Spirit of Empire 4: Sky Knights (42 page)

“At the moment its a horror story: bloody and scary and dangerous every second of every day. People die all around you, including your friends. There’s disease and starvation, bed bugs, it’s too hot, too cold, or just plain rainy with no escape from it, the food is lousy, and we’re their only hope. The locals fear us but they hang on to our every word. Then, Havlock or Atiana or Galborae finds you and gives you a pat on the back. That makes everything worthwhile.”

His eyes took on a far away look, his mind going back to Tranxte, then he returned to Graylee’s home and Graylee. “You can’t come now, it’s too dangerous, but after we’ve dealt with the gleasons it will be better: just dusty and dirty, hot or cold or rainy with no way to avoid it, bed bugs, lousy food, and kings and queens fighting over every scrap we give them.”

“I barely know you.”

“I know,” he said, nodding. “You can’t come for me. If you come, it has to be for yourself.” He stood up, and she stood up with him. “Did you like your work with the colony?”

“I loved it.”

“I know conditions there had to be bad, or maybe I should say primitive. Tranxte is pretty primitive, too, but that’s just a small part of the challenge. Once the gleasons are gone, we have to guide a whole civilization through its emergence. Governor Havlock is determined to make them work for it. He wants them to come out on the other end as whatever they choose to be, not what we’ve made them into. For that to happen they need people like you who are sensitive and smart.”

“You’re talking about a whole different skill set than what I needed with the colony.”

“No, I’m not. I’m talking about an additional skill set, and you already have it. You’ll still get your chance to build things and to teach, you just have to be clever and not give away the store. It’ll seem like baby steps to you, it’s like that for all of us, and that’s exactly how it has to stay, one baby step at a time.”

He stepped away from her and went to the window, a window that was really a screen, to stare out at the sun setting over the spaceport. When he turned back to her, he gestured toward the city outside. “It’ll be like turning your colony into that, but it will take a lot longer and require a lot more patience. The locals will be doing the work with the least amount of guidance we can give them. I’m supposed to lead the process, but I don’t know what baby steps to give them. Will you help me? If you say yes, I’ll guarantee you a seat at our meetings with the governor.”

She turned away from him with her eyes staring into the distance. When she turned back, she walked across the room and joined him at the screen. “You’re describing something completely different than the colony. What if it doesn’t work? What if I don’t work out.”

“I’ll get you a free ride back.” He took both of her hands in his own, her nearness making it almost impossible for him to focus on Tranxte. “I’m just asking you to think about it. Will you?”

She pulled his hands around her waist and reached her own arms around his neck. “Of course I will. Your words tantalize and frighten at the same time.”

He nodded, though a grin had found its way to his face at her clear indication of interest. “Yup, that about summarizes Tranxte.”

She leaned away from him without letting go and looked at him with accusing eyes. “Some tryst you turned out to be. Are you still hungry?”

“I’m always hungry.”

“Why did I know you’d say that?”

“You dare to talk down to the Teacher?”

“A teacher who doesn’t know how to teach.”

He leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers. “Show me the way, Graylee. I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t regret it.”

“How long do I have to decide?”

He looked off into the distance. “A couple of years, maybe more. Actually, probably more. It’s too dangerous right now. I hope you don’t forget about us by then.”

“Maybe you should return from time to time to remind me.”

“Maybe I will.”

The house announced a visitor. She frowned, looking into his eyes and starting to brush her lips across his again, then she changed her mind. She took his face in her hands and pressed her body to his as their lips found each other.

When they came up for air, she whispered with that throaty voice of hers, “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.
”
She went to the door and opened it to Inspector Loren.

“Will you accept a visitor, Ms. Rodjiks?”

He stepped aside as Graylee leaned forward to look, but she didn’t get far. A Great Cat thrust his face into hers. She stepped back in alarm when Borg brushed past her without a word. He prowled his way through the house, taking Hawke into consideration without any visible indication, then returned to the door.

“Clear,” he announced.

Atiana stepped into the doorway. “May I come in?” she asked.

Graylee blinked away her amazement and waved an arm invitingly as her mind shifted gears. “Please, Your Majesty.”

“I’m so sorry to intrude,” Atiana apologized as she entered. She went to the main room and stopped in surprise at the sight of Hawke. She recovered quickly, her eyes betraying her amusement. Since the two of them had stood side by side against gleasons, there was no need for secrets between them.

“Escorting her home, eh?”

Graylee came to Hawke’s rescue. “Slightly more than that, Your Majesty. He’s trying to recruit me.”

“Really! Have you succeeded?
”
she asked Hawke with lifted eyebrows.

“I . . . uh . . . almost,
”
he said, his freckled face reddening.

Graylee came to his rescue again, taking Atiana by the arm and leading her to the couch. “He’s persuasive, Your Majesty.”

Atiana acknowledged the offer to sit but remained standing, her focus totally on Graylee. “Maybe I can provide additional persuasion.”

Graylee’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “Your Majesty?”

Atiana’s lips firmed as she tilted her head to the side. “It’s time for us to dispense with titles and get down to work. I’m Atiana.”

“Yes, Your Majesty . . . Atiana.”

Atiana turned to Hawke. “What’s your argument?”

“I’m good at what I’m doing, but I’m a soldier. I need a real teacher to take me into the future, to take Tranxte into the future.”

Atiana nodded and turned back to Graylee. “He’s right. So do I.”

“Your Majesty?”

“Sit down, Graylee.” Atiana paused, looked around at Graylee’s home, and blushed. “Sorry. Will you sit down, please, and hear me out?”

Graylee went for the chair and sat with her back ramrod straight.

