Treaty at Doona Read online

  “Because, Honored sir, you have power and influence here and on your own homeworld, and you are known for your sagacity in their use,” the Hayuman said in a low voice. “The arrival of these beasts complicates the equation that already exists between Hrruban and Hayuman and interrupts proceedings that have long been on the agenda. Should this be allowed to occur? And at this critical point? There is more to this than meets the eye. Admiral Barnstable and the captain beg a few moments to discuss their views with you. Nothing official, or binding, certainly. Merely a friendly chat.”

  “You interest me, Commandrrr,” Second said, his pupils narrowing. He stepped away from the Hayuman, restoring his breathing space. He found the commander almost more threatening than the Gringg. “Very well, so long as it is understood that this is only a small chat.”

  * * *

  Kelly Reeve fidgeted. When Todd and his party had departed to investigate the strange spaceship, Hrrestan’s assistant had addressed the remainder of the delegates left in the dining room.

  “Honorred frriends, we must postpone frrthrr deliberations until the others have retrrrned. We have zaken measurres to ensurre yrrr comfort while you are here, and we will keep you inforrrmed about the ship orbiting above us. Please do not dizcuss what you have hearrrd with anyone who does not have ze proprrr classificazhon. Securizy is vital.”

  The financier from Hrruba was the only one to voice a protest. “Our time is valuable. Zis interruption must not interferre with ourr negotiations,” he said.

  “We have not a choice,” his assistant replied. “We may not continue in ze absence of ze honorred Second Speaker and half our membrrrs.”

  Putting aside her nervousness, Kelly smiled at the Hrruban executive. “Perhaps you would care to return with me to my village? I would be delighted to make welcome one who is so invaluable to the High Council.”

  “Zank you, no. I will remain on ze Zreaty Island until ze Speaker returns. I have calls to make zo ze homewrrrld,” the banker said in cold, if polite, refusal. The delegates dispersed, muttering, to their guest quarters. Seeing she could nothing else to help, Kelly transported back to the Hrruban First Village, to Nrrna and the children.

  It was still early morning on this side of Doonarrala. Children, not yet summoned by the school bell, raced around the green of the sunlit common. Worried about Todd, Kelly forced herself to smile at the serene picture they made.

  “Mizzis Rrev,” a Hrruban youngster shouted. “Where are Alison and Alec? Zey will be late zo school! It iz almoz time!” A crowd of children carrying books and tapes ran past them, heading toward the Friendship Bridge.

  “They’re not coming today, Zhrrel,” Kelly said, fighting to keep from letting concern show on her face. “They’re at Mrrva’s, with me and Nrrna. Will you tell Hrromede I’ll call him to explain?”

  “Yes, Mizzis Rrev,” Zhrrel said, turning almost on his tail and racing for the bridge as the bell began to toll. “Aiee! I’m laze!”

  * * *

  Mrrva, lithe and graceful in spite of her sixty years, hurried to put Kelly at ease, and would not let her speak until they were all seated comfortably in the garden with hot morning drinks. Perhaps in spite of her importance as the head of Doonarrala medical services she prized her reputation as a genial hostess, and she was as fond of Kelly as she was of her son’s mate.

  Nrrna appeared in the doorway, with her two younger children in tow. She was a soft-furred female with pretty green eyes and pointed cheekbones that made her look very young.

  “Gelli, whateverrr is wrrrong?” she said in her soft voice.

  She held the children close while Kelly told as much as she could and still be discreet. Ourrh, only a year older than his newborn sister, silently watched the faces of the adults with no comprehension of what had upset those who loved and protected him. Solemnly, he nestled close to his mother’s chest and put one arm around the baby. Knowing that all the villages would have learned of the strange ship’s presence, Kelly could, and did, describe its awesome size and appearance.

  “Then they just piled into Ali Kiachif’s shuttle to go take a look at it. Sometimes, Todd Reeve is enough to drive a woman to mlada!” Kelly finished, letting righteous ire dissipate some of her inner fears. “But, best of all, the pair of them went off together, Nrrna. Just like always.”

