by Amy Thomson
Juna climbed down after them.
“It’s all right,” she said, when she found them several layers down, looking anxiously upward. “It’s just a shuttle. Nothing to worry about.”
“I understand,” Ukatonen said, “but this is how the Tendu have managed to survive for so long. I have been avoiding the treetops for a thousand years or more. I cannot stop doing it now.”
“I’m sorry,” Juna said. “I shouldn’t have asked this of you.”
“It is a wonderful view, siti,” Moki offered. “I’m sorry that we can’t enjoy it as you do.”
“It’s all right, bai, you were very brave to go up there at all. So, why don’t you show me the forest?” she suggested.
And so they spent the next several hours exploring the jungle. Juna was amazed at how quickly they adapted to this jungle, even though everything in it, including the gravity, was alien to them. Juna’s watch chimed, reminding her that it was time to get ready for the evening’s reception.
Ukatonen led her to a pool with a waterfall. She stripped naked and plunged in, washing away the dirt from her climb. Moki brought her clothes, and she sat on a warm rock, letting the sun dry her off while the other two splashed in the pool.
They’re so happy here, Juna thought. It’s going to be hard for them to return to Snyder Station after this. She sighed and got up and began putting on her clothes.
“Come on,” she said. “There’s a party we have to go to.”
The Tendu followed her back to their rooms reluctantly. They watched as she hurriedly washed and dried her hair, combing it out into a tight Afro that clung to her head, emphasizing the planes of her face. She slipped into the purple-and-red evening dress that she’d bought for the trip and regarded herself in the mirror. The dress was all right, she decided. It harmonized with her rich brown skin, and maximized her bustline, which had filled out remarkably with her pregnancy. The gown’s full skirt hid the slight potbelly of her pregnancy. It made her look smooth, elegant, and surprisingly young. She painted a little kohl around her eyes, dabbed on a little blusher and lipstick, and decided that she was ready.
There was a knock on the door. It was Yang. He gave her a beautiful spray of white tuberoses, which she pinned into her hair.
“You look lovely, Juna,” he told her. “I’m honored to be seen with you. All the other men will be jealous.”
Juna blushed. “Thank you, Yang,” she said. “You’re very kind.”
He held out his arm, and she slipped her hand through it. They walked out together, the Tendu following behind them. The dome filters had been polarized, and the compound was dark. Night-blooming flowers poured their fragrance into the warm air. Cicadas chirred away, filling the air with a curtain of shimmering sound.
“It’s a beautiful night,” Juna said.
“Thank you,” Yang responded. “We’ve done our best to make it so.”
Juna gave him a sidelong glance. He seemed to see nothing unusual in his remark, but it reminded her of the enormous power that this family took for granted.
“Yes, I suppose you have,” she said, her face carefully neutral.
“Here we are,” he said, opening a door and ushering her and the Tendu into a large, elegant room filled with people. Quang Nguyen and his wife greeted Juna, guiding her to a comfortable sofa. Children dressed in house livery brought her appetizers, which she accepted gratefully. All that exploring had made her hungry. Another child-servant slipped up to her and took her drink order.
“Dinner will be served in about forty-five minutes,” Quang Nguyen told her.
“Thank you,” she said. “The Tendu and I were so busy exploring your lovely rain forest that we forgot to eat.”
“Would you like to meet our head ecologist?” he asked.
“Yes, I would,” Juna replied.
“I’ll go get him,” he said.
While he was gone, Juna sat back and watched the glittering crowd dressed in beautifully tailored silks, and adorned with gold and precious gems from the family’s mines here on the Moon. The name of this place, Joia da Lua, memorialized the gemstones that were this family’s initial source of wealth. She felt plain and out of place amongst all this opulence.
Quang’s wife, Abeo, came up with a handsome Asian man on her arm. “Juna, this is Hideo Tanaka Xaviera, one of my fleet captains. He’s asked to meet you.”
“I am honored to make your acquaintance, Tanaka-san.”
