Solar Flares & Tax Snares Read online

  “I should be angry to see my progenitor so humiliated. And, I do believe it is all that keeps the old relic clinging to life. The last bit of purpose. Take it away, and you will have killed Li Muldan.”

  Chapter Eight

  This warning delivered, the Geejay strolled out of Li’s quarters, leaving a stunned Nancy and Alfred in their wake. For a long moment, the pair just stared at each other, speechless.

  “Well,” she said at length, “Litri’s kind of a prick.”

  Alfred didn’t even notice the language. He just nodded. “How can someone like Li have a kid like that?”

  “I don’t know. But apparently we met the little snot before – before for him, later for us. When we have kids of our own. You think something happened, like we offended them or something?”

  The taxman shook his head. “No. They said nothing happened. It sounded to me…well, like Litri just doesn’t like humans.”

  “And what was that about adoptees?”

  But Alfred didn’t know. He’d caught the mention too, but Litri had offered no further clues. “You think we’re even going to get to talk to the premier?” he asked in a minute.

  “I don’t know. Litri made it sound like we would, but only for appearance’s sake.”

  Alfred scowled at the memory. He was incensed on Li’s behalf. “We can’t say anything,” he decided. “To Li, I mean. That’d break their heart.”

  Nancy nodded. “I know. Anyway, how do you say to someone, ‘by the way, your kid’s a little asshole.’”

  He nodded. “Something tells me they already know, Nance. You remember what Li was saying about dying? I’d probably be looking forward to death too, if I had to put up with a kid like that one.”

  “I know. But it’s not the same thing as hearing it said.”

  “No, it’s not. But we should probably mention talking to Litri, shouldn’t we?”

  She considered, but before she could make any response, the sound of footsteps came down the hall. Alfred glanced up and saw the alien’s stooped form heading their way.

  Li stepped through the doorway and smiled. “Well, I have good news, my friends. Ki’Altan will see you shortly. They’re in a conference now with the science ministry. But at the next turn of the hour, we will present our case.”

  They thanked the old alien, and then Nance ventured, “Did you have a chance to talk to Litri?”

  Li’s face fell a little. “Well, yes. But, as I feared, they’re not as amenable to the suggestion as might be hoped.”

  “I gathered,” Alfred said. “They stopped here.”

  “Really?” Li’s eyes went to the taxman’s. “What did they…say?”

  Alfred felt himself torn between lying and telling painful truths – the kind of truths that just might convince Li to withdraw their sponsorship after all.

  But Nance intervened. “They said – well, I guess we meet at some point in the future?”

  A broad smile covered Li’s face. “That’s right. It was many, many years ago for us, of course. But for you, it will not have happened yet.

  “But our families: they meet. Getri and I, we brought our own offspring. They played together, our children. I remember it well.”

  “So does Litri. Li, did – well, did anything happen when we met? Anything that might have caused…I don’t know…any kind of animosity toward humans?”

  Li frowned now. “What did they say, Nancy?”

  “Oh nothing,” she prevaricated. “I just got the impression that maybe…Litri doesn’t like us.”

  The old alien sighed and took a seat opposite them. “That is true enough, I’m afraid, though it has nothing to do with you.

  “You see, my partner and I – we did not come together in the traditional way. It is standard for a pair, when they’ve reached maturity, to be assigned to each other based on compatibility and like interests and so on. It is a solid system, and there are few complaints with it or deviances from it.

  “But Getri and I…well, we met before assignment. We developed…a deep bond. It is not what you humans would call love, but it is very similar. We were of like mind, of like soul. So we were joined on our own. It is not unheard of, but it is unorthodox.

  “One of the things that drew us to each other was – well, a fascination with alien races.”

  “You mean humans?” Alfred asked.

  “Among a few others, yes. But your human species, of course, was my primary field of study. And so when we had the opportunity, we visited your world. We brought our offspring.

  “Getin and Kriali, they shared our passion. They still share it; Kriali is an ambassador, following in my footsteps; and Getin works as a diplomatic liaison on one of our interstellar vessels, following in dear Getri’s.

  “But Litri…” Li shook their head. “I fear Litri did not develop the full openness of spirit we desired for them. They are not alone, of course. There are others on our world who believe our longevity and scientific achievement makes us in some way superior to our fellow sentient beings. But it is not a sentiment I would ever try to foster or encourage.

  “So I can only offer my apologies if anything was said that was – discourteous. Still, I hope that our success in this venture may shift their opinion.”

  Alfred rather doubted it. But he kept that thought to himself, and assured Li that nothing had been said that bothered him.

  “Do you think…well, forgive me for asking, Li…but do you think the premier feels the same way Litri does?” Nancy asked.

  “I cannot say, Nancy. On some matters, they are two halves of a whole, as Getri and I were. On others, they are very much unalike. We will see soon enough, I suppose.”

  This was true. Not long after Li’s return, the hour changed. Premier Ki’Altan summoned them to a spacious but not over grand office. Everything, here, seemed to be made of glass – the desk, the pots that housed plants, and even the visitor furniture – though plush cushions rested on the glass frames.

