The Amelioration Expedition
Chapter 20
Reyse had resigned himself to a four to five-month trip and the inevitable fact that Marlin was gone. Her body might never be recovered. The Dorado was making good time and they were nearly a month into the trip when Reyse was called to the captain's office to have a conversation with Arlo. Reyse steeled himself for the news that they had recovered Marlin's body.
The captain left Reyse in his office and shut the door. Reyse sat at the desk and pressed the button.
"This is Reyse."
"This is Arlo. I have some good news and some bad news."
Reyse sighed. "What's the bad news?"
Arlo chuckled. "Well, I have to tell you the good news before the bad news makes sense."
Obviously, they had found Marlin alive. "All right, give me the good news first."
"The Purlieu ship reached Opus yesterday. Today it took them about an hour to find and rescue Marlin, Donte and…Marlin's daughter."
So, was the bad news that Marlin had her baby? "That's good news," he said.
Arlo was quiet a moment. "The bad news is that I put Marlin in charge of organizing the colonization. She hired four Mascots."
Reyse considered the information. Marlin was certainly capable of organizing the colonization, and the Mascots were created by Fontalo for that purpose. He couldn't say he approved of the continued exploitation of the Mascots, but considering Marlin's opinion of them, it was no surprise either. "And the bad news?"
Arlo chuckled again. "I told her that there was a cargo ship on the way and, among others, I sent a representative for Fontalo." He paused. "I didn't tell her it was you."
Reyse liked Arlo, but sometimes he could be a pain. "Why not?"
Arlo was quiet for a moment, and when he responded, his tone was serious. "I thought you two were fighting…and then, there's the baby. I didn't know how either of you would feel about it."
"You didn't know how either of us would feel about the baby? I can tell you right now that it's her baby. I will like it. Has she decided to give it up?"
"No. She was going to, but she decided to keep it."
"Well, good for her. I don't understand the problem here."
"I still don't know who the father is."
"I guess if she wants either of us to know, she'll probably tell us. Otherwise, I figure that's her business." Something else occurred to him. "Are you trying to tell me I lost my job?"
"No," Arlo said immediately. "I'm just trying to warn you that you may have some opposition."
In other words, Arlo didn't want to face the wrath of his daughter when she found out who he sent as the Fontalo representative. "Well, there's no reason to get her worked up before I get there. I can be professional about this and I'm sure she can too. She's made some mistakes, but she has every reason to be proud of her work ethics."
"It's up to you," Arlo said.
They talked for a few more minutes before ending the call. When Reyse walked out of the office, he thanked the captain and headed for his room. Whatever happened, Marlin was alive and well…and she had a daughter. He was surprised that she decided to keep the baby, but maybe she had changed her plans about other things as well. It sounded like she had changed her mind about the Mascots. When she left, she had been all for letting them die off. What had changed her mind?
***
Gerritt couldn't believe what Donte was telling him. Why would he stay on Opus working for Fontalo? Had he lost his mind down in that cavern?
"Why don't you think about it for a while, Donte? It sounds like you're rushing into this thing with your heart instead of your head."
Donte chuckled. "Gerritt, it's time for you to choose a different second. You're still too dependent on me. I know you can be the best ruler Bergen ever had. All you need is a little confidence in yourself. You're thinking that if you fail, everyone will be convinced only mascots can rule. You're one of the first colonist rulers. Show them what you can do – without the aid of a Mascot."
Gerritt groaned. "Donte, this isn't a contest. This is the real thing."
"The fact that you know that will give you an edge. I'll always be your friend, Gerritt. You know I'll be there for you if you ever need someone to talk to. I know this is what you want. Let go of your inhibitions and live your dream. You don't need me. I'm only a crutch."
Maybe Donte was right. Maybe he had been using him as a crutch. It wasn't fair to Donte and it sure wasn't helping him. Bergen had become too tame for Donte. Mai was right. He needed a challenge. He had certainly taken on a challenge on Opus.
"What about Rianne?"
"What about her?"
"Surely you don't think she hopped on that spaceship and traveled three weeks to a primitive planet to retrieve a body."
