"We learned a great deal about the politics of the Earth system on this visit," Gordon said. He launched into a description of what they knew about the history of Home, Central, and the Lunar Republic. Just how advanced their technology seemed to be. How they had been received by April, acting for Heather. How Gabriel had helped them make a fast transit to Derfhome as a favor for Lee. He invited Lee to describe her dinner date with Gabriel, and the Mothers sat in rapt attention at her tale, how his ship operated in particular. Gordon sat silent and made some progress on his beer.
"I'm having data searches run, and people cautiously questioned, because we still don't know the full state of things in the Earth system," Lee admitted. "The Earth nations seem to be fearful of challenging these three tiny allied states. They respect this L1 boundary restriction on armed ships, and meekly ask clearance to cross outbound to other stars. We can't believe that continues because of a single military defeat years and years ago. I'd expect them to keep pushing and testing. We came away from Earth with more questions than answers, and to our embarrassment, look back at our time with both April and Gabriel and see they were very capable at deflecting our interest from important questions. I admit, we were somewhat intent on getting access to this Life Extension Therapy, and allowed it to distract us. We didn't want to endanger that by being aggressively pushy in demanding answers to other things. It was mentioned almost in passing that we might have other issues to pursue together, but honestly, I had no idea for what to ask for."
The Second and Third Mothers exchanged several significant looks with each other, and the First Mother looked unhappy, but April had no idea if they were unhappy with her or something else, so she asked.
"Not you," the First said with a sharp negative gesture. "It's that the treaty we negotiated has little value if North America isn't truly a sovereign state. Our agreement can be swept away by their masters should it displease them. They were not candid with us about this."
"Honestly, I don't think Central and its allies are really masters in that sense. April said as much, that there are limits to what they can tell them to do. So they pick their issues carefully to make sure they are worth the risk. The Spacers are very aware there are limits to how far they can push before the Earthies would fight them no matter what it cost. She said if they had to kill enough of them to supplant them, it would destroy the planet."
The Mothers looked very skeptical, and the First had a grip on the table edge with middle arms that was going to leave claw marks.
Lee saw this could really get out of hand and be a problem. She needed to defuse it. Gordon sat up straighter and was neglecting his beer. She spoke quickly before he decided to jump in.
"Really, the three Spacer allies are simply doing much the same as Red Tree," Lee said.
That got their attention, but she could tell they had no idea where she was going.
"They also had a treaty with North America, and the government changed. The new one repudiated the treaty with Home. It seems to be their habit. We know there were several violent clashes between Earth, Home and Central. I suspect we don't know about all of them. We were assured they have the capability of destroying even the largest Earth nations if pushed into it. But they don't want to."
"Why?" The Third Mum asked, silent until now.
"It's a treasure house of biologicals. They're still discovering new organisms every year. And as the home planet is a repository of all their history. It's irreplaceable. April said the ability to destroy them is a very blunt instrument to effect change."
"I said much the same when we had a ship poised to crash into them," the First Mother admitted, softening a little. "It's a binary tool with no graduations of subtlety."
"It's a moral issue too," Lee insisted. "They would have made themselves a stink to the other Earth nations, and likely the other worlds of Man. Admiral Hawking told me he didn't see how Fargoers could ever feel safe again if you had bombarded North America. That convinced me April was right. Hawking and others would have regarded Home the same way if they'd slagged the continent. Their morality may be slightly different than yours, but at least they do have something that's recognizable as a set of principles."
"The Humans don't have the same history as us," Gordon reminded them. "Their morality is advised by a different experience. You would say a clan all bear responsibility if they support their Mother's actions and don't remove them. But their leaders are surrounded with security and shrouded in secrecy. Their people are often excluded from accurate information about what those leaders are doing in their name. The Lunar powers may reasonably see them more as hostages than collaborators."
"These arguments have merit," the Third Mother said. She was still respectful, but given to strong opinions.
The Second Mother was very reserved, but gave a single solemn nod of agreement.
"Yes, but it still leaves us having an agreement with what I now consider a secondary player," First Mum said. "Even if we grant the Earthies feel they are sovereign. They exist on their own considerable ego, and the sufferance of others. I think we need to have a defined relationship with this trio of secretive Lunar powers. A relationship based on accurate information and some level of mutual understanding. If all we can agree to is to not have any dealing with each other, that they won't interfere with our treaty with North America, that still gives us a guide to move forward."
"They indicated they aren't seeking allies, but you could form other agreements. To do that you need to ask to meet with them. Either invite them here or go there. In a body or send a representative," Lee urged them.
The kitchen help had set most of the table in the hall for dinner, working up until their table was the last one bare, and the settings for it were waiting on the next table over.
"We need to let them set our table," the First Mother said. "Indeed, we all need to eat in any case, and we can continue discussing this matter later." With a gesture the servers put their plates and utensils before them, and the clan filtered in to take their seats.
Chapter 10
They didn't just switch topics at supper. Serious business matters were dropped entirely. Lee found she was keenly interested in the details of how the Keep was run. She had property of her own and might have to direct an estate someday.
