Alien Refuge (8 page)

Iris had the sudden urge to punch the man right in the face. She took a breath and recalled the calm she’d felt at the temple.

Father Stephen leaned towards her as she sat on the opposite end of the lounger. “Iris, we understand there was a bit of trouble out here yesterday. Blaine Middleton’s shuttle was impounded by the Kalquorian security force and his piloting license revoked.”

Iris managed to keep her voice even. “After he nearly ran down Thomas.”

Hoover’s bushy brows squished down over his eyes. “Wasn’t your son at fault? After all, he was standing in the middle of the road.”

Iris didn’t spare the man a smile, though she maintained a polite demeanor. “He panicked when my snow blower broke down and made a noise that frightened him. He’s extremely sensitive to loud sounds and can’t control his reactions. That’s why there are warning beacons on this lane and why the limit is slower here than anywhere else on the colony.”

“I see you have a containment border.”

“It was just installed today. The Kalquorian security head loaned it to me since I couldn’t afford one myself.”

Hoover scowled. “This is a very big problem, Mrs. Jenson. Blaine is a hardworking man with large loads of supplies and cargo to transport. He needs his license and shuttle to take care of a family larger than yours.”

Iris’ temper rose. Hoover’s intimation that Middleton’s family was more important than her son had her ready to swing again. “And I need my son to be safe. If Blaine is determined to hurt people by disabling his warning indicators so he can run over a small child, then I don’t want him to have his damned shuttle.”

Hoover’s eyes widened. Women had not been allowed to use profanity on Earth, and it was obvious he was affronted by her utterance.

Father Stephen remained cool and diplomatic. “Blaine Middleton is most definitely in the wrong here, but we don’t want Kalquorians in our business. We are trying to govern ourselves, to rebuild our lives after Armageddon. We want independence, not alien masters who have no idea what it means to be Earther.”

Iris forced herself to be calm. “So what do you want from me?”

Hoover drew himself up. “We need you to testify to Governor Ospar that what happened was not entirely Blaine’s fault. That you do not hold him liable for an injury that did not even happen.”

“But I do hold him accountable. Thomas wouldn’t have been merely injured; he would have been killed. The only thing that saved him was that Governor Ospar’s own Nobek came to his rescue. I can’t lie against the head of security. Not when he put his life on the line for a small boy he didn’t even know.”

Hoover’s jaw clenched, making him more bulldoggish than ever. “You are putting the Kalquorians ahead of your own people?” His voice rose angrily, and Thomas looked up from his toys.

Iris gazed right in the man’s eyes and did not waver. “I am putting my son’s welfare ahead of Blaine’s stupidity and disregard for the wellbeing of others. If you can get his piloting license re-instated and his shuttle back, more power to you. But I will not help.”

The governor stood. He didn’t try to hide his anger. “You cannot turn your back on your own. It is unconscionable. There are people on this colony who won’t stand for collusion with the Kalquorians.”

Iris stood as well. “This has nothing to do with turning my back on anyone or siding with the aliens. I am my son’s sole protector. It doesn’t matter if it’s Kalquorian or Earther; if anyone endangers Thomas, I become their worst enemy.”

Even her husband Conrad, with his ready fists and kicks, knew better than to challenge Iris’ instincts when it came to Thomas. He must have; he had never raised a hand to the boy. Iris had been the sole receiver of her husband’s abuse.

Father Stephen rose. His tone was placating, gentle enough that Thomas went back to his toys and was quickly re-absorbed in his make-believe world. “I think emotions are running too high right now for us to accomplish anything productive. Iris is a conscientious parent, and she had a bad scare yesterday. Governor Hoover only wants the best for all Earthers on Haven. These are not matters in opposition to each other.”

Hoover’s forehead smoothed, and he managed a conciliatory smile. “Of course not. I apologize if I seem less than sympathetic to the fright you had. It’s just I have so much pressure with the Kalquorians always trying to enforce their rule over us. They do not trust us to govern ourselves, and many chafe under their dictatorship.”

Iris had never seen any evidence of a dictatorship. Even if the Kalquorians had been more controlling, Haven was within their empire’s borders. Who were the Earthers to challenge that? However, it was probably best to meet the temperamental governor halfway.

She offered her own reasonable smile and said, “I can’t imagine the responsibility you have. It must be quite stressful.”

Hoover waited as if he expected her to say more. Iris only maintained her smile. She wasn’t about to apologize to him, not for Thomas’ inability to act like others and certainly not for refusing to toe the ‘us-against-them’ line.

Again, Father Stephen interjected to keep things smooth. “Well, I think we need to be going.”

Hoover’s placatory smile had waned. “Yes. I have a great deal of work to attend to.”

Iris saw them to the door. Father Stephen turned to her. “I will send you a vid of the next service, as always. I do hope Thomas is able to sit through sermons soon. He needs the support faith will offer him.”

Iris nodded. “I hope that will happen too, Father.”

Fat chance. Thomas’ last attempt to go to church had ended badly. Even with a bag full of trains and sitting in the mostly empty balcony, he had been too excited by his new surroundings to settle down. His yells, running, and finally an attempt to drop an arrangement of flowers on the pews of worshippers seated below had ended the Jensons’ churchgoing on Haven. Thank goodness attending services wasn’t mandatory, as it had been on Earth.

“Stay warm,” Iris called out after the men as they boarded the governor’s shuttle. Then she closed and locked the door with a relieved sigh.

It was only then that Iris noticed her small home computer. Sitting on the kitchen counter, it blinked with a vid message. She went over to it.

“Play message.”

