by Kat Mayor
Charlie started to object but then looked up. Evelyn placed a picture of him and Liliana at prom on the coffee table. Charlie cringed. Now Evelyn had tangible proof that they were still involved. Louis picked up the photo and stared at it, squinting. Then he put it down. He shook his head in disgust.
Evelyn sneered. “It seems you two have been doing an excellent job of supervising Charlie. He went to prom with her right under your noses.”
“Well, if the leaders wouldn’t make us work sixteen hour days, maybe we could.” Helen said. Louis hushed her.
“Charlie, how could you?” Louis stood up and walked over to where he was sitting. “I thought I made myself clear. You were not to see this girl again.”
There was nothing to say. He had disobeyed. But he didn’t regret it. Rather than look down in shame, Charlie lifted his head and stared his father in the eyes.
“I really did not want to do this, but I had to involve the elders and the magistrate,” Evelyn said, knowing she would likely be in trouble for not reporting Charlie’s relationship with the Earthan girl sooner.
“No, please,” Helen begged. Louis hushed her again.
“I’ve already contacted the magistrate. He will be here shortly.”
Helen was about to lose it. “This can’t be happening.” She grabbed Louis’s arm. “You have to make them see...”
“Does my wife have to be here for this? She can’t take this kind of stress. She has the Bernalian trait,” Louis told Evelyn.
Evelyn pointed at Helen. “She’s a weak one?” Louis nodded, and Evelyn rolled her eyes. She didn’t have a lot of patience for those with the Bernalian trait, even though by law she had to show compassion for their condition. “Very well. She may lie down in her room until the magistrate arrives, but ultimately it’s up to him if he wants her to be present for the meeting. You knew of your wife’s frailty; you should have made more of an effort to keep Charlie in line.”
“Yes, Evelyn,” Louis said respectfully. “You’re right. May I at least bring her a cup of coffee with Instant Smile?”
“Go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on your wayward son. Oh, and I’d like a cup of coffee myself. Why don’t you make us all some?”
Louis nodded. He went to the kitchen to prepare the coffee, and Helen jumped up and ran to her bedroom. Evelyn picked up a magazine and started flipping through it. Charlie leaned back against the couch. The way he was feeling, he doubted he could swallow even a sip of coffee right now. Charlie thought about his mom. Right now she was probably taking her tranquility medicine to calm down. Then she would crawl under the covers and hide from the world. He had always just accepted his mother the way she was. But now, knowing what he had to face, he couldn’t decide if he envied or pitied her.
For the next twenty minutes, Charlie and his father sat in silence, waiting for the magistrate and his advisers to arrive. There was no point worrying about it; they would punish him however they saw fit. While he was concerned about what they would to him, Liliana was foremost on his mind. Separation from her would be unbearable.
There was a knock on the door, and Evelyn got up to let them in. Mr. Conner had a scowl on his face. Although he was as short as Louis, he had a very intimidating presence. The two elders were dressed identically in dark-gray suits. The only distinguishing feature was that one was thin and the other fat. They greeted Charlie and his father in a cursory fashion.
“I want the two of you to wait upstairs. We have much to discuss with Evelyn first,” the magistrate said to Charlie and his father.
They got up and went to Charlie’s bedroom. Louis sat on the bed, and Charlie leaned against the window seat. They said nothing to each other. There was really not much to say. Charlie looked out the window. Everything was as it should be. Dogs were wagging their tails and barking. Kids were riding their bikes. Fathers were arriving home from work. There was no indication in the outside world of the hell going on inside his home. Charlie overheard the elders grilling Evelyn, and his focus shifted to the conversation downstairs.
“Why didn’t you bring this to our attention sooner?” the thin elder asked Evelyn.
“I thought the problem was solved. He seemed to be working the prescribed program, and he was, by all appearances, connecting with Tamar on Sentria.”
“You still should have told us. We could have taken the necessary steps to ensure Charlie’s full cooperation,” the thin elder rebuked Evelyn.
