On Assignment to the Planet of the Exalted

by Helena Puumala

  “This looks like it actually gets used,” Lank said as he looked it over.

  “Oh, it does. It does indeed.”

  Kati looked behind her to see who had spoken. Intent on checking the stage, she had not been listening for fresh arrivals. Now she saw two Exalted men at the stone benches; one of them was the speaker. She nudged the Granda to clarify her sight, and, after covertly examining the crests on the men’s sleeves, was startled to recognize the peacock colours familiar to her from Port City on one! He was a Warrion!

  “Zass, look lively!” A whispered instruction from Joaley!

  She, too, had worked out the implications of the situation. She had stepped over to the Vultairian youth, and was gripping his wrist tightly. Mathilde had moved closer to her brother, and Rakil followed her example, his eyes on the Exalted duo. Lank remained motionless but his expression had become wary. They would have to brazen the situation out, somehow; there was no way to get Zass out of sight.

  “If you have some advice, my good Monk,” Kati subvocalized, “now is the time to give it.”

  There was no response. That was not good. Kati watched tensely as the tall men approached, trying to think of something useful.

  “No way I’m gonna hand Zass over to any Warrion,” she subvocalized to The Monk.

  “Try using your Lamanian residency as leverage.” Finally, an answer from the Granda. “You and your Troupe come under Federation Law; the Oligarchs should not be able to just grab a member of your group, even if he is a Vultairian. He’s performing with your Troupe; therefore, he is your employee. You have the right to his services. If the Carmaks are as sane as they are said to be, the one here should back up your claim, and refuse to let the Warrion take away your employee on his land. The ploy won’t work anywhere else, though; other Exalted don’t care a hoot about Federation Law, as long as they don’t have to worry about punishment.”

  “Thanks. And wish me luck,” Kati subvocalized back.

  She had only seconds to calm herself. Then she faced the two men, stepping over to the edge of the stage, making it clear that she was the person in charge.

  “So do you find our stage satisfactory for your purposes?” the non-Warrion Exalted asked her.

  “It’s actually very good,” she replied, pleased to be facing the Vultairians eye-to-eye, instead of having to crane her neck.

  “This is your group of entertainers?” the Warrion asked, his eyes drifting over Lank first, and then to the four further back.

  “Yes, the six of us form the Troupe,” Kati answered evenly. “We all sing, and play instruments, and one of us also juggles, and recites poetry.”

  “I’m Hector Carmaks, the present Head of the Carmaks Family, one of the Four Hundred,” the other Exalted said, reaching to shake Kati’s hand. “My companion is Berd Warrion from Port City, come to the hinterlands for a quick visit.”

  There was a hint of irony in the last comment and Kati’s hopes rose. Maybe Hector Carmaks was all right!

  “I am Kati of Terra,” she introduced herself. “My fellow musicians are Lank of Tarangay, Joaley r’ma Elise from Lamania, Rakil of Borhq, and Mathilde and Zass, who are locals, of course. I’m pleased to meet you, Exalted Citizen Carmaks. And you, also, Exalted Citizen Warrion.”

  Berd Warrion was barely paying attention to her words. His eyes were on the people behind her. Kati was certain that he had his vision on full node-enhancement. She waited, tension mounting inside her. The Granda was doing its best to relax her.

  “That boy, the Vultairian boy, is the Klenser that disappeared from Port City,” Berd Warrion finally said, his voice cold. “How the hell did you get him here? When that sister of his sent him off, it must have been to someplace where you could pick him up again!”

  “That boy,” Kati contradicted him flatly, “is a member of this Entertainment Troupe, with the same rights and duties as the rest of us.”

  “Don’t talk garbage, woman,” the Warrion snapped. “He’s a Klenser, and Klensers are animals, good only for one thing, which is clearing up pollution.”

  Kati heard gasps from behind her. A quick glance at Lank told her that his hands had turned into fists, and his whole body was taut. Even Hector Carmaks’ face reflected shock.

  “Excuse me, Exalted Citizen Warrion?” Kati put all the angry contempt she felt into her voice.

