Jal stood in the middle of the room overwhelmed by what seemed to be chaos. Books of every size and shape were stacked on the shelves, floor, and multiple small tables. Planters filled with various types of ferns and vines sat precariously on the stacks of books. The ones by the window were yellowed and dry. Edges of the shelves were filled with trinkets, souvenirs, and relics from throughout the galaxy.
Sage Elvan spoke, then took Jal by the arm and led it to a table. “Tea, Jal, we’re going to have tea.” Jal couldn’t think, let alone speak. It was so nervous, the nausea was overwhelming. “We can do this. Trust me. Let me do the talking.”
Giel Moti re-entered the room. “I’ll move some of these, so we have some space.” It lifted a stack of books and set them on the floor. The pile slid sideways. After it cleared a space on one end of the table, Giel sat down. “While the water is getting hot, perhaps you could tell me why you’re here. I’m guessing that it has to do with the census.”
“Yes, it does,” Sage Elvan responded. “Before we get into a discussion, I’d like to introduce myself. I’m Jan Elvan, the Diplomatic Protectorate Negotiator to Shifos. This is my apprentice, Jal Jomari. I thought we might clarify some information from the census.”
A beeper sounded in the cooking area, and Giel got up. Sage Elvan glanced at Jal. It looked around, not really seeing what was there. Giel returned with a tray of teacups and pastries, then went back for the teapot. It filled cups and pushed the pastries at its guests.
“What information are you seeking?”
“I thought that we could talk a moment about who shares your living space.”
“That would be my parent, Lu Kan Moti. Well, when it’s here.”
Sage Elvan looked at its tablet. “Does that mean it’s only here part of the year?”
“Lu Kan goes back and forth constantly between here and Shifos. Its schedule is very unpredictable.”
“Would you say Lu Kan is here more than twelve months of the year?”
“I can’t answer that. I doubt that Lu Kan could answer that.” Giel’s low laugh sounded like a mourning dove, Jal thought.
“Tell me a little about your background,” Sage Elvan invited.
“I graduated from Shipman University, worked in various plant labs in Kop for several years, then returned home to take care of Lu Kan. It had been very severely injured in an accident off-world. After Lu Kan was back on its feet, I began as a lab assistant at Alixjes. I worked through the various positions and found I was bored. So, I applied at the university. I was made a full professor last year.” Giel took a drink of tea. “There’s more to this than the census, isn’t there?”
“Do you recall the name of the lab that you worked at in Kop?”
Giel looked at the ceiling for a few seconds. “I’m sorry, I can’t. Those sorts of things aren’t important to me. Content. Content is what matters.”
“Perhaps the name of the lab was called ‘Conceive?’”
“Hey, that’s it! I worked there.”
“Is the name of Geldou Bonnema familiar to you?"
Jal saw the look of alarm that turned into a grimace. "Maybe, maybe not."
Sage Elvan went on, "You provided a DNA sample for the Stafriez registry the week after the census taker was here.”
“I did. So what?”
“Giel, according to the Stafriez Registry, there was a DNA match with your parent and with one other person. I’m hoping you will share with me how that happened.”
“And if I don’t want to? You’ll leave?”
Jal’s face had not changed at all during the previous exchange. Now Jal’s face flushed. It looked down and tried to stay calm.
“I was hoping you would shed some light on this situation before we go. Were you aware that your DNA was used in a surrogate about six years ago? An Aphyxian woman named Geldou Bron?”
“Well, you’ve put me in a tight spot. If I say yes, then you’ll dump this child in my lap. If I say no, then you’re going to dig around for details and try to embarrass me publicly, I expect.”
“It is not my goal to embarrass anyone.”
Giel sighed. “I did some things in Kop that probably I shouldn’t have done. But there's a reason that I did what I did. It’s a long story. Perhaps when Lu Kan returns, it should tell the first part of the story. Let me guess. This person who is my child wants to see me.”
“You went through the process, to the point of using a surrogate. You knew a child would be the result. Do you want to know who it is? What it’s like?”
“I don’t know. Having a child would complicate things. I’ve finally gotten to a place I had never thought I would be. I’m teaching students how to do complex genetic work on plants. A child would be,” he calculated silently, “about six years old. It’s old enough to take care of itself. It doesn’t need me. If this child knew about me, it would turn around and walk away. I’m a solitary, independent, sometimes grumpy creature who only cares about plants and sharing them with other people.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Jal stood up. “I think I should go, Master.”
“Sit down, Jal.” Jal sat.
“I did what I did for a reason, Sage Elvan. The Protectors are now aware of the situation. You are involved. Everything has gone according to plan.”
“You wanted this child in the hands of the Protectors? What was the reason?”
“The reason was left in the child’s sleeping place when it was about nine months old. Hopefully it hasn’t been destroyed.”
“I can assure you that the document is in the hands of the Protectors. It has been scrutinized by a team of scientists.”
“Lu Kan can tell you more of the origin of the document. I engineered the plot to get the document into the hands of the Protectors. Having a child Stafriez carried to term by another species of human is something remarkable. The child should be considered a miracle. This situation should receive international attention from the Protectors and the Stafriez community.”
At this, Jal stood up, looked around, and went out the door they had come through. Outside, it looked around frantically. Jal raced for a hidden spot away from the street. After vomiting, Jal took off down the street at a fast run.
Sage Elvan tried to end the conversation with Giel Moti on a positive note. “The child who is being taken care of by the Protectors knows that a complex situation is unfolding. It wants to know why it’s here. It knows there is something it is supposed to do, something important that will affect the Stafriez race. This child needs to know, so it can prepare itself. Whether you tell me the reason or Lu Kan tells it, I do not care. The Protectors are not interested in returning the child to a parent who wants nothing to do with it. It is being well cared for. It wants to know what it should learn to prepare itself for what lies ahead. Here is information where you can reach me. I hope you'll decide to help us.”