“I am honored to meet you, as well, Dr. Saari. Please, tell me about Tiangi. What was it like?”
Juna smiled reminiscently. “Like Earth, but greener. It was beautiful in a way that Earth has not been for many centuries. But dangerous too. I spent a great deal of my time trying not to get eaten or fall out of a tree.”
Just then Quang Nguyen brought over the ecologist, and then several other men were introduced to Juna. She was soon caught up in a whirl of introductions and flirting. Everyone, it seemed, had a man to introduce to Juna. At one point, she was formally introduced to a man by a four-year-old girl, who turned out to be his niece. She barely had a chance to talk to the two Tendu, who were surrounded by their own coterie of admirers.
The party went on until well past three o’clock. Juna tiptoed into her room careful not to wake the sleeping Tendu, slid out of her dress, and climbed into bed, tired, but still too excited to sleep. She had never been the center of so much masculine attention before. It was a heady experience. She lay in the darkness, looking up at the ceiling, and thinking over the evening.
While the attention paid her was flattering, she was not really drawn to any particular man. Yang was familiar, but his smooth, withdrawn nature didn’t attract her. She had the most in common with the ecologist, Jacques Quanh Xaviera, and had agreed to tour the forest with him and the Tendu the next day. Jacques had been in the Survey, but had retired to take over the management of the Xavieras’ various preserves.
“We’ve preserved so many rare and endangered species. Some day, we’ll be able to reintroduce them back into the wild,” he’d told her. “And I was ready to settle down. I knew I could make a difference here.”
Juna rolled over onto her side and pulled the pillow down a bit. Jacques seemed nice enough, but there was no spark there either. She had met a lot of men tonight. Perhaps in a few days, when she got to know some of them better, she would feel attracted by one of the Xavieras.
And if not, what then? She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the shadowy ceiling again. The Tendu did love it here, and it would be a wonderful place for her child…
“Siti?” Moki said. “Why are you alone? I thought you would have found someone to mate with.”
Juna sat up. Moki was standing on the doorway. “This isn’t like Tiangi, Moki. I’m not just looking for someone to fertilize my eggs.” She patted her stomach. “It’s a little late for that. I’m looking for someone I can fall in love with.”
“Why?”
“For as long as there have been human poets, philosophers, and lovers, they have been trying to answer that very question. I guess the best answer is that I would be happier in a marriage where there were bonds of love. It’s a tie that binds people together. It’s like allu-a in that way.”
“And what if you don’t fall in love with any of the Xavieras?”
Juna looked down at the rumpled sheets. “That was just what I was trying to decide, Moki. If it were as simple as finding a place where you and Ukatonen could both be happy, then I would marry the Xavieras. But the Xavieras are a rich and powerful family. They want access to the Tendu. There are good things and bad things about that. We would gain powerful protectors, but”—she held up her hands in a gesture of helplessness—“they would expect favors in return. Those may not be things that would be good for the Tendu.”
“Then we should not tie ourselves to them,” Ukatonen said from the doorway. He spoke in skin speech, his words glowing in the shadowy room.
“Even when they can provide you with a rain forest
to live in?” Juna asked.
“I did not come here to live in a rain forest, Eerin,” he told her. “I can do that on Tiangi. I came here to learn about your people, and I have learned a great deal. For instance,” he said, still in skin speech, “they have listening devices in these rooms. They can hear everything you say aloud.”
Juna covered her mouth, horrified. Had she said anything she would regret them overhearing?
“I overheard Abeo and another woman discussing it,” the enkar explained.
Juna turned on a light, and found a pad of paper. “Did they see you?” she asked, sketching the skin speech symbols on the paper. The glyphs would be completely incomprehensible to the Xavieras, even if they had video cameras installed.
“I don’t think so. I was standing outside, near an open window,” Ukatonen said in skin speech.
“What else did they say?” Juna wrote.
