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Chapter 46 “Your Olvecks look to have accepted the new ones,” Chalee-Siri told Katrina as they looked into the pen. “They fought each other for the first couple of days, three were even wounded seriously, but they’ve calmed down now. They almost seem happy now.” “They understand that someone new was needed,” Chalee-Siri mused aloud. “What’s wrong? What are you thinking about?” “I’ve decided to accept him.” After a full minute of thinking, Katrina understood what her friend meant. “The young Caminee male? But you haven’t met him yet!” “I know, but I’ve given this a lot of thought. He can’t be as bad as I fear, after all, he needs me as much as I need him.” “You don’t need him!” “I do,” Chalee-Siri told the younger girl gently, “I hate it but I do. I want what he can give me or even just the security of it and him. Maybe I don’t want the baby now, Katrina, but one day I will. If he goes by I may never have that chance again. And, in all honesty, I think there is a very real possibility that I will want him as a husband,” she confided. Katrina looked at her friend for several long moments before nodding slowly. “I will help you bring him here, if you will promise to stand on my side on one important matter in the future.” “Of course.” Katrina closed her eyes and let her spirit float free before delving into the past. Without Cha-Lee’s powers to see the future she could not see the disastrous event to be avoided. She could not see the Caminee man’s departure from their area of space, but she remembered enough of it to track him into the past. Katrina homed in on him and witnessed his purchase of the ship he would fight to work properly. It was recent. She moved forward some and watched him negotiate a shipping contract. “What are cenasia seeds used for?” Katrina asked as she broke back into the present. “I think I heard that they can be dried and smoked, something of a pain killer. Why?” “He hauls crates of them. That is why he is traveling through the system when his hyerpdrive fails. Chalee-Siri, all we need to do is put in an order for them and he will come directly here.” “But how will we pay for them?” “What difference does that make?” “Katrina!” “Fine. Your mother would gladly agree to the expense.” “I don’t want my parents to know. Not yet.” “You can’t expect to keep this from Cha-Lee!” “Please, Katrina. I will accept him, but what if he does not accept me? I will be mortified.” “If he refuses you he can pay for the damn seeds himself.” Chalee-Siri grinned at that answer. “Alright, let’s place that order.” They raced into the Tri and were relieved to find the office empty. Within moments they had dusted off communications equipment and were busy giving the details of their order. The voice on the other end was gruff but gave no argument when they insisted on choosing the pilot and ship to make the delivery. “That’s it,” Katrina said as they shut the machine off. “Your husband arrives by the end of the standard week.” Katrina and Chalee-Siri snuck out of the Tri everyday of that week and sat at the landing pad, waiting. Each evening they returned to the Tri, quiet and disappointed. In the middle of the night preceding the final day, the Tri was in an uproar. Cha-Lee and Siri were rushing through the blue wing and common area, shouting at one another and their daughter. Chalee-Siri stood shaking in a corner. “He’s landed,” she told her friend. “He will be here within minutes. What if he doesn’t want me, Katrina?” “He will.” Katrina opened the door and gave Chalee-Siri a push. She stumbled and stepped forward. The other Caminee wasn’t far away and stopped to stare at her. Almost as one, they stepped towards one another. Cha-Lee and Siri came to stand behind Katrina, also staring out the doorway. Cha-Lee let his hand fall on her shoulder as the two outside exchanged a tentative greeting. They turned and slowly began to walk together, a sly smile spreading across Chalee-Siri’s face. “You did well.” “You did it for yourself,” Siri said sharply. “I already have a husband, Siri. I don’t need another,” Katrina answered absently before returning to the red wing. |
