“A khui?” He repeats the word, though it is clear he does not know what it is.
“The creature in my chest,” I tell him. “It keeps me healthy and strong. It protects me from getting sick. It makes the air safe to breathe. It picks the best mate for me so we will have strong kits.”
He looks distracted, and it is clear to me he is not listening to my words. “A symbiont,” he murmurs. “Does everyone on your world have these?”
“Every living thing. Even Chahm-pee has one. You can see it in the eyes,” I tell him, gesturing at my face. “They are bright blue with life, not dead and lifeless.”Like yours. I do not say it, because that would hurt his feelings. He cannot help it. He will have bright, healthy eyes once he has a khui in his chest.
“Blue eyes,” he murmurs. “Well, that explains it. Come on. We need to tell Niri before she removes your friend’s symbiont and does more damage than she thinks.”
I put my hand in his again and let him lead me to the back of the cave-ship. Anywhere he wants to lead me, I will happily go.
Chahm-pee is fine,though I do not think Niri likes the idea of leaving the khui in his chest—or mine. Their reactions do not bother me; I am told Shorshie and the other humans had a similar reaction to the thought of having a khui, but now they are content and healthy. A khui is a good thing. Chahm-pee’s wounds have been closed up and the blood wiped off his fur, but he is still very quiet and unmoving. I stroke his nose, worried. “He will be all right?”
“He just needs to sleep,” Niri assures me. “We will keep him in med bay overnight, and he should be good to go by the morning.”
Such a fast recovery for such a terrible wound. I am impressed. “You are a good healer, Niri.”
“Mm. Can I talk to you for a minute, Mardok? In private?” She gives him a pointed look and steps to the far end of the room.
Mardok looks over at me, and then follows Niri. A moment later, they are talking in their strange language, the one I do not understand. Niri is clearly agitated, her tail flicking as she talks. Mardok does not seem happy either, but his body remains still and attentive, like a hunter waiting on prey. I can hear them speak, even if I cannot make out the words, and I am sure they are talking about me. They do not like that I am here, for whatever reason. Perhaps they worry about their safety? I know my chief would be concerned to hear another cave-ship has landed, even if it is one full of friends and not enemies.
Mardok’s answers to Niri are very short and blunt. He is not a talker, my mate. I do not mind that. He seems like Asha—someone with hurts buried deep. It makes me ache for him, because he is my mate and I want to help. Perhaps the love I have for him and the kit we make together will carry the pain out of his eyes, like it did for Asha and Hemalo.I like the thought very much.
They both look over at me. “She should meet the captain,” Niri says with a smile that does not reach her eyes. “Did you send him the language file?”
My mate sighs heavily. “I guess I should. I can’t put it off, can I?”
I do not understand why they both look so unhappy.
MARDOK
The captain isn’t pleased. The captain isn’t even remotely pleased. I explain to him the situation with Farli, and the fact that there are more people—more mesakkah, no less—living somewhere on this snowball of a planet, and marooned.
“Old Sakh?” He looks thoughtful as he swirls his tea in his favorite mug. “Ancient history. How did they get here?”
“The Sakh Empire was space-faring,” I remind him. “The technology wasn’t what we have, of course, but they were still very capable.” I glance back at Farli, who is sitting in the ship’s mess hall with Niri. The medic’s been told to keep her busy while I explain things to the captain, and right now Niri is showing Farli how to brew tea through the computer system. I can only imagine the wonder and delight in Farli’s mind as she pushes buttons and makes tea come out, and I hate that I’m not there at her side.
“And you’re sure this isn’t a plant of some kind? That she’s not a spy?”
I look at him like he’s crazy. “Captain, this is a remote snowball not even near any shipping lanes or disputed territory. What would she spy on?”
“Us?”
All that military background finally made the man’s mind snap, I decide. “We’re a long-haul freighter. Right now we’re carrying kelp from Eldirav V.” It’s a high-end product, but it isn’t exactly worth spying over. “Can’t say that there’s a need to spy on greens.”
The captain grunts, like he doesn’t quite believe me but doesn’t have any other theories, either. “I find it hard to believe she knows nothing about us. Or the ship.”
I’m pretty sure she knows nothing about nothing. Farli’s a blank slate when it comes to our world. In a way, it’s kind of charming. It’s also utterly terrifying because it makes her helpless. I still don’t think she realizes I shot her pet. I don’t think she has any idea of what a blaster is.
I envy her that.
The captain doesn’t look convinced. “So she’s just lost, then?”
I bite back my sigh. The captain’s a good man, but stubborn. “Don’t think she sees it that way. This is her home. I don’t think she’s ever known anything but this place, not if she’s speaking Old Sakh.”
“How many of her people are here?”
I shrug. “Your guess is as good as mine. She hasn’t said much about them, but I don’t think she’s hiding anything.” I feel strangely protective of her, and I don’t like that the captain’s being a pain in the ass about her. She means no harm. If anything, we’re the harmful ones. I’ve known her for all of an hour or two and I already tried to kill her damn pet.
