CARNAL, The Beast Who Loved Me (23 page)

Free grinned. “Exploiting? Is that what the young women of Farsuitwail say after they’ve begged for cock from my single males?” The mayor looked uncertain, opened his mouth as if to respond, but decided to keep his thoughts on the matter to himself. “Let’s set that aside for a moment. Getting back to secret studies. What are you teaching, exactly, and where?”

“Our goal is twofold. To eventually recreate the technology that the Rautt destroyed. Eliminating the terror under which we’ve been living is the biggest part of that, but it’s not all for military purposes. Uh, self-defense. Some of it is about restoring quality of living. Many of our people don’t even remember how it was before.”

“Before the hybrids you created broke free and turned things around, you mean?”

The mayor’s jaw set when he realized he’d talked himself into a trap of condemnation. “Yes. That is what I mean.”

“And the first phase of your plan, the part about eliminating terror, was that to be directed strictly toward Rautt? Or toward us as well?”

Comstock’s face went stark. He looked
deathly
afraid. Rosie couldn’t find it in herself to feel sorry for him after witnessing some of what the Exiled had been through in the process of protecting the good people of Farsuitwail. She hated that she’d guessed correctly about what the humans were up to.

“You have to understand,” the mayor began, “too many of us draw little or no distinction between your people and Rautt. They believe that hybrids, all hybrids, are a threat to humans. Given the fact that we barely survived genocide…”

“Your response to ‘barely surviving genocide’ might have been more noble.” Turning toward Rosie, Free said, “Seems you were right. We’re lucky that someone with knowledge of humans is sympathetic to Exiled. I was ill-prepared for this, but have learned a valuable lesson. You may speak.”

Rosie looked at the mayor and said, “We need to know everything about your plan. Have you reconstructed weaponry capable of wiping out the Rautt?”

The mayor hesitated, then said, “Yes. We’re in the final stages.”

“So you’ve cultivated a new crop of scientists and technicians?”

“Yes.”

Rosie looked at Free. “Might we ask the mayor to step out into the hall for a few minutes. While we confer?”

Free’s brow crinkled slightly, but he turned to Comstock. “Mr. Mayor, if you please.” Clash moved toward the door. “Make sure he stays close by and make sure he speaks to no one.” Clash nodded as he ushered the man out and closed the door.

“You have suggestions?” Free asked.

“I do. First thing on the agenda. We need those among you who have aptitude for such things to spend time here learning everything they know. That’s the
best
way to keep Exiled safe. Second, you need to move here.”

“What?”

“As long as you’re separated by distance, you’re going to be ‘other’ and ‘other’ usually means enemy to humans. Move here so that your daily activities coincide with humans, so that they can’t leave their homes without seeing you do the same. When they go to the market, they find Exiled shopping in the market. When they go to the park, they find Exiled in the park. Intermingle with them. Your children and human children should be educated together.” Free’s brow wrinkled at that. “Third, I highly recommend intermarrying.”

His head jerked upward as anger fired in his eyes. “Force us to marry?”

“No. Of course not. I don’t think force will be necessary. Exiled are having four boys for every girl from what I’ve seen. That means you have a
lot
of single males.” She couldn’t resist a glance at Carnal when she said that and saw that she held his focused and unwavering attention. “Some of them would rather be spending their nights in the comfort of a home shared with a wife and children than at the Commons.”

Free looked at Carnal. “If our males were interested in mating with human females, why haven’t they?”

Rosie couldn’t resist rolling her eyes. “Do you think the cultural climate in Newland would have been accepting of that idea? The prejudice doesn’t go just one way.”

Free cocked his head, appearing to consider that. “You’re saying that mating with humans would be the natural outcome of making it acceptable.”

“Yes.”

“What about what the mayor said about human males resenting the attentions, and obvious preference, that their women give us?”

Rosie sighed. “So the math isn’t going to render a perfect one on one match up. Nothing’s ideal. But when the day comes that a sufficient number of humans have grandchildren who are half hybrid, they will die to protect them.”

Free nodded. “A powerful argument.”

“Thank you.”

“Also a very hard sell.” Again, Free looked at Carnal. “There are Exiled, like myself, who remember. Our hearts are hardened toward humans and I’m not sure anything can change that. Living among them, so close to them. It would be difficult.”

“What about me?”

Carnal gave her a questioning look. With her eyes, Rosie reminded him not to reveal that she was less human than the hybrids. He blinked a couple of times, but his eyes said that what was between them was private.

“What about you?” Free asked.

“I’m living in your house, eating at your table. You even left me in charge of your children when you marshalled for the alarm. Now you’re asking for my counsel and, hopefully, trusting me enough to take advice about how best to protect Exiled now and in the future. That should prove to you that living together, not just peacefully, but with the same goals in mind, is possible.”

Free sat back and regarded her carefully. “Maybe. Does that cap your list of suggestions?”

“For now.”

Free motioned toward the door and said to Yellow, “Bring him back in.”

When the mayor was once again sitting at the head of the table, Free said, “You need to expect and prepare for some changes. The first order of business will be an inspection of your training and weapons facilities. I will conduct this inspection personally. After I’ve had a chance to review, you and I will be having further discussions about the relationship between hybrids and humans going forward.”

