by J. Naomi Ay
Kiman lowered his gun as the air shuddered with dust as the old spaceplane's engines began to shake and roar. There was no use trying to shoot it down. Maybe the old guy had done everyone a favor, and they had gotten what they had come for, which was the young man.
"Where's Tex?" Rent asked, looking up from the vid and the box of Cheez-Its set between himself and Sara.
"He escaped." Kiman took off his helmet and called for Sam to head out.
"Ok." Rent shrugged and taking off his own space suit, he was uncertain if he would miss Tex or not.
Rent hung his space suit in the closet. He was about to shut the door when something flashed. "What's this?" Reaching in inside the pocket, he extracted a small purse, the same one he had found on Lyra II. Rent thought he had given it back to Tex. Certainly, he had never placed it in the pocket here.
"That's my mom's!" Sara cried. "She always carried it with her wherever she went. See, it has her initials, JdK, on the top."
"I guess, this must be yours now." Rent gave it back to Sara.
Sara opened the silk bag and extracted a pearl necklace, a chain of polished gold, and a silver locket. She smiled and hugged them to her chest as that was all she had left of her mom. Then, she opened the locket and looked at the blue Firestone. It flashed a little in her hand as she gave the jewel to Rent.
"It's for you," Sara said. "My mama said that it belonged to some man."
"Not me," Rent scoffed and waved the locket away. "I don’t remember ever owning a thing like that."
"No," Sara insisted. "Mama said an angel told her what to do. She must give it to the one for whom it is intended. She told me that if something happened and she couldn't do her job, I would have to do it instead, so I'm giving it to you."
"How do you know you're supposed to?" Rent took the locket just to make her happy. The blue stone flashed again, which made Sara smile.
"See! It lights up big for you."
"Ok." Rent shrugged and put the jewel back in his shirt pocket. "Let's go sit down and watch more toons and drink Rootbeer."
Rent and Sara resumed their eating and their watching while Kiman joined Sam on the plane's bridge.
"What's the matter?" Sam asked as Kiman held his head between his hands.
"Between Shika," Kiman sighed, "Rent and the little girl, we are all totally screwed."
"Yep," Sam agreed and accelerated the plane into the military flying lanes. "It makes you wonder why Senya and Katie were ever allowed to breed."
Chapter 20
When Shika opened his eyes that morning, he knew immediately something was wrong, not that anything had been particularly right for a terribly long time. He lay in his bed and listened to the silence as his suite was well insulated in the walls. Yet, Shika felt deep within his soul that something had fallen off its track.
"Actually, it hasn't," a voice said, startling Shika out of his daze. "In fact, the Universe is now right where it belongs."
"Dad?" Shika mumbled as his head began to pound. He had drunken quite a bit this last night, perhaps, a bottle or two. Now, as with every morning, his head incessantly throbbed, his throat was dry and his stomach threatened to retch. "Are you here?" Shika tried to sit upright. The room spun round, and the light disturbed his eyes. "Are you not dead anymore, Daddy? Or, are you speaking to me from the far beyond?"
"Perhaps, you are merely drunk and imagining my voice."
Shika lay back on his pillows once again, shielding his eyes with an arm to block the light. He listened very carefully. If his father was really present, Shika might hear him breathe, or light up a smoke, or move about the room. Unfortunately, only silence surrounded the Imperial Prince's bed.
"I am dreaming this," Shika decided. "I shall go back to sleep and awaken later in a better frame of mind."
"No, I don't think so," the voice replied. "If you do, you shall surely wet the bed. Best get up and relieve the pressure on your bladder."
"Good thinking." Shika swung his feet to the marble floor, which was very cold and unforgiving when he fell down. "I think I broke something," he muttered.
"Not yet. Get up and move."
"Going, going." Shika dragged himself to the bathroom, although it was terribly far away.
He found the toilet, or at least he hoped he did because he let loose with a tremendous stream of water. Then, he washed his face and hands, staring bleary-eyed into the mirror, surprised at the hideous image that looked back at him.
