6
The remainder of their holiday on Jason Bay passed a little like a dream. Sunlight and swimming, the brilliant sparkle of stars in a dark sky echoed by phosphorescent-flecked night-dark waves, all were enhanced by Stephanie’s new awareness of Karl as her Karl in a way he’d always been, although she was only realizing it now.
Stephanie didn’t tell her parents anything had changed, but they figured it out. They weren’t exactly clueless, after all. If Richard and Marjorie smiled softly at each other, held hands a lot more often than they did at home, well, Stephanie just felt quietly pleased by this evidence that even two people with a nearly adult daughter could still be in love. It felt nice, a wordless promise for her and Karl’s own future.
But vacations, by definition, come to an end. All too soon, the four of them were packing up in preparation for heading back to Sphinx. They had more baggage than they had when they’d left something like nine months before, not only clothes for the needs of different worlds, but souvenirs and presents for the folks back home. In the end, the Harringtons rented a spare air car. Karl and Stephanie, along with Lionheart, Survivor, and the treecats’ carriers, along with as much spare luggage as could be crammed in, drove it to the spaceport in Landing.
The autopilot did most of the driving, so Stephanie and Karl sat snuggled up against each other, watching as the now-familiar landscape of this part of Manticore whipped by, a blue-green blur very unlike the green and shadows of Sphinx.
“We probably should have scheduled more jaunts,” Stephanie said, “but it was nice to be just us, quiet, not needing to worry about people gawking at the treecats.”
“We’ll have time for that some other visit,” Karl said. “Lots of time. In days to come the treecats will be less of a novelty, and even when they are, we won’t need to worry as much about having their every action misinterpreted or reinterpreted to their detriment.”
“I love when you use big words,” Stephanie said, adopting the languid tones of the heroine of a real howler of a holodrama they’d binge-watched with her folks in the evenings. Then she shifted back to her more usual voice. “I hope you’re right. The interest in treecats certainly hasn’t faded as the novelty has worn off. I think Jeff would have moved in with us if he could have. He’s read every report, and had so many questions!”
“And his was just honest interest,” Karl agreed. “It’s not at all common to be right there when just how ‘smart’ or ‘sentient’ a species may be is in the process of being decided. And it makes you think—all of us, human-types, not just you, Steph—what it is that makes a person, rather than an animal. I find myself wondering if we humans even have the right to judge. I’ve known range bunnies who seem a lot more worthy of respect and preservation than, say, Frank Câmara, or the late, unlamented, Stan Chang.”
“Not that I disagree,” Stephanie said, “but let’s just worry about the treecats, and save the question of what defines personhood for later.”
After they’d off-loaded the luggage, and gotten Lionheart and Survivor in their carriers, Stephanie and Karl made their way to the terminal from which their ship to Sphinx would be leaving. They were nearly there when Stephanie stopped so fast that Lionheart’s carrier bumped into her legs. Behind a shop window, she saw what appeared to be a male treecat, sitting upright. It held a freshly caught fish in one true-hand, and a carry net in the other. When it blinked leaf-green eyes, then turned its head to look at them, she expected to hear excited “bleeks” from Lionheart and Survivor. When they didn’t react at all, she realized that the “treecat” was a life-sized robotic toy, and that the diorama was a come-on for Frontier Wilderness Tour’s travel agency and gift shop.
“Visit Sphinx on your next vacation! True wilderness beckons!” the banner proclaimed in sparkling emerald-green letters. “Join our experienced docents on group tours, or arrange your own individualized excursion. Counter-grav equipment included!”
Stephanie drew closer to get a better look at the treecat toy. The sign next to it promised “All six limbs move! Makes realistic sounds! Extendable claws! Comes with carry net and a selection of xeno-anthropologically vetted accessories.”
The animatronic treecat shared the window with a near-beaver and a rock raven, both wonderfully detailed. The near-beaver came with “chewable log” and robotic fish, while the rock raven “moves all four wings” and “can really fly!”
The diorama’s background showed holo footage of a hexapuma prowling, as well as various herbivores browsing beneath the tree. Stephanie noted that hunting and fishing tour packages were available, as well as those devoted to ecotourism. There was even a potential settlement tour, more focused on residential areas, and land open for purchase.
“I know Sphinx’s government favors promoting both settlement and tourism,” Stephanie said, “but I had no idea stuff like this was being done—especially the way they’re depicting the treecats.”
“There’s nothing in that diorama that hasn’t been in various public domain reports,” Karl reminded her.
