Massoud (Massoud Chronicles Book 1)

by Amanda R. Norris

  “That is the point in question. It is conventional to adopt the Uniform Legal Code on unsettled planets and newly settled planets. However, there is a legal exception for planets that are settled, or partially settled by a people who share a common legal code and recognize a common authority. In this case, they may choose to adopt the legal code of their place of origin, or another locale, if they so choose. I was the senior officer on Delta Alpha Seven B. I was the authority. It could be argued that as the leader of a people who were effectively settling Delta Alpha Seven B—since we were without means of transport off the planet—that the legal code of my progenitors applied.”

  “You’re making this up.”

  “That is not so. During our return to Denison I applied myself to researching this matter. The application of the Uniform Legal Code to newly populated planets is an open topic in legal circles and subject to much contention. Although I understand enough of your character to anticipate your vehement rejection of such a bonding, it may nonetheless ameliorate your sister’s objections to your pregnancy. She is currently seeking guidance from her religious advisor on the acceptability of this marriage according to her religious precepts. You may assure yourself that this marriage is not recognized by Denisonian law. Even if it were, the marriage will expire in forty days. Will this satisfy you?”

  Elizabeth was aghast. “I am not satisfied. No, I am not. Teloc, for the first time, I really feel you’ve violated me.” Elizabeth stared at the refrigerator, her eyes drawn to the scratches her nephews had created. She contemplated them with a peculiar detachment. She could not bring herself to think of Teloc’s breach of trust.

  After some time, Teloc spoke in a carefully modulated voice. “You reassured me, on several occasions, that my behavior towards you, during that first week on Delta Alpha Seven B, was nothing I should be ashamed of, nothing that I had to ask forgiveness for, because I was incapable of controlling myself. Now you take an opposite position, Elizabeth Massoud. I am confounded.”

  Elizabeth heard something in his voice, something very small seeping past the veneer of self-control. He was hurt, but so was she.

  “You were insane with sex hormones. I can understand everything associated with that and—most importantly—I consented. But this other business, I really don’t understand.”

  “It was something that I wanted very much at that moment in time, and I was incapable of tempering that want with reason, or even respect for you.” He sounded remorseful.

  Elizabeth was startled by the concept that he wanted to bond with her, even if it was a symptom of his madness, and her anger began to erode under a bubbling of tenderness. How those two opposing emotions were to be reconciled, was a matter to be resolved later. Noor bustled in at that instant with an air of purpose.

  “I have to go and pick up Hammie from preschool now, but the imam can see me at two pm. Capt. Teloc, you had better come with me in case he has questions about this Gnostian law. I’ll ask Sue Meakin to watch Hammie; I can’t have him see you like that.” This last comment was directed at Elizabeth, who was about to protest being excluded from her nephew’s company when her sister interjected: “I’m his mother. I decide what he should be exposed to.”

  Noor had the right to choose this course of action, and Elizabeth succumbed. She suspected that, deep within herself, she shared her sister’s viewpoint. She had the unwilling, unwanted, and reluctant conviction that she was unchaste. In his madness and within his culture, Teloc could plead innocence. He understood nothing of the concept of sin. But could she—a befuddled outgrowth of liberal Denison grafted onto moral Meccan roots—be sincerely penitent for something her new culture found acceptable?

  Teloc, Elizabeth, and Noor rode down to street level in the same elevator. Noor strode off to the preschool as soon as they reached the ground level, and the other two watched her leave. Teloc adopted his habitual stance with his hands behind his back—managing to be, at the same time, an officer at rest and a humbled schoolboy. Elizabeth could not bear to look at him but could also not bear to leave things as they were.

  “You owe me an explanation,” she stated.

  “My prior explanation was insufficient?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “I do not know what else to say.”

  A pair of jabbering elderly men, passing to enter the building, stared nosily at them. Elizabeth gave them a foul look.

  “You owe me a lunch,” Elizabeth declared. “A very nice lunch. And since it’s your fault I’m constantly hungry, you can buy it for me right now, even if it is too early to eat.”

