Starbound

by Brenda Hiatt

  The first guy let go of me and reached inside his coat, but Rigel was a lot faster. Before the man knew what hit him, he’d joined his cohort on the ground, both of them rubbing their jaws and looking confused.

  Now Sean waded in, looming over the men. “What the hell were you—?”

  But Rigel cut him off, hissing, “Don’t. Not here.” Then, to the men, “Who are you? Who sent you?”

  The men must have decided they didn’t like the odds. They scooted away backwards without answering, then scrambled to their feet and ran. Sean immediately leaped in pursuit, but again Rigel stopped him, snagging him by the arm.

  “We can’t. Let them go.”

  “What? Are you crazy?” Sean tried to pull out of Rigel’s grip and was clearly startled when he couldn’t.

  Rigel wasn’t even paying attention to him. He was staring intently after the two men as they flung themselves into a black van and roared out of the parking lot. “At least they didn’t think to remove the plates.”

  He must have loosened his grip, because Sean finally wrenched his arm away. “Now can you tell me why the hell you let them go? We could have taken them. They had no right—”

  “No, they didn’t.” Rigel looked—and felt—just as furious, even though he acted calmer. “But we didn’t dare take them out or cause a scene. Not here. Besides, didn’t you notice? They weren’t Echtrans.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Costanta (ko-STAHN-tuh): Bodyguard assigned to protect the Sovereign or other members of the Royal family

  All three of us gaped at Rigel. Then, slowly, we all nodded. Because he was right. I hadn’t felt the faintest bit of brath from either of those men, not even when one grabbed me. Clearly the others hadn’t, either.

  “Do you think they had that masking thing, like Mr. Smith used last fall at school?” I asked.

  Rigel lifted a shoulder. “I don’t think so. They didn’t exactly…look Echtran, either.”

  Again, he was right. Prejudiced as it might sound, those men hadn’t been at all attractive. In fact, the shorter one had been positively homely, his face pock-marked. I’d never yet met an Echtran who wasn’t good looking. Most were ridiculously so, to the point of being conspicuous.

  “So what does that mean?” Sean was still scowling. “Why did we have to let them go? They grabbed M, were probably trying to kidnap her. That’s illegal no matter who they are.”

  Rigel’s frown was thoughtful. “I’m guessing they were hired by somebody and don’t know anything about…well, anything. If we’d held them, then what? Call the police? Do you really think the Council wants that kind of publicity? It’s not like we could take them back to Bailerealta with us. My orders—as Bodyguard, I mean—are clear. My number one priority is to protect M. But the second is to keep a low profile, especially around Duchas.”

  Grudgingly, Sean nodded. “I guess. Wish we’d hit ’em harder, at least.”

  “We? You didn’t—”

  I quickly interrupted. “So how do we find out who hired them?”

  “Yeah, how?” Sean demanded of Rigel. “Think maybe we should’ve got that out of them before letting them go?”

  Rigel was getting pissed again, so I stepped between them. “How about let’s go back to Bailerealta and get some lunch into you two and report what happened and see what they say? Maybe they can run the license plate or something.” I used a little “push” and was relieved when they both agreed, though that might have been because they were hungry.

  Sean drove us back, grumbling all the way, darting occasional concerned glances at me and irritated ones over his shoulder at Rigel, though he did—belatedly—say he was glad I was okay. The moment we got back, he slammed into the B&B and started yelling for his parents.

  His father came running, Mrs. O just behind. “What? What happened?” Mr. O looked me over quickly as though to reassure himself I was unhurt.

  “You weren’t in an accident, were you?” Mrs. O asked anxiously.

  “Not exactly,” Sean said. “But two men, two Duchas, tried to kidnap M, right by the Cliffs. Rigel decided to let them go, but at least we got the license number off their van.”

  “Earthers? Are you sure?” Mr. O’Gara exchanged an alarmed look with his wife.

  All four of us nodded.

  “He still didn’t have to let them get away,” Sean grumped. “I told him we should have—”

  “No, Sean.” Mrs. O cut him off. “That was the only thing he could do. We can’t risk any kind of attention from the local populace with the launch only days away. Rigel’s been instructed to never engage with Duchas unless there is no other possible way to keep the Princess safe.”

