Venus Rising

by Speer, Flora

  “Don’t believe her. We stopped on a planet Almaric wanted to visit,” Gaidar told Narisa. “It was in one of the far spiral arms. That is why we were at the edge of the galaxy. It had nothing to do with my piloting. Almaric spent a long time conferring with the planetary leaders, which is why we were late returning after the battle was over. We intercepted a message transmitted from a Service ship saying the Jurisdiction had won, so we knew it was safe to come back whenever we wanted.”

  “You returned at exactly the right time.” Narisa had another important question. “Where is Jon Tanon?”

  “Leader Tyre’s men took him away the moment we docked at spaceport,” Suria said. “But I spoke to Almaric a little while ago, and he has issued orders for Jon to be taken to the medical center. I think he will recover in time, Narisa. He was beginning to notice things again, and to try to speak. He will have the very best care, you may be certain of that. We may also be sure Almaric won’t forget what was done to Jon when he is deciding on Tyre’s punishment.”

  “That Styxian lizard deserves to be hung up by his big toes until he rots.” This verdict was delivered between slurps as Gaidar lifted the bowl to his lips to drain the last of the stew juices.

  “If you wipe your mouth with your sleeve and stain that shirt,” Suria told him, “it’s you who’ll be hung by your toes. Kalina will see to it personally.”

  “Ah, that one. I’m truly afraid of that woman. This is her precious son Halvo’s shirt.” Gaidar looked around anxiously, stew dribbling slowly down his chin, until Narisa took pity on him and handed him her own napkin. He cleaned his face with it, then gave it back to her with a comical flourish.

  “We’ll civilize you yet,” Narisa murmured, folding the dirty napkin into her own empty stew bowl. “What will you do now that the war with Ceta has ended?”

  “I don’t know.” He looked glum. “Almaric has asked me to stay here at his house for a while. I think he plans to use me when it’s time to negotiate the Cetan treaty, but I don’t think that would work well at all. I don’t know what to do. Perhaps I’ll steal a ship and try to find that lost planet again.”

  “And you, Suria? Will you be allowed to return to the Service?”

  “I’m not sure. Like Gaidar, I’ve been invited to remain here temporarily. It will take some time for Almaric to begin his own programs in the Assembly. Perhaps I can work for abolishment of the Reproduction Law.”

  “You Jurisdiction people have a law for everything.” Gaidar shook his head in disgust. “I should have known there would be one about reproduction. Do I have to get permission from your Assembly if I want to ask a woman to share my bed?”

  “No.” Narisa laughed, imagining such a scene. “It’s not quite that bad.” She quickly explained the law and the punishment for breaking it.

  “It is a stupid, cruel law.” Gaidar nearly choked on indignation. “I don’t know why you allow it to continue.”

  “It is a bad law now,” Suria agreed. “But when it was first promulgated, it was a wise idea. The Jurisdiction faced the possibility of extinction through overpopulation. Under the Reproduction Law, permission to have a child is a precious thing and is properly valued. Unwanted children are no longer mistreated or sold into slavery as they too often were centuries ago. The civilized Races have prospered and have kept their numbers well within tolerable limits. The situation has changed for the better, and it is time to change the law. I would like to help do that.”

  Gaidar looked at Suria with more than his usual interest.

  “Someone told me that’s why you left the Service, to have a child,” he said. “Did you have a man, Suria?”

  “No. I volunteered for the Genetic Improvement Program.”

  “Genetic-? By all the stars, you people are mad! Insane! I’ll be happy to improve your genes with an infusion of sensible Cetan genes any time you want. Just say the word, but make it soon. I haven’t had a woman for months.”

  “Excuse me, please.” Narisa stood up. If that had been a proposal of some kind, it was the strangest on record. She could not judge Suria’s reaction. Suria was keeping her beautiful face carefully blank. Narisa thought they were best left alone. “I need to speak to Kalina and I’m very tired. My head still aches. I really should rest.” She could think of no other excuses to leave them gracefully. She did not think they noticed her going. They were looking into each other’s eyes.

