Galatzi Joy

by Robin Roseau

  “She is already vexed with you.”

  “I believe she guessed where we were going, but then decided she was wrong. She may accuse me of lying.”

  “You never said where we were going. What could you have lied about?”

  “Well, I didn’t lie, but she may make such an accusation. She asked a question, and I answered accurately, but if she had asked fifteen minutes later, the answer would have been dramatically different.”

  “You certainly know how to be cryptic.”

  I shrugged and squeezed her hand.

  Five minutes later, from two carriages ahead of ours, I heard, “Maddalyn Herschel, you are a lying liar!”

  “Told you,” I said to Kalorain.

  The settlers had cannibalized nearly everything from their landing craft, and there was nothing left of the original spaceships. But there was a cleared circle that undoubtedly looked far different than it had five hundred years in the past, and in the circle were a series of monuments, one where each of the craft had come to rest. We were broken into small groups, and one or two of the local villagers assigned to each pair. We were escorted to one monument after another as the villagers explained what we were looking at.

  It was an emotional moment, even for me, and this wasn’t my history. But I was as caught up as the rest, and I brushed tears away a few times.

  To think what these people had done, to set out into the dark of space with little understanding what they truly faced. They arrived on a planet that was simultaneously welcoming and hostile, and not every colony succeeded. But they’d made a success of it, a great struggle lasting a hundred years or longer before success was assured.

  I was not the only one who, facing the monument to the expedition’s leaders, held my hands to my heart and bowed my head. These people had done something far, far braver than I could truly appreciate.

  Eventually we all came together in the middle of the field. There was a large circle of synthetic rock, as hard and durable as granite, but pliable when formed. The original settlers had each found a place. Some had signed their names. Some left hand and foot imprints. A few had drawn images. One of the settlers had been a gifted artist, and there were images of her entire family. We wandered the circle, looking at the names.

  “They had two names,” Kalorain said. “Like the star people. We don't know when that changed.”

  “Your language also doesn’t follow any from ancient Earth, either,” I said. “But you use the alphabet of English, with additional marks. No one knows how that happened. It drives the linguists crazy.”

  She pulled me to more names. “So small,” she said of one pair of hands.

  “A child,” I said. “Perhaps born during the voyage, or shortly after arrival, the first of a new generation.”

  “Coming here was your idea.”

  “If Cecilia has images, it is because she has been here, or someone else from our delegation. I thought it was wrong we could come, and none of you had ever visited.”

  “The village isn’t much,” she whispered.

  “No. We brought a few sacks of grain to help them.”

  She nodded.

  The villagers waited until we had seen everything we had come to see, and then we received introductions.

  * * * *

  We stayed for lunch, the villagers generous with their food. We now had four vendarti and a governor, and they each spoke for a minute or two. Eventually we made our way back to our craft, and that was when Luradinine pulled me to the side, but I signaled to Cecilia, who tore herself away from her audience and joined us just as Luradinine said, “You lied to me.”

  “When did I do that?” I asked.

  “You said we were traveling two hundred kilometers per hour. Do you think I don’t know how far this is?”

  “At the time you asked, that was our speed,” I replied. “Have you ever tried to run up a hill?”

  “Of course.”

  “Do you run as fast uphill as you do on flat ground?”

  “No.”

  “We were will going uphill,” I said. “We weren’t on flat ground for another ten minutes. At that time, we accelerated.”

  “You knew what I wanted to know!”

  “Of course. And you knew Governor Grace wanted this done a certain way. And now you’re going to apologize for trying to trick me into telling you something I’d been asked to keep a secret.”

  She gaped for a moment, then she smiled, somewhat wryly. “I’m sorry.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Cecilia said. “I think the only sorrow you hold is that she succeeded in keeping a promise to me.”

  At that, Luradinine grinned. “Tell me, Maddalyn, are you holding many secrets?”

  “A few,” I said. “It’s a good thing. I’m fairly sure once I start spilling secrets, I’ll spill all of them.”

  “Do not threaten me!”

  Cecilia laughed. “Maddalyn, I am impressed. How many secrets are you keeping?”

  “I'm sure I couldn’t say,” I replied. “But see my previous comment about what happens if someone pushes hard enough to get me to start telling.”

  Cecilia laughed again and this time Luradinine joined in. “No hard feelings, Maddalyn?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “By the way: Governor Grace has assigned me as the driving instructor and authorized me to decide who I will teach.” I smiled, kissed her cheek, and headed for my jumper. With Cecilia laughing behind me, Luradinine hurried after me, intending to pester me on a new subject.

  Duty

  I gave all of us a day to enjoy Sudden, and then the next evening, I announced, “Governor Grace has loaned her ground vehicle to me.”

  “Are we going somewhere?” Kalorain asked.

  “Perhaps, but that’s not why she loaned it,” I replied. “She has suggested I begin to teach you to drive.”

  “Her?” Luradinine said. “What about the rest of us?”

