My Life: An Ex-Quarterback's Adventures in the Galactic Empire (44 page)

With time, the custom became more elaborate, although the binge eating and drinking remained unchanged. In the modern empire, one day was the minimum time for the celebration. The greater the status of the family, the longer it went, but always around the clock. Instead of an open house, the family would set aside a special room. For multiday affairs, the family would customarily only attend from midevening until dawn, although guests could come by and help themselves at any time. For the son of Tyaromon, heir to a principal world of the empire, the celebration was done on the grand scale. Since two worlds were affected by the tie, technically the whole population of both was invited. This, of course, was impossible, but Tyaromon had opened celebration centers in all the principal cities of Kaaran to increase the number of inhabitants who could attend. The family, naturally, attended the one at the Residence, to which all the aristocracy and hangers-on flocked.

I was curious to see the room Tyaromon was going to use for this event. There were so many arriving guests, dignitaries from many worlds, delegates from most kvenningari and members of Kaaran’s upper crust, that I doubted any room, even in the Residence, would be able to hold them. As it turned out, there was none. What I had not appreciated from the outside was that the Residence was built around an open courtyard. That is, perhaps, a mild term to use for an area the size of the LA Coliseum, but the size of the surrounding residence made it seem relatively small. The builders of the Residence had taken advantage of a natural depression in the center of their building site. The structure rose from the higher ground around the declivity so that you walked out the door and down a gentle slope. The courtyard was covered with native Kaaran grass, which was a little bluer than I was used to and had broad stubby blades. The engineers had run a little brook through the courtyard and created a small pond near the center. The willow-like trees I had seen at Haranyi’s cottage grew around the pond, and others with multicolored leaves dotted the courtyard. The initial impression was reminiscent of a fall scene on Earth, but I soon found that the orange leaves were every bit as fresh as the green ones. Quite possibly, many of the trees were not native to Kaaran. It didn’t seem reasonable for the courtyard to be open to the weather, but the sky was clear and I could see no evidence of support for a roof, transparent or retractable.

There were tables laden with all sorts of food and drink. There were, almost certainly, intoxicants other than alcohol as well. Despite the number of people in the area, the acoustics were such that only nearby conversation was audible. Many of the younger, and some of the not-so-young guests, were visibly intoxicated. One was a young Srihani who lay on his back, only a few feet from one of the tables, warbling at the sky. Another had fallen into the pond and was imploring his friends to pull him out and save him. The water where he stood was only hip deep, so they sat on the bank and laughed themselves silly. If there was a drunk on the ground in your path, you stepped over him. If one was toppling over next to you, either you caught him or stepped out of the way to let him fall. No one seemed to care.

In all that diversity there were only Srihani—not a single member of any other species. I also saw none of the plain gray and black uniforms of the Fleet. I wondered about those absences, but Jaenna I knew, was more concerned with someone who should have been there. Valaria. We made two quick circuits of the courtyard, then cut across the middle and neither saw him nor anyone who had. By custom, Valaria, like the rest of the immediate family, should have been there each night. Jaenna could think of no good reason for his absence and, given the political importance of the event and the additional mystery around Norboh, she could think of many bad ones. Spotting her father, she went off to see if he had any explanation. Since I had no desire to see Tyaromon again that day, I was left to fend for myself.

A party where there was an endless supply of food and drink and complete license to indulge in both should have been made to order for me. These were not, unfortunately, normal circumstances. Maybe I was just allergic to the Inner Empire, but all those power games going on just out of sight made me uneasy and spoiled my appetite.

I was standing innocently (I swear) holding a drink when I was accosted by one of the ladies. She came right over to me, took hold of my right biceps, and asked, “Are you Captain Danny a Troy?”

One quick glance and I had to take a longer look. She was nearly six feet tall, somewhere on the border between plump and stout, but the weight was well distributed. Michelangelo would have approved even if Madison Avenue would not. Broad, rounded hips tapered to a waist that was not thin but still gave a good contrast to the hips. Her lower stomach showed a softly padded bulge which then tucked up smoothly under her chest. Her breasts, oh Lord! A man could easily lose his way and smother in that bosom. All of this was revealingly covered by a gown that differed from Jaenna’s only by the many jewels which were attached to it. Her face, when I levered my eyes up that high, was fair-skinned, with pleasant features and blond hair.

