Return Of The Fontalo
by Linda Rigsbee
Chapter 16
When Donte and Beier returned to the Groot Thuis, Donte had three messages waiting for him. One was from Adriaan, saying that Cheska had requested permission to visit Bergen with a research analyst for observation purposes only. It didn’t surprise Donte that her curiosity had been piqued. He would have to discuss it with the cabinet.
The second message was from Kenyon. Kenyon, Celyn and Neirin were in Libertad, visiting with Quade and Akira. They wanted to know if Donte needed any assistance in dealing with the new ship that had arrived.
The last message was from Damian, asking if they had a place to house their militia in Bergen. They had been staying in a large cave, but their rations were dwindling and the cold was getting them down.
Donte immediately responded to Damian, telling him that they could house and feed the militia at their barracks outside of Bergen. Once again, he told Damian that the troops could return to Vlaktes. Damian didn’t want to do that because the snow was so deep in the mountains that if they needed to go back to Bergen, it would be an issue.
Donte read the messages to Beier. “Could you advise Gerritt of the arrival of the Vlaktes militia and tell him to let me know if they need anything? Oh, and on your way out, could you let the cabinet know that I want to meet with them as soon as possible?”
“Yes, Monomi.” Beier turned and left the room.
Donte stood and stretched. All his life he had thought of the Mascots as animals and the colonists as humans. Now he had to prove that Mascots were humans. The colonists could tell the difference between Mascots and humans, but Cheska obviously couldn’t. He had an idea that might give Cheska some ammunition. Why not get a bunch of Mascots and colonists together and let Cheska try to determine which ones were human and which ones were Mascots? She would recognize Quade and Neirin’s names, but meeting and talking to them would help her understand how human they were.
Donte presented the idea to the cabinet and they all looked at each other.
Bastiaan looked at Donte. “Of course, we always knew that Mascots were humans. It was you who had a problem accepting that. Even so, I don’t think it matters who is what or how they look. I imagine that if you had horns and a goat face, people would still recognize the human in you.”
Marit laughed. “So true. And I know some humans that make me continually wonder if they are mostly animal.”
Donte nodded. “She called us beasts.”
Yara grimaced. “Ouch.” She studied Donte’s face for a moment. “She didn’t know any better, Donte. Personally, I can’t think of a better example of a human than you.”
“I can,” Donte said. “Rianne - but thank you, anyway.”
Cariel stroked his beard and looked as though he wanted to say something.
Donte lifted his brows in invitation.
He shrugged. “I was hoping that all this would be over soon so we can all get back to a normal life. I miss seeing your children running around – but not nearly as much as you do, I’m sure.”
Donte’s throat constricted. He tried not to think about them because it always brought tears to his eyes. It would be different if he was away and they were at home, but they were living in isolation.
Bastiaan cleared his throat. “Do whatever you think is best, Donte. We will back you. I’d like to see and talk to this woman from Oriel. I’m sure a lot of people would.”
Donte left the meeting feeling more confident, as he always did. What a fine collection of people the cabinet was. They were a good representation of the colonists in Bergen.
When he got back to his office, he sent a message to Kenyon, inviting them to the Groot Thuis and telling them about the anticipated visit from Cheska. With that completed, he tapped his medallion and requested a connection to Adriaan. They needed to find a better way to communicate.
When Adriaan answered, he asked to be patched through to Cheska. Finally, Cheska answered.
“I wondered if we had insulted you.”
“No,” Donte said. “I had to talk to the cabinet. You are welcome to stay with us. Let me know when you will arrive and I will make arrangements.”
“Would tomorrow be too soon?”
“No. What time do you want to be picked up at the airfield?”
“As early in the morning as is convenient for you. Let me know and I’ll be there.” She hesitated. “Is there a hotel where we can stay and what kind of payment do you accept?”
Donte didn’t know what a hotel was, but they obviously needed some place to stay. “You will be staying in a room at the Groot Thuis. It’s nothing grand, but it is a place to sleep, and you will have a guard.”
After he made arrangements, he sent a message to Kenyon saying that he would be leaving early in the morning to pick up Cheska at the airfield. He didn’t need any help at the moment, but he welcomed them to come to the Groot Thuis and meet the people from Oriel.
