The Gypsy Comet

by London, Lia

  It was different, however, when I took my quick drops to the Surface. Dag never came with me, opting instead to stay with the children so I could roam unencumbered with concerns of their safety. He also knew when I went down, I went as a gypsy, and that held its own disadvantages. The children would spend the whole vacation dealing with gravity, so it hardly made sense, even though I longed to bring them with me to show them the beauty they could never fully capture from holovids.

  On my first drop, I returned to Jammu Colony to see Lorant, Paten, and the others. By making known my dignitary associations, I secured permission for Paten to return to the colony schools to continue his education in science. In return, he promised to conform to the clothing and hair fashions common to colonists while attending and do his best to honor their customs of conduct. He would also help keep the school’s grounds clean.

  “I hope it’ll be enough,” muttered Lorant as he trimmed away the last of Paten’s curls. “Some of the kids in the school are probably the children of Crimson Guard members.”

  My stomach sank at the thought. “How could a parent consider killing another person in anything but self-defense? Anyone they shoot is someone else’s child.”

  Lorant gazed sadly at the black locks on the floor. “Just as often it’s someone’s parents who gets killed, right? Or brother.”

  I nodded, and before I knew it, my uncle and I fell into a sobbing embrace. How could the grief strike me so fresh after so long?

  Beside us, Paten sniffed, and I reached to him, ruffling the short fuzz of hair left. “You go show the stationaries you’re every bit as smart as they are. Every bit as worthy of an education and opportunities.”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “It’s a way to fight back against the system,” I said. “Fight the stereotypes. You make yourself a credible authority on something, and they’ll have to listen to you.”

  Lorant’s shuddering breath drew my eyes to him.

  “You don’t think so?” I challenged. “I speak with colony leaders all the time, and the interest in scientific developments is always keen. Paten here could—”

  “Paten is a gypsy boy, not an ICS official’s wife.” He held up his hand to cut off my non-existent rebuttal.

  “We can’t give up hope.” I cupped Paten’s cheeks. “Look how far I’ve risen in a short time. People on the Arxon know I’m part gypsy, but I’ve forced them to know more about me. Learn. Play by their rules. Try not to let the idiots get your blood pumping.” I chucked his chin. “Take a calming tea blend before class every day.”

  Paten snickered, but deep in his eyes, I saw a tremor of fear. He’d be putting himself in harm’s way, at least potentially. Would the rewards be worth it?

  Four months later, I learned the school had been scarred with bullet holes spelling out the words gypsy filth. The threat revealed the caliber of marksmen in the Crimson Guard, but the school’s administrator merely ordered the holes filled and said nothing to the students. Shortly after, he named Paten top of his class in physics and electronics for developing a prototype for a handheld holographic communication device that could change the way we sent messages from planet to ICS. He called it a comlink, and it was much smaller than the bulky apparatus we’d always used.

  “I don’t know whether to cheer or cry or scream,” I told Dag over dinner. “I’m so proud of Paten and so frustrated at the same time. This whole thing proves gypsies aren’t inferior, so why aren’t they accepted on equal footing? It makes no sense!”

  Dag gave me a warning look.

  “Mommy, are you upset?” asked Felly solemnly from behind a tray of fresh greens.

  “I’m worried about my cousin.”

  “What’s a cousin?”

  I tossed Dag a reproving scowl. It was past time for the children to meet their extended family.

  “A cousin is like a sister,” said Dag, smiling and grasping both girls by the hand, one on either side of him around our little square table. “It’s a friend you’re related to.”

  Caz, still too young to comprehend, noticed his gesture and reached for my hand, too. I took it and completed the circle, holding Felly’s hand tightest.

  “Yes, it’s like a sister or a brother. Like your friend Ryon if Jana and I were sisters.”

  “Are you sisters?” Felly’s face lit up.

  “No, but we’re good friends.”

  Felly shook her head. “I don’t like sisters. Just friends. Caz smells bad, and she’s messy.”

