by Brenda Hiatt
“Um, yeah, he was. We talked some. Some other kids from school were there, too.” I definitely don’t want Mum thinking this was a date or anything.
Because it wasn’t.
“How did Sean seem?” Mum looks concerned now. “He must be having a difficult time just now, given that business with the Sovereign and Rigel Stuart—though I thought he hid the disappointment he must be feeling quite admirably at NuAgra the other night.”
“I, um, got the impression there’s a lot more behind Sean and the Sovereign calling it quits than was in that Echtran Enquirer story. He doesn’t seem nearly as upset as that reporter implied. And he and Rigel seem mostly friendly at school. So maybe their breakup was mutual.”
Not sure why I want to convince Mum—or myself—of that, since it’ll only make my campaign to turn Sean against the Sovereign harder.
“I told you not to put too much stock in anything that reporter writes, didn’t I, Deirdra?” Dad gives Mum a knowing look. “Gwendolyn Gannett is known for the sensationalistic spin she puts on things.”
“I’m glad you were right in this case, Aidan. I hated to think of Sean being hurt, especially now that it appears the Sovereign really has formed a graell bond with Rigel Stuart.”
I’m not quite ready to believe that part, though. If I get another chance to talk privately with Sean, I’ll ask why he does. No way he’ll back up that story if it’s not true. Not stopping to analyze why I assume that, I fake a yawn.
“I’m going to get ready for bed. Do we have anything planned for tomorrow?” Sean didn’t specifically mention getting together again that soon, but…
“I thought we’d all go to church in the morning,” Mum says brightly.
“Church?” I echo suspiciously. “Why?”
Her cheeks go a little pink. “I’ve been told it’s an excellent way to meet the local people as they tend to be particularly friendly there. The Sovereign did urge us to become involved in the community and not limit our socializing to other Martians. Anyway, you’re right, it’s time we all went to bed.”
I nod and head to the bathroom, eager to send my first report to Dun Cloch. Careful not to wake Adina, I lock the bathroom door and pull out my phone. On the regular screen, I see I’ve received a text from Trina inviting me again to come to cheerleading practice on Monday. Ignoring it, I touch the fake social media icon that will unlock my phone’s secret features.
An innocuous-looking window pops up until I hold the phone to my eye for the retinal scan. A moment later, an omni-like control panel appears. I click the command Enid showed me and a holographic screen and keyboard materialize in midair. Sitting down on the closed toilet lid, I start typing my report.
Have spoken with Sean O’Gara several times now and he seems to trust me. Hope to persuade him to our cause soon. Learned tonight that Sov’s Duchas guardians learned truth and let others in on our secret. Nearly caused serious incident with townspeople last night. Hope to learn more next time I talk with S.O. The Echtran Council meets weekly at his house, will try to get details on that. Will report again when I have more information. -K
The weather has turned cloudy and blustery the next morning, but Mum and Dad still insist on walking to church as soon as we’ve all finished breakfast. I pull my light sweater more tightly around me when a particularly strong gust buffets us. It’s not nearly as cold as our last few nights and early mornings in Dun Cloch, but still a lot chillier than it ever got in Nuath.
“Are we going to St. Mary’s, the church up here on the corner?” Adina asks as we take the back exit from Diamond View Terrace onto Ruby Street .
“No, I thought we’d try a different one a bit further along,” Mum says.
“Why? This one’s closer.”
Mum again turns pink—and I don’t think it’s the wind. “Er, I heard that a few Echtrans already go to the other one. They can introduce us around, make things less awkward.”
That seems to satisfy Adina, but I’m suspicious now. “Which Echtrans?”
“Well…the O’Garas, I believe. And, er, the Truitts. Perhaps a few others.”
“The Sovereign’s going to think we’re stalking her, Mum. First her Taekwondo school and now her church. I’d have thought after getting in trouble for inviting her family to dinner—”
“We did not get in trouble!” Mum protests. “She was very gracious about it. Of course we won’t do that again unless, well…unless we all really do become friends.”