***
Cheska waited at the airfield with Gaige until Donte and Beier arrived on the tram. Cheska introduced Gaige to them and they all shook hands. Donte picked up Cheska’s suitcase and turned to the tram.
“I’m sure you’re anxious to get settled. We can talk on the tram.”
The tram was one car - empty except for them. The seats were in sets of two, facing each other, on each side of the tram with an isle in the center. Donte placed her suitcase on a rack over her head and Gaige put his beside it. Donte let them sit next to the window, where they could get a view of the country. Donte sat beside Gaige and Beier sat beside her.
Once they were seated, the tram began to move. It emerged from the building along an elevated rail and gained speed quickly. It was a smooth quiet ride.
Cheska glanced around. “Surely you can’t afford to run these all the time with so few people.”
Donte shrugged. “They run on solar energy. It doesn’t take much to maintain them. This is a special run, though, and purposefully void of other travelers.”
Cheska looked at him. “Are you expecting trouble?”
Donte smiled. “I always expect trouble. That way I’m pleasantly surprised most of the time and prepared the rest of the time.”
She wouldn’t want to have the responsibilities he did, but his logic sounded solid – even upbeat.
The tram left the main track on one that circled around and over it, heading toward the mountains. The country was mostly open with a few trees and an occasional dirt road.
Cheska looked at Donte. “I gather you don’t have any motor vehicles?”
He shook his head. “No, we only use equines and the tram. We are trying to maintain a clean environment.”
Gaige pointed out the window on the opposite side of the tram “What’s that? It looks like a cluster of buildings.”
“Factories,” Donte said as he moved to the other seat and slid across to the window.
Gaige followed him. “Factories? Doesn’t that pollute the air?”
“No, they are solar and hydro powered, and all the exhaust is filtered before it leaves the building.”
Donte and Gaige were quickly engaged in conversation about what the factories produced and how they operated.
Cheska looked at Beier. He watched them for a few minutes before diverting his attention to the window beside Cheska.
“He seems genuinely interested.” Cheska said.
Beier looked at her. “Donte or Gaige?”
Cheska smiled. “Both, I guess, but I was referring to Donte. He appears to enjoy entertaining people.”
Beier watched Donte for a moment. “I suppose he does. I never thought about it that way. I know that people are entertained by him. Everyone likes Donte. You will too when you get to know him.”
She had no doubt of that. She already liked him and she barely knew him at all. “Have you known him long?”
Beier hesitated and then shrugged. “About ten years. I was a captive in Lochfowk for thirty years and if it hadn’t been for Donte, I’d probably still be there.”
“So, you feel like you owe him something? Is that why you are his assistant?”
Beier’s smile was wry. “I do owe him something, but that isn’t why I assist him. Donte always has something going on. I enjoy the excitement - and the feeling of being needed, I guess.”
“You’ve never thought of settling down; having a family?”
He shrugged and looked out the window. “Having a family isn’t an option for most Mascots now. In any case, I haven’t found anyone I’d relinquish my freedom for yet.”
He hadn’t found the right person or he wouldn’t consider it relinquishing his freedom. After thirty years of captivity, maybe he simply didn’t want the responsibility of a family.
“What are these people of Lochfowk like? Why did they have captives?”
He shrugged again. “It’s a long story. Donte would be the one to talk to you about it.”
She shifted her attention to the scenery outside the window. He wasn’t much of a conversationalist – or maybe she was simply asking questions he didn’t feel comfortable about answering.
They passed another elevated station before the country began to change. There were lots of trees. The tram began to climb as they reached the base of the mountains. It climbed the side of the mountain until it reached the snow line. There it curved around to a pass.
Donte and Gaige joined them again.
“We’re in Bergen now,” Donte said. He looked pleased.
Beautiful as it was, Cheska wouldn’t want to live in such a harsh climate. It was probably even more spectacular in the summer, though. She looked at Donte. “All the stations are elevated. Is it to avoid floods – or snow?”
“It’s a rule. All rails must maintain an elevation of at least ten feet off the ground. That’s to protect wildlife.”
It reminded her of the rail lines on Oriel and the frequent collisions between motor cars and trains. There were so many animals killed on a daily basis that they had a special vehicle that went around scooping them up and tossing them into a dump truck to be incinerated.
