Valori smiled and turned to exit. "Yes, I remember."
"Of course, now I'm their guest and not a captive, but still..."
"Get to sleep," Valori said, chuckling.
Olivia knew sleep would elude her. It had been exciting, hadn't it? She had crashed a top-secret meeting of the ruling council, and made them listen to reason. She might yet save this fledgling coalition government and rescue their fragile world in the bargain. What would the crazy people of BloodDark ever do without me?
Why should we ever do without you?
She sat up in bed and stared into the darkness. "Hernando? Are you nearby?" She had never heard his voice in her mind before, but she had suspected at times he could hear her thoughts.
I'm downstairs in the entrance hall talking with Moreau and Caveman and a few others. I want you to sleep. We'll need your energy tomorrow. I promise, your note to your parents is in the diplomatic bag and going out first thing. It's time to come clean with them on what you've been up to these past few weeks. You can tell me more about your discoveries, too, in time.
No, I want to confess to you now. Olivia didn't want to waste another minute of her life keeping secrets from Hernando. I shouldn't have lied to you and my folks. I really did think I could solve the mystery of the unauthorized Portal without becoming more involved in the machinations of Moreau and Clan Alpha. I know now I didn't have all the information I needed to make a good decision. I'm sorry I acted on impulse.
Annara holds some responsibility for your poor choices. She didn't give you all the facts up front. Olivia sensed Hernando held a grudge against their fellow Resistance fighter. Annara's earnestness to protect BloodDark is admirable, but perhaps she doesn't think things all the way through or consider the consequences of each event before taking action.
Olivia sighed and yawned. Well, she did talk me into bleaching and straightening my hair. You gotta admit—I make a gorgeous blond like Beyoncé.
You make a gorgeous you. Now, go to sleep my beloved. Sweet dreams, as you say on Earth.
Olivia smiled and closed her eyes. Hernando had called her my beloved. He had forgiven her. Sweet dreams, indeed.
*****
The next day brought a blur of activity. Olivia slept in, so by the time she'd donned her jeans and t-shirt and slipped into the dining hall, it was toward the end of the first meal period. She noticed Kate hurrying about with a clipboard in hand, chatting with various members of the household and making marks on a checklist. Was Kate taking down names and lunch orders?
Olivia accepted a hot cup of herbal tea and then settled down to break her fast with the typical BloodDark first meal of bloodfruit segments and muffins made from some sort of corn-like grain. The muffins would have been perfect if they had had any decent Earth honey to slather on them. The BloodDark version of honey looked more greenish than gold and wasn't quite as sweet as clover honey. She learned Earth pollinators such as bees didn't fare well on the sunlit side of the planet or in the penumbra zone, and so a hybrid wasp-bee-spider creature had been developed which performed the same task.
Mahvet had given them a brief lecture on BloodDark agriculture and the great strides their scientists had made in creating a life-sustaining ecosystem over the centuries, but the planet's conditions were difficult even in the best of times. Maintaining the soil's fertility and keeping the water supply pure became almost a religious calling to their farmers, a sacred and worthy task. She wondered if they'd be willing to share some of their vast knowledge with human agricultural scientists before it became too late for Earth's ecology to recover.
Olivia ate her muffin and fruit and surveyed the scene. An air of excitement was evident in the smiles and animated discussions going on around the dining hall. For a household which had suffered the setback of seeing its leaders jailed and questioned for traitorous activities, they had rebounded quite well. Some special event must be planned for today. How else could she explain the sudden reversal of attitude?
"I'm glad you're awake at last." Kate took a seat beside Olivia for a momentary respite from her duties. "Are you planning on going on the outing to the Mosaic Desert?"
Olivia almost choked on her sip of tea. The last time she had traveled through the searing hot region on the starlit side of the planet, she had been escaping from her Pure Blood captors. She must have misheard Kate. Why would anyone want to go there?
Kate patted her back. "Food go down the wrong way?"
Olivia nodded and coughed. "Uh, yeah. Did you say an outing to the Mosaic Desert?"