I shake my head in disgust—though part of me hopes Sean will be there. So I can learn more to report to Dun Cloch.
We pass two more churches before Mum turns right on Emerald and we finally reach the one she’s so determined on. It looks similar to the others, a large-ish, white wooden building with a steeple on the roof. We follow a few other people inside, then hesitate, looking around.
Almost immediately, Mum spots the Sovereign. “Look,” she whispers to Dad. “There she is. I…I suppose we shouldn’t try to sit too close?”
In answer, he guides us all to one of the long benches near the back, several rows behind the one where the Sovereign and a man I assume is her adopted uncle are sitting with Sean and Molly O’Gara and their father. Embarrassed, I now hope Sean won’t think I’m stalking him.
I learned about the major Earth religions in Earth Studies last year so there are no big surprises during the service—except when everyone stands up and sings, using the songbooks, or “hymnals,” tucked into wooden pockets in front of us.
“This is lovely,” Mum whispers after the first song. “Rather like our own Group Sings. I’m so glad we came!”
Even I feel a twinge of nostalgia for the closest thing to religion most Nuathans practice. Of course, the Duchas aren’t capable of music as beautiful as the vocal polyphonics we’re taught from childhood, but they’re better than I expected—especially those facing us up front, leading the singing. Those include Sean’s mother and the Sovereign’s adopted aunt I realize, when they join the others after the singing finishes.
By the end of the service I’m in a surprisingly good mood, considering I didn’t want to be here at all. Even so, I’m eager to leave. Mum, however, is happily responding to greetings and introductions from the people around us, making it impossible for me to escape before Sean, starting down the central aisle with his parents, spots me.
His face immediately lights up and he quickens his pace. “Hey,” he says as he reaches our row. “If I’d known you planned to come here today, I’d have invited you to sit with us.” Then he turns to my parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Morain, right? I’m Sean O’Gara.”
As if they didn’t already know that. Mum doesn’t manage more than a muttered, “How nice.”
Dad, I’m relieved to see, is perfectly equal to the situation. “I understand you and Kira have a few classes together at school?”
Sean nods. “Physics, Lit and Government. I doubt she’ll have any trouble catching up.”
As we finally move toward the exit, he introduces his family to mine. The Sovereign, meanwhile, is hanging back to talk with Rigel and his parents near the front of the church.
Once outside, Mr. and Mrs. O’Gara make polite small talk with my parents about their impressions of Jewel so far and Molly does the same with Adina. I stand awkwardly off to one side until Sean motions me closer.
“I was wondering if maybe you’d like to, um, shoot some hoops this afternoon?”
I stare up at him, puzzled. “Shoot some…what?”
“Sorry, I mean practice a bit of basketball. The school gym is usually empty on Sundays, so I sometimes go work on my foul shots and stuff. I thought you might enjoy…that is…”
My spirits instantly rise at the thought of doing something athletic. It seems forever since I’ve had any real exercise. “Is that allowed?”
“Sure. Coach gave everyone on the team the code to the outside gym door so we can keep our skills up during the off season.”
“Oh, so it won’t be just us?”
/>
The twinkle in his bright blue eyes makes me realize too late I sound disappointed—and that he misinterpreted why. “Depends if I say anything to the other guys or not. Will you mind if I don’t?”
“I, um, guess not.” It’ll mean another chance to speak privately with Sean, and sooner than I expected. Another chance to advance my mission.
“Cool. I can pick you up around three, if that works?”
I tell him that will be fine as our parents say their goodbyes. Sean and his family start walking up Emerald toward Diamond, while we head down Ruby.
By the time we get back to the apartment, I’ve convinced myself that the only reason I’m looking forward to this afternoon is so I can try to persuade Sean out of his foolish loyalty to the Sovereign. And the exercise, of course.
21
Incidental contact
Sean
I’m way more nervous than I should be when I ask Dad if I can borrow the car to drive to the school to shoot hoops. It’s not like I haven’t done it a dozen times before, though Pete usually picks me up.