  “Very well.”

  Teloc walked stiffly beside his putative wife, while she determinedly avoided waddling. It was much too early in the pregnancy for her gait to have changed; she was merely self-conscious. To her, her lack of grace stood in stark contrast to the natural elegance of the man beside her. She contemplated the improbability of two such dissimilar people producing a child together.

  With minimal conversation, they selected a restaurant. Elizabeth requested patio seating, judging that the murmuring pedestrian shuffle on the pavement beyond the patio would provide a degree of privacy. Her now voracious hunger bought Teloc a respite from her wrath. The menu was all consuming. An entree with too many side dishes immediately caught her attention. She was in no mood to be disciplined and to select a healthier option. Here first words were: “Where’s the wait-bot. I’m ravenous.”

  “Perhaps I should fetch it.”

  “No! Stay!” she said pointing her finger at Teloc’s seat. “You’re not getting away from me so soon. You owe me a major explanation with a massive side dish of groveling and apologies. What were you thinking? I don’t just mean on Seven B, but here, just now, going to see my sister.” Elizabeth waved her arm wildly. This was apparently an attempt to summon the wait-bot. “And what in heavens name did this bonding require? Did you do something kinky to me while I slept? Slip something into my blood stream? What?”

  A human waiter appeared; it was an upscale restaurant. Lunch would have a delightfully negative impact on Teloc’s bank balance. She ordered unwisely. Teloc ordered tea. The food arrived almost immediately.

  “Perhaps I should respond, not in the order in which you posed your questions, but in the order which will result in the most rational exposition of the facts,” he said.

  “Fine!”

  “As to my actions on Delta Alpha Seven B, I reiterate that I was not in command of my faculties. My inhibitions were disabled, and I followed whatever course of action seemed pleasing to me at that moment in time. Although the degree of impairment was variable, at the time I decided to proceed with the bonding, my mental discipline was weak. Even then, I was aware that the bonding was temporary, and was unlikely to be recognized by you or your home planet. My primary concern was to satisfy my own desires.

  “I think it is not unreasonable for me to re-state that you have absolved me of far more questionable behavior on the grounds of my mental instability. Therefore, I think it would be illogical for you to adopt a different attitude in this matter.

  “The mechanism for bonding was simple and inoffensive, in its own right. I merely made a declaration that I was claiming you as my spouse according to the ways and customs of Gnost. I assure you that I did not assault your person in any manner.

  “With regard to my meeting with your sister, subsequent events have, indeed, demonstrated that I was unwise in adopting that course of action. My intent was to quiet your sister’s religious qualms with a discreet conversation. I truly thought that it would be sufficient to privately gain her acquiescence in this matter without reference to other persons, including you. I apologize for the error.”

  Teloc took a sip of his now lukewarm tea. Elizabeth had wolfed down a considerable portion of her meal while he talked. It was not that she was in any way inattentive to his words, but her hunger was overwhelming.

  “You appear to have a hearty appetite,” commented Teloc.

  “Do yo
u know how demanding a full-term, five- or six-months’ pregnancy is for a body as small as mine? I need to put on weight at an incredible rate. I’m turning into a pumpkin.”

  “I do not understand the reference to pumpkin.”

  “It’s a large round vegetable. Well, technically it’s a fruit. Hold on...are you trying to change the subject? I am still hugely infuriated with you, Teloc. Let’s stick to the topic.”

  “As you wish.”

  “I’m glad that what I wish actually has relevance.” Elizabeth stabbed a deep-fried something and waved it about. “Everything else that happened between us happened with my consent. Don’t you see that this is different? This really makes me wonder who you are.”

  “I was irrational.”

  “I’m so deeply hurt by this.”

  “And I am so deeply sorry.” Teloc’s voice had a penitent tone. It was a rare divergence from his usual measured speech, and Elizabeth’s eye was drawn up from her plate to discover a peculiar pained expression on his face. She sputtered with nervous laughter.

