Alien Refuge (35 page)

“You’ll get no argument from me. Who did you send to sit with the family?”

“Master Nis. He initially counseled the clan when they realized their feelings for Sara and the children had gone beyond simple compassion.”

Like us
, Ospar thought.
And they paid a heavy price for such love, didn’t they? A Matara and children threatened, a Dramok dead.

Once more he thought of Iris and Thomas alone, fending for themselves against such unspeakable violence. No. It could not happen.

He cleared his throat. “Jol and I have been talking. We wish Iris and Thomas to join our clan.”

Rivek’s eyebrows raised. “Had we not already determined this? I thought it was only a matter of the formality of asking Iris and gaining her acceptance.” He smiled, some of his grief dissipating.

Ospar returned the expression, feeling a warm wash of contentment. Jol looked pleased as well, though not surprised.

“What do you think her answer will be?” he asked Rivek. “You have the most insight of us all into how hearts and minds work.”

Rivek folded his hands on the table top and thought for a few moments. “Simple practicality would lead her to saying yes. We offer much that will make her life easier and more pleasurable. Not to mention safer,” he added, a touch of darkness returning to his eyes and tightening his jaw. Then his face smoothed over again. “That Thomas responds to us so well also puts the odds in our favor. It’s obvious Iris genuinely likes us, and that may translate soon to love, if nurtured properly.”

“There is also that factor of spirit recognition,” Jol added. His expression turned a little embarrassed. “I’d never paid much attention to the idea before, thinking it a silly fantasy made up by romantic lovers. Now it just seems so – so perfect. It’s the only thing that explains how I immediately felt so intensely for them.”

Ospar couldn’t resist teasing. “You felt intensely for me too at first. Except it was more a matter of how much you wanted to kick my ass.”

Jol growled playfully. “Some things never change, my Dramok.”

Chuckling, Ospar turned back to the grinning Rivek. “So you think she’ll say yes?”

The Imdiko surprised him by shrugging and looking completely at a loss. “Ospar, there is honestly no way of knowing how she’ll respond to our proposal. Iris is female. I remember all too well what that condition did to my mother and sister. Quite frankly, all bets are off.”

That triggered uproarious laughter from the other two. When they settled back down, Jol said, “Part of the allure of women is that you never know what they’re thinking.”

“The mystery and adventure is daunting but delightful,” Ospar agreed.

* * * *

Thomas had eaten without much fuss at the low table in his room. The little boy seemed ready to disappear into his Kalquorian-sized seating cushion, which he very much enjoyed rolling around on while eating a hard-boiled egg. Now he chewed his tooth-cleansing tablet while kicking his feet at the ceiling.

Iris was just finishing her cup of coffee when Thomas asked for what felt like the hundredth time, “Where’s Rivek?”

For the hundredth time, Iris answered, “At work.”

“Where’s Jol?”

“He’s at work too. Ospar is at work. All your friends are at work, Thomas.”

He rolled onto his stomach and regarded her, milk mustache drying on his upper lip. “Jol comes home.”

“He will eventually.” Iris wiped at Thomas’ mouth. He jerked away and began rolling over the cushions again.

Iris stood and went into the small attached facility. She found a cloth, wetted it, and rejoined Thomas. Her child had a hatred of combs and brushes. His over-long hair thankfully didn’t seem to be tangled, so Iris’ best solution to taming it was to wipe the flyaway strands down with the cloth to achieve some semblance of grooming.

She set to work, trying to hang onto Thomas with one hand while swiping at his hair with the other. He ducked and dodged with squeals.

“No!”

“Let me at least get this mess to lay flat. You look like a sasquatch.”

“Stop!” Thomas grabbed the cloth and tried to take it from her.

“Hold still. It will only take a second if you’ll cooperate.” Iris got most of the back of his hair flattened to his head, but there was that stubborn cowlick that always gave her problems. “It would be nice for you to look civilized for a change.”

He continued to struggle. “Thomas wants Osbar. Thomas wants Rivek. Thomas wants Jol.”

Iris finally gave up. Thomas looked a little better than he had, but as soon as she let him go, he flopped all over the cushion, messing his hair up again. She sighed. Well, she got points for trying, she decided.

She used the cloth to wipe at egg yolk crumbs and the drops of milk on the table. “You like Ospar’s clan, don’t you?” she asked her son. “They like you too. And they’re much better to you than your father was.”

“Where’s Rivek?”

Iris sighed and decided it was the wrong encouragement to keep answering the same questions over and over. Eventually, Thomas would tire of asking.

“Where’s Jol?”

Thank God Conrad was out of their lives. The more she compared the clan to her deceased husband, the more she found him wanting. She knew such thoughts were evil, but Iris was genuinely glad Conrad was dead. At least she never had to worry about him threatening Thomas’ wellbeing. He couldn’t hit or hurt her anymore either.

“Where’s Osbar?”

Iris absently corrected him, rising to take the soiled cloth back into the restroom. “His name is Os-Par, sweetie. Puh-puh-puh. Par. Ospar,” she enunciated

As she rinsed the cloth in the basin, she thought hard about her current situation, comparing it to the life she’d had on Earth. She had nothing to fear from the Kalquorians who had taken her and Thomas in. Sure, they did things in the bedroom that made her nervous, things that put her right on edge in fact, but actual harm? No. She’d never felt so safe in her life. And they wouldn’t hurt Thomas. She was positive of that.