“All right.” He doesn’t look up from whatever he’s reading on his tablet. “Neither your mother or I should need it for the next few hours.”
“Thanks.” I take the keys from the hook by the kitchen door, wondering why I didn’t mention Kira. Not that it should matter.
She’s waiting just outside the Diamond View Terrace complex when I pull up a minute or two before three. I figure that’s a good omen, since I more than half expected to wait—or that she’d have changed her mind about coming.
“Ready?” I ask out the passenger window.
“Ready.” She gets in. Her shorts and t-shirt somehow make her look even better than the clothes she wears to school. Maybe she’s more comfortable in athletic wear?
Once she’s buckled in, I pull away from the curb and head toward the school. “So, how long since you played basketball? Or, um, chas pell?”
She chuckles—a low, delicious sound that goes right through me. “Probably not since I was ten or so. It’ll be interesting to see how similar the rules are. I haven’t read up on basketball yet.”
“Fairly similar. According to my dad, it was an Echtran who introduced the game to Earth, a little over a hundred years ago. So kids would have something they could play indoors during the winter. Those kids taught it to their Duchas friends and it gradually caught on.”
“And even adults play it here?”
“Yup. You should watch a few NBA or WNBA games—you can find them online. Those guys make serious money playing it professionally. Of course a few of the best ones are Echtrans.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kira shake her head disbelievingly, though she has to know I’m telling the truth since it’s easy to check out. I’ve never met anyone my age who’s so cynical. At least she admitted last night she might have been wrong to assume all Royals are power-hungry jerks.
By the time we reach the school, I’ve explained most of the rule differences between basketball and the chas pell she played as a kid. “College and professional ball have a few other changes, but those are the basics. You’ll pick it up in no time.”
“I’m sure I will.” The look she gives me is amused—and slightly patronizing. I’m seized by a desire to prove to her it’s no child’s game I’m so good at—then remind myself I didn’t bring her here so I can show off.
I park behind the gym and we get out, me with my gym bag and Kira with just a water bottle. “This way.” I lead her to the locker-room door and punch the four-digit code into the mechanical lock under the knob.
She wrinkles her nose as we make our way through the boys’ locker room to the gym. I don’t blame her.
“Sorry about the smell. All the boys’ gym classes use this locker room to change and they don’t clean it as often as they should.” Not that I’d really noticed before.
“I guess it’s no wonder, since the Duchas have to rely on water for showers. I never feel quite clean after one of those, no matter how much soap I use. Give me a good old ionic sanitizer any day.”
I laugh. “Yeah, I felt the same way when we first got to Bailerealta, but I got used to it before we moved to Jewel. It helps that we don’t get sick as easily as they do.”
As I expect, the gym is deserted. “Here.” I grab a ball off the rack and hand it to her. “You’ll want to get the feel of the ball before we do anything else. Go ahead and spend a little time dribbling and shooting.”
We spend the next ten minutes sharing a hoop but pretending to ignore each other. I practice jump shots and layups, sneaking peeks at Kira as she does the same. For not having played in so long she’s surprisingly good, though nowhere near as good as I am. I try not to feel too pleased by that.
“Ready for a little one-on-one?” I ask when she starts looking slightly bored.
“Sure, bring it on.” She grins confidently, though she has to know I’m better if she was sneaking peeks like I was. Maybe she wasn’t.
I put my ball back on the rack and rejoin her under the hoop. “All right. Two points for a basket, three if you shoot from outside that circle.” I point at the line. “After each basket, the other person takes the ball and starts from mid-court. Let’s play to twenty. You can have first possession since you’re a guest.”
“And a girl?” She smirks, one eyebrow raised.
Backing up to the mid-court line, she starts dribbling, pressing aggressively toward the goal. I’m a lot taller, which gives me a defensive advantage, though not as much as I expect. She’s amazingly quick and, man, can she jump! Still, when she finally shoots after a few fakes, I pluck the ball out of the air before it reaches the basket and spin around for a layup before she can get in position to block me.
I toss her the ball again. “It’s already coming back, isn’t it? Not bad for a first try.”
