Sarai, стр. 34

Jamiegasped. “What the hell do you mean — "under attack"?”

Guestaflicked a small piece of lint from his uniform and then posed withhis hand on his sword buckle. “It seems you haven’t heard latestnews, Alekyn-sarai. The queens are brooding and your planet,Jamiemunrow — ”

“JamieMunroe,” Jamie interposed automatically.

“ — is nowtrying to fight off a Zill swarm. Such a shame your people did notaccept our offer. For the sake of a few hundred thousand sarai,Jamiemunrow, your entire species will be lost.”

Hesmiled with rueful sort of smile thatparadoxically made Jamie’s fists clench. “And death by Zill is notpleasant. Too bad, so sad. If you tire of such a poorly behavedsarai, Alekyn, you can contact my steward. Once your pardling isborn, I may be inclined to take him off your hands, particularly ashe seems so…breedable.”

Eled gaspedand Tig glared after Guesta as he and the grinning Keinyn walkedaway. “Arseholes,” he muttered.

Jamie feltsick. He pulled his hand away from Alekyn’s, staring up at him witheyes wide with horror. “Is he telling the truth? Are the Zillattacking? Is my world being destroyed while we standhere?”

Alekyn shookhis head. “If there is an attack, it has just started. Your worldisn’t yet lost, Jamie —

“But peopleare dying.”

There was noway to hide the truth. “If the Zill are attacking, yes, they arefighting for their lives. Jamie, we have to persuade thegovernments of your world to accept our help —

“Bysurrendering part of our population to become sarai…slaves …what hesaid — ”

“Sarai arenot slaves,” desperation colored Alekyn’s voice. “Guesta hasold fashioned views. He was angry and trying to put you inyour place. I told you — we love our sarai, we would die for oursarai. I love you — will love you forever. You are everything to meand without you, there is nothing.”

He means it,thought Jamie, he really believes he loves me, and the worst thingis that I think I love him back, even with these stupid bands andbeing a sarai, and never going home…

He blinked tears from his eyes. What a timeto hear a declaration of love! When his world was on the brink ofdestruction. The thought made him straighten his back. Suddenly heknew his instincts were right.

“Without myfamily and my world, there is nothing for me,” he made himselfsound cold and determined. “I will hate you and your kind foreverif the Zill wipe humans out. Do you understand? Forever. Now takeme to your king. I need to talk to him about another delegation —this time one with me on it.”

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HUGEMETALLIC DOORS INLAID with ornate wooden carvings opened smoothlyand silently. Alekyn, his face tight withworry, walked beside Jamie. He wanted to hold his sarai’s hand, butthe cold, remote expression on Jamie’s face acted like a barrier,locking him out.

They madetheir way into an antechamber, where several courtiers and adviserswaited. Jamie was again subjected to great scrutiny but this timehe didn’t acknowledge it. Alekyn wondered what he was thinking — itwas obvious he was deeply distressed by Guesta’s comments, but hewas evidently determined to do what he could to help his own kind.Alekyn just hoped that common sense prevailed — they needed thehumans as much as the humans needed them.

They’d barely seated themselveswhen one of the advisers nodded as he received a message into hispersonal communications device. He made his way over to Alekyn,saluting him.

“Sir, the Adan ap Reji will seeyou now.”

To Alekyn’ssurprise, they were led not to a formal meeting room, but to theAdan’s private quarters, which were brightly lit and filled withsunshine and flowers. The spacious room opened onto a garden patiowhere several small children played under the watchful eye of theircaregivers. Jamie stiffened at the sound of their laughter; he wastrying not to peer through the doors, but his curiosity wasobvious.

The Adan rose. He was tall and commanding;his blond hair held a few threads of silvery grey but his gaze waskeen and sharp.

Alekyn andhis pardmates saluted. Jamie stood unmoving, staring first at theAdan and then at the sarai who had been kneeling at the Adan’sfeet. This was the first time he’d actually seen another sarai andAlekyn wondered what he was thinking.

For a momentthere was an uncomfortable silence. Then the Adan spoke, “Iam Adan ap Reji, and this is my sarai, Iffyn.”

To Jamie’ssurprise both the Adan and Iffyn offered their hands for him toshake. The sarai nodded shyly and smiled sweetly, “I am pleased tomeet you, Jamie Munroe.”

Jamie’s jawdropped. “You pronounced my name correctly! You’re the first NaferiI’ve met who’s done that. Most of them have no idea and don’tbother listening.”

Alekyngroaned, but Iffyn looked pleased, gazing at Jamie with shiningeyes. The Adan merely smiled.

“We’ve both been reading as muchas we could about your kind, Jamie — and very interesting readingit has been too.”

Jamiereddened. Human history, with its destruction and violence, was notsomething anyone could be proud of. “Yes,” he said awkwardly.“We’re not like the Naferi.”

The Adantilted his head to one side, his eyes shrewd. “But more alike thanyou realise, Jamie.”

He gesturedto some nearby couches, indicating they should sit. He resumed hisseat. Iffyn, to Jamie’s astonishment, sat next to him wrapping anarm around the Adan’s waist and tucking his body as close to him aspossible. Outside a child laughed raucously and someone hushedthem.

“You findus enfamille, Jamie. You do not mind that Icall you that?”

“No, sir. Ihave to admit to being impressed that you’ve learned some French aswell as English.”

“Ah, no —alas, I have not learned either language. Your implanted translatoris finding linguistic equivalencies and applying them inNaferi.”

“I see. Idon’t understand the technology but it seems to me that there’smore to communication than linguistic equivalency.”

The Adanchuckled. “Which is a rather neat way of referring to our currentproblem with your people.”

“It sureis.” Jamie hesitated for a second and then blurted out, “Theproblem is not so much with my people — well, I suppose it is, atleast a bit — but it’s mostly with the way they’ve been approached.You can’t simply tell people you’ll look after them provided theygive you some of their population — no way, no how, is that goingto work.”

“So it