  The estrangement between the two best friends over the matter of the spaceport had been of great concern to their wives, and other discerning friends. It had seemed incredible that any matter could have strained the deep bond shared by Todd and Hrriss. There had been tension even on the Double Bar Gemini Ranch, which Todd and Hrriss owned in partnership. Even the children had become aware of some stress between the two adult males, though for the most part they continued their games and running in and out of the two ranch houses as always.

  “If these aliens have brought about a reunion,” Mrrva said in Low Hrruban, “then they are thrice welcome in this house. So don’t fear, Gelli,” she added, patting Kelly’s knee, “Hrriss and Zodd are resourceful. And never more so than when they face a mutual challenge. I have earnestly wished to help, you know.” She tilted her head to gaze into Kelly’s eyes.

  “I know you have, Mrrva.” Kelly smiled and grasped the slender furred arm. “It’s just so utterly . . . weird that those two could ever find something to quarrel about.” She closed her lips then, for she had to be loyal to Todd’s principles even if, in her innermost thoughts, she didn’t see why he so disapproved of the spaceport. Trade would expand, and the Doonarrala economy would improve enormously. A spaceport would make it so much easier for everyone. “I just hope we don’t have to wait too long to hear what that infamous pair are up to now.” She brushed away a vagrant tear because they were once more up to something!

  “The most difficult part will be for you, waiting until they return! You are both welcome to stay here, since they must come through the village grid from the Zreaty Island.”

  “Thank you, Mrrva,” Kelly said. As long as Todd and Hrriss were together, perhaps they’d also find a way past this spaceport difficulty, too. “It’ll be like old times,” she added, making her smile as genuine as possible.

  Outside the house, she could hear the yells and hoots of her twins and Nrrna’s two oldest children. They were accustomed to their fathers jetting off on special trips or being involved in colony business at Treaty Island. As Kelly had also been busy with the Treaty Island business, she had left her pair with Nrrna and Mrrva in First Village. So, totally unconcerned and giving their all to this extra day of leisure, they raced around Mrrva’s front garden, playing out their notions of what was going on. Kelly sat on the stoop watching them, reassured by their carefree presence.

  Her twin children were tall for their eight Standard years, and skinny as a pair of saplings. Early muscular development and plenty of exercise gave Alec and Alison such innate grace of movement that they resembled a pair of young Hrrubans, hence their nickname, the Alley Cats. Alec had his mother’s red hair, but had inherited intense blue eyes from Todd. Alison was a more exotic combination, with shining black hair and eyes with golden, black-rimmed hazel irises. Except that they were obviously male and female, the twins’ faces were extraordinarily similar in feature and form, though Alison’s was slightly rounder than her brother’s. Often friends would remark on how glad they were that they had different color hair, for in a losing battle to keep their locks from being eternally tangled messes, Kelly had clipped both heads short.

  Also eight years old, Hrrana was slight and very shy like her mother, Nrrna. Hrrunival was a chunky six-year-old with wise eyes. He was the youngest of the four on the lawn, but tended to be the ringleader in games and feats of daring. The children had, of course, heard of the appearance of the strange spaceship in orbit.

  “Zoddandhrriss will burrrst into ze alien vesssel,” Hrrunival said, punctuating his phrases with zooming motions of his hands, “and drrrag out z
e aliens and say ‘What are you? Where do you come from?’ ” He was wild with excitement, dancing around on light toes. His elder sister, Hrrana, grabbed him by both ears to hold him still. He spat and batted at her.

  “Then they will find out everything there is to know about the aliens,” Alison said, calmly releasing Hrrunival from his sister’s grasp and fluffing up the fur between the offended aural appendages. The Hrruban boy’s eyes slitted pleasurably at Alison’s fussing, and he wrinkled his nose at Hrrana. Unconcerned, the female pirouetted and did a boneless somersault, to land lightly on her feet again.

  “And what happens then?” Kelly asked, distracted from her dark mood by the children’s fancies.

  “They’ll make friends with them,” Alec said, triumphantly spinning toward his mother, clapping his hands like cymbals, “like in the story where they brought all the Rralans together. Don’t you think that would be nice, Mommy?”

  “Yeah!” exclaimed Hrrunival.

