Echoes of Esharam

by Robert Davies

  “As Arros just said, we were unaware she had ended her employment at Bera Nima. Next, we were told our sister has suddenly and unexpectedly made the Life Choice, and with a non-Khorran as well. Onallin has been solitary for a long time, but it was still surprising she had formed an attachment to anyone at all. To now find you are also an alien from an uncharted part of space—the only one of your species…”

  “Earth space is only uncharted from this side of the Cluster, Ellimox; on our side, it’s very charted indeed.”

  She stopped cold. Norris couldn’t know if he’d insulted her, but he recognized condescension when he saw it. If Ellimox meant to challenge him, he would meet her then and there.

  “It has been an interesting experience for me,” he continued, gauging her reaction with each word.

  “One can only imagine,” she replied with a coy smile. “I hope you won’t judge my people too harshly by our abrupt tone, Lieutenant, but much has happened in these last days and you and Onallin are somehow connected to it.”

  Norris smiled when he realized Ellimox had no idea he had been captured by the Khorran military, and even less that he was once a prisoner inside Bera Nima—Onallin’s prisoner. What the authorities told her hadn’t included that small detail, he thought silently, but it would be great fun to tell her about it and enjoy the reaction. He fought an overpowering urge to grin.

  “I’m in no position to judge your people or anyone else, but maybe we’ll have a chance to become better acquainted once our journey is complete.”

  “Neatly spoken, and with the voice of a diplomat, I notice.”

  Norris smiled stupidly, hoping Ellimox might see the veiled message within but she went on without a pause.

  “We were told by our Ambassador to avoid questions regarding the sudden cease-fire between my people and the Anash while we’re guests here; I don’t suppose you’d like to clarify any of this?”

  Norris skirted the obvious trap.

  “We’re under similar orders, unfortunately,” he said with just enough defiance in his tone to let her know he couldn’t be maneuvered so easily. “I’m afraid I won’t be of any use to you there.”

  Ellimox ignored the edgy response and pressed forward.

  “Perhaps, but it does seem odd that an alien to our worlds, completely alone as well, would be bound to orders issued by the Anashi Council, doesn’t it?”

  “I believe the orders were issued by both Anashi and Khorran officials, but in any event, I’m a visitor here; it’s not my place to question the authority of my hosts.”

  “Of course not, and I certainly understand your position, but as you said, perhaps another time—after you have completed this mysterious business—we might have a more detailed discussion?”

  Norris understood what she meant; there would be another encounter and Ellimox would wait patiently for it.

  “I very much hope so,” he lied.

  They paused to sip their drinks, still eyeing one another over the rims of delicate, fluted goblets. Norris hoped the conversation would end there, but Ellimox was unwilling to let it go.

  “Arros and I were given some images of you before we left Belex.”

  “Oh?”

  “We found them most enlightening.”

  “In what way?”

  “He was interested to find your physical appearance is so remarkably similar to ours, for example. Perhaps lesser in size and strength, and with a distinctive, pinkish complexion, but otherwise…”

  Norris returned a slight smile and one raised eyebrow. He said nothing, but the message was clear enough; he wouldn’t be baited, yet he still managed to expose the mild insult. Ellimox offered a false pretense of regret, right on schedule.

  “Have I said something offensive? Forgive me, Lieutenant, I…”

  “Not at all,” he said with obvious satisfaction, “please continue.”

  The battle had been joined and neither would relent. Norris couldn’t decide if it was skillful retort, or simply his stubborn nature, but he was committed. Rantara had warned him of the encounter earlier in the day, and the traditional duty of her sister to mount a spirited exchange with a suitor as a way of testing his mettle. Ellimox, he decided, was enjoying herself as she took another deliberate sip from her drink.

  “It was a relief for my brother to find you nothing like the image he made in his mind when they told us Onallin had somehow fallen in love with a strange alien from across the galaxy.”

  Norris nodded and looked past her shoulder.