  Li accompanied the pair, and they found Litri waiting for them too. The young alien stood at a window – or rather, one of the clear walls of the building – their back to the group. Alfred had the feeling, though, that for all their apparent disinterest, the other had ears for nothing else.

  Ki’Altan stood and bowed in Li’s direction. “Esteemed Councilor, please, take a seat.” Then, they turned their gaze to the pair of humans. The taxman took the opportunity, while being scrutinized, to try to get the measure of the being before him, too.

  Ki’Altan was taller than either of the humans, but not, Alfred thought, particularly tall for a Geejayan. Indeed, nothing about the alien stood out from anyone else he’d seen so far: they seemed to be of average height, and average build, and average features. Nothing, with but one exception: their eyes radiated a deep and keen intelligence. Now, the premier smiled. It wasn’t a warm smile, or a frosty one. It seemed almost hesitant, or wary. “Be seated, please, my guests.”

  Ki’Altan spoke in perfect English, and Alfred found himself wondering as he took his seat just how thorough the alien studies, or earth studies, on this world were. How many Earth languages did Geejayans learn, anyway? And why? In normal circumstances, only a handful of their people would ever meet a human, after all. So why study human languages – much less, study to the point of fluency.

  Of course, he kept all of those questions to himself. Instead, he thanked the premier. So did Nancy.

  The other being nodded and took their place behind the glass desk. “Well, we find ourselves in an awkward position. You are honored friends of my esteemed councilor. And yet, you are associates of Mr. Winthrop and the IBTI.

  “The first would open any door on my planet, and the second would shut them all.”

  Alfred didn’t know what to say to that. Nancy seemed similarly at a loss, because she threw a furtive glance his way, but said nothing. Finally, the taxman said, “I – I’m very sorry about the circumstances, Premier.”

  “That is what your Mr. Winthrop sa
id. And yet, here we are.” Then, the alien added in a pointed way, “Although, for how long, who can say?”

  “Believe me, I have not come to defend Winthrop. But – for all that’s wrong with the IBTI – they do have some of the finest minds across time and space working for them.”

  Litri snorted, and Ki’Altan said, “And yet, they cannot remember to doublecheck their destination coordinates before opening a rift in the fabric of space and time.”

  Again, Alfred found himself nonplussed. But this time, Nance intervened. “That was a careless mistake by a junior agent. These will be their most seasoned scientists, working not only to save your planet and your timeline, but all life across all planets and all timelines.”

  “I am aware of the stakes, Miss Abbot.”

  “I know you are, Premier. I only mean that there will be no carelessness involved this time, because they too are aware of the stakes.”

  “No one understands space and time like they do,” Alfred said. “It’s their entire business.”

  “Which is what makes all of this even more galling.”

  “Yes,” Nancy conceded. “It does. And, if you banish all IBTI people from your planet for the rest of time, I’d be disappointed, but I couldn’t blame you. But please, let us work together first, so that we have time left.”

  “The Ministry of Science is running into more dead ends than not,” the premier conceded after a very long moment of silence.

  “They will get there, if there’s a solution to be had,” Litri said, turning about abruptly and confirming Alfred’s theory that they were hanging onto every word. “And sooner, without these meddling humans in the way.”

  “Perhaps.”

  “But two perspectives are better than one,” Li put in.

  “We do not need to involve a child race in our problems,” the younger alien snapped.

  “We do not,” the elder shot back acidly, “need to die because we are too proud to accept help from strangers.”

  “We would not need help at all if not for these fools.”

  “Once the vessel has broken, you cannot put the wine back inside it; it is done, and it remains so no matter what your feelings on the matter.

  “The rift is there, Litri. We can complain about it and die; or we can fix it.”

  “Your love of the humans has made you blind to their crimes. If you were not –”

  Here, the Premier stood. “Litri, companion of my life; Li, elder and councilor: I cannot hear these things. Your positions I know very well, as I know neither of you will convince the other. Let us leave it here.”

  Litri started to protest, and Li looked ready to argue as well. But Ki’Altan held up their hands. “No. Please. This I must decide as premier, and I will not jeopardize the relationships of those I esteem in such fashion. So I would ask you both to step outside and let me speak in private with these two.”

  “You’re ordering me out of your councils?” Litri demanded.

  “I’m speaking as your mate, Litri, not as premier. I am asking, not ordering.” Then, as the other opened their mouth to speak again, Ki’Altan added, “I hope that nothing more will be needed.”

  Litri’s eyes blazed. Alfred had never seen a Geejayan look so poisonous. The truth was, he’d just assumed the entire species would be as congenial and easygoing as Li. Surprise, surprise.

  Li, though, nodded his stooped head. “Of course, Premier. I apologize – to you, and to you as well, my Litri. I did not mean to be so heated.” The old alien shuffled out of the room, the door opening and closing automatically after them.

  For a long moment, long enough to be quite awkward, Litri remained fixed in place by the window. Then they took their leave, without so much as a word. The door hissed opened, and hissed closed again.

  Ki’Altan smiled in the same way they’d first smiled: awkwardly, and a bit warily. “Well, as you see, opinions are very much divided on the IBTI issue. I apologize if my family offended you. We are very frank in our discussions, but I know that it might seem – well, uncivil to strangers.”