  Kelly sighed. The story of how Doonarrala was founded had become almost a legend, with “Toddandhrriss” the boy heroes whose names were always spoken together until they became an indistinguishable mass of syllables. She hadn’t been born when that happened, but if Todd as a youngster was anything like eight-year-old Alec today, it was no mystery how he had insinuated, or rather, cannoned himself into the midst of a delicate situation that could have had disastrous repercussions for both races. The unexpectedly deep bonding between the young Todd, so out of phase with Earth social protocol, and Hrriss, had surprised and touched both Hayumans and Hrrubans. It was this friendship, and Todd’s determination to enjoy it without adult-conceived hindrances, that had been the cornerstone for amicable co-existence between the two species. Which had resulted in the Decision at Doona.

  The true adventure gave the children of Doonarrala heroes of their own age to admire and emulate. It also prompted the occasional outbreak of rope tails attached to the trousers of Human youngsters. If being the sons and daughters of legends made things a little tougher for the Alley Cats and Nrrna’s brood, they never acknowledged the problem. Possibly their peers never connected the Todd and Hrriss of the stories with the two very accessible adult males, fathers of their friends, who played with them daily and who led the annual Snake Hunts. Those occupations, Kelly reminded herself, were adventurous enough for eight- and six-year-olds.

  In the meanwhile, two hours had stretched into five, and five into nine. Worrying about Todd, Kelly ate a lunch and dinner she didn’t taste. She tried to tell herself that the long delay was because things were going well, not because there’d been problems. Problems one usually heard as soon as they occurred. But she couldn’t completely discount her nagging premonition of trouble, however nebulous it was.

  After the early evening meal, Mrrva retired into the back garden to leave the two younger women alone. Nrrna dandled baby Hrrunna on her lap, playing with the small cub’s perfect little hands and feet. The baby’s fur was light gold with a mahogany-brown stripe down her back, a contrast to her mother’s tawnier pelt. The cub fussed a little, and opened a little pink mouth to emit a weak, mewling sound. Nrrna, reclining on her side to expose the four gentle swellings nearly hidden in her fur, put Hrrunna to a nipple. The child began to suck, settling its little rounded ears back at an absurd oblique angle: a peaceful tableau, if not for the presentiment of danger plaguing Kelly.

  Unable to sit still, she thought of calling the Federation Center again to see if they’d had any word from Todd and the others. Arms crossed over her chest to keep her fingers from twitching, she paced over to the console, wondering if it was too soon after her last call.

  “What time is it, Nrrna?” she asked, tightening her fingers on her arms.

  Nrrna shifted to her other side and nestled Hrrunna in the crook of her other arm so she could look at her wrist chronometer. “Only half past six.”

  “Hmm,” Kelly mused. “That means it’s nine-thirty on Treaty Island. Do you think there’s anyone in the Space Center office?”

  “There was not half an hourrr ago, Gelli. Why do you not try to relax?” Nrrna settled the nursing cub, peering at the concentrated little face with its tight-shut, shell-like eyelids.

  “I don’t see how you can stay so calm!” Kelly said. “Hrriss and Todd could be in great danger.”

  Nrrna let out the low, musical growl that was a Hrruban laugh. “I must stay calm or this tiny one gets gas through my milk,” she said. “It is an exercise in self-control. I myself do not think of danger to Zodd or Hrriss! You could go to the Treaty Island?”

  “What good would that do?” Kelly grumbled, pacing to the window at the opposite side of the room. “No. I’m not going.”

  “I am glad you do not,” Nrrna said, jaw dropped in a gentle smile. “I prefer that we are together and not alone.”

  Kelly glanced down affectionately at the Hrruban woman. “Me, too. I guess that’s why I didn’t stay this morning. I’d get that ‘useless female’ reaction and be acidly asked what I thought I could do about anything. That lot at Treaty don’t worry about people; they worry about treaties and agendas and . . . things! Besides, it’d be unfair to leave my two monsters here! Look at them out there!”

  The Alley Cats were in the midst of a rough and tumble with Hrrana, Hrrunival, Ourrh, and a group of the neighborhood youngsters, freed for evening games until darkness. As Kelly watched, Alison was pulled to the ground by a couple of Hrruban cubs, and shrieked happily, coming up dusty to drag her friends over with her.