“Can we continue this conversation outside? He is a supersonos, you know.”
So Evelyn didn’t want Charlie to overhear her being reprimanded by one of the elders. Well, too bad. It made Charlie smile.
“No, we can’t go outside. We can’t leave him alone. He cannot be trusted. And you haven’t answered the question.”
“Look, I know what you would have done to him to ensure his cooperation. I was simply trying to give my fellow Sentrian a second chance,” Evelyn said.
“Hah!” Charlie scoffed, and Louis looked up at him. Evelyn wasn’t fooling anyone. She wasn’t trying to give Charlie a second chance. She just wanted to make his life hell.
The thin elder and Evelyn bickered for a while until finally the magistrate spoke up. “Enough. Evelyn, while I admire your initiative in attempting to solve the problem yourself, all the leadership must be notified when an offense of this magnitude is committed. Now, let’s get down to business.”
The thin elder grumbled but said nothing more. Charlie agreed with him that Evelyn was getting off too easy. Being a daughter-in-law of the magistrate obviously had its benefits. It was too late for Charlie, but he had been hoping Evelyn would get what she deserved.
“Now, what to do with Silas? Any suggestions?” the magistrate asked. They proceeded to go through a litany of possible punishments. Charlie filtered them out. He concentrated on the original plan: eloping with Liliana. Unfortunately, sneaking away would be much more difficult now.
“What about the Earthan girl?” Evelyn asked.
Charlie’s heart sped up. He didn’t expect them to go after her. He was prepared to face the consequences of his actions, but he didn’t want his Liliana to suffer for his mistakes.
“Evelyn, how confident are you that she is the only Earthan who knows of our existence?” the magistrate asked.
“Very confident.”
“You were also very confident that Charlie had given up this strange Earthan romance,” the thin elder countered.
“I attended high school with them. These creatures are not just intellectually backward, they are savagely cruel. If she had confessed to anyone that she thought there were aliens living among them, she would have become the object of vicious ridicule.”
“Yes, but you have not been in this high school for the last two months. How would you know?” The thin elder wouldn’t let it go.
Evelyn sighed. “They may be unintelligent, but the manner in which they gossip about one another is highly sophisticated. If there was a rumor going around about Charlie being an alien, my sources would have informed me.”
They spent the next few minutes analyzing the incriminating prom photo and going over the empty logs to Tamar. Then Mr. Conner started giving out instructions. To the two elders he said, “You will go to the school tomorrow and inform the girl that she will stay away from Charlie, or she will face very unpleasant consequences. Scare her if you need to, but try not to harm her. We don’t need a police investigation on our hands.”
That should have made Charlie feel better, but somehow it didn’t. Charlie heard footsteps coming up the stairs. The fat elder knocked on the door. “You may come down. The magistrate will speak to you now. And bring your wife,” he said to Louis. They followed the fat elder down. Louis ducked into his bedroom and got Helen up. He led her by the hand into the living room.
“Sit.” The thin elder motioned toward the sofa. The Grays did as they were told. Helen put her face in Louis’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Louis put his arm around her and gently patted her hand.
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br /> “Silas Gray, I’m sure you are aware that these are serious charges,” Mr. Conner said. “Evelyn believes, as I do, that you are mentally and emotionally ill, but that doesn’t mitigate your guilt. You have broken multiple laws. When we return, you will be handed over to the Great Council.”
Charlie wasn’t surprised that they were going to file charges against him, but it still hurt to hear. He had never thought of himself as a criminal. They made what he and Lilly had—something beautiful and pure—seem dirty and wrong.
“You will be detained in your home until our ship leaves next week.”
The fat elder leaned over and whispered into the magistrate’s ear. “Sir, remember the awkward questions we were asked when Evelyn withdrew midsemester? I believe we have to let him finish the last three days of school and graduation. If we pull him out now, the Earthans will want to know why. We wouldn’t want them poking around, meddling in our affairs.”
