubt the wisdom of that. I wondered, at first, if her reason was to support you. But in the end, I think she was motivated as much by her own needs as by yours.”
Hrndl only shook her head, each movement causing it to hang lower. So aware of his touch, yet so awash with memory of what Kena had experienced—was experiencing—she couldn’t even respond to him.
Dhgnr waited.
She needed to say something…or do something. She had no idea what. The moment escaped her grasp.
He slid his hands up to her shoulders. His voice changed again…dulled. “In one way, you were right, at the beginning. This does not necessarily change your own decision. If you insist, as khn, I will support your rights to Metchell.”
Hrndl’s shoulders stopped moving beneath his hands as her breath caught. A stillness like death. Even though he was free to court her, he would tell Metchell to remove her ovary? Air escaped through her constricted throat.
He jerked at the sound, as though he’d been straining against bands that finally snapped. He clamped his freed arms around her, crushing her against his chest. “I dread you asking that of me!”
Hrndl melted into his embrace, her breath fast and panting.
He loosened his grip. “Hrndl, are you all right?”
“I…I don’t know. I didn’t sleep at all last night. I’m—I’m so exhausted, I just can’t—”
He supported her with one arm and used the other hand to tilt her face upward.
She turned tired eyes up to his and gazed without restraint. His eyes tilted. She leaned onto his arm, so completely, she would have fallen if his strength failed. Her weight seemed to tug his eyes into the highest smile she’d ever seen on him.
“Then I had better get you rested tonight. I’m taking you to your quarters. And don’t worry, I won’t let the fools disturb you.”
Hrndl let him lead her there, tucked within the haven of his embrace all the way.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Hrndl arrived at Kena’s quarters early the next morning. She paused just inside the door, concern in her eyes.
Kena answered her unspoken question with a smile. “I’m fine. I slept like a baby all night. Most of the evening, too, now that I think of it. Sorry to have deserted you. How was your evening?”
Hrndl’s eyelids dropped, but she couldn’t stop their corners from rising. “It started dreadfully and ended delightfully.”
“Excellent!”
“Kena—I must ask you something. I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”
“I suppose that explains why you’re still standing over by the door as though you don’t know you’re welcome. I hope you don’t intend to stay there, because I’m not ready.” Kena turned back into her sleeping room and went to the mirror.
Hrndl followed her and leaned against the doorframe.
“What is this thing I may not like?” Kena asked as she combed her hair.
“Well, in a way, it’s something you’ve already been doing. But things have changed a little…a lot, in fact. I need to formally ask if you will coordinate with me through the end of my courtship.”
Kena laid her comb aside and hid her grin by searching for a pair of earrings in one of the dresser’s compartments. “Certainly, my dear. No, I have that wrong. I should have said beyond doubt.” She met Hrndl’s eyes in the mirror as she put an earring in. “If we’re going to coordinate, though, you can’t leave me guessing. You’ll have to tell me what you need, whether it’s taboo or not.”
“I
realized that last night. First of all, I’m down to the last few days, so I need you to stay with me when I’m not in my quarters. Dhgnr has been doing that lately when you weren’t available, but he is not…His perception can no longer be considered…uh…impartial.”
Kena laughed. “Hrndl, you look so coy. I had no idea you could even make such an expression.”
Hrndl assumed her most dignified posture, but her eyes still smiled. “Second, when I have made my decision, I will need you to tell my other suitors.”
“Ooh. Won’t they love to hear that from me!”
“No, they won’t,” Hrndl said. “That’s why I thought you wouldn’t like this. As soon as we get to the dining hall, I’m going to tell them I’ve asked you for courtship coordination. They must respect whatever you say. But I don’t think anyone has ever asked this of a non-Grfdn.”
“I see,” Kena said dryly. “Do I have to break the news to them in private?”
“No, but neither I nor my accepted suitor should be present. The others won’t appreciate a public statement, but you needn’t be completely alone with them.”