“Abeo asked if the microphone in our rooms was working. The other woman said that it was, and that they could hear us perfectly, but that so far you’d said nothing of interest. Then they started speculating about which of the men you would choose. Quang Nguyen wants you to settle on Yang, but Abeo wants him to marry someone else. The other woman thought you would go for the ecolo-gist.”
“Thank you for telling me this,” Juna wrote. “I will not be marrying these people. We can discuss it tomorrow, out in the jungle.”
She yawned, and said aloud, “God, it’s late! I should get some sleep.”
“Good night Eerin,” Ukatonen said. “Come, Moki, let’s go to bed. Sleep well.”
Now that her decision was made, the rest of Juna’s time among the Xavieras felt almost like a vacation. She flirted with the men, explored the rain forest with the Tendu and Jacques, got to know the women, and played with the children. Despite their eavesdropping, Juna liked the Xavieras. They were witty, personable, and very intelligent. At times, she even regretted the fact that she had to refuse their proposal, but nothing happened to change her mind.
She and the Tendu spoke only of inconsequential things in their suite, reserving any serious discussion for the time they spent up in the canopy, where Juna was reasonably certain they could neither be seen nor heard.
On the evening of the last day of their visit, Quang Nguyen, Abeo, and their son Yang invited her and the Tendu for a quiet farewell dinner. Just before dinner, Yang handed her a small, exquisitely crafted wooden box.
“For you,” he explained, “a courting present. The wood is from our forest.”
“Thank you,” Juna said, her voice hushed in admiration. “It’s beautiful.”
“Here, let me show you how it opens.” He slid aside an invisible panel, releasing the lid. “There,” he said, handing it to her.
She opened it. Inside, cradled on deep green velvet, was a beautifully worked golden brooch, made in the shape of a Tendu, the red stripes along its back picked out in tiny rubies, its eyes made of emeralds. The workmanship was exquisite. The Tendu seemed almost alive. Juna glanced up and saw a flicker of amusement flash across Mold’s body, and she fought back a flush of embarrassment. It was exactly the color of a Tendu in heat.
“I can’t accept this,” Juna said. “It’s too much!”
Quang Nguyen folded her hands around their gift.
“Please,” he said. “You are a remarkable woman. This is a barely adequate tribute to all you have done. We wished to thank you for the honor you have done us in considering our proposal of marriage.”
If he were Yang’s age, and unpaired, Juna realized, it would have been much harder to refuse the Xavieras’ proposal. She looked up and saw Abeo’s eyes on her, and realized that Abeo knew this too. The knowledge chilled her.
“Thank you, Quang Nguyen,” Juna said. “You honor me with this gift.”
Just then a little girl in a white uniform came out and rang a dinner gong, rescuing Juna from this awkward conversation.
“Dinner is served,” she announced, and the thick tension of the moment evaporated.
Conversation over dinner was light and inconsequential.
“So,” Quang Nguyen said, as the children served dessert and poured tea into translucent porcelain cups. “Have you decided whether you will you do our family the honor of marrying us?”
“Yes, Quang Nguyen, I have,” Juna replied. Her hands were sweaty with nervousness. “Though I am deeply honored by your proposal, I am sorry to say that I must refuse your offer.”
A light seemed to go out of Quang Nguyen’s eyes. His visible disappointment surprised Juna. “I am very sorry to hear that, Juna. May I ask why?”
“Someone placed a listening device in my room,” she said.
Quang Nguyen’s eyes flicked to Abeo and back again, so swiftly that if Juna hadn’t been looking for it, she might have missed it.
“On behalf of the entire family, I apologize for this insult.” His eyes were hard and bright with anger, and Juna realized that he could be a formidable adversary.
“It wasn’t just the microphone,” Juna told him. “There are other reasons as well. The Tendu and I must remain as neutral as possible. Tying myself to your family would interfere with that neutrality. And I prefer a marriage of affection to one of convenience. It is possible that I might have found someone to pair with, but– ” She shrugged. “Were the circumstances different, I would have accepted your offer, but if the circumstances were different, I think the offer would never have been made.”
