Gather The Children (Chronicles of the Maca Book 2) (20 page)

Lorenz decided to say nothing. It was smarter just to listen and try to learn.

MacDonald looked down at him. “We'll visit the quarters now, and ye can listen to the crystals telling of the different beings whilst I shower. Ye can save the questions for when I finish.”

They walked down a corridor and past a large open area filled with black and gold pulsing walls, tables, what were probably chairs, and huge covered daybeds with backs. The sitting furniture seemed to be covered with some sort of unrecognizable fabric. It looked soft, not like the harsh horsehair sofa in Rity's house or the stiff brocade stuff he'd seen in Red's whorehouse. He shook his head as MacDonald pressed his hand against an outline of a door and it slid open. It was hard to believe what he was seeing, and he wondered how his mother had handled it.

This room was smaller, and contained furniture much like he had seen, except there was far less of it. It looked like there was some sort of small room to the right, and as the door slid back in place he could see a ledge with one of those fancy chairs covered with lighter, blue fabric shoved underneath the ledge. The floors were a golden shimmering color like the machine. MacDonald steered him to the chair.

“Ye could have listened to this at the command station, but tis quite comfortable here, and I can take my cleansing.” He pulled out the chair and flipped up part of the ledge. Something that looked like a dirty mirror was in front of his eyes and below some sort of slanted board with buttons and symbols inscribed on the buttons. MacDonald poked away at the symbols and the dirty mirror blackened. Lorenz jumped when he heard someone talking, but could not place the language nor where the speaker was located. It was as though the person doing the talking was in front of him, but no one was there.

“Steady, laddie, that tis but the beginning of the history ye are about to learn. The voice tis part of it. All has been prerecorded. I ken that this does nay make sense yet, but it twill.”

The dirty mirror changed, and now there was a man's torso and face speaking that strange language. MacDonald punched at the button symbols and suddenly the voice was using MacDonald's inflections of speech. MacDonald held down a button and the screen stood still and the voice stopped. “We need to have the speech in yere language. Tell the screen 'this tis our alphabet' and then recite it just as ye have done at home. The words twill be in yere language, and ye twill be able to ken what tis being said.”

Lorenz looked at him and shook his head. MacDonald smiled and gently pushed him into the chair. “Go ahead. Ye ken the letters, and dinna use the slurred language ye so oft do. Ye speak better than that.”

It was darn hard to fool him. He might as well do as told and hear what this thing was going to say, and Lorenz obeyed. It was like the mirror started over as it changed to black and the man reappeared. It was then that Lorenz noticed the man's eyes were copper colored with golden circles around the pupils.

He looked up at MacDonald and asked, “Is that my pa?”

“Does it matter?”

“No, just wondered.”

“Tis nay yere fither, but tis a Justine. They do tend to resemble each other. I twill listen with ye, and then ye may watch it again while I take that cleansing.”

MacDonald removed his finger and the seated red-haired man, dressed in some sort of long, flowing material, started speaking in English. “Welcome. Since you are being allowed to hear this, our advance party has deemed you worthy of contact. This is a brief synopsis of our universe and the beings that dwell here.”

“We are the Justines, a family of bipeds who have attained the highest evolved level in our quadrant. While we are able to vocalize with lesser beings, our own communications, when we reach a certain maturity, are mental. We learn speech to communicate with other beings and not frighten them.”

“Physical work is no longer necessary as our science and technology sustains us. Therefore, we devote our time to meditation, study, and striving to benefit those who have not yet attained our level. The following will introduce you to the known beings in our galaxy.”

“The first beings we will discuss are the Krepyons, who are our allies and administrators throughout our system.” The screen showed a slight male creature with light, brown skin, brownish hair, brown eyes, and it looked like scales on both cheeks. “This is the male of the species. They usually devote their time to business, the mundane activities of living, or the military. They average about five feet six inches in height, and weigh about one hundred and thirty pounds to one hundred and seventy.