  I lifted Caz from her booster seat into my arms protectively. “She’s young, Felly. Give her time.” Nuzzling Caz’s cheek, I studied her little features. “She’ll be a great woman when she grows up,” I whispered.

  “And Felly, too,” added Dag, always the peacemaker between the siblings.

  I smiled with encouragement at Felly, but my gaze returned to Caz’s eyes. Curiosity and intelligence lit them, and I knew she’d be an interesting person soon.

  OOO

  The following year, I made a quick drop down to Ikekane North on Tye to see Mama Biddy and Mittur.

  “Heya!” Mama Biddy clapped. “Long time without you, gypsy ubb. It’s good to see you again.”

  Mittur rushed out from behind the counter and hugged me. “Where have you been? You’re all grown up!” Cupping his hands, he called out down the outer slope. “Alegre! Look who’s here!” He turned back to me. “I wonder if she’ll remember you.”

  “I doubt it. It’s been about five years, hasn’t it? I’ve changed so much.”

  “Just your hair and lack of sun,” said Mittur. “You’ve still got those pretty green eyes.”

  “And perfect figure,” added Mama Biddy with an expression of mock jealousy.

  Despite my efforts in the rec hall, certain curves remained, but Dag approved, so I hadn’t worried much.

  Alegre scrambled up to the rim of the atoll’s crater and stood there eyeing me. “Who’s that?”

  I clapped. “Heya, ubb! You’re all limbs and hair now! Look how tall you are.”

  She grinned.

  “This is the nice gypsy who lived with us when you were little. The one who gave us the medicine that takes away your nightmares,” said Mama Biddy.

  “Oh! Heya!” She warmed instantly and skipped over to take my hand. “Want to see my hideout?”

  I chuckled. “Why do you have a hideout?”

  “To get away from the bad people.”

  I glanced at Mittur for an explanation.

  He cleared his throat and beckoned me into the pina stand. As he chopped fruits into tubs for later use, he narrated the events since our last meeting.

  “Remember that one gypsy woman who was here about the same time you were? The one who was stirring up storms?”

  My throat went dry. “Saloma.”

  “I guess so,” he shrugged. “Anyway, you know how the people in this colony are generally open to outsiders, even gypsies.”

  “Right.” I didn’t appreciate his inclusion of the word even, but he probably didn’t realize he’d revealed a level of prejudice.

  “Well, that one gypsy got people all riled up. People stopped trusting each other so much, and then it seemed some lived up to that distrust.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We hardly ever had crime here before, but theft is on the rise. We’ve had to start using locks on private property. Can you believe we even had to build a fourth wall on our home? Blocked out the view, but it had to be done to keep out the thieves.”

  “Who’s doing the stealing?” I asked.

  “That’s just it,” he shrugged. “No one can figure it out. Could be gypsies, but maybe not. Mostly known traders come through here, and they’ve got no reason to steal when we always strike good deals.”

  I shook my head sympathetically and turned to Alegre. “Why don’t you show me your hideout?”

  “Can I, Ma?” begged Alegre.

  Mama Biddy waved us away. “Go on! It’ll make her day so happy if you don�
��t mind listening to her chatter.”

  “I don’t. Now that I’ve got two of my own, I’m used to hearing children’s stories.”

  “Oh!” Mama Biddy inflated with obvious delight. “That’s something you’ll have to tell us about later. You go have fun now. We’ll watch your bags.”

  As Alegre led me down the bumpy, volcanic rock towards the outer shore, I watched her move, aware her agility exceeded mine after so long on an ICS. For the first time, I felt the tug of gravity harder. “Slow down, Alegre. I’m out of shape. Too much time in space. Oh! Is this your hideout?” We’d come to a small opening, likely an old volcanic vent.

  Alegre crouched beside it, resting her hand on the rock above the entrance. “It goes back almost four meters.”

  “But only you can fit inside,” I said, knowing I wasn’t going to crawl on my hands and knees today.

  “Me and faneps,” she agreed.

  I lowered myself to the ground and regarded her. “Have you seen more faneps lately?”