  “Ten fingers, ten toes,” he said at last, but Ellimox could only tilt her head and frown, clearly confused by the strange words. He wondered in that moment what Rantara would think of the conversation. Ellimox’s calculated reference to her brother’s apparent dislike of strangers and Norris’ unyielding, even cutting response were symptoms of the growing tension. He decided to increase the pressure with as contrived and officious a tone as he could manage.

  “A term my people use for this sort of thing—the Major’s discomfort with Onallin’s choice. ‘Ten fingers’ is a human phrase that equates to acceptance. If you have ten fingers and ten toes, you’re one of us; if you don’t, you’re one of them and thereby, something less.”

  “I’m not sure I understand your meaning, Lieutenant.”

  “Sure you do,” he said suddenly and with his best, counterfeit smile.

  Norris had reached the decision point; back down now, he thought, and she could interpret a character flaw, but finishing her off could make trouble for him he didn’t need. In betrothal discussions, Banen cautioned earlier, Khorrans found hesitation a sign of weakness, and polite deference in the face of a challenge would signal a lack of resolve. For a sibling examining the worth of a suitor to her youngest sister’s hand, both conditions were intolerable. Where was the line he couldn’t cross? Had he already gone too far, he wondered, or was he expected to counterpunch as a matter of custom? It was unclear and Rantara had deliberately left out any guidance. There was no time for analysis; he would go with his gut.

  “You’re obviously uncomfortable with Onallin’s attachment to an alien from an unknown world, but I think there’s more.”

  He sipped again, slowly and for effect; now it was his turn.

  “You’re suspicious of a mission clouded in secrecy, not to mention the outrage of a cease-fire with the hated Anash. You make a show of apologizing for your parents’ intolerance and their old ways, but you live by them every day, don’t you? Unless I miss my mark, everything here is an offense. You don’t strike me as a person who misses the small details, Ellimox; I think you understand my meaning well enough.”

  She stared in disbelief, unaccustomed to such an abrupt, impertinent tone, but she recovered quickly with her own knowing smile and a slight nod as Norris braced for the reply. She placed her drink on a table carefully, turning again only to find Arros towering above Norris.

  “Onallin would like you to join her and the Magistrate, sister.”

  “Of course,” she said smoothly, still eyeing Norris with an expression that made clear their match was far from over. “We’ll continue this another time, Lieutenant; it has been an enlightening experience.”

  “Always a pleasure,” Norris replied with just a hint of reliable, human sarcasm.

  Arros waited for a moment as she withdrew.

  “You’ve survived my sister’s interrogation, I see.”

  Norris exhaled noticeably.

  “For the moment. I don’t think she’s done with me just yet.”

  Arros nodded.

  “I assure you, she is not. Ellimox enjoys polite confrontation and you have become an irresistible target by your relationship with Onallin.”

  “I hope I didn’t push her too far, Major; it’s obvious she likes to fight.”

  “Yes, she does, and perhaps too much. But you weren’t in distress so I stayed away long enough for you and her to become…well, fully engaged in the conversation?”

  “Oh, we were certainl
y engaged,” said Norris.

  “I presume she made a point of describing my disappointment with Onallin?”

  Norris grew cautious.

  “She mentioned it, but…”

  “You don’t have to answer, Lieutenant, I’ve known her all my life.”

  Arros steered Norris toward the lawn; they would walk a while and speak in private.

  “We are both military officers; we subscribe to a more direct method of communication. Ellimox prefers subterfuge and needless dramatics, I’m afraid. She is a wealthy and powerful person, Lieutenant; battering others brings a sense of purpose to her otherwise dull existence.”

  “I don’t think my answers helped,” Norris said.

  “You mustn’t worry about that; no answer you could’ve given would deter my sister from her goal of making you as uncomfortable as possible. Our tradition demands certain duties of the eldest child; subjecting our youngest sister’s prospective mate to awkward scrutiny is merely a part of that process. Ellimox has simply used an old and honored part of the tradition as an excuse to put you under a hot light.”