  Sean’s sense of betrayal was so strong, I could almost feel it. He started to protest again but I spoke first.

  “I was totally safe, I swear. Rigel had both guys on the ground before I even realized what they were trying to do. The second they got a good look at Sean and Rigel, they cut and ran.”

  “On the ground?” Mr. O looked alarmed again. “You didn’t use your weapon did you?”

  Rigel shook his head. “Just my fists. Like M said, that’s all it took to make them back off. Maybe they weren’t paid enough to risk their skins.”

  “I need to take this matter to the Council,” Mrs. O said. “I’ll call an emergency conference—most of them should be awake by now. What was that license number?”

  Rigel rattled it off and she nodded, not bothering to write it down before turning away.

  “Can we get something to eat?” I could feel Rigel positively starving by now, and I knew Sean was, too. I was getting pretty hungry myself, come to think of it.

  She glanced back distractedly. “Oh. Of course. Mrs. Cleary left sandwich and salad things in the kitchen, and there’s a recombinator. Go help yourselves.” She hurried off.

  By the time we finished lunch, the Council had met via hologram and decreed that I was done sightseeing outside of Bailerealta. They were also moving the launch up to get me off-planet before whoever had instigated the attack could try again.

  “But I haven’t toured a single castle yet! Can’t we go see that close one Sean mentioned, the one from the fifteen hundreds, before we leave?”

  “I’m sorry, dear.” Mrs. O was firm. “Perhaps when you return from Mars. I’ve no doubt by then we’ll have traced whoever hired your would-be abductors and…dealt with the problem.”

  “Who do they suspect?” Rigel asked. “Those guys who created a disturbance last night, during her speech?”

  She hesitated for a moment. “I’m afraid that’s not the only faction that isn’t keen on the Sovereign traveling to Mars just now, as her arrival is likely to interfere with the support they’re all trying to build there.”

  “How many factions are there, and what do they want?” Rigel sounded so…official and protective and, well, adult. And sexier than ever.

  “The anti-Royals, of course, but we know of at least two others with support here on Earth, each favoring a different candidate as Nuath’s next leader. There could be others we’re unaware of, as well. The van was a rental and the address given was false, so it may take a while to track the men back to whoever hired them.”

  I could feel Rigel’s frustration at not being able to do more himself. I nearly mentioned the vibe I got off Gordon Nolan, then remembered Mrs. O’s lie-detector ability—and that she hadn’t liked him either. Besides, it was a big accusation to make with no more to go on than a vibe.

  Sean spoke for the first time since his mother had come into the dining room. “Don’t worry, Mum. I—we—won’t let anything happen to M. We won’t leave her side, before or after we get on the ship.”

  Mrs. O’Gara gave her son a sympathetic smile. “Rigel won’t, I’m sure, but you can only be with her in the company of others from here on out. The Council was clear on that point, as well. Now word has gone out that you’re to be her Consort, you both must follow protocol to the letter, which means constant chaperonage.”

&n
bsp; “What?” Sean surged to his feet, flipping his chair over. “You mean he—” He stabbed a finger at Rigel— “can be alone with her but I can’t?”

  “I’m sorry, Sean, but that’s exactly what I mean. As Royal Bodyguard, Rigel is expected to be a constant presence, though of course he must keep any interaction strictly professional.” She shot a look at Rigel, then at me. “You, however, must be a paragon of propriety with respect to the Princess, and she toward you. It’s old-fashioned, yes, but it’s important to appease the traditionalists as well as the more forward-thinking of our people.”

  Sean shook his head fiercely. “You can’t—”

  “Don’t argue with me, Sean,” she snapped, putting what I now recognized as “push” into her tone. He subsided with a scowl and she nodded briskly. “Now I must get back. As I’m the only Council member currently in Ireland, I am overseeing the investigation from this end.”

  As soon as she left, Sean turned to me. “Did you know about this? Or you?” He pinned Rigel with an accusing glare.

  Rigel shook his head, carefully keeping his expression neutral despite the triumphant laughter welling up in him.

  I quickly looked away so I wouldn’t laugh myself. “Your mom did mention that custom before, remember? Just not how they planned to enforce it.”

