Her green eyes narrowed. “And who might this proper person be? Remember, a Xalanite hired Jim to kill you. Are you sure you can trust whoever you’re calling?”
She had a point. I stopped to consider her words. “I believe so. My handler on Xalan would not have had access to the resources necessary to arrange an assassination attempt. She is … a nanny? A caregiver. Her income is enough for her to live on, but she would not have been able to arrange for transport of the extrakrinthat Jim was paid with, nor would she have had the means to coordinate an attack.”
Timber blinked in surprise. “Your contact is a woman? I find that hard to believe. The way you talk, women on Xalan don’t seem to do much more than procreate. Would she be the right person to call when it comes to getting you legal permission to be here?”
It was my turn to blink. “Women work on Xalan. Perhaps I did not convey things properly. Women and men do different kinds of work. The men tend to do more physical work because our bodies are tougher. Women … care. They watch the children, they prepare meals, they tend to the homes. It seems similar here, though obviously some Earth women, like you, are stronger. From what I understand, women’s rights are more advanced on Earth. The Xalanite women do not generally desire such things. Amber of Earth has spoken to many Xalanitefemales in her travels on our planet, but most are not keen on changing the status quo. Our women enjoy their part in our society. They do not wish to fight in wars or carry heavy objects or construct buildings.”
“That’s really sad.”
“Why?”
She tapped her chest. “What if I was a Xalanite woman? Could I still be a cop? It sounds like your women are oppressed. Like your society doesn’tallowthem to do other kinds of work. Maybe the women who’ve talked to Amber don’t know any better. Maybe they don’t realize that things could be different.”
I would have argued more on the matter, but Killaria picked up. She answered in Xalanite.
“N’kal! Your parents are quite cross. Why did you leave?”
I found the speaker function on the phone and turned it on so Timber could hear the conversation. “I have a human with me, Killaria. Please speak in English.”
Killaria cursed in the Xalanite tongue before switching to using her nanites to translate.“Fine. Human it is. What do you want, N’kal?”
“I need proper papers to be here. Can you arrange that?”
“You want permissionafteryou left? Do you have any idea what chaos you’ve started here by leaving?”
I scoffed at her concern. “Xalan will carry on just fine without me.”
“Do you really think we’d do well under your brother’s rule?”
Timber’s eyebrows shot up. “You have a brother?”
I ignored her shock. “Yes. Xalanite women have—What are they called?—litters. And yes,” I said to Killaria, “I think Xalan would thrive under his reign. Fri’in would do a fine job. Certainly better than I.”
“Wait, wait, wait! Your mom had a … a litter?” Timber shook her head. “That’s wild.”
“Human women have multiple children. Not always at the same time, but how is it any different? My father and mother should be happy that they have another child to turn to now that I am gone.”
Timber seemed stuck on the idea of multiple births at once. “Litters … Is that why Xalanite women have so many boobs? Do they, like, nurse them all at once?”
“Xalanite mammary glands are not just for show. They function much like human breasts, though from what I understand many human women do not use their mammary glands to nourish their children, correct? You have supplementary products? That seems a stranger concept to me than feeding a whole litter at once.”
“Point taken.”
Killaria sighed.“Your mother might—might—give permission for you to have these papers you wish to have. Your father will take more convincing.”
“Do you think you can convince him, Killaria? I wish to stay on Earth. Get an Earth education, an Earth job.” I looked deep into Timber’s eyes. “An Earth mate.”
She blushed and turned away, though the smile tugging at her lips indicated pleasure at my suggestion.
A long pause from Killaria made the silence following my declaration seem all the louder. Finally, she answered.“I will try. Gods know it will be difficult, but I will try. I may have to negotiate the terms, though,”she cautioned.“Your father seems set on you joining the military and fulfilling your service obligation.”
“But you can talk to him, right? Explain my desires, explain my pleasure on this planet. I am thriving here, Killaria. I havefound a healthy mate, and there is a culture here that welcomes Xalanites with open arms.”
I did not mention the assassination attempt. Father would have me brought straight home if he knew.
“I will do what I can. I make no promises beyond that.”
With that, Killaria ended the communication. I reset Timber’s phone to its previous settings and handed it back to her. “There. Killaria has served our family for many solar cycles. If anyone can convince my father that it would be beneficial for me to remain here, it is she.”
