“Katra is no one’s pet,” Nathaniel said. “You asked
the Union to bring back a thief. What exactly did she steal?”
“My heart? Does it even matter? She is my prop…my wife
and I want her back—as any good husband would.”
Nathaniel looked back and forth to the young wives.
Along the walls, he saw statues of similar looking women, their faces contorted
with the lines of fear. He turned his full attention to the king. “I know that
you wish to be part of Union, but you do realize that the Union of Planets does
not accept societies that suppress its own people.”
The King chuckled. “Savant, Zorn. I am well aware of
the exploits of you two. There is much talk of your adventures around my…royal
circles. I appreciate you. Someone has to do the work of peasants. But you are
only a cadet.”
“Not just a cadet.” Nathaniel stood up. “I am the
diplomat of my planet and she has been given asylum.”
Katra’s heart skipped.
“It is within his right to do so,” Zorn said as he
stood up.
The king jerked toward Zorn. “He has no rights on this
planet,” he said. “My law is absolute.”
“We are Union officials,” Zorn said as he grabbed Katra’s
arm and lifted her up as well.
“You dare bring my woman here and tell me that you are
taking her away. Are you trying to start an interplanetary war?”
Several guards from out of nowhere appeared and
surrounded the three of them. They raised their rifles and pointed at the heads
of Katra, Nathaniel and Zorn. The three of them raised their hands. Katra
accepted the moment; she had lived a good life.
“Your body language suggests that you are willing to
give the order to your guards to execute us,” Nathaniel said. “But I wonder,
have you really thought this through?”
The king lifted his hand. Katra began to pray.
“My men activated their dampeners as soon as I gave
them the signal, so your Datrevian’s vaunted telepathy will have no effect on
them,” the king said. “And if you even move one finger to call forth that
tiger, they will end you.”
Katra looked back and forth between the two children
in front of her.
“What will you say happened to us?” Zorn asked.
The king shrugged. “Meh. An attack on you by one of
your numerous enemies—you children have accumulated quite a few.”
“All because, I offered asylum to Katra?” Nathaniel
asked. “Is this because she saw you petrify one of your wives?”
The king chuckled. “Lies. Cadets believing in the lies
of a thief—the irony.”
“That is not irony,” Zorn said.
“So annoying,” the king said. “Let’s end this now.”
“Agreed,” Nathaniel said. A great force blanketed the
room, knocking the guards and their gun back. A huge tiger with long fangs
flickered into existence next to Nathaniel.
The big tiger roared. “You dare sic me on these
weaklings?” he said.
“Don’t be that way, Deragon. I just need you to take
out their telepathic shielding; Zorn can take care of the rest.”
Some more energy expanded from the tiger like a
balloon. “Done.” The energy disappeared and the tiger lay on the floor. “Wake
me, when this is mildly interesting.”
“Zorn,” Nathaniel said.
The Datrevian placed his finger on his forehead and
all but the king fell to the floor, knocked out by his telepathic blast.
The king looked around as if he was searching for a
way out. “Don’t bother,” Nathaniel said. “Katra suggested that you were a
killer, but I didn’t think you would murder us in your court. Fortunately, Zorn
sensed the intent of your men.”
“So what will you do to me? I am still the king of
this land.”
“I could let Deragon eat you,” he said.
Deragon yawned. “That sounds mildly interesting.”
“Please don’t,” the king said. “I will do whatever you
ask.”
“No need,” Zorn said. “I recorded the incident.” He
pulled out a data pad and tapped it lightly.
“No don’t. I will lose Union funding.”
“You mean your people will lose funding—if you remain
the king of this world,” Nathaniel said. He fisted his hands. “You are their
king. They are your people. Your job is to help them, not abuse them.”
Nathaniel released his hands. “I see patterns and I can predict futures with
some accuracy. Your future? The very people you abused will rise up against you
and bring you to justice.” Nathaniel turned around. “I will request that a
group of Union’s top scientists come to your planet and check out your gallery.
For your sake, you should pray that they are able to return your victims to
normal. Maybe if they can be saved, your story won’t end like the past kings of
my home planet.” He marched toward the exit, followed by Zorn and Deragon.
Katra caught up with him. “Hey, uhm did you mean what
you said about granting me asylum?”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean...I can go home? To earth?”
“Yes,” Nathaniel said as he rubbed his hand through
his white afro.
“Is this what passes for a teacher on your planet?”
Deragon asked. “You don’t know the definition of asylum?” Deragon huffed. “It
is no wonder your people still use fossil fuel.”
“Can he hurt me?” Katra asked Nathaniel.
“No,” Nathaniel said.
Katra turned to Deragon and took a deep breath. “I do
know what it means you buck tooth tiger,” Katra said, “I just can’t believe
this is happening to me.”
“Heh,” Deragon said. “Such bravery.”
“Don’t tease her,” Nathaniel said. “She bravely came
with us today when she could have run…. I think that I can find a position for
you in the Union’s earth base, Katra. It will free me up to spend more time at
the academy. I can’t promise you much pay, but it will help—and you won’t have
to quit your day job.”
“Th—thank you. I—I can’t believe this is happening,”
Katra said.
“Believe it.”
Katra held back her joy. Nathaniel and Zorn were two
heavy hearts and she could not feel happiness when her new friends were
unhappy. “You don’t seem too happy,” Katra said.
“Union should have zero dealings with a corrupt king,”
Zorn said.
“The nature of war,” Nathaniel said. “He is a king; we
have to treat him like a king. I am certain that his planet has some type of
resource that they are sharing with Union. Even if it is manpower…. Honestly, I
could have punched that guy in the face.”
Katra skipped in front of him like a child. And
turned, walking backwards as the others walked forward. “You can’t imagine how
much good you have done today. You should be happy.”
“The king will spin things into his favor. We are not
a police force for non-union worlds,” Zorn said. “We have dealt him a serious
political blow, but he may recover in the matter of weeks.”
“He got off too easy,” Nathaniel said.
She thought for a moment. “Well, my people do live a
long time, but outside of that we have similar bodies to your people…Savant. We
need less water and we tend to dehydrate more. We also tend to have more digestive problems too. A certain little
dog could sing a note and I imagine if that note is a little brown it would be
a very painful experience for the king.”
“That is a very good idea,” Deragon said.
“Agreed,” Nathaniel said the slightest possible smile
formed on his face. “I will send Clip, later.” Nathaniel was all business.
Katra however had no problem showing her enthusiasm
for the retaliation and she imagined that her smile had completely overtaken
her face..
Zorn frowned. “Is this what you Earthians call an
inside joke? In the past, you have said things, Angela laughs and my natural
curiosity forces me to inquire about the joke. Then when you tell me, I wish I
had never asked. Is this that type of situation?”
“A certain sonic frequency can cause digestive
problems,” Nathaniel said. “It will force the victim to go through some things
that are pretty…terrible. The kind of things that a Gnarnian would write poetry
about.”
“I hate that I asked…. However, it sounds like exactly
what King Yearus deserves.
The
end
Team Savant is on break next week, but will
return soon after.
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