“But that display,” she motioned toward the window, suddenly glad that Lionheart and Survivor were concealed within their carriers, “is a lot easier to understand than one of Dr. Whittaker’s or Dr. Radzinsky’s papers. Worse, as the only tool users shown among the Sphinxian species, the treecats look way too much like what you and I know they are: Sphinx’s intelligent, tool-using, indigenous inhabitants.”
“I agree,” Karl said. “I know you’ve been in favor of being cautious, but I think we’re going to need to let a lot more people into the Great Treecat Conspiracy, and a lot sooner than we’d originally planned. Otherwise, if we don’t get allies for the ’cats, the treecats of Sphinx may face the fate of the Amphors of Barstool.”
* * *
The shuttle touched down on Sphinx in the twilight hour. Richard Harrington had slept much of the seven-hour voyage. Now, with the training of a much-in-demand veterinarian for whom all hours of the 25.62 were the same, he cheerfully set about directing the reclaiming of the family air car, triaging what luggage needed to come with them, and which could be delivered to the Harrington homestead by courier.
Tonight, Karl would be coming back to the Harringtons’. There he’d pick up his own air car and then fly to the Zivonik Barony on Thunder River in the morning.
Stephanie felt a pang of something very like fear at the idea of being separated from Karl. She didn’t think the heaviness that shrouded her every motion had anything to do with being back in Sphinx’s 1.35 gravity. In the backseat of the air car, she snuggled up close to him, feeling the warmth of his arm around her shoulders as if she was in a private shelter.
That night, when they all went up to their rooms in the sprawling stone and timber house that was home, Stephanie thought about following Karl into his room. Not to do anything, she assured herself, just to keep him close for a few hours more.
She resisted, settling for a lingering good night kiss, and a “See you in the morning,” before stumbling into her own room. Still dressed, she collapsed onto her own familiar bed and buried her face in her pillow. The linens smelled fresh, since Marjorie had paid her part-time assistant Naomi Pheriss to come by and get the place in order.
I’ll brush my teeth and comb my hair in just a minute, Stephanie promised herself, before falling into a deep, dreamless sleep that lasted until pale early spring daylight crept through her window.
* * *
<I think,> Keen Eyes said to Climbs Quickly as the two People sat out on the limb on the golden-leaf where Climbs Quickly had his auxiliary nest, <that we will be parting company soon. The mind-glows of our two two-legs echo with a sorrow and resignation that is as easy to interpret as the scent trail of a horn blade in rut. Shining Sunlight’s mind-glow is conflicted. I do not think he wishes to part from Death Fang’s Bane, but I think he wishes to see his birth clan with a different intensity.>
<I will miss you,> Climbs Quickly replied. <For hands upon hands of days, you and I have been the whole of each other’s clan. Having you with me made this voyage from our own places much easier than when I went alone with only Death Fang’s Bane’s mind-glow to touch. We both tried, but there was not the faintest hint of another Person’s mind-glow in either of those lands of different stars. I am glad, however, that I will soon be able to visit Bright Water again. I am sure that my sister, Sings Truly, will be eager for tales of our adventures to weave into her memory songs. I only wish I understood better the “whys” as well as the “whats” of what the two-legs do. As a scout, I feel as if I have walked a trail, seen the landmarks with only my eyes, without the deeper understanding my other senses bring.>
<I believe we will be together again soon enough,> Keen Eyes said. <Shining Sunlight and Death Fang’s Bane will not wish to be apart very long. I will luxuriate in being back among familiar scents and will try to figure out by the signs in plants and animals and the shape of the stars just how long we were gone. Not a full season turning, I think, but no matter how much time has gone by, surely no People have ever been on such a journey as we have been.>
* * *
Karl forced himself to leave the Harrington homestead as early he could manage the next day. His excuse was that the flight to the Zivonik Barony would take several hours, and that his family had been pretty patient already, given that his return from Gryphon had been delayed at least three times already. Best he not arrive later than expected.
His real reason was more complex.
Although Stephanie was doing her best not to act any differently than she usually would when they parted, he could practically feel—even without Lionheart and Survivor’s body language—how forlorn she was.
Best we get this parting over with sooner. I could take her with me, sure, but I don’t want to com the folks with news that I have a new, serious relationship. Or show up with Stephanie, just in case they’re not good with our being a couple. I can’t see why they wouldn’t be, but what if they’re not? That could be super awkward. And I really want to talk with my mom without Stephanie wondering why I want to talk to Mom alone.
To her credit, no matter what she was feeling, Stephanie didn’t even hint that she and Lionheart might come along.
“I’m going to take Lionheart to see his family,” she announced. “The weather’s perfect for hang gliding. And Jessica actually got time off from the hospital this evening, so we’re going to hang out. You have a good time with your family. Want me to com Chief Shelton and see if I can set up a meeting with him for when you’re back on duty?”