"I look like hell," Shika cried with horror, for his eyes were bloodshot and his skin was patchy and red. His beautiful golden brown hair was laced with gray and his stomach sagged.
"Indeed, you do," the voice replied, "But, not nearly as bad as you are going to look."
Shika wasn't certain if he was supposed to laugh. His dad had an odd sense of humor that wasn't always funny.
"I need a hot shower," Shika announced and padded across the floor.
Regrettably, he wasn't watching his step. He could barely focus, in any case, even if he had tried. While reaching for his robe, Shika slipped in a puddle of his own misdirected stream. He skidded and fell, knocking his head and displacing a number of his teeth. From his arm, Shika heard a crack, and from his back he felt a tremendous wrench.
"Oh God," he cried. "Why don't you just kill me now?"
"I am considering that, but then your mother would never speak to me again."
"That might actually be a good thing," Shika suggested, his head swirling with a delirium brought on by pain. "You might like it after a day or two. I know I did with my ex-wife."
"Indeed, but eternity lasts an extraordinarily long time. With women, it's best to pacify them and let them think they are getting their way. If I let you live, I can tell her it was on her behalf. No, I have decided I shan't kill you today, but I shall make you suffer well instead. It's the least I can do for my beloved son."
"I'm already suffering." Shika implored, "Can't you tell? My head is splitting into pieces, and I can't feel either of my legs. Dad, if you are really here, would you kindly fix me up?"
"No, I am afraid after your behavior, you don't deserve my help. You shall have to go the hospital to be repaired in the ordinary way. Please don't fuck any of the nurses whilst you are there as I grow weary of eliminating your offspring."
"I promise," Shika said, no longer feeling his arm. "I am obviously in no condition to do that now. If I swear to you, from henceforth, I'll be the most perfect son, will you reconsider expediting my recovery?"
As a response, all Shika received was a cloud of cigarette smoke in his face, so he tried to appeal again, as he laid in his own muck.
"Dad, I am having a revelation. I will change my life from this moment on, as I realize how terribly I have messed up. I promise you, once I am fully repaired, I shall be loyal and faithful in every way. I shall assist you in your work and all your business. I shall do whatever you ask, my beloved Imperial Father. There shan't be a more loving servant in this entire Empire."
Shika thought he heard his father laugh, although he couldn't tell as his head was fuzzy with pain, and his conscious was waning.
"Actually, Shika, there is a job I have for you. It is a position highly befitting of an Imperial Prince. I think even your mother will agree this is an appropriate task for our eldest son. After all, not only did you conspire against us, but you committed treason. On the other hand, now that I think on it, perhaps this task is too good for you."
"What?" Shika tried to rise to his feet. His head swam, and his legs, wherever they were, would not hold his weight anymore.
"Sit down!" The voice roared which conveniently, Shika did. "Since I am not executing you today, I shall banish you from this planet, instead. When you are recovered from your injuries, you shall travel to Darius VI. There you shall manage the front desk of the SpaceWay Inn Motel. Enjoy it, Shika. It's the best you'll get from me. If you do well in this position and stay sober for the next few years, I might see fit to bring you back into the Empire."
"But!" Shika cried as he realized he was once again all alone. Only the faint scent of cigarette smoke confirmed that his father had ever been there.
As Shika lay upon the floor amidst his blood and urine, it occurred to him the smoke didn't smell exactly right. Since his earliest memory, his father's brand of choice had always been Camels. Why then, did this whiff of scent smell oddly like Marlboros?
Katie was in a state of shock and disbelief. Her son looked as if he had been run over by a truck. He was lying in a hospital room two doors down from his father's bed, mumbling something incomprehensible about Darius VI and Marlboro cigarettes.
"Mom?" He begged, in a moment of supposed clarity. "Why is Dad always so pissed off at me?"
If that wasn't bad enough, Katie's best friend, Luci Korelesk was in the palace prison for double murder. This was the same Luci who couldn't even swat a fly. If one mistakenly flew in through an open window, Katie or Shelly had to trap it in a cup, then, carry it outside to set it free. Now, Luci had supposedly shot two people point blank using one of Katie's guns, the same gun which Luci had always been too terrified to handle.
