Dark Horse (8 page)

He started to cry almost immediately, and she looked down at him in exasperation. “Gyp, give me two minutes. Please.” She flicked a glance at Rose, and Rose smiled at her.

She frowned. “What are you in here for? Anything contagious?”

Rose shook her head. “General tests,” she said over the crying. She held out her arms, and with a nod of gratitude, the woman handed over the child and approached Havak.

Rose had missed holding babies.

Her sister had just had a little girl two months before Rose had been snatched, and while this little boy was obviously older than her niece by about six months, Rose enjoyed the feel of him in her arms. He was strong and big. “Youʼre much lighter than you look, kid,” she told him.

Her voice seemed to have an effect on him, because he stopped crying immediately and frowned up at her. She grinned back.

“I donʼt know what they feed you Grih, but you look like youʼll be growing up as big and tall as everyone else around here.”

He made a sound, a sort of cooing, and she smiled again. “Okay, how about a song? Iʼm pretty sure you donʼt know this one.” She switched to English and launched into Row, Row, Row, Your Boat, rocking him a little as she sang.

His gaze seemed absolutely riveted to her face, his pointy little ears totally adorable, and she cuddled him closer. “Guess some things cross all boundaries, huh?”

“Rose.” There was a strange tone to Jallanʼs voice, and Rose raised her head, saw everyone standing in a semi-circle around her, the woman who had handed her the baby looking white-faced.

“You want him back?” Rose asked, half-lifting him toward her, and she gave a sharp nod, took him carefully.

As soon as he left Roseʼs arms he started crying again.

No one spoke for a beat.

“Did I do something wrong?” Rose asked eventually.

“No.” Havak cleared his throat. “This is my associate, Dr. Revil, and her son, Gyp. She didnʼt realize you were the orange Captain Jallan brought back, because of your physical similarities to us, and it was a small shock to her to realize she had handed her baby to an unknown sentient life-form.”

Put like that . . . Rose gave a nod. “Sorry if I caused you any worry.”

Dr. Revil nuzzled Gypʼs head. “My apologies for my reaction. Although, when you sang to him, I knew I had nothing to fear. You honor him with such a blessing.”

“Well, blessing is stretching it. But I think he enjoyed it.”

Havak narrowed his eyes. “If you werenʼt blessing him, what were you doing?”

“Just having fun. Soothing him.” Rose tilted her head, taking in their blank expressions.

“Your people sing for fun?” Jallan looked from her to Filavantri.

“So they are like the Bukari in that way,” Filavantri said, with a half-smile. “Only her songs seem to bring pleasure to your ear, whereas ours . . .”

Jallan actually shuddered. “How many music-makers like you are there on your planet? I thought you said you were a linguist.”

She stiffened at the accusing note in his voice. “Everyone on my planet is capable of singing, except those who have a throat condition or have hurt themselves.”

“Everyone?” Revil breathed.

“Well, there are varying levels of proficiency, obviously.”

“And where are you ranked on those levels?” Jallanʼs eyes were hot as they focused on her.

“There are worse than me, a lot worse,” Rose shrugged. “But there are a lot of people better than me by far. The best of them make a living from singing, because we enjoy listening to music a lot.”

“You do not sing professionally?” Havak asked.

Rose shook her head. “I sing in the university . . .” She frowned, realized she didnʼt know the Grih word for choir. Perhaps they didnʼt have one. “I sing with a group of people who work with me at the university for fun, and I sing in the shower, or along to songs over the . . . comms . . . in my . . . personal movement vehicle. Thatʼs the extent of it.” Sheʼd thought her Grih was better than this, but how very interesting, linguistically speaking, if they simply didnʼt have words for choir and radio. “Do you think I have a shot at a professional singing gig with the Grih?” It was a joke and she expected everyone to laugh.

They didnʼt.

Jallan cleared his throat. “Rose, the song you just sang ʽfor funʼ to Dr. Revilʼs child is the most beautiful music any of us has ever heard.”

“
W
hereʼs the orange
?” Farso Lothric came to attention as Dav stepped onto the command center deck.

Dav studied him. His gut reaction was to slap Lothric down. There was an edge to his question, a slight sneer on his face, and Dav couldnʼt think of one good reason for it to be there.

His scrutiny made Lothric blink, and then look away, but there was still a surliness to his mouth, and Dav glanced down, found his hands in fists, all the better to adjust Lothricʼs attitude.

He forced himself to take a deep breath and realized Filavantri Dimitara, who had accompanied him from the med-chamber, was just as affected. She seemed to vibrate where she stood by his side.

“We do not to use the term ʽorangeʼ when referring to unknown sentient life-forms.” Her voice rose into the range so difficult for Grih ears to bear, and noticing his wince, she lowered her voice to a furious whisper. “And certainly not in that tone.”

Lothric flicked a glance at her, and then made eye contact with Dav, as if expecting him to tell Dimitara she had no right to tell his crew what to do.

Dav stared back.

Lothricʼs behavior toward Dimitara since sheʼd been assigned to the
Barrist
a month ago bordered on antagonistic, and Dav still hadnʼt worked out why.

