Chapter Ten
HD
Everyone is settling into ship life. Groups of friends bed down near each other and new friendships are forming. The children have the run of the kennel room and adults take turns watching and entertaining them. We've had no medical emergencies and no incidents. No one tries to find a way through the always locked kennel door.
Either HD or Number Three appears with a loaded down cart to feed us once daily. We all put some aside to feed the ever hungry children during the day. The usual cooked meat is supplemented with apples and whole raw carrots. Two items that I know store well. I'm grateful for the addition but wonder were HD got them and how he knew we could eat them. Some days, when I'm dreaming of a hamburger and fries, the presentation of an apple or a carrot makes me feel like neighing.
We're all restless to know how long this journey will take. Everyone asks me and I don't know. I haven't had the opportunity to speak with HD since the day we boarded and only see him for some meal deliveries. He nods to me, but doesn't venture a conversation, just wheels in the edibles and promptly leaves. The next time I see him, I'm going to ask that we speak.
Several of us started our menstrual cycles and, thankfully, brought supplies. After this month, we will have to invent our own. But no one has been actually ill or even had the infamous 'camp cough' that was circulating through Oceti Sakowin. I'm left wondering if there is something in our water helping us stay healthy, like chicken farmers dosing their bird's water with antibiotics.
I've organized meetings to learn each others skills and then have broken everyone into smaller groups that will work together. There's a building team with construction knowledge, both primitive and modern. They can cut down trees, or whatever plants our new world contains and create shelters and fences from them. HD said that our tents weren't necessary, so this group may simply build furniture, livestock containment and useful items.
Another team is made up of gardeners. I charged them with the tobacco and sage seeds Grandfather entrusted to me. Still another group has animal husbandry skills. I am hoping there are creatures we can domesticate. Another group contains our hunters. I'm sure that on any survivable world there will be game and they are also our warriors, ready to defend the group. We don't know what will threaten us there, so best to be prepared. Still another team has medical personnel and another, basket weavers and people who can sew clothing and cook. To myself, I call this the Wife Team but it is made of both men and women. Some talented people function on several teams.
Like it or not, I am the leader. My role as communicator with HD, along with the sacred bundle from Grandfather, appoints my status. I'm doing my best to keep things organized and hopeful.
Scattered among the trade teams are a handful of spiritual leaders from several tribes. I will entrust them with the pipe, tobacco, sage and eagle feather when we reach our destination. The winter count blanket I'll keep, adding to it a pictogram for each year we experience in our new world.
The door whooshes and I'm happy to see HD, pushing the meal cart. I bolt to the doorway, determined to catch him on the way out. He parks the cart and begins to push yesterday's empty one out of the room.
"Huge Dude," I say quietly, "We've not spoken in days. I have questions."
His jaws, now mask bare, waver for a moment. "Cooommme sooon. Taaallkk."
"Okay. Thanks. I'll be waiting for you."
The crabbish mandibles spread for a moment as if in a smile. "Soooonnn," he growls.
I'm left to go eat with the others. Sitting down at the nearest table, I'm pummeled with questions. "You spoke to him. What did he say? Did you find out how long before we get there? You said eight hundred are going, where is everybody else?"
"I didn't find out anything. I'm sorry. He said we'd talk soon. I told him we have questions."
"Do you think everything is okay?"
"Yes," I lie. At least I hope it will be.
A small mouse of doubt gnaws on the corner of my confidence. I've taken HD at his word. He took care of me. He hunted for us. He's fought the Leader, I saw the evidence. What's going on here? Why would an alien species be so interested in saving us?
As usual, since my abduction, I am left with too many questions and too few answers.
The next time the food cart is rolled in, Number Three is pushing it. I've always ignored him as less in status than HD, but have been thinking lately that may have been an error. Today, I'm first at the cart and greet him.
"Thank you for bringing our food," I nod cordially.
His eyes widen slightly and there is a wrinkle in his unibrow. Almost as if on automatic pilot, he begins to nod back but catches himself. Mandibles widen and a growling hiss comes at me.
"So sorry," I mutter, quickly looking down. Is it a mistake to be subservient to him?
Apparently it is. In a matter of seconds, I am backhanded, levitating through the room to crash into one of the beds. The hunting team is on their feet, defensively surrounding me.
"I'm okay!" I reassure them, "Stand down; lets not make this worse than it is."
I scramble to my feet, instinctively knowing I must respond. Very deliberately, I pull myself up to my full, not so tall, height. Placing the food cart between us, I look up, unblinking, into Number Three's narrowed yellow eyes.
"Okay, asshole. I don't know if you can understand me, but Huge Dude is going to hear about this. Huge Dude, yea you know who that is, right? He's my friend."
Unexpectedly, Number Three begins a low cackle like he's just heard the world's funniest joke. Shaking his head as if to say 'no' he turns to leave. I bolt in front of the doorway and, trembling, face him.
"What do you mean 'no'?"
Still laughing, he nearly runs me over with the empty cart.
I have no answers for the people who crowd me, or for myself. Not knowing if HD is alive or dead, I suspect the worst. Number Three's bold mistreatment and evil sense of humor shakes me to the core.
HD said that if he lost, he would die and that if that has happened, I am to obey the Leader. I will survive this. I'll get on the ground and worship the damn bastard if that's what it takes. I've got to get everyone ready for what's happened.
It's going to take some thinking to prepare for the speech I must deliver. None of them know of HD's battle for leadership and no one knows the price he's paid. They must be convinced of the need for submission. We'll never take these guys . . . or could we? There are only two of them now. I need to think about this before I condemn us all to death.
