Space Chronicles: The Last Human War (21 page)

“Sir, what are
the Heps up to now?” The general’s radioman was very young. General Tragge understood in the face of the first serious conflict the young soldier had experienced.

“
Heps are closing the net,” the general said. “I expected them to take out our satellites as soon as the 9
th
retreated. They’re trying to isolate us. They don’t understand that every time one of our satellites fails, we have a good idea where they are located. Call me as soon as the 9th exits the last asteroid belt. I’ll be in my office.”

General Tragge sat quietly staring at his wife’s picture. After a while, he spoke to her image.

“I’m glad you aren’t here to see this Ara-lyn. You so loved peace. This would break your heart. God, how I miss you.”

The
general’s head canted gently back onto his headrest. Despite being a lifelong military officer, he longed for the peaceful days that now seemed far in the past.

A small bird landed on the ledge of his window and sang happily in the late evening twilight.
He envied the creature’s oblivion to looming threats. His eyes closed.

“Shilgar, can I take my dolls?”

A small girl sat among several dozen
hand-crafted dolls, spread neatly around her.

“Do you have a favorite?”
Shilgar squatted to look more closely at her collection.

“Yes, I like this one. She looks like mommy. And, I like this one because she’s sweet.”

“Well, Bayal, you may take your two special dolls. We’ll put the rest back in your home. Some day, when you return, they will all be here to greet you.”

A man hurried up from behind.

“Shilgar, Shilgar! I heard the ship isn’t full. Can we take my father? I know he’s older than the profile, but he’s an excellent toolmaker. He’d be very useful on a new planet.”

“You heard correctly, Faba, and you are right about your father’s skill. Did you know he made my first scout knife and sling? I would be honored to have your father join us. Please extend the invitation to him, on my behalf, but hurry, we leave soon for the ship.”

“Thank you! He’ll be so happy.”

The young man scampered off to tell his father the good news.

Shilgar climbed a stairway carved into the rock wall at the back of the big cave. It led to the crier’s overlook. At the top, Haleb leaned against a hand-carved wood railing, carefully writing notes while studying people on the cave floor below.

“What’s our count, Haleb?”

“Less than six hundred, Shilgar. I have reports of a few stragglers caught in safe holes. They’ll resume their travels as soon as the Southern Sky Guard passes, but even if I include them, we still have only six hundred people.”

“What is our male to female ratio?”

“It’s a bit unbalanced to the female side, but there’s nothing more we can do about that now. There’s only one deep-hide close enough for people to reach us before we depart, and all of the willing young people in that hide are already here. Should we loosen our parameters to get more people on board?”

“I agree. We have space for four hundred more. I’ll give the general order. I hope Dr. Hadje hurries with those fertilized eggs.
Are you sure you won’t join us, Haleb? We could use your wisdom and organizational abilities in a new colony.”

“No,
my friend. I was born on Tanarac. I plan to spend my final days here, but I appreciate the offer. You’d better go to the tunnel entrance. Our people need to see you. Apprehension is becoming a problem for some, and I’m sure they’ll draw strength from your presence.”

Shilgar gripped the old man’s forearm in traditional salute. He marveled at the aged scout’s muscle tone. Both men knew this would probably be the last time they ever saw each other.

Without further discussion, he left the wooden deck. Soon, he stood in the entryway to the cave of The Wall, silhouetted by flickering light from inside where Kelly and Ammul busily lit torches to install along the tunnel path.

“Kelly, do you remember the way to The Wall?” Shilgar made small talk while they waited.

“I won’t have any trouble finding the ship again. You don’t drive a stripper plow without learning to memorize every path in a quarry.”

He
liked her confidence. She would have made a good scout.

“As soon as you’re ready,
” he instructed, “take some assistants and set up the torch trail. When you get to the ship, ask Simon how much longer it will be to begin loading. Our people tire of waiting.”

Kelly found it natural to take charge.

“Ammul, I’m going straight down to get the answer for Shilgar. Will you set up the torches?”

