A Year and a Day Page 2

  Corrine studied her and then made a twirling motion with her finger. Obediently, Katherine turned in a circle so Corrine could see the full effect.

  "Well?" she asked impatiently.

  Corrine chuckled, "Oh, Honey, they’re sure not going to have any trouble deciding marriage would be no hardship with you."

  Katherine frowned. "Too much?" she asked.

  Corrine shook her head. "No, I don’t think so. Remember we are asking them to make quite a few concessions about their way of life. They need a place to go, but it may be hard for them discount the rumors about Vensoog women and to change how they view their rights under our laws. They need to see an attractive package to make that change more palatable."

  Katherine grimaced. "Especially when I inform them about the re-education and sleep learning you mean?"

  By noon, Katherine had interviewed five Majors and one Colonel and she was thinking she would not find what she was looking for here. As yet, she had only one possibility, and that one was doubtful. She had yet to explain the full program to any of the potential candidates because her little inner voice kept saying "no".

  Smiling graciously at Colonel Tomas Lewiston, she thanked him for his interest in the proposal and sent him on his way. She couldn’t put a name to her reluctance, but she had absolutely no intention of considering him or any unit he commanded. On the surface, he was an impressive enough specimen. He was tall, with almost perfectly chiseled features, he had a well-built body, and a decided air of command. He had a smooth manner verging on oily. If she hadn’t had the underlying feeling he had another agenda, she might have given him more consideration. Besides, Sooka, whose judgment of character was usually excellent, had hissed at him and he couldn’t quite conceal his distaste of her pet.

  Katherine was using one of the auxiliary conference rooms on the base. After he left, she rose and went to the wall of windows looking out over the city. The view was spectacular. To the left was a magnificent view of high snow-capped peaks, the tall spires of the city and a white strip of beach next to an azure ocean. The beach was sparsely populated compared to the thousands of tourists who had clustered there before the war made interplanetary travel dangerous. The empty beach was testament to Fenris’ urgency in getting their planet back to becoming a "destination" for tourists.

  Fenris was named before explorers had set foot there and discovered how inappropriate it was to name the planet after the devouring wolf of Ragganok. The name didn't call up an image of pristine, snow-capped peaks excellent for winter sports, bucolic countryside ideal for gentle activities or the white-sandy beaches with just enough waves for surfing or sport fishing. Fenris was woefully short of heavy metals, but the Fenriki had quickly overcome this disadvantage by developing the world into a vacation destination for the rich and famous of the Confederated Worlds. Fenris’ strategic location made it an ideal staging area for the military to collect and send out their forces for the war. Now that the war was over, The Fenriki were scrambling to return their world to its old status as the foremost resort planet and trade center in the depleted Confederated Worlds.

  Katherine took a deep breath and set up for the next interview. Some of the commanding officers Katherine had interviewed had come alone, some with support personnel. It was obvious the three men who entered this time were a unit, and a military one at that. There was only a superficial physical resemblance between them; the oldest was tall and wide, with a pleasant face topped with a shock of blond hair streaked with white. In fact, Master Sgt. Vernel Thomas resembled a kindly grandfather until you met his eyes directly and saw inside to the tough soldier he really was. Colonel Gideon Michaels was shorter than Thomas but his smooth-shaven, square-jawed face held strength and determination. Although his loose civilian clothing helped to disguise the real muscle in his lanky body, it didn’t hide the smooth power with which he moved. His tanned face was in sharp contrast to his keen green eyes and pale blond hair and eyebrows set over a jutting beak of a nose. Lieutenant. Zachary Jackson was around medium height and his brown eyes were on a level with Katharine’s. He had the wiry, powerful build of a trained hand-to-hand warrior built for speed and maneuverability rather than bulk. His smooth olive complexion and thick shock of brown hair was worn a little long and showed his Black Irish Old Earth ancestry. He too moved with the effortless ease of a man used to physical activity. What marked the three men as a unit was a similarity of expression and attitude. These men were used to depending on each other.

  Katherine's intuition, had given out a constant litany of No, or Never! at the other candidates. It suddenly shouted Yes! at her when she met Zackery Jackson’s eyes. She looked them over more carefully.

  All three men bowed as they entered.

  Colonel Michaels said politely, "How do you do Lady Katherine. I am Colonel Gideon Michaels, of the 10th Infantry volunteers, Planet Moodon. This is my 2nd Officer, Lieutenant Zachary Jackson and my leading Master Sargent Vernel Thomas."

  The window behind Katherine had put her face in shadow, but it gave her an excellent view of the three men’s expressions as they got their first good look at her. Stunned relief would have been appropriate. She smiled a little to herself. Corrine had been correct; the over-the-top outfit had been worth it. Rumors of why the delegation from Vensoog had arrived were already rife, and by this time Katherine had endured some less than respectful attitudes from some of the men she had interviewed. This was the first group who had used her title without being prompted. She detected none of the leering postures caused by her "husband hunting" displayed by some of the previous candidates.

  "Please be seated gentleman," she pointed to the chairs opposite her. "Allow me to present my condolences on the loss of your homeworld."

  "Thank you," Michaels responded. "We offer our condolences on your losses, Mi'Lady."

