Thank weasel-girl over on deviantART for pairing ideas with the main group of Skeksis. I winged the rest myself.
Chapter 2: Seeing (and Hearing) is Believing
skekTah decided a week later that he was either blind or affection had spread rapidly while his back was turned.
He'd returned to his duty the day after he'd been made the Emperor's messenger. He'd received no other summons from the Emperor since, so he returned to business as usual. He slunk into his hidden passages and returned to spying.
skekTah didn't dare tell his alliance about his meeting with the Emperor. Only he and skekTek knew, and the Emperor had done it that way on purpose. The Schemer would not do anything to anger the Emperor now. So he carried on with communications as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Yet he began to notice things. They were little things, but they were noticeable to his trained eyes. Things between his fellows that he hadn't put much focus on before.
The cooed whispers between skekEkt and skekAyuk when they thought nobody was looking. The sly looks that skekSil would cast toward skekUng that didn't contain their usual anger, rather some kind of passion instead. The light touches between the hands of skekZok and skekNa when they were near one another. Slight shoulder bumps when skekShod and skekOk would pass each other that looked more intentional than accidental. The far-too-affectionate hugs shared between skekLi and skekYi.
It was even happening between his own alliance members! That was what shocked and scared him the most.
The way skekGra and skekSa seemed content to huddle a bit too close to one another during meetings. The too-playful manner that skekMal would taunt skekVar. The Schemer even began to notice the warmth in which skekHak would smile at him, something the Machinist didn't give anyone else.
Only skekTek seemed unaffected by these bursts of silent affection between Skeksis. Perhaps because the Scientist was so isolated from the rest that no one had tried it on him. Or maybe, like the Schemer, he'd simply been blind to it before the Emperor's pregnancy had occurred.
Whatever the case, skekTah couldn't believe he hadn't seen any of this before. It was so obvious. Most of them were acting like Gelfling around each other, all shy and gooey and cuddly. It was disgusting!
…And yet…
skekTah shook his head, clearing those thoughts away. He had a job to do. He had no time to think about gooey affection between his fellows.
He moved toward the Chamber of Life, the hall around him still and silent. He hadn't seen many spy animals around as of late. The servants too had seemed more inclined to remain close to the Emperor in his state of weakness. skekTah did not mind this. It made it easier for him to move around in the open without being accused of something ridiculous.
There had been a note delivered to him that morning by a Gelfling slave. The handwriting was scratchy and barely legible, so it could only really be skekTek's. The Scientist required a meeting with him.
Immediately.
So skekTah had gotten dressed and ready. A few slaves helped him attach his carapace to his back brace. His last few cloaks, bearing wide holes to slip over and under the carapace and hooked by clasps or brooches around his ruff-covered neck, were donned and then he was off to answer the summons.
It was not the Emperor but, at this time, it was someone just as important, in his mind.
The Chamber of Life was a mess and loud, as usual. Most of the animals inside were broken in the mind or soul and barely moved. Others, mostly the newly-captured or the half-mutilated remnants of experiments that skekTek had lost interest in, made raucous calls in the hopes of summoning help. skekTah ignored them all, the Schemer moving deeper into the chamber in search of its primary occupant.
And nearly ran into skekEkt, who had just hopped off of a table. The Schemer barely managed to turn his frightened jump into a semi-graceful half-spin, keeping his deadly tail away from the Ornamentalist's delicate feet.
"skekTah! What are you doing here?" skekEkt asked, surprised. "I didn't hear you come in!"
"I called him here. Business," the Scientist huffed, shuffling around the table. "You'll be fine, skekEkt. Go back to what you were doing. If it gets bigger, come see me again."
"Okay," the Ornamentalist, tall and ornate in his ruffles and lace, replied with a swift nod.
"Is something wrong?" the Schemer asked, eyeing the taller Skeksis critically.
"Just a bit of unwanted weight. Nothing more. Good day." And with that, skekEkt quickly left the lab.
"…Unwanted weight?"
skekTah hadn't noticed anything off about the Ornamentalist. skekEkt looked fine to him. He looked at the Scientist for answers.
skekTek huffed, turning away to organize his instruments. "Stupid idiot, coming in here and complaining about weight gain. Should've just told him. The look on his powdery face would've been worth it."