  “It’s total crap. You know I’m not going to…to try anything you don’t want me to.”

  Now my lips did twitch a little. “Actually, the custom is more about keeping you pure than me. It started back in the days when only men were allowed to be Sovereigns and it was a big deal that their Consorts be, um, untouched, even by them, at the time of joining. So it’s to make sure I don’t use my authority or persuasiveness or whatever to take advantage of you.”

  Molly, then Rigel, broke into gales of laughter so infectious I couldn’t help joining in. Not surprisingly, Sean didn’t, though his scowl did lessen a bit.

  “Yeah, okay, fine. Laugh. But I’ll be the one keeping an eye on you,” he said to Rigel. “If I have to act ‘pure’”—he made air quotes— “so do you. Both of you. You heard what Mum said: professional. It better never look like more than that to anyone from now on.”

  Suddenly, I didn’t feel like laughing anymore.

  At half past midnight Saturday night, I joined the others in the parlor, my heart pounding like crazy. Because this was crazy! How could I possibly be flying into space? Tonight?

  Rigel, in his Bodyguard uniform, greeted me with a grin. “Ready to go to Mars?” Excited anticipation was coming off him in waves.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” I knew he could also feel my excitement and hoped he’d attribute any nervousness only to the trip. Soon, soon, I could tell him—but not yet. Not until we were safely off the planet, with no chance of turning back.

  Sean and Molly looked excited, too, while Mr. O was practically bouncing with eagerness. “Let’s hurry. Remember what Captain Liam said about how precise the schedule is. And you’ll want to see them raise the ship.”

  “Raise the—?”

  “You’ll see,” Sean said. “C’mon.”

  We headed to the town square along with what looked like most of the town. Only a few dozen people would be on this flight, including a few more Royals who’d only just arrived in Bailerealta. I guessed the rest wanted to see us off.

  The square was empty. People crowded around the edges, leaving the center clear, but there was no sign of a ship. I glanced around, confused. “So…do we go underground to board?”

  “Nope.” Sean was grinning. “It’s pretty cool. We saw a couple of launches the month after we got here. There are access tunnels directly to the hangar for crew and maintenance, but for boarding, well, just watch.”

  The ground began to rumble and vibrate, like a mild earthquake or maybe a big truck going past. Then a brightly lit X appeared in the middle of the square, rapidly getting bigger and bigger until the whole thing opened up, four triangular panels retreating to the edges. Almost immediately, something enormous and black started rising up through the new opening, higher and higher until it loomed over the landscape, more than fifty feet high.

  I gaped up at it. “That’s the ship? It looks like a giant rock.”

  “By design,” Mr. O’Gara said. “If it’s spotted on radar, or even visually, it will be mistaken for a meteorite.”

  Which made perfect sense. After five hundred plus years of traveling back and forth, Martians had obviously figured out ways to keep their secrets from us easily-panicked Earthers.

  Us? Rigel echoed my thought with amusement.

  Oops. Sorry. Guess you can take the girl off the Earth but you can’t take the Earth out of the girl. Not completely, anyway.

  A lighted doorway appeared near the bottom of the gigantic rock, then a short ramp extended out and down. A chime sounded and Mayor Liana hurried over to me. “That’s the call for boarding. You’re first, of course, Excellency.”

  I swallowed hard and nodded, squaring my shoulders and lifting my chin as I stepped toward the ship. A murmur broke out around the square and I paused, realizing I probably should have given a farewell speech or something. I turned and waved to the crowd and, since I didn’t have a mic, shouted, “Thank you all! I hope to see you again soon.”

  Cheering broke out. Liana nodded approvingly, then gestured for me to go on. With Sean on my left, Rigel right behind me, and the other O’Garas right behind him, I continued forward.

  At the foot of the ramp, Mrs. O hugged each of her children, kissed her husband, then turned to me. “You’ll remember all you’ve learned, dear?”

  “I’ll try.” Right now I was too excited to remember much of anything. “Thank you. For…for everything.”

  Just like Dr. Stuart had done three days ago in Chicago, Mrs. O’Gara enveloped me in a motherly hug that warmed me right down to my toes. I hugged her back. I was going to miss her, even if I didn’t always completely trust her motives. And then I was stepping through that brightly lit doorway onto the ship.

