"Yeah, that robot of yours is vicious. I thought they were under orders in their programming not to hurt real people."
"That shows how much you know. I understand that at one time, Elviiz's father, whom I have known only as a learned and conscientious person, was evil and hurt people all the time to please his mistress. Perhaps Elviiz retains some model, if not racial, memory of that aspect of his father's past. Furthermore, I would not need Elviiz to hurt you to stop you from hurting me. I have other ways, nonviolent ways practiced by my people, of stopping aggression against my person. Right now I feel like forgoing them in favor of stomping on your broken arm with my hard 'alien' feet, but that would lower myself to your level. Instead, I am culturally compelled to minister to your injuries. So shut up and do not make me any angrier at you than I already am unless you wish to remain in your current condition longer than necessary."
"You're lying! You're going to hurt me! Singh! Stop her. She's going to torture me."
"Alas," said Mr. Singh, "I am much too busy to hold you down while she does so, evil punk of a boy. So be still and allow the gracious girl to heal you and get your worthless anatomy out of my infirmary."
Marl let out a low moan, and his eyes shifted back to her. She felt real fear radiating from him. Calla was right. He'd clearly been abused in the past. "If you are afraid of me simply because I'm standing and you are injured, how do you think poor little Khiindi, who has known only gentleness and love at the hands of bipeds, felt when you nearly killed him?"
"Cat's don't have feel-" he began.
Khorii saw her vision flicker and burn with shades of red. It was very odd, but she was too angry to think about the phenomenon! at that moment.
As she slammed the poultice container down on the table beside his bed, Marl decided that perhaps his statement was the wrong tack to take with her. "How was I to know you worshiped the damned things?"
"I did not say / worship Khiindi," she replied. "I said he comes from a planet where his sort are worshiped. He has been my companion since I was a baby. He is more like a brother or sister to me, as is Elviiz, than the subservient creatures you seem to think all four-legged animals should be."
"Well, you have a pretty mixed-up family, if you ask me," Marl said with a grunt. "Animals are only there for people to eat."
Khorii felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up in shock and anger. "I do not believe that I asked you for your opinion."
As she spoke, she concentrated on holding his gaze with her own as she had seen her elders do, and applied the poultice to his various injuries. In a very ka-Linyaari fashion, she hoped it hurt Marl like fury.
"I must remove part of your cast to finish the treatment," she said as formally as possible.
He flinched when she knelt to inspect his arm. She raised it and looked underneath it, as if looking for flaws in the cast. While doing so, of course, she laid her horn against the underside of his arm and imagined the bones mending straight and knitting whole. Then, as if still inspecting it, she took his hand and examined it. She was surprised to feel how warm and normal this hand felt. How could something that seemed so ordinary be so vicious? It had so recently held her poor cat friend in such a cruel grip and with such murderous intentions.
Feeling that the arm was mended, she began removing the boy's cast, smearing on the poultice as she pulled sections off.
He panted with fear at first, but then said, "Hey, that stuff works pretty good. Bet you could get plenty for it on the black market."
Her healing gift was a miracle, and all this stunted monster could think of was the profit there was in the process! She glared at him and turned her back. She had taken two steps away from the bed when he said, "I guess you did this to your cat, too, didn't you? I mean, I guess he's still alive. You didn't say I killed him." The words sounded both grudging and disappointed.
"No, he lives. But it was not for lack of trying on your part," she said. "Without my medicine, he would have died. And, yes, fortunately for Khiindi, our medicine works for all species." She turned suddenly and faced Marl. "For your healing to really be complete, you should attempt to make amends to Khiindi for what you did to him and to Elviiz for forcing him to deal with you so harshly." Once again, she gave the boy a chance to show any mercy or goodness that he had inside him.
"What? Are you crazy? Apologize to a cat? And that robot kid almost killed me!" Marl was almost spitting with his indignation.
"Elviiz is an android, not a robot," she said. "Your violence activated the aggression in him. He strives to be as Linyaari as I am, having been raised as my foster brother, and we do not believe in such aggressive behavior. You have done him more wrong than he did you. To feel better, you should attempt to mend the hurts you have caused."
"Yeah, right." Marl snarled. "In a million years, if ever!" So much for Marl's inner healing. Then she did walk away. Behind her she heard Mr. Singh say, "Now then, Marl, pick up the mess your cast has made and get back to your classes. No malingering, no malingering. Go, go. And it would please me if you did not come back."
It seemed that she wasn't the only person who didn't think much of Marl.
Hafiz brooded over the lists of supplies he had ordered from company headquarters-orders that were as yet unfilled, though some of them were more than six weeks old.
Miikhaye, the Linyaari communications intern, appeared in the doorway.
"Uncle Hafiz, sir, Comoff Harui sent me to inform you that Captain Ling and the Dervish are returning."
"So soon? Did they fix my relays? Did they see the supply ships en route to us? What in the name of the Prophets and Books is causing all of this delay?"
"No, sir, they did not do any of that. As they were entering Federation space they encountered a drone ordering all vessels to return to their last ports of call."
"Why in the name of all that is holy and valuable? Ships do not conduct interstellar commerce by remaining in port."
"No, sir. The drone refers to the need for treatment, decontamination, and observation of a quarantine. What is a quarantine, Uncle Hafiz?"
"A quarantine? Why a quarantine?"
Miikhaye shook his head to indicate he did not know and looked expectantly at Hafiz.
"Ah, yes, my son, a quarantine is a rule passed by health officials and other authorities to prevent those who are sick with a communicable disease from mingling with those who do not have it."
"Oh, well then, sir, that's a relief. At least we do not have to worry about Acorna, Aari, and Khorii. They are Linyaari and can heal any illness."
"Ah, yes, true. And yet-"
"Sir?"
Hafiz made a wave of dismissal. "Never mind, my boy. Ask Captain Ling to report to me upon his return, please. And you did well to keep me informed. Do the same when Captain Gallico returns from Makahomia. And, Miikhaye?"
"Yes, sir?"
"You are the son of Khaari, communications officer of the Balakiire, the ship commanded by my adopted daughter's aunt Neeva, are you not?"
"Khaari is my mother, yes, sir. Why?"
"Would you tell her for me please that I am desolate that it has been such a very long time since I have had the honor of her company and that of the rest of the Balakiire's crew. I am a lonely old man except for my beloved Karina, and I seek the solace of the companionship of my dear Linyaari friends, especially in the absence of my daughter and her family. Please convey my desire for their presence. As soon as possible. Sooner, even, if they can manage it."
Chapter 13
Hap sat beside Elviiz in the spacecraft, wondering how to comfort the droid, if he could feel comfort while he was turned off, and why a droid should need comforting at all. The droid hadn't done anything Hap wouldn't have done if he'd seen what Marl was up to before Elviiz did. Elviiz probably had done it better, of course. Hap wasn't reinforced with titanium and steel.