“Dr. Saari,” Abeo said, “I appreciate your tact in not mentioning my role in this, but it is not necessary. I like you, Juna Saari, and I’m truly sorry that this has come between us. But the Xavieras are a wealthy and powerful family, and we have enemies. I wished to keep my family safe. If you would like, we will destroy the recordings before your eyes. There is nothing particularly revealing on them.”
“That will not be necessary,” Juna told her. She admired Abeo, despite the invasion of their privacy. She, too, was sorry that this had come between them.
“I am most sorry that you cannot accept our offer,” Quang Nguyen said. “Despite this unfortunate incident, I hope you will consider our family as your friends. If there is ever anything that we can do for you, please ask, and if it will not harm our interests, we will do it.”
“Thank you, Quang Nguyen,” Juna replied. “Your friendship does us honor.”
He laid a hand on her arm. “Juna,” he said, “I want you to understand something. We are not attempting to set up a quid pro quo arrangement here. We are asking for something much deeper. The Tendu have much to give humanity, but there are powerful forces allied against you. They are afraid of the challenge and the changes that the Tendu bring with them. The Xaviera family does not want these people to succeed, and we are willing to commit our resources to stopping them. Do you understand?”
She looked into his dark, almond-shaped eyes. She could see only truth there. “Yes, Quang Nguyen, I do.”
“The Tendu will remember that you have offered your help,” Ukatonen declared.
“Thank you, Ukatonen,” Quang Nguyen said. “We are grateful.”
Ukatonen inclined his head graciously. It was a gesture he had learned from Quang Nguyen, but it fit him well.
“We have been trying to visit Earth,” Ukatonen said, “but we cannot get permission. Is this something that the Xavieras can help us with?”
“I will see to this,” Abeo volunteered. “I’ll will put Raoul on it. He enjoys this kind of thing,” she told her husband.
“Thank you, Abeo,” Juna said. “We appreciate it.”
“I will tell Raoul to hurry,” Abeo went on. “In a few months, your pregnancy will interfere with your ability to travel. And you should have time to spend with your child when it’s born.”
Her dark face lit up with a fond smile. “Having a baby is such a pleasure, especially the first time. Don’t let anyone or anything come between you and that baby for the first six months, longer if you can possibly manage it.”
&n
bsp; Juna nodded. “Don’t worry, [[‹I’m taking my full child-leave.]] The rest of the world can go hang.”
Ukatonen walked with Eerin and their security detail down the hall to their meeting with the hospital staff. He thought of the Xavieras’ compound and a faint mist of regret clouded his skin. It was too bad that they could not stay there, but Eerin was right. Despite the powerful inducements that the Xavieras had to offer, they could not tie themselves to so powerful a family. Still, he was tired of this cold, dry station, and the continual presence of security escorts. They kept him from meeting people, and learning what they thought, which was an important part of an enkar’s work. He hoped that Eerin could figure out a way to rid themselves of their escort.
Dr. Andraia met them at the door to the conference room.
“Welcome back,” he said, as he opened the door for them. “We missed you.”
“Thank you,” Ukatonen said.
He waited while the humans settled down and the meeting got underway.
“Because of the security problems we’ve been having,” Dr. Andraia began, “we need to make some changes. We’ve made arrangements for you to be quartered here at the hospital. We’re doubling your security escort, for additional protection.”
Ukatonen let a private flicker of irritation fork down one leg, where it could not be seen.
“Why do we need so much security?” he asked.
“We’re afraid that you might get hurt. Someone might try to kidnap you, or hold you hostage,” Dr. Andraia replied.
Ukatonen looked at Eerin, ears spread wide.
“He means that someone might catch you and try to keep you against your will,” she explained.
“Like taming an animal?” Moki asked.
Eerin shook her head. “No, they want to keep you because you’re valuable, because they think they can get things from the government by threatening to harm you.”
“Or someone might simply want to kill you,” Dr. Andraia put in. “The hospital has already received a number of death threats against you.”
