Again there was a chirping. “I believe if I showed my face, they’d want to go with us,” the little figure said. “I believe they actually came out here to find us.”
Crystal looked at the tiny person and then the grainy image flashed through her mind. “If—if, mind you—you are what I really, really, really hope you are, you’d have to shoot me to get rid of me.”
There was a chittering and then a chirping. Crystal felt as if she could almost make out … not meaning, but separate sounds in the apparent birdsong. “We’d rather not shoot you.” The figure reached up and lowered her hood.
“Oh, Lord Jesus,” Dierdre breathed. She leaned forward and tilted her head toward the birdlike being. “A deal’s a deal,” she said. She watched as a long-fingered hand reached up and delicately touched her curls. Dierdre gestured toward the creature’s crest. “May I?” Dierdre touched the featherlike crest when the being nodded. “I’m Dierdre.”
“I’m Morning Mist,” the little alien said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Dierdre McIntosh followed the truck into a compound. It was obviously new, as it was still under construction. What was once a natural clearing in the woods had been expanded to twice its original size, and a large stack of downed trees had been placed along one side. A temporary chain-link fence was quickly being replaced by a more permanent one. One end of the compound was dominated by an aircraft hangar, and a series of trailers were lined up nearby. It was toward the trailers that the truck was headed. Dierdre followed.
“Lots of soldiers,” Dierdre commented. “Lord Jesus, look at that.” She pointed toward the hangar. A large, somewhat teardrop-shaped craft was floating out of the hanger. It rotated and then rose into the air with a loud hum.
“You realize they’re not going to just let us leave, don’t you?” Crystal said in warning.
“Leave?” Dierdre replied. “Who the hell wants to leave? I want to go up in one of those,” she said. “And if the price to do that is never coming back, so be it.” She sighed. “When I first saw Close Encounters, all I could think was, ‘Take me, please take me.’”
“Oh, the places you’ll go,” Crystal said in a singsong. “I don’t think Dr. Seuss had that in mind.”
“Maybe, but I bet he’d have been the first in line,” Dierdre shot back. “Lord Jesus, there are more of those little people.” She pointed.
The truck parked in front of one of the trailers, and Dierdre parked her car next to it. She and Crystal got out.
Mel and Morning Mist walked over. “Without thinking, what is the first thing that comes to mind?” Mel asked.
Both women blinked. “I didn’t think there was going to be a test,” Crystal said.
Mel laughed and then pointed to Dierdre. “And you?”
“Thank you, Jesus,” Dierdre breathed.
“Different,” Mel said. “And somewhat surprising,” she added. At Dierdre’s questioning look, she continued. “Maybe it’s my own bias speaking, but thanking god for something that must cause you to question your beliefs is usually not something I would expect from the religious.”
Dierdre nodded. “I can’t blame you for thinking that,” she replied. “And if I am going to be honest, there are many in my church who’d probably be screaming that this is the devil’s work.” She shrugged. “I’m just not one of them. Ever since I was a child, I looked at the stars and knew there were others … looking back.”
Mel nodded. “I’m sure you both realize that, at least for the time being, we cannot let you leave,” she said in serious tones. “The Rynn are …” She pursed her lips in thought. “Look, I know the Rynn are good people, but how can you know that they aren’t influencing me somehow?”
“That in itself tells me they’re probably not,” Crystal Chandler replied. “Dierdre and I have already figured that out, but we’re not unknown,” she said. “Someone will start looking for us if we don’t check in.”
“Then you will check in, but you can’t leave,” Mel replied.
“Roach or California?” Dierdre asked. She grinned at Mel’s blank look. “What kind of hotel is this going to be?”
“Got it.” She turned to Morning Mist. “Human joke,” she said. “I’ll explain later.” She turned back to the two women. “Neither, actually,” she said in serious tones. “But I’ll let the commander and Kasumi explain in detail.”
