Once the matter had been resolved, the two families settled down to roasting more nutroots, but Leia's father and the governor and Teena were the only ones who seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. Everyone else felt unsatisfied about the matter of the datapad. Jaffia and Lady Naraud regarded Leia and Winter with distrust. Dal seemed to be out of favor with everyone. Leia wanted to talk with him, to thank him for coming forward, to apologize for betraying him - to sock him on the nose for screwing everything up. But it didn't seem safe for them to sneak off for a private conversation. All conference between the two families was now under suspicion.
As for Bail and the governor, Leia found herself wondering all the more whether their apparent friendship went any deeper than appearances. Could they pull the image off because they were both such consummate politicians, or was it possible that despite their ideological differences they might actually like each other? Not for the first time did Leia find her father's ability to dissemble disturbing. There was far more to Bail Organa than met the eye. Leia almost felt sorry for any Imperial who tried to stand in her father's way. But it also worried her. Perhaps she didn't know her father as well as she thought. What was he really capable of? What deceptions could he practice? What lies had he told?
So ended the final evening of their holiday. When everyone said good night, Leia did not doubt that they were all privately relieved to be going home.
The next morning passed in a flurry of preparation and packing. When Leia and Winter left the house to bid ritual farewell to the stream, Dal managed to escape his mother's watchful eye and join them.
The three children walked up the mountain well out of sight of the house. They settled themselves on a sunny stone next to the river, and Dal picked up a fallen branch and broke off twigs, throwing them into the river, unable to meet Leia's eye. "I'm sorry I messed everything up," he said at last. "I couldn't wait for you to tell me what you'd found. I thought I could get onto the 'pad myself, but I screwed it all up."
"That's all right," Leia said. It wasn't really, but what else could she say? "It all worked out in the end. I just wished you'd come forward sooner, so Aris wouldn't have been blamed."
Dal looked up in surprise. "It would have been better if they'd thought it was her. Then neither of us would have gotten in trouble."
"But Aris would have!" Leia retorted. "If they'd thought Aris had stolen government secrets, she might have gone to jail!"
Dal paled slightly. "Oh. I just thought she'd have gotten fired."
"Fired?! Aris is my friend. I don't want anything to happen to her. And besides, she didn't do it. It's not right to let innocent people get blamed."
Dal poked his stick into the muddy bank, and he seemed genuinely ashamed. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about it that way. None of our servants are my friends."
Winter pointed out, "Even if they aren't your friends, they're still people, and you should treat them fairly."
"I guess you're right," Dal said.
"Besides," added Leia testily, "Aris isn't a servant."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the stream. Then Dal said, "Anyway, I had a great time here. This is such a great place, and you guys are really cool. Thanks for being so nice to me, even after what happened."
"You're pretty cool, too, Dal," Leia admitted. "I didn't really know what to think of you at first, but you're fun to be with. It's just Jaffia I can't stand."
"Me, too!" Dal laughed. "And she's totally wrong. You guys aren't rebel sympathizers at all."
Leia and Winter wisely refrained from correcting him.
"Anyway," Dal continued, "she'll be going off to school now. Maybe next time she won't come." He stopped suddenly, and they all wondered whether there would be a next time. "I hope my folks do invite you to visit Cyrene. It would be great to see you again."
"That would be nice," Leia politely answered.
Again they fell silent. Leia still wasn't sure how she felt about Dal. She liked him, but he was an Imperial. She'd had fun with him, but he'd almost messed everything up. Yet she couldn't place all the blame on him. However foolish Dal had been, Leia was the one who had used him. Could she and Dal truly be friends any more than their fathers could? She liked to think that somehow it was possible. She wasn't sure she wanted to have to hate every Imperial, especially if they turned out to be nice.
She pulled the band out of her hair and handed it to Dal. "If you still want this, you can have it."
Dal blushed and reached out to take it. "Thanks," he mumbled, embarrassed. He wadded the band up and shoved it deep into his pocket. "But I don't have anything to give you back."
"I have your initials on my tree," Leia pointed out. "If you come back, you'll have to carve a new set."
From down the hill, a voice called out, "Kids! It's time to go!"