  Captain Liam himself waited just inside to greet me. “Welcome aboard the Quintessence, Excellency. I hope you will enjoy your trip.”

  “How can I not?” I wondered if he could hear my heart thudding.

  Smiling, he bowed, then motioned me to follow him down a short passageway while a crewman took over his spot by the door, murmuring greetings to each passenger as they boarded.

  “This is the common area.” The Captain led us to the front of a room about the size of Jewel High’s cafeteria, filled with rows of theater-style chairs. “Everyone will be seated here for liftoff, after which it will be used for dining and recreation. After liftoff, I will personally escort you to your quarters. Meanwhile, please make yourself comfortable.”

  He turned to Molly. “You are the Sovereign’s Handmaid?” She nodded. “Feel free to bring her any refreshment she desires while we prepare for liftoff.” With another bow, he left us.

  Trying to shake my sense of unreality, I sank into a seat in the middle of the front row and looked around, vaguely disappointed. “No windows?”

  “Um…” Rigel pointed at the wall we were facing and I realized it was a huge screen.

  “Oh.” I guessed I’d be able to watch us take off after all. “Um, have a seat, guys.”

  Sean immediately sat on my left, but Molly hesitated. “Would you like something to eat or drink…Excellency?”

  I grimaced, but realized she had to play her part since people were filing in, Royals first. “I’m fine. It’s the middle of the night, after all.”

  “Pretty cool, huh?” Sean said as his dad sat next to him and Rigel took the seat on my other side. “This is the same ship we took two years ago. I’ll give you a tour later on.”

  That’ll be special, Rigel thought sourly.

  Be nice, I thought back. Then, to Sean, “Definitely cool. How long after launch do we stay strapped in?”

  “Not long. There’s no real G-force inside the ship, since they accelerate at exactly on
e G—one Earth gravity. They mostly want us seated in case anything weird happens the first few minutes, and to do a head count while they run a sensor sweep to make sure no one but crew is anywhere else on the ship before liftoff.”

  Considering what had happened at the Cliffs of Moher, I was glad they had technology to check for stowaways.

  So am I. Means if there’s anyone to worry about on board, they’re registered. Easier to run checks that way.

  I slanted a glance Rigel’s way. Do you think there is? Anyone to worry about, I mean.

  Nobody you need to worry about. Leave that to me. It’s my job. He gave me a ghost of a wink.

  “Are you excited, M?” Molly asked from Rigel’s other side.

  I laughed. “Duh. Weren’t you, your first flight?”

  She nodded, looking as eager as I felt. “Any minute, they’ll— Ah, there.” The enormous screen lit up, then resolved into a perfect view of Bailerealta and its people ringing the square, waving. Definitely better than a window.

  “Too bad we can’t wave back,” I said.

  “We can.” Mr. O’Gara took the seat on Rigel’s other side. “There’s a camera up there, broadcasting to a screen on the square.”

  I glanced up at the tiny silver half-sphere above our screen, then behind me at the nearly full room. Everyone was seated now and yes, lots of them were waving. Turning back to the camera, I raised my own hand to say goodbye and saw the people outside cheer, though I couldn’t hear them. Instead, as though my waving had been a signal, the faint rumbling of the ship intensified.

  “This is it!” Sean pulled his shoulder strap across and clicked it into place just as an announcement directed us all to do exactly that.

  The ship began to vibrate and a moment later the scene outside fell away as we rose into the air. If it hadn’t been for the screen, I wouldn’t have known we were moving at all, since the vibration stopped almost as soon as it started. It felt more like sitting in a movie theater than a spaceship.

  But what a movie! As I watched, Bailerealta disappeared then reappeared, only now we were looking down at it from above. Our bird’s-eye view quickly grew smaller, then everything was abruptly obscured by fog. I kept watching, and in moments I could see all of Ireland, the fog over Bailerealta a tiny cloud. Almost before I could blink, Ireland itself became a tiny dark mass on a much larger dark mass, and then…then I could actually see the curve of the Earth. The curve took up more and more of the screen, until it became a complete circle.