A Dubious Peace

by Olan Thorensen

  As soon as Carnigan was out of earshot, Mark spoke softly in English. “Were either of those jokes ones Eddie Murphy used?”

  “Not that I know of. I think I heard the last one on a YouTube clip of Rodney Dangerfield. And remember . . . Caedelli, not English. You’re still mastering Caedelli, so settings like this are okay. No one here knows English, and the noise drowns out anyone not sitting too close.”

  “But enough of bugging you. What do you miss most about Earth, Mark?”

  “Everything and nothing, depending on the moment. At times after marrying Maghen, I think I was more content than I’d ever been in my life. But even then, something I missed would flash through my mind. Maybe a random thought or triggered by something I saw her doing or something she said. Earlier times, I was so occupied with innovations I wanted to introduce that sixdays or more would go by without my consciously missing Earth. I admit that finding out about Heather, and now here with you, makes it more confusing. How about you?”

  “Like you, different things at different times. I’ll be sweating on a warm day when the urge for a Coke pops into my head or maybe a lemonade like my Aunt Ellen made every time we visited her. For some reason that stuck in my head. Of course, at first, it was my girlfriend, Julie. We’d been together for several years and were going to be married that summer. I promised her I’d get serious about helping with the planning after the chemistry meeting in Chicago. I missed her something terrible the first few months.

  “Then, over time, as I adjusted and accepted that this is where I will spend the rest of my life, memories of her and the rest of Earth slowly faded. Now, it’s hard to remember exactly what she looked like. I can recall the mole on her right breast, the shape of her fingernails, the way her hair bounced when she tied it into a ponytail, and her laughter.” He stopped and chuckled. “If she laughed hard enough, she would start to gasp and snort. Those and more things I remember well enough, but less and less her voice, and I can’t clearly envision her face. It makes me sad, but I suppose that’s the way memories work. A lot has happened since I got here. Maybe memories of the last few years are so intense, they simply crowded out things that happened before.”

  Yozef’s recollection ended with Carnigan’s reappearance holding four steins of beer, two in each hand. He plopped them on the table, spilling only part of the contents of one stein.

  “I figured as long as I was going for three, I might as well get four.” He pushed a stein each toward Yozef and Mark, the other two to himself. He picked up the one no longer full and chugged it empty before slamming the vessel on the table.

  “Ah . . . the beer at this Snarling Graeko is good, but the one in Abersford is still the best.”

  “I see you once again conveniently forget the blind tasting I arranged,” said Yozef.

  “I still don’t believe the result. You may have arranged to get beer from four different Snarling Graekos, but the shipments could have been mixed up, or you made a mistake and labeled them wrong before the testing. It’s what you call . . . Oker’s Razor, that the most likely explanation is the simplest, and I correctly identified the Abersford beer, and someone else made the mistake.”

  “That’s Occam’s razor,” said Yozef, smiling and turning to Mark. “A long story, too long for tonight.”

  CHAPTER 13

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  When Mark returned to the villa his family and Heather shared, the only light came from a back patio facing the ocean. There he found Maghen, wearing a dress he hadn’t seen before and sitting in a wicker chair near a masonry wall. The lantern flame was higher than normal—whale oil being expensive. The light was also a paler yellow.

  “Is that a whale oil lantern?”

  Maghen turned her head and smiled. The lantern light illuminated half of her face, the other half in shadow. “No. It burns something called kerosene. Ceinwyn tried explaining where it comes from, but I didn’t understand what she was saying. Something about taking this black, goopy substance on the ground and heating it.”

  Petroleum seeps, thought Mark. There must be enough to collect and do some version of fractional distillation. Good for Yozef, although him being a chemist likely means he knew the basic idea but had to figure out how to actually do it.

  Involuntarily, his mind went to the economic ramifications. He hadn’t seen or heard anything about kerosene lamps either on Drilmar or during their travels. If kerosene production hadn’t spread beyond Caedellium, there was the opportunity to export kerosene until other realms learned how to make it for themselves.