  “If you weren’t so impatient, Beacon Hill Vendart, I would get to that. I am authorized to offer lessons more widely.”

  “Now that’s more like it.”

  “But it seems impractical to teach you,” I added. The others laughed while Luradinine shook a finger. I grinned. “With my wife’s permission, class begins tomorrow. It will not duplicate Mordain’s lessons. We will begin at the beginning.” I paused. “Darratine and Farratain, I cannot offer to teach you yet, but maybe I can arrange something in the future.”

  “We’ll find something to do,” Darratine said.

  * * * *

  In the morning, there were five of us traveling to the embassy, as I would also teach Mordain and Margotain. We spent two hours in classroom work, and then I took two at a time in Cecilia’s vehicle, carefully driving around the airfield. Mordain spent the entire time grinning, but all four of my students were deeply pleased. I let them each drive for a half hour, but after that, I would increase to an hour each, once a day.

  Luradinine extended her trip an extra week, and the day before she was due to return to Beacon Hill, Cecilia and Sartine flew back down from Indartha. Cecilia took each of my students on a road test, and from the duration, I could tell she was being thorough. She didn’t share results with anyone until she gathered us all in her office, Sartine hovering nearby.

  “Maddalyn, are your students qualified to drive on any of the technological planets?”

  “Absolutely not, Governor,” I said. “Was that the goal?”

  “No. You have done a good job, Maddalyn. Congratulations to all of you.”

  They all began smiling, and then I found myself passed around, receiving hug after hug, and more than one or two kisses, most of them on my cheek, but not all of them.

  “We’re not going to issue any sort of paper licenses at this time,” Cecilia said. “There aren’t enough ground vehicles to require such formality.” She paused. “Vendarti, I am not vendart for the planet.”

  “No,” Sartine said, “But you are vendart over imperial technology and traini
ng and use thereof.”

  She nodded. “Until that changes, this is my authority. Driving training is to be performed only by those I authorize. For now, that is me and Maddalyn. Furthermore, the trainer is not the examiner.”

  “You were both for me,” Sartine said.

  “Yes, but that was a mistake,” she said. She turned to me. “I should have had you ride along today. You will next time, so you know what I do for when it’s your turn to examine one of my students.”

  “Yes, Governor,” I said, not arguing with her.

  “Kalorain, when was the last time your Galatzi wife earned a point for speaking English or German?”

  “I don’t know,” Kalorain said. “A week or two ago. We’ve grown stricter on other mistakes, but I decided I didn’t want her punished for them, as long as she is showing good progress.”

  Cecilia nodded. “All right. When we started this, we agreed she would return to work when she could carry on a conversation in Talmonese.”

  “She’s been doing that for weeks, Governor.”

  “I know. Kalorain, Maddalyn is your Galatzi wife, and I will not interfere with that relationship. However, I would like her to return to work for me as soon as you feel that is appropriate.”

  “Does she need to live at the embassy?”

  “No,” Cecilia said.

  “We are taking our visitors back to Beacon Hill tomorrow,” Kalorain said. “I want her for myself for two more days, and she may return to you four days from today. Is that sufficient, Governor?”

  “That is absolutely wonderful,” Cecilia said. “Let me know when you get in, Maddalyn.”

  “I will, Governor.”

  * * * *

  In the morning, the mood was mixed. I had really liked having Kalorain’s family stay with us, and over breakfast, I said as much.

  “It has been special for all of us,” Luradinine replied. “When I agreed to send my daughter here, I didn’t know how often we would ever see each other, and was prepared for our last goodbye to have been just that. Now I know we will see each other more, and if it isn’t every day, it won’t be so long.”

  “No,” I said. “It won’t.”

  Twenty minutes, Margotain appeared. When I looked outside, I saw both the landau and my cabriolet waiting for us. With nothing more to be done, we headed to the street and loaded up.

  Luradinine rode with me and sent everyone else with Margotain. Once we were moving, she said, “You have made my daughter very happy.”

  “That is mutual,” I said.

  “I would not have expected your role in a Galatzi trade to be your preference, but both you and Cecilia seem very pleased.”

  “Do I seem more like I would prefer Kalorain’s role?”

  “Not necessarily. I suppose perhaps I just assume all the star people are …”

  “I understand,” I said. “Larger than life?”

  “Yes, I suppose.”

  “We’re just people,” I said. “Luradinine, before Kalorain claimed me, I was terribly afraid Governor Grace would send me away. I am getting at least as much from our relationship as she is.”

  “Do you miss your old home?”

  “I miss my mother. There are days I pine for someone to speak German. I don’t know when I’ll be completely comfortable speaking Talmonese. But I don’t miss anything else. If I have any control over the matter, Talmon is my home for the rest of my days.”

  “Good,” she said. She wrapped an arm around me and gave me a hug. “My daughter is deeply in love.”

  “I am, too.”

  “I know,” she said. She smiled. “I would like to know what your plans are for children.”

