Page 86 of Truthful Deceptions

It didn’t take long to do that last few things and soon we were heading to the ship to leave. I was walking slow and without a word, Tolly picked me up to carry me. I was suddenly exhausted and didn’t ask him to put me down. I snuggled against him and watched Narmuna lift Cleo into his arms. She rested her hands on her belly, her head against his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

I grinned. In less than a few hours she was already getting used to being cared for by Talins.

Chapter 26

Tolreum

I wasn’t surprised to find the healers waiting for us in the bay with two medical beds. Narmuna didn’t hesitate to set Cleo down on the bed, but Opal refused to lay in the other.

“I’m fine,” she said. “I want to walk next to Cleo. She’s never been here before. I need to be close so I can explain things to her.”

That wasn’t a bad idea. None of us wanted Cleo to be taken by surprise by what she experienced here.

Opal had spent several marks telling Cleo about Ortheema Station and what to expect from the Talins there, especially the crowds. I was thankful for that because we’d been forced to send a message about Cleo. If two adult humans had caused a fuss before, a pregnant human might create a riot!

All of Opal’s descriptions couldn’t truly prepare Cleo for a station full of eager Talins.

I was relieved to see six law keepers standing nearby. I left Opal to argue with the healers and walked to the nearest law keeper.

“Greetings,” I said, hitting my chest with my fist. He returned the gesture.

“I’m glad to see both humans look healthy,” she said. “I’m Law Keeper Moreum. The rest of my law keepers are maintaining a clear path for us to reach medical.”

“I don’t think either of them will be there for long,” I said. “Neither is sick, and Cleo only needs to be monitored.”

“That’s a surprise,” she said with a startled rattle. “I was expecting that the pregnant human would require extensive time in medical. Your suite is large enough to accommodate all of you, so we can take you there when the healers are finished.”

I sounded a negative rattle. “We will be staying on the ship. Acquiring these humans has been expensive, and we need to be more conservative with our funds for now.”

“You’re not being charged for the suite,” Moreum said. “You can use it for as long as you wish to remain on the station. Even though no one can see Sloane, there’s been more travel through this station than ever before. The station is producing a lot of wealth and wishes for all of you to stay.”

“That’s helpful,” I said, feeling a little shocked.

“Your docking fees are also being waived,” Moreum continued. “You have a daily stipend to spend at any of the restaurants on this station. That doesn’t include the daily food pack delivery that will be brought to your suite.”

This was all too generous. “Even if we’re bringing in wealth by drawing in visitors, there must be a price.”

Moreum sounded a rumble of agreement. “The station director will speak with you about this later, but she has one request in exchange for all this.”

“Please tell me so I’m prepared,” I said.

Moreum hesitated for a moment, then rumbled in agreement. “To keep a mob from forming and causing trouble, the station director has started a raffle. Anyone who wants to meet the humans enters it and has an equal chance of having a dinner with Opal.”

“No,” I snapped with an angry rattle. “This should’ve been discussed with me first.”

Moreum didn’t react to my aggression. “You can say no, but I suggest you don’t. The station director is an honorable female who’s only trying to do what's best for everyone. She set aside a great deal of resources to keep station crew and visitors away from medical while Human Sloane healed. She is only requesting that Opal attend one dinner every eight rotations with a Talin who wins the lottery. It’s a simple meal and interaction. You’ll be there, and at least two of my law keepers will be with you. Many are upset that the Committee of Stations and Travel was able to meet with her but no one else. If we are truly an egalitarian society, we need to give everyone the hope to meet Opal.”

I could see the logic of it, but I wasn't happy. “Let me discuss it with Opal.”

“Opal needs to agree,” Moreum pressed. “My law keepers are running double shifts right now. If there's unrest on the station, I could be forced to take drastic measures. No one wants that.”

I rumbled in agreement. “If necessary, we'll all leave.”

“With a healing human and a pregnant one?” Moreum questioned, the implication clear. They would receive excellent treatment here, but we were on the edge of Talin-controlled space. The closest gate would take us further away from needed healers and resources instead of closer. A gate that would send us further into the Talin Empire would require weeks of travel.

Moreum was right. I needed Opal to agree to these dinners.

“Fine, both of you can ride on this bed,” Healer Grifforum said with an amused rumble, catching my attention. I turned to see Grifforum lifting Opal onto the bed where Cleo was already sitting.