Lothric had been assigned to him because heʼd worked as the aide to the Rear Admiral overseeing the Grih space fleet station on the main Garmman home world and all officers-in-training needed deep-space time as well as time at headquarters or diplomatic outposts to advance.

Garmma was one of the five members of the United Council, and Lothric had been rubbing shoulders with members of the United Council Administration and officers like Dimitara since nearly the start of his career. His hostility didnʼt make sense, especially as Dav had casually asked both of them separately if theyʼd ever met, and the answer had been no.

The Grih believed in the UC, in its laws, and unlike some of the other species that made up the five member groups of the UC, the Bukari and the Grih were on good personal terms. They had nothing to fear from a UC representative like Dimitara, and in fact, Dav was glad sheʼd been on the
Barrist
to witness what had happened with the Tecran. There could be no claims of a cover-up here.

They could have had a Tecran officer instead of the reasonable, intelligent Bukarian, and wouldnʼt that have been fun in the current circumstances?

“Rose is in her room, resting.” He kept his tone mild. “But I agree with Liaison Officer Dimitara, we do not call her an orange, behind her back or otherwise.” Heʼd done it himself, of course, but heʼd apologized, and still felt a faint flush of shame at the thought of it.

“Dr. Havak did, as well. To her face.” Dimitara turned to him, eyes narrowed. “I trust you will speak to him also, Captain?”

“I will.”

Rose hadnʼt looked particularly upset when Havak had called her an orange, but there was definitely the taint of something pejorative about it. Rose would pick it up sooner or later, and he planned to nip it in the bud now.

“Any response from Battle Center?” The two battleships theyʼd requested as back-up still hadnʼt arrived, but Dav hoped to have received some word.

Lothric shook his head.

“Borji has something.” Borjiʼs second, Hista, looked up from her console.

Dav strode across to her.

“Our signalʼs being jammed by the Class 5.” She tapped the screen in front of her, and Borji came online from the Class 5ʼs command center.

“Itʼs been coded in, just like the air and power shut-off.” Borji looked at his handheld and then back up. “Set for twelve hours. So thereʼs at least five hours to go.”

Dav crouched to look him in the eye. “Can you rewrite the code?”

“Itʼs theoretically possible, but getting in to that part of the system is proving difficult.”

Dav turned and looked briefly at the large screen display of the Class 5, hovering in space beside them. “So youʼre not in control of it?”

Borji tilted his hand from side to side. “Sort of yes, sort of no. Weʼre in the air and power supply, the shipʼs steering controls and shields. We arenʼt in the weapons system and we arenʼt in the comms system.”

Dav didnʼt like it. At all. “Can you see when the code shutting off our communications was initiated?”

Borji nodded. “Three seconds after we light jumped into this area.”

“They were waiting for us.” Dav spoke quietly, but everyone on the command center heard him.

“Who, though, sir?” Hista asked. “Not the Tecran, unless they gave us one of their Class 5s and killed almost all their crew for some long-term strategy.”

“Thatʼs the problem.” Dav looked back at the Class 5. “I just donʼt know.”

He turned to Borji. “And do we really have the Class 5? Or does it have us?”

S
he was hungry and thirsty
.

It occurred to Rose that she hadnʼt had anything to eat since this morning, when she and Sazo had engineered their escape. Sheʼd drunk some water on the explorer craft, but that had been hours ago.

It was night now, and she was parched.

Sheʼd barely started searching the comfortable room sheʼd been given to see if there was something to drink, when there was a faint chime and a light flashed.

She guessed someone was out there, asking for entry, so she pressed the button next to the door and took a step back.

It was Dr. Havak.

“My apologies, Rose, but Iʼve completed my tests, and I have a few questions.”

Rose looked at him, and felt the thump of a dehydration headache gaining traction, knew her hands were shaking with hunger. It was as if being out of danger, and away from the med-chamber, she was finally catching up on the signals her body was sending her.

She hated the tears that flooded her eyes, hated them. She tried not to blink. “Iʼm sorry, but I really need something to drink, first. And something to eat, if thatʼs possible.”

Havak reared back. “What have you had since Captain Jallan found you on Harmon?”

“Nothing.” She found the calm within, something she was getting better and better at. “Iʼm used to going without food from when I was with the Tecran, but I really need some water.”

Havak opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again, and she realized she was looking at an enraged Grih. His nostrils were flared, his eyes wide. Sheʼd become adept at watching for the signs of anger since sheʼd been taken.

He lifted a hand and tapped at his ear. “Captain Jallan.” He spoke clearly, as if to a computer, in order to be connected, and after a few seconds, tapped his ear again. “Is there a reason Rose has been given nothing to drink or eat since you found her? I was looking at her blood work and it indicated dehydration and hunger to me, so I came to ask her. It seems sheʼs used to this treatment from the Tecran, but they apparently did give her water.”

The last sentence was said with a deep sarcasm, and he closed his eyes for what Rose guessed was Jallanʼs response.

“The Tecran did feed me, but I couldnʼt always bring myself to eat it,” Rose corrected, quietly.

Havakʼs eyes snapped open. “I stand corrected. Rose says the Tecran always fed her, she just wasnʼt able to eat everything they gave her. Still, the thought was there, hmm?”

