The Silence Within (The Young Ancients: Tiera) (8 page)

In the end they robbed the food shipment shamelessly and drank most of the water by the time they were in sight of land. They had to come in along the Southern coast and go slowly, as well as no more than a few feet off of the water, so that the Austran missile system wouldn't attack them. It didn't make sense to her, having a system to do that, when the only place on the planet that could have attacked from the air, until nearly a year before had been Austra itself, but it was there, she'd been told.

So, being a good pilot, Tiera eased the pink and blue craft toward the correct dock, and stopped in the water, about a hundred feet from it, which meant that the woman there in her white jumpsuit could see her and Collette. It took a bit of focus, but she made the craft smaller again, going slowly, and making furniture vanish and then the restroom. It took several minutes, but the lady watching them wasn't alone by the time it was done. In fact a goodly crowd had formed.

Opening a hole in the side, she called out, trying to sound happy.

"Hello! We have a produce shipment for The Royal Table, as well as some visitors from Noram. Real ones, I mean. I'm planning to see Denno Brown, since I have some gifts for him." She carefully didn't make it a question, and tried to smile through the whole thing.

"Land on the dock, please!" The lady called this back, a board in her hand with paper on it.

It took longer than it should have to get done, since the dock had to be cleared, but it was the same one that Timon always used, she was certain. It had a strange look to it, like pale stone had been pressed together to make it, but metal rods were set in it as well first, to hold it together. It was sturdy underfoot, she thought, since the Dock woman walked over easily enough when Tiera stopped.

"Sorry, I don't know you by sight. Are you from Noram?" She asked it with a bit of an eye roll, clearly indicating that she knew
that
, but that it had to be asked. The craft was a bit of a giveaway after all. She nearly sarcastically answered that she was from Tellerand, but didn't, just nodding, making it seem happy.

"Yes. I'm Conserina Lairdgren, Tiera Baker. We've actually met here before, with Tim and Tor? You might not remember, since you started squealing and trying to seduce my older brother almost instantly..." She smiled though and shook her head as the woman blushed. It wasn't an un-pretty thing, though the lady was kind of average looking, if in a fit way. "I was the one with the short black hair?"

That actually got the woman to chuckle a bit, as Tiera smoothed the fuzz on her head.

"I remember now. I
was
a bit distracted. So, who else do we have today, actual tourists you said?"

"Indeed. Just a day trip. We don't have paperwork. I can call Brown though, Timon lent me his device for it." Getting that out she showed the woman, who just nodded absently. "I... Do you want us to bring a guard from here around with us? So that..." She was thinking sabotage might be a fear, or attack, but the woman smiled as half a dozen hands went up, volunteering it seemed.

"So far that hasn't been needed, but perhaps a guide? Or not... I wouldn't trust this lot. Mainly dockies you know. That and people hanging on to see if Tim or Mark show up. This is a treat seeing new people, so, names?" She seemed suddenly far more professional and looked through the window at Gerent, who wasn't the closest person to her at all, but was the most eye catching.

"Gerent Lairdgren, ma'am." He added nothing else.

That meant he had to be prompted.

"Reason for visiting today?"

There was a pause and finally he looked down, embarrassed.

"Well, really, I was just kind of brought along to keep me out of the way I think. It might have been rude to leave me behind. I can't think of any other reason that I'd be included."

 The woman actually stopped and shook her head for a few moments, then smiled at him playfully.

"So... tourism?"

"Oh! Em... yes?" That seemed to be the right answer at least and she made a note of it.

The others went in turn, with Carol being asked who she was first and Maria last. She didn't stand on titles though or insist that the woman see to her before the others, which was a good bit less entitled than she might have been, had they been in their own land.

"Maria Ward. Countess Ward. I'm here visiting." She said it with a lilt to her voice that meant something the woman taking notes just couldn't get.

 Tiera knew that one though and translated, chuckling a bit.

"Again, just for the day. It's a Noram noble tradition,
visiting
. It means to drop in on people without forewarning, drinking all their best wine and sometimes even staying for weeks or months. We, however, need to be headed home before evening.
I
have school in the morning." It was just headed that way here, into morning, so she didn't know if the time schedule would mean much to the woman, but she just made a note of what was said.

"I should arrange with Tim to take me and my people over there someday. Can't afford the fee, I'm afraid. Maybe if the government chipped in? How many credits do you think it would run?" This was addressed to Tiera personally, which made sense, from the Austran perspective. It was her job after all, so of course she'd know the cost of it.

It actually made her realize something. This lady was a professional organizer of travel and commerce. She counted things and kept track of them. It was the kind of thing that their new Space Fleet would need, wasn't it?

"Have you considered joining the new Space Program? Tim's organizing it, and Alice Orange is in charge of it, but I think they mentioned a school being planned? You could teach us how to do what you do here. It would need to be done in a few different languages, but someone has to do it. Then you could probably get free travel wherever you want to go." Probably into space too, if she wanted to try it. That was fun.

The woman went silent for a good forty seconds and then looked around at the people capturing them with their image boxes. They were mainly devices like the one that Tiera still had in her hand.

"I'd love that, but I have a husband. He's a good sort, but his work is with computers, so that probably won't translate into something needed. I don't think he'd want me to be over there all alone like that."

Tiera nodded, after all, you stayed with your family, didn't you? It was a much bigger thing for her than for the woman in front of her, or so the rumor went, but it was a good enough reason.

