Food rationing was in effect, for the vast food storehouses of the star ships were being filled. Enumeration of the population was almost complete. Each individual member of both races carried and guarded his assignment card, for it meant life. On all five of the worlds, practice evacuations were being carried out to familiarize the people with the methods of loading.
Loading would be a lengthy and complicated process. Miaree, burdened with the endless details of office and carrying, along with all her race, the sadness of the coming departure, left details of that massive operation to the Evacuation Committee. She was only one female. She could not attend personally to all details.
She thanked God for the strength and vitality of the Delanian men, for without them the work would never have been accomplished. Outnumbering Artonuee males by almost six to one, they bore the main burden of labor.
It was not a time for crisis, but then crisis has never been possessed of a conscience, and when the Delanian women began their revolt there was nothing to do but deal with it.
It began on Five. Led by Untell, who had once worked with the builder Bertt, mobs of women paraded past government houses demanding change.
Miaree considered the spokeswoman’s demands.
"For too long have we, the flower of Delanian womanhood, suffered at the hands of the shameless Artonuee females. Our men, lured into liaison with the Artonuee, have all but deserted us. We face a long journey into the unknown, and we refuse to undertake this journey in the company of Artonuee females who, because of the peculiarities of their anatomy, are such attractive temptation for our men. We demand total segregation of races aboard the star ships."
"A bunch of featherheads," said Argun in conference. "This protest is an isolated event and will pass. Our races work too well together to allow a few hotheads to spoil the partnership which has developed."
"They are your women." Miaree said. "I bow to your knowledge of them."
However, as the situation worsened, she was forced to reconsider. A half-million Delanian women stormed Government Quad, threw stones through the viewers of the buildings, severely mauled members of the guard.
It was the same on all inhabited planets. Everywhere Delanian women rose up, demanding that the relationship between Artonuee females and Delanians be sundered aboard the star fleet.
"Oh, Darling." Miaree said, in the privacy of her dwelling. "It would mean—"
"They will not force us to part." Rei said. "But your own president often states that a leader cannot ask something of his people which he himself would not share. How could I tear my sisters from their lovers and, in all conscience, remain with you?"
"There will be a way," Rei said, closing her lips with his.
To placate the Delanian women (whose activities were throwing the overall plan out of balance, delaying the plantings of the fuplee trees in their assigned ships, forcing cancellation of practice loadings) the joint governments of the two races announced that racial integrity was to be maintained aboard the fleet.
To give her forlorn sisters hope—for they were, she knew, as devastated as she—the Mother announced, "New worlds will be found. There the two races will live side by side. In times of peace and plenty, the harsh measures required by present-day conditions will doubtless be rescinded."
With Belle, Overlady of Outworld, Miaree considered the problem of space for the treasure stores of Artonuee art.
"Sadly," she told Belle, "we are forced to abandon much. For you see, the building program has been slowed by the lack of materials. The accelerated approach of the Fires has caught us short. I weep to think of the necessity to leave the paintings of Janlee and Peeri. We must pick and choose, dear Belle, and control our emotions, for is not life the important thing? Would you trade one life, say, for the jewel-sculpture portrait of Lady Andee?"
Her conference with the weeping Belle was shortened by an urgent request from one Runder, assistant to the Overlord of the Fleet, who cited urgency and priority as his reason for demanding time with The Mother.
Runder was a young male in his prime, a male who had adopted the dress fashions of the Delanians. He stood respectfully before Miaree’s desk. "Lady," said he, "I am Runder. Before the time of change I worked on Flyer Haven. I had the pleasure of servicing My Lady’s personal flyer when she was but a youth."
"You were chosen by old Beafly," Miaree said. "I remember." She smiled. "You tuned Rim Stai well."
"Lady, I have always done my best. I have been rewarded by being allowed to perform tasks of responsibility and value. There have been no complaints. Thus, I have allowed myself the self-gratification of presuming on the Lady’s time to ask why I have been so summarily relieved of my duties. If I have presumed too much, I am sorry."
Miaree frowned. "My dear Runder. This office, I fear, is a demanding one. It does not lessen the importance of the position you have held when I confess that I know nothing of what you state. Could you brief me?"
"Yes, Lady."
"First, please sit."
"Thank you, Lady. I was appointed to my position by Overlord Bertt these six years past. Since Bertt’s primary interest was in the star fleet, the responsibility of seeing to the administrative duties of the Overlord’s office fell to me. When the honorable Bertt retired to his workshop—"
"Hold, Runder. Would you repeat that?"
"I said, ’When the honorable Bertt retired to his workshop—’ "
"It was my understanding that he was preparing for homecoming." Miaree said.
"I am sorry." Runder’s face was mobile, showing his sorrow. "I did not intend to violate a confidence."
"Then Bertt is not ready for homecoming?"
"He is well, Lady. I’m sorry that I mentioned it. However, since I have... He was tired. Since the population of Five is largely Delanian, he asked that I forego my rights of senority and allow the appointment of a Delanian Overlord. I agreed. However, events of the past days—"
"Forgive me, Runder. I am interested in Bertt. It is not like him to forsake his important duties without reason. Your thinking, please."