“The next is the female. Please note the double row of mammary glands.” Lorenz's mouth had opened in a wide O and his grey eyes grew wide. The female, like the male, was nude except for bindings around the lower genital area, and looked much like the male with longer hair. “The Krepyons are the only biped beings with double mammary glands out of the four known groups. The females are noticeably shorter and lighter than the Krepyon males. They usually give birth to four at a time. We have been working with the Krepyons to limit the females to one birth. Their population at this time is unacceptable for their available living space. We have been moderately successful and have not had to implement harsher methods.”

“While they are not capable of communicating with their minds, they are very susceptible to ours. We are hopeful that within the next one thousand years this trait will evolve into a viable ability to communicate mentally with us.

“The next beings are the Brendons. They are the best horticulturalists in the galaxy. Their entire planet, except for the Polar Regions, the areas dedicated to housing, and the necessary manufacturing sites, has been cultivated into one huge garden. Some of their advances with growing plant life aboard interstellar flights have been implemented in our space ships. Their vegetation and ours are not always compatible.”

A stockier male figure filled the screen, his hair a dark, greenish color, and he wore no clothing. “Like the plant life they cultivate, the hair of the Brendons will turn to a red or an orange hue as they advance into old age. They have a medium height of five feet, seven to nine inches. Their women are usually an inch or two shorter. Both genders usually weigh about one hundred and fifty pounds.”

Lorenz blinked his eyes at the woman on the screen. Some sort of cloth covered the breast area, but the breasts were not sagging and he felt himself growing hard. It seemed hair color wasn't going to make much difference in attraction. He was afraid to look at the man standing next to him, and his tongue remained still.

“When we first made contact with the Brendons, we hoped they would be able to communicate on a higher level. These are a gentler community of beings, more interested in science than warfare. They are able to communicate on a certain level with their plant life, yet they cannot mindspeak. Once again, perhaps a cultural maturing will lead them into emulating us. Unfortunately, during the last century, the Brendons allied themselves with the Thalians and rejected our teachings. They are currently under our benevolent care supervised by the Krepyons.”

MacDonald could keep silent no longer. “Their arrogance is beyond belief.”

On the screen, there now appeared a jock-strapped man of immense muscular proportions. His black hair was cropped close and he turned his hairless body while clenching his fists and looking upward at a group of cheering people, a wide smile slitting his craggy face below a jutting nose. Blood trickled downward from the nose, past the smiling lips, and onto the chest. “This is a representation of a Thalian male. He has just won a fight in their so-called dining arena in front of the Guardians of the Realm, the ruling elite of Thalia. Thalians revel in the strength of both men and women. The males reach a medium height of six feet, two inches, and the women are but a scant inch shorter, if that. Their weight, depending on their height and status in the hierarchy, will vary from two hundred pounds to over three hundred.”

MacDonald paused the recitation. “The Thalian tis Jason, Lad of Ayran. He twas about one hundred and twenty years of age at the time. The next twill be my mither. She twas one hundred and one the day this twas recorded. The bar she tis bending tis our metal, nay the soft iron that I bent in the tavern yesterday.” He released his finger.

Lorenz crossed his arms and gripped his biceps. This whole show was unbelievable, and he had a hunch it was going to become more fantastic.

The woman was as muscular as the man, and she too was clothed in a g-strap. A small strip of cloth wound around the breast area. Unlike the Brendons and the Krepyons, her breasts were minimal, hardly expanding the material. Her biceps, however, bulged as she bent and twisted the bar and then held it aloft, a wide smile showing a neat row of white teeth. Her dark hair bobbed around her ears and her flushed face was MacDonald's face.

“We once hoped the Thalians were evolving to mindspeak. Most of the Thalians have dark hair and dark eyes, but there are two of their 'Houses' that have a lighter, almost reddish-brown head of hair. Thalians can exchange emotions with their touch. This ability should be able to grow into the ability to exchange ideas mentally. Their philosophy of strength and war precludes this intellectual achievement. To prevent their ability to wage war, we have instituted a new governmental order in Thalia. It is still based on their fundamental rule of the Houses, but we have appointed the female of the Thalians to control most aspects of their day to day governing. The Krepyons insure that our precepts are followed. Thalia's manufacturing and military have been nullified.

“We are working with the Krepyons to bring order in our galaxy, and the efforts are beginning to show fruit.” Here MacDonald snorted. “The following will show you different scenes from the different planets.”