  “Is that why you’re riding here? We’ve barely been married a few months, and you ask about children?”

  “Do you blame me?”

  “I want children, but you know: there is no rush.”

  “You should have them in your prime.”

  “Perhaps we should talk to Cecilia about that.”

  She grew quiet then finally said, “Please don’t make me wait that long for grandchildren.”

  “You have two other children,” I said.

  “Wenolopid is still a child.”

  “Darratine and Farratain are as in love as Kalorain and I,” I said.

  “I can’t tell if you’re teasing me.”

  “If so, you’re owed,” I said. I grinned. “You realize our children will be children of Sudden.”

  “That won’t make me love them any less.”

  “No, I suppose it won’t. Give us some time, Luradinine.”

  “I’m not done asking about this.”

  “I didn’t think you were.”

  * * * *

  A half hour later, we were in the air, and a half hour after that, Kalorain and I were exchanging goodbye hugs with the three we were leaving in Beacon Hill. During the flight back, Kalorain was quiet. We held hands, but she looked out the window, saying little. We were a few minutes from landing when she said, “Maddalyn, I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too, Kalorain,” I replied. “Are you all right?”

  She turned to me. She looked a little shaky, but she hadn’t cried. “Yes. I am in an unexpected position.”

  “What is that?”

  She paused. “Let’s go to lunch, and we’ll talk about it.”

  “All right, Darling.”

  Ristassa was waiting, and so it took little time before we were traveling back through the streets. Kalorain said little until after we were seated at one of her favorite inns, lunch ordered and drinks on the table for us.

  “Growing up, it was assumed I would help run Beacon Hill. There are always projects.”

  “What sort of projects?” I asked.

  “Oh, everything. Do you know how the work of the town is accomplished?”

  “On most planets, people pay taxes, and those taxes pay to hire people.”

  “There are taxes, but they are small. But everyone helps with community projects.”

  “That would be the Talmon way,” I said.

  “It’s not that you necessarily help with every project, but everyone helps,” she continued. “Some of us help more than others, and mother has spent my entire life training me to assume a leadership position.”

  “You coordinate those projects.”

  “Yes. There’s so much that it never ends. I get paid a little from taxes. Well, I did. And I could also earn money when someone needed help. I didn’t need much, because most of my expenses were paid living in Mother’s home.”

  “And then you lived with Sudden Vendart.”

  “And helped with any projects assigned.”

  “Neither of us has done very much of that,” I said.

  “It is not unusual for a new family to be granted leave,” she said. “Especially when it is a Galatzi trade.”

  “But it is time to resume those duties?”

  “I believe it is, but I am not entirely sure what I should do. I believe I wish to help the governor.”

  I thought about it. “You were learning English before you agreed to take me.”

  “I’ve continued to learn, but in strange ways. I had to use English to drive the ground vehicle.”

  “True,” I said.

  “Your Talmonese is so much better, but we are not going to begin speaking English at home.”

  “Cecilia does not want me teaching anyone English.” I paused. “My Talmonese is better than my English now.”

  She smiled at that.

  “Do you know what I should do?” she asked.

  “I think it is time I begin giving directly to Sudden,” I said. “What do you think about that?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “I think we should present ourselves in front of whoever coordinates such things, and make sure we’re both on the list.”

  “That would be Valtine,” she said.

  “Everyone contributes time, right?”

  “Yes,” she said. “
Everyone contributes time.”

  “I believe you know what you need to do,” I said.

  “I need to improve my English.”

  “And I can’t really help you, not directly.”

  “You could find a job for me at the embassy.”

  I thought about it. “You know, I might be able to do that.”

  “Well, you’re right about something,” she said. “One of my duties is to ensure you know the Talmon way as completely as possible.”

  “And so, we will present ourselves to Valtine.”

  “Yes,” she said. “You will talk to the governor about finding opportunity for me.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. You will also tell the governor that you will be expected to help with major projects around Sudden, and you will also help with the harvest. Everyone helps.”

  “All right.”

  She smiled, took my hands, and kissed the fingers. Our meal arrived, and we ate, smiling at each other the entire time.

  * * * *

  Valtine was pouring over schedules when we knocked at her door. She looked up. “Did Luradinine get home safely?”

  “She did,” Kalorain said. “Vendart’s Wife, my Galatzi Wife and I wish to be added to the duty roster.”

  “Both of you?”

  “Yes,” Kalorain said. “Maddalyn has duties to the governor, but she is a good Talmon girl of Sudden, and she will do her share for Sudden.”

  Valtine nodded. “And you, Kalorain?”

  “I must return to learning English,” she said. “I have asked Maddalyn to see if there is opportunity at the embassy, but you may have as much of my time as you like while Maddalyn is engaged in her duties, at least until the governor finds occupation for me.”

  “And after that?”

  “Then after that, we are good daughters of Sudden, and we will continue to do our duty to our home.”

  “Are you asking to be assigned immediately?”