"Nothando, you will stop with the riddles and talk of prophesy," Bongiwe said. They were speaking in the private Scatter language. "Thabini sent me to you because bell-e-runde knows not of your home and Liam Hoffen requires healing. Thabini has gone back to inform his mother that Liam Hoffen asks about the suspension chamber. We are not to speak of this to Liam Hoffen and it is not the time for your nonsense."
"He understands, you know," Nothando said, smiling.
"Who? Liam Hoffen?" Bongiwe asked, looking at me suspiciously. "That is not possible. Bell-e-runde has no access to the ancient language. Even among Scatters, there are only a few of us who speak it."
"It is no matter," Nothando said. "The gods have sent us a tiny, smelly hero. They have always had a sense of humor."
"For frak sake, I'm twice your size," I said, realizing at the last minute that I'd exposed the fact that I was eavesdropping.
"And not big enough by half to complete the task required of you," Nothando said, an understanding smile creasing his wizened face.
Chapter 12
Politicking and Time
Unlike the clean crystal and brick architecture of the city, the old man’s home was constructed of natural materials and smelled badly of bog.
"Liam Hoffen will sit and Bongiwe will remove the long boat," he instructed, pointing at a small stone that sat on the ground next to the rounded outside wall. I couldn't fathom how the stone would be any more comfortable than the ground, so I sat next to it, accepting a bowl filled with water. I drank deeply, thirsty after having lost my water skin when I crashed into the canal.
"I will be back in the morning," Bongiwe said. "Possibly a day beyond if bell-e-runde does not settle."
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected. There was no reason to think Bongiwe would stay with me until I found Ada, but I suddenly felt bereft in the hermit's small shack. "You're leaving?"
"Worried that I will bite?" the old man asked. "Danger does not come from Nothando. No, you should be more afraid of King Nkosi. He will no doubt turn you over to bell-e-runde when he learns of your presence."
Nothando's face seemed to blur and then distort slightly. I tried to stand but my legs were unsteady. Not thinking clearly, I placed my right hand on the ground to help me balance, and pain momentarily cleared the enveloping fog.
"What have you done, Nothando?" Bongiwe asked, concern creasing her pretty, narrow features as she focused on me. Even distorted as she was, she was amazing. Why hadn't I realized she was so beautiful before?
I reached out for her. "You're so pretty," I said, my tongue thick in my mouth. I had to drop my arm almost immediately as I started to tip over. Gracefully, Bongiwe reached out and steadied me, looking sharply over her shoulder.
"Liam Hoffen is injured," Nothando said. "I have given him rest so that I might set his arm without the interruptions of his objections."
I fell heavily against Bongiwe's arms and she eased me to the ground. Beautiful and fair, her features transformed to Ada's. I hadn't realized the two women looked so much alike. Ada looked just as I'd seen her the first time we'd met, with colorful beads tightly braided, running in neat rows down the back of her head. She'd always been so beautiful with her smooth, caramel-colored skin, high cheek bones, golden-flecked blue eyes and most of all, her heart-stopping smile.
"Find me, Liam," she whispered. "Before it's too late."
I focused on her narrow lips.
"I'm coming, Ada," I whispered as I passed out.
I slowly awoke from a dreamless sleep. A strange, yet comforting warmth radiated out from my right arm and I felt so good I wanted to sit up. Strong hands pushed at my shoulders when I attempted to move and I realized I wore no clothing.
"What's going on?" My eyes had difficulty focusing on the old hermit who was a lot stronger than he looked.
He replied with gibberish while looking at me earnestly. I followed his gaze down to where he held two smooth black stones on either side of where my arm had broken.
I tried to sit up again. "What are you doing?"
Nothando had to release the stones to push me back down, scolding me again with more gibberish. I relented and lay still. He once again picked the stones up and placed them on either side of my arm. The old man spoke in reverent tones, his eyes closed. It was as if he were reciting something memorized long ago, the syllables nonsense to me but the rhythm comforting. The sounds were like a reverent prayer and in answer, the stones glowed a dim yellow and warmed against my skin.