  * * * * *

  Early the next morning Narisa descended to the entrance hall to find Tarik and Halvo there, along with a crowd of Service officers and Members of the Assembly.

  “Greetings, Lieutenant Narisa,” called Kyran of Serania as she reached the bottom of the wide red stone stairway. His deep bass voice sounded across the hall. “Have you come to wish Almaric well before he leaves for the chambers? This is a joyous day for all citizens of the Jurisdiction.”

  “You seem especially joyous, Member Kyran.” Watching him approach her, she was a little wary, fearing he might raise again the question of the telepathic birds. On the other hand, it was Kyran who had been the first to move that Tyre be deposed. She was grateful to him for that.

  “Kyran has reason to be happy,” Tarik said, coming up behind her and putting one hand on her shoulder. ‘`Almaric has appointed a Council of Special Members to be his advisors, and has named Kyran its Chief Member.”

  “It is a great honor,” Kyran declared, “though a drastic change from the way Tyre always ruled. For so long everything in the Assembly remained the same, and now, all at once, there are so many changes. So many changes,” he repeated.

  “Change can sometimes be a good thing,” Narisa responded, hoping to encourage him, and relieved that he had not mentioned the birds. “I congratulate you on your new post, Member Kyran.”

  “I am certain you will prove equal to the tasks ahead of you,” Tarik added dryly, and Narisa recalled the unkind remarks he had made in the past about the Assembly never wanting change.

  “They will have no choice, will they?” she murmured as Kyran turned away to greet someone else and Tarik steered her toward the eating room. “The Members will be forced to accept a great many changes now.”

  “It will be good for them,” Tarik declared, closing the eating room doors on the sound of voices from the entrance hall. “My father has decided that Halvo and I, along with ten other representatives of the Service, should be at his formal presentation today.”

  “I thought only Assembly Members were allowed to be there,” Narisa said, surprised at this development.

  “It was my mother’s suggestion.” Tarik grinned knowingly. “She has begun her own program for making changes in the old ways. There will also be a public reception after the official ceremonies are over. She wants you to go to that. She will ask you this morning. Do you feel well enough?”

  “Oh, yes. After all Kalina has done for us, I’ll do anything she asks of me.” She touched his arm with loving concern. “Tarik, you look so tired. Did you sleep at all last night, or were you working?”

  “I’ll sleep later, after this long day is over. Tomorrow night we’ll be together again, my love, and then I’ll see to it that it’s you who lack for sleep.”

  “I look forward to it.” She put her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder.

  “This is what I wanted before I have to leave,” he said, resting his cheek on her hair. “Just a few peaceful moments with you is refreshment enough to last me through all the ceremonies ahead.”

  They stayed that way, holding each other for a while, until, after a deep kiss that left her wanting more, someone called to him and he had to leave with Almaric. But the warmth of his embrace and the certainty of his love stayed with her all day long.

  * * * * *

  Narisa was required to wear formal Service uniform for the reception, but Kalina had provided new clothing for her other two guests. Narisa surveyed them as they waited in a corridor next to the Assembly’s reception room.

  Suria wore a parti
cularly grand version of the costume of her native planet. She shimmered in a glittery green and purple wrapped top over green trousers. With her flame-red hair piled on top of her head, and heavy green stone and gold jewelry at her throat and wrists, she was gorgeously regal in spite of her short stature.

  Gaidar was in formal Demarian costume, the velvety golden brown of his trousers and jacket highlighting his golden eyes.

  “He is half Demarian,” Kalina explained, straightening the folds of her own heavy purple and gold robes. “I thought it best to emphasize that for this day. Besides, I don’t know what Cetans wear for formal occasions.”

  “They don’t have many,” Gaidar told her, “and when they do, they wear whatever they can steal.”

  “You are trying to shock me again, Gaidar, but you won’t succeed.” Kalina regarded him with fondness. “When the Cetan worlds are admitted into the Jurisdiction, they will learn more civilized ways and will soon devise the proper costumes. Now, Gaidar, I will take your arm, please. Narisa and Suria, I want you directly behind me. You are all heroes of the Jurisdiction and you deserve these places of honor.”

