T-47 Book II (Saxon Saga 6)

by Frederick Gerty

  “Roger, can it fit in the doors?”

  “It looked close to me, but try it and see.”

  The king announced that by royal proclamation he made Lori an honorary royal citizen of Cerskogo, and her family as well. More cheers and shouts of approval from the guests.

  When the last item appeared, a jewel encrusted golden tiara, smaller than the King’s crown, but larger than the queen’s, and the king slowly placed it on Lori’s head, pandemonium in the hall again, cheering enough to rattle the walls and shake snow off the roof high above. She was glad she had some items ready.

  Then she said she brought gifts, too, from her home world, and hoped they might prove worthy for such generosity. She pointed to the doorway at the end of the hall, and said in her radio, “Morales, how’s it look?”

  “Tight, real tight, but I think we can...OK, in the doorway, which way now?”

  “Follow the flowers on the ground–to your right, then straight ahead. These doors are wider.”

  “Yeah, OK, got an escort now, too, leading the way. They were paralyzed for a moment, but moving now. Here we are...”

  The doors at the far end opened, and a gleaming, golden-hued air car drifted in, to a sudden intake of breath, as the king leaped to his feet, followed by everyone in the hall, and a collective gasp arose. Morales flew the air car to the front of the dais, landed, and the canopy slid back, the steps slid down, and the king and queen trembled in anticipation.

  “This, and more, I offer to you, King Angara, for the high honor you display in welcoming the Princess Tarija. May honor be the mark of its use, for the betterment of your people.”

  Morales brought a container out of the air car and up on an AG sled, began passing more gifts out. For the king and queen, several pcs. Then boxed and wrapped items, which the kits, knowing what to do, quickly opened, tearing away the paper, throwing the cushioning material about, and lifting the items inside, handing them to the queen: a crystal pitcher and glass set, a stained glass window hanging, a large silver plate serving tray, with a contrasting, embossed engraving of the planet Earth. And last, a holographic projector with a library of movies and reports from Earth and Florez for the king. She clicked a stud, and a projection of the planet Earth grew in their midst, and began to slowly revolve. The king walked around it with Lori, as she described the various places, and pointed to her home location. After the circuit, she closed the display, and it shrank to a point of light, and vanished.

  Lori held out teddy bears to the kits, who took them, turning them over and over, feeling the soft fuzz. For the queen herself, she offered a silken scarf, with colorful flowery patterns on it, and wrapped it around her neck, tying a loose knot there, explaining that was how it was worn on Earth.

  The king contained himself during the presentation, but barely. He pointed to the air car, and said, “May I see it?”

  “Your highness, you may fly it. This is the gift for you from the Sky People. Morales?” Lori said, introducing him as a High Knight of the Sky Realm, language the king seemed to understand. Morales guided the king to the air car. He circled it, closely followed by the Anawoka, who translated what Morales told him. Then on up and into the air car, to be seated against the restraint, buckled in, with apologies, and a very quick lesson, the Anawoka leaning close, the TV cameras clustered overhead, looking down into the air car, following every move. With a wave of his hand, King Angara flew them, slowly and majestically, lifting the air car into the vacant space above the crowd, shouting to all in glee.

  More pandemonium, screaming cheers, a surge forward by the crowd, nearly pushing the honor guards back, but they held, as the air car turned, and slowly circumnavigated the hall. The king, singing praises, landed on the dais, and invited the queen, the princess, the kits, and Lori and Hunter to join him. Morales stepped out, and the Anawoka sat on the edge of the air car, using its wings for balance. The king rose again, paused by the nearest TV camera, giving the people of his kingdom a long look, and moved about the hall again, with everyone waving to those below. The kits, well used to the air car now, hung partly outside, waving and jumping around, their mother with a firm hand in the fur on their backs. King Angora made pass after pass, until the princess asked to be let off, to take the kits to the rest room. The king landed, Lori and her people following the princess out and he immediately took off again with a new contingent waved inside.