  “So your mother and father—their hesitation about coming here was…”

  “Oh, she was right about that; neither of them could be dragged into Anashi space, not even for this. The current conflict with the Anash is only a year old; when my parents were children, the battles had been raging nonstop for decades.”

  “Old hatreds?”

  “My mother and father’s loathing of the Anash is fundamental to their generation, but it is also lifelong; they won’t change now. Onallin’s participation in this mission of yours, and more importantly, her close friendship with the Ambassador, has made for sleepless nights in their house.”

  “Do they think of her as a turncoat?”

  “My translation node cannot find an equivalent term, Lieutenant.”

  “A traitor.”

  “Ah. Well, perhaps nothing so horrible as that, but knowing she is somehow associated with the Anash has given them concerns.”

  “You’ve been on the front lines of this war, Major, yet you seem more comfortable with the truce than others.”

  “My experiences have not been as narrowly focused as many Khorrans, Lieutenant; I have a slightly different perspective.”

  Norris knew what it meant.

  “The disaster at the fuel depot on Sannaris during your war with the Revallans?”

  Arros looked away sadly.

  “They told you of those moments?”

  “Doctor Oreil explained. When we were in transit to Sannaris after escaping Bera Nima, I blundered and asked Theriani about the planet without knowing any better. It was an innocent question, but Onallin knew it would bring back painful memories for Theriani and she reacted immediately. Inside Bera Nima, the two of them were very adversarial, Major; for her to shield Theriani that way was surprising. I wasn’t close to Onallin at that point and the Doctor wanted me to understand what had happened to you, as well as Theriani’s part in it.”

  Arros stood with folded arms and said, “It sounds odd, but back then, the Revallan was the only one who did understand.”

  Norris nodded.

  “She sees a lot more than she says.”

  “Agreed. A pity that quality didn’t extend to my own command structure, but all that happened a long time ago and much has changed. I prefer to avoid the topic whenever possible.”

  “I didn’t mean to pry, Major.”

  “I take no offense; the past is sometimes less than we would like, here in the safety of the present.”

  They stopped, lingering for a while on the soft grass.

  “Ellimox mentioned another—Aniesse?” Norris said.

  “She is our middle sister; born two years after me and another two before Onallin. Aniesse was an instructor of applied physics, directing studies on dark matter at one of our universities on Belex, but her reputation was made by theoretical Hyperthread research.”

  “Was an instructor?”

  “Aniesse is on assignment to support research for our military.”

  “Does she find all this as distasteful as Ellimox—my relationship with Onallin, I mean?”

  “If she does, I haven’t noticed. We don’t speak as often as we once did, but she seemed more curious about you than disappointed with Onallin. Aniesse is an even-tempered and patient person. Perhaps it is unkind of me to say, but she is unlike Ellimox in most respects. I think she’ll warm to you quickly when you meet one day.”

  “I look forward to it, Major. At least another interrogation by one of the Rantara sisters will mean I survived this mission!”

  The Major faced Norris head-on.

  “When you told me of Onallin’s unexpected defense of Theriani Doleval just now, you mentioned an escape from Bera Nima.”

  “Yes?”

  “You met inside that prison?”

  “That’s where they sent me after Voralem.”

  “I see.”

  “Is that significant?”

  “I would like to learn how you managed the impossible by escaping that miserable pit, but it is clear you and Onallin were also adversarial. I didn’t realize you had been an inmate until just now—that you were one of her prisoners.”

  Norris felt his face run red. Had he slipped? Were the details of his arrival, and his imprisonment on Kalarive, meant to be kept as secrets? He felt a panic begin to rise, searching desperately for a way out. Cornered and exposed, there was no point in holding onto an obvious deception.

  “This is a little embarrassing, but I’m afraid I’ve spoken out of turn, Major. I didn’t think, and now I’ve said too much.”