“Sure,” Karl said, loading the last of his luggage in the back of his air car. With typical consideration, Richard and Marjorie had made sure his souvenirs and presents were among the boxes they’d brought from the spaceport. “But give me at least two, maybe even three, days or so for family stuff. And you should brief Jess and Cordelia about the upcoming expansion of the Great Treecat Conspiracy.”
He squeezed Stephanie close one more time, extra tight. “I’ll screen you. Probably more than you want, actually. I’ve gotten used to hearing you chatter, can’t go cold turkey.”
Another squeeze, another kiss—he still couldn’t get enough of the feeling of her lips against his—then into his air car, Survivor taking the passenger seat. Lifting up and off and the little figure waving, waving, vanishing from sight. Karl nearly turned around to get Stephanie, to bring her with him, after all, but I can do this without backup. Well, without backup other than Survivor. I’m glad to have him along.
Karl’s family was quite large, even though the Plague had done its part to reduce the older generation. There were six kids in his family alone: Karl himself, Nadia, Anastacia, Gregor, Larisa, and Lev. Given that Lev was only a couple years old, it was certainly possible Evelina and Aleksandr weren’t done yet, either.
As things stood, little Lev knew Karl more as an interesting semi-stranger who was away from home as much as he was there, but Karl had shared his childhood with Nadia and Anastacia in particular. He still did what he could to help out, even if that helping was just pick-up and drop-off as he went about his rounds.
Nearly nine months was quite a while to be gone, though. The biggest shock was how much Lev had grown. Karl had known intellectually, as there’d been message packets back and forth throughout his absence, but while Karl had been away, the baby had become a toddler who peered at Karl in deep suspicion, before Evelina convinced him the towering giant was the same person as the person he’d visited with on the vid.
Nadia, who was only a little younger than Stephanie—something Karl hadn’t really thought about, since Stephanie was such a different sort of person—was filling out, losing her coltish look and becoming distinctly pretty. To everyone’s surprise, her relationship with Loon Villaroy was still going on. Loon was a couple years older than Karl, but seemed devoted to his younger girlfriend. Recently, they’d co-produced a water ballet to the mingled amusement and enthusiasm of live-entertainment-starved Twin Forks.
Another parallel with me and Steph, Karl thought. Older guy, girl not yet legal. I wonder if Loon’s being as careful about the whole “age of consent” thing as I’ve been? Well, that’s one thing I’m absolutely not going to ask!
Anastacia, more usually called Staysa, as Nadia was Dia, had shot up in the last couple of months. It looked as if she was going to be very tall and, like Karl, take more after their dad, Aleksandr than their mom, Evelina. She’d become active as an “older” member of the new SFS Explorers, and often escorted their younger sister, Larisa, to meetings.
The Zivoniks weren’t into massive and varied culinary experiments like the Harringtons. There were simply too many mouths to feed to go for fancy, so they settled for massive and good. Karl’s “welcome home” dinner featured prong buck ribs with Aleksandr’s secret sauce, ice potatoes with sour cream and chives, and a roasted root vegetable platter. There was raw fish for Survivor, with celery for dessert. The humans had a varied selection of cut-out butter and spice cookies, slightly singed, courtesy of Gregor, Larisa, and Lev.
Karl was amused to see that in addition to the usual hearts, stars, and circles there were cookies made with a brand new “treecat” shaped cutter, which Gregor had found in Twin Forks.
Yet another sign of the increasing popularity of our little indigenous aliens.
Karl’s first day back at the Zivonik Barony was a flurry of “Look at this!” “Did you know!” “Come see what we did with the feed barn.” “What do you think of how we painted the porch?”
He did manage to announce that he and Stephanie were dating. He was more than a little surprised that the overall reaction was “What? You weren’t already? Then it’s about time you figured out you were. The rest of us had ages ago.”
On the second day, he also managed to get his mom alone, taking advantage of Dia and Staysa going into Twin Forks with Gregor (swimming class) and Lev (playdate). He was slightly startled—though he shouldn’t have been—that Dia was handling the driving. Larisa had proudly donned her SFS Explorers “near-otter” hood and sash and gone off to a meeting of the Thunder River chapter, only mildly disappointed that she couldn’t bring Survivor for show-and-tell.
“We’re learning about near-beavers now,” she confided, “not treecats. Near-beavers are very clever, and we’re going to tour one of their dams later on, after the thaw.”
Once the hullabaloo of departures was over, Karl joined Evelina in the kitchen and automatically started helping with prep for dinner: stew with meat from the prong buck that had provided last night’s ribs, and more seasonal vegetables.