  They entered a huge, ornate hall that was draped in the favorite Jurisdiction colors of dark green and deep, gloomy red enhanced with much gold and silver trim. There they joined Almaric, Tarik and Halvo. The rest of the day was spent in greeting all the Assembly Members and their families, who were admitted to the chambers for this special occasion along with Service officers and many representatives of the ordinary citizens of the Jurisdiction. A surprising number of them wanted to speak to Narisa, to thank her for her part in saving the Capital from Cetan destruction.

  As soon as he could, Tarik drew her apart to tell her the news that had all those who had been at Almaric’s presentation buzzing with excitement.

  “Admiral of the Fleet Momuri,” Tarik told her, “sent a message to my father, to congratulate him as the new Leader.”

  “You said once that Momuri is Tyre’s man,” Narisa interrupted.

  “So he is, heart and soul. I suspect he hoped by his gesture today to escape Tyre’s fate of perpetual imprisonment. There’s more, Narisa. Momuri has been ill for some time, so, claiming his health prevents him from carrying out his duties, he has applied for immediate retirement. He used the privilege of all retiring admirals to nominate his successor. He chose Halvo.”

  “That’s wonderful! Halvo is just the man the Service needs,” Narisa exclaimed. “Did Almaric agree to the suggestion?”

  “Indeed he did.” Tarik beamed at her. “Of course, being Almaric, he very properly noted that the nomination would have to go through the appropriate Service channels, but he said if the approved documents come to him, he will be pleased to sign them.”

  Narisa laughed at Tarik’s description. “I can just hear him saying that and impressing all the Members with how different he is from Tyre. What will happen to Momuri? He wasn’t a bad admiral, you know, even if he was Tyre’s man. Most of the officers I knew respected him.”

  “I told Almaric,” Tarik said, “that if Momuri were harshly punished, Halvo’s appointment would split the Service into quarreling factions. I thank all the stars my father was willing to listen to me for once. Momuri will be permitted to retire with honor, the Service personnel who backed him will thus be pacified and Halvo will inherit a united Service.”

  “Thanks to your good sense,” Narisa added.

  “I believe my father is not without sense, either,” Tarik said, adding in a voice filled with wonder, “He listened to me and seriously considered what I said. It’s the first time that has ever happened.”

  Almaric signaled to him then, and Tarik left her to rejoin his father, but Narisa was not alone for long. There were still more people who wanted to speak with her, humans and non-humans alike expressing gratitude for deliverance from the Cetans and from Tyre’s corrupt rule.

  The day ended with an official banquet that lasted far into the night. By the time they were all finally back in Almaric’s house, Narisa was so tired she could barely climb the stairs to her room. She was grateful for Chatta’s help in undressing, and was asleep even as she fell into bed.

  She slept until well after midday, and awakened completely refreshed with no trace of headache from her injury.

  “You are to join Leader Almaric in his library,” Chatta informed her as Narisa ate the fresh fruit and bread the maid-servant had brought. Narisa heard awe in Chatta’s voice, and knew the girl was deeply honored to be a member of the Leader’s household.

  She found Halvo and Tarik with their father. Kalina joined them a moment after Narisa arrived.

  “You will be interested to hear,” Almaric told Narisa in his formal way, “that the Assembly has this morning agreed to accept the Cetan warlords who surrendered to Halvo as honored guests rather than as prisoners. They will remain in the Capital while we work out the terms of a treaty with them. We hope other Cetan leaders, learning how fairly we have dealt with these, will consent to join their fellows as signers of the treaty.”

  “All of the Assembly agreed to this?” Narisa asked, surprised.

  “There were some objectors, those who deal with space armaments, or who have other profitable reasons for wanting bad relations with the Cetans to continue. They were shouted down. The time for war against the Cetans is over.”