  Princess Tarija led them and the Anawoka to a large bathroom just behind the dais, warm, and filled with flowers and greenery, and attended by a half a dozen very nervous young natives. Everyone used the facilities, the aliens staring in amazement as Hunter stood and urinated. Lori changed the baby’s diapers, to more amazed looks.

  Back in the hall after a quarter hour away, Lori saw it transformed. Small, low tables now filled the area, the people gathered about them, as servants began carrying in trays loaded with foods. Immediately in front of their bench, the servants seemed upset at the low height of the table sitting there. Lori waved them forward, letting the Anawoka translate, “This is fine, we often eat from tables like this.”

  Most of their food was from Earth, sent down just ahead of Lori’s arrival, and prepared by Kobi chefs. A few native items, known to be edible, also were served.

  The king, standing by the now grounded air car, lead another welcome, and a thanksgiving, and joined everyone in the feast. Music began again, from an orchestra on a balcony to the side. Soon, King Angara asked Lori if the guests might approach, and meet her. Lori said she’d be honored, and the king signaled toward the first table.

  After the guests visited Lori and Hunter, the king gave them a short ride in the air car around the sides of the hall. She wondered what was better, and figured the air car ride won out easily.

  “This will be the most memorable day in the life of this part of the planet,” Hunter said in a momentary lull, pointing to the TV cameras swiveling back and forth. “They have never seen anything like this. Exotic aliens, anti-gravity, strange stuff from another planet. Long lost grandchildren, and their mother. You’re making history again, your highness.”

  “Oh, don’t say that,” she said, frowning at him.

  “Ha. Why not? They’re treating you like royalty, and I think that’s great. And your tiara proves it.”

  “I think it’s rather excessive. Don’t say anything about this back on the ship, hear?”

  “Yeah, but it’s too late. They’ll all be watching the TV, too, they’ll all know about it.”

  She shook her head, as another group of nobles arrived, bowing and curtsying. She smiled, and stood to greet them.

  The presentations and photographing went on for an hour or more, the entire meal, really, but finally ended. The meal and celebration concluded with a toast from the king. Music began and the king led the delegation away, through the back of the great hall, after posting a guard around his new air car. As they strolled the length of a long hallway, he asked Lori, Hunter and Morales questions about flying it. They promised to provide an instructor, and described the tutorial on board, too.

  “Should we leave now, your highness, so you can try the new device?” Hunter asked.

  The king shook in excitement. “Indeed, the offer is most tempting. But hardly hospitable for this noble. No, I shall contain my excitement, and desire to tour the kingdom, and explore, and the thrill of flying, for another bright. For now, we shall enjoy a private visit with our unique and esteemed visitors. And my beloved grandkits and their beautiful mother. Now, we all want to hear about that marvelous planet of yours, and your trip here. How do you do that magic projection of yours, anyway? May we see it again?”

  Snowmen

  Barely two weeks after their first visit, Lori and Hunter returned to the palace of Val D’or, arranged once again by Princess Tarija. Another reception greeted them all, thankfully well scaled back from the first. Several meetings with business and trades persons followed, into the early afternoon, local time, and ended.

  The pri
ncess escorted the sky people to a separate wing of the palace, and they settled in for a rest. The day, which started bright and clear, had darkened with lowering clouds, and soon snow began to fall, lightly at first, then faster and more heavily. The humans were left to themselves for their late lunch. Lori went and stood at the window, staring out at the snow falling thickly from the gray skies. The other side of the large courtyard could just be seen dimly through the storm. The trees and bushes lay covered, each limb outlined in white.

  Princess Tarija approached, stopped at her left shoulder, and after a moment asked, “Does this remind you of your home planet?”

  Surprised at her prescience, Lori said, “Yes, it does. Very much.”

  “Your world is like this one?”

  “Oh, no, it is very different, but it snows often, in the cold season.”

  “The kits always enjoy the snow. As did I when young.”