Gradually, they began seeing cottages and stone fences containing livestock. The cottages were closer together until they reached a covered rail and stopped at another station.
Donte stood. “This is the colony of Bergen. We get off here.”
The tram station lobby looked like a hunting lodge on Oriel, with its shiny wooden walls and hardwood floor. They walked across an area that had obviously been replaced recently.
Donte grimaced. “We had to repair the roof and floor where The Fontalo shuttles hit it with their lasers.
She shook her head. The captain had truly made a nuisance of himself. She was glad Donte had taught him a lesson. She glanced at Gaige and he took her cue.
"I noticed that you call them THE Fontalo."
Donte paused, looking from Gaige to Cheska and back again. "That's what we have always called them. Is it incorrect?"
Cheska nodded. "I suppose that makes sense. You called the scientists The Parliament." She smiled. "It's just Fontalo – no the in front of it."
Donte nodded. "Just Fontalo."
She choked back humor. "Fontalo. One word."
He smiled. "Oh. Fontalo. Thank you for correcting me."
Outside, Donte led them to a coach drawn by horses…equines, as Donte called them. The coach was unlike anything she had ever seen. The roof arched up and made a cover for the driver, who was sheltered by an elevated box with windows. The coach itself was roomy with plush seats. It was a comfortable ride to the Groot Thuis.
Donte took her waist in his hands and lifted her down from the coach. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t hop down, but his hands were warm and firm. It was kind of nice to be treated as if she was fragile.
Beier smiled at her, a twinkle of humor in his eyes. “I’ll leave you here in good hands.” He nodded at Donte and left them.
The lobby of the Groot Thuis was much like the tram station. The golden color of the wood was highlighted by sun shining through the windows. It was warm inside. As they entered, some people sitting at a table stood and walked toward them. One was dressed in a long white robe. He was tall and good looking, with long blonde hair and beautiful violet eyes. When Donte introduced him, Neirin took her hand and bowed his head over it. “It is nice to meet you,” He had a heavy accent, as if he had only recently learned the words.
Next, they were introduced to the most exquisite young woman Cheska had ever seen. Celyn offered a hand and spoke more confidently. Her accent was almost as subtle as Donte’s. She had long golden blonde hair and light violet eyes. Donte introduced her as Neirin’s daughter. He introduced the tall man beside Celyn as her mate and Donte’s brother. He used the word mate collectively instead of husband or wife.
The last two people Donte introduced as his father, Quade, and his mate, Akira. Cheska could see where Donte and his brother got their good looks. Quade was a handsome man with dark hair and chocolate-colored eyes. Donte had his smile and quiet way of speaking. Akira had red hair and green eyes. She was a pretty woman, but nothing close to Celyn’s beauty.
Two of the names she heard were on the Fontalo list for extermination. Quade was the president of Libertad and Neirin was the King of Anialwch. She was certain that everyone in their little group was a Mascot except Gaige and her. It made her feel a little nauseated to think anyone would want to terminate these beautiful people - and a lot embarrassed to think she had pictured them as beasts. Instead of being ugly, as she had anticipated, all of them were more attractive than the average human.
Donte glanced up and beckoned to a man walking across the lobby. He joined them without hesitation. Donte introduced him as Bastiaan, the senior cabinet member of Bergen. He was shorter than Donte and had a blocky build. He had blonde hair and light blue eyes, like Beier, and looked like he could use a shave.
Bastiaan shook each of their hands and put a hand on Donte’s shoulder. “Maybe you could bring them by tomorrow so the cabinet could meet them?”
“Certainly,” Donte agreed. “Would you like to join us upstairs?”
Bastiaan shook his head. “Sounds interesting, but I have an appointment in a few minutes. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” He gave Donte an affectionate slap on the shoulder and turned away, walking toward the door at a brisk pace.
The way he treated Donte brought to mind Beier’s comment that everyone liked Donte. That certainly appeared to be true of everyone she had met so far, but no one was liked by everyone. Donte was bound to have some enemies – besides the captain.
They were all taken to a hallway lined with doors and each was given a room. Donte was right. They were nothing special – merely sleeping quarters. She was relieved to see that her room had a bathroom instead of a communal outhouse. She had a feeling that this was all they would find at a hotel – if they had hotels here on Purlieu. Nothing she had seen indicated they even had a general store, much less a hotel. Speaking of which, it was after noon and she was hungry.