  “Yes, swarms of them.”

  “Are they the bad guys you’re avoiding?”

  Alegre shook her head and sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees. “The bad guys have guns and take things they don’t need.”

  “Guns. On this island?”

  “Or laser pistols. I’ve seen both.”

  I chewed my lip, fearing the worst. “Gypsies?”

  “Hard to tell,” she said. “The bad people wear all black, usually.” She hesitated before asking, “Are gypsies bad people?”

  “No, of course not.” I thought of Lorant and Paten. My father. My father’s avenger. “Sometimes, maybe.” I shook my head. “Gypsies are people like anybody else. There are good ones and bad ones.”

  Alegre bobbed her head. “That’s what I thought. It’s the kind of person you are,” she said, thumping her chest with her fist. “Not how you look or where you come from.”

  A rush of affection overcame me. “Always remember that, Alegre.”

  “We can all be ubbs.”

  I nodded. “Yes. If people really wanted it, we could all be ubbs.”

  OOO

  “I thought these visits were supposed to make you happier,” said Dag, observing my lost expression in the mirror a week later. “What happened this time?”

  “Nothing.” I shook my head. “It was a lovely visit. Very beautiful and relaxing.”

  “But…?”

  Rocking my jaw, I searched for words to explain without scaring him. Crime, faneps, cultural tensions. He wouldn’t want to hear about any of that. It might keep him from letting the girls ever come down to the Surface.

  “Things change,” I said evasively.

  “Like…?”

  “It wasn’t…” I exhaled slowly. “The people were more guarded, more suspicious of strangers.”

  Dag’s brows shot up. “In Ikekane? But it’s famous for hospitality.”

  “I know. But I guess some less-desirable people have come through lately. It’s just different.”

  “Another argument for not travelling as much, I guess.”

  I turned away from this remark, stung by how much it echoed the attitudes of ambassadors and governors. Of course, Dag had been talking to more of them now that he came to all the dignitary parties. Was he starting to think as they did?

  Brushing my hair back into an Arxon style, I pondered why the evolution of societies always tended towards separation and dissent instead of unity and acceptance. Why did different have to mean frightening or bad?

  33 ~ Saloma

  Felly began school, leaving me more time with little Caz. Together, we explored every centimeter of the ship where residents were permitted to go. Once, I even arranged for a special tour of one of the corridors on the Quarantine Deck undergoing maintenance.

  Caz wasn’t much of a talker, but I sensed she absorbed information from everything she saw, heard and touched. Always on the move, she could display a hot little temper if we cut an expedition short. I wished every day I could take her to the Surface and let her run around in a field or forest, free to examine every detail. The only time she sat still with any measure of contentment was when she encountered one of the Arxon pets in the recreational areas. There were four cats and five dogs, all different colors and sizes, though none taller than my knees. These held her attention, and she studied them with interest for as long as they would tolerate her gentle poking and prying. Her love of the animals made my heart ache because I couldn’t show her more of them on the Surface.

  With each passing day, I knew where I’d need to take my next quick drop. I only hoped Saloma would be there because I needed a clearer vision of the dangers of bringing Caz to the Surface.

  Dag winced when I told him. “You really want to go there? Won’t the memories make it hard?”

  “Maybe that’s why I need to go. I need to face Docking Bay and see what’s become of it.” I didn’t mention the mountain hiding place of the Gypsy Network.

  Why had I kept that secret? As I examined my motives, I knew my loyalties were divided. I belonged to too many groups, so I belonged to no one. The best remedy I could imagine was bringing everyone together, a dream as fleeting as a comet.

  He kissed my forehead. “Do you want me to come with you?”

  I tried not to betray my conflicted feelings. “No. You don’t have the same demons to face as I do. Stay with the girls.” I laced my arms around his waist. “I’ll be back in five or six days.”

  His face lit up. “Really? That’s not so bad.”

  I shook my head, holding back a laugh. “Honestly, you act as if the world falls apart when I go down to the Surface.”

