Chapter 22 #2
Yeah, that was always a danger with my approach – it’s the obvious thing to say, and these guys are bound to have heard varieties of “my planet is too poor to plunder” many times before. He may have just saved me from disaster.
“It is said you kept the alien in your personal chamber,” the queen creaks. “Are you about to tell me that it was to keep her safe?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” Krix’vorr says loudly. “My ship, the famous Beast, is jealous of any female aboard and tries to kill them. She made two attempts at Nora’s life. But I would not have the alien die before I was done interrogating her.”
The important-looking locust beside the Queen leans in and whispers something to her. But my translation flower picks it up: “The Beast is indeed famous for its tendency to hate females, Majesty. Your Majesty excepted, of course. Nobody could hate you. Except your enemies–”
The Queen raises a pale, flabby limb and pushes him roughly away. “Silence.”
A tall, strong-looking locust takes a step forwards. “Chief Harrower Krix’vorr! Her Majesty asked you a question that you have tried to avoid answering! Now answer it.”
“I have avoided no question, Inquisitor!” Krix’vorr rumbles with an undertone of danger.
“Are you not well-versed in how conversations are carried out in the Royal Chamber? Her Majesty will often ask questions that are not meant to be answered, only heard! The question about the small thunderstorms was such a question. You are embarrassing us all, sir!”
“Every question Her Majesty asks is to be answered,” the Inquisitor says, not shaken. “She asked if you found yourself in the middle of small thunderstorms. Can you understand what she’s really asking you?”
“You will find that even though the Beast is large, even my ship has no thunderstorms inside it,” Krix’vorr replies calmly. “Except when an underling displeases me and makes me furious. But when that happens, the thunderstorm is not small. Indeed, there are sometimes casualties.”
There’s a weird, rhythmic sound like water drops dripping onto a hot plate. It takes me a second to realize that it’s the Queen chuckling.
“Our Chief Harrower is so used to navigating minefields in space that he can’t be pinned down by a newly minted Inquisitor,” she says. “Very well, Krix’vorr. Your non-answer is an answer in itself. Nora, how long ago was this war of which you speak?”
The one thing I was hoping to avoid was giving more details.
It means more things to remember and to somehow tell Sophia.
And one obviously wrong detail could give the game away.
But I’m committed now. “It was a long war. It never really ended. But they ran out of the worst weapons three years ago.”
The translation creature seems to struggle with the concept of a ‘year’, but I’m not going to help with that. Vagueness is my friend now.
“A year is a long time?” the Queen asks. “Aliens always have these strange ways of measuring.”
“It is a long time,” I reply, aiming for vagueness. “But not very long.”
“Long,” the queen repeats, making it sound ridiculous.
“But not very long. Similar to our longcycle, then.” She moves as if uncomfortable.
Servant creatures scurry to assist. “Your planet had food and such for a while, then, I assume. And what survived were the space stations and such? It seems to me as if those would be the first to be destroyed. But of course, I never was in space myself. I was only ever here, in the Nest, only hearing about these things. And thinking, Nora. I have done a lot of thinking. Can you guess what I’m thinking now? ”
“I can’t guess,” I state carefully. “I think your mind is too large and too sharp. But if I have permission to speak, I will now carry out my mission.” I have to play this to the end, just for credibility.
I drop to my knees and reach both hands out towards the queen.
“Your Majesty. My world and my people are dying. Every day our numbers dwindle. I am the last hope. Please, Your Mighty Majesty. Help us! Give us food and clean water and any other things you can spare. We are desperate and we will soon be gone from the universe entirely if we are not helped. On behalf of my people, I beg you: Help us!”
The chamber goes completely quiet, and I wonder if I didn’t just stun them all.
Now, even the servants stare. Antennae wave this way and that, several of the locusts exchange puzzled glances and the important-looking one frowns as if trying to work something out.
“She wants our resources?” someone half whispers. “She’s demanding tribute? From us?”
The Queen freezes, staring at me with her one good eye.
I was already nervous, but now my heart is pounding in my ears. This may have been a step too far. I may have accidentally insulted them. I want to explain, but I can’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t make this worse.
Finally the queen opens her mouth. “You really don’t know where you are, do you?”
“Your Majesty?”
“We don’t give. We take. We only take. Oh, Krix’vorr!” She glances over at him. “The entertainment you brought has made my cycle less dull. But I can only handle this alien in small doses. Take her with you and leave my Nest. I will send for you both again at some later time.”
Krix’vorr walks over to me, drags me upright and backs us both quickly away from the Queen. “Of course, Your Majesty. Thank you. Most gracious.”
He turns and half-carries me out of the chamber. Courtiers, servants, and guards flatten themselves against the walls as he marches past. I have to take two steps for every one of his.
My knees are a bit shaky and I have to wipe a bit of cold sweat off my brow.
That took more out of me than I thought, and I’m filled with cautious relief.
By the time we reach the outer passages of the Nest, Krix’vorr is still holding my arm.
“You can let go now,” I tell him.
He releases me. “That was not quite as bad as it could have been.”
“See?” I straighten part of my tape covering. “We made the Queen laugh. That has to count for something.”
Krix’vorr groans. “You begged her for resources.”
I shrug as we walk past the hanging pupae and servants that try to be invisible. “I had to. If I hadn’t, it would make no sense. It’s called ‘acting’.”
“You asked the Queen for food.”
“I’m pretending that Earth is starving. Only natural to ask for charity.”
“You asked the Queen for water.”
“Clean water,” I point out. “People need water. Well known fact. A devastated planet has water, but it’s not clean.”
He makes a low sound somewhere between a groan and a growl. “Nora, the Swarm has harvested entire civilizations. It has never given anything.”
“I wouldn’t be bragging about that. Hey, we're both alive.” I’m a bit giddy after the audience, mostly because it’s over and also because I'm alive.
“For now,” he says. “The Queen will think about everything that was said. She'll find every weakness, every contradiction, every possible deception.”
We continue toward the Beast. The massive organic hull waits ahead of us in her stall.
“You didn't lie,” I tell him. “Not directly.”
Krix’vorr's antennae flatten. “Not telling the complete truth is also lying,” he mutters. “To the Queen herself.” He glances back toward the distant Royal Chamber. “What the withering has come over me?”