by J. Naomi Ay
I guess he didn't care because he reached down and yanked me up. He was taller than me and obviously a lot stronger, and the photogs were saying that they wanted to take pics of our reunion and would His Royal Highness be so kind as to tell the dudes to let them go. The older dude called off the younger ones, and the photogs got up and dusted off and started snapping their pics. Senya introduced me to a bunch of the Karut dudes or at least I thought that's what he did and they kind of nodded and looked at me like I was from another planet or something. I guess he told one of the little dudes to take his horse because the kid did and then he and I walked back to the village. The girls from the village and the old ladies too were all watching us and either they thought I was something special or they spent every day looking at Senya with their tongues hanging out because that's sure what they were doing now and the photogs were snapping up pics of all of this.
“So you have a fine bunch of women here,” I said smiling at some of the girls. They laughed at me behind their hands.
“Are they?”
“Very. Maybe you could introduce me to some while I'm here?”
He shrugged. “Why are you here anyway?”
“My dad says that the King wants you back so you can start University in the fall. He wants you to go to the U of New Mishnah, and they've already made security arrangements. I guess he's delivering the news to your other grandfather.”
“You going to go to University too?”
“Not yet, dude,” I said. “I'm no brain like you, so I gotta stay in High School for a couple more years.”
We came to the little house my father went in and Senya sat down on the steps off the front porch. He was wearing some dark sunglasses even though the porch was shady. He lit a cig, but he didn’t offer me one even though I could really use one about now.
“What's with the glasses, dude?” I sat down next to him.
He lifted them up and showed me his eyes.
“Whoa, dude. Cover them back up!” His eyes were so bright now you can't even look back into them. It was like looking straight into the sun, and you’d go blind or something if you looked too long. “How'd that happen?”
Senya laughed. “Puberty.”
“Shit man, the rest of us just got zits and grew armpit hair.”
He laughed again. “You're a funny guy, Berk. Stay out of trouble, yes?”
“What d' you mean? My dad tell you something?”
“Haven't seen your dad in four years.” He breathed out a cloud of smoke right into my face. “Just listen to me, Berk. Don't be a screw up. Get your head out of your ass and start studying. Go to University and get a degree in business management.”
“Business management? What the fuck?”
“Just do what I say, Berk.”
I was getting pissed. Who was he to tell me what to do? Talk about being a screw up. He was the king of screw ups.
“What the hell do you know?” I said.
He smiled at me in a patronizing way.
“I know everything, Berk. Remember? I'm telling you right now, stop shooting Horkin. You want to blow your brains out? I'll do it for you.”
“Dude, I'm not…” I shook my head.
“You've got a death wish? That's why you are doing Horkin? I'll kill you instead. Will that make you happy?”
“I don't …I don't have a death wish.”
“You're going to kill yourself on it, Berk. You can't handle it. You od'd twice already. You're not going make it the third time. I can put my blade in your neck, and you'll be done. No worries.” He had a blade in his hand now. I jumped back. I forgot how he could make things come and go just by thinking about them.
“Senya…I…”
“Listen to me, Berk.” He put his hand around my neck, and it felt like he could just snap my head right off. “I can Berk. You want me to break your neck? That sound better?”
“No, no,” I gasped.
“You stop doing Horkin right now. You listen to your old man, and you clean yourself up. Then you go to University and do as I say. If you don't, I'll come after you.”
“Ok,” I whispered. He released me.
“You know what else, Berk? You know what I can do?” He took a long drag on his cig.
I shook my head.
“I can be here in Karupatani, and I can reach into your bedroom back in New Mishnah and crush your pathetic little throat.”
“No shit?” I squeaked.
“No shit,” he said with a shake of his head. He leaned back against a railing post and exhaled another cloud of grey cig smoke.
“Ok,” I said. “No more shit. I'm clean.”
“I'll know if you're not and I'll do it, Berk.” He blew smoke in my face. “You wouldn't be the first fucker I killed nor the last.”
“I know, Senya.”
“Sir.”
“Huh?”
“I'm not Senya to you anymore. You do not deserve this privilege.” He stood up and tossed his cig into the air. The door opened and my father came out.
“Your Royal Highness,” my father bowed.
“Captain Loman.” Senya let my father kiss his hand.
“I convey to you His Majesty's greetings. He will be pleased to see you looking so well.”
“Please pass on my greetings as well,” my former friend said. “And thank you, you and Rucia. Thank you for what you have done for me.”
“My duty,” my father replied. “And my honor.”
My former friend went into the house, and my father and I and the other guys all left.
I guess I had to detox or something because the next week I was really jumpy and didn't sleep at all. After that I was okay. I started taking showers. I got my hair cut and I even wore clean clothes. Two years later I graduated High School with honors and started the University. My major, business management of course.
16
Tuman
My father and brother and I were sitting in my father's living room. The Mishnese emissary had just departed, and the MaKennah had joined us. He stood by the door for a moment and seemed to watch as the Mishaks departed, then he came to sit on the arm of the sofa next to me.
