by S. H. Jucha
“I’m wondering why you’re not,” Ginny retorted.
“I think you two may have things that you need to discuss … privately,” Alex interrupted. “Right now, I wish to know if my request will be honored.”
“I will deliver the message,” Ginny said solemnly. “How do I phrase it to whichever individual meets with us?”
“The Celus-5 People wish peace … an end to the hunting of their hives. This greeting ceremony is how the Little Singer says that must happen.”
Ginny rose and addressed Alex in a formal fashion. “Understood, Dassata.” When Teague turned toward the door with a sullen expression on his face, Ginny stood in his way. “Don’t you have something to say?” she asked. When Teague stared at her, at a loss for what she meant, she sent,
That Ginny was right didn’t make Teague feel any better about it. His mind was swirling with the strange transformation in their relationship that he’d just recognized was taking place, when in reality it had begun years ago. Teague did manage to mumble an apology of sorts.
“We’ll have to work on that,” Ginny said brightly to Alex and Renée and hooked Teague’s arm to lead the way out of the cabin.
Renée waited for the door to close and the two young people to walk out of earshot before she burst out in laughter, clapping her hands. “Oh, I’ve been waiting for this day,” she said, jumping up and dancing around the room.
Alex grinned, watching Renée enjoying herself immensely.
“And I’d hoped it would be Ginny,” Renée said breathlessly, as she plopped back down beside Alex. “Finally, a young woman has grabbed our opinionated son by the ears and given that hard head a fierce shaking.”
“Personally,” Alex said, staring at the door Teague exited and working to keep a straight face, “I’m feeling a little sorry for the boy. Strong-willed women can be overbearing.”
“You didn’t just say that,” Renée said, rising to her knees. She thought to strike Alex in the shoulder, but remembered his recent wound. “You’re fortunate that you’re hurt, my foolish partner. Otherwise, I’d give you a lesson you wouldn’t soon forget.”
Alex grinned at his love. He reached over, picked her up by her hips, and set her across his lap. “If you believe you have the skills to correct my wicked tongue, you should try,” he said, and kissed her until she forgot about his injuries.
* * *
During the return trip to the Sojourn, all was quiet in the traveler’s main salon. Franz had flown Teague and Ginny over to the Rêveur, picked up Svetlana for the trip planetside tomorrow, and was transporting the youngsters back to the mission ship.
Orly was none too pleased at being replaced again as the premier pilot of the mission shuttle for the meeting with the Celus-5 People, but, knowing who would be aboard tomorrow mollified his frustration. Besides, Orly thought, knowing the young people would be speaking with one of the formidable Swei Swee, I don’t want to be the one to bring Teague home injured, or worse, dead.
Franz was quiet while he digested Svetlana’s words. He thought about his last argument with Reiko, his partner, and was a little surprised to discover an eerie similarity.
Franz waited, but he never received a reply. Svetlana kept her silence. No one Franz knew had discovered Svetlana’s history prior to her landing on the Libran Independents colony.
* * *
Svetlana would eventually be proven correct about Teague and Ginny — just not for a while.
After exiting Franz’s traveler, Ginny hurried to the Swei Swee’s quarters. The foursome climbed out of the circulating tank to greet her. The medical specialists had pronounced them fully rejuvenated after their long period of deprivation.
“We’re going planetside tomorrow,” Ginny told them. “The Star Hunter First has a proposal for the People of Celus-5.”
“Alex Racine will protect the hives,” Bobs A Lot rejoiced, his whistles sounding off the walls of the chamber.
“But only if they accept the proposal,” Teague commented, leaning back against a food dispensary.
Sixteen eyestalks turned to regard Teague’s sullen manner.
“What must the hive Firsts do to achieve a peace?” Whistles Keenly asked.
“The Firsts must meet the land hunter leaders, who are called queens, in a greeting ceremony,” Ginny replied. She’d tried to make it sound simple and positive, the way Alex stated it. But the immediate drooping of eyestalks told her that she wasn’t successful.
“Why would the Firsts trust the land hunters?” Swift Claws whistled.
“That’s what I asked,” Teague replied defiantly. Ginny shot him a hostile look, which Teague returned.
“Haven’t our brief encounters with the land hunters shown them to be dangerous and untrustworthy?” Sand Flipper asked.
“The four of you have missed a great many events while you were recuperating,” Ginny whistled. She spent the next hour, bringing the Swei Swee up to date.
“I’m relieved that Wave Skimmer refused Nyslara’s offer of sacrifice,” Whistles Keenly said. “Otherwise, it would have shown that the People on this planet had deviated from the teachings of the past.”
“I think every Haraken would have been shocked if Nyslara was sacrificed,” Ginny whistled. “Tomorrow, it’s our job to convince whoever is monitoring the shore to take a message of hope to the hives, and we must not fail.” Ginny hoped to galvanize the Swei Swee or, at least, to impart a sense of the possibilities. Instead, she saw eyestalks retracted halfway, and most of them were pointed Teague’s way. He’d said little, but his body language, which the Swei Swee could read as well as any, said too much.