MacDonald paused the voice and images. “Do ye have any questions?” He looked down at Lorenz whose arms were crossed over his chest, and a hard, puzzled look on his young face.

“How do y'all tell the difference between Thalian men and women when they have clothes on?”

“Believe me, laddie, we can tell.” MacDonald chuckled.

“Why can't I call y'all pa?” He was still looking straight ahead, but his jaw jutted outward.

MacDonald's eyes narrowed. “Why are ye quibbling over that now?”

Lorenz jerked his head around and stood. “I ain't quibbling, or whatever that means. I just want to know why it has to be your way.”

“Because I am yere fither!” The big man roared back.

For a moment Lorenz forgot to speak and then asked, “But I thought y'all said Toma was.”

“He tis yere biological fither. I am the fither the good Gar has seen fit to give ye, and why can ye nay accept that?”

“I dunno, Papa. I figured y'all wouldn't want me.”

MacDonald shook his head in wonderment. “Dear, Gar, laddie, why?”

“Because Red wanted something from me as payment. He just didn't say what. From what y'all said before, it sounds like y'all want me because I've got two hearts and can fight the Justines when I'm grown.”

“Ye twill be able to go with me because the two hearts twill enable ye to live long enough. In truth, laddie, I dinna ken when I twill ever learn to navigate this ship back. Ye are wanted because ye should have been Anna's and mine, and I canna refuse what the good Gar has given. Do ye ken ye just called me Papa?”

“Yes, sir.” Lorenz's grey eyes lighted and he smiled at MacDonald. “And y'all didn't knock me down. Can I ask another question?”

MacDonald's eyes bulged on that one and he bent down and laid both hands on Lorenz's shoulder. “Why would ye believe I would knock ye down if ye called me fither?'

Lorenz shifted his gaze and then turned to MacDonald. “Y'all really won't be ashamed to say I'm yours?”

“Dear Gar, laddie, why else would I adopt ye?”

Lorenz wet his lips and heaved a sigh. “Maybe 'cause I wanted to believe it so damn bad. I still want to ask questions, if it's all right.”

MacDonald nodded and wondered what Lorenz would ask this time. “Aye, go ahead.” His voice was gruff and he straightened.

“How big was your ma-mother?”

“She stood six foot-three. She twas as tall as her brither, Lamar, and she outweighed him and twas stronger. Truly, she twas a magnificent Thalian.” His face and voice hardened. “Someday, when I return, I twill stand in that arena again. I twill win the fight again, and bend the rod as Mither did.”

“What happened to the, uh, Krepyons that were on this thing?”

“I killed them and let space take care of their bodies. They would have taken this ship and killed me.”

Lorenz let out his breath and felt his stomach knot. He'd been mistaken. This man could kill as readily as the next when survival was at stake. “Y'all plan on getting rid of the Krepyons and the Justines, don't y'all?”

MacDonald's eyes were black obsidian. “Aye.”

“Shit and I thought I was bad.”

“What are ye talking about now?”

“I killed Zale and two others to get even. Y'all are planning on wiping out the whole lot just like your mother.”

“Nay the whole lot. I twill only destroy their capacity to rule Thalia.”

Lorenz looked up and asked, “Why don't y'all spend your time studying everything in here so that y'all can leave?”

“Because I have found my true love on this world, and we have a wee lassie, and now a laddie to raise. I canna leave till I learn to navigate between the star systems. I have nay flown a craft through the spacepath portals, nay have I the math to ken the course plotting, but I have been studying. Someday I twill need to take the
Golden One
out to practice and to re-energize its system, but it twill take years to learn what I must. Mither could command a ship like this as she had studied at our academy and twas a warrior with the title of Captain of the Fleet.”

Lorenz thought for a moment. “That don't answer what I asked.”

“Yere mither would nay go, and Mina would nay ever fit in my world. Ye are the only one who might travel with me and thrive on my world. So, till such time as ye and Mina are grown and my beloved Anna crosses into the Darkness, I remain here. Should I learn the handling of this craft, do ye think ye twill wish to leave this planet someday?”