“Yokaa Kalila wants you back in Mishnah September first,” my father said.
The MaKennah nodded. He already knew this.
“We knew this time would come,” Father continued. “We knew your time here would be limited.”
“I don't think you should go,” my brother interrupted. “I don't think you will be safe. Captain Loman does not have enough loyalists that he can protect you at a university.”
“Perhaps you would be safer at the Royal Guard Academy where the students are already trained in security,” I suggested.
“Security for who?” My brother protested. “Akan or the Karut prince who nobody has seen in four years and didn't like much before then because he made it clear he wasn't a Saintist. He needs to stay here.”
“What think you of this, Sehron?” my father asked. “Several years ago you had a vision. You said you would be put in a cage, and Tuman would leave Rehnor. Will this happen if we release you back to Mishnah?”
Sehron crossed his arms and turned his blank gaze down to the floor.
“What will happen,” he replied after a moment. “Will happen regardless of what we choose to do now.”
“Do you know any more about this now? Do you know who your captors will be?”
“Mishnese.”
“That proves it,” my brother nearly shouted. “He cannot go back to Mishnah.”
“Staying here is out of the question.” I shook my head. “You think they will make him King of Mishnah while he lives here?”
“We will make him King of Karupatani while he lives there,” my brother replied indignantly and got up to pace the room again. “Why should we be the ones to always accommodate them? He is happier here, he is safer here. He does not need to go to their university. He already knows bloody everything.”
Sehron smiled. “Thanks Professo
r.”
My brother who had no wife, no children of his own, that we knew of anyway, went over to the MaKennah and wrapped his arms around him.
“He is our blood. He belongs with us.”
“He belongs to them too,” my father replied with a heavy sigh. “Despite how we feel about it.”
Pedah let go and resumed his pacing.
“I don't know,” Sehron shrugged and smiled. “Why don't I just go off to…Rozari? Maybe there I can just belong to…myself?”
“What?” My father nearly fell from his chair. “You, of all people, cannot leave Rehnor.”
Sehron was quiet for a moment. “I will.”
“And Tuman will leave with you?” my brother asked.
“No. He will go his own way.”
“And what of me?”
Sehron shook his head.
“What does that mean?” my brother demanded. “Am I dead?”
“That's enough fortune telling,” my father snapped. “You're not dead, you're just staying here. Four sons and two grandsons and all are either dead or a bunch of fools, except perhaps little Rekah. It is still too soon to tell.”
“You,” he said and pointed at Sehron. “Whether you go off to Rozari or not, you are still the MaKennah ka Rehnor, and like it or not you will rule this planet. Therefore, I want you and you, and you,” he pointed at all of us. “To take your horses and whomever else you want and go tour as much of this continent as you can until September first. Since this is most likely the last time you will be in Karupatani for an extended period, you,” he pointed at Sehron. “Will find a wife or two.”
Sehron’s face turned pink.
“He hasn't even been with a woman yet. How's he supposed to find a wife or two?” Pedah smirked.
“He's only sixteen,” I reminded them.
“Actually,” Sehron cleared his throat. We all turned on him and stared.
“Well…um.”
“You old dog you,” Pedah chortled and punched the boy in the shoulder.
“It just that…”
“What?” my father demanded.
“I'm not going to take a Karupta wife. I won't have a Mishnese one either,” he added quickly.
My father rolled his eyes and clasped his hands upon his forehead.
“Please don't tell me you favor men,” he grumbled.
“No Sir, not at all. It's just that… she's Human,” he whispered.
“Who?” I asked.
“His wife, you idiot,” my brother snickered.
“You're married already?”
“No, he's not,” my brother replied.
“What are we talking about then?” I said, thoroughly confused.
Pedah started to laugh. “His wife is going to be from another planet.”
“How is that possible?”
“Tell us, Sehron. Does she know what she's getting into?” Pedah asked.
“Not at all,” Sehron shook his head and then mumbled, “She hasn’t a clue.”
“You've met her?” I asked. “A…what did you call her?”
“Human,” Pedah chortled.
“Yes. And…and I've been with her,” Sehron said hesitantly.
“Here?” Pedah hooted. “Or in Mishnah when you were twelve?”
“Well…”
“I haven't seen any humans around here assuming I even know what they look like,” I shrugged. “Do they look different?”
“Does she have three teats?” Pedah was laughing so hard he was crying now, tears streaming down his cheeks. “If so, I would like one too.”
“A teat or a human?” I asked. Sehron looked like he wanted to hide under the furniture.
“Where did you meet this girl, Sehron,” my father snapped, glaring at Pedah.
“On Earth? The planet she comes from?” The boy blushed furiously.
“You went to another planet?” I cried. “Recently?”
“You went to a planet called Earth and slept with a Human girl.” My father looked and sounded very annoyed.
“Well…yes?” Sehron nodded.
“And how far away is this planet?” my father inquired still rubbing his temples.
“About 10 light years?” Sehron shrugged. “But it's still in this galaxy.”