Derf and Humans shared food better than the Badgers and Bills, Lee thought, examining the table. It was even better from the Derf side. They could eat almost anything it seemed. Most of the prohibited items were for Humans. There were greens she should avoid, but they were so bitter than was no burden. The meat she avoided. Humans liked dry aged steaks, but Derf aged their meat well beyond what Humans would consider edible. Fish was safe. Even Derf couldn't face old fish. Most of the fruit, except a few berries were safe. And Derf liked sweet things so the very tart berries got sweetened too. They still ate mostly seasonal foods in the clan and didn't rely on frozen or dried much, although they had taken to canning some things.
After dinner cleanup went surprisingly fast. Lee noticed that was because the diners helped with the clean up, when they hadn't helped set up at all. When there was one distant table of folks who'd come in late still eating, the Mothers served coffee to their own table and tiny sweets Lee would have called cookies.
"You'll spoil us to serve star goods," Lee said. "But I do appreciate it."
"Not star goods at all. Though it's a novelty and still very dear," the Second Mother said. "There are a several clans with the proper climate and altitude experimenting with growing it. Unfortunately, we're high enough, but the growing season is too short and the winter too harsh. I found it interesting that you assumed it was Earth coffee however. There's a great deal of debate and conflicting opinion over the quality of the locally grown."
"I'm no coffee snob," Lee said. "I think people come to things like this with preconceptions. If they did a blind taste test I bet most of them couldn't tell any difference.
There are so many other factors, it matters a great deal how the
beans are processed, how they are roasted, the brewing method, and the temperature of the water."
"Did you learn all those things in order to make your own coffee?" the Third Mum asked.
"No, I was reading a novel, and one of the characters had an obsession about coffee. He wasn't very good at his job and got fired. But he was the only one who could make decent coffee. The office manager conspired with some of the other workers, and hired him back in a make work job, just to get his coffee making skills again. I wondered if it was really that complicated and looked in our web fraction to see if any of it was true. We didn't have a really big chunk of web back then, but everything I could find seemed to indicate the story was right on the money. This stuff," Lee raised her cup, "seems just fine to me."
"Both the Badgers and the Caterpillars like coffee," Gordon said. "We can't communicate that well with the Caterpillars yet, but going by their enthused reaction and what they are willing to pay, they are very fond of the stuff."
"The Badgers will grow their own," Lee said. "We've already talked about that, but I have no idea how to tell the Caterpillars something as complicated as how to grow it. We might have to just show them. So that's going to be a market for at least a little while."
"We saw video," the First Mother said. "All the new races are interesting. But of course the Caterpillars are the strangest. And we don't know what these Centaurs look like, except for a foot. That's . . . I think creepy is the best English expression."
"Oh! I forgot," Gordon said. "I got this message on Fargone and we were so busy it slipped my mind." He produced his pad and found a photo. "This is embossed on a can from the junk we brought back from 2 Ball. They think it might have been some kind of food container." He handed the pad across to the First Mother. The Second and Third Mothers leaned in and looked too.
"I take it back. The whole thing is far creepier than just the foot," the First Mother said.
"How big are they?" the Third Mum and asked Gordon.
"There's a text file associated with quite a bit of analysis and speculation. They mass about two thirds what a mature Derf, like me, does."
"Good, I can kill them," the Third said.
Gordon was shocked and a little dismayed at her attitude.
"Just looking at them makes my fur stand up all the way up my back," she insisted.
Lee was about ready to get up and go around the table to see, but they slid the pad back across in front of her. She picked it up and studied it. There were two of the creatures, turned towards each other and touching hands. They had a much sleeker rear quarters and a heavy chest. The front legs seemed disproportionally heavy and the front upright seemed more like a heavy neck than the classic Centaur pictured with a human torso.
The arms were low near the body, arising from very abbreviated shoulders, stout but short, and the fingers appeared to have four joints. The strangest thing was the thumb. It was centrally opposed and large. It should have a tremendous grip. The muzzle was long and narrow but the head spread out behind it with large eyes set well apart. The one Centaur had its mouth closed but showed teeth poking out near the front. The other had its mouth open wide showing impressive dentition. It was obviously a carnivore.
"They'd have to bend that neck over nearly doubled to get their hands up to their mouth," Lee decided. "I bet they don't eat with their hands."
"They're fast, and probably have a keen sense of smell. Things with a long snout usually do," the Second Mother guessed. "But why such massive front legs?"
"We thought they might be herbivores from the foot," Gordon admitted, "obviously we were wrong. Notice the one on the right in the picture seems to have the end of the foot flared out. The remains we have were too damaged to see how that would be done."
"An adaptation to soft ground maybe," Lee speculated.
"Maybe, or sand," Gordon said, shrugging. "That's as good a guess as I think we'll get until we see some live ones."
"May you have the joy of it," the Third Mother said. "I don't want any part of them."
The First Mother steered the conversation away. Lee thought maybe the Third Mother was embarrassing them with her strong dislike, but she didn't reprove her at all.
