Chapter 3
A file of Eblians emerged from the house and formed a line in front of Kyan. Melanie’s hand tightened on Natalie’s. The Eblians stood up tall and frowned at the strangers. Kyan stepped in front of Natalie and faced his people. “I return to my first home.”
An Eblian with wrinkled skin stepped out of line and confronted him. “Do you return to stay?”
Kyan nodded. “I do.”
The big Eblian frowned, and his lips puckered. Then he burst out laughing, and he and Kyan threw their arms around each other. They laughed until tears squeezed out of their eyes. Kyan clapped the big man on the back. “This is my father, Moren.”
The big man wiped his eyes and quelled the last of his laughter. He bowed to the two women. “Any friend of my son is welcome here.” He waved toward the leaf hut. “Please enter my humble home.”
The other Eblians filed back into the house without a word, but Kyan and Moren chattered away to each other. “Where did you set down? By the lake? Perfect spot. The observers thought there were more of you.”
“We left three of our party at the lake,” Kyan replied. “One of the females can’t travel, so two others decided to stay with her until she feels better.”
Moren cast a sidelong glance at him. “Can’t travel? Is she injured? You should bring her here so we can tend to her.”
Kyan grimaced. “She’s injured in her mind. She had a hard time getting away from the Toom, and she hasn’t recovered yet.”
Moren frowned. “The Toom?”
Kyan waved toward Natalie and Melanie. “All these females escaped from the Toom. This one,” he pointed to Natalie. “She helped me free her friends from captivity.
Moren’s eyes widened. “Is that true?”
Natalie blushed. “Kyan rescued me. Saving my friends was the least I could do.”
He pulled himself up, and his eyes blazed. “I did not know you escaped from the Toom. You must be very strong and brave to do that. And you saved your friends, too. I’m honored to welcome you to our home.”
Natalie bowed to him. “The honor is all mine.”
He waved to the door. “Please, enter.”
Kyan ducked under the low entrance, and Natalie followed. The interior was much larger than she expected, and except for the green vegetation making up the walls, it looked like any other house.
The Eblians sat on low stools in a silent semi-circle across the room. Woven green mats covered the floor, and a low table sat in the corner with wooden bowls of food laid out.
Natalie looked around. “Where are all the females?”
“They’re in the village,” Kyan replied. “These men are the elders who came to greet you. After we get the formalities out of the way, we’ll go to my sister’s house. After that, we’ll go to a specially designated guest house until we build a home for ourselves.”
Kyan took her hand and drew her down next to him on the mats. They sat below the elders, and Natalie folded her hands in her lap. She didn’t know the Eblians’ customs, but she did her best to be extra polite. Melanie dropped to her knees next to her.
Moren took his place with the other elders and resumed his serious expression. The Eblian elders murmured back and forth to each other about village matters and didn’t address the newcomers again. Kyan waited in silence, and Natalie and Melanie copied him. The elders would address them when they wanted them to speak.
Natalie’s knees started to ache from sitting on the floor, but before she had a chance to embarrass herself by fidgeting, a shadow crossed the doorway and two younger, smaller Eblian males entered. They knelt on the floor to one side, but they didn’t settle down to wait politely the way Natalie and her companions did.
Kyan started when he saw them, and a current of tension went through the room. Moren frowned at them, and the elders’ conversation died. They turned to the two young men.
Moren broke the silence first. “These are the Tolinder twins. Do you remember them, Kyan?”
Kyan nodded, but he didn’t smile. “I remember them very well.”
“This is Wit and this is Wink,” Moren went on. “They work together to organize the observers.”
Kyan leaned toward Natalie. “The observers keep an eye on everything happening in the forest. They alert the village whenever anyone new lands on the planet. The observers were the ones watching us at the lakeside.”
Natalie didn’t like the look of these two young men. Something menacing lurked beneath the surface of their glittering green eyes and clear green skin. Their faces wore a hard expression not even the sternest elder could match. The hair stood up on the back of her neck when she looked at them, and they stared straight back into her eyes without flinching.
“Wit and Wink spent five years with the Paramilitary Corps,” Kyan told her. “They know more about the wider galaxy than anyone on this planet.”
“More than anyone—except perhaps for you, my son,” Moren added.
Kyan shook his head. “I was never with the Paramilitary Corps. I’m sure Wit and Wink could teach me a thing or two.”
The observers didn’t react to his flattery. Moren addressed them. “Kyan brought these females to join us and help us rebuild our population.”
The one called Wink spoke up. “You won’t rebuild the Eblian population with Earthling females. You’ll introduce alien blood into our population, and we’re already weakened.” He faced the elders, but he avoided looking at Moren. “We should isolate these females so they don’t mix with the rest of the population.”