Jal slowed to a walk. It wasn’t paying attention to where it was going. Several speeders nearly hit it. It wound its way through the neighborhood to an area where decent sized homes had been. Many had been destroyed in a fire nearly a decade ago. The concrete foundations were still in place. Families that had nowhere to go often took refuge in this ghetto called “The Holes.” They tied tarps to keep the rain and snow off their families, used latrines that were nearly falling over, and lived on what people would give them in the street.
As Jal passed one of the open foundations, it paused. “Felines. There must be felines out here. Poor things. I wonder where they are.” Jal walked on. It could still hear the mewling sounds. A few steps later, Jal’s curiosity took over, even though it had no idea how to take care of a baby feline. It turned around listening and took a few steps. Following the sound, Jal entered a concrete foundation and looked around. A tarp had been hooked on the bricks on top and was held down at an angle by cement blocks.
“Where are you?” Jal called out, watching for motion. A pile of old rags moved, and the noises began again. “I’m coming,” Jal said softly. “I’ll take you home with me.”
It knelt on the concrete and pulled apart the cloths. Three infant humans lay on each other in the rags. The umbilical cords were still attached. “Good grief! Someone gave birth and left you here?” Jal slipped off its cape and wrapped them up carefully. It readied itself and jumped out of the hole.
Jal tapped the communicator for Sage Elvan. “I’m transporting to the Protector’s Enclave right now.”
Seconds later, Jal walked up the steps and through the main doors. At the front desk, a clerk asked Jal how she could help. “Please tell me where I should take these babies.”
Startled, she looked at the bundle. She strode down a corridor and opened a door. “Dr. Hati, I have some patients for you,” she called.
“Bring them in. I’ll be out in a moment.” she was pulling a blue top on as she entered the room. “What do we have here?” Jal opened the cloak. “Who are you? Where did these babies come from?”
“I’m Jal Jomari.” Jal told her how it had come upon the triplets. “I thought I heard felines. Instead, there are human infants. I’m only a child myself. What should I do with them? I have no idea how to care for them.”
“Let me check them over. This little girl doesn’t look like she’s feeling well.” The doctor called out, and medical attendants appeared pushing warming beds. “You’re sure that you’re not the father?”
“Doctor, these are not Stafriez babies.”
She looked up, “Oh, sorry.” The doctor called out orders for the assistants and activity increased. “In a moment, I’ll get some information from you.” Jal watched as the infants were cleaned, their cords were clipped, and they were given clothing and diapers.
The door opened and closed. “Jal, what are you doing here?” Sage Elvan whispered.
“I’m dropping off some babies.” Sage Elvan looked at Jal, for the first time in a long time, speechless.
“Now, Jal, this is a document for you to sign. It states that you found the children in a home in the ghetto called ‘The Holes.’ It says that you are not the father or mother of them. It basically says that you are giving up any claim to raise these children as your own.”
Sage Elvan read through it. “Sign it, Jal.” Jal filled in the blanks and wrote its signature.
Jal followed Sage Elvan as it strode down the hallway to the front door. “You left Giel Moti’s house and gave me no indication where you were going. What were you thinking?” Jal didn’t respond. “You were rude and irresponsible. What were you thinking?” Jal held back the words on its tongue. “You went walking in an unsafe neighborhood, where there are shootings and all kinds of accidents every day. What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t! I wasn’t thinking! Is that what you want me to say? I wasn’t thinking. Giel Moti thinks that because of my age I should be able to take care of myself. It thinks that it has the right to withhold information regarding my past and my future. It didn’t want a child! It wanted attention so something would happen. But it doesn’t want to tell us what that something is! Some parent that is! Giel Moti doesn’t want me and Geldou Bron didn’t want me, just like those babies’ parents didn’t want them. It seems to me that I should go on my way! I don’t need you or Giel Moti to take care of me! Please take me back to Ridali so I can pack my things.”
Sage Elvan made a transport ring with its wand, “Pegasus Palace.”
“I want to go to Ridali Farm!” Jal said as they materialized in front of a hotel.
“Be quiet, Jal!” Sage Elvan snapped.
“No! I don’t want to be quiet! Take me to Ridali Farm.”
“We’ll discuss this inside.”
Jal crossed its arms in front of its chest and planted its feet. “I don’t want to discuss this inside. You can’t make me!”
Sage Elvan began to laugh. “You sound like a one-year-old.”
“Now you’re making fun of me!”
“Come on, Jal. Let’s go upstairs and see what Taryn’s doing.” Jal followed it to an elevator.
“I don’t want to see Taryn. This is between you and I. Please take me to Ridali. I’ll go away. I won’t be a burden to anyone anymore.” Jal followed Sage Elvan down a hall. “You’re not even listening to me.” They entered a suite where Tarryn sat reading.
“Do you feel better now that you’ve had your little temper tantrum?” Sage Elvan turned to face Jal.
“No! Take me to Ridali Farm!”
“I’m not taking you anywhere. You’re staying here in this apartment. You can go to bed early. Maybe tomorrow you’ll be more reasonable.”
“No, I won’t. I've been trying to be reasonable for six years now. I have run out of reasonable. If you think that I’m going to sit in a room crying because you punished me, you have another thought coming. You can do whatever you want, but I can promise you that I will be scheming up a plan that will get me out of here and on my way.”
“Where would you go?”
“Wherever my feet take me!”