“I never thought of it like that,” Yoponek said, his eyes glowing a bit brighter. “History has always been something in the … well, of course it’s in the past. Basic definition. You never think about how you might actually be experiencing it.”
“But you’d be experiencing it after the Grand Migration on Shihon, right?” Yomie put in.
“That was the plan, certainly,” Haplif acknowledged. “However—”
“Was?” Yomie pounced on the word. “We talked about this. You agreed we would go to Shihon.”
“Of course we’re going,” Haplif hastened to assure her. “I was merely going to point out that we’re already at the eastern edge of the Ascendancy, and that Shihon is in the other direction and a good way past Csilla. If we went to Celwis first, perhaps spending a day or two with Councilor Lakuviv—if he permits it, of course—we could still get to Shihon in time for the migration.”
“For part of the migration,” Yomie corrected frostily. “We’d miss the first week. Maybe even more.”
“Yes, I suppose we would,” Haplif admitted. “But we weren’t intending to be there for all of it anyway.”
“We weren’t?” Yomie countered. “I was.”
“Yomie, the migration covers a whole month,” Yoponek soothed. “We can’t expect the Agbui to spend that much time watching us watch birds.”
“Why not?” Yomie shot back. “Haplif said they’d go anywhere we wanted. Besides, I thought they wanted to see everything in the Ascendancy, and birds are as interesting as anything else. Certainly as interesting as some Xodlak Councilor on a backward world.”
Yoponek gave Haplif a hooded look. “We don’t need to discuss this right now,” he said, setting down his cup. “It’s late. We should get ready for bed.”
Yomie looked at Haplif, a mix of challenge and stubbornness in her eyes. “Fine,” she said, her voice a little calmer. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Good night, Haplif.”
“Good night to you both,” Haplif said, stretching out his hand and brushing his fingertips across Yoponek’s temple and cheek as the boy stood up. “Sleep well, my friends.”
“You, too,” Yoponek said. He returned Haplif’s cheek-brushing gesture, then took Yomie’s hand and headed for the salon hatch.
They were nearly there when the hatch opened and Shimkif appeared. “Ah—there you are,” she said brightly, smiling at them. “I was hoping to wish you pleasant sleep before you retired to your rooms for the night.”
“We’re just heading there now,” Yoponek said.
“Well, good night, then,” Shimkif said. She held her hand up in farewell, her fingers drifting toward the side of Yomie’s head.
“Good night,” Yoponek said. Yomie just nodded, casually moving her head to the side just far enough to avoid Shimkif’s fingers as the two passed each other.
The two Chiss disappeared through the opening. Shimkif closed the hatch behind them and turned back toward Haplif, scowling. “She’s getting a little too good at that.”
“What, avoiding your touch?” Haplif asked, picking up the nectar bottle and a fresh cup. “I don’t think she’s doing it on purpose.”
“Of course she’s doing it on purpose,” Shimkif growled. “She doesn’t like being touched by strangers.”
“I know,” Haplif said, pouring her a drink. “I’d hoped that attitude might soften once she got to know us better. Apparently, it hasn’t. Maybe I should be offended that she still considers us strangers.”
“Joke all you like,” Shimkif said as she sat down in Yoponek’s vacated chair and took a long swallow of nectar. “If I were you, I’d worry more about the detrimental velvet-hold she has over Yoponek.”
“Well, they are betrothed to each other,” Haplif pointed out. “He probably likes it.”
“I meant detrimental to us.”
Haplif gave a little snort. “No argument there. You were listening, I assume?”
“And looking up whatever I could find on this Councilor Lakuviv. Unfortunately, the public access listings don’t have much beyond his name, family, and current position.”
“He’s a very small darter in a very big tide pool,” Haplif reminded her. “And his part of the pool is a long way away. Not surprised there isn’t much on him here.”
“I don’t disagree,” Shimkif said. “I’m just saying we don’t have much to go on.” She crinkled her forehead skin. “Unless you got something just then from Yoponek?”
“A little,” Haplif said. Sustained contact was always more effective for his readings, but even though Yoponek had accepted the supposed Agbui friendship touch Haplif knew better than to push that too far. “He wants to go to Celwis, and I think especially likes the idea of getting his name and face before an official of one of the Forty.”
“I thought he was already one of the Forty.”
“He is, but spreading out contacts to other families is important to these people,” Haplif said. “He’s also intrigued by the idea of being part of history.”
“Oh, he’s going to be part of history, all right,” Shimkif said darkly.
“Indeed he is,” Haplif agreed. “At the same time, he’s worried about Yomie. He doesn’t want to stand in her way, but I can’t tell whether he’s worried it’ll make her angry or simply doesn’t want to disappoint her.”
“Or both?”
“Could be,” Haplif agreed. “Emotional nuances are never easy to get in a pass-by. But his life-craving hasn’t changed.”
“Social position and recognition?”
“Yes,” Haplif said. “Which is perfect for getting us in to meet this Councilor Lakuviv.”
“Fine,” Shimkif said. “So how do we deal with the female?”
“You think she needs dealing with?”
“You don’t?”
“I’m just saying it could be dangerous.”
“No,” Shimkif said. “What’s dangerous is keeping her around.”
“Why, because she won’t let you touch her?”
“Because she’s playing games with us,” Shimkif said flatly. “She’s not just the smiling, innocent schoolgirl she pretends to be.”
“Of course not,” Haplif said sourly. “She’s an entitled, whiny brat. The problem is that Yoponek truly cares for her. If we push him too hard we could alienate both of them and end up starting over.”
“So let’s start over,” Shimkif said. “We could still go see Lakuviv.”
“Not without Yoponek to introduce us.” Haplif considered. “An enthusiastic Yoponek.”
“Making him enthusiastic is your job.”
“I know that,” Haplif said impatiently. Why was she giving him so much grief over this? Didn’t she think he knew what he was doing? “I’m just saying that as long as his loyalties are split between us and his betrothed, that’s going to be difficult.”
“I’ve already suggested getting rid of her.”
“Still not a good idea,” Haplif said. “Come on—you’ve had at least a little contact with her. What else can you suggest?”
Shimkif huffed out an annoyed breath. “Her life-cravings are wide-ranging travel followed by a long and balanced family. If you really think we need to keep her around, we might be able to do something with the latter.”
“Their full marriage is still down the road,” Haplif said. “I doubt we can get them to advance that timetable.”
“So we give her something sympathetic to relate to,” Shimkif said. “Specifically, you and I should be married.”
Haplif stared at her. “You’re not serious.”
“Not really married, of course,” Shimkif said quickly. “But think about it. With my daughter Frosif also being your daughter Frosif, we have the exact kind of balanced family Yomie wants.”