  “Oh my! Is that what you look like when you’re sorry? You really aren’t good at expressing emotion, are you? That face might make it all worthwhile.” She was laughing outright now, so much so that she had to wipe tears from her face. “I might forgive you yet, fool that I am.”

  “I have never taken you for a fool, Elizabeth Massoud.” Teloc’s perplexed expression just made her laugh more.

  “Did you really think that you could tell Noor that we were married, or bonded, at the time the baby was conceived, and that would be the end of the matter?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, you poor man! You really don’t understand Terrans at all, do you?”

  “Most of my experience of Terrans has been on spacecraft. This has provided little opportunity to observe familial relationships. Apparently, I failed to identify differences between Gnostian and earth-descended customs in this regard. Once an embarrassing issue has been resolved on Gnost, we speak of it no more.”

  “Well that would be a little difficult when there’s a reminder running around in nappies, wouldn’t it?”

  Massoud felt that principle required her to remain angry with Teloc, but she couldn’t. He had meant well, but he had failed to understand her family. Even Denisonians struggled to understand Meccan morality. Despite the change in her attitude to Teloc’s behavior, she couldn’t let him know her resentment had dissipated, in case he misinterpreted that to mean his actions had been acceptable. So, she ate very ravenously, just to annoy him with her uncouthness.

  “I had an early meeting at the embassy this morning,” he announced.

  “Really? Did they refer you to a doctor?” she asked with interest.

  “We did not discuss that matter. We discussed the charges against me.”

  “Charges! They’ve already brought charges against you?”

  “Forgive me, I misspoke.” Since when did Teloc misspeak? “The process is still in the investigative phase. The embassy wishes me to plead guilty during the investigative tribunal and thereby avoid a public trial. I can request a closed session, and the base commander would then discipline me in an administrative proceeding. This would minimize public scrutiny of the matter, which is highly favored by my government. The embassy believes it could apply diplomatic pressure to ensure I receive nothing more than a dishonorable discharge. It is a modest punishment given the gravity of the charges.”

  “No. No, it is not. The charges are bogus. You have to fight them,” Massoud said emphatically. “They probably wouldn’t even stick, if you went to court martial. You could even demand a trial by a jury of your peers. No fleet captain would convict you—not after your defense called in testimonials from each member of the crew, and hears about your actions on Seven B. You can’t just let the embassy steamroll you into doing something so stupid.”

  “Massoud, I may not understand Meccan culture, but you do not understand Gnostian culture. I would shame my people with the course of action you suggest—or more precisely, with the notoriety it would generate. We are a highly ordered society and I have failed to fulfill my defined role in that society, which is to be an exemplary representative of Gnostian culture in Terran society. I cannot reverse what I have already done, but I can ensure my future actions protect the reputation of my race.”

  Reputation. This was what Noor and Teloc had in common—a burdensome interest in maintaining the collective reputation. They believed the truth was important but would bury it to preserve the appearance of propriety. They were two honest people being dishonest with themselves. Her child’s father and her child’s aunt both deplored the circumstances that brought her into existence.

  “Teloc, think of our child. In preserving Gnost’s reputation, you damage her father’s. The implication is that you are ashamed of her beginnings. That’s a terrible thing.”

  “You may explain that to her in whatever manner you think is best suited to her psychological development. If I adopt the approach recommended by my government, I will be repatriated to Gnost. I am very sorry, but I will not be able to fulfill my promise to help raise the child.”

  “Why would you go back to Gnost? Don’t you care about us…I mean, her?”

  “I will have little choice in this matter. When I was given permission to join the Alliance Fleet, I made a legal commitment to return to Gnost after my service had ended. I also made a legal commitment to raise a child on Gnost, if I could find a willing mother. Perhaps I should explain that my government normally attaches a requirement to assist with the population crisis to any government favor, such as the issuance of a travel visa. Beyond those considerations, the embassy would not want me to remain on Denison, where curiosity regarding my dismissal would be stimulated by my presence.”