  “How was your day?” he asked. “I see you’ve been shopping again. Yozef told me Ceinwyn was supposed to take you and Heather.”

  Maghen use both hands to smooth the dress covering her legs. “Yes, she came for Heather and me after morning meal. I told her we didn’t need any more clothes, but Heather was enthused. She seemed surprised that I don’t want to ‘shop’ if I don’t need anything. She enjoys looking at what she ‘might’ buy.”

  She shrugged. “Anyway . . . I thought we’d be going to Preddi City in a carriage, but Ceinwyn asked if it was all right if we walked.” Maghen laughed. “I told her my ass was so tired of being on horses and my legs wobbling on ships that I’d love to walk.”

  Maghen put a hand to her mouth. In the dim light, he thought she was blushing.

  “It just came out of my mouth. I was worried I shouldn’t say such things to the wife of the local leader, but Ceinwyn only laughed and took one of my arms in hers. She said she thought we were going to become friends, though I don’t see how that can be. She’s of such a higher status.”

  “Nonsense,” said Mark, irritated. “You shouldn’t feel that way about anyone. I don’t with Yozef. Oh . . . he’s an important person here on Caedellium, and I respect that, but I don’t think I’m inferior. We’re just different. That’s the way it is in Amerika.”

  Not totally true, thought Mark, but certainly more so than what I’ve seen on Anyar. He also wanted to support Maghen.

  He recognized her expression as indicating she didn’t agree but wanted to avoid arguing.

  “How did the evening beers with the Paramount go?”

  He didn’t answer immediately and pulled up another chair to sit within arm’s reach of his wife. “I’m not sure. Oh . . . it was fine. We sat and drank beer and talked for, I don’t know— maybe two hours. At least, the other men talked. I didn’t say much at first. I think Kolsko invited me hoping to make me relax and start me on my way to identifying with the Caedelli.”

  “Did it work?”

  Mark shrugged. “I don’t know. The others were clearly enjoying themselves more than I was . . . not that I didn’t recognize it should have been a pleasant evening. I think I’m still adjusting to being here, being the guest of someone from Amerika—a man who has risen to be a very important person. I also spent much of the evening wondering how I fit in with Kolsko’s situation. And trying to figure out what we are going to do next now that we’re here. Kolsko wants me to come to their capital, Orosz City, in the middle of the island where he lives. He says a lot of projects he wants me involved in are located there. I told him I would think about it, but I promised you a month of not having to move from a beautiful and safe place.”

  “It is beautiful on the beach. Alys loves it. The quiet is almost . . . I don’t know, too quiet. I guess I’m accustomed to sounds. People talking. Animals. Wind whistling against buildings and trees. I wish the sand dunes weren’t here. They block the sound of the ocean waves on the beach, though the waves here are small. Ceinwyn tells me the shape of this bay is the reason, and the waves are much higher most other places on Caedellium.”

  Maghen shifted as if uncomfortable from the chair or from something she was feeling. “And this house. I mean, ‘villa’ as they call it. It’s so grand. Even the Toodman house wasn’t so large and . . . well, grand! I don’t know if I would ever be comfortable living permanently in such a place.”

  “This is only temporary. I
think Yozef is so glad to meet fellow Amerikans, he’s doing his best to make us welcome. When we have our own home here, it won’t be like this.”

  “You just called the Paramount ‘Yozef.’ Before you called him Kolsko. Are you becoming more comfortable about him? After all, he is the ruler of Caedellium. Back home, I couldn’t imagine calling the mayor of Nurburt by his first name. It would be the same for anyone with the kind of authority the Paramount has. Maybe you’re right that he asked you to accompany them tonight to make you feel more at ease. Did it work? What do you think?”

  He put a hand on top of hers, which rested on the chair’s arm nearest him. “I’m not sure, but maybe you’re right. I know when I’ve met with Yozef, Kolsko, Paramount, I’ve seen people respond to him three ways. Some only call him Paramount, others use his name or title, but more people than I would expect use only his name. And there’s the level of familiarity. Some Caedelli, like Puvey, the big redheaded man, always use ‘Yozef.’ They obviously have a special relationship.”

