by R F Hurteau
“So,” Felix said, putting up his hand to stop Bohai, who had been about to pour more of the vile substance into his glass, “you’d like a crash course in Theran culture.”
“Oh yes,” said Bohai, handing the bottle back to Onyx, who stored it in the crate with the others. “I would be ever so grateful. You see, as Ambassador, I take the need to understand the people I’m meeting very seriously. This is all well and good, when it is between nation-states on Earth. But beyond what we have been able to recover from the time just prior to the Sequencing, which isn’t much, we know very little about the mysteries and nuance of the Theran people.”
Felix thought back to everything Willow had told him before he left.
“Well, first off, always make eye contact. Try not to blink. It’s a sign of respect. It shows, uh,” he paused for a moment. “It shows that you are equals.”
“Eye contact,” Bohai said, nodding to himself as he sat in rapt attention. “Right!”
“And Therans are a very tactile people,” Felix continued. “You should always offer your hand, or better yet, a hug.”
“A...hug?” Bohai looked uncertain about this, a small frown tugging at the corner of his lips.
“Oh yeah. Therans do a lot of hugging. It’s all about the desire to be closer to one another, and to the planet, you know—stuff like that. It’s about friendship, fellowship...harmony. That sort of thing.”
Bohai still looked a little hesitant but nodded. “All right,” he said, more slowly this time. “You know best, of course.”
What else had Willow taught him, and how could he convince Bohai to do the exact opposite?
“Deference to the Council will be seen as weakness,” he offered. “You should address them strongly, be almost aggressive, if you wish to be viewed as a suitable ally. There are many on the Council that are on the fence about the wisdom of allying with your nation. Not me, of course. I’m all for it. But many are wary of Humans and worried that your only desire is to use us for our resources and technology.”
“Oh, I can assure you that is not the case!” exclaimed Bohai, aghast. “Our primary goal is to forge a solid, equal partnership with all the people of Thera.”
As they headed toward Imradia, Felix continued to offer every ounce of terrible advice that he could think of whilst Bohai hung on his every word.
Onyx interjected at several points with her own ludicrous suggestions, and by the time they entered the gleaming city poor Bohai was, without a doubt, ready to inflict insult on any Elf that crossed his path, eagerly and with gusto.
“Oh my, would you look at that!” the Ambassador exclaimed as Imradia came into view. “What a marvel!”
“She certainly is,” declared Felix, forgetting for a moment to mask his own wonder at seeing the city for the first time.
The gates were a white marble copy of the Evenmire, and once they went through an entire sparkling white metropolis lay before them, tucked into a valley that curved along the base of a towering mountain range.
The buildings were all very similar in appearance, constructed of the same white metal alloy as the Floaters and the Sigil building back in Sanctuary. The homes all had delicate, arched rooftops, each covered with triangular panels that reflected the sun. The glare from them was so powerful that Felix had to look away, discovering when he did so that tiny ghostly triangles remained before his eyes long after he had ceased to gaze at them.
The Floater moved purposefully among the buildings, heading for a central structure that rose tall and proud above the rest. They passed commons where pristine fountains sparkled, white marble statues of Elves and animals adorning each square with solemn beauty.
The streets were immaculate, dotted here and there with Elves who would stop what they were doing to glance up at the convoy as it went by.
Imradia was a wonder, but something about it made Felix uncomfortable. It seemed too bright, too sterile. It lacked trees, flowers, or anything remotely natural in origin. A far cry from the little village of Solara where his mother resided.
He found himself missing the shade of the forest canopy, the songs of birds. With a start, he realized that this place reminded him quite a bit of Sanctuary, where nature had been for the most part restricted to the agricultural dome.
Had it truly been only six months since Felix himself had existed like this? He had become accustomed to the plants and animals so abundant in Pravacordia. He had no desire to return to a life devoid of all that.
Felix felt a pang of sadness for all these people, surrounded by wonder but confined to a prison they’d constructed for themselves.