  “I’m glad,” Narisa said quietly. “There will be no more dead planets. No more Beltas.” Her own hatred of the Cetans was gone, wiped away by victory and by her growing friendship with Gaidar. Cetans were not all monsters, any more than citizens of the Jurisdiction were all good and honorable.

  “However,” Halvo said, breaking into her thoughts, “we cannot begin to trust such old and crafty enemies as the Cetans without a certain initial wariness. Tarik has made a pertinent suggestion for dealing with this problem, which I will let him explain.”

  “I have not heard about this,” Almaric complained. “Are you taking matters into your own hands again so soon, Tarik?”

  “Perhaps it’s only that you have been too busy for him to talk with you about it, my dear,” Kalina soothed. “I haven’t heard Tarik’s idea, either, so let us both listen to him before we begin criticizing him.”

  “I believe,” Tarik said, “that a small, secret group of colonists should settle where they can keep a watch on the Cetans. I suggest these people leave the Capital in advance of serious negotiations. They cannot in the future be counted in violation of any treaty provisions if they are established in their new home before the treaty is made.”

  “An interesting idea,” Almaric mused. “I will consider it.”

  “Do it now, Father,” Tarik urged. “Let me lead the colonists.”

  “Impossible. I need you here with me.”

  “No, you don’t, Father. I’m not a man for the day-to-day details of administration. That’s Halvo’s talent, not mine. It’s one reason he’s such a successful admiral. I would never be content living here at the Capital. You know I’m speaking the truth. I will not stay here. I have always done what you expected of me, but now, before it’s too late, I want to choose for myself the form my life will take.”

  “Have you been quarreling with Halvo again?” Almaric looked at his younger son in irritation. “Is that why you are so eager to leave us? Let me tell you what I think of your indifference to Service regulations.”

  “No, Father.” Halvo interrupted Almaric’s imminent tirade. “We have not quarreled. In fact, we are in greater agreement than we have ever been. I endorse Tarik’s suggestion completely. Here, he would quickly become useless. As the leader of such a colony, he would be invaluable to you and of great benefit to the Jurisdiction. We could trust him as we could trust no one else.”

  Narisa had been listening to this conversation with growing excitement. She was certain this was the plan that Tarik had hinted about to her, and she thought she knew the planet he had in mind. She decided it was time to tell Tarik’s parents what she planned to do. They had to know s
ooner or later. Better now, in private.

  “I want to go, too,” she said, “and I want permission to have Tarik’s child. I am prepared to resign from the Service immediately.”

  There was a quickly smothered gasp from Kalina. Almaric looked shocked. More importantly to Narisa, Tarik smiled and nodded his agreement with her statement. She thought he was going to say something, but his brother spoke first.

  “Too bad,” Halvo drawled. “You were about to be promoted to lieutenant commander. Are you certain you won’t reconsider?”

  “I will,” she told him, “if I am assigned to Tarik’s expedition and if I am permitted to have his child. Only then would I consent to remain in the Service.”

  “Well done, beloved rebel,” Tarik said, not caring who heard. “How much you have changed.”

  “Remain in the Service and have a child?” Kalina’s tone revealed her concern and, not surprisingly for that strong woman, a certain admiration. “Would you defy every custom and law about motherhood?”

  “I care not at all if I remain in the Service or leave it, so long as I am with the man I love,” Narisa said. “Where Tarik goes, I will go. You have been by Almaric’s side for most of your life, Kalina, and you were permitted to have two children, a rare indulgence for the Jurisdiction. I want to have at least one.”

  “Then, if you are so determined, I will support you in this.” Kalina’s hand was warm and comforting on Narisa’s own. “I remember what happened to Suria. I want you to avoid that fate. You and she are right, my dear, it is time for change.”

  Almaric cleared his throat. Narisa saw bright moisture in his eyes.

  “I wanted my sons with me to lend me their strength with this difficult burden I have undertaken in my old age. It grieves me to let Tarik go.” He cleared his throat again, and his voice became firmer. “Nevertheless, the suggestion Tarik has made is a valuable one. I think we badly need such an outpost. Have you a planet in mind?”