I dared a quick look around. Nothando had peeled off my grav-suit and I was unable to locate it. From the earthy smell of herbs and spices, I suspected he had also washed my body, an idea that made me uncomfortable. Fortunately, he'd laid a woven blanket over me and the bedding on the floor was soft if not thick. I reached up to my face and discovered my earwig had been removed. It explained why we were unable to communicate.
"Where's my earwig?" I asked, pointing at my ear.
"Shh," Nothando answered, breaking his prayer for only a moment.
The drugs he'd given me had worn off and I attempted to discern the time of day. Light peeked through the cracks in his hovel, but I couldn't tell what the position of the sun was. I grew more concerned about the missing grav-suit, although I did spot my earwig on a table across the room.
My mind wandered as I lay back. I wondered how far Tabby, Peter, and Marny were from home by now. Without me, they'd make better time, but it was a long journey even for the three of them. For the first time, I felt okay with where my relationship with Tabby was. Sure, I wanted to put us back to before Anino had torn our world apart. The thing was, she hadn't wanted this to happen any more than I had. My about-face might have been a result of the hermit's prayers or maybe it was just the fact that Tabby and I had made it through so much together that I couldn't possibly stay angry. In that moment, I found I could be okay with her finding happiness with Peter.
Nothando took the stones away and pushed back from where he'd sat on his haunches next to me. Standing, he hobbled over to the table and picked up my earwig, turning back to toss it onto my chest. With my left hand, I placed the business end into my ear. One of the great things about this earwig's design was that it easily matched up with the shape of the ear and the profile of the wearer's cheek. I smoothed the thin arm along my cheekbone and it melded into the skin, disappearing except for a tiny dot where the HUD projector rested.
"Your arm should be healed," Nothando said. "I had to remove your devices so that I might work."
I looked at him skeptically and tested my right arm by moving it. The motion caused me no pain. "How did you do that?" I asked, surprised.
"Did Bongiwe not inform you that I am a healer?" Nothando asked.
"The stones?" I asked. "I don't understand."
"I have lived one hundred forty standard years," he said. "You have been upon Fraxus for only a few months. Only a human would expect to understand what he has never experienced." I was once again grateful for my AI's ability to translate meaningful data.
"How long did I sleep from your drugs?" I asked.
"Who is this Ada to you?" he asked. "Why do you seek her with such intensity?"
"Tit for tat, old fella," I said, pushing against the ground tentatively with both arms. I felt a small twinge in my right, but certainly not the same pain I'd experienced before.
"You wish for me to answer questions so that you will also answer questions?" he asked.
"That's right. I see my translator is working just fine. Let's start with my suit. Where is it?"
"In the bog. I could stand its fetid stench no longer. Who is this Ada you speak so fondly of?" he asked.
I stood, gathering the blanket around my waist. "Ada Chen is a member of my ship's crew. She was ejected from my starship in a suspension chamber and apparently landed on Fraxus."
"You speak both the truth as well as a lie," he said, following me as I pushed open the ferns that blocked the entrance.
"Locate grav-suit
," I said. For my earwig to have access to the translator AI, it would need the processing and digital storage afforded by the grav-suit's smart material. My HUD showed a blip on the water and suggested the suit was submerged four meters. "I'm not lying. That's who Ada is. Sure, I didn't give you all the details, but that would take a while. I've known her for a long time."
I set the blanket on the ground and stepped onto the bank. My HUD showed that the drop off was almost immediate and the water registered at eight degrees.
"I asked why you seek her with intensity. Your words deny your real feelings," he said as I dove in.
The coldness of the water made it almost impossible for me to keep air in my lungs and I felt the warmth of my body being sucked out. Nothando's words were forgotten as I pushed downward. I'm not a fantastic swimmer, but I get along. Under normal circumstances, diving four meters isn't much of a task, but at eight degrees, I realized I'd taken on more than expected. I pushed back at the panic that demanded I return to the surface. Lethargy slowed the movement of my arms and legs, and it was everything I could do to keep my forward progress.