"Madame?" Taner approached from the lift as Katie stood in the hallway between the two hospital rooms. "Have you got a few moments to discuss the business of the day?"
"Business?" Katie snapped. "Are you out of your mind? Who can think about business when everyone we know has gone insane?"
"Well, there's still the issue with Altaris II and their dispute with Altaris IV. Have you decided yet on the tax breaks for the farmers on Andorus III? Also, we've got a meeting of the Imperial Council coming up a week from Tuesday. May I pencil you in as attending from 1PM to 4? You won't have to lead the meeting or be in charge. I shall take care of everything. You may just sit and nod your head. Would that work for you, Madame, or shall I schedule it at another time?"
"Taner!" Katie shrieked. "Berkan is dead!"
"Ah, yes, I realize that." Taner sighed and shook his head. "Poor lad. He was such a sweet little boy. Although, that's never an indication of how one might grow up. After all, Senya was a terror, and he turned out all right."
Katie could not respond anymore. In fact, she hoped that this whole thing might just be a terrible dream.
"I was once in jail," Zem piped up. He had been sitting in a chair next to the Imperial Guard. "That was right after our spaceplane crashed and I was full of water."
"That was a hospital, Zem," Katie corrected, already heading down the hall. She intended to go visit Luci, if only for a minute or two. Over her shoulder, she called, "Taner, postpone the meeting until next week. Hopefully, by then things will have sorted themselves out. Maybe, God willing, even Senya will be awake. I think he's doing this on purpose just to torture me. I'm going to go see Luci. I'll be back in half an hour."
"No, it wasn't the hospital," Zem called, although Katie had already disappeared. "The hospital had nurses and the Big Doc," he told Taner. "We also had a dayroom where I liked to watch the vid. I remember the jail because it was always dark. The floor was cold and made from hard cement. My room had bars on the doors, and the window was teeny tiny with no glass. The food was terrible, and there was absolutely nothing to do."
Now, it was Taner's turn to wonder what the heck was going on. "Why were you in jail, Zem?" Taner inquired, taking the seat next his friend.
"I was full of water, and I had twelve toes. I don't think they liked Talasians on Darius II. It was because I was green, and not another color. I should sue them for discrimination, unlawfully imprisoning me without probable cause, and restricting me from exercising my Constitutional rights."
"Of course," Taner said with a sigh, and started to rise.
"But, the Alliance wanted Captain Katie for High Treason. They kept us both because I was protecting her. That was until she had her little jack. Then, they took him away and moved us to the hospital where we lived."
"What?" Taner stopped and sat back down. "What jack? What exactly does that mean, old man?"
Zem shrugged and scratched behind his ear.
"Do you want to play cards this afternoon, Taner? You're always so busy, and you never have time to play. It's not good for you, my friend. You might have another heart attack."
Taner thought he just might, as his heart was pounding wildly in his chest. He took a deep breath and tried to calmly speak.
"Did you play cards with Captain Katie in the jail? Is that what you mean by little jack ?
"No, silly," Zem laughed and slapped at Taner's knee. "Ha! Slap jack. I win. Now hand me all of your cards."
"Come on, old man," Taner urged. "Let's try to get back on track. Who did they take away when you and Captain Katie were in jail?"
"I told you." Zem yawned, and this time he rose to go. "Let's sit in the other room and watch the King sleep peacefully. It's so different from how he normally is in real life." Zem opened the door to go in, and waved to Taner to follow. "It's a very simple equation, Taner. I'm surprised you don't understand. If a king and queen get married, they have a jack instead of a colored shape. They don't have numbers either because they have faces."
"So, Katie had a jack in jail? Was the father the Emperor or somebody else?" Taner held his breath, afraid now, his heart might stop entirely.
"Of course it was Dr. King." Zem scoffed, while taking his seat in his usual chair by the window. He shuffled his deck of cards, counted aloud to six, and waggled his toes. "That's right. It happened about one foot later after we crashed."