  Just then, Sooka, who had quietly gone unnoticed by most of the other candidates, hopped off Katherine’s shoulder and bounced over to Lieutenant Jackson, springing up onto the arm of his chair. Startled, he jumped "Well, now, who are you?" he inquired, with just the right note of amusement to please Katherine.

  "That is Sooka," Katherine replied. She is a Quirka. Many of us keep them as companions. They are empathic. Apparently, she approves of you. You can pet her as long as you stroke downward on her fur."

  "Why she’s changing color!" exclaimed Vernal.

  "Yes, they have chameleon-like qualities," Katherine replied.

  "You brought a pet along on an interstellar trip?" asked Zack incredulously.

  "It was necessary," Katherine responded. "She is not exactly a pet. A Quirka’s empathic attachment to their chosen human is very deep. A separation of so many months would have caused her to go into a depression and she would have starved herself to death in my absence. She was no real trouble on the journey; Quirkas are omnivores and with a box of sand in my quarters as a toilet, all I had to do was order the appropriate food from the dispenser."

  She watched Sooka carefully as the small creature leaped from one man to the other investigating each one carefully before returning to Zack’s lap.

  "So tell me Colonel, what are your plans for the future?" she asked.

  Gideon looked up from watching Zack play with Sooka. "Most of the men in my command are from Moodon, like me. As you know, Moodon was burned off by the enemy. I would like for us to find a new homeworld where we could all settle together."

  "And why is that?"

  "Well, most of my unit entered the service as a group and we’ve served together so long we have become each other’s family. If we hadn’t been together when we heard Moodon was destroyed, I don’t think some of us would have made it."

  "How do you feel about taking orders from women?"

  He shrugged. "I don’t see a problem. On Moodon we considered men and women to be equals; women as well as men give orders."

  Katherine turned to the Vernel. "And you, sir, how do you feel about that?"

  "I do my job. I take my orders
and carry them out. Doesn’t make me any nevermind who gives them. I’m not a leader."

  "Lieutenant Jackson?" she asked.

  Zack rubbed his nose. "Everyone has a different idea of how folks should behave."

  "I’m afraid that isn’t good enough. I require a full answer. On Vensoog, our men only hold property through their wives and daughters and they can’t hold an office except as a deputy for a wife or daughter. How do you feel about that?"

  "To answer that question properly, I would need to see the text of the law so I can determine how fair it is," he replied.

  "That," replied Katherine, rather pleased, "is a very good answer. I would have been disappointed if all of you had given me a flat yes. It would have shown duplicity."

  "Are you saying we would be second class citizens?" Michaels asked, "Because that is not something I find acceptable."

  "Not at all; you and your men would be full members of the Clan O’Teague. Traditionally most of our law enforcement and defensive offices have been held by men. It is that due to the war most of these offices are held by women and Clan leadership, property and inheritance are held in the female line."

  Michaels nodded. "Okay, I think we all need to see the actual terms of the bargain you want us to agree to before we go any further."

  "I agree," Katherine said. "But perhaps you would like to provide me with a text of what you desire for your new homeland, that way when we meet tomorrow, we can see if we want to take this any further?"

  She stood and took three data crystals from her belt pouch and handed them to each man. "Here is the contract you and your men would be required to sign to become members of Clan O’Teague, and a text of our laws and privileges. May I hope you will send me your requirements by this afternoon?"

  All three men had risen when she did. "I brought that information with me," Michaels replied and offered her a data crystal in return.

  Katherine took it, smiling. "I like a man who comes prepared," she remarked. "Why don’t we agree to meet over lunch in the canteen tomorrow for further discussion? You can meet my chaperone and mentor, Lady Corrine then."

  The next day at noon, Corrine and Katherine programmed their meals in the robo-chef on the side of the canteen away from the windows and then took their food trays to an unoccupied round table in an alcove. They were joined a few minutes later by the three men. The canteen was in a bulky plastacrete building designed to feed large groups of people. It had privacy alcoves with large windows for officers and others who needed to discuss matters they didn’t wish broadcast wholesale. The portable chairs and tables could have (and had) served ten thousand diners at a sitting. Now it appeared to be only about a third full.

  All three men were taken aback to realize the Quirka were apparently dining with them. Katherine and Corrine had provided small bowls of finely chopped raw meats and vegetables for each pet and a small finger bowl of water. The two Quirkas perched on their haunches on the table beside the women and waited patiently for the meal to begin. Unselfconsciously, Corrine bowed her head and said a quick Grace. There was trifle awkwardness in the beginning of the shared meal, but Corrine and Vernal soon provided an opening for normal table conversation.

  "Lady Katherine said you keep these Quirkas as companions?" Vernel pointed with his chin at the two Quirkas.

  "Oh, yes," Corrine replied, "but they are avid hunters of household vermin, and in fact prefer to hunt live prey. They are quite valued for their ability to keep homes and other buildings clear of pests."

  The rest of the dinner conversation concerned the animals and plants native to Vensoog. At the end of the meal, Vernal smiled in delight when the Quirka fastidiously washed their paws and muzzles in the fingerbowls.