  It was a wasted effort; Berd Warrion was oblivious.

  “That animal,” he said, pointing to Zass, “is Warrion property. I intend to take it with me and ship it off to where it belongs, which is in the government’s Klenser herds. Klensers are a natural resource of this world, a source of revenue for the Planetary Government, and I and my Family believe in protecting government assets!”

  He lifted up one of his long legs in preparation to climb up on to the stage.

  “Not quite so fast, Warrion.” Even in her own ears Kati’s voice sounded icy. And there was no way the jerk in front of her was going to hear another honorific from her.

  She took a step in his direction; it brought her to the very edge of the stage, face to face with Berd Warrion and Hector Carmaks. Warrion stared at her angrily while Carmaks pulled the knee he had rested on the stage, off it.

  “You’re not at home now, Berd,” he said, his voice steady, almost lazy.

  “The fact is,” Kati plunged in, keeping her voice steady, “that Zass sings, and plays the drums in our group. That makes him a valued member of the Troupe, and since I am the Leader of the Troupe, he is, in effect, my employee. Since I am a resident of Lamania I am subject to Federation Law, and my employees come under the protection of Federation Law. I would be remiss in my duties if I allowed an employee of mine to be taken from his place of work, and carried off somewhere where he is regarded as less than human, and accorded no rights at all. I will not do it, and, let me tell you, I got to know some pretty important people in The Second City, Lamania, and they’ll back me up on this.”

  “They’re not here to back you up, Kati of Terra,” Berd Warrion replied in an insolent voice. “I think I have heard rumours about you. You’re an Adventuress. Slept your way around Second City, did you?”

  Kati let the words roll off her back, while registering Joaley’s angry snort behind her. Babsy Undar had been to Port City to spout her poison.

  “Are you trying to provoke an inter-planetary incident, Warrion?” she asked instead. “Because if you interfere with my employee, that’s what you’ll get.”

  “Not on my turf, he won’t,” Hector Carmaks said, and even though his voice was quiet, it was clear that he meant it.

  “You expect me to believe that a Klenser can play an instrument and sing, Kati of Terra?” Warrion blustered.

  Kati could tell that he knew that he had lost this round. He had realized that he could not grab Zass and leave. Not here and now, on Carmaks’ territory, and with six people, five of them noded, against him.

  “Why don’t you come to our show tonight and listen while he does exactly that?” she invited, in the sweetest tone that she could muster.

  “I’m not hanging around here that long!” Warrion snapped. “And you can’t stay in Ithcar forever. There are plenty of Families on this continent who spit on Federation Law!”

  He turned around and stalked off, without so much as another glance at anyone, including Hector Carmaks. Kati watched him go, a grin spreading across her face.

  “Thank you for that last shot, Berd Warrion,” she said softly. “Granda, I trust you got a record of everything.”

  *****

  “Kati of Terra: An Adventuress,” Joaley chortled after Berd Warrion had disappeared. “And you didn’t even tell him to stick his head where the sun don’t shine!”

  Kati shrugged.

  “I knew that he had lost the fight, at least for now, and he knew it, too,” she said. “I wasn’t going to let him bait me into giving up ground that I’d already won.”

  “That’s why she’s the Team Leader, Joaley,” Rakil said. “Grace under
pressure and all that.”

  “The Team Leader?” Hector Carmaks looked from Kati to Rakil and back again.

  “Me and my big mouth,” Rakil sighed, looking chagrined.

  “Well, I’m glad me and my temper aren’t the only ones who screw up around here,” Joaley said tartly, wrinkling her nose at Rakil.

  “The Troupe Leader,” Kati said evenly. “The boss in charge of all five of you. So quit the nattering and do what we came here to do.”

  “There’s really not much to it,” Lank said. “The lights look like they’ll be fine. There’s a lot of room out there if we draw a crowd. Our instruments and Rakil’s balls are it for our equipment, and we’ll bring those when we come to do the show. The only thing I can see that we could use is a few stools—two or three, maybe.”