  He patted her hand. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe I am more comfortable around him. After all, he is my countryman, and there are things we can talk about and remember that are different than with anyone else.”

  He stopped patting and grasped the back of her hand. “Are you lonely, Maghen? I’ve been gone much of the time since we arrived. I’m sorry if you think I’ve left you alone too often.”

  “I’m not alone. I have Alys, and I’m relieved she’s acting more like before we left home. I’ve been afraid that moving her so suddenly, the constant traveling, and the fighting would have changed her, but maybe it hasn’t.

  “Then there’s been Heather at times, though she’s often walking on the beach alone or in her quarters in the other side of the villa. But yes, maybe I miss contact with people. In Frangel, I was always around my family or everyone at the Toodman ranch. When we were running from the men chasing you, I was always scared or worried, so it didn’t bother me not to be around other people.”

  Maghen stopped speaking and stared into the darkness. Mark wasn’t sure what to say, if he needed to say anything. They’d been together long enough that he assumed she was gathering her thoughts.

  She turned back to face him. “It’s not just people, it’s those I know and care about. Maybe I’ve only started to feel safe these last days and started to miss my family and our friends more.”

  “I’m sorry, Maghen, but there’s nothing we can do about your family. We have each other and Alys. We are your family. I have no doubt you’ll make many friends. It’s your nature. People like you. They can’t help it. You’re vibrant, honest, hardworking, and always willing to help in whatever needs doing. All I can suggest is to be patient until those friendships develop. That doesn’t help right now, but you have Alys and me. No one in the world loves you more than we do.”

  She reached with her other hand and grasped his with both hands. “I know, Mark, and I thank God for my blessings. Oh . . . don’t mind me. I’m just in a mood today.”

  “Never believe I don’t mind, Maghen. And never think you can’t talk to me about how you’re feeling. Whatever is bothering you, I may not be able to do anything about it, but sometimes maybe I can, and the other times I’m here to listen.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Enough of that. So, Kolsko wants you to help him in whatever he’s doing. What do you think about that?”

  “I’ve told you about some of the innovations I wanted to introduce. Things known in Amerika but not in Frangel. One thing all our travels told me is that Frangel is not unique. The safety pins, wagon springs, and new methods of producing cloth are just as unknown on Caedellium and in the larger nations in this part of the world.

  “After what happened in Tregallon and Kaledon, I knew the people who were killed and injured were my fault. I was arrogant in thinking the route to accepting my innovations would be manageable, and that I would overcome any problems. I didn’t look deeper into the society and people impacted. And yes, there was greed. I believed the innovations would make me wealthy and possibly powerful as well. You heard me talk about some of the innovations I hoped to someday introduce. You didn’t always understand what I was talking about, but you listened without giving an opinion.”

  “I didn’t witness what happened,” said Maghen. “I only know that you think less of yourself for the way you acted. I can’t judge, but since I’ve known you, I have to believe you may be too hard on yourself. Even if your self-judgment is accurate, your regret is what God asks of us—that we admit our wrongs and provide whatever atonement is possible. You said you gave all the gold you had to the families of those who were killed or injured. You didn’t say how much gold it was, but I suspect a significant amount, and you certainly didn’t arrive wealthy at Nurburt.

  “You haven’t told me what else might have happened. I think I know you well enough that when you realized there would be no justice for the people killed, you didn’t simply leave. You did something. I haven’t pried, but when you’ve talked about that time, I don’t hear bitterness in your voice about the guilty going unpunished. What I hear now in your voice is uncertainty. Is it because Kolsko wants you to be involved again in innovations after you thought you had put that behind you, or is it because the thought still excites you?”