Before long they were disembarking from the Floater. Onyx took Bohai’s arm and guided him toward the Council Headquarters, where Felix saw Nero, Pike and the others filing inside.
He took a deep breath, composed himself, and followed.
Ten
Fool Me Twice
ONCE inside, Felix’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the light, which was—mercifully—much dimmer than that outdoors. The rest of the Council had gone on ahead, leaving Felix, Bohai and Gavin on their own.
He strode beside the Ambassador, trying to rekindle the arrogant confidence he’d channeled back in Solara. The two of them followed the route that Gavin laid out as he walked a few steps ahead, once again carrying the Bohai’s crate.
When they reached the tall double doors that marked the Council chambers, Felix hesitated for only a moment.
Then he put his hands out and gave a firm push. A sudden fear that they would be locked, or too heavy, or that he perhaps should have pulled instead of pushed, flashed through his mind. He had just time enough to imagine himself standing there like an idiot as the Ambassador looked on, pressing against the door with all his might to no avail.
But despite the door’s size it was surprisingly light. The panels flew open on well-oiled hinges, swinging so wide that both sides hit the walls with a bang.
Felix felt himself going red in the face and tried to cover, throwing his arms up in a sweeping, dramatic gesture.
“Welcome to the Elder Council chambers, Ambassador Bohai!” he exclaimed, his voice echoing in the cavernous room.
Metallic walls gleamed, their mirrored sheen unblemished and sparkling beneath six massive golden chandeliers lit by dozens of warmly twinkling lights that hung high above the table. A massive white marble fireplace dominated one wall, intricate carvings accentuated by shadows cast by the lights. It was not unlike the massive Sigil lobby back in Sanctuary, though that room had lacked the luxurious touches that made this one so grand. Nothing in Sanctuary could be considered luxurious by any stretch of the imagination.
Bohai stepped forward and took in the opulence, clearly impressed. Then, without hesitation, he strode forward to the long marble table where the Council members had begun to arrange themselves. He walked between them, attempting to stare them down, offering every one of them a firm handshake of greeting as they looked around at each other in obvious discomfort.
Felix had to choke back a laugh as Bohai neared the head of the table where Nero remained standing, eyes darting around as if looking for a way to escape the relentless advance of the Ambassador, who was approaching rapidly.
Bohai threw his arms around Nero and gave him a solid embrace, exclaiming in a loud voice how honored he was to be counted an equal among such esteemed personages. He continued his bold chatter as he made his way to an open chair, and Nero struggled to collect himself.
“Ambassador—” he began, but Bohai was an unstoppable force, trying to utilize as many of the tips and tricks Felix had given him as fast as possible.
“Before we get down to the nitty gritty, I would like to offer a gift to the Council.”
He motioned to Gavin, who stepped forward with the crate of squid ink wine, put it down, and left wordlessly. Felix caught his eye as he passed, and thought he saw the faintest hint of amusement there.
Bohai pulled one of the bottles out, holding it almost lovingly
as he showed it to the Council members, cradling it in his hands like a newborn babe.
“Nouritas, the most beloved beverage in Culei. This is from the coveted private stock of our capital, Paru, and is our number one export, highly prized. We shall drink to your good health and to many more bottles shared amongst friends in the fruitful years of our new alliance with Thera!”
The thought of watching Nero and Pike choke down the black sludge was almost enough to make up for having had to choke it down himself. Felix waited with anticipation for the main event as he sat down beside his mother at the long table. He ran his tongue along the front of his teeth, but it did nothing to reduce the strong aftertaste that still lingered there.
Nero, as far as Felix knew, had two states of being: angry and livid. He was livid now, flustered in a way Felix had never witnessed before, perhaps unsure how to deal with this arrogant, flamboyant example of the Human race.
Between Nero’s pompous lack of self-control and the Ambassador’s enthusiastic disregard for decorum, these talks might just end themselves.