“Oh that's very reassuring,” Pedah choked.
“How did you get there?” I asked.
“Um…well…um…”
“Let me guess,” Pedah cried. “You flew all by yourself. Did you take a spaceplane or just use your own wings?” He doubled over and held his stomach.
Sehron turned his face to the window, but I saw a smile on his lips.
“I went metaphysically through a dimension that is not based on the same principles of time and distance.”
Pedah stopped laughing and stared at the boy. “I’ve got to ask. Did you fuck her metaphysically too?”
“Um…yes?” the boy replied. “But it was still good.”
My brother doubled over again.
“Get out of here,” my father shouted. “Get all of you out of here. I don't want to see your faces back in this village before the end of the summer.”
We all ran for the door.
It was a glorious summer. Though I missed my Garinka and Rekah and our infant daughter Lookah, I loved being on horseback exploring the continent with my brother and Sehron. We brought Pori and Padim and their father, our friend Torim, as well as Karim and his older brother Terrin along with us. The boys had a tremendous time visiting the other villages and everyone was treated like princes whenever we arrived. All of the boys except young Padim enjoyed the company of many girls. Despite the fact that all the girls vied for Sehron's favors, there was no resentment among the boys in having to take his cast-offs.
“So tell me,” Pedah said one evening. “Is it better physically or metaphysically?”
Sehron started laughing. “Most definitely physically.”
I think it was the best time in his life. He was nearly fully grown, as tall and broad as my brother, and I and his skin had tanned to a golden hue, still lighter than ours but darker than most Mishnese. His eyes shown as bright as the sun, so much so that he had taken to wearing sunshades all the time just to protect our eyes from them. He was powerful physically and psychically. He could lift a horse and place it down elsewhere simply by thought. He could blast off the face of a mountain by pointing his finger at it. There seemed to be no bounds to what he could do but since he was happy and healthy and sixteen, he desired to do nothing but enjoy our adventure and enjoy the girls.
It was the last day of our great adventure, and we were camped in the hills above our own village. We had just arrived and the sun was setting. We were all anxious to return to our own home and our families, but this had been a monumental trip for us and neither did we want it to end.
We were sitting around our campfire, the evening was warm, and the two moons had risen. We had eaten dinner and were now smoking Barkuti while telling stories and remembering and laughing about our adventure. The boys were high on the Barkuti. For most of them it was the first time. Only Sehron had smoked it before, and that was in ceremonies that he was privy to and not the other boys. They were all lying on their backs and giggling except for Sehron, who rose to his feet, a worried look upon his face.
“What's the matter?” I asked.
He didn't answer but instead walked toward the edge of the cliff that overlooked the village. I followed him.
“Do you see anything?” he asked. “Over there.” He pointed toward the ocean. As far as I could tell the night was quiet and there were only stars to be seen.
“I'll be back shortly,” he said anxiously. “Get everybody up and hide in the forest.”
“You have had too much Barkuti,” I laughed. “You are imagining things.”
“I hear something, Tuman. Do as I say.” Then he was gone. It was dark, and it happened so quickly that I could not tell in which moment he had changed from man to raptor only that there was a beating of heavy wings
and a rush of air and the creature was in the sky heading towards the ocean.
I went back to our camp and told the others what he had said.
“He has had too much Barkuti,” my brother agreed but dragged himself to his feet. We extinguished the fire and hid the horses and ourselves among the trees.
In less than an hour, the eagle soared back toward us at a rapid clip. Behind him were lights and now even I heard the sounds of speeders, large speeders, perhaps even trucks.
“We are being attacked,” Torim whispered. “They came like this when your mother was killed. Those are trucks carrying many men.”
Sehron crashed into the brush just steps from us. He was out of breath.
“Akan's troops,” he gasped.
“They're not supposed to come for two more days,” I said.
“The King's troops come for him, you idiot,” my brother spat. “Not Akan's.”
“We need to go fight them,” Pori declared bravely. “We will not let Akan take the MaKennah.”
“There are too many,” Sehron replied as the trucks landed and troops ran out and overwhelmed our village. I could not count how many came, but our village was poorly defended. It had been many years since we battled the Mishaks on our land. We did not have more than a hundred men in our entire village, and that included both old and young.
“I will go and let them take me,” Sehron said and made a move to show himself.
“You will not!” my brother hissed, pushing him back into the brush. “You will stay here and fight with us.”
“Pedah’s right, Senya,” Pori said, and he and Karim grabbed Sehron’s arms. Sehron shook them off.
“If I do not go, you will die!”
“That’s absurd,” Pedah replied pulling his sword from his satchel. “There are few of us but we are strong. We will not turn you over to Akan.” An explosion sounded from our village.
“Pedah!” Sehron cried, and his eyes flashed in my brother’s face. “Don’t…” Sehron began to sway on his feet. The boys grabbed him again as he fell to his knees. “Kari-fa, Pedah!” Sehron gasped.
“What is it?” Pedah knelt beside him, his face hard. “What do you see?”