The threesome hopped off the boulder and headed down the hill. Winter went first, but Dal caught Leia's arm and kissed her quickly on the cheek. Before she could react, he turned and ran down the mountainside. By the time Leia got to the bottom, Dal was already hidden in his family's speeder.
As for Bail and the governor, Leia found herself wondering all the more whether their apparent friendship went any deeper than appearances. Could they pull the image off because they were both such consummate politicians, or was it possible that despite their ideological differences they might actually like each other? Not for the first time did Leia find her father's ability to dissemble disturbing. There was far more to Bail Organa than met the eye. Leia almost felt sorry for any Imperial who tried to stand in her father's way. But it also worried her. Perhaps she didn't know her father as well as she thought. What was he really capable of? What deceptions could he practice? What lies had he told?
So ended the final evening of their holiday. When everyone said good night, Leia did not doubt that they were all privately relieved to be going home.
The next morning passed in a flurry of preparation and packing. When Leia and Winter left the house to bid ritual farewell to the stream, Dal managed to escape his mother's watchful eye and join them.
The three children walked up the mountain well out of sight of the house. They settled themselves on a sunny stone next to the river, and Dal picked up a fallen branch and broke off twigs, throwing them into the river, unable to meet Leia's eye. "I'm sorry I messed everything up," he said at last. "I couldn't wait for you to tell me what you'd found. I thought I could get onto the 'pad myself, but I screwed it all up."
"That's all right," Leia said. It wasn't really, but what else could she say? "It all worked out in the end. I just wished you'd come forward sooner, so Aris wouldn't have been blamed."
Dal looked up in surprise. "It would have been better if they'd thought it was her. Then neither of us would have gotten in trouble."
"But Aris would have!" Leia retorted. "If they'd thought Aris had stolen government secrets, she might have gone to jail!"
Dal paled slightly. "Oh. I just thought she'd have gotten fired."
"Fired?! Aris is my friend. I don't want anything to happen to her. And besides, she didn't do it. It's not right to let innocent people get blamed."
Dal poked his stick into the muddy bank, and he seemed genuinely ashamed. "I'm sorry. I didn't think about it that way. None of our servants are my friends."
Winter pointed out, "Even if they aren't your friends, they're still people, and you should treat them fairly."
"I guess you're right," Dal said.
"Besides," added Leia testily, "Aris isn't a servant."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the stream. Then Dal said, "Anyway, I had a great time here. This is such a great place, and you guys are really cool. Thanks for being so nice to me, even after what happened."
"You're pretty cool, too, Dal," Leia admitted. "I didn't really know what to think of you at first, but you're fun to be with. It's just Jaffia I can't stand."
"Me, too!" Dal laughed. "And she's totally wrong. You guys aren't rebel sympathizers at all."
Leia and Winter wisely refrained from correcting him.
"Anyway," Dal continued, "she'll be going off to school now. Maybe next time she won't come." He stopped suddenly, and they all wondered whether there would be a next time. "I hope my folks do invite you to visit Cyrene. It would be great to see you again."
"That would be nice," Leia politely answered.
Again they fell silent. Leia still wasn't sure how she felt about Dal. She liked him, but he was an Imperial. She'd had fun with him, but he'd almost messed everything up. Yet she couldn't place all the blame on him. However foolish Dal had been, Leia was the one who had used him. Could she and Dal truly be friends any more than their fathers could? She liked to think that somehow it was possible. She wasn't sure she wanted to have to hate every Imperial, especially if they turned out to be nice.
She pulled the band out of her hair and handed it to Dal. "If you still want this, you can have it."
Dal blushed and reached out to take it. "Thanks," he mumbled, embarrassed. He wadded the band up and shoved it deep into his pocket. "But I don't have anything to give you back."
"I have your initials on my tree," Leia pointed out. "If you come back, you'll have to carve a new set."
From down the hill, a voice called out, "Kids! It's time to go!"
The threesome hopped off the boulder and headed down the hill. Winter went first, but Dal caught Leia's arm and kissed her quickly on the cheek. Before she could react, he turned and ran down the mountainside. By the time Leia got to the bottom, Dal was already hidden in his family's speeder.