“That’s good. Do you need to be released from duty?”
“Not now. That would be awful! I intend to stay as busy as I possibly can. I’ve already requested simulation time for us this morning. I’m sure we’ll be in astro after that.”
“This is so confusing,” Kena said as she closed the dresser’s cover. “I thought I was supposed to make sure you’re with your suitors. Now, you’ve planned the day so as to avoid them.”
“Not exactly. They can still come to me if they want to—if they are off duty.” Hrndl repositioned her computer on her belt. “It so happens, Dhgnr is off duty today.”
Kena leaned against her dresser with her arms folded. “What a coincidence that he has an extra day off at this particular time.”
Hrndl uttered her gargling laugh and walked back into the sitting room. Kena followed.
“Once I tell them you’re providing courtship coordination,” Hrndl said, “you have a certain degree of authority over them. If you object to their courtship behavior, you are to demand that they stop immediately.”
Kena raised her brows. “And if they don’t?”
Hrndl’s eyes narrowed, and her low voice rumbled. “They wouldn’t dare!”
As soon as Kena and Hrndl sat down at the Grfdn table for first meal, Hrndl made her statement.
Kena watched Rnl’s reaction. What would or wouldn’t he dare?
He threw her a contemptuous glance. “There is no reason to bring a non-Grfdn into matters of courtship.”
“It is Hrndl’s prerogative, not yours,” Dhgnr said. “If you want to dispute it, you will need to state your complaint to a female khn. Since Hrndl now has a companion, I have decided to court her.”
Second meal increased Kena’s concerns. Hrndl went immediately to the lavish feast spread across her table—plenty to sate the appetite of a troop, or of one mating female. Dhgnr and Rnl sat on either side of her. Kena selected her own meal from the buffet and turned around in time to see Rnl’s hand slide up Hrndl’s back. She jerked and arched her spine. Dhgnr twisted around to see, his sneer transforming his face.
Kena strode to the table as the two men came to their feet, fists clenched. “Gentlemen, do not crowd Hrndl. Move to the other side.”
Dhgnr redirected his motion to step around the table, but Rnl drew himself up to full height, shoulders wide and chest thrust forward.
He was a big man. Formidable. Kena let none of these thoughts show in her eyes, which never flinched from his.
“You are ignorant,” Rnl snapped. “You have no idea what she needs. Do not interfere!”
“My concern is for Hrndl, and that she has time to eat in peace. What are you concerned about? Or perhaps I should ask, who?” Kena took the chair Dhgnr had vacated.
Rnl’s voice ground. “Hrndl, beyond doubt.” He handed her a serving dish, which she had yet to sample, and took the chair on the other side of the table.
While Rnl seethed and Dhgnr conversed with Hrndl, Frdn stared at Kena as though he was suddenly realizing she was significant.
In the hallway several minutes later, Hrndl linked her arm through Kena’s. “You were perfect, my dear!”
Kena turned her head to stare at her as they walked. “But I hardly said anything.”
“Asking Rnl what or who he cared about: you revealed a character flaw—that he was more interested in his own desire than my right to choose. That’s exactly the sort of thing a Grfdn female would say. How did you figure out what fits in my culture?”
“I didn’t figure anything out.” Warmth rose in Kena’s chest. “It’s just what I would say.”
Ghent strode through the astro section, searching for key navigators to make sure they were all present. His gaze rested on Kena for a moment, judging her condition. Hrndl murmured something to her, and Kena’s musical laughter reached Ghent’s ears. He breathed a sigh and turned his attention to Hrndl. She was looking up at Dhgnr now, her eyes tilted.
His presence was a minor infraction, since Ghent had withdrawn approval for lounging in astro section. Too much work to be done—too many people who really needed to be there. Dhgnr didn’t fit that description, but if he could keep Hrndl calm, he was welcome. So long as the other two didn’t show up and create a disturbance.