  “Well, we have a man here who can probably tell us where we could borrow stools,” Kati said, smiling at Hector Carmaks. “Perhaps someone stores such things for the very purpose?”

  “They do store a few at the Town Hall,” Carmaks replied. “If you’re done, I’ll take you there, and you’ll be able to make arrangements to have the stools brought here before your show tonight.

  “And when we’ve done that,” he added, “I intend to take you, Team Leader, Kati of Terra, for lunch. We need to talk. I’m sure your Troupe can find ways to amuse themselves for an hour or two. We have excellent restaurants and taverns about, and plenty of shops if you need to replenish your supplies.”

  “The sight-seeing is pretty darn good, too,” Lank said enthusiastically, his eyes caressing the old buildings that surrounded the Square.

  “Oh yes,” agreed Carmaks.

  He led them in the direction of one of the buildings, a largish, ancient structure of grey stone.

  “This is the most well-preserved town on the planet,” he added. “I’m so used to it that I mostly forget that to newcomers it’s a bit of a marvel. But gawk all you want; the people love it. They’re proud of this place, and they love to fill you in on the historical fine points—all you need to do is ask.”

  After the stop at the Town Hall, Kati passed their money bag to Lank.

  “Feel free to spend,” she said. “I’ll go back to the Inn when I’m done, so you should find me there in due time, if you need me. Take care of Zass.”

  She took the arm that Hector Carmaks offered her, and let him lead her away.

  *****

  Hector Carmaks took Kati to a comfortable restaurant which obviously was a favourite haunt. The plump proprietor met them at the door to offer his services.

  “Are any of your small private rooms available, Stefan?” Carmaks asked him. “I’d like to keep the content of this conversation out of the rumour mill for now.”

  Stefan led them to the back of the establishment, into what he called “The Blue Room”.

  He seated them at the single table in the room. It could have accommodated four people, or even six in a pinch, but was set for only two. Kati spent a few moments looking around her.

  The Blue Room was a pleasant place. It was beautifully furnished with delicate, old-fashioned pieces: chairs upholstered in patterned, blue fabric, the marble table inlaid with blue stone, more of the marble forming bookshelves, and a fireplace which had a fire laid out, but not lit. The window curtains matched the chair upholstery, and the walls were painted powder blue. With the curtains open to let the Vultairian sun shine in, the room was bright and inviting.

  “It’s a lovely room,” she commented.

  “I agree with you. I am quite glad that Stefan has rejected suggestions to turn it into another one of his pre-boudoir rooms,” Carmaks said, settling into his chair, which obviously was a lot sturdier than it looked.

  “Pre-boudoir rooms?”

  Carmaks laughed.

  “That’s what my wife calls them. A fellow takes his lady for a fancy dinner in one of them and plies her with Stefan’s best wine. Then she’s all ready for the boudoir and all the joys to be found there. Which makes everybody happy,” he finished impishly.

  “I think I’d like your wife,” Kati said, grinning.

  “I’ll have to introduce the two of you. I suspect the liking would be mutual.”

  There was a tap on the door, followed by the entrance of a waiter carrying a tray with an opened bottle of wine and goblets. He poured for the guests while reciting the litany of the available dishes. Carmaks recommended to Kati an omelette. Kati thought that the egg dish would be fine, since it came with a variety of vegetables and fruit, and some nutty rolls, which she recognized from a meal in another town along the way.

  “So, Team Leader Kati,” Carmaks then began, “you and your companions managed to successfully smuggle a Klenser out from the Port City, right under Warrion noses.”

  “I felt that it was necessary for Mathilde’s sake,” Kati replied evenly. “She was playing and singing at Marita’s with us, and was terribly distressed by the thought that her brother would end up in the Klenser Pens of the Capital City.”

  “Understandably so,” Carmaks said with a nod. “Too often, we are helpless in the face of Oligarchic idiocy. In fact, I’m not sure that I can keep the boy safe here in Ithcar, since the Warrions have decided to insist on their so-called property rights.”

  “Can they insist that you cede him to them on your own territory?” Kati asked.