Several minutes later, the two women were standing in the middle of one of the trailers. The trailer had obviously been set up as a meeting area, as it was dominated by a large oval table. The chairs that surrounded the table were an odd mix of standard chairs and circular padded ones. The reason for the mix became obvious when two people joined them. One was human: a man in uniform with a stern demeanor and close-cropped graying hair. The other was a Rynn. She was taller than most of the Rynn seen so far, and unlike the other Rynn, she wore a yellowish-red tunic and pants that would not be out of place in a Buddhist monastery. Also unlike the other Rynn, she wore a blade strapped to her back. The Rynn woman curled up in one of the round chairs, and the military man took a chair next to her.
“Please be seated,” the Rynn woman said.
“Hey, you said that in English, and not through a translator,” Dierdre said.
“I’ve learned a few words, yes,” the Rynn woman said. She waited until the two women sat before continuing. “In case you haven’t figured it out, I am Captain Kasumi.” She chittered quietly for a moment. “Neither label is truly correct but will do.”
“What the captain means is that captain is not a Rynn term and Kasumi is not a Rynn name, but it is the name she goes by,” the military man said, “I am Lieutenant Commander Eisenstadt.” Kasumi nodded in agreement. “Let’s get down to it. I know who both of you are, and you present a not-unexpected difficulty.” He nodded to Crystal. “You are Crystal Chandler, a relatively well-known newscaster,” he said. “And you are Dierdre McIntosh, a Pulitzer award-winning photojournalist.”
“And we’ve met before, haven’t we?” Dierdre replied. “Afghanistan, wasn’t it?”
“Correct on both counts,” Eisenstadt replied. “I know you, and I know I can trust you,” he said in honest tones. “I’m not so sure about your boss.”
“I’m not her boss,” Crystal corrected. “I asked her to come with me, and she said yes, that’s it.” She leaned forward slightly. “She’s who I call when I want someone who might see something I missed.”
“Is she your core sister?” Kasumi asked in curious tones.
“Core sister?” Dierdre asked.
“Think a combination of buddy, partner, and lover,” Mel interjected from the side of the room. “Kasumi, Morning Mist, and I are core sisters.”
Dierdre snorted in amusement. “Partner, yes. Buddy, sometimes. But lover, never.” She smiled. “Crystal is hopelessly hetero.”
“And you, Ms. McIntosh? Are you … hopelessly hetero?” Kasumi asked.
“I’ve been known to, shall we say, sleep on the other side of the bed,” Dierdre replied. “Why? Is it important?”
Kasumi’s crest flicked in the Rynn equivalent of a shrug. “It can be,” she said. “At the very least, if you have a problem with certain kinds of relationships, you may have a problem with the Rynn.”
Crystal leaned forward with narrowed eyes. “Are you saying that Rynn are inherently gay?”
“That would be absurd and counter-survival,” Kasumi chided. “No, what I am saying is that Rynn culture accepts that sexuality is on a spectrum and what works for a core and for their children is all that is important. And when I say works, I mean that it promotes the best and healthiest relationships and offspring as possible.”
“Child abuse is a capital crime among the Rynn,” Mel interjected. “Rape is a capital crime. Abuse is a capital crime.” She smiled grimly. “Gross incompetence of any sort is a capital crime.”
“
Wait a minute: child abuse, rape, and, I assume, spousal abuse is considered incompetence?” Crystal asked in surprise.
“If you cannot properly raise a family, run a business, be in a marriage, or the Rynn equivalent, then you have no business doing those things,” Kasumi said sternly. “It isn’t just yourself who is getting hurt.” She added, “Mel claims that human morality is based on an abhorrence of theft.”
This time it was Dierdre who blinked in surprise. “Theft?” She shook her head. “That’s not true. We … Western culture, at least, is based on the ten commandments.”
“I think you need to have a discussion with my grandfather,” Mel said in amusement. “But what is murder but theft of life? What is adultery but theft of commitment? And what is lying but theft of honor and truth?”