  “Maybe it’s both and more. We had our future planned in Frangel. Work, save, start our own ranch, and raise children. While we were fleeing and traveling, I said that future could still happen, even if it took longer and was harder. We can still do that here, but if I work with Yozef like he wants me to, it will be a different future. Not a bad one, I don’t think, but different.”

  “Mark, as I said, I didn’t understand all the other innovations you dreamed of introducing, but there was no doubt about the enthusiasm in your voice. It was the same when you were planning the destrex rifles. You spent hours on drawings and the scribblings you called mathematics. You weren’t a man doing a reluctant task. There was an energy about you.

  “I won’t lie and say I wouldn’t prefer the life we planned for, but God and fate may have other plans for us. And who’s to say which of different futures would be the best? What I don’t want is for you to have regrets about what could’ve been.” She stopped and chuckled. “We also shouldn’t sit here and think we only have those two ways forward. You can start working with Kolsko and later realize you’ve made a mistake. We can then work for a ranch or do something completely different. For now, I trust you to do what your belly tells you, and let’s move on together in whatever future happens.”

  “Moving is another thing to talk about. As I said, Yozef wants me in their capital. Orosz City is where he lives and is the center of the government and where many projects are worked on. He’ll be returning there soon. I need to tell him our plans.”

  Maghen shook her head. “If we remain here for another whole month, I’ll be thinking ahead for when we do move. I want to feel settled, at least for an extended time. Time when I can work to make a home and not be thinking of leaving. Oh . . . I know we might move again eventually, but it was that way on the Toodman ranch. We planned on our own ranch someday, but the cottage was our home in Frangel. I want that feeling again.”

  The skies were clear the next morning when Yozef stepped outside. However, the first thing he noticed was the color of the sky looked wrong. It was a cerulean blue, instead of the normal azure. He stopped and stared upward before descending the stairs to where Carnigan held their horses. For several seconds, his mind sifted through possible explanations. Then it struck him. There was nothing wrong with the sky—it was his expectation that mismatched reality. Azure was the blue shade from Earth, not from Anyar. He stood thinking. When was the last time he hadn’t taken for granted the color of Anyar’s sky? It might have been years, maybe since the first few months.

  The coming of Mark and Heather must have opened doors long closed. He tried examining his feelings and decided he wasn’t disappointed at the color of the sky. It had onl
y been an observation.

  “Well . . . you going to stand there all morning, staring upward?” rumbled Carnigan. “If you see God, ask him why he made likeries. One of them got in the bed last night and bit both me and Gwyned before she killed it.” He raised his left arm so Yozef could see the underside of the forearm with a two-inch bruise. “Bit her on the ass. She’s going to have to sit carefully for a couple of days and will be in a testy mood.”

  The four-inch-long Anyarian creature resembled a centipede. The creature’s yellow and red coloration warned potential predators. Its bite was not fatal to humans, but the venom ruptured small blood vessels. The result resembled a deep bruise that stung at first before settling into an ache until the tissue healed.

  “Just goes to show the likeries are a problem that can bite you in the ass,” said Yozef, then smiled at Cardigan’s puzzled look.

  “From the look on your face, I’ll assume you just said something amusing,” said Synton, “probably from Amerika. And no, don’t bother explaining it to us.”

  “Okay, I won’t. Let’s get to the headquarters. I may have time for some paperwork before I meet Mark later. He’s supposed to wait until I send a message to the villa they’re staying at.”

  “I hear all of them spend at least an hour a day at the shore,” said Synton. “Sometimes more. At least part of the time, the girl plays in the water with one or both of her parents. The wife also sits on top of the sand dunes and stares at the water. When the wind is high, she finds a windbreak closer to the water.”

  “And you know this, how?” asked Yozef.

  Synton shrugged. “Men talk. Especially the Preddi guarding the newcomers. We knew each other from being part of Hetman Swavebroke’s force delaying Narthani reinforcements before the battle of Orosz City.”

  Carnigan snorted in a rough equivalent of another person saying, “I have a piece of information I want to share if you prompt me,” or “I have a snarky comment I may be willing to share.”