The Earthans would think it strange if a senior didn’t complete the last few days of school and attend graduation. They might even ask for a reason why, but Charlie knew they wouldn’t launch an investigation over it. The Sentrian elders, however, did not know that. They mistakenly assumed that the Earthans were as suspicious and paranoid of their own citizens as the Sentrian government was. This gave Charlie a glimmer of hope and an idea.
“Agreed,” the magistrate said. “What precautions can we put in place to ensure he will have no contact with the female?”
“Remember, we are going to speak to the girl,” the fat elder said. “These beings are primitive and ignorant, concerned more for their own survival than for anyone or anything else. Threatening her with physical harm should be all it takes to keep her away.”
“Yes. But we still need someone to watch Silas so that he doesn’t try to contact her,” the magistrate said.
“I could return to the high school,” Evelyn volunteered.
“No, reenrolling for the last few days of school would be more suspicious than pulling Silas out at the end of the year,” the thin elder said.
“He’s right,” the magistrate said. He paused in thought. “I think I have a solution. Henry is still enrolled at the school. He can monitor Silas.”
“With respect, sir,” Evelyn said. “Henry and Charlie are in different grades. It will be impossible for Henry to guard him at all times.”
“You are also in different grades,” the thin elder pointed out.
“Yes, but at least I’m in band with Charlie and the girl. It will be much easier for me than for him. Henry is too trusting. He doesn’t understand how manipulative Silas can be.”
“You are his wife. I think it is your duty to make him understand. That is all,” the magistrate said and departed.
“I’ll be back shortly,” Evelyn told the Grays. “I will be staying here every night until we return to Sentria. Charlie won’t be sneaking out on my watch.” While she was gone, she left the two elders to stand guard outside the house, one in the front and one in the back.
Charlie expected a proper chewing out from his father, but Louis had nothing to add. He gave Charlie a look that conveyed his disappointment and then went into the den and turned on his PCD. Charlie ran upstairs and furiously scribbled out a note to Liliana before Evelyn returned.
***
Evelyn packed in a hurry. Henry stood in the doorway holding a mug of coffee and watching her fill her overnight bag with clothes and toiletries.
“Henry, this is very important. Do you understand what you need to do?”
“Yes, Evelyn, I get it. I’ll drive him to school in the mornings. I’ll follow him between classes and sit with him at lunch. Then, I’ll drive him back home again in the afternoons to your waiting arms,” Henry said. “Oh, and I almost forgot. I guess I should go with him to the bathroom and watch him relieve himself.”
“This is not the time for vulgar jokes,” Evelyn said. “This is serious. Charlie is in a desperate place. He may try anything.”
“Does it really matter at this point?” Henry entered the room. “I mean we are returning to Sentria next Monday. What difference does it make if he says hi to the girl in the hall? He’ll be gone soon, problem solved.”
Evelyn shook her hairbrush at Henry. “You know, it’s that kind of lax attitude that got us into this mess in the first place. Remember, you are a seminary student and the son of the magistrate. How can you think it’s OK to break our laws with impunity?”
Whenever Evelyn, or the elders, or even his father brought up the point about all these laws Charlie had broken, it made Henry nervous. The Sentrians had a noninvolvement policy in regard to their Earthan missions. That was true. But Henry was a student of Sentrian religion and law, and he couldn’t see any actual laws Charlie had broken. The sacred text did not mention relationships with Earthans. They were not expressly forbidden or allowed. On the other hand, Evelyn had breached Charlie’s privacy by inspecting the logs, a clear cut violation, but no one seemed to care about that.
“Just don’t let him out of your sight,” Evelyn warned. “I’m counting on you.”
Chapter 15
Henry
The next morning Henry drove to Charlie’s house. Evelyn and Charlie were waiting in the driveway for him to pull up.
“Ready?” Henry asked.
Charlie nodded and got in the passenger side of the car. Henry was quiet on the ride to school, and Charlie was thankful for that. Charlie was focused on only one thing. He had to find a way to get his note to Lilly.