She doesn’t reply, just backs up to mid-court, gives a quick nod and drives forward again, changing direction every time I move to block her progress. This time she comes really close to scoring, though I manage to deflect the ball just before it reaches the basket. She snags it before it bounces and starts dribbling again.
After a few feints, I dart in and steal the ball, catching her off-guard. A little hiss escapes her, but she immediately switches to defense, getting between me and the basket. Now she’s getting warmed up, I can tell she’s better than anyone on the Jewel boys’ team—except me.
It’s not easy to get past her. She’s as aggressive on defense as she was on offense. As she moves to block me yet again, her hand grazes my forearm, the first time we’ve touched skin-to-skin. The sensation nearly makes me drop the ball—a tingle as strong as the one I get off M…or used to. It’s become a lot fainter since she and Rigel re-bonded.
Kira’s eyes widen slightly, the only hint she felt that little zap, too. She doesn’t let it faze her, though, just takes advantage of my momentary distraction to steal the ball. Gotta get my head back in the game—which means not touching her again if I can help it. Keeping her from scoring with that handicap is tricky, but I manage it—just barely. I get the rebound and score again, but it’s harder this time, even though it’s obvious now she’s also trying to avoid contact. Yup, she definitely felt something.
On her next possession, Kira nails a three-pointer before I can get set. The glint in her eyes shows she’s enjoying herself nearly as much as I am. I take the ball to mid-court and respond with a three-pointer of my own. We mostly trade three-pointers from then on, making it way easier to avoid touching.
By the end, I’m using moves I’d never dare in front of a crowd of Duchas spectators, or even my teammates. So is she.
“My game, 22 - 18,” I exclaim as I sink the winning goal, panting harder than I typically do after playing full-court for twice as long. “You really gave me a run for my money.”
She frowns. “A run for—?”
“Sorry, just an expression. I mean you made me work for it. Well done. Let’s take a break be
fore we go again.”
Together, we go sit at the foot of the bleachers.
“You know, you should go out for the girls’ basketball team in a few weeks,” I say, mopping my forehead with the bottom of my shirt before remembering I brought towels. “It wouldn’t be the same as caidpel, of course, but I think you’d have fun. And you’d definitely dominate.” I get two towels out my bag and hand her one.
“Like you do? And like Rigel Stuart does at football? Hardly seems fair, does it? Do you play like you were just now against the Duchas?”
“Nah, it’d be way too obvious—like what Rigel did Friday night. Still haven’t had a chance to talk to him about that. You made me pull out all the stops, though, which was great.”
My admiration apparently makes her uncomfortable because she looks away. “Guess I ought to be proud of that.” Then, after a slight hesitation, “It sounded last night like you believe the Sovereign and Rigel have a real graell bond. How come? I’ve always been told it doesn’t exist.”
Not exactly something I want to talk about, especially after that weird touch thing earlier, but honesty forces me to admit, “I can’t think what else it could be after seeing some of the stuff they can do. It’s…kind of amazing.”
She looks skeptical. “How can you still be such a big admirer of hers, after what she put you through? Or are all Royals required to talk her up like that?”
“Not required, no, but she is the Sovereign. And…I think she’ll be a good one.”
“Seriously?” She wrinkles her nose in distaste.
“Look, I don’t get it,” I blurt out. “You were in the Resistance. The whole point was to get Faxon out and the monarchy back in, right? You succeeded. So why are you so down on M now? Because she embarrassed your parents Thursday night?”
A quick shake of her head makes her ponytail bounce. “Not just that, no. Besides, the Resistance formed years before anybody even suspected she was still alive, because of all the stuff Faxon was doing. It wasn’t so much about restoring the monarchy as giving power back to the people—where it belongs. Sure, when the news about Emileia broke, the Resistance used her as a rallying point. I’ll totally give her credit for being a useful symbol when we needed one. But the idea of a sixteen-year-old girl actually trying to lead us, just because of who her grandfather was…” She trails off, probably because of the way I’m frowning.