Donte was silent for a while.
"Donte, are you still there? Look, I didn't mean to shove her at you. I wouldn't do that, but – I think you still love her and I think she still loves you. That's all I'm going to say. It's none of my business."
"I'm still here. I'm not sure what she wants. She said they had a serum that would give extra childbearing years to female mascots. I don't want to spend thirty more years loving her and raising more children only to have her walk out again when she no longer needs me for that purpose."
That thought had never crossed Gerritt's mind. Donte was right. If that was why Rianne wanted to get back with him, it was as bad as running off and sending him a note that she wasn't coming back. Donte had his head together. Gerritt didn't need to concern himself about that issue.
He sighed. "I'll give it a few months and if you haven't changed your mind, I'll choose another second."
"Good."
"Donte?"
"Yes?"
"Be careful. All my anxieties about you aren't revolving around this office. You're the best friend I ever had – probably ever will have."
Donte was silent a moment. "Thanks, but of course we both know the best friend you ever had is still at your side."
Gerritt smiled to himself. "That's a given, isn't it?"
"Good luck, Gerritt. When this job is over, if you still need me, I'll come back to Bergen."
"Good luck, Donte."
Gerritt disconnected the call. He was certain of one thing. He would never see Donte again. There would always be another planet or a colony to organize. Gerritt was on his own now. He was living his dream now and he needed to release Donte so he could live his dream.
***
Marlin thought about her conversation with Dr. Oriana for a long time. Rianne had been receptive to Donte's attempts to contact her, and she had traveled all the way to Opus. Maybe she did still love him. Donte certainly still loved her. Yet he had said nothing about her being on the Lyra. He had accepted the invitation to stay indefinitely on Opus. Would Rianne go back to Purlieu? She had an irresistible urge to meet Rianne. Rianne had gone to Oriel with Donte. Maybe both of them were interested in the Opus colonization. If so, Donte might not hire her on his team, but if she was so distraught over no longer having children that she left Donte, maybe she would be interested in a position as a nanny.
Marlin packed another bottle and some diapers for Gezant and ordered a shuttle to the Lyra. Captain McKillum arranged for the shuttle without protest, but his expression indicated he objected. Why?
When she reached the main hallway on the Lyra, Gezant began to fuss. Marlin shifted her so that her head lay on her shoulder and kissed her tiny cheek. "It's all right sweetie."
She glanced up to see Donte walking toward her. He looked refreshed and was wearing different clothing.
As he joined her, he smiled and reached for Gezant, who was still fussing. When he spoke to her, Gezant immediately quieted. He laid her against his chest and patted her back as his attention returned to Marlin.
"I talked to Gerritt, so that part is settled. Some of the Premier Infantry troops want to stay with us. I don't know how you feel about that. If I'm going to be working with the Opus…people, I will have a laser weapon with me. It is much safer and more effective than any other weapon."
He wasn't asking her. He was telling her. "That depends on how it's being used."
"And who is using it," he responded.
That much was true. Donte needed some kind of protection and, while lasers were banned on Oriel, she could probably get the ban lifted for Donte and his team.
Gezant let out a loud belch and at the same time, passed air the other end in a liquid sound. The hallway was filled with the stench of baby poop.
Donte pulled her away from his chest and started to laugh. "Here, you can have her now. I did my part."
Marlin giggled. "Some help you are. She did all that by herself." She lifted Gezant from his hands. "Mommy loves you even if you do smell like a toilet."
Marlin glanced up to find a beautiful woman watching them. Like Donte, all the pictures in the magazines and history books didn't do her justice. Rianne was the most magnificent form of a woman that Marlin had ever seen.
At the moment, Rianne looked uncertain if she was welcome. Her gaze was fixed on Gezant.
Donte's gaze followed Marlin's and settled on Rianne. Whatever he was thinking, his expression didn't give a clue. He looked back at Marlin without saying anything to Rianne. In that moment, Marlin was certain her idea would work.
