Alveric
04-13-2012, 03:29 PM
I wrote this just today, so it's still a little rough.
The verbal jousting continued for a few more minutes. Finally, the Rii official stood up to leave.
“May I ask of you one question?” he said.
“Yes,” I replied.
“What would lead an ambitious young officer to marry a genetic abomination?”
I frowned. “You wouldn’t understand, but I will consider your words and keep them close to my heart, until we meet again.” Then heaven help you, you son of a bitch!
As soon as he left, I jumped up and quietly wedged the chair under the door-latch. I looked back at Ari, her head was bowed.
“That was a nasty Parthian shot, and entirely unnecessary.”
She raised her head. She was smiling, but there was sadness in her eyes. “It was a calculated cruelty, intended to demoralize me. They may be bigots, but unfortunately they’re not fools, they know who the real ambassador is.”
I sat next to her and she leaned her head on my shoulder. “I’ve heard the like before, even on ‘enlightened’ Terra. Did you know that my father represented Syrenka in the Imperial Senate? I was still a child when I was first brought to Terra. I loved it. I swam all her seas, but what I really loved was the hills and mountains. Syrenka has no mountains, at least none above the Ocean surface. The Himalayas took my breath away. I wanted to climb them. I’m certain a way could have been found to do it, but Mother would have none of it. I did get to roll in snow once, in Mishigun Ithink the country was called.
Most people were nice, but occasionally we would hear the words ‘anathema’ or ‘abomination’thrown at us; all because my people were genetically engineered, thousands ofyears ago. I still knew, despite this, that Terra/Earth was our original home, the seas just felt right, the fish tasted right, the air smelt right. I knew I belonged there as much as I belong to Syrenka. I know, and no one can convince me otherwise, that I am human.”
I put my arm around her. “It never occurred to me to think anything else,” I said. “You know, I’ve never been to Terra.”
“I thought you said you were Welsh.”
“By ancestry, yes. I was born and grew up on Caledon.”
“Caledon, that’s a Centauri world, isn’t it?”
“Yes, several of my classmates were Centaurs.”
“Is that where you get your open-mindedness toward Chimerae?”
“Hardly. ‘Taurs tend to be pretty wild. Many aren’t nearly so attached to their humanity as you. ”
“Really.”
“I remember the Fleetwynde brothers. They used to get in all sorts of mischief. One time, we…”
“We?”
“Uh, yes, we.”
“Strait-laced Lieutenant Rhodri Morgan Imperial Navy? You got into mischief with some Centaurs? I’ve gotta hear this!”
“I was a kid. This was way before the IN.”
“Still, you have to tell me.”
“Don’t know if I should,” I teased, “though I’m sure the statute of limitations has tolled by now.”
“Tell me! Tell me!” she bounced on her tail.
“I promise I will, but I need to work up the nerve first!” Shouldn’t we be planning our escape?
Yeah, sure. She rolled her eyes.
Should we do it now, or do you think we should rest first?
Now. I never could sleep well in captivity. Besides, you’ve just had a nap.
Our first problem is that guy on the other side of the door.
Let me handle him. She deftly bounced herself into her chair. But take one of these, just in case. She pushed a small button hidden under the hoverchair’s cushion. A small panel opened next to the armrest. Inside were two large caliber handguns with four spare magazines.
Damn! I took one, hefted it and stuck it in my jacket; along with two of the magazines. Pretty handy, that chair.
Yes, it’s not just for hauling my tail around. She stuffed the other under her sash. Now, about that guard. Clear that chair outof the way and stand behind the door.
I grinned, Yes, ma’am! and did as she asked.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and began to sing softly.
Alas! My Love, ye do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
And I have loved you for so long
Delighting in thy company
It was an ancient song in an ancient tongue. At first I didn’t recognize it. In any case, I was soon totally enraptured.
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves
The latch clicked,and the door slowly opened. The guard, a tall man with shaggy-blonde hair, stepped in and propped his rifle against the wall.
Alas! My Love, that ye should own
A heart of wanton vanity.
So I must meditate alone
Upon thine insincerity
Ari smiled at theguard. The guard smiled back. I smacked him on the back of his head with the gun barrel.
“That was beautiful, my sweet! Well worth a whack on the head!” I said, then drug the inert Rii behind the bed. “You’ll have to sing to me like that someday.”
“Oh I promise Iwill!” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“I hope you kept track of the way out of here. I was ‘napping’ you see.”
“Of course.”
