CHAPTER 59
“HOW? I mean that seriously. How can an entire planet full of beings be in one ship, even a ship that size?”
Mossy took point on this one. “The Themnir’s home planet is truly more of a small, lush moon. It’s incredibly moist, with a lot of foliage and the small things that live in lush, abundant foliage. I would assume that the Roving Planet is packed to capacity, but the Themnir are able to go into a form of suspended animation.”
“Similar to what you Turleens do?” Hey, wanted to show I’d been paying attention.
“In a way. However, we are still able to fly ourselves around obstacles, avoid anomalies, avoid collisions with others of our kind or other ships or asteroids and the like. It’s something we can do innately, and it’s a focus for all of us, so the ability is improved over time. For the Themnir, their suspended animation is far deeper. They will be sleeping in layers.”
“Layers of what?” Tim, who’d also abandoned the cheap seats, asked.
“Layers of themselves.”
Looked at the screen. The camera was focused on the Roving Planet again, as the ramp slowly closed. Did some higher math calculations in my head, only because Chuckie wasn’t around to do the heavy lifting at this moment. “It’s very possible, based on their size in comparison to the ramp. I can see that you could have tens of thousands in there. Packed like canned sardines, but if they don’t really notice, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Everyone stared at me.
“What?” I asked finally. “You all staring at me had better not be in shock because I don’t sound like a moron.”
“It’s not,” Reader said. “We’re not actually staring at you, girlfriend.” He nodded his head toward Raheem, who was on my right.
Turned to see that one of Raheem’s guards, the one who hadn’t left to go lock up the religious types, was holding a semiautomatic pointed right at Raheem, who was still in his cushy seat and therefore had nowhere to go. The gun was shaking, though Raheem was not. He looked calm. Annoyed and disappointed, but calm.
“Your Majesty,” the guard choked out, “you cannot allow this. You are listening to this . . . this Jewess about allowing those . . . things to come into our lands? You would imprison our ayatollahs and imams and allamahs so that they will acquiesce to worship a God other than our own? You are a traitor. To Allah, to your people, and to all who have served under you.”
It was dark in here but my eyes had adjusted ages ago. Could see Len and Kyle out of the corner of my eye—their guns were out, but they didn’t have a clean shot. Vance was still sitting on my left, and Reader and Tim had stood near and in front of him. Vance wouldn’t have a gun and Reader and Tim couldn’t pull theirs without the gunman shooting.
Mossy, however, was standing in front of and between me and the king. And my stuff was between me and Vance and, due to turning to see what was going on, I’d shifted so that I was facing the guard. And my mouth was opened slightly because I’d been planning a snarky comeback.
Had no idea how well Turleens heard, but now was the time to find out. “I go low,” I said as softly as I could, not moving my lips, while I revved myself up. “You go high. Now.”
Launched myself at the guard’s legs using a hyperspeed boost. At the same time, Mossy shifted into dirigible form and slammed into the guard’s arm. Turleens apparently had great hearing, one definitely for the win column.
The gun went off, but the shot hit the ceiling. The guard was on his back, and I straddled his chest while Mossy turned back into turtle form and wrested the gun away. And then I did a ground and pound that would have made Tito very proud.
“Listen, you religious jackhat, reality is here and it’s not going away!” Slammed my fists into his face with each word. “Who you worship doesn’t matter anymore because there is no more human against human action that’s going to be able to be allowed, you moron!”
He managed to flip me off of him. Just barely, but still. Not a problem, though, because he staggered to his feet with his legs apart. I was on my feet a lot faster, hyperspeed again being the best thing in the galaxy.
I sent a massive kick right to his very personal region and he buckled. “We have to join together or we’ll be destroyed. Sorry that intel is coming from a Jewess,” slammed a double fist into his face that slammed him into the wall, “but you’ll just have to live with it, you sexist, racist, misogynistic, xenophobic, traitorous idiot.” Slammed a kick into his body for every word as said body slumped to the ground. “Or not.” Picked him up and rammed him against the nearby wall. Realized why Jeff liked this move—you got to hold onto your enemy and just bash the crap out of them without actually hurting yourself.
Someone cleared their throat and I stopped, dropped the now extremely unconscious guard, and turned to see who was so clearing, while Len and Kyle ran down and slapped cuffs on the guard just in case.
The throat clearer was Raheem. “I am beyond impressed. I would firstly like to thank both you and the Brigadier General for your timely protection of my person. And then I would like to hope that someone taped that performance, because all I will need to do to convince any who have doubts is to replay that and I’m certain that, after they finish wetting themselves, they will see reason.”
“We didn’t and they won’t,” Reader said. “However, the First Lady is right. We don’t have the luxury of infighting anymore.” He looked back at the screen, where the cutter was moving away from the Roving Planet and Oliver was interviewing Jeff, Alexander, and the Themnir representatives.
We all listened for a bit. No one was saying anything of actual interest to anyone in this room—it was all the usual political and diplomatic type of chat I’d been sick of since my first week in Washington. The Themnir representatives had either studied up on our ways, or bureaucracy and political-speak were galaxy-wide traits. Bet on the latter, honestly.
“The Themnir sound sloshy,” I said finally. “And Mossy, before you start, cool your protective jets. They do. We need to accept that they’re different and how they’re different before we can accept them as different and then accept them for themselves. It’s how we work.”
“It is,” White said, finally deigning to join the party. “And, frankly, if your guard’s reaction is any indication, Your Majesty, we should head to wherever the religious leaders are with much haste.”
“Yeah, even with Paul, my Secret Service detail, and my Centaurion detail, I’d imagine the side of nonviolence is in the minority.” The Israeli Prime Minister might have Mossad agents with him, but the three I knew we could rely on were in this room with us.
Raheem nodded. “I would suggest we have guards remain to ensure that my former employee does not wake up and try to cause more problems.”
“We’ll do that,” Lorraine said, indicating herself and Claudia.
“With pleasure,” Claudia said. Almost pitied the guard if he woke up. The girls sounded as pissed as I felt.
Raheem looked a little concerned. “Trust me,” I said as I took his arm and sort of tugged him up and toward the door. “One of them is more than enough.”
Len poked his head out of the door, then looked at us over his shoulder. “No one’s outside. I realize only one shot was fired, but the king was in this room. Where are the other guards?”
“The room is fairly soundproofed,” Raheem said.
“If Jeff was here I’d test that theory, but since he’s not, let’s assume that things are going down and be pleasantly surprised otherwise.” Ignored Tim and Reader’s coughs and White’s chuckles. “We need to go in protective formation, gang, with King Raheem in the center.”
“Why?” Rahmi asked. “We can go far faster than they can see.”
“I don’t think the king wants to toss his cookies.” Had a thought. “Hang on, though.” Went to my rolling purse and checked inside. Nothing appeared to have been moved but something sure had been added. There was a bottle of the Hyperspeed Dramamine that Tito had created. And a small bottle of water. And some zip ties and a gag. “Thank you,” I said under my breath.
Gave a pill and the water to Raheem. “Take this. It will mean that we can take you with us using hyperspeed and it won’t make you sick.” He looked a little uncertain but did as requested.
Gave the zip ties and gag to the girls. “Let’s just truss him up and leave him. I think we’re going to want you two with us. Len, take back your handcuffs, in case we need them later.” Went back and grabbed my purse and rolling bag. No way I was leaving them anywhere.
“Yeah.” Reader looked around the theater again. “Your Majesty, who runs this room? As in, why aren’t the lights on?”
“Or, to put it another way,” I said as I made sure all the humans were with an A-C or one of the Amazons, “we need to assume that we’re going to exit into a fight of some kind.”