Return Of The Fontalo
by Linda Rigsbee
Chapter 25
When Donte received the call from Captain Shea asking to meet with Donte and Vidal on the Azar, he immediately agreed. Her attitude was reserved, but not unfriendly.
Donte, Beier and Vidal met Captain Shea when she arrived. Donte’s hopes sank when he met her. Her uniform was not meant for a woman and her hair was drawn back from her face with such severity that it was as if she had no hair at all. She accepted his hand, but she didn’t return his smile. Her eyes revealed nothing about what was going on in her mind, but body language indicated vigilance.
Donte introduced Beier and Vidal first and concluded with “I’m Donte.”
She spoke the expected words of greeting, but her expression didn’t embrace them. She talked to all of them, but her attention kept returning to Donte. She studied his uniform, the insignia on his shoulder, the badge and his face – always back to his face, as if she saw something there that concerned her. Finally, she turned to him.
“What is your title?” She glanced at Vidal. “He is Commander Vidal. What do I call you?”
Donte smiled. “I am simply the ruler of Bergen, but everyone calls me Donte.”
She looked at Beier. “Or Monomi. What does that mean?”
Beier smiled. “It’s supposed to be a term of respect from one Mascot to another, but often colonists use it as an expression of acknowledgement and respect for a high official.”
She nodded and returned her attention to Donte. She studied his face. “You’re incredibly good-looking.”
She didn’t say “for a Mascot,” but he wondered if that was what she was thinking. Cheska had expected to see beasts. What had Captain Shea expected?
“Thank you,” Donte said. He glanced up as Quade and Neirin arrived. He introduced them to Captain Shea.
She shook their hands. “You were on the list…” She hesitated, glancing at Donte. “The list of leaders,” she concluded.
Donte met her gaze. “As I told Captain Pacilio, that list is out of date. Neirin and Quade are the only colony leaders on the list that are still alive.”
She nodded. “But there are other Mascots…like you.”
Donte glanced at Quade and Neirin. They were watching him, waiting to see how he would respond. There was a limit to how long he could keep it quiet. He looked at Captain Shea. “Yes.”
She sighed. “No wonder you have been so…” She hesitated again. “How many are there?”
“I don’t think that’s important right now.”
She was silent a moment, giving no clue to her thoughts. Finally, she responded without emotion. “You’re probably right.”
Captain Shea had requested a meeting with Donte and Vidal, but it concerned Quade and Neirin as well. Donte took them all to the conference room where Beier left them. Apparently, he had established that Captain Shea wasn’t an immediate danger to any of them.
Donte ordered hot drinks for all and left the door open. Beier had been concerned about their safety, but at that point, Captain Shea was probably feeling concerned about her safety. He had to admire her courage to meet them alone. She didn’t know anything about them – except that they had made a point of getting behind both Fontalo ships.
They all sat at the table and turned their attention to Captain Shea. She had requested the meeting. It was proper that she should open the conversation.
If she was uncomfortable, she gave no indication. “You are probably all wondering why I’m here.” When they didn’t respond, she continued. “As you know, I’m Captain of the Lepus. I like to understand my opponents – in this case, the people who have their weapons pointed at me.”
Donte met her gaze. “So far, we have no reason to distrust you, but Captain Pacilio has made it painfully clear that we cannot trust him. Our position is not aggressive, but defensive. We want no conflict.”
She studied his face, as if trying to decide whether he was telling the truth. It made him wonder if everyone connected with Fontalo lied on a regular basis.
She nodded. “The Azar belongs to Fontalo. Why have you taken it from Purlieu?”
Quade and Neirin looked at Donte. He chose to ignore the statement and address the question.
“We wanted to go to Oriel. The Centaurus is neither large enough to accommodate us all nor fast enough to outrun the Columba. I didn’t want to endanger the Centaurus either.”
Captain Shea looked confused. “Why did you think it would be unsafe to go on the Columba?”