The verbal jousting continued for a few more minutes. Finally, the Rii official stood up to leave.
“May I ask of you one question?” he said.
“Yes,” I replied.
“What would lead an ambitious young officer to marry a genetic abomination?”
I frowned. “You wouldn’t understand, but I will consider your words and keep them close to my heart, until we meet again.” Then heaven help you, you son of a bitch!
As soon as he left, I jumped up and quietly wedged the chair under the door-latch. I looked back at Ari, her head was bowed.
“That was a nasty Parthian shot, and entirely unnecessary.”
She raised her head. She was smiling, but there was sadness in her eyes. “It was a calculated cruelty, intended to demoralize me. They may be bigots, but unfortunately they’re not fools, they know who the real ambassador is.”
I sat next to her and she leaned her head on my shoulder. “I’ve heard the like before, even on ‘enlightened’ Terra. Did you know that my father represented Syrenka in the Imperial Senate? I was still a child when I was first brought to Terra. I loved it. I swam all her seas, but what I really loved was the hills and mountains. Syrenka has no mountains, at least none above the Ocean surface. The Himalayas took my breath away. I wanted to climb them. I’m certain a way could have been found to do it, but Mother would have none of it. I did get to roll in snow once, in Mishigun Ithink the country was called.
Most people were nice, but occasionally we would hear the words ‘anathema’ or ‘abomination’thrown at us; all because my people were genetically engineered, thousands ofyears ago. I still knew, despite this, that Terra/Earth was our original home, the seas just felt right, the fish tasted right, the air smelt right. I knew I belonged there as much as I belong to Syrenka. I know, and no one can convince me otherwise, that I am human.”
I put my arm around her. “It never occurred to me to think anything else,” I said. “You know, I’ve never been to Terra.”
“I thought you said you were Welsh.”
“By ancestry, yes. I was born and grew up on Caledon.”
“Caledon, that’s a Centauri world, isn’t it?”
“Yes, several of my classmates were Centaurs.”
“Is that where you get your open-mindedness toward Chimerae?”
“Hardly. ‘Taurs tend to be pretty wild. Many aren’t nearly so attached to their humanity as you. ”
“Really.”
“I remember the Fleetwynde brothers. They used to get in all sorts of mischief. One time, we…”
“We?”
“Uh, yes, we.”
“Strait-laced Lieutenant Rhodri Morgan Imperial Navy? You got into mischief with some Centaurs? I’ve gotta hear this!”
“I was a kid. This was way before the IN.”
“Still, you have to tell me.”
“Don’t know if I should,” I teased, “though I’m sure the statute of limitations has tolled by now.”
“Tell me! Tell me!” she bounced on her tail.
“I promise I will, but I need to work up the nerve first!” Shouldn’t we be planning our escape?
Yeah, sure. She rolled her eyes.
Should we do it now, or do you think we should rest first?
Now. I never could sleep well in captivity. Besides, you’ve just had a nap.
Our first problem is that guy on the other side of the door.
Let me handle him. She deftly bounced herself into her chair. But take one of these, just in case. She pushed a small button hidden under the hoverchair’s cushion. A small panel opened next to the armrest. Inside were two large caliber handguns with four spare magazines.
Damn! I took one, hefted it and stuck it in my jacket; along with two of the magazines. Pretty handy, that chair.
Yes, it’s not just for hauling my tail around. She stuffed the other under her sash. Now, about that guard. Clear that chair outof the way and stand behind the door.
I grinned, Yes, ma’am! and did as she asked.
She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and began to sing softly.
Alas! My Love, ye do me wrong,
To cast me off discourteously.
And I have loved you for so long
Delighting in thy company
It was an ancient song in an ancient tongue. At first I didn’t recognize it. In any case, I was soon totally enraptured.
Greensleeves was all my joy
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves was my heart of gold
And who but my lady Greensleeves
The latch clicked,and the door slowly opened. The guard, a tall man with shaggy-blonde hair, stepped in and propped his rifle against the wall.
Alas! My Love, that ye should own
A heart of wanton vanity.
So I must meditate alone
Upon thine insincerity
Ari smiled at theguard. The guard smiled back. I smacked him on the back of his head with the gun barrel.
“That was beautiful, my sweet! Well worth a whack on the head!” I said, then drug the inert Rii behind the bed. “You’ll have to sing to me like that someday.”
“Oh I promise Iwill!” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“I hope you kept track of the way out of here. I was ‘napping’ you see.”
“Of course.”