"Yes, it's on tomorrow's agenda." The English librarian grinned and held up her clipboard. "Everyone in Clan Alpha is excited to travel to the desert and see BloodDark's protective device. It's an excellent example of the Ancestors' technology most have never seen or understood. I've been doing quite a bit of research on the topic of the Ancestors... Did you know they have huge vaults under the city containing their remains?"
Olivia shivered at the thought of the mausoleum-like labyrinth the Resistance fighters had encountered. "Yes, I did know about the vaults." She bit her lip. How could she let her friend down without hurting Kate's feelings?
"Going to the Mosaic Desert isn't like going on a trip to Disneyworld, Kate. The desert is a very rugged and unforgiving place. If Hernando and I hadn't found the Shadows Spires Cave and Caveman Charlie and his people, we would have died of dehydration."
"It's why we're bringing plenty of water and supplies. It's only for a couple of days. Since the clan leaders want to show the ruling council and others what they've been working on, they've arranged a transport engine and cars to take us out to the Penumbra City hub. There's more than enough room for everyone to come along. From there, we'll be traveling by..." Kate grinned. "No, I won't spoil the fun. You'll see when we get there."
"You'll be traveling with us, right?"
Kate nodded. "I wouldn't miss it for anything. Mahvet is over the moon he's so excited—or should I say, 'He's over the captured BloodDark asteroids of Primus and Secundus' since there isn’t just the one moon?" She chuckled. "It's been a while since he's taken a trip out of the capital."
"You two are getting along well, huh?" Olivia smiled at Kate's rosy blush. "I'm so happy for you."
"I'm happy, too."
Olivia couldn't contain her own happiness either. "I'm feeling wonderful today because Hernando has forgiven me for spying on Clan Alpha and spilling the beans on their illegal transactions with some not-so-nice folks on Earth."
"Illegal transactions?" Kate frowned, puzzling over Olivia's frank admission. "So the security officers who came yesterday were working on a criminal case?"
Didn't everyone know what had happened by now? Valori knew what had happened since she'd been a part of it, but she hadn’t thought to inform Kate or the others? Everyone in the clan house appeared to have heard about the secret protective device, though. Olivia supposed they'd blab and carry on about anything to make Clan Alpha appear superior to the rest of the Pure Bloods and, by extension, the rest of the planet's inhabitants.
"I'm sorry. I thought you knew," Olivia muttered and shrugged. "All's well that ends well, it seems. This outing indicates the ruling council is on a fact-finding mission to corroborate Moreau's and Drucinda's testimonies."
"Oh, I see." Kate collected her clipboard and stood. "I'll put you down for some yummy purple mash in your boxed lunch. Mm-mm-good. See you later." She winked and wandered off to finish her checklist.
"Purple mash and desert heat—ugh. What a combination." Olivia sighed. She finished her meal and then went in search of Valori. She was missing some vital piece of information which everyone else in Clan Alpha appeared to possess—and here she thought she knew it all since she'd sat in on the council meeting.
A quick run through the corridors of the main part of the clan house revealed nothing about Valori's whereabouts. The few Alphans who wore translators could provide no clues, either. All Olivia could gather was that their new high priestess must be out for th
e day. In a moment of inspiration, she took a stroll through the purple-black rose garden and reached out to her friend with her mind.
Valori, are you close by? Can I reach your thoughts?
No answer. Perhaps Valori was someplace far away, or was standing behind a lead wall or something. Olivia parked herself on a small metal bench in a secluded spot in the garden and closed her eyes, concentrating her mental processes on receiving a reply. She took a deep breath, enjoying the freshness of the garden air in spite of the lack of rose scent. Just as she was about to give up and go back into the clan house, she heard a familiar voice in her mind.
Olivia, stay there. Hernando sounded nearby. I'm coming to see you. We must talk.
All right. I'll remain in the garden.
She smiled. Hernando could hear her thoughts. Until recently, she had suspected he could at times, but now, back on his home world she was certain he could. Was it something in the atmosphere or the stars' background radiation or in the laws of physics themselves which gave BloodDark inhabitants their telepathic power?