Quade looked at Captain Shea. “Captain Pacilio demanded that we turn all the Mascots over to him. When Donte refused, he gave him a timeline and an ultimatum. Donte didn’t meet the timeline, so Captain Pacilio sent two shuttles to destroy the tram station in Bergen. Donte destroyed the two shuttles after they landed. There was no loss of life at that point. Captain Pacilio sent troops down in more shuttles with the intent of destroying Bergen. Donte was prepared and won that battle.” He paused and glanced at Donte. Captain Shea was quiet; listening, so he continued. “I tell you this because I want you to understand that Donte was provoked into action not only to protect the Mascots, but his entire colony. I stand behind his actions. Donte is, by far, the most popular leader on Purlieu. He has a huge following in every colony. It isn’t because he is a Mascot. It’s because he is respected and trusted by almost everyone.
Neirin nodded. “Well said.”
Captain Shea remained quiet for a few minutes while the hot drinks were delivered by a young man. When the server left, she looked at each of them. “You understand that the spaceships legally belong to Fontalo, as do the Mascots.”
Donte had a cold feeling in his stomach. She was listening, but she was standing behind Captain Pacilio. He looked at her.
“Fontalo and the Parliament abandoned us at a critical time. Fontalo tried to kill all the Mascots. They still want to do that.” He leaned toward her, lowering his voice. “Look at us. Do you think we are not human?”
She met his gaze. “Donte, there is no question in my mind that you are human. That doesn’t change the legal facts. I understand what you are saying and I’d probably react the same way you are, but that doesn’t make it legal. The spaceships belong to Fontalo and you have taken one from Purlieu without authorization.”
He continued to hold her gaze. “I’m telling you that the spaceships have been abandoned for 40 years, during which time we maintained them. They now belong to Purlieu. I will not relinquish them – or the Mascots.”
She suddenly smiled. “Has anyone ever told you that you are persistent to the point of being exasperating?”
Quade looked at Neirin, his eyes expressing humor, but his mouth fighting it. Neirin shook his head and leaned back in his chair, his gaze seeking Captain Shea.
“Purlieu has struggled for 40 years, and in the last 10 we have finally begun to prosper. We owe none of that to Oriel or Fontalo. We owe much of it to Donte. I speak for my colony. We will not surrender to either Oriel or Fontalo. Killing any of us – especially Donte - would only make the colonists more determined.”
She looked at all of them. “You understand you are talking about a revolution.”
Donte shook his head. “No, we are talking about fighting it in court on Oriel.”
She looked startled. “Oh, I see.” She was silent a few minutes, her expression reflective as she considered the information. Her gaze finally lifted to Donte’s. “You have been reluctant to reveal this fact because you were concerned that we would try to stop you.”
Donte nodded. “That’s why we are behind both ships. We already know that we cannot trust Captain Pacilio.”
“And you wonder if you can trust me.”
“You are employed by Fontalo.”
She stared at the table, tapping a fingernail on it. “That is true.” She looked at Quade. “But I am honorable.”
Donte had no idea whether that meant she was going to help them or merely be honest about what she planned to do.
Through the open door, a child’s voice broke their silence.
“Daddy!” Andras raced across the floor and into the room, his face radiant with excitement. Rianne called to him, but he didn’t hesitate. He continued until he reached Donte.
Donte stared at him, his mouth going dry. “Your mother is calling you, Andras.”
The smile evaporated from Andras’ face. He looked up at Donte; his expression startled. He looked like he might cry.
Donte stood. It wasn’t Andras’ fault. The children had never been turned away from his office when the door was open. They had no idea they weren’t welcome. There was no point in hiding it any longer. Donte motioned to Rianne to join them and reached down, lifting Andras into his arms.
Andras put his arms around Donte’s neck. “I love you, Daddy.”
Donte snuggled him close and kissed his cheek. “I love you too.”
Rianne came into the room holding Petra’s hand. She looked up at Donte, her eyes wide. “I’m sorry, Donte.”
He took her hand. “It’s all right.” He turned to Captain Shea. “This is my mate, Rianne, and our children; Andras and Petra.”
Captain Shea stood and clamped a sagging jaw shut. She offered a hand to Rianne. “I’m stunned. I didn’t know it was even possible.”
Rianne silently shook her hand. It was the first time Donte had ever seen her completely speechless.
Captain Shea looked at Petra and spoke in a voice hushed with amazement. “She’s beautiful. Wow. Now I understand why you wouldn’t give up the Mascots.” She looked up at Donte. “Does Captain Pacilio know?”