Marlin handed Gezant to Donte and he looked confused as he took her. Marlin extended a hand to Rianne. "You have got to be Rianne. I'm so happy to meet you. I'm Marlin. Captain McKillum told me that you picked up on Donte's thoughts and told them where we were. I'm…we're all…so grateful to you. I didn't realize you were on the Lyra until Dr. Oriana told me a little while ago."
Marlin turned back to Donte and took Gezant from his hands as he still held her away from his body. Turning her attention back to Rianne, Marlin continued.
"I'm afraid Gezant has messed her diaper. Could you direct me to a place where I can change her?"
Rianne smiled. "Follow me."
Marlin glanced back at Donte. He was watching them, his expression perplexed. Good.
Rianne led her to a room and lowered a changing table from the wall. "I didn't have a baby in diapers when we went to Oriel, but on the way back it occurred to me that there should be accommodations for this possibility. Commander Adriaan and Vidal had them incorporated into their spaceships immediately and all the spaceships have them now."
Marlin thanked her. "I'm kind of new to this. I only had two thin diapers on Opus and everything went right through them. I spent most of my day washing one of them and hanging it to dry by the fire, hoping it would be dry by the time she soiled the next one."
"Oh my," Rianne responded. That must have been quite an experience." She leaned over Gezant and lightly brushed her cheek. "She's beautiful." She looked uncertain. "You named her Gezant?"
Marlin smiled. It was a perfect opening. "Actually, Donte named her Gezant. At first I didn't want her." She paused, not sure how much to reveal, but it needed to sound logical, so she continued. "I was raped and I didn't want a baby. I thought a baby would get in the way of my work – so Donte said if I didn't want her, he did."
Rianne stared at her. "Why?"
Marlin shrugged. "That's what I asked him. I couldn't imagine a man taking care of a baby by himself…but maybe he didn't plan to."
Rianne was silent a moment. "But you decided you wanted to keep her."
"Yes. I love her. I can't imagine life without her now."
Rianne nodded. "I felt so lost when our last child left home. I didn't realize…" She hesitated and completed with another thought. "I'm sure you will never regret keeping her. They do alter your plans at times, but sometimes we need that more than we know." She was quiet for a moment. "We were fortunate to have Donte's grandmother live with us. She was so helpful."
"On Oriel, women pay someone to watch their children while they work. It would be nice to have someone experienced and dependable to watch Gezant." Marlin hesitated. Maybe she was moving a little fast, but the conversation was falling into place as if it was meant to be this way. She lifted her gaze to Rianne. "Someone like you. Have you ever thought of doing something like that?"
Rianne studied her face for a moment. "No." She looked at Gezant. "I know you're trying to get Donte and me back together, but I can't figure out why you would want to do that."
Whoa. Was she being that transparent or was Rianne that perceptive? Obviously, Rianne wasn't the type to dance around an issue. It was clear that this was one person she would never be able to outwit.
"I need someone to help me with Gezant and I had a wild thought that maybe you would like to stay here when the Lyra returns to Purlieu. Maybe it was a crazy idea."
Rianne continued to watch her. "It wasn't a crazy idea, but why would you want to do that?"
Marlin frowned. "Why wouldn't I want to do that?" Maybe someone had told Rianne about the way she had tormented Donte at first. "I know I treated Donte disrespectfully at first. I was wrong about him…and grandpa, and Mascots. I was wrong about a lot of things, but Donte and I get along well enough now."
Rianne nodded, her gaze intent on Marlin's. "So you're doing this as a favor to him – as an apology?"
Wait. Hadn't she been thinking how well the conversation was going a few minutes ago? She sighed.
"Maybe I owe Donte something. Maybe he thinks I owe him something, but I don't feel like I owe him anything except the respect due him. I chose Donte to work with me because of his experience and his skills. He knows that."
Rianne's brows lifted. "I'm certain Donte doesn't feel like you owe him anything, but; are you doing this because you love him?"
Marlin finished diapering Gezant and lifted the infant to her shoulder. She gave Rianne a level look. "Yes, I do love Donte, but not in the marrying kind of way. I think he still loves you and I think you still love him. If I'm wrong or you don't want me meddling, just say so and I'll back off."