On the other hand, was there something back on Earth which gifted Valori with some of her more unsettling abilities? Her mild-mannered, middle-aged friend, who at Thanksgiving had reminded Olivia's friends and family of a favorite aunt, could knock out hired musclemen with a single thought and shake a building to the ground. Valori wasn't a kindly aunt to be trifled with.
Perhaps it all had something to do with the mixing of genetic information between humanity and the Pure Bloods. What a misnomer—they were far from "pure" or distinct after so many hundreds of generations of mixing and matching genes between the species. A sobering thought occurred to Olivia. Had the blood she had given to Moreau been altered and re-injected into her as well, making her more like them?
She shuddered. Leaving your home planet and traveling to a different world opened up all sorts of possibilities in human evolution... disturbing ones, too. Maybe the Superman comics had been right all along. Kal-El could fly because of the yellow light of Earth's sun and possessed amazing strength and stamina. What would the marshals of war on Earth do if they could train soldiers with such superhuman powers? Would one protective device be enough to hold them off?
A crackle of dry leaves underfoot startled Olivia out of her reverie. "Hernando?" she mumbled.
"No, it's not him, but your pair-bonded mate."
She looked up and saw not the chocolate-brown hair and mahogany eyes of her beloved Hernando, but the golden hair and cold cobalt-blue eyes of Moreau. "Uh, hello there. You out for your daily walk in the gardens?" she asked, trying to sound casual, but knowing she didn't.
"I am. I feel I must explain myself to you." Moreau sat beside her on the small bench. "I don't wish to break off our engagement, as you humans call it, until we have come to a mutual agreement."
"A mutual agreement?" She raised an eyebrow and stared at him. "We both agree to call it quits, you mean?"
"It's traditional. One cannot un-bond alone. It must be mutual."
Olivia furrowed her brow. "You make it sound like we're conjoined twins who need surgery to become separated."
Now it was Moreau's time to act confused. "It's not a surgical procedure, but it can be quite wrenching. We will no longer hear each other's thoughts."
Interesting, since I can hear Valori's and Hernando's thoughts now and yours... I'm not hearing any of your thoughts at the moment. Are you hearing any of mine?
Moreau continued to look puzzled and gave no indication he knew what she was thinking. Olivia took pity on him and patted his hand. "I think we've already un-bonded. I can't hear your thoughts, and I don't think you're able to hear mine anymore."
He nodded. "I believe you are correct, Olivia of the Clan Brown. Perhaps our new high priestess has performed this service to save us both pain and suffering. Still, I wished we could have..."
The staggered breath he took pierced Olivia's heart. He really wanted to remain engaged to her? After all he had done and how cruel he'd acted, Moreau still held feelings for her? What was it he had shared with her in the council chamber? We are both predator and prey. Theirs was to be a marriage of convenience, no doubt. They were pawns in a larger game than either could imagine. He’d told her as much. The real question, then, was who was playing chess with them and what was the endgame?
"I'm sorry it didn't work out. Look, Moreau..." Olivia cleared her throat and hugged his shoulders. "We can still be friends, can't we? I know it's hard to be friends after you break up, but there's way too much at stake here for us to remain mortal enemies. Both our worlds are in trouble. I think you realize it, or else you wouldn't have gone along with your father's plans to sell the artworks to finance the rebuilding of the protective device in the desert. Am I right?"
"You're right. You're quite perceptive." He squeezed her hand on his shoulder and leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I didn't know everything my kinsmen were doing. They kept things secret and didn't tell me their reasons until recent times. The pride of Clan Alpha is legendary, but this arrogance is beyond my comprehension. My family is acting like it's the end of our existence, and the ends justify the means. I feel ashamed to have cooperated with their scheme."
Olivia blinked. Wow, he was opening up to her. If she'd realized underneath his cold exterior he had a heart... But now wasn't the time to get distracted. They were allies, and his information could prove vital. They could be friends and collaborators, but nothing more.
