Chapter 10: "...A Very Unhappy Boy"
Dibrat dei Haxrash, known to his human companions as "Lefty" for his slightly more dominant hand, was holding court at the Grub. It was close to the Quarter end, and the prospect of upcoming evaluations took away some of the normal, relaxed atmosphere in the student eatery. Still, there was not yet that smell of fear and panic in the air that one would sense, say, a week later. The dozen or so students sprawled on the green chairs around the stocky Tellarite alternated between silence (listening to Dibrat) and laughter (at Dibrat's remarks). Though the students at the other tables were not of Lefty's circle, many were tuned in to his monologues; and since this was not an uncommon scene, it had all the aura of a set-piece that had been performed many a time before, with regular participants and regular satellite listeners.
Most of Dibrat's entourage were of the sort derisively labeled "jocks" by Earthers. (Etymological note: this term had come down through the years, although the piece of athletic equipment it was derived from had long since acquired another slang name.) True to centuries-old form, these young people carried on an active battle with school authorities over the value of the academic testing to which they were going to be subjected soon. Since athletics were part of every student's curriculum (but not for credit), the good athletes also had to pass all their academic subjects creditably. Those who used up all their Electives for sports had to be especially vigilant about making all their Prime courses count.
At a table near Dibrat's was a group of interested listeners: Luine Kai-Mekelen and her friend Holly Pitone, who had decided to pass up the chance to spend a couple of hours studying, and a new acquaintance, Cranston Pike. By his physical appearance, Cran Pike should have been very much at ease among the "jocks" at the other table: he was in superb form, overwhelmingly the male animal; but in fact he did not make too much of his own good looks. Both the girls were happy that he befriended them (after teasing them mercilessly) at a recent party at Cochrane House. He had quickly showed his value as a study partner, as he had offered to help them understand the mysteries of Agnan equations in physics. Right now, however, they were just glad he was sharing a break with them, and the mocking remarks he made under his breath in answer to Dibrat's, had them in fits of giggles, although Cran retained a solemn countenance. The Tellarite had just made a loud, uncomplimentary remark about one of his professors.
"Well, he should know," Cranston drawled, "since he's repeated that particular class three, no – four times. Dib may be the first student in the history of Akadem to get a degree in Basic Sociology." When the girls laughed, he remonstrated with them. "Ladies! Ladies! This is serious! The man has a true dedication to the subject!"
Dibrat was continuing in his character assassination, arousing the usual response from his slavish coterie. One hefty human girl, dressed in a very brief sports outfit, was his loudest acclaimant. Cran remarked casually, tipping his head in her direction, "That's Pinkie. She's no cerebral giant, either. They make a good pair, don't you think?"
Perhaps he had spoken a bit louder than before. Perhaps Dibrat had noticed Cranston inaudibly countering each one of his gems of wit. "Pike, I'm not sure I heard you right." He squared up his broad torso in the chair and glared from his close-set eyes. Pinkie copied him, gesture for gesture.
"Lefty, it's just such a pleasure listening to you that I have to repeat your remarks to make sure I don't forget any of them." Cran Pike turned in his seat. "Please go on, we're anxious to hear more." He grinned at the Tellarite.
Dibrat's momentum had been broken. He saw the trio at the other table and noted their looks of amusement. His own friends were silent, but he knew he could count on them. "O.K., Pike," he conceded, "I ought to be mad at you... but I'll let you live." He shrugged. "Jock" he might be, loud and boisterous, but not stupid: he knew better than to engage in a battle of wits with the likes of Cran Pike. He knew as well as anyone else that Pike had come to Akadem very young, had in effect grown up here. He had never needed help from anything but his own mind to make it at school.
Pike explained to the girls, "I've got to stop teasing Dib for a while, before he gets too steamed."
"So you're really his friend?" Luine wanted to know.
"Not really, Lu. Let's just say we've learned to stay out of each other's way. He's older than me, by Tellar measures; we've been here the same number of years, but I'll bet I get out of here before he does. IfI can get the cadet appointment I'm looking for, I'll be in Star Fleet Academy in another year." His tone was matter-of-fact but the excitement could hardly be concealed. As the younger cousin of an honored pioneering starship captain, Cranston Pike probably had a better chance of getting in than did many others, Luine thought. Cran then went on to say that he'd be happier if he knew that his grades and personal qualifications were responsible for his selection. Getting off Akadem on his own terms, without any doubts about his record – that was his goal. So getting into trouble with someone like Dibrat, or joining a good-time crowd like his, was not smart. He would do it his own way.