My hands brushed against the suit's fabric as soon as I reached the bottom, but when I tried to turn and bring it back up, it refused to budge. I had to fight not to kick the bottom and swim up for air, my desperation grew with every second. Yet the water was too cold for a second dive. If I left now, I’d have to come back, most likely after I warmed up and after Nothando tried to talk me out of it. No, the time to retrieve my suit was right now.
Frantically, I ran my hands along the suit, looking for what might be holding it in place. A shiver passed through my body and I almost gave up as my lungs continued to demand air. Finally, I located where a root had wrapped itself intricately around the middle of the suit. I struggled against the roots, wondering just how Nothando had managed to submerge the suit in that fashion. Finally, I detached the knot of roots, pulled the suit to me, kicked from the bottom, and sailed upward. When I broke the surface, I breathed in deeply, welcoming the fresh air and warmth of the sun which was low in the sky.
I became aware of a long boat's hull slipping along the bank, coming to rest only a few meters from where I'd emerged. The boat, unlike the one Bongiwe had used, was larger, the wood ornately carved although not brightly painted as many of the canal boats in town had been.
"What is the meaning of this?" a Scatter demanded from within the boat. I couldn't see her, but she sounded annoyed.
I was too cold for humility and clawed my way from the water onto the bank, flopping my suit in front of me.
"My queen," Nothando said, bowing to the extent his crooked body could manage.
"Frak." I sighed as I searched for and found the blanket I'd left behind. With as much grace as I could manage, I wrapped it around my waist and turned toward the boat.
"Nothando? Why was this human in the river? Is he not injured?" The woman stepped effortlessly out onto the bank and turned to walk up the path.
"I assure you, Queen Cacile, the human, Liam Hoffen, is quite well and now he no longer smells of a long journey," Nothando said. "The same can be said for his strange clothing."
Queen Cacile wore pure white robes partially covered by a light gray cloak. Both garments were adorned with golden thread that sparkled in the waning light. The cloak’s pattern was the easiest to discern: ivy leaves meandering up each lapel. The materials were luxurious and finely woven, giving the wearer an air of importance. Long blonde locks of hair cascaded from her head and she smiled. I felt like a toad, standing naked in front of her with only a rough woven blanket to cover myself.
"You are the human who has caused so much turmoil within our kingdom over the last days," she said, not asking.
"Days?" I asked. "How long have I been here?"
She raised her eyebrows but didn't answer the question. "Are you an animal like your brothers? You should be returned to the wild where you were found."
"Quick, you fool, hide your nakedness and clothe yourself," Nothando spat. "It is improper for the queen to be in the presence of a naked man. Especially a vile human."
A part of me wanted to rebel, but I believed they had Ada and might know where either Jonathan or Hotspur were. I struggled to keep the blanket around me as I picked up my suit and scurried into Nothando's hut. My teeth chattered as I hopped around, pulling the wet suit onto my feet, expelling water from the boots as I did. The suit did smell better than before. I'd be the first to say that the minimally-powered systems hadn’t been cleaning very well, but the addition of the river's detritus made me feel like we weren't yet on a sustainable path to good smells.
My body warmed almost immediately within the suit, although my teeth continued to chatter. I slicked back my long hair and tried to wipe the mud from my suit. It was a lost cause and I shrugged. There just wasn't that much I could do about it, so I opened the hut door and pushed through the ferns.
Surprisingly, in the short time I'd been gone, the Scatters who'd accompanied the queen had offloaded a woven carpet that depicted a woodland scene. Atop the carpet were three wooden chairs. Next to the largest and most ornate chairs sat a small table upon which rested a chunk of smooth black stone that resembled the material Nothando had used to heal the bones in my arm.
"Your appearance is satisfactory," Queen Cacile said. "Now tell me Liam Hoffen, why should I not inform bell-e-runde of your location? You should know, bell-e-runde thugs have already murdered three of my subjects because of your presence."