“Ambassador, we really should—”
“Come, come, Lord Nero,” Winsled cut in. “Surely we should accept this beautiful gift offered in friendship from our future allies? There’s no rush, after all.”
Nero hesitated, biting back his opinion in an uncharacteristic show of restraint, and nodded.
Felix hadn’t really held out hope that Bohai’s insults would be enough to break down the alliance on their own, but Nero’s response thus far was promising.
Now, if only Bohai could rile up the other members, who seemed somewhat more level-headed, then they would be getting somewhere.
Felix glanced around at the faces of the others but couldn’t get a read on many of them. Most wore the aloof expressions he’d come to expect from Elves, which made their emotions difficult to ascertain.
His mother had said they were worse than Sanctuary’s elders, but if that were true, they hid it well. They seemed to be nothing but graceful and accommodating.
Winsled gestured to a demure woman who had been standing beside the door, and she offered a quick bow before backing out of the room. She reappeared several moments later, carrying a tray of crystal goblets which she began to distribute amongst those seated at the table.
“Now,” said Nero, speaking with very little attempt to mask his irritation, “if we may begin?”
“Certainly!” said Bohai, focusing on Nero with a stoic, unblinking gaze. Nero stared back, unwilling to look away from the Ambassador’s unabashed gawking.
Bohai seemed oblivious to the fact that Nero’s glowering eyes looked ready to burn a hole straight through the poor man’s skull if this went on for much longer. They sat like that, tension growing thicker as the moments passed, while the serving girl unpacked the rest of the bottles from the crate, placing them on the table. Bohai broke his stare to glance at her.
“Oh, wonderful! Here! You’ll need this!” He pulled the corkscrew from his pocket and began to demonstrate its function for her.
“As I was saying,” Nero attempted once more, eyeing the Nouritas with open suspicion as it oozed into the goblets in slow, sticky ropes, “we’ve asked you here to finalize the conditions of a potential Culeian-Theran alliance. We have discussed the Culeian proposal at length, and we are willing to accept all of your terms. When we begin the restructuring of the other nation-states and their current governments, we will allow the Culeian monarchy to continue ruling your country as a sovereign power, provided that you do not interfere with Theran affairs elsewhere.”
Bohai, who had taken Felix’s instructions to maintain eye contact to heart, had returned his gaze to Nero and was nodding fervently.
“Excellent, indeed. And in return?”
“In return,” said Pike, who seemed to have caught a whiff of the brew and whose nose was wrinkled in anticipatory objection, “you will develop and deliver to the Evenmire a fast, reliable method with which to transport large numbers of our people away from the Gate and out of the inhospitable Antarctic region to a place where we may stage our next moves in safety.”
“We are progressing nicely toward that end!” assured Bohai with a confident grin.
He scooted his chair closer to Pike, who recoiled, and spoke in a conspiratorial tone.
“We’ve begun working with technology which allows us to melt the ice, burrowing through it as easily as a mouse through dirt. Um, do you have mice here?”
He looked around, perhaps wondering if his reference would be lost on them, before continuing with a shrug.
“Regardless. We tested a prototype in order to reach the Gate for this very meeting. And here I am!”
He stood and slammed his hands on the table, causing several of the Council members to jump, startled by the Ambassador’s persistent show of brazenness. “Safe and sound and among new friends!”
He reached out and patted Pike heartily on the shoulder. “Of course, it will need a bit of doing in order to be made ready to carry large numbers of Therans at once, but we are working around the clock to accomplish just that!
“We’ve also been preparing a place for your people to set up temporary residence, an island in Culeian territory, graciously donated by Her Majesty for your use as long as it is required. There is a communication tower there, as well as facilities that offer anything your people might need as they prepare for—ah, here we are.”
He sat again as the serving girl handed him his glass, now half full of the opaque beverage.
“Very good. Thank you, my dear.”