  He brushed his knuckles gently over my cheek. “No, but when you’re gone, I feel as if half of me is missing. I love you, darling. Sometimes I think you’ll never know how much.”

  Blushing, I kissed him. “Play with the girls more,” I suggested. “Teach Caz to read.”

  Wagging a finger at me, Dag nodded. “She will be a reader if I have anything to say about it.”

  “You’ll have to get her to hold still, first.”

  “She’s three. I have time.”

  “Yes, but I don’t. Come on, help me pack.”

  OOO

  I hid the rented skimmer in the brush beside the spring that fed the waterfall. If I took it further up the mountain, I wouldn’t have fuel to get back to town. Removing my patchwork satchel from the safety compartment, I checked my attire. The rain and higher altitudes would make the hike cold and slippery, but at least I wouldn’t have to worry about vipers. I wore my thickest leggings, two sweaters, and my mother’s wool cape. With several bright scarves wrapped to keep all but my eyes covered, I donned the night-vision goggles and prepared to set out on foot.

  The light rain dappled the surface of the water as I dipped the first of my two canteens and watched the bubbles rise. I stole a few sips before capping it and reaching for my second canteen, but as I lowered it into the water, something gripped it, tugging it away from me.

  “Hey!” I peered into the dark water, yanking back on the strap.

  The canteen flopped against me, and suddenly a fanep rose out of the inky wetness.

  I froze, unable to breathe.

  Standing in the shallows only a meter away, the fanep studied me with evident curiosity, and I remembered the peace I’d felt with the faneps in the woods the day they predicted my pregnancy. Slowly, I rose to my full height, keeping my eyes fixed on the creature.

  “Hello,” I said as calmly as I could. Jerking my thumb over my shoulder, I added, “I’m going to go climb the rest of the mountain now. No need to worry about me.”

  It chittered but did not come closer.

  I backed away, still watching it, unnerved by the intensity of its gaze. “Have a good night.” I retreated a few more steps before turn and marking my path up the rocky slope. With any luck, it would think of me as a passing animal. I glanced back twice, and both times, it still stood in the same pla
ce, its eyes following me. When I’d gone about thirty meters, I picked up my pace, eager to get out of its watchful gaze.

  The rain increased as I climbed, rustling the leaves on the shrubs around me, but my mother’s cape kept me warm and dry. Exhausted, I hunched down in the shelter of the boulders that covered the slope and rummaged in my satchel for food. Spacey meal bars tasted horrible, but they were light and easy to pack.

  Gradually, the cold dampness seeped into my body, and I stretched and repacked to continue. The movement would keep me warm, and ultimately I could sleep once I reached the hidden caverns. As I stood, I heard the same pattering sound that accompanied me up the mountain, but I felt no rain. Confused, I wiped my goggles and adjusted the setting to the darkness.

  On a boulder not two meters away stood the fanep. Perhaps not the fanep of earlier, but the intent scrutiny it gave me felt familiar.

  “You again?” I ventured.

  It chittered, and suddenly the air around me erupted in faint clicking noises. An icy fear spilled down my spine, and I stiffened, clutching my satchel. Hundreds of faneps crouched nearby, surrounding me with glowing eyes and eerie stillness. I returned my attention to the first fanep. It stood a little apart from the others, and more importantly, it stood directly in the path I wanted to take to get to the secret opening of the caves. My eyes flickered in the direction of my destination.

  The fanep smiled without bearing its teeth and then turned and scampered before me. Would I be insane to follow it? But I needed to reach Saloma’s network in the caves.

  I picked my way through the ravine, skirting and by-passing boulders when possible, and scrambling over them when I couldn’t. I could not see the faneps, but their soft clicks continued to surround me in the clear night air. Was it their method of communication? Their claws snapping? Their teeth chomping? I wished I understood them more. Understanding pushes back fear.

  At last I reached the grassy meadow where Jule and I had practiced running. Still wet with the rain, the blades lashed at me, soaking through my leggings and biting me with the cold.