“Everything’s all right, sisters.” The tone of C-the-Third’s voice gave away his deep doubt in what he was saying. “Happens to everyone. We understand jokes.”
“Of course we do!” agreed Janet, smiling brightly.
“Sey-Zo!” said Kim in surprise. “But why does the cut for the larvae-laying have to be triangular?”
The question was left hanging in the air—the Zzygou left the would-be wonderful party.
Lourier shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of wine. Said, not looking at anyone:
“A slice of cake, eh? Big enough to choke on…”
“Let’s not talk about this,” retorted C-the-Third. “Most likely, it was really just an unfortunate joke.”
“Yeah, right…” said Janet, still smiling, taking a sip of her cocktail. “They just honestly admitted their opinion about us humans.”
“Why?” the clone responded. “Forgive me, but that would be very odd. I think they were joking. I prefer to think it was a joke.”
“As you wish.” Janet got up. “Well, I better be off. Have some reading to do.”
Alex caught up with her at the door to her quarters. Took her arm to stop her.
“Janet…”
“Yes, Captain?” The black woman smiled.
“What did you mix into the Zzygou’s cocktails?”
“Captain, I simply made a drink for everyone. I added no chemicals at all.”
“Then let me ask you another way. Janet, what could have caused such frankness on the part of the aliens?”
The woman’s face turned thoughtful.
“Hard to say, Captain… Back on Eben, there was a rumor that the Zzygou race poorly handles the natural alkaloids in anise. It is reputed to have an un-inhibiting effect, similar to that of truth serum. The Zzygou apparently lose neither their sanity nor their will, but become capable of blurting out anything. Doesn’t that just sound like a ridiculous urban legend? Everyone knows Eben is populated entirely by psychos.”
“Janet…” said Alex, feeling her pain, “why do this?”
“To make you see who you’re dealing with,” replied Janet seriously. “Their adorable girl-child looks are just an evolutionary fluke, combined with the ability to change several outward appearance parameters. But they are not even mammals, Captain! They are warm-blooded insects!”
“That’s a crude analogy.”
“In any case, they are biologically much closer to beetles and roaches than to us.”
“Not so. They are just as far from humans as they are from earthly insects.”
“Those little bulges you see underneath their blouses, Captain, aren’t breasts, but a rudimentary third pair of limbs. They feed their young by regurgitating partially digested food.”
“Nevertheless, they have red blood and almost-human lungs and hearts…”
“Six-chambered hearts!”
“They couldn’t have two-chambered hearts?” Alex felt that Janet was about to escape into her cabin, so he talked faster:
“Let’s just drop this whole argument. The Zzygou are neither roaches, nor humans. They are alien beings from the Zzygou race. And no, they don’t feel any great attachment to us, but why would they? We are a young and energetic race, taking over one planet after another. Let them have their illusions, as long as there’s no war!”
“Agreed.” Janet nodded. “Let me go, Alex.”
“Don’t set up any more provocations like that, Janet. Please. We don’t need any scandals, or complaints to the management, or conflicts with the Zzygou and C-the-Third.”
“You’ve burned our ships, which wouldn’t dare open fire at humans. You’ve covered our planet with a power shield as if it were a leper colony. You’ve brainwashed those you left alive. And still it’s not enough for you. Now you’re kissing up to the Others. And they can’t wait to see us all enslaved!”
Janet freed her arm with a strong invisible movement. Alex thought of the full military training she had gone through on Eben.
“I didn’t burn any of your ships. I never messed with your mind, sister-spesh!”
“You are no better than those who did!”
The door closed behind her. Alex barely suppressed the impulse to slam his fist into the plastic.
What could he do? Cajole, beg, appeal to reason?
All that was useless, when a program put into a spesh’s mind was activated. Alex went into his own cabin, stood still for a while, his hands locked together in helpless wrath.
Then, obeying a blind impulse, he unbuttoned his shirt to look at the Demon. The little devil didn’t seem even remotely angry. Its features looked sad and reproachful.
“It’s just as hard for me!” Alex cried out. The Demon stared back with deep doubt in its eyes.
“Damn it all…” Alex turned to his terminal. “Computer, establish a secret watch over the cabin of Janet Ruello. Captain’s access.”
The screen unfolded and lit up.
The black woman was lying on the bed. Her body was quaking with sobs. Her hands were clutching and crushing her pillow.
Damn Eben, damn their crazy church of the Angry God, damn the genetic engineers who programmed Janet to hate the Others!
Alex rushed out of his cabin.
“Open! Captain’s orders.”
The blocked door beeped in protest, and he walked into Janet’s quarters. Nothing had changed in the last three seconds. She was still sobbing into her pillow.
Janet’s quarters, however, did surprise Alex. He had thought Janet had practically no personal belongings, but she had managed to completely transform the drab standard surroundings. Over the bed hung a crucifix. Christ was portrayed according to the Ebenian custom—having freed one of his hands and shaking a tight fist. On the floor near the bed lay a small but plush rug of multi-colored threads. There was an open mirror-case set of expensive makeup on the nightstand. There were also four framed pictures of smiling babies: two dark-complexioned boys and two little girls, one black and the other white. And numerous other tiny trinkets that seemed utterly useless but completely changed the feel of the place.
“Janet…”
She didn’t even lift her head.
“Come on.” Alex sat down next to her, putting his hand on her quivering shoulder. “I understand what you’re feeling. And I don’t consider your position completely wrong. But we all must fulfill our life’s duty…”
“Then why do you hate us so much?” Janet whispered. “So much more than you hate the Others… All we wanted was to make everyone happy!”
“No, Janet. Not everyone hates you, believe me. More people feel sorry for you.”
“Why should they?”
“Your minds have been altered by genetic engineers…”
“Ours but not yours?” Janet burst out laughing, sitting up on her bed. “Friend-spesh, they’ve mutilated you much more than me. You aren’t even capable of love!”
“So what?”
“What do you mean, ‘so what’?” The black lady spread out her arms. “You stupid pilot… You go on getting laid, having orgasms, and thinking that’s what makes a relationship between a man and a woman?”
“Why, of course not. There’s also personal empathy, warm congeniality…”
“Oh, go shove your personal empathy! You’re much more of a freak than I am! I was made to hate the Others, so I hate them. Maybe I’m way, way wrong, but at least I haven’t lost anything! I’ve found something—hate! Do you get that? But you… you’ve lost everything! Lost half the universe! Kim, the poor little girl, watches you with adoration, follows you around like a puppy. And you don’t even notice it!”
“I do notice it, Janet! A few hours ago she and I had sex, and we both…”
Janet Ruello, the Ebenian executioner-spesh, burst out laughing.
“Deus Irae! How do I describe a sunset to a blind man?! Alex, did you know that on Eben, pilots were left capable of love?”