22. Chapter 22 #2
All the purring was a little disconcerting though!
One Talin came up and Mia ran to her, talking excitedly about rocks. That Talin took the box of rocks from Damascus, then she and Mia walked away to add them to her collection.
Once they got a look at us, most of the rest of the crew politely wandered away to see to their duties. Honestly, it was a relief when all but two of them were gone. Then a Talin in the same green tunic that all the healers wore stepped up.
“I’m healer Umarum. Are you able to carry Nadia to the medical bay?” she asked. “Or would you like Mazorium to carry both of you?”
I had Nadia in the little front carry pack, so I shook my head. “Please lead the way and we'll follow.”
The healer gave a rumble of agreement, turned, and walked at a sedate pace. To my surprise, everyone else fell in step behind me. The crew let me pass without a single one of them trying to touch me.
It was a relief to be treated with respect. Unlike our visit to Helsin Station, I wasn’t intimidated or scared.
Iris caught up with me so we could walk side by side while Damascus and Mazorium walked behind us and talked about how to make a more convincing collar.
“You’ve scent-bonded to Mazorium, right?” Iris asked as we turned a corner.
“Um, I think so?” I said. “I mean, I love him.”
“Does he rub his bonding oil on you often?”
I snorted. “At least a few times a day.”
“That means he’s scent-bonded you,” Iris declared.
“I know he loves me back,” I agreed.
“No, scent-bonding means more,” Iris said.
All the things I’d learned while in the med bay of Helsin Station came flooding back.
It was illegal for Talins to scent-bond.
They couldn't have children without a scent-bond.
No Talin raised their own kids.
All of that was bad, but I thought I understood what Iris was trying to tell me.
“Don’t worry; I can’t get pregnant. I had the medics sterilize me after Nadia was born. It’s reversible, but I thought it would be safer. You know how dangerous it can be for us to have kids. I wanted to do my best to be there to raise Nadia.”
“Trust me, I know,” Iris said. “But that’s not what I'm talking about. I need to make sure you know that this isn’t only about scent-bonding being against Talin law, but that it could be a death sentence.”
I jerked, unprepared for those words. We were walking into the medical bay, and I grabbed Iris and tugged her to a room that looked like an office.
“I need to talk to Iris alone," I said, feeling a little panicked.
“Of course,” Umarum agreed. “Iris can assure that this place is safe and explain what everything is used for. Please call on me if you have any questions Iris can’t answer.”
Maz tried to follow, but I held up a hand. “I’ll only be a little while. Please stay here.”
He let out a rumble of agreement and stepped back to stand shoulder to shoulder with Damascus. I could tell he wasn’t pleased, but he did as I asked anyway.
I pulled Iris into the office and pressed the display to shut the door behind us.
“What do you mean death sentence?” I demanded.
She ran her fingers through her hair as if thinking about the best way to tell me. The longer she stalled, the more anxiety made my gut twist.
“Is being scent-bonded to me killing him?” I asked, fear making my voice crack a little. “Do I need to leave him?”
Iris shook her head violently. “No! Nothing like that. In fact, it’s the opposite.
If you leave him, he’ll probably die. Scent-bonding means if he’s away from you for too long, he’ll develop a disease they called Ending.
I’ve been told it's a painful, horrible way to die. Partners dying because they were separated during space travel or war was the reason that the Talin government made scent-bonding illegal, like, a thousand years ago.”
A huge sense of relief made my shoulders hunch. “Damn, you scared me,” I said, rubbing my chest. “For a minute there I was sure I’d have to do something horribly heroic and sad, like run away to save his life.”
Iris smiled at my attempted humor. “No, you’re safe to stay with him. I mean, you’re still breaking the law, but a lot of us are.”
“Then I guess I’m in good company,” I teased, nudging her with my shoulder. “Anyway, I guess the no love or bonding thing works for the Talins as a whole. They're a rich and powerful species."
She smiled, but it seemed sad. “I remember one of my neighbors back on Omanal saying that any law that citizens are forced to break to be happy is injustice disguised as civics.”
I hadn’t expected governing philosophy, but then again, I hadn’t known what to expect since the moment Iris stepped out of the shuttle back down on the planet.
It struck me how much trouble we could get into if someone discovered Maz had scent-bonded with his human pet.
That realization made me thankful we were far away from their homeworld, living on an isolated planet. Except now I had Iris, which was unexpected and delightful.
“It’s good to have a friend,” I murmured, feeling my eyes burn a little. This was the only thing that had been missing from my idyllic life, a fellow human confidant.
Iris grabbed me in a gentle hug, careful not to squish Nadia where she was strapped to my chest.
“I’ll make sure we visit as often as we can. You can always send a repeater signal to us if you need us sooner.” We separated and she gave me a broad smile. “I was all set to force Maz to sell you to us or take you by force. I’m so happy we didn’t have to do anything drastic.”
I chuckled. “Me too! Now let’s get Nadia’s check done so you can show me this ship. It’s so fancy!”
She smiled, and we walked out of the office to a bunch of anxious Talins. I didn’t even protest when Maz insisted on picking me up to set me on the exam table.