My leaden heart drags as I retreat to the soaking tub to think. People are polite about giving me space. Leadership is a burden that threatens to sink me beneath the water lapping at my chin. I'll address everyone about what's happened to HD but I'll talk in private to our warriors about our chances of taking the ship. Could we learn to control it? Doubt it. Maybe better to land and then attack. We won't get home, but at least we'll be free. And if what HD said is true, home's not the best place to go.
Tears creep from my eyes to join the pool. Thanks for trying, HD. I don't know what drove you, but thanks. I miss you. You and your clicks, grumbles and baaaadddd wooooorrddds.
Number Three delivers the food cart again the next day. I avoid him completely but he seems to be in a very foul mood. Snarling, he goes out of his way to intimidate everyone. I watch from my bed, trying not to be obvious. Several children begin to cry as his horrible face reaches sideways and low threatening growls come from his throat. I feel myself tense and begin to rise.
Steady Angela, so far he's only posturing. The kids are scared but not hurt. You're gonna get your butt kicked.
He must have seen my movement because we lock eyes and I see daggers thrown from his. Instead of coming to throttle me for daring to look at him, he mutters and clicks, then juts his jaw out at me and stomps from the room without even taking the empty cart.
Unexpected. Was he rattled? A tiny light sparkles in my heart. I decide to speak with only the warriors for now, the general address to everyone can wait until . . . until what Angela?
The only privacy is in the tub room. Crowded around its edges, the warriors are assembled, their faces grim. Many nations form our tribe. I see men and women from my own Lakota nation as well as Pawnee, Inuit, Creek, Choctaw, Ojibwa, and Cherokee. There are even three Maori! There are also paler water protectors from across the U.S. as well as from England and Norway here too.
I tell them of HD's fight with the Leader and how I suspect he has lost. I tell them of how he fought for better treatment for us and reiterated my story of how I was kidnapped and placed in a cage. The others agree with my suspicion that HD is gone.
"This entire room was full of cages and now it is full of beds. But instead of mourning, we need to talk. As far as I know, there are only two aliens now. The Leader and Number Three. I've never seen any others on this ship and HD used to take me around with him before we collected all of you. He also never spoke of any others. My question to you is this - can we fight them? Not now, in space with a ship we can't run, but after we land. Can we kill them? Should we?"
We talk for hours and grow tired of standing. Shucking clothes, we sit in the pool and chew at the gristle of planning an attack. We all believe it would be greatly satisfying, but wonder at our losses and how that would affect the tribe. Many think an onslaught of a dozen hatchet and hammer armed warriors per alien could be effective, but all agree that some would lose their lives and many could be gravely injured.
"Something else occurs to me. If the aliens do not return to wherever they come from, if there is no report from them to their world – what will be repercussions? Will a scouting ship arrive to see what has happened to them? Will their world then take revenge upon ours? We are probably generations away from reproducing their tech, assuming we could get hold of any of it."
We talk on until our skins are wrinkled and then, fully water-logged, go to our beds. Nothing has been decided, but at least we've explored options. I decide to address everyone before sleeping.
Sitting on the cot edge, I shout, "Listen up, everybody!" The warriors help quiet the room with 'Shut up! Listen!"
Here in the dark, after people have turned in for the night, I tell my tribe the story of our champion. The story of how an enemy became a friend. Afterwards, it is quiet as the tale is absorbed. No one asks any questions and that is good as I have no answers. I end the evening with, "Good night all! Pray for our friend and our future."
The room lights flicker with morning. Not having a watch, I don't know how long the wake/sleep cycle is here, but it feels pretty Earth normal. I wonder if it matches the day length of our new home. Heading to the toilet, I pick my way quietly around the cots of many who still sleep, knowing the children will have everyone awake soon.
I'm just going to wash up a bit this morning. Last night's long soak should last a day or two. After a splash or two, I'm drying my face with a cloth when I hear a chant begin. Hurrying, I rush back into the main room to the sound of, "HD! HD! HD!"
And yes, just inside the doorway, he's here! My heart leaps at the sight of him standing, surrounded by joyful faces. And what of his face? Oh my! He's had the crap beat out of him. Trying not to bowl anyone over, I finally reach the door.
"HD! You're alive!" is all I can think to say, before throwing myself at him. Only reaching two thirds of his height, I can't even wrap arms around his hugeness. I feel him wince as I try to grab hold.
"Oh, sorry," I manage, standing back. Looking up and down, I take stock. There are major bruises to his upper arms and chest. On both forearms, deep twin cuts, now with scabs, run from wrist to elbow. One eye is puffed and nearly closed, but the other still sparkles as I look him over. The left lower mandible is bandaged with what looks like a splint.
"Shoood seeeee Lleeeddeerr," he rumbles.
"HD! I'm so glad you are alive! You fought him! You won?"
"Wooonn!" he pronounces. "Nooooww Oooge Doood lllleeeeaaaddd."
A cheer rises up in the room and the chant begins again, "HD! HD! HD!" It's accompanied by high pitched undulating trills.
"Acccchhh Deeeee?" He tightens his mandibles against his face and stares at me. The room gradually falls into silence. I glance to see if I'm in danger of his thumb and finger forming a circle.
"Oh shit. I'm sorry, Huge Dude. I forgot. We all forgot. We're just so happy you're alive."
Massive shoulders shrug as if to say, 'Oh well.'
"Idunt, coooommee. Taaalkkk. Muuucccch toooo saaayyy."
I follow him from the room and walk beside him in the misty hallway my spirit light with possibilities.