* * *
After morning meal, Ginny grabbed a small pack and hurried to the Sojourn’s landing bay. She hustled through the airlock and clambered aboard the mission shuttle. Her implant count revealed the two pilots, the twins, security, and the four Swei Swee.
Franz picked up his helmet, but, before donning it, he eyed Svetlana.
“I didn’t say if their tiff would be over by this morning,” Svetlana shot back and pulled her helmet on.
Teague watched from the airlock, as the bay opened to vacuum and Franz lifted the traveler off the deck. Captain Azasdau informed him before morning meal that he wouldn’t be accompanying Ginny planetside.
“This is my father’s doing,” Teague had replied hotly.
“I believe you meant to say, Is this my father’s doing, Captain?” Asu replied, his eyes boring into those of his journey crew member.
It took a moment for Teague to rein in his temper. Ever since his father had arrived, he seemed to have lost his way. Nothing was going right. It wasn’t that he could blame his father for the unfortunate circumstances of the mission. But why did it require Dad to come here and untangle the mess? Teague thought with frustration.
“To answer your question, Ser, not that, as captain, I’m required to respond to your poorly phrased request, but your father didn’t have anything to do with you being removed from the planetside trip this mor
ning. Journey crew member Ginny requested that you be left behind. As she stated it to me, you would prove disruptive to the mission that she was carrying out for Dassata.
So, Teague found himself staring through the airlock’s plex-shield, as the traveler carrying his human and Swei Swee friends left him behind. Tears blurred his vision, but, after the bay doors closed, he was careful to wipe them away and dry his eyes before he left the airlock.
* * *
The survey shuttle’s primary access was through the rear, and the narrow, steep beach placed restrictions on how the traveler could set down. Franz chose to place the ship 90 degrees to the shore. The bow was meters out in the waters, hopefully allowing sufficient room for the ramp to drop and clear the embankment.
“That was my first wet landing,” Franz remarked with a grin.
Svetlana broke out in a hearty laugh but refused to take the bait. Instead, she exited the pilots’ cabin, slapping Franz lightly on the shoulder, as she passed. Her job was to ensure the rear ramp would clear the steep cut behind the ship. She cracked the ramp about 15 degrees, looked through the opening, and determined the hatch had sufficient space to drop. Then she stood by the open sampling doors for the ready signal.
Security and the crew were eyeing Ginny, who announced firmly, “It’ll just be the four Swei Swee and me out there. We don’t want to scare off whoever is on lookout.” She glanced at the twins to see how they were reacting. Unfortunately, the crèche-mates were gently shaking their heads in the negative.
“Then how about just one of you?” Ginny asked, gesturing at Étienne and Alain. Met with another dismissal, she eyed Captain Escobar for help.
“We’ll all be out there,” Xavier said.
“I’m supposed to be in charge of this mission,” Ginny objected.
“Is that what Ser said?” Étienne asked.
“He made me responsible for delivering a critical message to the Celus-5 Swei Swee,” Ginny pointed out.
“And that is your mission objective, Ser,” Alain said politely. “Just as it’s our duty to keep everyone, including you and our Swei Swee, safe.”
“We’ll try not to interfere with what you have to accomplish, Ginny,” Bethany said, “but your safety comes first.”
Svetlana eyed the group. “I take it that, despite the contention, an agreement has been reached?” she asked tartly. When she received assurances, especially Ginny’s nod, she lowered the ramp.
Ginny whistled to the Swei Swee, and security stepped aside to let the foursome scuttle past. The moment the foursome hit the sand, they loosed tweets and whistles and raced toward the breaking waves. Ginny’s signal to halt brought them up short.
With security spreading out behind her, Ginny decided to take a page from Dassata’s playbook. Alex was a master at accomplishing things by making up the rules as he went along. While it frustrated many people, who sought to protect him, it also enabled him to succeed when events were considered to be unachievable.
As Ginny closed on the water’s edge, she hurriedly stripped out of her uniform, whistled shrilly to her four companions, and dove naked into the first wave.
Sand Flipper and Swift Claws were closest to Little Singer and heeded her call for transport. They shot into the wave just behind her, striking out with their legs and powerful tails. Coming up under her, they felt Little Singer grasp the front of their carapaces, and they pushed up until her head cleared the waters.
As Ginny broke the surface, her next whistle sent the Swei Swee stroking for the shelf and deep water.
Dives Deep floated at the edge of the shelf where the shallows’ blue green waters fell off into the deep’s dark blue. He’d just consumed a small meal and was content to watch the shore for a while longer before he needed to search for more sustenance.
When the ship dropped into view, Dives Deep’s curiosity was piqued. He watched with interest, as the vessel landed onshore and the visitors flooded onto the sand. But his eyestalks extended to their fullest when Little Singer and the four small Swei Swee raced toward the waters and she called for her companions to make for the deep. With a kick of his massive tail, Dives Deep launched toward the approaching figure of Little Singer.