"…Is something wrong with skekEkt?" skekTah asked, horribly lost.
"Yes and no," skekTek replied. "He's not dying or anything, though he seemed certain that he was. He's pregnant, though he's very early along compared to the Emperor."
skekTah paused, beak dropping. skekEkt the Ornamentalist…was pregnant? Oh dear…
"Heh! Give him another two or three months, then he'll start shrieking that he's dying again," the Scientist cackled cruelly.
"You didn't tell him?" skekTah dared to ask.
"No. Why should I? He's early along. The pregnancy could still terminate itself, or so my research tells me," skekTek replied. "Why bother panicking him now? Plus the Emperor would need to be told and that's another stressful piece of information that he'd need to handle. No, I won't tell that powder-faced moron until he's further along, if he even gets there."
"But…who?"
"…Who else? The Gourmand. They've been together for a while," skekTek replied. "They were rather obvious about their relationship."
Clearly not obvious enough that mating crossed the minds of those that saw them, the Schemer groused inside. "Is anyone else…?"
"Not that I know of, but I've been slowly bringing others in here for a routine examination. I've been checking them for this since the Emperor ordered it."
"The Emperor? He knows about these relationships?" skekTah asked, now feeling even more ignorant.
"Knows? Hardly! He asked to see if he was alone in this, nothing more," skekTek replied. "And he is not, though telling him now, so close to term, might mess with the pregnancy. Stress isn't good in such situations."
"…So you won't tell the Emperor?"
"I'll tell him eventually. Just not now," the Scientist said firmly. "Since you're the messenger, I thought you'd want to know this. But keep your beak shut on it."
"Got it," skekTah nodded.
"Good. Now get out. I've got essence draining to do," the Scientist gruffly ordered.
skekTah frowned before withdrawing. The Scientist hobbled about on his false leg. He seemed more stressed than usual. That probably wasn't good. But it was no matter of the Schemer's, so he did as he was told and left skekTek to his work.
The rest of the day passed slowly. skekTah made more observations of the others while in his tunnels.
skekEkt was still complaining about his weight gain, certain that skekAyuk had fed him something to cause it. The Gourmand sputtered a denial and the duo bitterly parted ways until after dinner, where skekAyuk carefully guided the Ornamentalist away from the others. They whispered and huddled close. skekTah cursed his ears for not being sharp enough to discern their softly whispered words. The duo vanished into the Gourmand's room shortly after this and was not seen again that evening.
skekNa joined skekZok in observation of the choir. A few heads were ripped off of Podling singers that fell out of tune with the rest. The Slave-Master cackled cruelly. When the practice was done and the Ritual-Master had sent the slaves away, skekNa drew near to lick the blood from the other's claws. skekZok promptly scolded him for it but did not draw away. They parted afterward to their own quarters.
skekSil and skekUng were in the catacombs, far from onlookers. skekTah didn't observe them for long. The Chamberlain was amorous, pawing at the Garthim Master's robes and hissing compliments and sweet pleas. When skekUng bent his beak to meet skekSil's, the Schemer fled in disgust.
There were various sounds coming from rooms that skekTah could only assume were safely locked. There was no need to spy on the Emperor or the Collector. He'd seen enough for one evening.
Exiting his tunnels, skekTah retired to his own chambers that night. Disrobing and pulling on his sleeping gown with the help of a few slaves, he scarcely reached his bed when he heard a knock. He opened the door to find a Gelfling slave standing there.
"What? It's late," he hissed, annoyed.
The Gelfling, drained and frail-looking, held out a piece of folded paper. skekTah snatched it and looked it over while the slave toddled slowly away. His yellow eyes scanned the neat writing.
It was from skekHak. The Machinist wanted to see him as soon as was convenient for the Schemer.
skekTah sighed, pulling on a heavier robe but leaving the rest of his coverings, as well as his carapace, behind. It was too burdensome to dress again now. He left his room, intent on seeing what his friend wanted and then returning to his own quarters to sleep. The day had been far too long to spend it wandering around all night.