Atiana sat on lip of the couch opposite her and leaned forward with her hands in her lap. “I’m from an emerging world. I’m uneducated by your standards, and I don’t speak your language. If you haven’t figured it out already, I’m also in love with Governor Havlock. His job, once he’s dealt with the gleasons, is to bring Tranxte through its emergence. He’s relying on me to help. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

Graylee nodded. “I think so, yes.”

“I have a lot of learning to do, which means I need someone to teach me. What I really need is a big sister I can lean on and learn from and bounce ideas off of. You were just that to me yesterday and all day today. I know it’s asking a lot, but I felt a connection. I get the feeling you might like to be that person.”

Tears suddenly filled Graylee’s eyes to overflowing. Hawke knelt down beside her chair and reached up, wiping the tears away with callused thumbs. She looked down at him, remembered everything he’d said to her, and the flow increased.

“Hey,” he said softly. “We’re your friends. There’s nothing to cry about.”

Graylee lifted blurry eyes to Atiana. “I have no family, and I’ve always wanted a sister. But a queen?”

Atiana stood up, smiling. “I’m a queen, Graylee, but I’m also a person, a person who’s asking for your help. A person who’s asking to be your friend.”

“Friends don’t always make the best teachers.”

“Nor do sisters, but we’re better than that.”

“You see where I live. I have no idea how to survive on Tranxte.”

“Teaching can work both ways.”

Hawke interrupted. “Only after we’ve dealt with the gleasons. It’s too dangerous for her right now.”

Atiana chewed her lip while she considered. She had never not been a warrior, but Hawke was right—Graylee was not a warrior. She needed civilization, not a war zone.

She nodded. “Agreed. I’ll wait, but not overly long.” She looked to Hawke. “It just means you’ll have to do double duty. I’m going to claim all your free time. I will do whatever it takes to make my arrangement with Gar work.”

“What arrangement is that?” he asked with a grin.

“Well . . .” she said, shifting uncomfortably, “nothing’s formalized.”

He nodded his understanding. “I’ll be there for you, Atiana. So will Gar.”

Atiana stared at him. Her glance strayed to Graylee, then back to him. She lifted an eyebrow as a signal to him and said
,
“Kori has Milae in hand, but what about Galborae? Who’s going to teach him?”

Hawke sensed her motive. “What about all the other knights and kings and queens and farmers and craftsmen?” he continued her line of thought
.
“They’re just going to have to wait, I suppose. There aren’t enough of me.”

“And the children. Don’t forget the children.”

Graylee put her hands to her ears and stood up. “Stop!” she demanded. “Are you really trying to shame me into coming?” She looked accusingly at Hawke. “What happened to ‘don’t come for me, come for yourself?’”

“Guilty as charged,” Hawke said, though his expression only reinforced his seriousness.

Atiana did not let Graylee off as easily. “Just as long as you comprehend the size of our problem.”

“Do you, Your Majesty? You’re talking about whole school systems, planetary school systems. Before long you’ll need universities. You might even have to send people off world for advanced learning. Your builders have to be led through all the engineering and development stuff, the basic sciences and mathematics, the list goes on and on.”

“What’s a school system?” Atiana asked.

Graylee did a double-take, then broke out into laughter. “Okay, okay,” she said. “Did you plan this out in advance?” She looked to Hawke. “I thought there was at least some personal interest.”

He stared into her eyes, his look convincing her he meant what he said. “There’s a lot more than some.”

Their gazes locked, and Graylee actually started leaning toward Hawke, her arm starting to reach out, when Atiana broke into their reverie. “I don’t know what you just said.”

Graylee dropped her arm as she turned back to Atiana. “I was talking about schools, Your Majesty.”

Atiana studied this woman who she had, as amazing as it was, grown to love during a single day. Her eyes went to the ceiling in contemplation, then she focused her gaze back on Graylee. “You met Sir Galborae.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“There are, at present, six of us attempting to lead Tranxte through its emergence. He’s one of them. He can count as high as he has fingers. I’m much better educated and understand the concept of hundreds and thousands. Both of us wonder why people on the bottom of our world don’t fall off. Neither of us has the slightest concept of what a light-year is, and neither of us has the slightest idea how you manage to light rooms without candles. What’s a school system?”

Graylee blanched and stepped over to lean on the nearest chair for support. She turned and looked accusingly at Hawke. “Might you have left out a few things?”

He shook his head. “Seen through your eyes, it’s like I don’t even know what questions to ask. Help us, Graylee.”

The door announced another visitor. “I’ll get it,” Borg growled.

It was Inspector Loren again, but this time he stood stiffly. “You have another visitor,” he said.

He stepped back to allow another Great Cat to speak with Borg, then the cats traded places. Otis padded into the home, looked around, then sat and stared at Graylee. A silence grew, and Otis glanced toward Hawke who had jumped to his feet.

“Uh, Graylee, may I introduce Sir Otis, Knight of the Realm?” He went to one knee. Atiana stood and followed his example.

Graylee stared at everyone in confusion.

Otis shook his great mane and sat at attention. “Ms. Rodjiks, I can save all of us a lot of bowing if you’ll let me get this over with. I am the Queen’s personal Protector. May I introduce her?”

Ellie stepped into the room, dressed not for a state visit but in her normal working pants and blouse. It took Graylee a moment to recognize her, but when she did, her eyes darted to Hawke in alarm. Ellie recognized the look and stepped forward to take her arm. She led a dazed Graylee to the couch and sat down beside her.

Atiana and Hawke stood, both of them dazed as well.

“Your Majesty?” Atiana queried Ellie.

“I’m sorry if I intruded,” Ellie said. “This is a personal visit, nothing official.” She looked into Graylee’s eyes and decided the woman was coming around. “My apologies for barging in like this, Ms. Rodjiks. When I announce visits, things get too complicated. I’m not here to frighten you. I’m a friend, not your enemy.”