This was, in fact, one of Jaenna’s older sisters, Couloura by name. I noticed that she didn’t claim an ancestor. Looking at her, I could understand Jaenna’s sense of inferiority if local taste indeed ran to this sort of figure. For myself, I preferred Jaenna, but I could certainly see that Couloura was attractive in her own way.

My next surprise came right after the introductions. We had scarcely exchanged names and I listened to her say, “Have you tried the Komorralani liquor, Captain Danny?” when she propositioned me. Now, pro football has as many groupies as the rock bands and most of them go for the quarterbacks (hey, we get the headlines), so I was familiar with the situation. What surprised me was the heat I felt rise in my cheeks and my inability to find a ready response. I assume the blush and lockjaw resulted from an internal conflict between my body and whatever excuse for a conscience I have. I may have been horny, but I didn’t want to go to bed with Jaenna’s sister. Lord knows, I didn’t want to be
caught
going to bed with Jaenna’s sister. With some difficulty, I managed to stammer out a polite refusal.

“Why not?” she demanded. There was a sneer, I think, on her face. “I can’t believe that you’re satisfied with the Little Gray Wraith.”

At first, I thought I had run into a peculiar idiom, so I asked her what that was. It was a mistake. It just gave Couloura another chance to sound off.

“My little runt sister is what that is. She goes around like a lump in that gray shroud of hers; you could mistake her for the laundry. I’d bet my future children that she hasn’t ever had any and probably wouldn’t know what it was if it dangled in her face. All she’s ever done is tag after Valaria like one of the household pets and if he’d been smarter, he’d have kicked her away a long time ago instead of having to put up with all this talk that he actually listens to her. Of course,” she said coyly, “maybe she’s going to turn out to be of some use after all. Sooner or later, Valaria will want your scalp and, when he does, she’ll give it to him. She’ll do whatever our dear brother wants and that includes betraying her own captain.” Couloura smiled at the expression on my face. “You are still just a freebooter in the empire, Captain Danny, and an indulgence is just that. You’ll make a good prize for Valaria, mark my words, and Jaenna will hand you to him on a plate.”

I wanted to choke. This had started as a come-on, but Couloura seemed to lose her composure when I turned her down. What had come next was pure jealousy and sibling rivalry. At least, I did not think those comments about Jaenna were intended as an enticement. Probably, Couloura had not intended to say all that, because she tried to rectify the situation.

“Never mind about all that politics,” she said, “it’s not important. Politics is always maybes for tomorrow. What I can do for you tonight, though,
that
is important. Don’t you want to find out?”

I truly did not. Right then, all I wanted to do was run.

It was Haranyi who saved me. I’m not sure whether it was intentional. All I know is that when I looked away from Couloura hoping to find an escape route, I saw Haranyi standing not ten feet away. Our eyes made contact and he walked over as though he had read my mind. His arrival interrupted Couloura’s attack although, I think, she was loath to give up on me. A succession of expressions crossed her face, ending in resignation. She wasn’t going to intrude on Haranyi. When she was out of earshot, I gave him my thanks.

That brought an amused smile to his face. “I would think,” he said, “that you would be prepared for such, if you were truly not interested.”

“Why do you say that?” I replied. For once in my life, I was completely innocent. I assumed that Haranyi had divined my past history, even if he hadn’t quite read my mind.

His smile broadened a bit. “Come now, Captain, what did you expect? You are a rare bit of exotica from the Outer Empire, and a celebrity to boot. I imagine a line would form at your bedside even if you were quadriplegic and impotent. Well, maybe not then.” His lips twitched. “Certainly, you wouldn’t expect Couloura to believe Jaenna had you to herself, not without trying to do something about it.”

I sighed. The mechanics were as old as civilization on Earth, too. Maybe older. I just had never seen it done so blatantly. “I guess I just don’t understand the Inner Empire very well,” I said.