Holly looked over at the Tellarite's group and sighed, poking around at the bottom of her fizzle glass. At least they were all having fun, and you never saw them moping around their quads or in the study cubicles, or the library, or the labs. Holly had a pretty good idea of what shewould do tonight: if she did not go to the gym with Lu, she would be back in the quad actually trying to study, with her poor, weird, half-android roommate Jane, who was about as interesting as last year's dance vids. Her social life was, alas, zip – zilch – nixed... dead.
She was about to ask Cran what he did when he was bored, when there was a mild stir in their neighborhood. A couple sat down at the small table right next to hers. Tor Srimandan greeted Cran with friendly informality and grinned at the girls as Pike introduced them; then, a little more formally than Cranston had done, he introduced T'Lemmi, as the Vulcan girl with him was called. They all acknowledged one another cordially. With so many students circulating about the Science I complex alone, most were familiar with each other's faces but needed reminding about the names. The older students like Tor, T'Lemmi, Dibrat, even a non-social like Neill Gallaghan – these were known to almost everyone.
Luine hoped it wasn't too rude of her to be staring as she was in T'Lemmi's direction. Holy Pali, she's a stunner. Luine felt a twinge of envy. Saavik's a knockout, too – it's not fair – these Vulcan girls could have half the guys of any species on the planet if they wanted...only, of course, they didn't want to. Luine wished that just for a little while some of that cool and self-possessed beauty could be transferred...
Something was stirring at the Tellarite's table. Apparently, from the sound of Dibrat, his tongue had been loosened a little more than usual, and from the tone of his claque's braying laughter, so had theirs. There was a fresh burst, and Dibrat said quite loudly, "I know what I can have, friends, and I don't have any impossible fantasies... But there are some people who have to see how tough they can make it for themselves" He seemed to be directing his remarks at someone not at his table.
"I don't like this," Cran murmured to his two companions, who looked at each other, mystified. "He's after someone."
"I can't see why a humandoesn't have the sense to see that!" and there was a muffled remark from one of the other athletes, and more braying laughter. A gangly human of Asian descent took over the comments.
"I sure wouldn't waste my time like that! Imagine, dude, only every seven years! Man, that's practically celibacy! I'm not makin' that kind of sacrifice!"
Pike shook his head, half-amused. "Tobit Nhu is not sacrificing to anyone at the moment. His roommate just moved out." The inflection in his voice on "roommate" caused a fresh if subdued giggle from Luine and Holly. Quad rules, especially for Middle and Upper level students, were far from restrictive, and the Student-Faculty Relations people looked the other way when members of the opposite sex moved into each other's rooms, though this was officially frowned upon.
But now it was obvious who the target of the comments was, and Tor was careful to appear to take no notice. His shoulders looked relaxed; he was facing away from Dibrat's crowd, talking quietly with his Vulcan friend. For her sake, he was offended at the implications of Dibrat's and Nhu's rough jokes. And from other tables, he saw eyes raised sympathetically to look at him and T'Lemmi, then quickly lowered. T'Lemmi gave him an ever-so-slight lift of her eyebrows; Tor liked that understated way of hers, and knew that she heard the comments without prejudice towards him.
"Aw, c'mon, Tobe," someone was saying behind them, "lay off. It's a big, happy galaxy, right? If he wants to play with computers, what's the harm? He'll get burned, that's his business."
"Burnedisn't the word, friend," Dibrat roared. "Frozen is more like it. But believe me, I know some that burn, and I mean burn." He went on to describe the "some"; from the choice of vulgarities he used, it seemed he was describing Deltan or Orion females; certainly not the solid, predictable, strictly moral Tellarite ones. Howls of laughter greeted the remarks; Pinkie whooped raucously and draped herself over Dibrat's shoulders.
Pike made a face. "This isn't right... I don't mean because you girls are here... it's just, well, I say stuff like that, too... well, sometimes." He was, for the first time since the girls had met him, awkward in his speech. "But he's over the top, it's too sleazy." Indeed, Dibrat seemed to catch himself, taking off on a new tack.
"But for serious business, I want my own kind. I'm for the Federation and all the mingling and everything, but at home I want to know what I'm getting... and I'm damnsure I want children who aren't half computers!" It was possibly the longest complete utterance he had ever made, and there was a hectic flush on his push-nosed face. There reigned a silence over that end of the Grub; someone was supposed to say something, but no one did. Tor Srimandan leaned even more intently forward, and had placed himself so that his body was in the line of sight from Dibrat's table. That way the Tellarite could no stare at T'Lemmi. But Luine's party could hear part of their conversation.
"We should leave, T'Lemmi. I am ashamed of our fellow-students."
"They are free. You have no responsibility for them, nor for their beliefs, Tor." The Vulcan made a small hand movement. "What they believe is of no consequence."
"It is of consequence. I'd expect that kind of garbage from third-rate hoods in some derelict space dump somewhere, but not here. And just because they're basically fun-loving, non-academic type doesn't mean they're not supposed to show common courtesy."
