Ch. 14: The Election
Daniel had spent the entire morning observing the Tsu'dom. Both Lusof and his opponent, Saru, had given a speech to everyone who was old enough to vote. Since then, they'd been talking with people; answering questions. Daniel sat off to the side, just watching the activity.
Lusof sighed quietly. Everyone had so many questions for him. He looked around the chamber and saw Daniel. He walked over and sat next to him. "Do you have any questions Daniel Jackson?"
Daniel smiled. "No. Thank you. This is all very interesting." His eyes briefly met Mytel's and he smiled at her.
Lusof noticed what Daniel was smiling about. "Every time you and my sister have seen each other today, you have exchanged a smile. Did something happen last night I should be aware of?"
Daniel shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe you should talk to Mytel about that."
"I have. She would not answer me." Lusof noticed Daniel fidgeting.
"Then maybe you should just accept that."
Lusof nodded. "I only ask because I do not wish her to be hurt." He turned to face Daniel for the first time since he sat down. "She has lost many people she has cared for. I do not want her to loose another." He stood up and walked away.
_________________________________________
Mytel looked to where Daniel had been sitting and was surprised to find the chair empty. She excused herself from the people she was talking to and walked toward the chamber where he'd been working. He wasn't there so she headed back toward the surface. She saw him sitting at the cave entrance. "Daniel, is something wrong?"
Daniel jumped a little and turned to face her. "No. I was just…thinking."
Mytel could tell he wasn't being completely honest. "What about?"
Daniel knew she saw straight through him. "A lot. Maybe we can talk tonight, after the election."
Mytel nodded slowly. "Alright. It is time for the midday meal. The elders of my people wish you to join us."
Daniel stood up and followed her down the passageway.
_________________________________________
Mytel and Lusof paced back and forth outside of the door to the elders' chamber. Daniel and Kamah sat in chairs off to the side. Mytel paused in front of the door. "They have been in there for much time. It is past the evening meal already and they have not emerged."
Lusof stopped next to her. "I am sure they will complete their counting…" He stopped short when the door opened. Saru was immediately at his side.
The leader of the elders' council was the first to speak. "Never in any of our years have we seen an election so close. We decided to count the votes several times to be sure we are exact. There was a difference of only four votes, but Lusof will lead our people."
A smile spread on everyone's face as Lusof gave Mytel a huge hug. He turned to Saru, but she shook his hand before he could say anything.
"Lusof, I do believe you are the better for our people. My vote lay with you. Congratulations." Saru turned and walked out of the chamber.
Lusof put an arm around each of his sisters. "Thank you, both." He looked at Daniel. "You too." He gave them all a smile before following the elders back into their chamber.
Kamah grinned. "I am going to go find my friends." She skipped out of the room.
Daniel watched her go then turned to Mytel. "Now what?"
Mytel shrugged. "Whatever we want. Lusof must meet with the elders for several hours. He will not be done until morning."
"Then I think maybe we should talk."
Mytel nodded. "Perhaps if it has stopped raining we can go out to the steaming pool."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah. Sounds good."
_________________________________________
Daniel followed Mytel silently into the clearing. He decided to let her take the lead in the situation.
Mytel knew he was waiting for her to say something. "Lusof approached you about last night, did he not?" Daniel only nodded. "I am sorry. I did not think he would do that."
"I didn't care about that. I just…didn't know what to say to him."
Mytel turned to face the spring. "Neither did I. The way I feel about you Daniel, I have never felt before."
Daniel walked over next to her. "I have feelings for you too Mytel, but I can't promise you anything. I can't stay here forever."
"I know." Mytel turned to face him. "But we have tonight. We do not have to worry about tomorrow." She leaned up and kissed him.
_________________________________________
Daniel tightened his arms around Mytel and kissed her bare shoulder. She'd been asleep for a while, but his mind was racing. He was going to be in so much trouble if Hammond found out about this. Mytel stirred and he looked down at her.
Mytel smiled up at Daniel. "You are not asleep yet?"
Daniel shook his head. "I was just thinking."
"You think too much. You should sleep."
Daniel smiled. "Yeah. You're right."