  Alfred had the impression that Litri’s behavior would seem uncivil to anyone. Ki’Altan’s embarrassed manner told him that plainly enough. But he smiled too. “No problem. I come from an Italian family. Fighting’s in our blood.” Then, remembering his planet’s history and reputation, he added, “Not fighting like in wars. Italians haven’t had the best track record with that in the last hundred years or so. I mean, arguing.”

  “Battles of words and wars of will, eh?” The alien smiled. “It is a natural consequence of heightened intellect and strong opinion, I suppose. My Litri has always been remarkably clever. Everything makes sense to them. There is no room for doubt. I think it makes them impatient when others do not come to the same conclusion at once.”

  “Do you always?” Nancy asked. “Come to the same conclusion, I mean?”

  The Geejayan regarded her for a long moment. “Usually, I admit. But not always, Miss Abbot. Intelligence is – how do you say it? A double-edged blade. It is possible to be so clever that one forgets that they can ever be wrong.”

  Nancy had arranged her features in a nearly neutral fashion. But Alfred knew her well enough to pick up on the undertones of skepticism; she had serious doubts about the young alien’s cleverness. Still, when she spoke, she was all cordiality. “I cannot fault your partner for their hostility toward the IBTI. I understand the anger there. I just hope we can look past anger long enough to find a solution, Premier, for all of our sakes.”

  They sighed, a long, almost sad sound. “Your IBTI, it does recruit scientists from all over the multiverse, doesn’t it?”

  “It does.”

  “Are there Geejayans?”

  “Probably. To be honest, I don’t know,” Alfred admitted.

  “Why did they send you, then, and not one of our own kind?”

  “I guess…well, because they would be Geejays from a different universe. We’re from the same universe.”

  “In a way, my own kind more than they would be, you’re saying?”

  “Kind of. Plus, of course, we know Li.”

  Ki’Altan smiled quizzically at that. “Indeed. Though whether that gained you anything, at least where Litri is concerned, I cannot say.

  “But I will think on what you have said, Alfred and Nancy. I will put it to my council. And if they feel the risk of letting the IBTI on planet is outweighed by the benefits, then I shall allow your Winthrop to send his scientists.”

  Chapter Nine

  There was only one caveat to this benevolence of spirit: Alfred and Nancy could not remain on planet. Until the council sanctioned the move, the prohibition against IBTI agents still remained in place. “Come back two days hence at this same hour and place, and you will know my decision.”

  At Alfred’s request, he did allow them to take their leave of Li. “But – if you can help it, please stay out of Litri’s way. I have enough difficult conversations ahead of me as it is.”

  So they did. They found the old alien sitting down the hall from the premier’s office, a little forlornly. Litri was nowhere to be seen.

  Li’s expression brightened at the sight of them, and they wanted to know everything: what had Ki’Altan decided? Would the IBTI be allowed to assist? Would Alfred and Nancy be permitted to visit? Was the end of all things going to be diverted after all?

  The pair did their best to answer, and Li seemed neither relieved nor disappointed. “The council is not so stubborn as Litri. They will see reason, and Ki’Altan can hide behind their decision.”

  “You mean, where Litri’s concerned?”

  Li bobbed their head sagely. “The politics of running a planet are nothing to the complexities of the politics of keeping a partnership afloat. And – well, Ki’Altan has their share of work cut out for them. That is all I’ll say on the matter.”

  Nancy laughed, and Alfred grinned. “It’s good seeing you again, Li.”

  The alien smiled, and some of the weariness eb
bed out of their expression. “And you, my friends. Very, very good to see you again.”

  And with a few last words of farewell, and an earnest hope that they would see each other soon, Alfred and Nancy put in the coordinates for their own time and world.

  They materialized in their bedroom early that morning, about two minutes before the alarm would have gone off under normal circumstances.

  Nance tiptoed toward the closet to pull out her clothes, and Alfred followed, glancing cautiously at the couple sleeping there. He didn’t want to wake them and risk altering the timeline. So far, things had gone alright.

  He figured he’d probably never be entirely used to staring at himself. It felt a little like living a weird, out of body experience. But in the moment, he smiled at what he saw. He – his earlier self – had his arm around Nance, and she was snuggled into his embrace, her great mass of curls spilling all over her pillow and his. There was something very tender in the body language, even through as deep a sleep as they’d been in, and it warmed his heart.

  He was pulled from his reverie, though, by Nance’s whispered voice – current Nance’s. “Psst.” He glanced up. She had a hanger with his shirt and another with his slacks. “Get your socks, and mine.”

  He nodded and headed to the dresser. She emerged from the closet with their work clothes, and he headed to the door with their socks. Their shoes would be downstairs already, so with a quick, quiet check, they confirmed that they had everything they needed. Then they shut the door on the sleeping couple.

  Nance headed for the stairs, but Alfred said, “Babe, wait.”

  She turned back to him. “What’s –”

  He interrupted the question with a kiss. She glanced quizzically at him afterwards, saying with a smile, “Not that I’m complaining. But what was that for?”