Sarai, стр. 22
Heswallowed, throat moving convulsively. This situation was gettingmore and more surreal. He really needed to find his way home beforehe lost it completely.
Eventuallythey arrived at a tall building, something that looked official andimportant. Aliens of all descriptions were walking in and out.Jamie frowned and stopped dead. He brushed the hood back from hisface and immediately wished he hadn’t as nearby Naferi slowlyrealised they were looking at a human. Their resulting stares andwhispers had been awkward and uncomfortable, the scrutiny andAlekyn’s sudden tension making him fumble his hood back over hisface and press close to Alekyn, who squeezed his hand gently. Acouple of the Naferi had pressed closer than good mannersapparently allowed. Alekyn bared his teeth, his free hand going towhere his stunner would ordinarily have sat if he had been onduty.
Peoplescattered nervously. Jamie swallowed, his throat dry.
“Where arewe?” he asked quietly. “I just wanted to grab a coffee and peoplewatch. This looks…official.”
“I thoughtbefore we did that, our visit would be a good opportunity for thehealers to check you over,” Alekyn replied blandly.
“For what!There’s nothing wrong with me. You lied to me!”
“No, sarai,I…er…simply refrained from telling you everything. We can go foröte in a few minutes, once Healer Tiff has seen you.”
Jamie staredat him, eyes wide with horror at Alekyn’s perfidy.
A couple of attendants hustled them into asmall waiting room. Tiff appeared not far behind them.
Jamie glaredat him, remembering the probe, the ball gag and the sense ofpowerlessness. Tiff didn’t seem to notice his anger, smiling at himlike a peculiar odd old uncle.
“You’re nottouching me,” Jamie got in first, his eyes shooting sparks thatwould have killed if they’d been lasers. “No more probes…”
“Indeed not,Alekyn-sarai —”
“My name isJamie Munroe,” he interrupted sharply. “Not Alekyn-sarai — JamieMunroe. And no more of anything I don’t want done to me. If thiswere Earth, I’d already be suing the crap out of you.”
“Suing? Crap? Notsarai?”
Puzzled,Tiff looked at Alekyn. “Major, is your sarai’s translator notworking properly?”
Alekynsighed. “It’s working, healer,” he responded tiredly. “It’s justJamie doesn’t like people to address him by anything other than hisgiven name. Please accede to his wishes, even if they seemstrange.”
Tiff leanedback in his seat, his eyes shrewd as he studied Jamie. “Hmm,” hesaid. “Jamie, how are you feeling?”
Jamieblinked, his eyes suddenly, stupidly, tearing up. How was hefeeling? Even Alekyn hadn’t asked that. He considered hisanswer.
“I’mangry,” he admitted, glancing across at Alekyn.“I don’t want to be here. I miss my home and my family — I want tobe home with my brothers, facing whatever it is the Zill areplanning to do to my planet.”
Alekyn wassitting very still, his eyes fastened on Jamie, mouthtight.
In spite oftheir earlier fight and his anger, Jamie felt a stab of guilt. “I’msorry,” he muttered tautly. “I like you, Alekyn, I do, but you mustknow I’m not happy. You can’t simply make me into what you want —I’m not a sarai, I’m a human being. I need a…a purpose, a goal,meaningful activities …” His voice faded. ‘sorry, but that’s theway I feel,” he whispered.
The hurt onAlekyn’s face was palpable. No-one spoke for a few minutes, and thesilence grew until it became uncomfortable.
“I see,”Tiff nodded. “Well, it is better you are honest with us. You aredepressed and worried for your pard. I sympathize but you can donothing to help your own kind. PanGal is already negotiating withyour world’s leaders. The Zill will not be able to invade yourplanet.”
Reliefcoursed through him. “That’s seriouslygood to hear, but it doesn’t solve my problems. I want to go homeand Alekyn will not let me. I’m being treated like a prisoner,locked up in a…gilded cage without freedom, without anything to do,and it’s driving me nuts.”
“Nuts?”
“It is ahuman word for mad, healer.” Alekyn shrugged stiffly. “My sarailikes to exaggerate —”
Jamie stared at him silently until he lookedaway.
“I’mhating my life,” Jamie said finally. “I havecommitted no crime, yet I am locked away. I wanted to study andpursue a career — now I have to stay here and according to Alekynproduce little furry babies.”
Tiff lookedaghast. “Furry babies? Major, what have you been tellinghim?”
Alekyngrunted. “Jamie doesn’t accept that he can bear offspring. I don’tknow why he thinks our babies would be furry, but Jamie says manythings that I do not understand.”
Tiff restedhis hands on the desk before him and steepled his fingerstogether.
“It seemsyou both misunderstand each other. Major, you informed me in ourearlier communication that you and Jamie have mated. Have you set adate for the bonding ceremony?”
Alekyn shookhis head. “My pard and I have only a short furlough, and ourparents must travel from Vamiet — so far we’ve not been able toorganize anything. Plus …” he looked uncomfortable, “I have beenasked to wait until the…situation with Jamie’s people has beenclarified.”
Jamie staredat him, eyes wide and suspicious. “Situation? What situation, andwhy does it need clarifying? Didn’t you tell me that PanGal isgoing to stop the Zill invading Earth?”
The twoNaferi looked at each other. Alekyn shrugged his broad shoulders.“It seems your people don’t like the conditions attached to being aPanGal protectorate.”
“Let meguess — could it be I was right about humans not wanting to losetheir independence to a bunch of aliens or to supplysarai?”
Alekynshifted uncomfortably in his seat. “PanGal ambassadors are stillnegotiating with your United Nations. They will come around oncethey understand what’s at stake.”
Did theNaferi really believe that? They probably did, thought Jamie,staring at him glumly. “Do my people know you took me?”
Silence.Jamie’s eyes narrowed. “Do they?”
“Yes,”Alekyn gritted.
Thank god!Jamie wanted to scream his joy aloud. “Then I can gohome!”
“No!” Alekynhalf-rose in his chair. “You cannot, Jamie, you will not! It’s notpossible.”
Jamiecouldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Why the hell not? I know youthink you need me, but, honestly, man, you don’t — you’ll get overit. “
“No!” Alekynwas visibly trying controlling himself. “No,” he said more calmly.“You cannot, Jamie. It’s not possible. I won’t let yougo.”
He was shaking his head slowly. Jamie staredat him and then at Tiff. Was it his imagination or did the