Dierdre noticed that with each statement, the Rynn present would quickly cover their eyes with their hands. “But …”
“At the heart, all Western religions guard against theft. Theft of respect, of life, of commitment,” Mel said. “Theft of being human.” She made a slashing motion. “We can discuss theology in greater detail at another time. Right now, we are discussing how to get along with the Rynn.”
“If you promise something to a Rynn, you’d better deliver,” the commander said firmly. “Do not make promises you cannot keep.”
“For example, can you promise not to contact your superiors, friends, and families and tell them about the Rynn?’ Kasumi asked. “Breaking such a promise would be considered incompetent.” Her crest flattened. “Or, as Mel would have it, theft.”
“Right now, Rynn and humans are coexisting because, so far, neither side has broken this pact,” the commander said. “And personally, I would rather shoot you than jeopardize that coexistence,” he said. “And by personally, I mean I would personally shoot you.”
“Whoa,” breathed Dierdre. “I think he means it, Crystal.” She looked at the commander. “What will you do if we can’t make that promise?”
“if you can’t make that promise or we believe you are incapable of keeping that promise, we will, at the very least, lock you up.” The commander’s expression was grim. “I cannot and will not allow anyone to jeopardize this mission.”
“Your cell phones will not work in this compound, and you will not be allowed to leave,” Kasumi said. “I apologize, but I have no choice.”
“There are already rumors of your existence,” Crystal pointed out. “Including pictures.” She took out her cell phone and brought up an image. “See?”
Kasumi and the commander looked at the image. “A bit grainy,” the commander commented. “Thank you for bringing it to our attention,” he said. “A few accidentally discarded Halloween masks should be enough.”
“Crystal, if you don’t promise to be good, I will tell them where every skeleton you have buried is buried, and you know I can do it,” Dierdre said. “And if you break your word, I will personally hold you down while the commander blows your brains out.”
“I believe the first, but I’m not so sure about the second,” Crystal replied. She raised both hands in surrender. “Aw, come on, Dierdre,” she complained. “I’m a reporter, and this is news.”
“Crystal …” Dierdre growled in warning tones.
“All right, all right,” Crystal replied. “But I got one demand of my own,” she said. “When you finally do come out, I get the exclusive, and I’m your official press secretary.”
“I told you not to bet against Gramps,” Mel said in amusement. “That would be acceptable, Ms. Chandler.”
“Who’s Gramps?” Crystal asked in response.
“I am,” said a gruff voice. Crystal and Dierdre turned in their chairs. An old man with thinning white hair was sitting in a chair at the other end of the room. He wore black silk pajamas that seemed more uniform than sleepwear. “Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier.”
“Where did you come from?” Dierdre asked in shock.
“He was here when you came in,” Kasumi replied. “Germy is very good at not being noticed when he does not want to be.” She covered her eyes briefly. “What do you think, Teacher?”
“I think you should take Ms. McIntosh for a tour of the main ship,” Jeremy Blunt said. “And introduce Ms. Chandler to Hendriks and Cool Evening Breeze.”
Kasumi chittered. “Truly?”
“Think of it as a … hmm, human interest is not accurate, is it?” Jeremy mused. “How about a sentient-being interest story?”
“Awkward, Gramps,” Mel said with a grin.
“Cpt. Hendriks and Cool Evening Breeze are the first, or rather the second, interspecies core pairing, Ms. Chandler,” Jeremy explained. “If you are going to be our … spokesperson, then it follows you should see, firsthand as it were, how they get along.”
Commander Eisenstadt had a slightly annoyed look on his face. If I could bottle whatever that old man has, I could rule the world, he thought. He had learned early on that unless the old man approved, nothing he proposed would ever be implemented. On the other hand, it was rare that Jeremy Blunt would disagree. He might offer an alternative or variation, but outright disagreement was rare. “I will arrange for the flight for Ms. McIntosh,” he said. “That’s assuming you wish to go.”
“Jesus Lord, yes,” Dierdre breathed. “May I take my camera?”
“I think that was Mr. Blunt’s intention,” Eisenstadt said. Jeremy nodded. “Come along, Ms. McIntosh.”