Donte met her gaze with a certain degree of trepidation. “No.”
She looked at Andras and shook her head. “Even he couldn’t be cold enough to want children to be…” She shook her head. “At the very least, they will want to…make sure you don’t produce any more.”
A chair scraped the floor as Quade lunged to his feet. His voice was low and cold. “You are not going to castrate him like an animal.”
Petra removed her hand from Rianne’s and put her arms around Donte’s leg. Her voice sounded terrified. “Daddy?”
Donte stroked Petra’s hair. “It’s all right, sweetie.” He looked at Rianne. “Why don’t you take them back to the room so we can discuss this privately?”
Rianne shot Captain Shea a scathing look as she detached Petra from Donte’s leg. “Come with mommy.”
Petra let go of Donte and reluctantly turned to Rianne, fixing a glare on Captain Shea. Andras started to cry. He had no idea what it all meant, but he understood that grandpa was upset and he sensed that Daddy was in danger. Rianne took Andras from Donte and left the room. Donte shut the door after them and turned to Captain Shea.
She looked at Quade. “It isn’t castration. It’s a small surgical incision to clip the cords. People have it done all the time on Oriel as a method of birth control.” She looked at Donte. “It isn’t painful.”
He met her gaze. “They are forced to have this done?”
She looked away. “No, but they accept the responsibility.”
Donte kept his voice calm. “Look at me.”
For a moment she refused, but she finally looked up at him. For the first time, he saw compassion in her eyes. She was fighting it, though.
“Maybe on Oriel birth control is a necessity, but it isn’t on Purlieu. We still welcome pregnancy – especially Mascots, because there are so few of us who are capable of having children. Rianne is facing the change of life. We love our children and would welcome more but we know it may never happen. Can you imagine living 350 to 400 years with no children?”
She gave him a wry smile. “We can shorten the time, if you think it’s going to be that miserable.”
Donte stared at her. “Are all people from Oriel this cold and calculating?”
Color filled her cheeks. “It isn’t my decision.”
Donte placed his hands on the back of the chair and leaned on it. “That’s comforting,” he said in a sarcastic tone.
He felt sick to his stomach. What chance did they have on Oriel? They didn’t even want their own children. Why would they care about the children of Purlieu? He should have stayed on Purlieu. If they tried to turn back now, the Azar would be disabled or destroyed. He had brought his children into this. At least in the shelter on Purlieu they would have been safe.
He looked up to find everyone watching him.
Captain Shea shook her head and addressed them all. “Don’t judge the people of Oriel by the employees of Fontalo.” She sighed and looked at Donte. “I won’t tell anyone about the children, and I will make every attempt to keep the Lepus out of any conflict. That’s all I can do.”
It was a lot more than he would have hoped for. Captain Shea had a tough exterior appearance, but she did have feelings. She could probably lose her job for concealing the presence of the children. How she would keep the Lepus out of any conflict probably depended on the situation. Where Captain Pacilio was concerned, he would have to treat Captain Shea and the Lepus as if they were a threat.
Donte nodded. “Thank you for that. I’m sure you realize that if I treat you or the Lepus any differently than Captain Pacilio and the Columba, he will think we have made some sort of agreement.”
“I understand that.” She grimaced. “I think we just made an agreement.”
Donte smiled. “I hope so. I wish I could do the same with Captain Pacilio.”
She looked at the others and leaned toward Donte. “Let Rianne talk to him.” She offered a hand. “I’d better get back. I don’t want this meeting to look too cozy.”
Since Rianne had not said a word, and had been decidedly hostile toward Captain Shea, Donte assumed she was referring to Rianne’s beauty. He couldn’t deny the effect Rianne’s beauty had on men, but it would be unwise not to consider her negotiating abilities. The next time he met Captain Pacilio, he definitely wanted Rianne at his side. He had no intention of leaving her alone with the man, though.
After Captain Shea left, Donte sat in the conference room alone for a while. Beier poked his head through the door. “Would you like some company, Monomi?
Donte looked up. Actually, talking to Beier was a welcome idea. He leaned back in his chair and motioned for Beier to join him.