After Ammul agreed,
she headed down the tunnel. Travel passed quickly as she was excited to see her birthmate again. She wondered if Elders had told him about Adam’s decision.

A group of soon-to-be space travelers approached Shilgar at the cave entrance.

“Tai. Kayli,” he greeted them. “It’s wonderful to see you. I’m so glad you are joining us.”

Tai clutched Shilgar’s forearm but did not sustain the grip
for the usual scout duration. Instead, he tugged down the neck of his tunic with both hands, proudly revealing a single shiny black stone on a thin rawhide strap. Kayli broke into a shy grin and slipped her arm around him.

“Congratulations!
” Shilgar smiled. “I’m happy for you both of you. Have you set the date?”

“Well, we were kinda hopin
g you’d do the ceremony for us.” Tai anxiously watched his mentor, hoping for the right answer. “How about it? Maybe during the trip?”

“I’m afraid you and Kayli will be in stasis during the trip. Didn’t they tell you?”

“Yeah, but we were thinking maybe you’d do it on the ship, before they put us out. Please, it’d really mean a lot to us.”

“I’m sorry,
but there won’t be any time on the ship.” Shilgar thought a second. “What about right now? We have a time before the first group leaves for the ship. Are you prepared?”

The couple looked at each other
. The immediacy of his suggestion gave them momentary pause.

“W
hat do ya think, Kayli? You ready to be stuck with me for life?” Tai joked.

Kayli hesitated
and turned to look him straight in the eye. Her facial expression betrayed possible doubt.

“
You know I love you, Tai, but I’d rather wait until we get to our destination, just in case there’s a better catch for me there.”

Both men took her witty reply seriously and winced, but Kayli couldn’t keep a straight face. She broke into a wide grin, even before the men realized she was joking.

“Of course, silly! I love you. I’m ready.” She threw her arms around him.

Relieved, Shilgar shook his head at her mischief and called out to the nearby crowd
for an official record clerk. A young man carrying a heavy, leather-bound book stepped forward. The human leader then asked the closest people for witnesses to sign off on the marriage.

Several women, hearing talk of a wedding, converged on Kayli. They drew her into their midst and began fawning over her. Some wove dried flowers into her hair while others rifled through their own possessions, looking for a suitable dress for the ceremony. They formed a screening wall around her as she changed into clothes they provided.

The promise of a new marriage always brought vitality to the free human community, but under these special circumstances, a new coupling provided strong symbolism.

A
crowd grew quickly. Men formed the traditional circle of protection around Kayli. She stood alone in the open space, looking more beautiful than Tai could ever have imagined.

With linked arms, the circle of men walked slowly around her
, forming a barrier between Tai, on the outside, and Kayli inside. As was customary, the groom must find an opening through the barrier, and they would resist his efforts. Tradition held that he must force his way into the marriage circle.

Tai moved quickly from one man to another
, testing for weakness in their linked arms. None yielded. Finally, he dropped low and dove headlong beneath one of the arm barriers, rolling to a stop at Kayli’s feet. She turned her back to him and walked to the far side of the circle.

A hush came over the
raucous throng. One man stepped into the circle carrying a short length of rope. Tai stood and voluntarily allowed his wrists to be tied together. Then, he walked over to Kayli and circled her three times before stopping in front of her.

B
ound wrists were held out for Kayli to see. She returned to the center of the circle, and he followed. When she stopped, he approached her from behind, gently lifting his arms over her head and softly dropping them down until they rested around her waist. She leaned back against him, locked in his bound embrace, symbolically surrendering her freedom. They waited.

The crowd
parted for Shilgar and an opening broke in the ring of men. He approached the couple and stopped slightly to one side of Kayli. With a lightning fast flick of his hand, he snatched the black jewel from Tai’s throat.

T
he young man did not wince, despite a red rash left on his neck where the rawhide chafed as it ripped free. Shilgar removed the thong and held the black stone on his open palm before Kayli. When she nodded, he dropped the stone to the ground at her feet. The old scout stepped back one full pace. It was now up to Tai to initiate the commitment ritual.