Rianne had a beautiful smile that put attractive lights in her eyes. "You probably are meddling, but I like your intent." She shrugged and sighed. "You're right about the fact that I still love Donte. I always have, but he made it clear that our relationship from now on is going to be friendship only. I can't blame him. I treated him badly. He has good reason to distrust me – even hate me."
Marlin tucked the diaper in a bag to wash later. "Well, if you you're not interested, I'll see if I can find someone else."
"I didn't say I wasn't interested."
Marlin nodded. "Well, think about it and if you decide you want the job, bring your things over to the Spero. I plan to get back to Opus as soon as Dr. Oriana says that Gezant is ready."
They stepped outside the room and paused in the hallway. Donte was nowhere in sight. Marlin looked at Rianne. "Did you know that Donte was going to ask his father and Akira if they wanted to work with him?"
Rianne smiled. "I can't imagine either of them saying no."
"And the Premier Infantry?"
Rianne laughed. "They would go anywhere with Donte. All they ask is that he not leave them behind."
Marlin sighed. "I wish someone – anyone – was that loyal to me." She shrugged. "But then, maybe if I deserved it, they would be." She made a face. "I've been a real…um…mess."
Humor was in Rianne's eyes, but her lips refused to participate. "Well, I suppose that's something the two of us have in common."
Marlin grinned. "I sure hope you decide to stay. I've got to get back to the Spero and wash out this diaper. On Oriel we have diapers that you use once and throw away. I'm going to miss that."
"I imagine so," Rianne said as she walked beside Marlin. "If you want to keep Opus as pristine as Purlieu, there are simply some conveniences that you will have to learn to live without."
Why had it never occurred to her that Rianne would be as valuable in assisting her with organizing the colonies as Donte would be?
At that moment Donte stepped out of the dining area. He joined them in the hall and reached for Gezant his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I hope you finished your part."
Marlin surrendered Gezant to Donte. "Were you eating again?"
"I have to get my strength back, you know," he said as he cradled Gezant in his arms. He offered a finger and Gezant clutched it.
"Well," Marlin responded. "I know you can't be around all the time to help, so I thought I'd hire someone to help me with her," Marlin said.
Donte lifted his head and looked at her. His gaze shifted to Rianne and back to Marlin. His expression was sober and his voice was soft, yet stern.
"What are you doing, Marlin?"
Rianne looked at the floor, her face gaining color.
Marlin lifted her chin and looked Donte in the eye. "You hire who you want to work with and I hire who I want to work with – wasn't that the deal?"
Rianne looked at Marlin, a slight smile on her lips. Donte looked at Rianne and shrugged. "That was the deal."
Marlin lifted Gezant from his arms. "I want only the best for my little girl. Rianne has experience with children and I think she will be of great value to me in getting things ready for the new colonists as well."
Donte's gaze came back to Marlin. He studied her for a moment, as if giving her statement full consideration. "You are absolutely right on both accounts. Rianne was an excellent mother, wife and representative for Bosvrouwen. I suspect you will discover she is far more valuable to you than you could have imagined."
He turned and walked away without another word. Marlin stared after him. He had not only accepted the situation, but managed to express his approval at the same time. Marlin neither asked for nor required his approval. She rolled her eyes. "Why does he always have to do that?"
Rianne laughed. "When do you want me to join you?"
Marlin caught her breath. Maybe Donte's approval was for Rianne's benefit. She smiled at Rianne. "The sooner the better."
"Let me get my things and I'll go back with you."
Marlin couldn't believe how well things had worked out with Rianne. She was certain that Donte and Rianne still loved each other and would work things out. She wanted to ask Rianne what had happened, but the more she learned about Rianne, the more she realized that was one thing that she needed to keep her nose out of. She had no doubt that Donte had been hurt badly enough that he was hesitant about getting back into a relationship with Rianne. What puzzled her…and probably Donte as well…was why Rianne had left in the first place – and why she didn't come back when she realized it was a mistake. Did Donte think there was another man? Was there another man?