"I thought your friend Talker might come back with you," the First Mother said. "He was surprisingly easy to get along with, and very respectful. Tell him he is welcome to visit us again even if he isn't with you."
"The second group of Badgers that followed us here were from different agencies of the Badger government. The head of that delegation persuaded Talker to accept an assignment from them to stay behind and act as an ambassador to anyone of the Derf or Fargoers who wish to do business with them or seek a relationship with their civilization. Talker is busy buying a property and setting it up as an embassy." Lee stopped, and frowned thinking about it. "Or at least a consulate depending on how you and other clans decide to treat his presence."
"I feel we should acknowledge his authority," the Second Mother said. "I think we can deal with that one. I've heard the one returning can be much more difficult," she added.
"You hardly spoke with him when he was here," the Third Mum protested.
"I wasn't silent because I was stricken with deafness," the Second said.
"Just the Badgers, or the others too?" the First Mother asked.
"The Bill, Singer, and a few others will remain," Lee said. "Gordon has had little patience with them infighting for advantage over each other on the voyage here, and I firmly suggested steps they could take to keep that habit from creeping back in. I tried to make it clear that I'm totally supportive of Gordon's feelings in the matter."
"Then invite him to visit not just in friendship, but formally, to present his credentials," the First Mother instructed.
"Lee's learning to speak so pretty and tactfully," Gordon said, amused. "I'm sure the message was more like, "If you think you can cross me on this I'll have Gordon skin you out and make a hand puppet out of you."
Lee didn't dignify that with a response, but there was no embarrassing silence to cover, because the Mothers were all laughing.
"Don't look so serious and offended, Dear," the First Mum said. "We have Garrett easing into his role as Champion, and I think he's going to be a fine one, but if I wanted to scare the Fargoers spitless I'd threaten them with Gordon myself. You shouldn't need to, if only they knew you better, but it's not a kindness to threaten people with something they might ignore to their peril."
"Know me better?" Lee asked.
"Yes, the Badgers didn't see you sit there and tell the First Mother she was flat out wrong, and offer to shoot it out with her with hypervelocity pistols," she said, making a menacing gun with her true hand. "As much as I'm glad you are both alive and well, there's still the occasional thought that creeps in when I remember it, that we missed a major spectacle. You were ready to do it. Little thing you were," the Mother said, acknowledging her growth spurt, "you scared half the clan pretty badly that day."
"I can get carried away when I'm indignant," Lee admitted. "I'll be sixteen in a few days. I'm aware I have to work on some maturity and dignity."
"That's good. You can keep working on those qualities when you go represent us to the Lunar governments," the First Mother said. The other two nodded like this was already expected, though they hadn't had any privacy to discuss it among themselves.
"I what?" Lee protested, mouth hanging open.
"Well, it was your idea. You said we need to go there or send an emissary. Didn't you?"
"Yes, but I wasn't volunteering," Lee said, looking stricken.
"No need. That's how we Mothers are. If a fellow comes up to us and says, "We really need a new drainage ditch running out of the east pasture," We hand him a shovel. Who better than the guy with mud on his boots? He knows where to dig, and has a keen interest in seeing it done right. Your clan can call on your services. Consider yourself called."
"This is a huge responsibility to hand to a sixteen year old," Lee protested.
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"Good. I'm reassured that you appreciate the gravity of the assignment. You already know Lady April personally. If you have to expand your acquaintance of the other Peers, or the Sovereign herself, you have some basis to work from. You said you have seen their skill at deflecting attention from that which they don't want to discuss. Another would go in unarmed, without the benefit of your experience."
"What do you wish to gain?" Lee asked, making the mental leap that she didn't have any choice if she was called to service.
"What we said before. Either a relationship, or an agreement to not meddle in each other's affairs." the First Mother said.
"Do you want to define the limits of that relationship?" Lee asked. "Do you want trade? Do you want a mutual defense treaty? I can't see opening the territory of Red Tree to thousands of unknown Humans. There isn't room by the hearth," she said, waving at the huge fireplace.
"That's always been a problem with Humans," the Third Mother acknowledged. "There's just so many of you and so few of us."
"I don't think that's a real problem here," Gordon said. "We don't really need close ties with the Lunar Republic or Home. Indeed, April described The Lunar Republic as a buffer between them and Earth, and left them off the list of places we could obtain Life Extension Therapy. Central is where the power lies, but the fact they will form treaties with these others shows they do allow some outside ties."
"But those two are physically close to them, and under the same risks from being so close to Earth," Lee pointed out.
"Yes, but my point is Central is where the power and the advanced technology resides," Gordon said. "Every sign we have seen is that they are a very small group, perhaps even smaller than Red Tree. You're not going to get a sudden influx of visitors if you offer free passage or safe harbor for distressed travelers. And they have a special relationship with Fargone that isn't close to them at all."
"I'm informed Gordon has told you the history of our contact with Humans, and our ways of dealing with other clans, back when we were alone in the world," the First Mother said. "Can you see from that what your guiding principle should be in any agreements with Central?"
A Hop, Skip and a Jump (Family Law Book 4) Page 12