“I see. And when will you…?”

“Right now.”

“Right now,” the mayor repeated, looking stunned.

“In the past I’ve blindly trusted that you valued us for the service we’ve given you, that you were grateful for the lives lost and injuries sustained on your behalf, that our children who’ve been orphaned while their parents were killed protecting you meant something to you. My false presumptions have been stripped away and now I see things more clearly. Therefore, you will not be given the opportunity to conspire against us and hide plans for our ultimate destruction.

“Carnal, you stay.” Free looked over his shoulder. “Have Clash and Yellow return to Newland and bring enough people to hold the occupants of this building here while we take a tour with Mayor Comstock. I also require Serene, Cage, Thorn, Sky, and Breaker to accompany us on our discovery expedition.”

Carnal nodded toward Clash and Yellow. Rosie noted that Free was careful not to give direct orders to Carnal’s crew, but sent his wishes down the chain of command via Carnal. Rosie saw that Free’s care with being respectful was part of what had made him a good leader.

“Well,” Free turned toward the mayor. “What do you have to eat while we wait?”

Since the Exiled were accustomed to drills that prepared them to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, it was less than an hour before the five additions to Free’s entourage filed into the room. While Exiled were rounding up everyone in City Hall and securing the exits, Free motioned to Rosie to rise and follow him to the other end of the room.

“These are the people who could help me convince Exiled to go along with your plan. If convincing can be done, that is.” Rosie looked back at the group. She knew Serene was there because of her role in education and also because it didn’t take brilliance to figure out that she’d been both mate and advisor to Free. Rosie had seen as much while living in their household. As to the four others, they were peers of Free’s whom she knew from the Commons. When Carnal had talked about his father’s confidantes, she surmised that these were the people he’d meant.

Clash entered, crossed the room to Carnal and said something to him. Carnal acknowledged it and walked toward them. He stopped a few feet away, but Free motioned for him to come closer and speak.

“The building and its occupants are secure, Extant.”

The new arrivals were barely able to contain their curiosity as to why they’d been brought to Farsuitwail and, moreover, why a coup appeared to be underway without their foreknowledge.

Free spoke to them. “In summary, our guest’s,” he looked toward Rosie in clarification, “suppositions that the humans might have plans against the hybrids that occupy this world, including us, have been proven to be true.” Free’s inner circle exchanged looks as scowls and frowns formed on their faces. “They’ve been secretly seeking to recreate the technology that powered their industry and lifestyles before destruction by the Rautt. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate everyone in this world who is not human.”

Ten pairs of eyes turned to look at the mayor, who was appearing to grow queasy again.

“I’ve brought you here because our first step is to construct an overview of their plan, the education process, the facilities, what they’re doing, where, why, and how. What I require from you today is to help me with information gathering. At the end of the day, we will take what we’ve learned back to Newland and meet to confer on how best to proceed.”

Lines had formed between Serene’s brow that Rosie had never seen before. Free’s inner circle apparently shared his initial disbelief that the very people they’d sacrificed so much to protect were conspiring to exterminate them like pests. That disbelief was quickly replaced by anger that threatened to strip them of control, a trait they prized above all others.

Free looked at Comstock. “Is everything we need to see within walking distance of this building?”

“The library, education outlets, and labs are within a couple of miles. The foundry and munitions plant are at a distance and will require transportation.”

“Let’s begin with what can be seen on foot,” Free said.

As they filed out of the conference room, Rosie saw that Exiled had herded all the City Hall staff and the visitors who were unfortunate enough to be in the building at the time of the takeover, into the foyer. They were sitting together on the floor in the center looking distressed and uncertain. She waited for a couple of others to pass so that she could get Free’s attention. He leaned over so that she could speak quietly.

“Those people don’t know what’s going on. They’re scared and their imaginations are trying to fill in the blanks. It’s not a good way to begin the possibility of a future alliance.”

Free nodded at Rosie before calling out to Carnal. “Keep the mayor here. We’re going to have a word with these people.”

While Carnal had heard his father’s directive perfectly, the mayor had heard nothing. Carnal’s large hand enclosed the man’s bicep, pulled him out of line, and told him to go stand by Free.

Free looked over the group of about sixty individuals.

One of the men spoke up, clearly wanting to distance himself from whatever was going on. “I’m only here for a permit.”

Free ignored him and spoke to the group. “Your mayor is taking us for a tour of your schools. Because our visit is top secret, we can’t afford to allow word of this to get out before we’re ready to make a joint announcement.” Free looked at Comstock, who nodded a confirmation on cue. “If you simply wait out this inconvenience, no harm will come of this. You’ll be detained for a short while and then will go about your business. If you need to use facilities, one of us will accompany you.”

If Free’s entourage had asked all the questions that came to mind and waited for answers, the tour would have taken days, not hours. The mayor had resigned himself to cooperation long before they’d left City Hall. He took them first to some of the underground facilities where students with exceptional interest had been mentored and undertaken advanced studies. Naturally, personnel were surprised to look up and see a sizable group of hybrids entering a facility that was planned and designed to be kept secret from hybrids.