  “They ordered you to avoid speaking of your experience at Bera Nima?”

  “Not specifically, but it’s a sore point for Onallin; we weren’t exactly the best of friends back then, if you take my meaning. I’d rather not revisit those painful moments and remind her we were once bitter enemies.”

  “That could not have been pleasant,” Arros said, “but we’ll keep this between us; Onallin doesn’t need to know.”

  “Thank you, Major.”

  Arros looked again at Norris and said, “You don’t seem the dishonorable, conniving spy they believed you to be, Lieutenant. I hear thoughtfulness and a kind heart in your words, which contradicts the image others may hold. You should know some of my people’s leaders—at least the ones who know of your existence—still believe firmly this is all a grand lie. They remain convinced you are up to no good.”

  “Your soldiers weren’t overly welcoming when they found and captured me on Karroba, that’s for sure.”

  “I can imagine,” Arros said. “But at this point, my concern is for my sister; you must’ve been told by now how rare a cross-species union is for Khorran females.”

  “I wasn’t, actually. Ellimox mentioned it, but I figured it was the same for any of your races; being the lone human around here isn’t the best position to hold.”

  Arros shook his head.

  “You mistake my meaning, Lieutenant. I care nothing for what others may think about your attachment to Onallin. My sister understands the gravity of her actions—she knows what it means to choose outside our species, yet she is as firm in her conviction as she has ever been.”

  “Cross-species unions are forbidden?”

  “Not forbidden, but the practice is rare, particularly for our females. I may have received the news with a less than generous spirit, but I am no longer inclined to question her judgment. For her to be so committed under these circumstances is a positive turn of events.”

  “But you say Onallin’s Life Choice alone came as a surprise to the family?”

  “Yes,” Arros replied. “She is free of Bera Nima, but after all of it, my sister has made her Life Choice suddenly and without hesitation. In those most positive ways, she is at last on a path that might take her to a normal life.”

  Norris looked across the lawn to where Rantara stood with Qural and the Magistrate.

 
“Onallin is not the same girl she was inside that place, Major.”

  “And I’m told you had no small part to play in this transformation, Lieutenant; you have given her a much better purpose. I hope you understand…”

  “Yes?”

  “There is something remarkable in this. Because of her condition and the problems she faced carrying Jodrall’s, Onallin was obliged to live alone for most of her life. Ellimox pretends otherwise, but I know better. You have ignited something in her few thought existed, and many more believed impossible.”

  Arros looked toward Qural’s house as the images from the past filtered through. Norris could hear the Major’s voice change—softer now, and with an obvious, personal tone.

  “They sent her away when she was only a child; she had to find her own path without help. Some in our family still regard her as an embarrassment—a creature to be shunned—pointing to her violent past in the Army, and later as a powerful jailer in that despicable prison, as examples to justify their scorn.”

  “But you didn’t agree with that, did you?”

  “No. She has been an implement in the hands of others for so long, it is astonishing she found her way out to a better place and a reason to live again. But she has, and though I don’t know precisely the circumstances because she doesn’t discuss them, you are that reason.”

  Norris felt the weight of the moment. After trading barbs with Ellimox, he listened with a different ear to Arros as he finished his speech.

  “I hope you will remember, Lieutenant, Onallin is still mortal. For all her ferocity and strength in battle, my sister is not immune from injury, both physical and emotional. You have obviously become the most important part of her life now, and as unlikely as it may seem, I will ask as her brother that you take care and protect her.”

  Norris quickly nodded; it was all he could think to do. The Major’s words had opened a narrow but profound crack through which another world was suddenly visible; the place Onallin came from was beginning to emerge. Those mysteries of her past, shrouded by perceptions built on a foundation of simple fear were shedding off, one by one. Norris felt a sudden closeness to her as he looked across the lawn where she stood with Raniru Ven. He turned again to Arros.