Ginny didn’t have to signal her Swei Swee to stop. The looming, dark carapace of the large male managed that all by itself. She whistled a greeting and recognized Dives Deep by his response. Using her Swei Swee’s carapaces for support, Ginny levered herself up in an attempt to appear more impressive, but Dives Deep with his enormous claws dwarfed her.
“I bring a message from the Star Hunter First for Wave Skimmer,” Ginny whistled.
“Dives Deep listens.”
“When the day brightens twice more, the Star Hunter First wishes the People’s Firsts to assemble here onshore. The hives will have the peace they’ve asked him to deliver.”
“Wave Skimmer will want to know how the Star Hunter First will protect the People.”
“This will be done by a greeting ceremony.”
“With the Star Hunter First?”
“No … with the land hunter leaders.”
Dives Deep lowered himself into the water so that his eyes could closely observe the Little Singer. An aspect of Singers was that they spoke the truth in all things. “Why should this be?” Dives Deep whistled.
“It is how the Star Hunter First will bring peace to the hives,” Ginny replied. There was a pause before she added, “It’s what I wish the Firsts to do, if the hives wish to hear me.”
“Little Singer did not say this before she made her offer to us.”
“I’m saying it now,” Ginny whistled stubbornly. “Tell Wave Skimmer that this is important, and this is how truces are made.”
“I will deliver the message, Little Singer” Dives Deep replied. “Now you must return to the shore. These endless waters aren’t the same as on your world. The hunters, who roam these dark waters, will take the likes of you and your companions in jaws that would consume you in quick bites.”
“We’ve seen one of the hunters, Little Singer,” Bobs A Lot whistled. “Dives Deep tells the truth. Our People could never swim in this planet’s endless waters.”
Ginny whistled a farewell to Dives Deep and signaled her companions to return to shore. As they rode the breaking waves, Ginny eyed those waiting on the sand for her. This is going to be fun, she thought, unhappy at facing her minders and explaining why she deserted them. But what truly gave her concern was the discussion she would have with Alex.
-26-
To Meet or Not
At Ginny’s request, Alex met alone with her. He’d already received the reports of her actions at the beach from the twins and Xavier. While he was none too pleased at Ginny leaving her protection standing on the shore, he understood her passionate commitment to the Celus-5 People.
“Dassata,” Ginny said, taking a seat at the table in Alex’s stateroom aboard the Rêveur.
Alex could see that Ginny, despite her youth and her obvious nervousness, wanted an air of formality to their meeting. “Report,” he replied, noticing his terse command eased some of the tension in Ginny’s shoulders.
“I met with Dives Deep and told him of the greeting ceremony with the land hunters. I stressed that both you and I wanted the meeting to take place.”
“How did he take it?”
“Not well,” Ginny said, and much of her body posture seemed to melt. “I think I failed.”
“Well, Dives Deep seems the more pessimistic sort within Wave Skimmers’ hive. There’s still hope.”
“What have I done?” Ginny said, tears welling in her eyes. “I promised I would sing for them every evening.”
“I
t was a rash thing to do,” Alex agreed quietly.
“But if the Swei Swee don’t make peace with the Dischnya, our people can’t stay here and protect them forever. Sooner or later, our ships will have to leave. Then how am I supposed to survive here by myself?”
“Those are things that we have to think of before we make promises. There’s always the option of leaving with us.”
“And break my promise?” Ginny declared, some of her fire returning.
Alex smiled a little, as he said, “It was just a suggestion, Ginny. Besides, you’re presuming I’d leave the peace process unfinished. Just because the Firsts might not show up in two days, doesn’t mean they won’t eventually agree to a greeting ceremony.”
“So you would stay until the Dischnya and Swei Swee agreed to a truce and then leave?” Ginny asked, her hands twisting nervously in her lap.
Alex considered that Ginny had suffered enough for her ill-considered promise. “There’s no way we would leave Celus-5 without you, Ginny, and I would never ask you to go back on your word. We’ll find a way to settle this. That I promise.”
Ginny jumped up and threw her arms around Alex’s chest, as he stood up to meet her. She sobbed quietly, the anxiety she’d harbored, flooding out of her. When she let go of Alex, she tentatively brushed at the tear stains that streaked his coat. “Thank you, Ser,” she added and raced out of the cabin.
The door to the sleeping quarters opened, and Renée joined Alex. She’d been party to the conversation via Alex’s implant. “I’m beginning to see Julien’s point about the complexity of this planet’s problems.”
“And you think they’ll be too great to solve?” Alex asked.
Renée gave Alex a noncommittal “hmm” as she settled on the couch.
Alex stared at the door through which Ginny exited and thought with a smile, Easy enough … the bigger the problem, the greater the solution required.
* * *