"Lady, I fear that the pressure has touched Bertt. For years he has pushed himself too hard. No one can say that he did not do his assigned job well. In fact, it is my opinion, enforced by my personal observations, that Bertt should be named a Hero of the Artonuee for his administration of the building of the fleet. However, during the years of crisis, Bertt pursued his dream in addition to doing his tasks. I fear the toll on his health was too great."
"His dream?"
"As I remember, Lady, you were present when Bertt and the Delanian woman Untell conducted tests of an altered mires expander in conjunction with the electron forces of a soft metal."
"Yes."
"He has never abandoned the idea that he could make it work, Lady, He
spent many hours, sleepless nights, in his private workshop. He is there now, puttering, sleeping little, working on his hopeless task."
"Poor Bertt." She shook her head sadly. "But Runder, your reason for requesting this appointment, please."
"As I said, Lady, I agreed to allow the appointment of a Delanian Overlord in the dual capacity of Five Overlord and Overlord of the Fleet. I continued to handle the administrative duties of the planet. It was only when I questioned the release of Artonuee males from positions of responsibility in the fleet that a coldness developed between my office and the Delanian Overlord. I received no satisfactory explanation of the dismissals, and when I insisted on an inquiry, I was summarily notified on the stationery of your office, Lady, that my services were no longer required."
"This office?" Miaree inquired.
"Yes, Lady."
"I signed no such order," she said.
Runder was silent.
Miaree placed a graceful finger to her nose, mused. Then, with a decisive movement, she pushed a communicator and asked Rei to come into the office.
As he entered, the load of responsibility seemed to Runder to melt from her lovely fac
e. Her smile was a thing of beauty. "This is the worthy Runder," she said, "Assistant Overlord of the Fleet. He has a legitimate inquiry. It seems that I somehow agreed to release him from his duties without justification."
"Not you, Lady," Rei said, returning her smile. "It was I."
Miaree’s brows lifted in question.
Rei turned to Runder. "Your haste in coming to Nirrar prevented you from finding further orders in your slot," he said. "Although I do not remember exactly, I am sure, considering your position of responsibility and your experience, that you are among those who are assigned to
supervise the migration of Artonuee from Five."
Runders brows knit in question. "May I ask, sir, for more details?"
Rei was leafing through a thick process book. "Yes," he said. "Here it is. Runder, Assistant Overlord, transferred to Migration Fleet in the capacity of First Officer."
Miaree, too, was puzzled. However, she kept her silence, knowing that Rei would explain.
"My Lady," Rei said, "this was the subject of the afternoon conference which I had requested. Runder’s problem is connected with the recommendation which we were to discuss. Would you care to hear it in brief at this time?" She nodded. "To facilitate the final loading, in accordance with the joint decision to segregate races aboard the fleet, it is advised by fleet officials that all Artonuee first be moved to the home world, leaving New World, Outworld, and Five as assembly points for the loading of Delanians. Thus, all Artonuee will be in that section of the fleet which contains the juplee ships. Artonuee and their juplee ships will be a unit."
"It is logical," Miaree said.
"Since the population of Artonuee is lowest on Five," Rei continued, "it would be best to begin there."
"I agree," Miaree said. "Does this answer your inquiry, Runder?"
The young male bowed. "Yes, Lady."
"The movement of Artonuee from Five to The World will be a dress rehearsal for the final flight." Rei said. "As you examine your orders, Runder, you will see specific requests for detailed reports covering many subjects. Not one of these subjects is unimportant. The information we can gather during this short movement can be extremely valuable when we begin the final movement."
"I understand," Runder said, standing, backing toward the door. "I beg My Lady’s forgiveness for intruding."
"It was good to see an old friend," Miaree said. "Please feel free to
contact this office at any time." Alone with Rei, she voiced a bright note of love, smiled. He leaned to touch her lips with his. "Since I’m here." he said, "I should broach another subject which, I have been told, will be brought up this afternoon."
"Oh, Rei, I wish it were over." she said. "I wish it would turn out to be a dream and that I’d awaken with the smell of the Bloom in my nostrils and you beside me, back on Outworld."
"Yes, darling," he said. "But the conference."
"Damn the conference," she said.
"The Evacuation Committee is going to make a recommendation to cut the size of the juplee fleet in half," Rei said.
Jolted back to reality, she stiffened. "That, of course, is impossible," she said.
"Lady, remember that some members of the committee, Argun among them, were on the Delanian worlds at the end. They saw thousands of their brothers burned down when, in panic, they tried to storm the ports in an effort to squeeze aboard the already laden ships. They saw the first of our worlds begin to smoulder, and the smoke of the planets was the death pyre of twenty-four billion Delanians. They are not unjust men, but they question the giving over of so much space to trees and a billion and a half ifflings."
"All this has been explained to them," Miaree said. "The transportation of the ifflings and the source of their food is not open to negotiation."
"I know," Rei said softly. "But I merely wanted you to be prepared."
She was prepared. She delayed her entrance to the conference room until all were present and seated. Then she swept in, robed in official purple. They rose, Artonuee and Delanians, bowed their heads in respect. She motioned them to be seated, waited for the shuffling noises to cease.
