Undeniable
By Laura Schiller
Based on: Tin Star & Stone in the Sky
Copyright: Cecil Castellucci
I came to the hocht to enjoy myself.
I had never seen two Humans fight before. None of my acquaintances at home had ever seen a member of that species, and I wanted to tell them all about it: their strengths and weaknesses, the techniques they used, whether they really were as ruthless and manipulative as the rumors said. I doubted it. A species that powerful surely wouldn't be scattered so ineffectually among the stars.
Besides, my escort to the event was a fascinating boy. I'd been intrigued to see a fellow Loor appointed chief constable at the Yertina Feray, let alone one my own age. I assumed he must be from a disgraced family, but he did not talk about it, and for me to ask would have been inappropriate. Disgraced or not, he cut a dashing figure in his uniform, and he had a quiet authority with his men that I admired very much. He was the perfect adventure for me to have on my first unsupervised trip to space.
He bought a stick of candy for us to share, and folded my seat down for me like a gentleman. I could smell the excitement on him as he leaned over to explain the rules of the fight.
"So different species are not permitted to fight each other, but different genders are?" I asked. "Isn't there an imbalance?"
Even I could see that the yellow-haired male was more fragile than the dark, wiry female in the opposite corner of the ring. They were both pacing, avoiding each other's eyes, having last-minute conversations with their supporters. I wondered what that felt like, counting down the seconds.
"He was trained by the Imperium," said Tournour. "She is a gutter dweller. It's a more even fight than it appears."
His antennae were focused closely on the ring, but I didn't think much of it at first. I thought that as an officer, he was naturally interested in observing different forms of combat.
Then the fight began.
I could see what he meant. The girl was stronger and seemed less susceptible to pain, but the boy's movements were calculated and precise. As the match went on, he also proved more enduring; if he let her tire herself out, he could probably win.
The crowd cheered and stamped their feet, sending shivers up my antennae from the vibrations. I smiled at Tournour, wanting to share the rush of the moment. But he did not even notice. The fight had captured all of his attention.
The male had the female pinned against the ropes. He was saying something to her, taunting or apologizing, it was too loud to tell. We were sitting in the front row – Tournour had secured us excellent spots – so I could see quite clearly how perspiration stuck her hair to her forehead, how a cut on her lip was beginning to bleed, and how her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.
How strange – I hadn't realized before how similar our species' body language could be. I could have sworn she was frightened.
That was when Tournour released a wave of calm so strong, it almost sent me into a meditative trance.
At first I thought, No. He cannot have bonded with me, not when I start my studies on the homeworld next rainy season.
But, clear-headed thanks to the pheromones, I realized that could not be the case. I was sitting comfortably in my chair, sucking on candy and enjoying the spectacle. Who in this room was in enough danger to need bonding pheromones?
The Human female.
An alien. How bizarre. What did he see in her? Surely not beauty. Her arms and legs were too short, and she had all that curly hair on her head, like an animal. Not to mention the complete lack of antennae. I had always prided myself on mine; they were long and slim and I knew how to move them gracefully.
But then I saw what she did with the benefit of the calm, and it made me think again.
She turned the fight around. Where before she had been impulsive, now she started thinking ahead, like him. She spotted openings in his defense and did not hesitate to use them. She was clever, fierce, and – dare I say it – graceful.
In a few minutes, she knocked her opponent down to the floor.
"Enough!" called one of their compatriots, and she seemed to agree. She let the yellow-haired one pick himself up, and they left the ring.
Tournour, who had been on the edge of his seat, finally relaxed as the crowd erupted into mixed boos and cheers.
"You have the strangest taste in women I've ever seen," I said. "But to each his own, I suppose. The only question left is why you've been wasting so much time with me."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly.
"Really?" I pointed my candy stick at him. "I do have a nose, you know."
His triangle turned a quite endearing shade of mauve, making it even more difficult for me to resent him. His antennae drooped like a penitent child's.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I never meant to … to lead you on in any way."
"You haven't," I said, patting his hand. "You're a man of honor, Constable. Besides, I have far too much to learn before settling down."
"I understand that."
"Does she know?"
He blushed even deeper. "Of course not. She is … well, she is alien. I have no way of knowing if she could reciprocate."
I could not fail to notice that her status as a "gutter dweller", which he had mentioned earlier, did not seem to factor into his decisions at all. Perhaps, to him, it was even an advantage. After all, he must know that few women of his own species (including me) would care to bond with a disgraced man. Except someone who did not know our customs, someone whose status was even lower than his. Someone who had the strength to survive in a rough place like this.
The more I thought about it, the more sense his strange attraction made.
"You have a very simple way," I said. "Talk to her."
"I had forgotten how relentlessly logical Loor women can be."
I took this as a compliment I deserved, even if it still didn't answer my question.
Watching him approach the Human girl was almost as entertaining as the hocht had been. He adjusted his cufflinks, buttoned his collar (really, he should have left it open), and walked with his spine as stiff as a soldier's on parade. His antennae were trained on her like a pair of magnets on steel. Surely, alien or not, she must have known.
She swayed on her feet, wrapped in the enormous towel her allies had given her. Faster than I thought possible, Tournour was by her side, putting a hand under her elbow to hold her up. She looked up at him, surprise and – I hoped – gratitude in her wide dark eyes.
He parted the crowd for her with a few commanding gestures, blocking their way so she could ride the elevator by herself. If questioned, he would probably say it was all part of keeping the peace.
I could not help letting out a soundless sigh as I watched him go, shielding the girl's opponent with equal care so that no one watching could accuse him of partiality. He really was the most extraordinary man I'd ever met. Such a pity we couldn't bond.
Tula Bane was a lucky woman. I hoped she realized that.