Who am I kidding? It’s not just the stability and kindness that draws me to them. It’s utterly ridiculous, but I’ve fallen in love. Just like that. I think Thomas has too.

Just as Iris returned to the bedroom, Thomas yelled out, “Find Osbar!” He jumped up and ran for the door.

“Thomas, no!”

He evaded her attempt to catch him. The door opened automatically at his approach and he was flying down the corridor, his cowlick bouncing merrily as he thundered away. Iris ran after him, sure that at any moment he would crash into something valuable and break it.

“Thomas, come back here!”

Thomas dashed out of the sleeping room wing, finding his way to the main part of the house. From there he dashed down another hallway that Iris hadn’t seen before.

The kid could certainly move. His long, slim legs allowed him to stay ahead of Iris, and she saw him glance into the open doorways of rooms as he passed them. More than once, he nearly slammed into a piece of statuary or a table, missing destruction and injury by the barest of margins.

He shouted the names of the clan as he went, determined to find the men. “Rivek! Jol!”

Iris was finally gaining on him. Her shouted warning, “Thomas, look out!” got her son to veer away from a sculpture just in time.

Without slowing for an instant, he bellowed, “Osbar! Jol! Where’s Jol?”

At last a rolling, deep voice answered from one of the doorways ahead, “I’m in here, Thomas.”

Thomas shot to the opening and disappeared inside. Iris ran in two seconds later to find Thomas being held in Jol’s arms. Ospar and Rivek stood on either side of the pair, looking amused.

Iris halted, fighting to catch her breath. She noted she was in an immense room, an office to judge from the desk with several computers placed on its surface. It was possibly the grandest office she’d ever seen, something befitting a lord or even a king, perhaps. She was impressed.

Iris looked at the Kalquorians, chagrined. “I’m sorry he interrupted. He got away from me.”

Thomas clapped his hands on either side of the Nobek’s face, exuberant and smiling. “Find Jol!” he announced, as if he deserved congratulations. Jol laughed and bounced him in his arms.

Ospar waved off Iris’ concerns, coming towards her to take her hand and tug her further into the room. “He’s perfectly fine, Iris. Thomas is more than welcome in any part of the house, including my office.”

She was only partly mollified by the Dramok’s understanding. “He needs to learn he can’t just take off on me like that.”

Rivek came close to stroke her hair soothingly. “He will. We will work on it until he does.”

Iris looked at the three men, who seemed to all be in high spirits. Hoping it boded well for the emergency Ospar and Jol had been called out on, she asked, “How – how is everything? With that clan that got attacked? I heard one of them died.”

The three faces beaming at her and Thomas immediately sobered. Swallowing hard, Ospar said, “They are without their Dramok now, and it will be hard for them to adjust to that.”

“Oh no,” Iris breathed.

Rivek added, “They will receive counseling and aid. We will see to it.”

Looking at Thomas, Iris had to ask the uppermost question on her mind. “The children are all right though?”

Ospar nodded. “They will be. They suffer from a little smoke inhalation, but that at least is easily fixed.”

They stood there in silence for a few minutes. Iris knew loss herself. It had been hard to not find her parents after Armageddon. They’d lived on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., and Iris had immediately headed there following the blasts. The little picturesque inn her mother and father owned had been empty and looted, with no sign of either of them. As far as Iris knew, they’d never been found alive or otherwise. It had left an enormous hole in her life, even though Conrad had often kept her from seeing them before the end of Earth. She could well imagine the pain Sara and the rest of her surviving clan dealt with right now.

Ospar drew in a deep breath. Placing his hands on Iris’ shoulders, he turned her to face him. The others drew closer.

The Dramok said, “Iris, this attack has us greatly concerned for your and Thomas’ safety. People are going to assume the worst since you’ve been staying with us.”

She nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that. Do you have an idea on how we can remain secure after we leave here?”

“We’ve decided that we’d prefer you not to leave. And not simply because we want to protect you.” Ospar’s smile was hopeful. “I know it might seem a bit soon, but we were hoping you realize how much you and Thomas mean to us. In fact, you have become of the highest importance. Iris Jenson, will you join this clan as our Matara and allow us to adopt Thomas as our son?”

Iris’ mouth dropped open. Was he really offering what she wanted more than anything? She stammered, “Truly? You really mean it? You want Thomas too?”

Ospar laughed. “Without question. Without hesitation.”

Iris looked at the other two men, who were also smiling in agreement. Thomas looked around at them all. Iris was never sure how much the boy was aware of when it came to the events around him, but she thought he knew something of importance was happening here. Seeing how his arms curled around Jol’s neck, how he clung so trustingly to the Nobek made it all the more perfect.

She told the clan, “Thank you. Thomas and I gladly accept your offer.”

Ospar uttered a relieved sound that made her giggle. He told her, “You don’t know how happy this makes us.”

He kissed her lips, the embrace enthusiastic but not overtly passionate in front of her – their – son. Rivek came forward and also kissed her, and then Jol, who still held Thomas.

Thomas imperiously commanded, “Kiss Thomas too!”

Laughter greeted his order, and the men each pressed a kiss to his rounded cheeks.

Ospar told him, “Welcome, my son. Welcome home to you and your mother, our Matara.”

Iris could hardly believe the turn her life had taken. “Thank you. Thank you so much for taking us in.”

Rivek hugged her close. “Thank you for being a part of our lives.”