Now, Taner breathed with a sigh of relief, and his heart continued beating.
"Furthermore," Zem added. "If it had been fathered by a lover, Dr. King would have strung the guy up by his toes. He would have cut out his heart and eaten it. Then, he would have sliced off his balls and stuffed them in his empty chest. After that, he'd probably dissect the guy organ by organ. He'd take each piece of his body and set it on fire. While he burned, Dr. King would have cut off his head and scooped out his brains..."
"That's enough, Zem!" Taner screamed. "I believe I get the point."
And, Taner did for now he realized there was a lost prince to find. Somewhere out in the galaxy, Senya and Katie had a younger son, and hopefully, this man wouldn't have any of Shika's faults.
Taner felt strangely uplifted. Indeed, this could be the solution everyone had been looking for. If the young man was anything like his father, he might make the perfect king. The question was; how to find him, and find him quickly.
"Do you recall the baby's name?" Taner turned back to Zem.
"What baby? Are you ready now for a game of cards? We haven't played pinochle in a while. We could keep score like we used to do."
What baby indeed, Taner thought and sighed, his hopeful feeling vanishing as quickly as it came. This was all in Zem's imagination. Over the years of keeping company with the Talasian man, Taner had heard his share of wild fantasies including or about Captain Katie.
Taner wished fervently he could speak with his late wife, Caroline, who had been a nurse in the hospital where Katie and Zem were found. She might have known if there had been a baby, especially one that even Katie couldn't recall. Taner brought to mind how Caroline had said Katie was kept heavily drugged. That would explain how as a mother, she wouldn't remember giving birth. No. It was far too fanciful to believe.
"I shall search for him anyway," Taner swore, glancing at the man in the bed. "I must determine whether or not he exists.”
"Oh, he exists." Zem dealt out two hands. "You draw first, Taner since I'm always the one who wins."
It was then that the Emperor made a coughing noise and his silver eyes burst open.
"He's waking up," Taner cried, and ran out the door to fetch whatever doctor might be in the hall.
"Well, it's about time," Zem declared, as he picked up his cards and left the room. "You can pay me later for all those packs of Marlboros you bummed off of me."
Katie stood outside the empty hospital room, looking in through the door. All c
onnections had been unhooked, and the overhead monitors were silent. The window was slightly ajar, sending a trickle of rain into a puddle on the floor as Katie realized her long wait was finally over.
"Where is Taner?" She asked quietly, speaking to the Imperial Guard.
"He said he has business to attend to, Madame. He spoke of someone important that he needs to find."
"And Zem?"
"He left with Lord Taner, Madame. Is there anything more I may do for you?"
"No, thank you. You are dismissed."
Katie entered the room and shut the window. This was a good thing, she told herself. He was now awake. Obviously, he was hungry and wanting to hunt.
In fact, as Katie grasped the full implications, she collapsed in her chair. Tears spilled from her eyes, as a sob burst from the back of her throat. He was awake. He was alive, and all this was complete, except something else was now about to begin. Berkan was dead, and Luci was ruined. Shika was shattered, and he might never fully recover. Angelica was pregnant with a baby that may or may not be his.
If that wasn't enough, Lord Kinar had just rung her with more terrible news. Marik had been killed, although the details were unknown.
"My son said he died a hero," Kinar reported.
"Certainly," Katie replied, in yet a further state of shock. "Marik would never have been anything else. He was one of the finest officers in the entire SpaceNavy fleet. God rest his soul, poor Marik. He was such a lovely man."
It was evening by the time Katie left the hospital. She checked her husband's office before going upstairs. It, too, was dark and cold as the fire had long been left unlit. A thin layer of dust blanketed the desk and conference tables. A few cobwebs hung from the window panes, some even filled with spiders.
Katie made a mental note to call housekeeping and get the office straightened and cleaned right away. Knowing her husband, he'd want to return to work as quickly as tomorrow.
It was gloomy in there, Katie decided as she climbed the back stair. She would have his office redecorated in bright and cheerful colors.