“Be back before dinner,” Mel warned. “Or you will have a very annoyed Morning Mist on your hands.”
Eisenstadt mock-shuddered. “I wouldn’t want that,” he said. “Don’t worry, Morning Mist. I will contact you if I am delayed.”
“Do that,” chirped Morning Mist through her translator. “I suppose I am the one to take Ms. Chandler to see Hendriks and Cool Evening Breeze?”
Soon the trailer was empty except for Mel, Kasumi, and Jeremy. “You realize that if they end up forming a core, you will never again be able to claim you’re just an old martial artist,” Mel said in mock despair.
“It’s too late for that, Core Sister,” Kasumi chirped cheerfully. “Though even I find this prediction unlikely.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Jeremy said with a smile. “I think Ms. McIntosh is mostly correct. Hendriks is about as macho a man as possible, and if I read Ms. Chandler correctly, that would be exactly her kind of man.” He smiled. “Now Ms. McIntosh, on the other hand, is going to have a hard time resisting temptation.”
“He’s going to be impossible to live with if either of his predictions is right,” Mel complained.
“He was right about Franklin,” Kasumi pointed out. She chittered. “And David.” She smiled at Jeremy. “Will it be acceptable for me to speak to Mei Lin tonight?”
“I think she misses speaking to you,” Jeremy replied. “Only if you promise to sing for her.”
15
TIDE
The princess looked at the Temple of Light. “Spirits watch over you, Granddaughter,” said a familiar voice. The princess turned to see the old monk. She covered her eyes. “Honored one,” she said in greeting. “I had not expected to return.”
The old monk leaned her broom against the door of the temple. “You are here because you are worried,” the old monk replied. “What worries you, Granddaughter?”
“I do not know that I am worried,” the princess protested.
“Maybe worried is not correct,” the old monk acknowledged. “Concerned perhaps?”
The princess covered her eyes. “I feel as if I am trying to swim against a strong tide,” the princess admitted. “Yet if I stop swimming, I will drown.”
The old woman pointed to the stairs. “Sit,” she said. “Let us sit together and speak.” Without waiting, the old monk sat on the top step. The princess hesitated for a moment and then sat down on the next step below the monk. “You nee
d not swim against the tide,” the old woman chided. “The tide will take you where it will go.”
“But is it where I should go?” questioned the princess. To her surprise, the old woman smiled at the princess in great approval. “The tide may take me out to the depths when it goes out,” the princess continued.
“And return you when it comes back in,” the old woman replied. “The tide will always bring you home, Granddaughter.” She smiled gently. “The way forward is frightening, because it is unknown, but you have faced greater dangers than this already.” The old woman looked past the princess. “And you still have your companions,” the old monk laughed. “And a new one, I see.”
The princess followed the gaze of the old monk. Standing at the bottom of the stairs were the faceless one and the mist, and standing behind them was a statue made of stone.
“He seems most formidable,” the old woman said in approval. “You may need his strength in the near future. And he seems most willing to lend you his strength.” The old monk rose. “Trust them to follow you when the tide goes out,” she said. “And trust them to follow you when the tide comes back in again.”
The princess stood. “Thank you, honored one,” she said. “Will you grant me one last question?”
“Oh, I doubt this will be your last question,” the old monk laughed. “What is it that you wish to know.”
“You call me granddaughter,” the princess said in leading tones.
“Granddaughter of my heart,” the old woman replied. “If you will, do grant me one boon in return, Granddaughter.”
“Anything,” the princess replied.
“Tell the Great Teacher I will wait,” the old monk replied. “Tell him that I will be here when he comes, no matter how long that may be.”
Kasumi awoke in the dark. She waited until her heart stopped racing before slowly easing herself out of the kip she shared with Mel, Morning Mist, and more recently, David Eisenstadt. She exited the trailer she shared with them. As she expected, there was a soldier standing guard outside. The guard, a human, saluted. “Has Jeremy Blunt returned to his cabin?” she asked quietly.
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