  “Who cares what they think? You should do what you want. You made a commitment to me too. You don’t need to find a willing mother. You have me.”

  “My commitment to Gnost is contractually binding and pre-dates my commitment to you. I should have considered it when we made plans for the child’s future. It is unforgiveable that I failed to do so. Also, raising a child on Denison does not grow the population on Gnost. Ethically, I am bound to my earlier commitment.”

  “I hate your ethics!”

  He looked at her questioningly, and she relented. “I just wish they weren’t at odds with what the baby needs. This is so hard. Those allegations against you are ridiculous. Perhaps you can fight them during the investigative tribunal with success?”

  “Can I fight them, Massoud, in an honest fashion? I did take command when a medical impairment was imminent and predictable, I did assault you, and I did use excessive force against Mr. Speck. I wish to accept responsibility for my actions.”

  “Even if it is at the cost of your child’s wellbeing?”

  He looked distressed at this, causing Massoud’s heart to break a little. He was not equipped to deal with these complex emotional situations.

  “Teloc, do one thing at least. Listen to the advice of your legal counsel. He will know more about fleet regulations, and how things work, than anyone at the embassy. Weigh what he says. Really think about his advice. Make a decision based on more than just one viewpoint. Please.”

  Teloc nodded.

  They finished their meal in gloomy silence and Teloc accompanied Massoud part-way to her apartment. They agreed to meet the following day to visit Chen’s feckless brother and Garcia’s family. Leo’s family lived off-planet, and McKenzie’s family did not wish to meet with anyone from the fleet, a manifestation of grief that Massoud understand but could not condone. These dutiful meetings were to occur in the afternoon; Massoud’s prenatal medical appointment was to occupy her morning.

  Later that afternoon, while she frittered away her time searching for a permanent apartment, Elizabeth received a call from Noor. Noor’s natural good humor seemed to have returned and she launched into her news without preamble. “The imam says that we should recogn
ize our neighbors’ legal forms of marriage, no matter how different they are from ours. But he’s a little concerned about the consent issue, even though Gnost does recognize the marriage. And he’s also concerned that the marriage expires; he’s not a fan of temporary marriage. He thinks you should go through a regular ceremony to normalize things and get a written contract. He’s a licensed marriage officiant and could fit you in later this week.”

  Elizabeth inhaled. “Noor, only one participant recognizes this bonding as a legal form of marriage. I don’t. And it is not for others to decide if, or when, I should marry...or remarry. That’s my decision, not yours.”

  “Elizabeth, be reasonable. Do you want your child to be a bastard? Do you want to burden your child with that too? Won’t people treat her badly enough because she’s not fully Terran? She can’t avoid that, but she can avoid the shame of being born out of wedlock.”

  Naively, Elizabeth had not considered the prejudice that her child would experience because of her race. Children were frequently cruel when it came to such differences. Their parents sometimes promoted that cruelty. Family could act as a buffer to prejudice, but only if her baby knew them. Noor’s scruples might mean the baby would grow up without the support of a loving family to insulate her from the pettiness of human behavior.

  Was that a reason to marry, to appease her sister?

  Elizabeth responded reflexively, “Denisonians don’t care about a child’s parents’ status. They don’t care if I’m married, if I’m a one-third parent, or if I cloned myself. They just don’t care.”

  “I care.”

  Elizabeth felt a chill. “Will you reject the baby if I’m single?”

  “I don’t know. I really don’t know. It’s been too sudden,” Noor’s good mood had evaporated. “I haven’t had time to think it through yet. I only found out about the baby this morning, and I haven’t had a chance to talk to Abdul.” Her voice was pained. There was a scuffle in the background. “Look, the boys are back from school. I have to go.” Noor’s face disappeared, leaving Elizabeth to ponder prejudice, and isolation, as direct threats to her offspring’s wellbeing. In addition to that, she felt a dispiriting loneliness triggered by her sister’s vacillating support.