Daniel had spent the entire morning observing the Tsu'dom. Both Lusof and his opponent, Saru, had given a speech to everyone who was old enough to vote. Since then, they'd been talking with people; answering questions. Daniel sat off to the side, just watching the activity.
Lusof sighed quietly. Everyone had so many questions for him. He looked around the chamber and saw Daniel. He walked over and sat next to him. "Do you have any questions Daniel Jackson?"
Daniel smiled. "No. Thank you. This is all very interesting." His eyes briefly met Mytel's and he smiled at her.
Lusof noticed what Daniel was smiling about. "Every time you and my sister have seen each other today, you have exchanged a smile. Did something happen last night I should be aware of?"
Daniel shifted uncomfortably. "Maybe you should talk to Mytel about that."
"I have. She would not answer me." Lusof noticed Daniel fidgeting.
"Then maybe you should just accept that."
Lusof nodded. "I only ask because I do not wish her to be hurt." He turned to face Daniel for the first time since he sat down. "She has lost many people she has cared for. I do not want her to loose another." He stood up and walked away.
_________________________________________
Mytel looked to where Daniel had been sitting and was surprised to find the chair empty. She excused herself from the people she was talking to and walked toward the chamber where he'd been working. He wasn't there so she headed back toward the surface. She saw him sitting at the cave entrance. "Daniel, is something wrong?"
Daniel jumped a little and turned to face her. "No. I was just…thinking."
Mytel could tell he wasn't being completely honest. "What about?"
Daniel knew she saw straight through him. "A lot. Maybe we can talk tonight, after the election."
Mytel nodded slowly. "Alright. It is time for the midday meal. The elders of my people wish you to join us."
Daniel stood up and followed her down the passageway.
_________________________________________
Mytel and Lusof paced back and forth outside of the door to the elders' chamber. Daniel and Kamah sat in chairs off to the side. Mytel paused in front of the door. "They have been in there for much time. It is past the evening meal already and they have not emerged."
Lusof stopped next to her. "I am sure they will complete their counting…" He stopped short when the door opened. Saru was immediately at his side.
The leader of the elders' council was the first to speak. "Never in any of our years have we seen an election so close. We decided to count the votes several times to be sure we are exact. There was a difference of only four votes, but Lusof will lead our people."
A smile spread on everyone's face as Lusof gave Mytel a huge hug. He turned to Saru, but she shook his hand before he could say anything.
"Lusof, I do believe you are the better for our people. My vote lay with you. Congratulations." Saru turned and walked out of the chamber.
Lusof put an arm around each of his sisters. "Thank you, both." He looked at Daniel. "You too." He gave them all a smile before following the elders back into their chamber.
Kamah grinned. "I am going to go find my friends." She skipped out of the room.
Daniel watched her go then turned to Mytel. "Now what?"
Mytel shrugged. "Whatever we want. Lusof must meet with the elders for several hours. He will not be done until morning."
"Then I think maybe we should talk."
Mytel nodded. "Perhaps if it has stopped raining we can go out to the steaming pool."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah. Sounds good."
_________________________________________
Daniel followed Mytel silently into the clearing. He decided to let her take the lead in the situation.
Mytel knew he was waiting for her to say something. "Lusof approached you about last night, did he not?" Daniel only nodded. "I am sorry. I did not think he would do that."
"I didn't care about that. I just…didn't know what to say to him."
Mytel turned to face the spring. "Neither did I. The way I feel about you Daniel, I have never felt before."
Daniel walked over next to her. "I have feelings for you too Mytel, but I can't promise you anything. I can't stay here forever."
"I know." Mytel turned to face him. "But we have tonight. We do not have to worry about tomorrow." She leaned up and kissed him.
_________________________________________
Daniel tightened his arms around Mytel and kissed her bare shoulder. She'd been asleep for a while, but his mind was racing. He was going to be in so much trouble if Hammond found out about this. Mytel stirred and he looked down at her.
Mytel smiled up at Daniel. "You are not asleep yet?"
Daniel shook his head. "I was just thinking."
"You think too much. You should sleep."
Daniel smiled. "Yeah. You're right."