Natalie cringed. The same concerns plagued her mind, but she kept them buried. Kyan never doubted the benefits of bringing four new females to Eblian—even if they were of a different species. But if these observers questioned their right to live on Eblian, the others might do the same thing. The elders might not allow them to join the rest of the population. What would Natalie and her friends do then?
“These women came here to contribute to our recovery,” Kyan told them. “The Toom kidnapped them from their home planet, and they can’t go back. They want to help repair the damage the Toom did to our people. We would be foolish to turn them away, especially when we so desperately lack reproductive females.”
“These females will introduce alien genetic material into our population,” Wink countered. “We need pure Eblian females, not aliens. If these females remain on our planet, they should be barred from joining with any Eblian male, and they should remain outside our territory.”
Kyan’s voice rose in anger. “But I am an Eblian male. Do you really plan to bar me from joining with the female of my choice?” He snorted. “I’d like to see you try.”
Wink held his gaze. “I will do what I have to do to protect our planet from invasion, even an invasion clothed in beautiful clothing.”
Kyan chuckled. “You don’t have a mate, either, Wink. You should be happy someone is bringing females to this planet.”
Moren held up his hand. “No fighting. We all belong to the same people, and Kyan’s mate is welcome here. We will decide as one people how to handle the new females, but we won’t do it by fighting.”
Kyan sank down on the mat next to Natalie, and Wink’s shoulders slumped.
“Now,” Moren went on. “These people came as guests to our village, and we will afford them all the hospitality we can until we make a decision. No one will interfere with Kyan joining with.....I’m sorry, young woman. I don’t know your name.”
Natalie smiled up at him. “I’m Natalie. Natalie Kormann.”
He smiled down at her. “Natalie. No one will interfere with you joining with Kyan. Whatever decision we make about you and your friends, you can be rest assured of that.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Natalie exclaimed.
Moren faced the observers. “As far as anybody knows, this species can reproduce with Eblians, can’t they? Are our species compatible, or not?”
Wit and Wink exchanged glances. Then they looked at Kyan. “We have no idea if they are compatible.”
“Our ship’s computer analyzed the human genetic code,” Kyan replied, “and determined the species were not compatible. But the alterations made by the Toom’s regeneration beds made these females compatible with every species. They can reproduce with virtually any species with which they come in contact.”
“And what would be the implications if we did introduce this altered genetic material into our population?” Moren asked.
Wit spoke up. “It isn’t only the Earthling females we have to think about. They also brought a Corelian male with them.”
Moren started. “A Corelian?”
“He remained at the lakeside with the other two females,” Kyan replied. “He joined with the injured female—before she was injured. He accompanied her here in the hope that she would recover.”
“So what happens when he, or one of his offspring, joins with an Eblian?” Wit asked. “That’s more alien genes introduced into our population.” He rounded on the elders. “I beg you to isolate these strangers and forbid them from entering our territory or from joining with our people. It’s the only way to ensure our population stays intact.”
Natalie let out a heavy breath. All her worst fears played out before her eyes. They might as well pack up and go back to the Mixtidelin.
“Not only that,” Wit went on, “this Corelian is cutting down trees and dragging them to the lakeside to build a shelter on the ground for his females.”
The elders gasped. “A shelter on the ground!”
Kyan held up both hands. “That is the way these people live. They build their houses on the ground, not in the trees.”
A buzz of alarm went through the semi-circle of elders.
“My brother and I visited planets devastated by this chopping of trees,” Wit told them. “Entire planets are cleared of forest so not one seedling remains. The soil degrades so no seed will ever grow there again, until only a barren rubble field remains. Ask these Earthling females if it’s true, if you don’t believe me.”
Natalie hung her head. “It is true.”
“But surely one house by the lake won’t hurt our huge forest,” Kyan protested. “These people only want a place to spend the night.”
“But if we isolate these people and bar them from entering our territory,” Wink pointed out, “they will build more houses. They will join with Kyan and the Corelian and their offspring will reproduce and build more and more houses. Before we know it, another alien population will inhabit this planet. Our forest will be destroyed, and the Eblians along with it.”
Natalie let out a shaky sigh. “What they say is true. The same thing has happened many times on Earth and other planets. We can’t deny that. We didn’t think of this when we landed here.”
“Nonsense,” Kyan exclaimed. “None of that will happen here.”
Natalie shook her head. She gazed up at Moren. “You’ve been very kind to welcome us here, but if you decide to separate us from your population, we will honor your wishes. We will avoid your people, and my friends will not join with Eblians. If you wish it, we will leave this planet to maintain the integrity of your population.”