The journey down the stairs to the depths of the castle was long and chilly. skekTah regretted not dressing but it was too late to go back now. Besides, skekHak had a furnace in his room, as well as the melting cauldron. It would be plenty warm there.
Reaching the ornate iron door, he knocked thrice. It did not take long for his friend to answer.
The door opened to reveal the Machinist, taller than him by two heads with deep gray-black skin smeared with soot and ash. skekHak wore his dark goggles, which protected his sensitive eyes from metal debris while he worked. Long-fingered hands bore light burns from many accidents. Beneath the light silvery fluff of the Machinist's receding hairline, skekTah could spot the head wound that the Machinist bore from the division.
"You wanted me?" skekTah said, holding out the folded sheet of paper.
"Come in," skekHak insisted, stepping aside so that the heat of the furnace washed over the smaller.
skekTah didn't argue. The hall was freezing and his feet felt like they were frozen to the ground. The Schemer went inside, positioning himself close to the furnace. His arms were gooseflesh now from shivering so much. The heat felt exquisite and he slumped into a pleased stupor.
"Sorry for calling you down here so late," skekHak apologized, taking a seat and nudging a chair behind the Schemer so he would sit too.
"It's okay," skekTah said, sinking into the chair gratefully. "What did you want?"
"…I'll just cut to the chase," skekHak decided. "You've been acting oddly for a while now. skekVar and I are concerned. Did something happen?"
"I'm just fine. How have I been acting strangely, skekHak?" skekTah asked.
The Machinist frowned, tenting his fingers neatly atop a folded knee. "You've been rather distant lately. You've been spending an oddly large amount of time with the Scientist, too."
"The Emperor has me doing a project with him," skekTah lied. "I'm gathering information and skekTek is compiling a report on it. It's classified, so I can't talk about it. Emperor's orders."
"Are you sure? Because you're not looking at me straight," skekHak noted. "You wouldn't be lying, would you?"
"…I can't talk about it, skekHak. Please," skekTah stressed.
"…Fine. I'll let it go," the Machinist relented, looking away. "skekVar and I were just worried."
"I'm sorry. I'll try not to worry you. I'm just fine, really," the Schemer reassured.
"I hope so," skekHak sighed. "I was starting to think something bad was happening to you. And I wouldn't want…" He trailed off. "It's just… I care a lot about you, skekTah. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, not after your back broke."
"I'm fine, skekHak! Just because my back is broken doesn't mean I'm more pathetic that I already was," the Schemer joked.
"That's not funny," the Machinist muttered.
skekTah withdrew, sighing.
His back had always been a weak point in conversations. Everyone in his alliance seemed to be under the impression that it was a subject that one could not laugh off and he understood why. But putting it in a permanently grim tone whenever it was brought up got boring very quickly.
Besides, it was his back! If he wanted to joke about it, he could!
"skekVar thought skekUng was up to something with you. That's all," skekHak finished, looking away.
"He isn't, that much I can guarantee and will promise you," skekTah stated firmly. "This is between the Emperor, the Scientist, and me. Nothing more, nothing less."
skekHak smiled warmly. "Good. Though I'm still a bit concerned, at least I know our main concern isn't valid."
"As if I'd ever work with skekUng! What would be the point?" skekTah snickered. "He has his Garthim do everything now. He wouldn't need me for anything useful."
"Good point! He does rely on those things a bit too much," skekHak smirked.
"Far too much," skekTah agreed before rising to his feet. "Well, if that's all you needed, I should get going. It's late and the journey back is cold."
"Then stay! I wouldn't mind, if only for the night," skekHak offered. "You can trek back early tomorrow while the rest are sleeping."
That certainly was a plausible scenario. Since the Emperor had grown more slothful through his pregnancy, days tended to start later and later. The rest of them had gladly taken advantage of it to catch some more sleep and rest their aching bones longer, which meant skekTah had a greater window to slip back into his room in the mornings without being caught.
And it was very cold down here in that tunnel.
"Fine. But only until the Rose Sun is up. Then I have to leave," skekTah declared.
skekHak rose to set up the second cot he'd crafted, placing it near his own bed.
