Alien Refuge (28 page)

A muscle in Jol’s jaw twitched. “If anything happened to you and I was not there to prevent it, though—”

Ospar cut him off. “As Rivek might counsel,
if
is but an excuse to avoid what action we know is right. I would never hold you responsible for ill befalling me when you are seeing to those who need you more.” His eyes narrowed at his Nobek. “I would, however, hold you responsible should ill befall them while you play nursemaid to me.”

Jol’s shoulders relaxed and he grinned at the Dramok. “You have always been impossible to oversee. Even beating you bloody never had any effect on that.”

Ospar chuckled. Their earliest days together had been rife with private battles that had left both men often battered and bruised. Sometimes he actually missed those days when they had warred over Ospar’s youthful insistence of independence from a domineering Nobek’s protection.

He told Jol, “Someone has to keep you on your toes.”

“You have never failed in that, my Dramok.” Jol laughed affectionately at just how difficult Ospar had made it for the Nobek to keep him safe throughout the years.

* * * *

Haven’s church had been built for the colonists by the Kalquorians in a gesture of goodwill. Father Stephen had to admit the aliens had been most accommodating when it came to building the grand cathedral, which had a courtyard, a soaring spire, and a large golden dome. It was a perfect, if smaller, replica of the home Church, the true seat of Earth’s authority, which had been located in Washington, D.C.

The main chapel was a wonder of flowing design, the arches and buttresses too well rendered and visually pleasing to be mere architecture. Even the stunning murals that had decorated the walls of the original had been recreated, depicting the lives of Jesus, the always veiled Mohammed, and Moses.

There were many rooms off the main worship hall, none nearly as stunning. These were functional rooms meant for meetings, lessons, dinners, and the like. The colony church was the hub of the growing settlement for the Earthers who looked to their God and community as they made a new and often frightening start to life.

The members of the E.I.K. also used the church facilities for their meetings. The irony that the small group of protestors planned their demonstrations in the very church the Kalquorians had built for them was not lost on Father Stephen. He himself appreciated the efforts their hosts had put forth on the refugee Earthers’ behalf. However, the time had come for the Empire to let the Earthers forge their own path as they put their lives back together. The continued policing by Nobek Jol and his men, along with the condescending rules placed upon them by Governor Ospar, was reason enough to make the settlers angry. But it was the regular defection of young women to Kalquor that had spurred Governor Hoover and Father Stephen to form the E.I.K. Seeing one Earther female after another decide immoral sexual contact with aliens was no longer a sin had become an intolerable state of affairs.

Stephen and other members like Governor Hoover had been pleased to discover there were Kalquorians who wanted to separate the two races as much as the E.I.K. did. Ospar’s own aide Borl had become a tremendous ally, letting them know which resident clans had registered their new Earther Mataras and where Jol’s security was thinnest so that protests and warnings could be posted without anyone getting caught. It had been even more exciting to learn Borl was part of a Kalquorian rebellion against the Empire that demanded Earther women not be allowed to join clans. Borl had warned them the revolution was still in its infancy so there wouldn’t be much help for the E.I.K.’s cause, but knowing even Kalquorians wanted to stop the sinful mixing of species was much to be excited about.

Borl had the floor at tonight’s meeting, taking place in one of the three conference rooms. The tall Kalquorian, with another five likeminded Nobeks at his back, had brought the E.I.K. very disturbing news tonight. The information that Governor Ospar’s clan was actively pursuing a relationship with Iris Jenson, the too-vulnerable widow with her disabled child, was heartbreaking to Stephen. He genuinely liked Iris and sympathized with her lot in life. That things had reached a crisis point, spurring her to turn to Kalquorians for support instead of God, made his heart heavy.

I should have found a way to help her more,
he thought. But there were so many new colonists coming to Haven all the time who also needed help to start their lives. The Church’s resources were stretched thin since many families already in residence were looking more to better their own individual lots than to do their God-given duty of offering generosity. Armageddon had turned many Earthers into jealous hoarders. It seemed no amount of preaching ‘love thy neighbor’ could reach those who had lost everything once already.

Discovering Ospar had enticed Iris into a course that would prove disastrous for her immortal soul and perhaps Thomas’ was sorrowful enough to the priest. But the fact that she was not widowed after all, that she was still a married woman and living in the governor’s home with three men, had the members of the E.I.K. in an uproar.

“Pure harlotry,” Hoover declared, his lips curling in disgust. “It makes me want to bring back stoning. The woman has turned her back on God, Church, and us with such blatant disregard as to be unforgivable.”

Father Stephen had already objected to the ill-fated plan to kidnap Iris’ son to force her to stop seeing Ospar’s clan. He privately thanked God the attempt had failed. Despite everyone’s growing ire towards Iris Jenson, a.k.a. Mira Slade, he felt compelled to once more speak in her defense.

He told Hoover, “It’s not as bad as all that, George. No, I don’t approve of it if she is entertaining Governor Ospar’s clan in a lascivious manner. That sin surely must be addressed. However, she cannot be judged for cheating on her marriage if she is unaware of her husband’s survival.”

To his relief, Dramok Borl nodded. “She has no reason to believe he lived. My sources say it was because of a shuttle flight delay that Conrad Slade was not in Chicago when the city was destroyed. The chaos of the following weeks kept him from establishing contact with his family after that.”

Hoover was not a forgiving man. “She’s still carrying on with that overbearing Ospar and his homosexual lovers, however. You said there was proof of that, Dramok?”