“‘Not at all’ would be closer,” Haranyi commented. He saw me stiffen and said, “I meant no offense. It’s the truth though.”

“Maybe.” I repeated to him the rest of what Couloura had said. If it had an impact on Haranyi his face never showed it.

“Well, Couloura has never had any use for Jaenna, as I am sure you gathered, and you should consider that in your analysis,” he said. “Your safe conduct has the force of an Imperial order and I can’t, at the moment, think of why Valaria would disregard it. Still,” he continued, “it would not be unheard of, although it would not be well thought of, and Jaenna is his sister.” That was not the answer I was hoping to receive.

When I was silent, Haranyi asked, “Perhaps there are other things I should tell you?”

It occurred to me that I might be driving an undeserved wedge between the heir to Kaaran and his military commander. Then I wondered if Couloura had intended that. Maybe I was becoming paranoid about Imperial machinations. Regardless, I welcomed the chance to change the topic. “Just one other,” I said.

“Very well.”

“Why is she the way she is?”

“What?”

“I asked ‘why’? You helped train her, did the lion’s share from what I’ve seen. Why is she the way she is? It’s like there are two Jaennas, one who has barely outgrown her stuffed doll and the other who is happiest in a fight. I know she wants to fit in here, but I wonder if she fits in anywhere but on a freebooter anymore.”

“Why does that concern you?”

“She commands my Strike Force,” I replied.

Haranyi actually smiled again. “That is a good reason.” Then he asked, “She’s good under fire?”

“Terrific.”

“I thought she would be, but there’s no way of really knowing in advance.”

I felt that choking sensation again. “You did all that just to see if she could be made to fight well?”

“No, of course not.” Haranyi apparently considered the question absurd, but I didn’t think it was. After a moment, he seemed to appreciate my reaction. “I was merely curious about it. The full story is quite long.”

“Shorten it.”

“Very well. Jerny or Norboh could probably explain it better but Jerny is dead and Norboh is, well, I don’t know.” He sighed. “I had my units complete another close search of the capital area, just to be sure. That is why I came here late. Anyway, do you understand what is meant by ‘raising a child in arms’?”

“No.”

“Ah.” He cleared his throat, then let out a long sigh before proceeding. “Over the many centuries since the Fleet last really enforced the peace between kvenningari, most worlds have built up their own strength. It became the custom for at least one child of a ruler to be raised in the military from early childhood. It did not have to be the heir, although it frequently was. A ruler in the empire must be able to command troops as well as civilians and must survive long enough to do either. The last few generations have seen that custom erode. Tyaromon himself is, at best, halfway trained. It shows in what he can and cannot do. Valaria had no interest whatever in the military, other than enjoying the way he looked in uniform.” He paused and shook his head sadly. “He did the minimum possible. Please do not underestimate him for this,” he said looking at me carefully, “Valaria is very sophisticated politically.

“Anyway, this was the situation I had, and then I got to know Jaenna. There was a child with an aptitude for war! She took to it better than any I have seen, and I have seen many, but it could only be a part of her life, not all of it. Her upbringing was a mixture of soft and hard, which may answer your question. She had the talent for a military career and I trained her for it as best I could under the circumstances. I’m pleased that it was not in vain. I’ve hoped all along that Valaria will be flexible enough to see beyond custom and, bluntly, I’ve hoped that the training would help Jaenna survive here because I could see that she would never fit the role that was set for her.”

“I suppose that much is true,” I said. I wasn’t satisfied, but it was the best I was able to do. After several more drinks I retreated to my bed, alone.

I was logy the next morning; my body didn’t want to move. This was only partially the result of what I had drunk the night before. I had fallen victim to a vicious case of jet lag. In a way, it was inevitable. All ships and stations run on Standard Time, sixteen hours to the day, sixty-four minutes to the hour and sixty-four seconds to the minute. In space, this is set arbitrarily and once set, the crew aboard any vessel adapts to its schedule. Docking at a station poses no problem, either, since services there are continuous, you can go by ship time for eating and sleeping. The conventions for standard time don’t work as well on a planet as on ships and stations. Each sun rises and sets at a rate that doesn’t conform to Standard, and everyone else is on local time.