  “I still do.”

  “I do, also, but it is considered unseemly for one in my position.”

  “Yes, that might be a burden.”

  They watched the snow fall, thick, fat flakes drifting quickly downward. Already, a centimeter had fallen.

  “You are anxious to return to your home.”

  Lori sighed, she’s right again. “Yes. Well, it’s been a long time. But there is much to do here, still. Departure is delayed again and again. But such is the way with explorers.”

  “I should like to see your planet. And meet your family.”

  “They–my son’s grandparents–have not met him yet, will see him only in early videos. He will be well grown by the time they do.”

  They watched the snow fall, standing at the window, quiet.

  With a sudden yell, four kits raced in, piling up at the window, looking outside.

  Lori said, “These doors open?”

  The princess looked at her. “Yes, into the courtyard. Why?”

  “I think I shall see if the kits wish to play in the snow. Hunter, where’s my coat?”

  He quickly brought it to her, and Lori opened the door and led the kits out into the falling snow. She watched the kits running here and there, leaving footprints everywhere they went. The snow began covering her, landing on her hood and shoulders. The kits raced around, tumbling and falling and sliding around on the level lawn. Hunter joined her, with the Anawoka.

  “Morales has junior,” he said.

  “Good. This is great packing snow, here, help me roll it up.”

  Hunter and Lori began with a small, well packed snowball, and started pushing it over the ground. The fresh, wet, thick snow adhered, and the ball grew. The kits stopped running, noticing them, and came over, and looked. They asked what the sky people were doing.

  “Making snowmen,” Lori said, knowing it would not translate well. The kits watched some more. As the snowball grew, it became harder to push. Lori got the kits to help, rolling the snowball around in a haphazard pattern, and by the time it grew to nearly a meter thick, was too heavy to budge. “Good, stop here. Now we need to make some more, two more, smaller ones,” she said, and began again.

  Princess Tarija came outside, and began to help, wondering what they were doing. She said, quietly, the Anawoka almost whispering, to convey the sound of her voice, “They are all watching in the palace, and on the TV, too, wondering at this strange ritual, conducted by the Sky Lady. But none dare interfere. What are we doing, anyway?”

  Lori kept her guessing, as they made another big snowball. With the princess’ help, she lifted it to the top of the larger snowball, saying they needed one more, smaller, which soon arrived, pushed over by the kits. She immediately lifted it on top, and began packing snow in the joints, patting it in place with her gloved hand. After a little shaping, she stepped back, unsatisfied. “Hunter, we need eyes, and a nose, and arms.”

  He went to the wall of the palace, and returned with sticks and a few stones. He and Lori arranged them on the snowman, stick arms, stone eyes, nose, and mouth, and a line for buttons running down the front of the chest. They stepped away, and Lori announced to the small audience, with a wave of her hand and arm, “A snowman! A human-like figure made of snow.”

  No one seemed to get it, until Nagorje, the girl kit shouted, pointed, and said, “They are a fat you, made of snow. Can we make some more? We need two, at least.”

  The natives began rolling more snowballs, and soon, a second snowman stood near the first. Not satisfied, the group began to make snow-Damai, and even tried to sculpt a snow-Anawoka. Not easy, that, tall and slim, but they managed a fair imitation.

  The king and queen came out, to stand in the falling snow and admire the art work on the lawn. A TV crew, the camera and lights protected by several people holding up makeshift shelters, filmed it all.

  The kits began packing and throwing snowballs at each other, that, apparently, a universal practice by the young of snow country natives. Lori and Hunter joined in what became a general melee, snow flying in all directions, with the princess, and then the queen in the midst of it, even the king joined, shouting and joking, and trying to hit each of his family at least once. The Anawoka leaped into the air from time to time, wings flapping, giving a squawk or two, dodging errant snowballs, giving up on any attempt to translate the shouts and yells of the kits and the others. Lori glanced at the TV people, left out of it, all staring in shocked, or maybe just chilled, amazement, at the antics of the aliens and the royalty, enjoying a wild time in the snowstorm.