Ghent continued toward the central 3-D display area. The remnants of the two moons drifted in their erratic orbits as other objects sped by. This wasn’t a live image, but a projection of debris locations ten hours from now. Gray shading was superimposed over the blackness of space, showing density of fragments too small to see on the image. The lightest gray indicated thickest density. Two course plans ran together through a dark tunnel then forked, one path leading to the large moon and the other to the small one.
Delf glanced up as Ghent approached. “Looks more like a foggy morning than a starry night, doesn’t it?”
Ghent studied the image. “Yes, unfortunately, it does.”
“The good news,” Delf said, “is that our projections are good for 36 hours out. Don’t talk to Netlyn about it, though. She’ll tell you we’re only 19 percent accurate that far ahead. She’s such a pessimist.”
Ghent smiled, but said, “Display the sampling needs for me.”
“As you order, sir.” Delf strung the words out, reaching for his console, “But I’m only displaying an image. I had nothing to do with the sample request.”
Ghent shot him a quizzical look before turning back to the display. “What is—” He swung around to find a scientist. Betnorel had the misfortune of being nearby. “Betnorel, what is that?” Ghent demanded, pointing at the display.
The startled scientist looked up at the yellow areas spreading across large sections of the display. “Oh…well…it’s our sampling needs, sir.”
“How can you possibly need this much material? What are you trying to do? Reconstruct a moon?”
“No, no. Of course not. We just want that material dragged clear of the debris field and anchored in a safe area. Then, we’ll be able to inspect it and get the specific samples we need.”
“Oh, is that all?”
Betnorel squirmed at the choppy sarcasm. One of his colleagues tried to support him. “We understand that…”
“You understand nothing!” The room grew silent as Ghent strode to a console and swept his hands across the controls. “What I said was, we had a window of opportunity to reach the moon debris and collect samples.” Objects in the display began to move, and Ghent addressed all of the scientists. “I know this looks safe in the timeframe displayed, but look at the progression. Within 28 hours, the routes will be inundated with debris. What you have asked for will take more than a week to pull out. We have a day. Apparently, you’re used to working without time constraints. You do not have that luxury here.”
Piert, the Veet chief scientist, crossed the room while Ghent spoke. “Sorry I wasn’t here when you saw this, sir. We
don’t really want this much matter, but let me explain. The problem is, we can’t get accurate enough scans to know which specific objects we need. We can only identify the areas of highest concentrations.”
“Do you think, perhaps, you could exclude a few areas? Say, about 90 percent of them.”
“Yes, we can. But then, we risk sending the navigators into that mess for twenty-eight hours, only to have them come back with inadequate material.”
Ghent kept his lips closed, yielding nothing.
Betnorel hurried into speech, apparently trying to make at least a small sacrifice. “Well, I’m not sure who added this,” he said, pointing to one area. “It’s kind of out of the way. We can do without it and save some time.”
“Netlyn added that one,” Thrayl said.
Ghent looked at her. “Reason?”
Leaning against a table with her arms folded, she said, “It has a high concentration of benzlium.”
“Ah. I’m glad someone considers energy sources. The benzlium will be brought back in the first collection run. As for the rest, the sample size must be reduced. Netlyn, can you help them with their scans?”
“I already have. I’ve also trained several of them in refined techniques, and I’ve checked their work. Even I can’t get better isolation in all that chaos. There’s only one way to do it.”
“Well?” Ghent prompted.
Netlyn walked slowly forward, perhaps thinking her idea would gain little favor. “We go in close to the clusters, scan at short range, choose our samples based on the new data, and then drag them out.”
Delf shook his head. “We’d have to devote too many navigators to scanning. With all the time that’ll consume, and with so few of us piloting, we won’t get nearly as much as they actually need. You must know that, Netlyn.”
“I can calculate the numbers as well as you can, but I’m not leaving out a significant portion of the crew. Think beyond the navigators. They aren’t the only people on the Ontrevay capable of scanning.”
“Are you suggesting we bring scientists with us to scan?” Kena asked.