  Once the dishes had been removed and sent to the recycler, Katherine raised the subject that had been foremost on all their minds.

  "I looked over your requests for accommodation, and I see no issues we would have difficulty filling. "She began, "as long as those of your unit who don’t wish to be a part of the matchmaking program are comfortable in providing sperm or ova for the DNA banks, they would receive the same full Clan rights as those who are handfasted."

  "From my viewing of the data you provided, I noticed you required everyone to take part in the compatibility testing even if they aren’t planning on being matched. Why is that?" inquired Zack.

  "We use compatibility and personality evaluations extensively on Vensoog to determine choices for training and professions. Having your unit evaluated will help to place them a profession they are best suited for. The evaluations help to bring to notice issues that might require counseling or re-training. This will be a difficult undertaking for us all. I want to catch any problem areas early before they grow."

  "If a problem shows up on someone’s evaluation would that be cause for not accepting them as an immigrant? Some of our men suffered extreme losses, and a few have PTSD issues and won’t show up as ‘normal’ on evaluations," Thomas stated.

  Corrine reached across the table and patted his hand. "Vernal, that issue isn’t what the evaluations are designed to weed out. It flags traits that would lead to pathological criminal behavior; you know serial killers, child molesters, and stuff like that. I’m sure none of your men have personas with those markers."

  "Soldiers are trained to kill," Gideon pointed out.

  "Yes, but there is a difference between someone who has been trained to kill for a reason and those who just do it for their own gratification. The personality markers do look quite different. If I find anyone who shows up with those markers, you may speak for them and we will then decide. Will that be sufficient?" Katherine asked.

  "Well there is one more thing that puzzles me, why are we all being required to do sleep learning about the planet? Soldiers are trained to learn to survive in different environments quickly with no extra crutches like sleep learning."

  Katherine responded "With all due respect Zack, we are attempting to integrate your men into our society smoothly and quickly. When you were dropped on strange planets to fight, you weren’t learning to adapt to a new set of laws and customs besides learning to recognize dangerous plants and animals. It’s a lot to take on at once and we will only have about three months from the time I run the program until we arrive. I hope to have all the data entered so everyone who wants a spouse will know who their Handfasting partner will be before we take ship."

  "Are you part of the program?" Zack inquired.

  "Yes. My sister Drusilla is too young for Handfasting; she is only sixteen, but both our Laird Genevieve and I have entered our data for Handfasting," she responded. "My sisters and I feel it is important to show we believe in this program by taking part fully."

  The three men exchanged looks, and finally Zack and Vernel nodded to Gideon who said, "If it is acceptable to you M’lady, we will bring this to our men and have an answer for you tomorrow."

  "Thank you, Gentlemen, I hope you will join us for breakfast with good news." Katherine watched as the three left the canteen.

  She looked over at her aunt. "Why do I feel as if I just stepped off the Glass Cliffs?"

  "Cause we have," retorted Corrine. Absently she ran a finger down Divit, her Quirka’s head. "I’m pretty favorably impressed by those three. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but if they indicate the quality of the new clan members we’ll be getting, this will work. You did good, girl."

  Katherine grimaced. "I wish I could say that about my trip to the orphanage. They have unclaimed children, but don’t seem to want them to be adopted. And something smelled off, you know? Juliette, one of the children I met seemed to be afraid, and she tried to tell me something bad was going down but we were interrupted before I could find out what. I managed to find out the Administrator’s schedule while I was there, so I think I’ll make a return trip when he is out of the office."

  "Humm," Corrine considered. "Well, just be careful. On a brighter note, I contacted Captain Heidelberg of the Dancing Gryphon. Y
ou may remember him; his family runs a free trade line out of N’Jamacia. His ship was commandeered as a troop transport during the war, but he is getting it back as soon as the military removes the weapons, and he is anxious to resume trade. He agreed to give us transport home at a reduced rate in return for a favorable trade contract with the Clan to supply power stones and Dragon Nest silks for the next five years."

  "And long term? What will he be bringing to trade for those items?"

  Corrine shrugged a shoulder. "He has seeds, tools, techy items like computer quartz grinders, all kinds of stuff. The real profit is he agreed to give Clan O’Teague first crack at any items he brings in for trade for the next five years."

  Katherine looked in awe at her aunt. "Wow. How did you manage that?" She eyed her Aunt suspiciously. "I remember Heidelberg as being a tough customer at the trade table. You didn't push to get him to agree, did you?"

  "Of course not," Corrine retorted. "He knows too much about Vensoog for me to try something like that with him. Besides, I didn't need to. I did a little research on the way here and discovered that N’Jamacia suffered from a lack of trade during the Wars. Remember, they export mostly luxury and high-tech goods. The military commandeered or paid low-ball prices for the tech stuff during the Wars, and the luxury goods sat in the warehouses, since most of the trade ships were converted to troop transports. They need us."

  Sunrise on Fenris was certainly beautiful, Katherine reflected. Several days had passed since she had accepted Gideon’s unit for the program. The unit was busy entering and playing the shooter/treasure hunter game she provided. The game was an essential part of the program because it recorded each player’s responses, reactions and decision making and integrated them into the personality profiles.