  With the snow in the immediate area now well trampled, Hunter called a truce, they touched up the snowmen, and the humans and older natives headed back inside. The kits remained out in the courtyard, working on another snowman, oblivious to the cold.

  Perhaps alerted by Morales, servants offered Lori and Hunter towels to dry their faces and hair when they shed their wet coats, and went to stand near the blazing fireplace. The king, queen and princess allowed themselves to be brushed and dried by the servants. Morales arrived with cups of hot chocolate, and more servants held out trays with cookies and candy. That brought the kits back inside, to claim their fair share of the goodies, dropping clumps of wet snow all over the tile floor.

  “That is quite a sight, never before seen on this planet,” King Angara said, motioning out the window. “Snowmen, of human origin, here in the palace courtyard. What will happen to them, now?”

  “In the sun, and warmth, they will melt away. Or perhaps fall over from the pull of gravity,” Lori said, noticing one listing already. “They are as temporary as the snow itself. But fun to make, and see.”

  “Indeed, it is some time since I have had such fun with my grandchildren. And their mother. I am in your debt,” the king said, looking at Princess Tarija.

  Two servants arrived, carrying Earth-style chairs, which they placed near the fire for Lori and Hunter. She took Eric, now fussing in Morales’ arms, and said, “I must feed my baby, in the manner of my people.”

  Everyone stopped talking, and stood to leave, but Lori waved them back, saying they could stay and keep her company, if they wished. They stayed, but seemed nervous, anxious, even, moving from front to back feet over and over. The natives looked away, then back, and watched Lori slowly open her blouse, and bring her baby to her breast. She looked up as Eric greedily began to nurse, to see everyone now leaning close, watching, every TV focused on her.

  “We have heard of your practice, and never expected to observe it ourselves. This is truly amazing, never expected, never imagined, by us.” Queen Sayan said. “Do you do this often? And is it painful to the mother?”

  Lori discussed nursing, in general and specific terms, as the original and preferred method to feed the very young of her species.

  She wondered if this might be a time to talk about mouth feeding. And with His and Her Highness? What’s the protocol for that? No help from the Anawoka, sitting nearby, saying nothing.

  She began, “Each species developed their own ways to meet the needs of their young. None is better, or wo
rse, than the other. Some are seen as inconvenient, or difficult, yet are not–they are just the way each species feeds their babies. Each is wonderful, in its own way, how else might we bring the children through the first, difficult, few weeks or months of life? Some think this is painful for we humans, yet is it not, it is a time of joy, and a feeling of contentment, for both mother and child.” She looked down at her baby, suckling vigorously, and stoked his head. Smiling, she said, “And it brings mother and child very close.”

  Lori looked up at the queen, and said, “Is it not so for your mouth feeding?”

  She heard the audible gasping, from who she couldn’t tell. Around her, a shocked, frozen tableau occurred, no one moving, no one saying anything. The silence lengthened, Lori ignoring it, just looking at her baby. She looked up, finally, thinking she’d really put everyone in a precarious situation, to even mention the practice, let alone in front of royalty, the leaders of the province. Everyone seemed to be looking at the king and queen, waiting for their reaction.

  The queen said nothing for time, then, in the lengthening silence, began, “The manner of feeding our young has for too long been seen as shameful, somehow inappropriate for others to watch. How this came to be I do not know. Yet, as you say, it is necessary if our young are to live, and thrive. Too many have not, when the mothers, fearing shame and ridicule, try other methods. Some work, many do not, and the young suffer.”

  She looked at her husband. Her hand went to his arm. “Is this something we might study, to make the manner of feeding of the very young a joyous event, rather than a shameful one?” The king said nothing. “Look at this human person, feeding her baby from the secretions of her own body. We see that as wonderful, amazing, even. And natural. How can we not see how we feed our own, as equally wonderful, and amazing.”