"In that case... Why not come to one of our parties? Maria, you have things like that on occasion, don't you?" It was within her rights to start screaming then, or even trying to hit Tiera, which wouldn't work, thanks to various shields, but she smiled and moved closer to the window instead.

"That's a superb idea! Yes, I'll invite all of you to come and visit! When are you all free?" She actually looked into the crowd, smiling happily. "Tiera will come and get you for it and you can stay the night with me and my husband."

She nearly gave the Countess a dirty look, but realized that it was actually pretty fair of her to volunteer her, since she'd just been doing the same to her.

 Instead of growling, she chuckled a bit and forced a smile.

"Fair enough. Let's call it... a month from now? I'll come and take the first fifty or so people for it. I'll get with Denno to arrange who really get's to go, but..." She looked at the woman and tried to remember what Tim had called her the last time she'd come. "Henna and her people get to be first."

It wasn't a perfect plan, but Maria seemed excited about it, rather than upset. She even clapped a bit.

Then it was time for Tiera to call Brown, and see what the plan actually was. She didn't figure that he'd have a lot of time for her, since Tim was his favorite, but after Henna showed her how to make the device work right, looking impressed at the three names that showed on the little screen, the woman tapped Denno's name and then a button that made the unit buzz softly.

"Just hold that to your ear and speak normally." It was helpful instruction, but Tiera knew that one, having seen it in action before.

It rang for a while. Then there was a strange click, and a warm voice spoke directly into her ear.

"Hello? Tim?"

"No, sir, this is Tiera? Tim lent me his device for the day, so that I could make a delivery for him. To Alice Orange and you, as well as some produce for a restaurant." She didn't know if the man knew where the place was personally, but thought he did.

 "Oh? Excellent. Always good to see family. Can you find your way all right? I can come to you on the docks, if you wish." There was no weight to the words at all, but calling up the map in her head, Tiera figured she could get to places, easily enough.

"We could meet at the restaurant? I don't know if they're open right now, but I could use a bite to eat. If they aren't, then I'll probably have to raid their order again."

"We can do that. I'll call ahead and see if they're ready for us. See you there, in say, twenty minutes?"

That sounded too slow, but she had to go on the surface roads, which took time, given all their special rules.

It was actually more nerve wracking than she would have thought, driving in traffic. People gave her a lot of space, compared to what they gave each other, but they also kept pulling alongside her, trying to look into the craft for some reason. It meant that about half of them swerved very close to the vehicle, one actually bumping them. They didn't move at all, but the other craft, a low wheeled carriage that was painted a cheery red buckled slightly on the side. She had to find a place to pull over, so that she could make certain the other driver was well. She had a healing amulet on her, thankfully.

The man, who was about twenty, got out and seemed very sheepish.

"Sorry! Lost control there. All my fault. Should we exchange insurance?" He had to explain what that was then, and Tiera finally just smiled and gave him several gold coins instead, not having anything else at all.

"I don't know if that's enough? If it costs more, please let my Uncle know? Denno Brown? He'll get in touch with me and we'll make sure it's fixed."

The man shook his head slowly.

"I'm almost certain the fault is mine. I... owe
you
money for this, not the other way around. You're car seems fine. I didn't damage it, did it?"

"What? Oh, no, it's magical anyway, so it would fix itself instantly. That's not a problem. You're well however? You don't need a doctor or healing amulet?" She pulled hers and offered it to him, but he shook his head.

"Just a bump. I... Would you like to go out sometime? On a date I mean? I probably shouldn't ask, but you have to be old enough to drive, so..." The man wasn't very good looking, and had red pocks on his face, but not too many. She wondered if he were actually younger than he looked to her, but took his name and accepted the dinner proposal. He tried to give her his compact number, but she had to hand Tim's device to him, explaining that it wasn't hers so she might have to speak to her brother.

That got a wince.

"High barrier to entry then? Do you think he'll tell me to get stuffed if I try it?"

That got a soft chuckle from Collette who had come to see what the holdup was. She covered her mouth gently and shook her head.

"Not at all. I'd
definitely
set something up. Right now however, we have a meeting? I hate to be rude, pulling Tiera away from you like this, but do connect with Timon for this. I'll talk your cause up to him."

The man just seemed baffled, and they were late, which worked well enough, since there was no Denno Brown there yet either. A young man did come out however, and bowed to them all very properly, holding it until they exited the craft.

"Conserina Lairdgren?" He looked directly at Tiera, which got her to pull his face and name from her memory.

"Hello, Ken. It's good to see a familiar face. Do you work here too?" She knew that Carlos the chef did, but that was really all. She'd met him on the trip to Vagus and had even worked in his kitchen on the ship. That had been an experience. She'd thought herself a fairly decent hand there, but making food for her family was a very different job than working with him.

Ken gave her a friendly look.

"I do indeed. We can unload now, if you wish, the morning meal won't be served for about half an hour, if the rest of you would like to go and have a seat? The doorman will see you all in. Conserina Lairdgren and I can take this around to the back." He sounded pretty certain of himself, for all he looked to be about ten or so. He was really fifteen, which was a year older than she was, she remembered.

He also had a good plan.

The others walked to the front of the building, which was decorated to look like a tiny stone castle, and had a very ridiculous looking glowing sign in front. It was in purple and gold however, and looked cheery enough. For their part, Ken just had her rise up over the building and land in the back.

"That saves time and headaches. The lot design here is horrible. So, any news from Noram?"

She almost didn't tell him anything, since he was, or had been, a spy. Of course what
she
knew probably wasn't meant to be kept secret from his people, overly.