  “Where do they get the energy?” Mrrva asked with a sigh as she walked up and gazed at their spirited racings.

  “It’s not fair, is it?” Kelly said, shaking her head. “Ooops, there goes Alison’s shirt. Well, it was an old one,” she added. “Once they knew they weren’t going to school today, I had to fight the two of them into clothes, and now they’re half-naked anyhow. ‘If Hrrana and Hrrunival don’t have to wear anything but belts, then why can’t we?’ ” Kelly piped, in a flawless imitation of Alec at his most difficult. Nrrna chuckled again. The baby squirmed and let go of the nipple, licking her tiny chops. Her mother repositioned her, and with eyes still closed, she placed her head on her front paws and went to sleep.

  “Take joy in the differences, that is what I think they should do,” Nrrna said in Low Hrruban.

  “Try telling them that,” Kelly said wryly, then shouted out the window at the children. “You’re playing too rough! Look out for Heeranh’s nose! Augh!” she exclaimed, and started pacing again. “I don’t know where they get the idea that they’re indestructible.”

  “From their fathers, no doubt,” Nrrna said. Hrrunna twitched in her sleep, and gave a squeaky little moan, which brought a loving smile from her dam. Nrrna glanced up at Kelly, who was biting her own thumb. “They will be all right, you know that, Gelli. They always are when they are working together.”

  “I guess so.” Kelly paced back to the window, glanced out, and recoiled in shock.

  “Mrrva!” she shrieked. “Get the snake rifle!”

  * * *

  The Gringg stepped off the grid in the midst of the Hrruban First Village and looked around them with great interest. First they had been landed on this new world in full dark; now they had entered twilight. They were glad to be able to see where they now were.

  More Rroobvnnns had met them in the orbiting ship, including one very quick-moving male clad in black, and many more Ayoomnnns. From the ship, they had been transferred to a larger shuttle, flown by an engaging Ayoomnnn with black-and-gray hair who showed his teeth frequently and spoke in a poetic cadence. Once this vehicle had reached the surface of the planet, they had been ushered into a large white-stone cube of a building and down a corridor which echoed when one trod on the floor. The Gringg had obediently followed their guide to a small platform with pillars at each corner. When they stood upon it, the room became misty. Suddenly, they found themselves here
. Eonneh was impressed. This form of transport was much more effortless than any he had previously encountered. The Gringg had much to learn from the Rroobvnnns.

  A second group of four emerged from the mist. Genhh gestured to Eonneh and Ghotyakh to be patient and wait.

  By some of the scents, the Gringg decided that the Rroobvnnn Rreshtanh lived here. The smell of the green groundcover and some of the flowers had been in his fur.

  To one side, a high escarpment bounded the valley in which they stood, which was rich with trees and flora. Like the life forms they had seen so far, even the trees seemed less substantial here than on the Gringg world. But it was a beautiful place, and the air smelled good. In the distance, they could scent the musky odors of wildlife. One creature, which they guessed must be a service animal, unlike the Ayoomnnns or Rroobvnnns, stood tethered, calmly eating long strands of yellow herbage. It had not noticed them, but many more Hrrubans had. They were coming out of the little houses, staring and pointing at the Gringg. Most of them did not react with fear, but with interest. Eonneh found that to be heartening. Much more reassuring than the emotions he had perceived on the large orbiting ship.

  The Rroobvnnn Rreshtanh was much honored here. Most of the Hrrubans spoke to him before circling around to look at the two aliens. Eonneh returned their gazes for a while; then, because there was little variation between one tawny-gold face and another, he became more interested in the scenery. There was much greater variation in color among the Ayoomnnns.

  “Act as if there was nothing unusual in the way we were just transported,” Eonneh said to Ghotyakh. “Though we have only seen a small part of this world, I am relieved that we seem to have been taken into the living places of these people. Even in the place where we first stopped we have seen nothing of the weapons carried by the guards on the ship. Accept anything they do with padded claws. Let us be sure not to frighten them.”