Beier walked in and closed the door. He sat at the table across from Donte for a few minutes and watched him.
“You look so much like your mother.”
There might have been confusion about who his father was, but there was none about his mother. That was one solid fact that wasn’t going to change.
He smiled at Beier. “What was she like?”
Beier shrugged. “Gentle, kind, loyal, generous. She wasn’t simply beautiful. She was breathtaking.
Donte had never thought about how well Beier knew his mother. Now, after the situation with Kenyon, he wondered.
“Did you love her?”
Beier smiled. “To know her was to love her. Everyone loved her.”
If Beier loved Anica in any other way, he obviously wasn’t going to confess it.
Beier watched him for a moment. “Pieter worshiped your mother. She could do no wrong in his eyes. I don’t think he ever got over her death. It was a shock to everyone. Bergen was a sad colony for a while.”
Beier sat quietly for a few minutes, staring absently at the table. “Her death request to give you to her mate tormented Pieter. He sat with you in his arms all night long. I know. I was there. He didn’t want to give you up, but Saskia convinced him that your father had a right to his son. In the morning, Saskia wrapped you in a warm blanket and put you in a basket. I was sent to deliver you to Quade.” He sighed. “At first, I thought it was wrong; her giving you to Quade, but the look on Quade’s face when he lifted you from the basket convinced me that she had done the right thing.”
Beier was silent a few moments again. Donte didn’t interrupt. This was a part of the story that he had never heard. Beier had never disclosed his relationship with Anica, nor had he explained his loyalty to Pieter.
Beier lifted his gaze to Donte and studied his face. “I never went back to Bergen. When I left Libertad, I crossed the border into Lochfowk with the intent of joining the Premier Infantry. That was where I was captured.”
Donte nodded. “Was that where Kenyon was going?”
Beier shrugged. “I don’t know. He and Anica were close. In fact, I was certain she was going to exchange vows with him. Then suddenly she decided to exchange vows with Quade. That was when Kenyon left. Quade never knew Kenyon loved Anica. Neither Anica nor Kenyon ever told him. They thought it was best that way.”
Donte considered the information. He looked at Beier. "Dad knew you."
Beier nodded. "Only that I was the one who delivered you to him."
If anyone had ever asked, Donte would have said his family had no secrets. That was the thing about secrets; people didn’t know about them. Sometimes it was a good thing and sometimes bad - probably most of the time it didn’t matter one way or another. In cases like this, it helped people understand motives. There was no doubt in Donte’s mind that Beier also loved Anica, and her death affected him deeply. His loyalty to Pieter was probably born of guilt for taking Donte from him. Saskia knew that. Saskia knew most of what Beier was telling him. Did she also suspect that Kenyon was Donte’s father? Pieter and Saskia had been surrounded by love before the plague. They had two sons and a daughter, as well as Kenyon and Beier. After the plague, the only thing they had left was two grandchildren, and they had to give one of them to Quade. Of course, Quade had lost sons during the plague too. The youngest men composed the most fatalities. So many children had died.
“I have upset you,” Beier said.
Donte lifted his gaze to Beier. “It isn’t that. It’s amazing how the rest of the puzzle looks when you fit the last piece into it.”
Beier nodded. “It’s surprising how much better it feels to turn over that last piece and stop hiding it.”
Donte smiled. “Beier….” It was difficult to find the words to tell Beier how important he was, and if he could find the words, Beier would be embarrassed by them. “What did I do before you came along?” Donte concluded.
Beier gave him a wry smile. “I know you were in trouble up to your eyeballs most of the time.”
Donte laughed. “You’re right about that.” He sobered. “Thank you for telling me about that. It means a lot to me.”
Beier nodded. “You’re welcome. I thought you should know.”
***
Cheska was surprised when Captain Shea summoned her to a meeting on the Lepus for the second time in two days. Captain Shea had returned from a meeting on the Azar only minutes before her request. Hopefully she hadn’t presented Donte with an ultimatum.
When Cheska arrived at her office, Captain Shea was blowing her nose. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying. She mumbled something about allergies and motioned Cheska to a chair in front of her desk.