"Allowing Dibrat to see your anger would be a mistake. And illogical, at the moment. Pointing out their hypocrisy would also serve no purpose."
"They see species mixing as all right for a night or two, but not for other kinds of ... friendships." Here, Tor realized he had spoken from his heart, unguarded, feelings not appropriate for open conversation with a Vulcan. He saw T'Lemmi's almost startled reaction: a slight tinge of green in the cheeks, eyes slightly wider, brows just a bit raised.
"We are friends, Tor." She paused. "Now, I believe we were trying out the combinations for the chess double-board version."
Tor recovered himself. "Yes. You had set up an opening on the left board, with the Klingons' Trisect."
As they forced the conversation back to a ground where their feelings were not involved, the humans looked at each other. Cran Pike was still listening to the talk at the other table, where after the silence Dibrat had given up on provoking an answer from Tor. In fact, his whole group got up and left after a few minutes, in considerable ill-humor.
In the grateful calm, the atmosphere lightened all through the Grub. Another group, this one of lab-jacketed Upper and post-grad boys and girls, occupied the large table. Pike and his two companions studiously ignored Tor and T'Lemmi, but finally Tor called over to them. He could relax now.
"Cran – I was dying to punch out Dib's lights, but you know I'd rather wreck him on the fencing ground." Pike nodded, and the short human lost his smile. "If I didn't know exactly why he talks that way, I might have punched him out anyway..."
Another, unstated, reason for being restrained sat directly facing Tor. T'Lemmi addressed Tor, but so that the others could hear, too. "Poor judgment in words is hardly a new failing with Tellarites. You will excuse me; this is not a facile generalization. As you say, Tor, he may have a reason for his prejudices, but I would not want to be in a position to have to be polite to him for very long."
"A diplomat's daughter speaks." Tor tried to josh her, but she gave him a disapproving look. He turned around and seemed to hesitate, then continued. "When I said I knew why Dibrat acts the way he does – about guys and girls from different species being together, you know...I'm not excusing him. But it kind of helps to know it. Dibrat probably wouldn't be on Akadem under normal circumstances. He's had lotsof trouble since he got here -" and he looked to Cran Pike for confirmation. Pike was rolling his eyes dramatically toward the ceiling. " - and that's no secret. He's not, ah, academically gifted."
"But he's the son of a retainer to a Tellarite ruler. And that dignitary has a son, too, a son who's a really top-level candidate for some science academy, some day. A real chemistry whiz. He's a couple of years younger than Dibrat, so he was not about to be sent out to Akadem by himself – he's an only child, I'll bet, mom and dad's pride and joy – and since no one is allowed to bring a servant to school, no matter how high-class a student is, a friend got sent along – and that's how Dibrat got here and how he stays here. He's stuck on Akadem until Paul finishes up here."
"Paul??" Holly looked really confused. "That doesn't sound very Tellarite."
"That's part of the story. Paul Loman is his name here; probably he's got another one on Tellar. They came here together, but Paul promptly got settled in and started to adapt and make friends, messing around happily in the chem labs, right at home. While Dibrat... who is supposedly keeping an eye on Paul, is really a burnout, he's the one that needs keeping. "
"You take a very long time telling a short story," T'Lemmi reproved him. "Your hearers want to know why this wretched Dibrat indulges his contemptible prejudices."
"O.K., you tell them."
The Vulcan girl said simply, "Paul Loman's mother is a Tellarite High Commissioner. His father is a human, a former political attache' from the Federation. Quite plainly, Paul is a hybrid, a 'half-breed', as you humans so picturesquely say, and it is difficult to say which Dibrat hates more, that fact or the fact that Paul's mind and character are better developed. He is really a very unhappy boy."
The others nodded their understanding. "But if Dibrat hates hybrids so much, how come he had that big human girl hanging all over him?" Holly wondered.
"Ah, physical attraction. That is quite different," Tor replied, and Holly remembered his comment about one-night stands. Suddenly she decided that, all in all, she would rather be out of here: the human and the Vulcan at the other table were obviously close friends, and it made her uncomfortable to watch them having to deal with insulting remarks. She liked to take life not too seriously, herself.
Cranston Pike said finally, "Enough of this garbage. I figure that if anyone's going to get Dibrat one day, it should be Paul. They are so damned polite around each other, something's got to give sometime. My quad's next to theirs, in Newton House, and I've heard some pretty amazing arguments. Well. Want to go run around the gym?"
Neither Holly nor Luine felt much like it, but it seemed to be a wonderful alternative to studying before supper. As they paid their credits and left, Tor and T'Lemmi remained at their table, unmoving. They did not speak. Their eyes did not meet.