"The boy, at the canal who was shot," I asked. "He died?"
"His name was Langa," she answered, studying my face. "He did not recover from his wounds."
"Lifa," I said sadly.
"Brave Lifa was a hero to our people," she said.
I nodded. "He was courageous and tried to protect me from Thockenbrow. His courage cost him his life."
"No. Your presence cost him his life."
"I did not wish for that," I said. "Who else has died on my account?"
"Forgen, of my own guard," she said, avoiding my eyes. "Chappie Barto killed him by his own hand in front of my husband and me, so we would understand how serious he was."
"I don't understand," I said. "You allowed someone to kill one of your own guard? What if this Chappie had tried to hurt you or your husband?"
"My guard would have prevented this," she answered, irritation clear in her face.
"They should have stopped him from hurting your guard, too!" I said, unable to hide my own irritation.
"My queen, humans do not share our revulsion at taking another's life," Nothando said.
"No. I can see this is the case with your Liam Hoffen," she said, still unwilling to make eye contact. "I can see no reason not to return this man to his own kind."
"Are you always so quick to judge?" I asked. "Twenty years ago, we came to this planet, hunting for Belirand. Where I come from, they are a pariah who hide in plain sight. And no, I have no trouble ending the life of someone who would do harm to my family or the people of my tribe. I'd even go so far as to say that I'm willing to end the lives of people who would kill the innocent. What happened to Lifa, Langa and Forgen is reprehensible. I attacked Jared Thockenbrow because he shot Langa and I knew he would do more if not stopped. I'll tell you, though, in my eyes, you bear responsibility for Forgen. You should have stood against Chappie Barto. Without resistance, Belirand will continue to take from you."
Queen Cacile would not make eye contact with me so I looked back to Nothando. The old guy pushed away a sliver of a smile. "Who is Ada Chen to you?" he asked. "This time speak the truth as you did when you slept on my floor."
"I don't understand. Why do you care?"
"Humans are alien to us," he said. "For hundreds of years, bell-e-runde humans have raped our daughters, pillaged our homes, enslaved our people and done all manner of savagery to us. Until recently, we have not known of humans who live as we do. The children of the stars who fell from the sky have lived in our mountains peacefully coe
xisting with our brethren."
"It was this alone that gave us hope for humankind,” Queen Cacile said. “It was with a heavy heart that I learned of your attack on Jared Thockenbrow. In a single act, you have proven your willingness to commit murder.”
The sound of a spaceship’s engines fighting against Fraxus’ gravity drew my attention, alerting me that my meeting with Queen Cacile wasn’t going to have a happy ending. “You’re giving me to bell-e-runde?” I asked. “You might as well kill me where I stand. How does this make you any different than them?”
A battered, gray cutter came into view, its heavy engines complaining loudly as the pilot did everything possible to keep the ship from splashing down. The wash from the motors pelted us with a mist as it picked up water and sent the queen’s rug and chairs tumbling over the bank on the opposite side.
“Bell-e-runde will allow you to be kept in our prisons and be tried by our courts,” she said. “If you are found guilty of the murder of Jared Thockenbrow, there is little we can do to save you.”
I looked around, realizing I had few, if any, options. I knew nothing of the river delta other than I couldn’t last very long in the frigid water. Three human men jumped from the old ship, splashing in the shallow water as they climbed up the bank. They wore dark green uniforms and held blaster rifles that were both recently manufactured and of a centuries-old design.
“On your knees, Highborne!” the lead man insisted. “I’ll shoot you where you stand, no matter what we told these backwater tree huggers.”
I’d given up any chance of escape by my inaction. With help from the butt of a blaster rifle, I sank to my knees and placed my hands over the back of my neck. In short order, I had wrist restraints on and was being dragged back to my feet after a quick pat down which revealed Tabby and my engagement rings.
“Won’t be needing those where you’re going,” one of the soldiers said, stuffing the rings into a pocket. I made sure to look at his face, so my AI would be able to identify him in the future.
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