  “When there isn’t a bold resident of Lamania on hand to threaten an inter-planetary incident unless Federation laws are observed? I’m afraid that I’d be risking serious retaliation upon my people and myself, if I refuse to cede a Klenser who has been identified as a resident of Port City, which, as you know, comes under the jurisdiction of the Warrion Clan.”

  He sighed.

  “I don’t like it any more than you do. In the past some years I’ve been spending entirely too much time between the rock and the hard place, trying to figure out what course of action causes the least harm.

  “And now you and your Team have entered the fray, singing and playing music.” His eyebrows had shot up. “The rumour mill reports that you told Marston in Port City, Marston who managed to annoy a lot of Oligarchs while he lived in the Capital City, that his residence was full of clandestine listening devices. Then you smuggled that boy from under Warrion noses, and turned him into a member of your Troupe, managing to fool a lot of people about his identity. Berd came here partly on spec, because some chit that his son had slept with, had persuaded her minor Exalted husband to fly her to Port City, where she gossiped that there was a sixth member to your group, a teenaged Vultairian male. Berd didn’t really believe that the boy was the Klenser until this morning when he saw him.”

  “So, now, the only way Zass can be safe is if he manages to stay hidden from Exalted eyes.” Kati’s said, her voice flat.

  “That’s the only way that I can see that he’d be safe. And a lifetime is a long time to spend hiding.”

  Hector Carmaks’ eyes bored into Kati’s.

  “A lifetime is a long time to spend penned up as an animal, too, Exalted Citizen Carmaks,” she responded.

  Carmaks covered his face with his hands.

  “Like I said, between a rock and a hard place. And can the Exalted crap. My name is Hector.”

  He let his hands drop onto his lap, then picked up his wineglass and sipped from it while Kati watched.

  “What I want and am hoping that you’ll tell me,” he added with a sigh, “is that you have come here with some hope for us. Hope for those of us who are tired of what is going on here, tired of the corruption, the way the Oligarchy makes use of the people and the resources of this planet. Has someone in the Star Federation finally noticed that their laws are being flouted with impunity on Vultaire, by three hundred and ninety-four of the Four Hundred Families? And are they going to do something about it, or is the Federation perfectly happy to pretend, along with the Federation Senators from Vultaire, that everything is fine on this world?”

  There was another knock at the door, and Kati deferred her
answer while the waiter brought in the tray of food and set the table. The omelette did look delicious; Hector’s meal looked appetizing as well, a meatier dish than hers, with fewer vegetables and fruit.

  Kati sent the Granda for a ride on her ESP energy.

  “Do I spill the beans or would that be a mistake?” she asked The Monk subvocally before letting him go.

  He returned quickly.

  “You may as well spill,” The Monk told her, a tinge of contempt in his subvocalization. “The man really is as honest and kind as he seems. He’d be useless with a gun in his hand! Couldn’t kill another person to save his life! Makes your pacifist, but shrewd, boyfriend seem the brave soldier, for heaven’s sake!”

  Kati ignored the barbs. The Monk was entitled to his opinion, but that was all he was entitled to. However, she was not foolish enough to completely ignore his views. Hector Carmaks may have been a very nice guy, but, quite possibly, a somewhat ineffectual one.

  “There’s a woman in the Second City of Lamania, by the name of Maryse r’ma Darien,” Kati began, once the waiter had left, carefully weighing her words. “She works for the Star Federation; she is, in fact, the Director of the Human Trafficking Sector of The Federation Peace Officer Corps.”

  Across the marble table, Carmaks was listening intently, even as he forked up his food.

  “I was told, by someone who should know,” Kati continued, “that the past President of the Federation characterized her as ‘that most dangerous of all creatures: a Lamanian with a conscience’. I suppose a politician intent on propping up the status quo, and papering over divisions in an organization as large as the Star Federation, would have found her frightening. I found her exhilarating; a woman who truly believes that her work is worth doing, and worth doing well. Apparently, the people who work under her adore her, and are dedicated to getting the best possible results in their fight to eradicate slavery from Star Federation, and the Space Lanes that serve it.”