Moren’s eyes widened. “Do you really respect our autonomy enough to cooperate with our decision?”
Natalie nodded. “Nothing means more to me, and I’m sure my friends feel the same way. We came here to help you rebuild your population, not to undermine it. If you don’t want us here, we won’t stay. We won’t interfere with you against your wishes.”
Moren mumbled something to the other elders. Then he faced her and Kyan again. “I knew you would honor our people, and you are welcome here. I’m proud to welcome you as my son’s mate and to offer you hospitality. When your friends come to the village, they will be welcome, too, and they can choose mates for themselves from our people when they are ready.”
Natalie almost laughed with joy. “Oh, thank you! We won’t let you down. I promise.”
The smile vanished from his face. “You’ve heard Wit and Wink’s objections. Tell your friends our concerns, and ensure you take precautions against them.”
“We won’t be able to take precautions against the mixing of genetic material,” Natalie replied. “Wit and Wink are right about that. By welcoming us, you’ll be welcoming human and Corelian genetic material into your population.”
Moren nodded. “We understand that. But if you and your friends are willing to honor and respect our concerns, we will welcome you into our village and our lives. We will face any future problems as one people.”
Natalie pressed his hand. “Thank you. That’s all any of us ever wanted.”
The elders stood up and filed out of the house with Wit and Wink. Natalie watched the two young men disappear. Would they thwart her plans to settle here? Would they come back, again and again, to object to their right to live here and build families and homes? Would she dread the sight of them for the rest of her life?
Kyan came to her side. “That was well done.”
Melanie nodded. “You were great, Natalie. You convinced them to take us in. I thought we were goners there for a minute.”
Natalie shook her head. “We haven’t convinced everyone yet. Wit and Wink still object to our presence.”
“They aren’t the only ones,” Kyan replied. “Some of the elders didn’t go along with my father welcoming you.”
“They didn’t?” Natalie asked. “How could you tell?”
“They didn’t nod when he welcomed you,” Kyan replied. “You probably wouldn’t notice it if you weren’t Eblian, but they still have their doubts, too. We will all have to watch ourselves and make sure we don’t do anything to contribute to their concerns.”
Natalie stood up at his side. “We’ll be extra careful to alleviate their fears. We’ll prove to them we’re here to help, not to make their problems worse.”
The more times Natalie crossed those delicate branches connecting one leaf house to another, it got easier until she hardly thought about it anymore. They left the first house behind, and when they came to the second, a beautiful Eblian female met them on the platform. She tried to hold back her smile, but when Kyan stood before her, she burst into laughter and embraced him with tears of joy.
“I never thought I’d see you again,” she exclaimed. “I thought you’d left us for good.”
Kyan held her at arm’s length. Then he waved toward Natalie. “This is my sister, Rika. We’ll stay here for a little while and have something to eat before we move to the guest house.”
Rika clasped Natalie’s hands. “The observers told us all about you. You are welcome here from my heart.”
Natalie held onto her hand for dear life. “Thank you. It’s wonderful to be here.”
“Come inside,” Rika told them. “The elders didn’t make it too hard for you?”
Natalie frowned. “What do you mean by ‘making it hard for us’?”
Kyan leaned toward her. “We have a tradition of challenging visitors. We can’t make it too easy for them to come here. It’s one of our old ways of keeping our own space to ourselves.”
Natalie nodded. “I understand. It makes sense after the bad experiences you’ve had with alien races like the Toom. No, they didn’t make it hard for us. As a matter of fact, they were very kind.”
“They didn’t make it hard,” Kyan added. “But the observers did.”
Rika cocked her head to one side. “The observers? Do you mean Wit and Wink?”
Natalie nodded. “They don’t want us here.”
“Don’t worry about them,” Rika told her. “They have to say that. Somebody has to say the reasons you shouldn’t be allowed to stay. They were only doing their jobs. They might be very glad to have you, but someone had to take the opposite position.”
Natalie studied her. “Do you mean like a devil’s advocate?”
Rika frowned. “What? I don’t understand you.”
“Never mind,” Natalie replied. “It’s an old Earth expression. Anyway, Moren welcomed us, so now it’s up to us to honor his welcome. We’ll have to get back to the lake and explain to Amber and Arno not to cut down the trees.”
Kyan shook his head. “In a few days, they’ll be living in the village, and then we won’t have to worry about that.”
Melanie took the dish of steaming soup Rika put into her hands and blew on it. “I don’t really see Arno flying through the treetops to get to the village.”
Natalie giggled, and Kyan bit back a smile. “Maybe there’s some other way to get him up here so he doesn’t break every creeper he touches.”