Again, Borl nodded. “The house servants are whispering that Iris has been in the clan’s sleeping room with all three men for an extended time. That she spent last night in there with them.”

That set off another burst of anger from the Earthers. Blaine Middleton’s voice was loudest of all as he shouted, “She’s a whore! A Jezebel! I lost my right to pilot because of her and her retard kid!”

Stephen stiffened as if personally insulted. Thomas Jenson was a sweet and intelligent child. His differences were something to be met with compassion and understanding, not insults.

Iris was sinning. There was no doubt about that. Still, he worried that tempers were flaring a little too high.

Another colonist’s cry only increased his certainty that the E.I.K. was letting passion override good sense. “The next cross we burn should have her evil carcass tied to it!” yelled Dave Seifreid.

Stephen stopped himself from glaring at Dave, who was doing quite well with his herd of cattle but one of the most tightfisted when it came to donating to the church.

As the mutters and nods followed other similar calls, Father Stephen cast about for a way to calm them all down. Before he found the words that would bring his co-conspirators back to their senses, Borl spoke again.

The Kalquorian said with a half-smile that struck the priest as more than a little condescending, “Let’s look at the bigger picture, shall we? The Basma appreciates that despite our differences, both our sides want the same thing. The mixing of our species is against your beliefs and ours. He is certain that if we work together, we can stop this travesty.”

Hoover scowled. “But how?”

“Intimidation by burning crosses and ostracizing of those who refuse to see reason is a good start. However, it’s time to show the Empire you are serious about this. You must target those of your people who flaunt their disregard for the purity of our races.”

Father Stephen wasted no time responding to that. “Target how? I’m not going to approve of hurting people.”

Blaine gave him a black look. “Some people you just can’t save. Like that Jenson woman, or whatever her real name is.”

Keeping a hand on his temper, Stephen answered, “I prefer to see the sinners repent in time to save their souls. To find their way back to God.”

One of the Nobeks standing behind Borl sneered at him. “This is exactly why we don’t want our strong Kalquorian blood watered down by nervous Earthers.”

Borl shot him a glare. “Quiet. We are allies, and we will not devolve into petty insults against one another. Whatever benefits the revolution benefits us.”

To Father Stephen, he made his tone mild. “No one has said anything about harming your people, priest. But they haven’t been made nearly afraid enough. If we use stronger measures against one of our own clans to show the way, then perhaps you won’t quake so much.”

Hoover blinked. “Really? You’ll see fellow Kalquorians put to task?”

The Nobeks standing with Borl exchanged dark smiles. Whatever Borl was proposing, they already knew the particulars and seemed to look forward to it. Stephen’s insides curled to see those unmerciful expressions.

Borl looked every bit as anticipatory. “Indeed we will see those who would harm the Empire punished. Our target is Clan Amgar, which has taken up residence with one of your women.”

Hoover’s face lit with recognition. “Sara Jones.”

Sara was another woman Stephen hadn’t been able to help as much as he’d wanted. Guilt filled him, as well as terror for whatever Borl and his men had planned. “She has three young children. They were hit hard when their plot started to fail and forced to rely on charity. Amgar’s clan saved their crop as well as Sara’s life.”

Borl answered easily. “The woman and children will not be targeted. They will be safe, I assure you.” He grinned at the more agreeable Hoover. “This will be a joint venture, a clear signal to the Imperial Throne that the resistance comes from both sides. We will help you get close enough to their home to attack, and you will have the pleasure of giving Amgar’s clan your disapproval. Best of all, you will send a signal to Ospar himself. Amgar’s Imdiko is on his household staff.”

Father Stephen looked at his fellow E.I.K. members. Every face to a man was avid with enthusiasm. It made him feel sick inside. Sara and her children had already endured so much. Jesse Jones, Sara’s husband, had died soon after reaching Haven. Then the family’s crops had begun to fail because a very pregnant Sara and her two children didn’t have the experience to farm. Working on the co-op fields had been out of the question when the second oldest child fell ill during the growing season. Then the baby had come early, putting even more strain on poor Sara.

Amgar’s Imdiko, piloting his shuttle down the travel lane that ran next to Sara’s home, had been stopped by her son. The nearly hysterical child alerted Imdiko Utber that though emergency services were on their way, the baby was already in the process of being born. Utber had raced into the house to discover Sara on the floor, blood pouring from the birth canal. Utber made the emergency delivery of Sara’s baby and kept her from going into shock long enough for medics to save her life.

Alerted to the family’s struggle, his clan had swooped in, taking very good care of the four Joneses and salvaging their crops. Weeks later Sara joined the clan. The men adopted her three children as their own.

The blended family seemed happy and the children appeared to be thriving. That didn’t change the fact that the arrangement was a sin. A terrible sin. Father Stephen knew he couldn’t stand in the way of retribution for such, especially if Sara and the children were not to be harmed. Still, he couldn’t shake the terrible feeling he had about the coming attack.

He tried to console himself, though his heart cried against the plan as Borl outlined it. God’s judgment could be harsh. Stephen had to trust that this penance would balance the scales and Sara would repent her evil.

Chapter 9

Iris sat on the side of the guest room’s sleeping mat, reading to a sleepy Thomas from her handheld. The vid beaming over it showed a smiling blue engine rolling down a mountain. He stared at it beneath half-lidded eyes. Ospar, Jol, and Rivek stood at the foot of the bed, watching and listening as she finished the story.

“...I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could!”