He grasped her hand and gave it a quick kiss before she pulled away, looking rather thunderstruck as she made a hasty retreat back to her place by the door.
Bohai checked to be sure each of the others had been served before he picked up his goblet, holding it high. After a moment of confusion, the whole Council mimicked him, some faking enthusiasm more convincingly than others.
Felix, who had zero desire to taste the Nouritas again, grimaced. Nero was scowling. Winsled had tipped his glass sideways, and his face registered alarm as the liquid held its shape for several seconds before beginning to slide down the side of the goblet.
“To a long and prosperous friendship!” said Bohai, beaming.
He tilted his glass to his lips, allowing the drink to slip sluggishly into his waiting mouth. Felix watched Pike follow suit and, with sheer force of will, began to bring his own glass to his lips when a gentle squeeze of his knee stopped him.
He looked to his left where Onyx sat. She was staring toward Pike, holding her Nouritas close to her face without drinking. She gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head.
Bohai sat back down, his glass empty, a look of oblivious satisfaction on his face. Felix noticed that Nero had not drunk but was instead still scowling at his goblet as if it had done him some personal offense simply by existing.
Many of the other Council members had looks of disbelief and disgust on their faces, their lips pursed in silent disapproval. Emmerus had a hand over his mouth, his cheeks puffed out as he struggled to force the Nouritas down, his eyes full of what Felix could only describe as abject horror.
“So, now that we’ve observed the formalities, should we get something in writing?” inquired Bohai.
But Nero didn’t answer. He was watching Pike, who had gone rather rigid.
His eyes scanned the room, looking at each Council member in turn. Felix looked around also, noticing with a start that almost all of the Council looked rather strange.
“What is this?” Felix asked, forgetting himself and standing up. “What’s going on?”
Pike’s body began to convulse and he fell backward, chair and all. All around the table, violent tremors wracked the bodies of the Council members, some of whom slumped forward onto the table. Others had slid down to the ground.
Felix watched, transfixed, as Pike’s mouth opened as if to speak, and a mass of pink tinged foam oozed out, puddling on the floor beneath his quiveri
ng face.
Nero’s eyes narrowed, but he made no move to offer assistance. He stood there, fists clenched on the surface of the table, face red with rage.
“Get a doctor!” Felix barked at the serving girl, who had backed against the wall, looking terrified.
“But...but Lord Emmerus is a doctor,” she stammered, transfixed by the awful sight of the Council table, now a mass of trembling, vomiting bodies.
“He’s having a seizure, you fool. We need a different doctor!”
She turned and disappeared into the corridor.
No matter who these people were or what their intentions, Felix’s first instinct was to help. He made a move toward Emmerus, but Onyx held him back.
“Don’t.” Her whisper had a warning note to it. “Laevus wouldn’t.”
Felix was torn. Nero, Bohai, Felix, and Onyx were the only ones still standing. Bohai was staring around, his face bewildered, eyes wide with fright and confusion.
“It’s poisoned!” Onyx declared loudly. “He’s poisoned the wine! He tried to kill us all!”
Bohai backed up, knocking over his chair. “What? No, no, I would never—”
Several Envicti had entered the room, weapons drawn. Nero whirled on the Ambassador.
“What treachery is this?”
“No, please, you must believe me—”
Realization washed over Bohai’s face, and he pointed a long, quivering finger at Onyx.
Felix’s insides twisted, tightening further. Nero was evil, but he was not stupid.
“It was her! She took the crate from me. She must have done something to the wine. She must have—”
His accusations came to an abrupt halt as Nero erased the distance between them in a flash. He grabbed Bohai by the collar, lifting him as if he were a child’s toy, and slammed him against the wall. Bohai gasped, the air forced from his lungs by the force of the impact.
“You will pay for this,” Nero growled. “How dare you blame a Theran for your disgusting Human schemes. No Theran would harm another. When we get to Earth, your precious monarchy will be the first to fall. I promise you that.”