He turned his back on Rose abruptly, and faced the cool milky green and blue wall of the passageway. It reminded Rose of pictures sheʼd seen of high waves from Hawaii. Havak jammed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. He was slightly shorter than Jallan in height, and instead of the black tipped with silver-gray of Jallanʼs hair, his was a dark brown tipped with auburn.

“Agreed.” He tapped his ear again and when he turned back, his face was more impassive. “Liaison Officer Dimitara will bring some food for you from the dining room, and I will show you how to get something to drink inside your chambers. Iʼm assuming the guards who brought you here didnʼt give you a tour?”

She shook her head. “Thatʼs probably my fault for having a meltdown all over them in your med-chamber. They couldnʼt get away fast enough.”

“If theyʼre unsettled by a little emotion, perhaps being in the Grih guard is the wrong career path for them.” Havak stepped into her room for the first time, looked around. “At least Jallan gave you decent quarters.” He strode to a wall that had a ring of light embedded in it, touched the center with his finger, and two doors slid back, one on either side, to reveal a circular recessed cabinet. “Here is the tap to purified water from the main tanks.” Havak pulled out a cup that was nestled in a secure holder, demonstrated how to use it and then held it out.

Rose took a sip. It tasted strange. Not like the water she was used to, and different again from the Tecran water sheʼd drunk on the Class 5. Over time, sheʼd get used to this water, too. It almost hurt to swallow, she was so thirsty, and she tried to drink slowly. She held out the cup for more when she was done.

“You try it.” Havak took a step back.

She saw it was all straightforward, although it would have taken her some time to find the cabinet at all without Havakʼs help.

“There are hot drinks you can make here, too.” While she was sipping at her second cup, Havak showed her the two different hot drinks she could make. The words he used had no Earth equivalent, and she decided that trying them could be an adventure for another day.

“Do you know if they have sent up my things, so I can take a shower?” She looked around the room more critically now, with her headache receding and with the knowledge of how the cabinet worked. “Is there a shower here?”

Havak pointed, and she saw the room wasnʼt square. In the far corner the wall came across at an angle.

She walked to it, studied it, and finally saw the small ring of light to one side. Touched her fingers to it.

Large doors slid open to reveal a neat bathroom, with toilet, shower and basin. The walls were made of a deep blue and green glass-like material, much bolder than the passageway.

“Nice,” she said.

“You seem very comfortable with our technology. Youʼve grasped it very quickly.” Havak was looking at her like Kila had on Harmon. Like she was all his Christmases come at once.

She quirked her lips. “We donʼt have the same level of technology as you, but some things donʼt change all that much. If they work, they work whether you can light jump or whether you canʼt. And quite a few things we donʼt have, weʼve already imagined. So it isnʼt as if I canʼt extrapolate.”

Havak frowned. “What do you mean, youʼve already imagined?”

“In stories.” Rose shrugged. “Weʼve imagined far-off planets, space travel, light jumps, other alien species. Iʼve seen the alien abduction movies, read the sci-fi novels and bought the t-shirt, so to speak.”

Havak stared at her.

The light over her door trilled, and Rose went to open it.

Filavantri Dimitara stood in the doorway with a tray of food, and Rose stepped back to let her in.

“You can see who it is before you open the door by looking here.” Havak showed her how to screen her visitors by first checking the lens feed from above her door.

“There are lenses along all the passageways?” she asked.

He shook his head. “Only outside personal living areas and in sensitive areas of the ship, like storerooms, the armory and the command center. We fought a war hundreds of years ago, where our own lens feed was used against us. Because of that, and because of our belief in individual privacy, only areas which are security concerns have lens feed now. Itʼs part of our law.”

“And in this bedroom?” She asked because she thought they might feel justified in watching her because she was a potential danger to them, but both Havak and Filavantri drew themselves up in shock.

“No.”

Filavantri cast a slightly hostile look at Havak. “Despite your treatment so far, Rose, the Grih usually conduct themselves in full compliance with the Sentient Beings Agreement. That includes the right to privacy.”

“I havenʼt been treated badly so far,” Rose said to her. “I could have asked sooner for food or drink, but I was too stressed and overwhelmed. Itʼs no oneʼs fault but my own.”

Havak rubbed his forehead. “Saying things like that just makes it all the worse.” He watched Filavantri put down the tray on a small dining table to one side of the bed. “Iʼll leave if you wish, but would you mind if I stayed to see which foods you like? And it would be good if I am here in case you have a reaction to something.”

Filavantri obviously wanted him gone, Rose could see from the way she huffed out a breath, but she didnʼt say anything.

Heʼd been angry on her behalf, had helped her. Rose couldnʼt think of a way to tell him or Filavantri sheʼd like them both to leave and give her a few minutes peace without sounding churlish, so she gave a nod.

Havak drew out a chair for her, and she saw he unclipped it from the floor by tipping it to release a catch.

“Everything is either in holders or clips in case the ship has to perform extreme maneuvers, is that right?”

Havak nodded. “Light jumps can be a little wild sometimes, and if we ever engage in battle, then we donʼt want furniture and crockery flying around.”