When Marlin told her father that she had hired both Rianne and Donte, she expected resistance, but he said it was a brilliant idea. She didn't say anything about trying to play matchmaker. That wasn't part of her job. She didn't say anything about the lasers or the Premier Infantry either. Her father agreed that Donte should be able to hire the people he felt were best for the project and Arlo thought Quade and Akira were excellent choices because of their medical knowledge as well as the fact that they were Mascots. As far as Marlin was concerned, the fact that they were Mascots had no bearing on any of it. Donte, Quade and Akira were skilled honest and dependable people. Quade and Donte knew more about structuring a colony than anyone she knew. Both would do their best to help the colonists form their own leadership – not because they were Mascots, but because they were that kind of people.
People - that had been the point at which she and her father didn't agree. Arlo thought that Donte's skills would best be used in preparing for the colonists, not forging peace between the colonists and indigenous wildlife. The way he saw it, the colonists would be able to defend themselves against the apes if they became an issue, and subdue them. Marlin didn't tell Donte what he had said. Maybe she should have, but hopefully Donte would find an answer before it became an issue. Donte was thinking pro-active; make peace before the colonists arrived rather than trying to fix a problem after they arrived.
Arlo had not given her a list of the names of the colonists, but he said he sent a Fontalo representative and there were lawyers, doctors, clergy and all sorts of people with training that would be needed in starting colonies. They were coming in a cargo ship that contained farm stock and implements as well as 300 colonists.
When she told Donte, he merely nodded and said he needed to make contact with the Opus people as soon as possible. Donte refused to call them apes. In a compromise between her father and Donte, Marlin began formally referring to them as Opus natives. The lawyers could sort that all out when the colonists arrived.
Dr. Oriana and Quade agreed that Donte and Marlin should rest and eat for at least three days before returning to Opus, but Dr. Oriana said they should give Gezant a week since she was born early and hadn't had the nutrients she needed.
Marlin told Dr. Oriana about the broth Donte had insisted she drink immediately after Gezant was born.
"I hate fish anyway," Marlin said. "But that was awful stuff I think he must have made it from the bones of the bird-like creature the Opus natives gave us, because we ate all the meat before that."
Rianne was folding diapers and occasionally joining in on their conversation. She glanced up at Marlin and then at Dr. Oriana.
Dr. Oriana frowned. "Broth? I thought he said he made it out of…." She stopped, glancing at Rianne.
Rianne put a hand to her mouth and started to laugh. "Oh no. Well, it would certainly give her the nutrition she needed."
Marlin stared at each of them. "Would someone like to fill me in on this joke?"
Dr. Oriana shrugged. "I suppose it doesn't make much difference at this point. He said he made a broth out of the placenta."
It took a moment for Marlin to relate placenta to afterbirth. Placenta sounded a lot better. Her stomach felt queasy. "He just told me it was broth." She shuddered. "Yuck!"
Rianne went back to folding diapers. "A lot of animals eat the afterbirth, even bovines."
"Well I'm not an animal," Marlin said. She glanced at Rianne. "Well, I guess we're all animals, but…"
Rianne smiled. "Well, some of us more than others, maybe."
Marlin shook her head. "I didn't mean it that way at all." She shook her head again. "It doesn't matter. If spending three weeks trapped with Donte taught me anything; it is that who we are is more important than what we are."
Rianne sighed. "If I had to be trapped with someone for three weeks, I know Donte would be my first choice."
Dr. Oriana looked confused. To be honest, the first thing that crossed Marlin's mind was that if Rianne thought it would be fun to be trapped with him, then why did she leave him? Apparently, no one wanted to touch that subject, so Marlin changed it.
Donte and his crew left on the morning of the fourth day, but Dr. Oriana and Rianne stayed with Marlin until Gezant was ready to travel. On the seventh day, they returned to the base camp. Donte had a camp in the rocks near the fissure, hoping to contact the Opus natives. Donte took only one of the troops with him. The other three were left to assist Marlin in whatever way she requested. Marlin was certain that Donte had left the men as guards for Rianne and the other women. Whatever his intent, the men cheerfully occupied themselves with whatever Marlin asked them to do.
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