They all put their bags in their rooms and followed Donte back to the lobby. It didn’t appear that anyone was going to ask, so she did the honors.
“Is there a place in town to eat lunch?”
Donte looked at her for a moment with a puzzled expression. “What is a lunch?”
She suppressed a smile. “The noon meal.”
“Noon?”
“Mid-day. Not breakfast or supper, but lunch.”
Donte looked at Gaige, still puzzled.
Gaige smiled. “We eat three times a day – morning, mid-day and late evening.”
“Oh.” Donte’s gaze game back to Cheska. “You can get something from the kitchen.” He motioned for them to follow him. “I’m sure Weja would be glad to get you something.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Cheska said. “If there is someplace we can go…”
Donte smiled at her. “It’s no trouble. We don’t eat … lunch…. We eat the morning meal and the evening meal – early in the evening. I’ll let Weja know to expect you mid-day.”
Donte led them into a large room with several tables and chairs. He stepped up to a counter. “Weja?” he called.
A short woman peered around the corner. She came around the corner with a big smile on her face and spoke to Donte in a language Cheska didn’t know.
Donte indicated Gaige and Cheska and spoke to her in the same language. She nodded enthusiastically. Donte turned to Gaige and Cheska. “She’s going to fix you something right now and have something ready for you each day at mid-day as long as you are here. Will soup and sandwiches be alright today?”
“It sounds delightful. She needn’t go to any big trouble. Sandwiches will be nice every day.”
Donte turned to Weja and spoke again. She nodded and gave them a friendly smile. She looked at the others and spoke to them, probably asking if they wanted anything. She went back into the kitchen.
Donte and Kenyon pulled tables together until there was enough room for all of them to sit at the same table. After a few minutes, Weja brought out two sandwiches, two bowls of soup and hot drinks for everyone on a tray.
The bread was homemade and it was delicious, obviously made from whole grains. Gaige munched through his sandwich without pause. She would have thought he was simply that hungry if she didn’t know what a luxury fresh bread was on their spacecraft.
While they were eating, a young girl came in and spoke to Donte. He stood and walked a short distance away from them, talking to her quietly – or more accurately – listening and occasionally responding. He didn’t introduce her, but he called her Nieke. Nieke was a nice-looking girl, slender and shapely in a light gray uniform. Her hair was so blonde that it was almost white and her eyes were a soft blue/gray color. She didn’t touch Donte, but her expression as she looked up at him made Cheska wonder if she was emotionally involved with him. If so, he didn’t appear to feel the same way about her. In fact, Cheska had not observed Donte showing particular interest in any of the women.
Gaige wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin, his attention on Donte and the girl. He sipped his cup of soup, watching them over the rim. He wasn’t the only one watching them. King Neirin watched Nieke all the while they talked, his gaze leaving her only when she turned to leave the room.
Donte came back and sat down at the table. He took a sip of his hot drink, apparently lost in thought.
Kenyon leaned back in his chair, lifting an ankle to his knee, his gaze resting on Donte. “Is something wrong?”
Donte glanced around the table and hesitated, as if he wasn’t sure if he wanted to divulge information to everyone there. He need only speak in another language to hide it from two of them. He finally shrugged and spoke in a language they all understood.
“It should be no surprise that the captain didn’t do as he was instructed. Apparently, he left some troops here. They are living in a cave northeast of here.”
Cheska wasn’t certain if she and Gaige were supposed to feel responsible, but Donte gave no indication he thought so. They weren’t responsible, but she sympathized with his plight.
Kenyon frowned. “Has anyone checked the island?”
Donte’s gaze shot to Cheska. “No, but if they were there, they’d be stuck there.” He shrugged again. “I suppose it would be simple enough to drop them off in either Libertad or Nyumbani.”
Quade winced. “We’d better notify Kafil.”
Cheska met Donte’s gaze. “I’m sorry this has happened, but I hope you don’t feel we are in any way responsible. If you wonder where we stand, it is on your side.”
Donte nodded. “Thank you for making that clear. I don’t hold you responsible, but I did wonder how you would respond.”