When they arrived at school, Henry followed Charlie to the band hall. He watched as Charlie got his trumpet out of the case and sat down. Then he left and went to his class. Charlie couldn’t believe it. He looked around, expecting to find Henry spying on him, but he was really gone. Charlie saw him walking toward the math department, his backpack slung over his shoulder.
Charlie got up from his seat, ran over to Lilly and pressed the note into her hand. Mr. Patterson tapped on his music stand to indicate he was ready to begin. There was not time to talk. Charlie grabbed his trumpet and ran to his seat. Lilly put the note in her pocket and joined in playing the chorale.
***
After band, Lilly pulled the note out of her pocket. It was folded in quarters with writing on the outside. It said, “Read this note in private as soon as you can.”
Lilly didn’t have a chance before her next class. By third period she was dying to see what it said. She told Mrs. Hollins she was feeling sick and asked if she could go to the nurse. Mrs. Hollins nodded, and Lilly headed straight for the girl’s restroom. She went into an empty stall and opened the note.
Dearest Liliana,
So many things have happened since yesterday afternoon. I’m in a lot of trouble, as you can well imagine. Henry is guarding me during the day at school, and Evelyn is my warden at night. The elders plan to put my case before the Great Council on Sentria. The punishment will likely involve incarceration and reprogramming for who knows how long. We will have to move up our plans. We cannot wait until Friday evening. We’ll have to sneak out during the graduation ceremony itself. But don’t worry, I’ve got a plan for that, too. See if you can get Ian and Beth to help. We’ll need them to pull this off. Tomorrow I’ll send another note with more details. I’m so sorry about this huge mess I’ve dragged you into. I know I’m asking a lot, but once we’re married, they’ll have to leave us alone. The magistrate is sending two elders to see you today. They will threaten you to stay away from me. Please don’t let them frighten you. They will not hurt you. Just agree with whatever they say and tell them what they want to hear. Please leave me some sort of message that you are still prepared to go through with this.
I love you,
Charlie.
Lilly quickly penned a note back.
Dear Charlie,
I was scared when I read the note Beth gave me. I didn’t sleep all night worrying about what they might do to you. I was so relieved to see you in school today. Of course I
still want to marry you. How can you even ask? The elders don’t scare me. I can handle them. I will wait for your instructions. I love you—infinity.
Liliana
She stepped out of the bathroom and walked over to Charlie’s locker. She checked that no one was looking, and then she slipped the note through the slats.
***
Charlie found the note just before lunch. Henry had been following Charlie from class to class, but he always stood at a distance. Charlie stood in front of his locker with his back turned to Henry and quickly looked over the note. He could hear Liliana’s voice in his head as he read it. Charlie slipped the note into his pocket and turned around.
“Ready?” Henry asked.
“Yeah, let’s go,” Charlie said. They headed to the cafeteria and sat in Henry’s usual spot, a corner table close to the entrance. Lilly walked in and saw Charlie sitting with Henry. She glanced at him before sitting at the band table.
Henry ate quickly and then pulled out a book for the remainder of lunch. Charlie was shocked at Henry’s inattention. He could have gone over and kissed Lilly on the lips, and he doubted Henry would have noticed. Why would Evelyn leave Henry of all people with the responsibility of being his guard? The bell rang then, and Henry got his backpack and left. Charlie took the opportunity to reread Lilly’s note, more slowly this time. He paused at the end, smiling.
***
As Henry and Charlie were walking out to the parking lot that afternoon, Charlie saw them. The thin and fat elders were standing next to Lilly’s car, talking to her. Charlie froze. He wanted to go over there and rip their limbs from their bodies. He had never felt so helpless. He couldn’t even protect his girl.
Henry grabbed his arm. “C’mon, Charlie.” He pulled him toward his Honda.
“Henry, I…” Charlie began to speak.
Henry shook his head and motioned for Charlie to be quiet. He reached over and pulled something out from under Charlie’s wrist. It was a Sentrian bug. Henry flipped a switch on the tiny device to off.