“Kayli, I have come to you with my heart in bond
age. Will you release me?”

“Yes, Tai. I grant
you release from the promise of the black stone.”

She
produced a small knife from its hiding place in her waistband. It cut Tai’s wrist bindings, giving him the most precious of all human gifts, freedom.

“
You are free to walk in the sun,” she said.

Tai’s arms dropped to his sides as three short pieces of rope fell to the ground.

Shilgar spoke to the couple in a loud voice for the benefit of all in the crowd.

“Kayli, you have granted Tai his eternal freedom. Tai, your promise of the black stone is ended. Do you wish to turn away?”

“No. I offer my freedom to Kayli, if she will have me.”

She exhaled in relief
, having been worried Tai might succumb to his habitual sarcasm.

“Kayli,
” Shilgar continued, “will you accept Tai’s freedom, as your mate for life. Will you return his vow, bear his children, and share his trials?”

“Yes,
” she said with quivering voice. “I swear by the Promises of Johan Frumm.”

“Tai, will you share Kayli’s oath? Do you cherish her freedom above all else? Will you walk in the sun with Kayli, and no other, until your last days?”

“I will.”

Shilgar bent over to retrieve the b
lack stone at Kayli’s feet. He placed the jewel on his open palm and turned one full circle for all to see. Then, he positioned the Stone of Commitment onto Kayli’s waiting palm. She kissed the gleaming gem and slipped it into a tiny breast pocket, directly over her heart. Shilgar pulled two lace ends tight at the top of the pocket and tied them together, sealing the pouch. The fabric puckered at the top, and the stone produced an obvious lump below, a lump meant for all to see.

The Elder
circled the young couple slowly as he spoke to the people who stood in witness.

“I offer the newest union of free humans, Kaylian Wing and Tai Nastoff. Will anyone stand for this young couple?”

Numerous calls of approval rose from the crowd.

“Be there naysays, speak now or forever remain in darkness.”

Absolute silence held for the full minute as required by law. Shilgar completed his stroll around the couple, arriving back in front of Kayli just as the obligatory waiting time ended.

“Kaylian Wing and Tai Nastoff, you agreed before free humans to keep the vows of the Second Book. All who stand in witness to your promise will sign the Book of Time that records our unions. Please choose your married surname
. Do you choose Nastoff, or Wing?”

“Shilgar,
” Kayli spoke, “we ask you to grant us your family name, Abrahym.”

The unusual request caught
him off guard. Accepted practice was to assume the surname of either marriage partner’s family, but he could not think of anything in the Guiding Principles that might prohibit an alternate choice.

Shilgar’s chest expanded in both humility and pride.

“I would be honored for the two of you to share my family name. Please surrender, of your own free will, to the binding. Tai, you are first.”

The young scout
placed his arms around Kayli’s waist and a young woman from the crowd stepped forward to tie his wrists together with a bright red scarf.

“Kayli, please surrender of your own free will to the binding.”

She turned in Tai’s arms to face him. She looked up into his eyes and extended her arms around to his back, presenting her wrists for binding. A man stepped out of the crowd and tied her wrists with a bright blue scarf.

The young couple stared into each other’s eyes while Shilgar recited
the seven expectations of marriage from the Second Book of Free Humans. When he was done, he asked each of them for their promise to honor the conditions of marriage. They agreed.

“By the power of the Council of Elders, I, Shilgar Abrahym, present to all free humans, the binding of Kaylian and Tai
Abrahym. Scribe, enter this union in our permanent records. May you both walk in the sun.”

Loud
applause broke out as Shilgar uttered the last word. Kayli and Tai enjoyed a long kiss while single maidens rushed out of the throngs to fight for possession of the binding scarves. Lore promised that each maiden who succeeded in winning one of the two scarves, would be next to find true love.

Shilgar slipped away from the happy celebration. He welcomed the optimism it brought his people, but despite the nearby exuberance, he felt
a growing weight of his responsibilities. He looked forward to the excitement of this journey, but, at the same time, he wondered if his leadership would be sufficient for the challenges ahead.