Smiling, she removed her hand from his shoulder and sat straighter. "As we say on Earth, 'It's water under the bridge.' From this point onward, we focus on what's good for all of BloodDark—not just Clan Alpha or the Pure Bloods—but for everyone on the planet. We need to concentrate our energies on discovering how to keep this planet safe from outside influences."
"You mean humans from Earth?" Moreau raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "All my life I've been taught humans weren't a race to be feared. Our ancient enemy was all powerful, but humans? No, they weren't a threat. Our old foes forced us to crash our spaceship and sent us into exile here on this desolate world. Theirs was the true evil in the cosmos."
Olivia nodded. "Maybe so, but I wouldn't discount humanity for a second. Human history is rife with evil antics. I should know—my father is a history professor. He calls them like he sees them."
Olivia sighed. She missed her father—and her mother, too, if she were honest. I wonder, would Dad consider coming to BloodDark to teach Earth history and write a book on what he learned of BloodDark's past? It would make a wonderful sabbatical for him. Mom would hate it. I can hear her now. What? No public libraries? Where could she set up a book discussion group? She'd start her own free lending library in a heartbeat. Perhaps Mom could be useful on BloodDark after all.
"Yes, please invite your parents to come to BloodDark, Olivia." Hernando stopped in front of the garden bench and nodded to them both. "I'm certain they'd be of great benefit in helping us understand Earth culture, and vice versa."
Olivia blushed and scrambled to her feet. Moreau stood as well. His glare indicated he knew Hernando had heard her thoughts and he had not.
"I'll think about it," she said to Hernando while trying to keep Moreau in the conversation with an aside. "How to phrase the invitation will be the tricky part. You have to make them think it's their idea or else my folks might decline out of sheer stubbornness."
"Ambassador, you're sure you don't understand Earthmen?" Moreau asked in a somewhat mocking tone. "You've been working with them for some time. If anyone understands their culture from a BloodDark perspective, it would be you, Hernando."
"I do have some insights, which makes it all the more imperative Clan Alpha doesn't work outside the system." Hernando raised a hand to halt Moreau's objection. "No more arguments on the point—your clan admits its guilt in using the old ways of stealth and secrecy, both here and on Earth. We must become an open society if we are to survive. We have to learn to trust each other."
"You speak the tr
uth, but it won't come easy." Moreau nodded. "Pure Bloods aren't a trusting society. I have some reservations about my family's trust of certain Earthlings as well."
"Which is why this fact-finding trip to the Mosaic Desert will prove useful." Hernando grinned his encouragement. "I know everyone on the ruling council appreciates your clan's willingness to arrange the transportation, Moreau."
"It's our duty, as well as our pleasure. Now, I should go and help finalize the arrangements." Moreau turned to Olivia and took her hand in his. "Thank you for hearing me out, Olivia of the Clan Brown. May your life's journey continue without harsh incident as the skies of BloodDark City are without harsh light."
As Moreau walked away, Olivia stood transfixed, observing his tall figure until it vanished from view. "You know, it sounded like he gave me an Irish blessing."
Hernando turned to Olivia, a twinkle in his eyes. "You could call it a blessing. He has released you from your pair-bonding and wishes you well. It's always good to part friends."
"Yes, it is. Hernando, I..." She hesitated. Maybe it was better to let her apology about the whole matter go unspoken. After all, it was in the past and the future had challenges of its own. His thoughts and actions proved he'd forgiven her.
"Are you ready to go on another train ride to the other side of the planet?" Hernando chuckled. His enthusiasm to climb aboard the mega-sized, train-like vehicle reminded her of her father's enthusiasm over building model railways. "I remember how much we enjoyed it the last time we traveled aboard the steam-powered transport."
Olivia's cheeks warmed at the memory. "Yes, it was nice to sleep in your arms. I suppose this time we'll have more than one carload full of passengers, though, right?"
He sighed. "Yes, it's going to be crowded. It's the ticket of the century. There won't be quite as many as those screaming New Yorkers in Times Square when I dropped the crystal ball on New Year's Eve, but it'll be enough to make it feel like one big road trip."
Olivia's Decision Page 7