“I met with Commander Vidal and Donte a while ago, as well as Quade and Neirin.” She blew her nose again and tossed the tissue in the trash can as she spoke. “I was right about one thing. Donte’s pheromones are powerful.” She arranged a few things on her desk, avoiding Cheska’s steady gaze. “That isn’t the only thing that makes him so appealing, though.” She finally lifted her gaze to meet Cheska’s. “You didn’t tell me he was so good looking. I kept finding myself staring at him. I never imagined a Mascot would look like that.”
Cheska smiled. “They are humans.”
Captain Shea nodded. “They certainly are.” She was silent a moment. “I wanted to talk to you.”
Cheska waited. She assumed Captain Shea wanted to talk to her when she summoned her for a meeting. Something had happened during her meeting on the Azar. Cheska was certain she had been crying. That couldn’t be explained by Donte’s pheromones. That would make her feel calm and confident. Cheska had reason to know that.
“You command a space ship,” Captain Shea began. “Have you ever considered giving up your job for a family?”
So that was it. Cheska looked at her. “You’ve met his children.”
Captain Shea looked startled. “You know about them?”
Cheska nodded. “Since before we left Purlieu.”
Captain Shea closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. “I don’t think I’ll ever get that out of my mind. The little girl is beautiful.” She opened her eyes and leaned forward, looking at nothing in particular. “I don’t mean pretty. I mean beautiful; and that boy is adorable. The way they clung to him was heart wrenching. Children shouldn’t suffer like that because we…” She looked at Cheska. “What would you do if you were months away from port and you realized the company you worked for was doing something wrong - morally wrong?”
Cheska couldn’t contain a sardonic smile. “His pheromones really got to you, didn’t they?”
Captain Shea grimaced. “I had that coming, I guess. I know I shouldn’t get involved. I never have before, but this is different.” She shook her head in dismay. “The look on Quade’s face when he thought I was talking about castrating Donte. For a minute I was afraid he might come across the table to get me. Of course, they wouldn’t castrate him, but…” She frowned. “Would they?”
It was difficult to believe the composed lofty woman she had talked to only a day ago was burdened with a guilty conscience. She was falling apart. Of course, Cheska and her crew had the opportunity to learn about Donte and the others gradually. Captain Shea had a one-hour crash course. Not only that, but Captain Shea worked for Fontalo. At least Cheska could claim to be on the other side.
“I’ve done everything I can to help them,” Cheska finally said. “Once he realized we were sympathetic to the Mascots, Donte did everything he could to keep the Centaurus out of it. That’s part of the reason they took the Azar.”
The expression on Captain Shea’s face made it obvious that she was not only listening, but considering what Cheska said. Captain Shea finally straightened upright in her chair. “I told him that I wouldn’t tell anyone about the children and I would do my best to keep the Lepus out of any conflict.”
Cheska smiled. “That’s all he needs to hear. He doesn’t expect you to turn on Captain Pacilio. Donte is a commander. He wouldn’t want his people turning on him.”
Captain Shea nodded. “I don’t know what I expected to find when I met with them; certainly not what I found. I guess I’ve heard for so long that they are not actually human and they belong to Fontalo.” She bit her lip. “I made a fool of myself. He asked me if all the people of Oriel were as cold and calculating as…” She grabbed a tissue and her voice broke. “I’ve never felt so low in my life.”
“Ouch,” Cheska said. “You must have hit a nerve.”
Captain Shea gained control again. “I was being cold and calculating – as always. He isn’t the first one to accuse me of that. It always hurts, but this time it was like throwing a magnifying mirror in front of me. I got a good look at myself and I didn’t like what I saw. When we get back to Oriel, I’m going to resign from my position with Fontalo.” She sighed and changed the subject. “Tell me about Purlieu. What does it look like?”
Cheska shrugged. “Not much different than Oriel a thousand years ago, I suspect. It’s pretty much pristine. Even the most densely populated cities are smaller than most towns on Oriel. Bergen is mountainous. It was winter and covered with snow while we were there. Neirin lives in a palace in the desert and Quade lives in a temperate climate in the lowlands.”
They talked about Purlieu for a while until Captain Shea began to act normal. Finally, Cheska left.
Soft Science Fiction