It was not the first time he'd had late night guests decide to stay for the night. It had become more frequent as they grew much older, especially after the 300 trine mark, and his own bed was too small to support himself plus another if they were bigger than skekOk or skekTah, so he'd built another cot and had it ready for guests since then. It was well-used between his alliance members and the extremely rare guest from outside of his ring of allies.
It was late, so skekTah retired quickly. skekHak stayed up late with his work, though he tried his best to be quiet. The acrid scent of melting metal and drifting soot dust, while volatile to any other, was a familiar environment to the Schemer. He drifted off to sleep shortly and was out for the evening.
.o.o.o.o.
skekTah didn't want to get up. The bed was so warm and he was comfortable. It was like being in his blanket nest, something he'd construct some nights when it was bitterly cold. He was wrapped up in warmth and he enjoyed it.
He buried his beak against the covers and breathed, soot and the scent of something burning reaching his nostrils. A tug pulled on his beak, rousing him. Was something burning in here? That was strange.
He struggled to open his eyes, hazy gold from sleep, and blinked blearily. He was met with relative darkness, which his night vision rapidly corrected. Funny, his room was never this dark. Where was his window? Surely the sun brothers must be up by now.
He blinked, picking out more details in the green-tinted environment around him. Tools of black metal hung from the wall that he could see over the mound of blankets beside and over him. Funny, he had no tools like these. The Schemer's primary tools were for disassembling door locks and other things to give him access to locked areas in the castle. These looked like…forger's tools…
The Machinist's room.
That's where he was. That explained the lack of a window. skekHak had no windows in his room because he was stationed beneath the castle in relative darkness, living by torchlight and the hefty glow of his furnace and cauldron. That answered why there was a burning scent too.
skekTah struggled to drag his memories together, shoving aside the warm lethargy that threatened to swallow him again. He had been in his room and…received a message from skekHak. He came down here and they spoke…and skekHak had been worried about him. It was cold, so he'd stayed the night.
The Schemer relaxed. He had stayed the night, that was all. For a moment, he had feared that something else less pleasant may have occurred. He was ashamed of himself. How could he think of such things, especially about skekHak?
The Rose Sun was surely up by now. He had overstayed his time here. It was time to get up and go, before the rest stirred and noticed he was gone.
He rose…and was promptly dragged back down to the cot. He squawked, struggling. The blankets! They were alive, constricting him, trapping him! Panic bubbled inside as he fought frantically against the covers and furs that lay over and around him, trying to free himself from their grasp.
"Nnn… Don't go…"
skekTah paused, freezing. He scanned the room. That had been skekHak…but where was he?
"Don't go, Tah… Stay…"
The blankets yanked him down, crushing him against a warm bulk. A quick reassessment made it obvious. The blankets were not alive, thank Thra. It was skekHak, wrapped up and unrecognizable in his own covers, reaching out to keep the Schemer there. The Machinist was deeply asleep, unconsciously mumbling and moving.
"Don't go," skekHak mumbled, crushing the Schemer close. "Stay… Love you…"
skekTah froze. The words had been uttered. Words that Gelfling and Podlings used. Words that had never passed the beaks of a Skeksis, as far as he knew.
And based on all the coupling that had gone on behind his back, he knew nothing.
"Love you… Stay…"
He was tempted to do that. skekHak had been kind to him and, based on the acts he'd seen between other Skeksis, it was clear what the Machinist felt for him. The Machinist held deep affection for him, much deeper than he'd thought.
He could stay here, tell the Machinist this, and see where it went. His bonds with his alliance were strong. With the others having paired off, surely a coupling between him and the Machinist would not be contested.
But was it safe? Was it right?
"Now that we've all been stuck together for six hundred trine, perhaps our instinctive loathing of ourselves and others of our kind have diminished to the point where such activities can not only be performed…but can succeed in their primary duty."
Oh Thra, did he want to end up like the Emperor? Like skekEkt? Pregnant, carrying children?
Would the Emperor even approve of this, of children that were not his own progeny? Or would such children be viewed as competition for his throne, in comparison to his own which he'd already decided would not be?
No, it was too much. This was all simply too much. He could not. Would not! Not now! Not until he knew!
With careful movements, as well as blocking out anymore of skekHak's groggy sleep talking, the Schemer freed himself and fled from the room into the chill of the morning.