The Darkness at the Edge of Noon: a Thalassia novel
Page 32
Medin, being an intelligent entity dimmed the lights, and set the door lock to privacy.
Epilogue
The council room was only half filled, and the mood was definitely casual. Mayor Tam Kirby sat, resplendent in his new robe of office at the head of the table, while Padraig lounged at the other end, leg draped over the arm of the heavy chair. Selene sat next to him, dressed in casual earth-tone slacks and a white shirt that hugged and accentuated her spectacular figure. Her lips were red and her violet eyes intent on the man sitting so nonchalantly next to her.
Around the table sat the rest of the squad—the survivors of the mission. Tiana looked pale and wan from sorrow, her pregnancy just beginning to show in the bulge of her tummy. Tanden’s crutches sat propped in a corner, and his face seemed to be permanently etched with a disgusted frown.
“So.” Tam cleared his throat, frowned around the room at the obvious absences. “Aren’t Logan and Rhiannon coming?” He was glaring at Selene, who let a somewhat wistful look momentarily cross her face.
“I believe that they are on their honeymoon, if you really want to know.” There were gasps of surprise around the table. “Nan mentioned something about stopping by Lethe for a quick visit, and then they’re off to a small island I suggested. Warm waters, white sand. No Zzzkntti. You might have heard of it. The cove is on the west side of the island of Xicocu, thousands of leagues to the east of here.”
“Ahhh...” Tam wisely changed the subject. “How is the relocation of the Zzzkntti progressing?”
Tanden crossed his massive arms over his chest. “Well enough, your Mayorship. It tooked a full month for Padraig to sail to that unexplored island, a thousand leagues west o Reachrainn, but onced he gots there, he opened this here door and we walked the Zzzkntti through, slicker than grease. We should have the last of them, all eighteen thousand, moved in two more days.” He put his big, sun browned hands flat on the table. “They’s already got this story among the Zzzkntti now, and they’re tellin’ it to their kits, about the god who came down from the moon to save them from the evil god of madness. They speak of the three great warriors who fought the final battle for them, and how one died, one was saved and one rescued by the goddess of mercy, direct from Medin.” He looked around the table. “Interesting, the fanciful-like stories the savages dream up, ain’t it?”
“Speaking of the Zzzkntti.” Selene murmured, her eyes staring, lost in thought. “The elders of the various tribes, along with Logan, Rhiannon and myself, thought that it would be a good idea to keep the two races separate, for a few generations at least. Someday, who knows?” She looked up at Tam Kirby, who had once been a sergeant in the Stirling Guards, and smiled sadly. “The Zzzkntti were quite a bit more advanced than we thought, Tam. They had a port on the north side of Cloch Dabhiolla where they were building large ocean going vessels and—other things.” Her eyes flicked to Hansen for a bare instant. “Think about it. We came close to losing the whole civilized world. Rhiannon and I would have had no choice then but to exterminate the lot, and start over with the humans we had left here on Medin.”
“But, Logan...” Megan blurted, then blushed.
Selene gave her a warm smile. “Yes, your brother, and his outrageous plan saved us. That is why we depend on Logan, and those like him, for the very survival of this world.” Her violet eyes shifted almost involuntarily to Padraig, and then back.
“And the people who live here on Medin? What of them?” Aileen’s face was intent.
“They can stay or they can go.” Selene said simply. “Of course, this is Medin, and this is my sister’s moon, so she will have final say, but I’m sure that she would want it this way too. I recommend starting communities close to the old cities of Stirling and Ballinasloe. That way word will slowly filter down that there are people living outside and gradually the underground cities will dwindle. The cities on Cloch Dabhiolla we’ll just leave alone. They’ll figure things out in time.”
“And if the people on Medin all choose to stay here?” There was a sparkle in Aileen’s eyes.
Selene laughed. “That, my dear, will be my sister’s problem.”
The meeting began to break up, each person going about their own separate business. Members of the former squad looked as if they were at loose ends, and finally drifted off in the direction of the lake and forest, or the bar.
Selene crooked a finger at Padraig Hansen as he was about to leave, and waved him back to the now empty conference table. As he sat, she shut the door, then sat down beside him. The beginning of a worried look flickered in the back of Padraig’s eyes, like the look on the face of a deer the first day of hunting season.
“So, Padraig.” Her voice was honey smooth, and did nothing to allay Hansen’s suspicions. “Now that your pleasant ocean voyage is over, what plans do you have?”
“Nothing much, although I’m sure something will come up. Tam knows that I’m available, and it won’t be long before he finds a suitable job for me to do.” His look was wary.
She put her elbows on the table, resting her chin on the palms of her hands. Her violet eyes held him pinned. “Would you consider working for me; being my partner?”
“Ahhh.” For once Padraig didn’t have a glib reply.
“This crisis that we averted isn’t the only thing happening on this world. I can’t do everything alone.”
“How serious are you about this, Selene? I mean, this is my life you’re talking about and...”
She cut him off. “I’m as serious as Rhiannon was when she recruited Logan to be HER partner.”
Padraig swallowed, and his heart skipped a beat as he considered the implications. He took a deep breath, felt as if he were stepping off a cliff. “I would love to be your partner, Selene. What do you want me to do?”
Selene’s smile was like the sun rising, and Hansen felt it wash over him like a warm wave. “There is another land to the east of us. In that land there is a lonely little queen. What I want you to do is to raise her boy, a lad named Hedric.” Her look hardened. “I have other plans for queenie. The boy however, is a spoiled pampered brat, and desperately needs the influence of a strong man to straighten him up, because someday he will be a king. I don’t care how you do it, short of killing the little monster.”
“Selene, I’m not a family man. I know absolutely nothing about children.” Padraig was reconsidering his earlier decision.
“Nonsense.” Selene chuckled, standing and pulling Hansen to his feet. “I’ve made arrangements for you to babysit Logan’s children while he and Nan are away. Now Logan’s children are very well behaved, and you shouldn’t expect Hedric to be like them, but you will get the general idea.” She turned to the door. “Then you will have to ...” She stopped and gave him a mocking little smile that seemed to confirm all his worst forebodings. “We’ll talk about THAT later. She looked up at him with big eyes, and Hansen laughed. “Do you always get what you want?”
“Usually.” She admitted, smiling. “Now, let’s just go back to my place. I have a little medallion for you.”
THE END