“Mom,” he said hesitantly, “no one seemed surprised about me and Steph.”
“Well, dear,” his mother replied, shaking the cubed meat in flour and paprika, “you two have been spending a lot of time together, more and more since you took your job with the SFS. And maybe you didn’t notice, but Alek and I certainly did, but when Stephanie started dating that nice Anders Whittaker, you did a lot of glowering.”
“I most certainly did not!” Karl said, suspecting that he actually had.
“If you say so, dear,” Evelina replied mildly. “It’s so hard to figure out exactly what has teenage boys glowering. It seems to be a default expression. That’s why Loon is actually something of a relief. He’s gotten past that stage. He treats Dia like she really is that princess from the fairy tale they used for their ballet. We have the performance recorded, by the way. You really should watch it. Dia would be thrilled.”
“I will,” Karl promised. “Do you think Loon wants to marry Dia?”
“I do, but time will tell. Dia’s young for her age in many ways. I’d like them to wait until she’s done with college, and I’d like that to be elsewhere, maybe even on Manticore. She needs to know about more than our corner of Sphinx. I felt the same way about you, which is why—even though we missed you—we were glad to have you go first to the ranger training course on Manticore, then off with the Harringtons to Gryphon. I do wish, though, that you weren’t always getting tangled up in muggings and murders. It can’t be good for your peace of mind.”
Karl started laughing. “It really isn’t, but if I’m going to stay a ranger, I don’t think I’m signing up for a quiet life, just an interesting one.” He paused, drew in a deep breath, and then said, “I was thinking…Stephanie turns seventeen in January. I was thinking about, well, maybe giving her a promise ring or maybe even, uh, well, um…proposing.”
Evelina stopped browning the coated meat cubes to consider this.
“You’ve only been dating a short while,” she said after a moment, “but you two have been through a lot together. January is a good four or so months away, and you’ve been living in each other’s pockets these last nine months. That’s more than many couples manage before announcing their engagement. Are you sleeping with her?”
“No!” Karl was offended. “She’s a minor. I’m not. That could get awkward from a legal standpoint.”
Evelina chuckled. “I see…Well, Stephanie is almost seventeen. That’s the age of consent. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you’re thinking of proposals, then. You want her to know you’re serious, right? Not just looking to get in her pants.”
“Mom!”
“Karl, be realistic. I have six kids. Lev is almost three years old. Clearly, I have not quite lost my ability to feel passion.” She relented. “I think it’s a very nice idea that you want to propose, to make it clear to Stephanie you’re not just after her body but you want all of her life, forever and on. But I don’t want you to pressure her. If she wants to try sex without signing up for a life-long commitment, you should respect that. Remember how it felt when Sumiko pressured you for a ring? You don’t want to do that to Stephanie, do you?”
Karl shook his head, then industriously began chopping root vegetables.
“No. I don’t want to pressure Steph. Even though I think I did the right thing when I told Sumiko we needed to slow down, all of that, it hurts to be the one who has to draw the line. But I still want to ask Stephanie to marry me, and sooner, not later.”
Evelina smiled and reached over to tousle Karl’s hair in a fashion she hadn’t done since he was Gregor’s age.
“Then I have an idea. I have your maternal grandmother’s engagement ring. Would you like to have it to give Stephanie? The setting may be a trifle old-fashioned, but the stones are flush with the band, which would be a good thing in the active lifestyle I envision you and Stephanie will be living.”
“Seriously, Mom?” Karl’s eyes widened. He’d actually been saving toward a ring, but he loved the idea of something that would create a link between not only him and Stephanie and some jewelry shop, but between his family and hers. Then he paused, “But is that fair to the other kids? I mean, there’s only one ring, and six of us—now. There might even be more if you and dad keep remembering about that passion thing.”
Evelina laughed, but that didn’t hide the sadness in the depth of her deep grey eyes.
“Our families lost several of our elders earlier than we thought we would because of the Plague,” she said. “I have a velvet-lined box full of too many rings and bits of heirloom jewelry. If anyone seems worried you as the oldest child are getting an advantage over them, I’ll make sure they know everyone will have an appropriate heirloom, even if that person never decides to marry. Sound good?”
“Sounds great!” Karl said. “Hold onto the ring for me? Like you said, I live a very active lifestyle. I’d be absolutely mortified if I lost such a treasure.”
“I’ll hold onto it,” Evelina said. She twinkled, “I’ll even have it cleaned, since we don’t want Stephanie to get even a slight hint that you’re considering proposing, and you two do seem to live in each other’s pockets. Now, chop up those veggies. The stew won’t wait, not even for romance.”