“I had been called to attend a birth. I was not available to be informed or to inform others.”
A cold shiver went down Regi’s spine. “Are you suggesting that the gods have arranged to leave Ter and Dante at Bekdi’s mercy?”
“I do not see the hand of the gods at all,” Minait said. “I see only the hand of an astute politician who realized that my absence would make his task easier. Do not blame the gods when the small-mindedness of a Kowri is explanation enough. Bekdi acted when I was not available to ease your path in the temple.”
Regi was surprised at how much he wanted to believe that. He desperately wanted to think that his mother would side with him, but his desire made it difficult for him to believe that his hope was anything more than wishful thinking. Regi moved to more practical issues. “How do we reunite with Ter and Dante?”
“I do not know that we can challenge Bedki’s custody of the outsider,” Minait said.
“Perhaps Bekdi has a right to the custody of Ter,” Regi said. “That is a matter we can debate at another time, but he does not have a right to take Dante from this world. Dante must be returned.”
Minait pinched her lips in displeasure. “Bekdi would not have removed your huuman; he understands the law. Therefore, if your huuman is with him, then he chose to go.”
Regi wanted to scream that Dante would not have been so foolish, but Dante might have accompanied Ter to save him from the consequences of his own abhorrent vocabulary. This was a man who had followed Regi into a radiation-flooded section of engineering. His self-preservation skills were lacking, and his people had a unique word for self-murder, so that could be a species trait.
Regi feared that Dante would put himself in danger to protect Ter. “This is an issue we can discuss when we reach Bekdi. I need assistance in getting to his ship before he is too far away for us to reliably track.”
“The temple always knows where the ships are,” Pertin said in an almost amused voice, as though Regi was a foolish child who had forgotten the technology wielded by the Empire.
Rel huffed. “I believe our son is saying that he no longer trusts the temple to be fair or honest in the sharing of information.”
“I can't say I have ever trusted the temple to be fair,” Regi answered.
Rel curled his lip. “A strange reaction from one who once insisted he would serve on the Gavd ships.”
“After Gavd followers attempted to assassinate me, I stopped putting blind faith in the gods.”
Rel opened his mouth, but Minait interrupted him by taking a step forward. “You have always been ready to dismiss the gods when they did not give you the answer you wanted.”
“Apparently I am more like my mother than I understood,” Regi said in a cold tone.
His mother's nose grayed in distress, and guilt washed through Regi. If she had turned on the gods, it was because of her love for him, or at least her love for the idea of having a child even if she believed that hypothetical child would be more tractable.
“Stop. Both of you,” Pertin snapped. “I am unsurprised that both of you honor goddesses known for spilling blood. Right now, we must find a solution. Minait, you know that no solution is possible if we cannot speak with Bekdi. At the very least, he has been high-handed in his handling of this situation. And Regi, you continue to blame us for circumstances I do not even understand. We have done nothing blameworthy, so stop instigating conflict with your mother.” He frowned at both of them. “I swear,” Pertin murmured, “I have worked with burled, knotted wood that is less difficult than you two.”
Regi's nose tickled with shame. “My regrets,” he offered.
Pertin gave a pleased nod, and Minait ducked her head.
“We can speak to the captain of our previous ship,” Minait said. “He is most interested in the idea of outsiders; he may be willing to help us reach Bekdi and your two crewmembers.” She turned her head, and Regi was struck again with the signs of age he could map in every gray hair and loose jowl.
“That would be reasonable. Would it not?” Pertin asked Rel.
Rel wrinkled his nose. “Given that you are the only one acquainted with ‘reasonable’ and its definition, I defer to your judgment in the matter.” His mouth quirked into a smile, and he touched Pertin on the shoulder. “But if we are to dosuch a reasonable thing, let us do it quickly before anyone unreasonable can think to make other arrangements.”
“I am blessed with two intelligent husbands,” Minait said. “Come, let us discuss this with the captain.”
“Agreed,” said Regi. He turned to Vk. “Report to the captain and let him know that you will be in charge of security until such time as I can return with Ter.”And Dante, he silently added. The captain would insist that Regi had no authority over the huuman, but Regi would not abandon him.
Vk’s nose drew up like a loosened hose. “No.”
Her answer shocked him into spinning around. “Excuse me?”
“No,” she repeated. “I will go with you.”
“That is a prodigiously foolish idea,” Minait said.
Vk tensed and then squared her shoulders in aggravation. “Perhaps it is, but under Coalition regulations, I have a right to disobey my superior officer. While that will lead to a disciplinary hearing once we reach a Coalition dock, it occurs to me that we are a long way from Coalition space. Regi has no means to force me to abandon him,” Vk said.