Jol suddenly appeared before her. Iris’ breath caught as she looked up at his image. Goodness, the man was handsome in an overwhelming virile way. So intense too, much like his Imdiko Rivek. The one difference between the two was that the Kalquorian priest didn’t seem as if he was barely restraining natural violence.

The recorded Jol bowed. “Good day, Matara Iris. I have repaired your heating unit and the border shielding is in place and operational. You will find the program for activating it on the computer.”

Thomas was suddenly next to Iris. He tugged on her shirt, his insistence drowning out the Nobek’s message. “Not Copin. Not Rivek.”

Iris sighed. “Stop and replay vid. Thomas, that’s Jol. Please be quiet while Mommy listens to him. Quiet, Thomas.”

“Jol,” Thomas repeated and subsided as the Nobek’s message started up again, soon reaching where the child had interrupted.

“Your snow blower is also repaired. Should you need further assistance, feel free to contact my private com channel, which is now saved to your call list. It has been my honor to serve you and your son Thomas.”

Jol bowed again, and blinked out as the recording ended. Thomas copied the bow. “Jol went bye-bye. Bye-bye, Jol.”

“Bye-bye, Jol,” Iris echoed. She had the urge to play the message again, just so she could look at the handsome Kalquorian.

She shook her head at herself. Okay, so he was handsome. He and his Imdiko. And they were incredibly kind. But they were still Kalquorians, and she needed to keep her distance from now on. Most Earthers, though not as ready to dislike their hosts as Hoover seemed to be, would still not approve of her spending so much time with the aliens. If the E.I.K. took notice, that would be even worse.

Iris wondered what Governor Hoover and Father Stephen would think if they knew Jol had spent his morning fixing things around Iris’ homestead. She could just imagine the fireworks if they found out she and Thomas had been in the Temple of Life for several hours to boot.

* * * *

The end of the workday had arrived. Ospar walked down the halls of the administration building towards Jol’s office. He said goodbye to his staff as they departed, his smile easy. It had been a good day. Any day Governor Hoover didn’t contact him with the usual litany of complaints was a blessing in Ospar’s view.

The funny thing was, he could understand Hoover chafing under Kalquorian rule. He understood it because Ospar knew full well he would be doing the same thing were their roles reversed. Ospar had once been described by Rivek as ‘the most Dramok of all the Dramoks’. He truly despised not being in absolute control over anything he deemed his purview. Experience was quickly teaching Ospar that Hoover was an incredibly dominant personality as well. Not only that, but the Earther was easily insulted by the least slight.

Understanding or not, the fact remained that Haven Colony was in Empire space and under Kalquorian protection. That meant give and take was required from both sides, but Ospar and Hoover were both ill-suited for compromise. Rivek would no doubt remind his Dramok that the challenge to work with someone almost completely opposed to him was a gift.

Not dealing with Hoover today was an even better gift, and Ospar’s mood was positively sunny because of it.

He neared Jol’s office, which was next to his. His protective Nobek liked to be close to him, a holdover from when he was employed as Ospar’s personal bodyguard way back before they had clanned.

Right out of training camp, Jol had been heavily recruited by Kalquor’s Global Security force as well as the Royal Guard which protected the Imperial Family. He’d elected to work in the private sector instead, which had led to him and Ospar meeting and eventually clanning. When Ospar thought of how fiercely they’d butted heads in those early days, he couldn’t help but chuckle. At one time, he would have said it was more likely one would kill the other, rather than becoming lifemates.

Jol’s door was open, as usual. The stern but patient Nobek welcomed anyone who needed his help to come in at any time. When Ospar walked in, his clanmate was frowning over vid reports. He didn’t immediately acknowledge the Dramok’s entrance, but Ospar knew Jol was well aware of his arrival. The head of security missed nothing.

Ospar couldn’t resist poking fun. “My always efficient Nobek is behind in his work? I must note this day down.”

Jol cocked an eyebrow as he closed down two readouts and tapped new information into the still-activated one. “I spent a great deal of time correcting Matara Iris’ problems. I am almost done catching up with today’s duties, however.”

Ospar perched on the edge of Jol’s desk. “Ah, the young lady with the broken heating. Was she glad to see you?”

“She wasn’t at home. She was making a call on our Imdiko.”

Ospar’s eyes widened. “Oh?”

“A most captivating woman.” Rivek’s robes rustled as he walked in. The agreeable aroma of musky scentwood wafted from their folds. He had a food container in one long-fingered hand. “Utterly fascinating. I can’t wait to try this pie.”

Jol glared at the Imdiko with narrowed eyes. “My pie?”

Rivek’s disapproving look was muted by the amusement in his eyes. “‘Sharing of riches makes you a richer man.’”

The Nobek couldn’t restrain a good-humored smile. “And no doubt that just as I’ve kept Iris and her child warm, you have fed her soul with teachings. Therefore, you are due a share.”

“I like the way you think.”

Ospar looked from one to the other of the chuckling pair. “Would my clanmates mind including me in this conversation?”

Rivek handed the food container to Jol. “Matara Iris has no access to this building or our home, and therefore, no access to Jol. Believing his kindnesses required a reward, she made him a pie and asked me to deliver it. She was embarrassed that she could not do more to show her gratitude, Jol.”

Jol opened the container to peer inside. He took an appreciative sniff. “Her gratitude was not required, but I am not one to turn down food. Especially when it smells this good.”

Ospar leaned close to get a whiff of the offering. Light and tart scents made his mouth water. “A generous gesture, considering you said she doesn’t have much to share.”

“Then you won’t mind that I disobeyed you and fixed her snow blower.”