Pertin huffed. “Your mother does not hold Bekdi in high esteem. She has informed him that his decision to order his people into your ship runs counter to temple guidance. She also informed him that he is suffering the same illness that young exalteds always do.” He stared at Regi for long enough that Dante knew that whatever was said next was either an insult or an inside joke.
“And what wise words of wisdom did mother have to share with him?” Regi asked.
“She informed him that those newly risen to the status of exalted often expect the gods to solve every problem when the gods rarely have any interest in the affairs of lesser beings. Shetold Bekdi that like all exalteds who have not relearned common sense after coming to the temple, he suffers a terrible inability to think for himself or reach reasonable conclusions.”
“I wouldn’t argue with her about that,” said Regi.
“You may be less sanguine when you hear she has made similar statements about you. I hoped by discussing this in private, we could avoid additional conflict.”
“So my mother believes I have no common sense or ability to reach a reasonable conclusion, but unlike when I was young, she no longer believes my ignorance comes from youth but now she believes I have those traits because I am newly touched by my goddess. Thank you for saving me from hearing that from her. I’m glad you are still such a staunch defender of the great Minait a’Otutha.” Bitterness colored his words.
Propriety be damned. Dante rested his hand against Regi’s back in silent support.
“I rather thought I was defending my son's feelings,” Pertin murmured.
Regi turned back to the ship. “I will make sure that I do not react if Mother informs me that I am still as great a fool as ever despite my goddess’s faith in me.”
Moving quickly for such a large Kowri, Pertin rushed the ramp and caught Regi’s arm. “I wish I knew the words to ease the pain you two cause each other.”
Regi’s face was devoid of expression. “I'm sure Mother can turn to her goddess for comfort.”
“Minait and Gimi are gathering a small group to come here and seek an audience with this Ter. I believe Minait hopes to ease the others’ discomfort by showing that he is no more than an unmannered outsider, nothing the temple need concern itself with.” The words tumbled out as if Pertin was afraid Regi might run away any moment.
“She’s bringing temple exalteds here?” Regi turned back toward his father. “Why is she involving herself? You said yourself that she believes exalteds should tend to those issues within their own gods’ area of influence, and this matter does not call for a midwife.”
“Perhaps she sees her son’s determination and hopes to assist him.”
“I doubt that. But I thank you for the warning and I will talk to Ter in order to minimize the odds that he will do further damage to Coalition-Kowri relations.” The statement was so stiff and formal that Dante winced. Even when Dante screamed at his father–and he often did–he never talked as if his father didn’t matter to him. Pertin jerked his hands away like he’d been burned.
Regi marched up the ramp, back stiff.
Dante was behind Pertin, unsure whether he should walk past or run away or possibly dig a hole and pull the dirt in after him until all the family drama passed over like a category five hurricane.
Pertin turned and offered the saddest smile Dante had seen in a mighty long time. “Will you give him a chance to detail the breadth and depth of his displeasure so he can categorize his feelings?” he asked.
“Venting,” Dante said. “We call that venting, and letting people we care about vent is a basic rule of human relationships.”
Pertin smiled at him, but the expression didn’t touch his eyes and his ears were still tilted back unhappily. “I am glad,” Pertin whispered. He studied Dante until Dante gathered the reins of his courage and eased past him to get up the ramp. When he reached the door, he looked back and Pertin watched.
Dante knew Regi had legitimate reasons to be angry with his parents, much like Dante did. But Dante suspected his ownfather would never stare at a door with the sort of lost expression Pertin had right now. Dante wasn’t sure how many years Regi had been gone, but he had the feeling that Pertin at least had mourned for his son the whole time. But Regi seemed too angry to notice that.
Wishing he knew how to make any of this easier, Dante headed into the ship. If he couldn’t help ease the family suffering, maybe he could find Ter and convince him to avoid throwing any more equipment. Yep, and maybe he could create world peace, cure cancer, and stop global warming. And here yesterday had ended so nicely.
Chapter Twelve
Regi stopped outside the safety window marking the boundary of Ter’s territory. The view covered most of the engineering area, and Ter had his head tilted upward, but what concerned Regi was that Dante was dangling from support struts with his head closest to the floor and his knees hooked over the beam. He wasn’t wearing any safety equipment, and he was least seven feet above the decking. Regi’s legs went numb as fear coursed through him.
“You might as well give up. If Divashi is determined to keep us on the planet, she’s going to break anything you fix,” Dante said.
Captain Cota tried to charge past Regi, but Regi caught the captain by the arm, unwilling to startle Dante. The best course was to ease into engineering and allow Dante to notice them without causing alarm or making him fall from that precarious perch.
“If I can find that oversized menace you call a god, I’m going to surgically remove all her finger bones and leave her with flapping bits of flesh hanging from her hands,” said Ter. He moved to a new console and started typing. No other engineers were around, which meant no one was near enough to catch Dante if he fell.
Regi might murder Ter.
“I dare you to say that to her face,” Dante told Ter.
“I am more than willing to do exactly that. If she were willing to kill sapient creatures, she would have long ago determinedthat I am the greatest threat to her plan, and she would have removed me and my prodigious ability to repair technology. She hasn’t. Therefore I am safe in expressing my desire to pull her liver out through whatever orifice she uses to birth young.”