"Before we begin," she said, standing regally at the head of the large table, "I will comment on one item which appears on the agenda. I am sure that the concern of our Delanian comrades is genuine and without malice. However, the fact is that we have covered all details of the
transportation of our ifflings, and the subject is no longer open for discussion. I will add only this. The best minds of our people have worked for twenty-four years on this problem, and their conclusions cannot be questioned. One hundred star ships are the absolute minimum required to transport the juplee forests. Even with the addition of this one hundred to the number of ships required to transport the entire Artonuee people, the portion of the fleet alloted to the Artonuee is less than one-sixth the size of the entire fleet. Proportionally, according to the relative numbers of our two peoples, we would be entitled to more ships. It is fortunate that the food and air requirements of the Artonuee are measureably less than those of the Delanians. Thus we are able to load more Artonuee per ship. While we have always labored to the utmost to be fair and more than fair, we will not consider cutting the size of the fuplee and iffling reserves." She sat.
The members of the conference were silent.
"May we proceed with other business?" she asked, smiling. "The first item on the agenda deals with the readiness of the star fleet, I believe."
Argun, President of the Delanians, cleared his throat. "Lady," he said, and Miaree, looking at Rei, saw Rei’s eyes shift quickly to Argun. "Our scientists, too, have studied the matter of Artonuee reproduction. It is their conclusion that the continuation of the Artonuee race can be assured with half the number of ifflings, and thus, half the number of ships devoted to the growing of juplee trees."
"Argun," she said. "I have made clear our feeling. It is unthinkable to an Artonuee not to have an iffling waiting. The ratio has already been reduced from surplus to one iffling for each Artonuee. Our people would not agree to such a course of action. There are deep religious convictions—"
"Damn religion," Argun said, his deep voice harsh. "We’re talking about the lives of living Delanians, not bugs crawling around eating tree leaves."
In the shocked silence, Miaree looked wide-eyed at Rei. There was a pained expression on his face.
"Let’s remember this," Argun said. "Since there are 6 billion of us and only 1.5 billion of you, we have agreed that all Artonuee go. Do you know what this means? It means, short of a miracle which I don’t think is going to happen, that over a billion more of our people will have to be left behind. Over a billion people, sizzling on worlds which are not even their own. Do you like that picture?"
He was addressing Miaree. "No, Argun." she said. "It is a terrible picture."
"It is a picture which I do not intend to see," Argun said, his voice low.
"We will continue to build to the end," Rei said. "There is hope."
"Build with what?" Argun demanded. "Dirt and straw?" He rose. "Our miners are working in heat which kills. We’ve burrowed so deeply into five planets that we’re near the heated magma. We’ve lost ten thousand men on that damned sun planet. And we’re not producing enough metal per six months to build one star ship."
"We’re putting more ships on the Seberian run," Miaree said.
The others were quiet, faces moving to follow the three way dialog.
"The Artonuee female lays six or more eggs," Argun said. "On a fertile planet the transplanted juplee trees carried by the fleet are capable of doubling themselves in fifteen years. By cutting the juplee fleet in half we do not threaten the race. When we find new planets, the iffling population can be replenished within two years."
"It is a matter of age-old belief," Miaree said, looking toward Rei for help.
"Beliefs change," Argun said harshly. "I have issued orders to convert fifty juplee ships to carry people. People. Living, intelligent beings."
"You have ordered," Miaree gasped, standing to face the tall Delanian. "How dare you?"
"I dare because there is necessity," Argun said. "I dare because I have seen enough of my people die."
"Your orders will be rescinded," Miaree said, her eyes purple with anger.
"Other instructions went out with that order." Argun said. "Delanians, stand."
Around the table the aliens rose, Rei among them. And as they stood, the eyes of the Artonuee present were drawn to evil-looking hand weapons, revealed when the Delanians opened their ceremonial cloaks.
"You have diverted resources to the making of weapons?" Miaree asked, unbelieving.
"They came with us," Argun said. "They occupied little space, added little weight. Not one Delanian was left behind because of the weapons. And because of the weapons, not one Delanian will be left behind when the fleet abandons the Artonuee system."
"Rei," Miaree whispered, looking at him. He could not meet her eye. "Oh, Rei."
Chapter Twenty-Three
Five was a world in the grip of organized chaos. With all but official roller vehicles long since consigned to the smelters to reclaim their metals, the artificially heated landscape flowered with the brilliance of Artonuee females moving toward central points. For some, there had been tearful farewells. For others, fortune had not even allowed that much. With them now were the stolid males of the race, grey, serious, silent. Already the shuttles were lifting, burning the atmosphere and gliding out of sight toward dark space, where the star fleet orbited. From the loading points, ranks of the huge ships were grouped in squadrons, closely packed. The laden ships hummed with life. There, inside the metal wombs which would carry the race through endles space, the sorrow of leave-taking was eased somewhat by the excitement of discovery, by carefully trained wardens who ordered and begged and yelled and coaxed the incomers into their proper compartments.
Dress rehearsal for the great adventure.
The Legend of Miaree Page 14