“As I said before; the Centaurus is only a research ship. We have little firepower and no authority to engage in warfare. If you think of anything we can do to help, let me know. If we can, we will. Would you prefer we weren’t here?
“Actually, I would prefer you were here. If I need information from you, I can get it instantly.”
Cheska nodded. “Then I will stay.” She looked at Gaige. “You are free to go back to the ship at any time.”
He shook his head. “I’ll stay here. This should be interesting.”
Kenyon laughed without humor. “You have no idea how interesting it can get.”
Donte sipped his drink, once again lost in thought and apparently oblivious to the fact that everyone was watching him. More than likely, they were all as curious as she was to discover what he would do next.
Finally, Donte set his cup down and looked at Celyn. Without a word, he stood and walked around the table to her. She lifted her hand to him and he grasped it with his hand, pressing his palm to hers. They closed their eyes and said nothing.
Kenyon didn’t appear to be concerned. In fact, he actually looked intrigued. King Neirin watched them with equal interest. The others watched, apparently curious, but no one appeared to think it was inappropriate behavior.
Cheska looked at Gaige and he shrugged. Kenyon was right. They had no idea how interesting it could get.
Donte opened his eyes and spoke to Celyn in a language that didn’t sound like the language of Bergen. Celyn nodded and they closed their eyes again. They stood that way for a long time. Finally, Donte opened his eyes and released her hand.
She looked up at him. “I’m sorry.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “It isn’t your fault. There is no telling where they might be – if they are even still on the planet. We’ll simply have to alert Kafil and have the Nyumbani watch for them.”
Donte retrieved his cup and downed the rest of his drink. “I need to get to my message machine. When you’re ready, you can meet me upstairs.”
He carried his cup to the counter and called for Weja. When she came to the counter, he talked to her for a few minutes. After that he left the room without further comment.
Kenyon looked at Celyn and lifted a brow. “I think we’d better stay here.”
She nodded. “I think he is getting ready to do something.”
Kenyon turned to King Neirin. “How about you?”
Neirin gave them a wry smile. “Are you joking? I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
Akira looked at Quade. “Do you want me to go?”
He looked surprised. “No, but if you would rather not stay…”
She smiled. “I want to be wherever you are.”
Kenyon lowered his foot to the floor and leaned forward to stand. “There’s nothing like solidarity.” He stood and took Celyn’s hand, helping her to her feet.
She smiled at him and hugged his waist.
Quade stood. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Cheska carried their plates and cups to the counter and followed the others out the door. Quade led them to a lift and they all rode upstairs. There they went down a hall to a single door. Quade knocked and got an immediate response to enter.
Cheska expected a meeting room, but it was clearly living quarters. Donte was in an office off the main room, clicking away on a machine. They each found a place to sit and wait.
Donte finally came out of his office. “I’m going to go get them.”
Kenyon lifted a brow as he stood. “By ‘them’ I assume you mean the troops left behind.”
Donte nodded. I’m going to take Beier, Gerritt and Nieke with me. I would like you to stay here with Cheska and Gaige. I should be back before dark.”
Kenyon frowned. “How many are there?”
Donte glanced at Celyn. “We only saw four. One was outside the cave, standing guard.”
Kenyon considered the information. “Be careful, Donte. It only takes one with a laser to wipe you all out and the beam will go a lot farther than a musket ball.”
Donte smiled. “I know that. We have lasers as well, and all of us are trained and experienced.”
Kenyon lifted his brows and rubbed the back of his neck. “And we’re not. I see your point.” He shrugged. “Why don’t you let them stay where they are?”
“There is a storm coming in. They will freeze.”
Cheska looked at Gaige. He lifted his brows and gave her a wry smile. “He shot down shuttles and killed troops, but when it comes to storms, he’s compassionate.”
Donte shrugged. “That was a battle. This is different. They aren’t trying to hurt anyone right now.”
Kenyon’s laugh was humorless. “What are you going to do if they don’t want to come with you?”
Donte smiled. “Insist.”
Cheska couldn’t suppress a smile. Donte’s smile was so innocent, and right now he was anything but innocent. He knew what he was getting into. His bravery impressed her, but mostly she wished she had his level of confidence. If it wasn’t so cold out there, this was something she would like to see.
Soft Science Fiction
