Chapter 10

Marco

I sat in the cockpit of my starfighter and fiddled with everything. I knew I wasn't supposed to make contact with the Taruffs before Jake and his merry crew were done with their formal pow-wow, but it was really, really hard. The general population that had gathered for Jake's big swordfight now had nothing to captivate them except for my fighter and the Messenger of Zues. I guess they were more impressed with me, because most of them were touching the hull and oohing and ahhing like it was the coolest thing they'd ever seen.

I decided that going out and talking to them would be okay. I mean, I know I wasn't supposed to, but that was only because Jake was scared I'd offend them or something, right? But they were gathered all around me. They obviously loved me. Wouldn't it be worse to ignore them than to just go and say hi? What could it hurt?

I popped the seal on my cockpit and walked out onto my starboard wing, stopping short of the shredder mounted at the tip. I raised my hand in a wave with my biggest 'meet the crowd' smile, and realized that as soon as I'd left the cockpit all the blueish aliens had backed up a few paces and gone deadly silent. "Greetings," I said, not sure what honorific, if any, was appropriate on this planet.

The silence continued, and I started becoming a little unnerved. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten out. Maybe I'd let my hero status on Earth go to my head a little. The damage was done, however, and I couldn't just go lock myself up in the fighter again. I'd look like a chump. I tried again. Putting my hand to my chest, I made eye contact with the nearest Taruffs and said, "Marco. My name is Marco."

I got a reaction this time. All the Taruffs in my vicinity said in unison, "Maaaarco," stretching the word out like it had some cosmic significance. I grinned as one of the massive Taruffs stepped forward to meet me. I mean, massive. The wing I was standing on was at least six feet off the ground. Add another five something to that, and you'll understand that I was well above most of the crowd. This Taruff, with a battle axe the size of a Harley Davidson on his back, walked up to me, and his head was at my chest level. Swallowing nervously, I stuck my hand out. "Nice to meet you," I said.

He didn't shake the offered hand. He took my wrist in a gargantuan, three fingered grasp and nearly yanked me off of the Mako. He pulled my hand to his face and put it to his forhead. I didn't really know what to do, so I did what came naturally – I patted his head.

A younger, much smaller Taruff came to my rescue. Much more delicate and fragile looking than most of the beings assembled, she reached up and backhanded the big Taruff in the shoulder. "Ta tu laf narish," the big one grated at her.

"Nakatsu," she replied. He released my hand and backed away. The female tilted her head and studied me for a moment. "They like you," she said in English, and I almost fell off the fighter. "Lok is fighter pilot. He wonders if you fly with him."

I sat at the edge of the wing and hopped off, dropping to my hands and knees in the soft black sand. I brushed off my pilot's jumpsuit and looked up at the weird female alien that somehow spoke my language. "Well, considering that the Taruff pilots I've already met were doing their best to kill my friends and I, I might have to turn him down," I told her, a little more sarcastically than I'd intended.

She waved my comment away. "That was nothing. Two young pilots eager to prove themselves against offworlders," she explained.

I narrowed my eyes. "What's your name?"

"Hali. I am aide to the princess," she added.

"Well, Hali, I don't take being shot at lightly. Also, I've already proved that I'm superior to your pilots, so I don't really feel the need to play along," I said, knowing that Jake was going to be furious but not caring.

Hali turned to the group, who was paying attention intently, and growl-barked a long speech. When she was done, some of the Taruffs simply turned and scattered. Most of them, however, made a loud croaking noise and bowed up like they were ready for a fight. The big guy, Lok, looked like he was about to launch himself at me. I looked at Hali and asked desperately, "What the hell did you tell them!"

"I merely tell them that you do not find our pilots worthy. I also tell them that you call the two earlier challengers dishonorable," she said with a flippant attitude.

I could have pulled my hair out. "I never said that!" I yelled at her. "I didn't even say that!" I yelled at the crowd, who obviously didn't understand a word of it. "Fix it!" I yelled at Hali. "Make them understand that I didn't mean that, before they make a stain out of me." She gave me a slight nod.

Again, she spoke to the assembly, and they visibly relaxed. Lok stepped forward and barked. "What did he say?" I asked Hali.

"I tell them you sorry. Then I tell them you accept one pilot challenge. Lok challenge you," she said haughtily.

Instead of getting mad, I took a deep breath and counted to ten. It didn't work. "Hali, I never said I would accept any challenges. Why would you tell them that?"

She looked as surprised as her featureless face would allow her. "You insult them, then you tell me fix it. Accepting or offering challenge is the Taruff way to fix insults. I do what you ask."

I closed my eyes and sighed. Jake would give me hell, but I'd screwed up. Now I had to make it right. I considered my next words carefully so Hali couldn't misinterpret them and tell Lok I called him a pansy or something. "Tell the honorable Lok I humbly accept his challenge." Hali raised both arms and once more addressed the gathered Taruffs, who all roared in what I took as approval. Lok stepped to me, grunted a short phrase, and gave me a pat on the back that nearly sent me airborne.

"Lok wishes to impose the La Kalo," Hali told me. Before I could even ask what it meant, she explained. "La Kalo is a condition in which kindred spirits are formed through battle. If loser of dogfight does not die, he will be forever indebted to winner."

I frowned. "You mean, like a slave?" I didn't like the idea of Lok getting off a lucky shot and me having to polish his belt and wash his loincloth until I died.

"No, not slave. More like friend-promise." Hali tapped her forehead with a thick finger, obviously trying to decide how to explain it to me. "If you shoot Lok down, he will follow you wherever you go. He will protect you. He will help you in any task you choose."

I sighed. "He'll be my henchman. Sidekick," I tried to further explain. "My right-hand man."

"I think you speak strange. He will be your aide, as I am Princess Amni'bel's. I am not slave, but I do my duty to the princess."

"Great. I need that like I need a hole in the head. Is there any way I can decline La Kalo and still accept the challenge?" I asked.

"Yes. Lok will fight to the death if you decline, though. If you do not accept La Kalo, he will think you don't like him or think he is worthy as your friend. He will not eject from his fighter even if faced with certain death, and if you eject, he will kill you before you hit the ground."

I debated. I really didn't want a humongous, blue scaly guy following me around for the rest of my life, but I couldn't kill the guy just because I didn't want him around. I sighed again – Jake really would kill me for this. "Tell Lok I accept all conditions." She did, and Lok roared and gave me another powerful back slap. He bounded off toward a section of the stone building that could only be a hangar. I tried to jump up and grab the wing of the fighter to haul myself up, and two Taruffs came to help boost me up. I was strapping into the cockpit when Hali yelled at me.

"Wait, Marco!" she cried. "I must know! Why do you need hole in your head? Is it a human custom?"

I couldn't stop a burst of laughter. "It's humor, Hali. Human humor. When I get back, I'll tell you all about it." I flicked the appropriate switches, and my powerful engines began their high-pitched whine before the cockpit had closed all the way. Through the dark cloud of black dust that rose around the fighter, I saw the Taruffs, cheering even as they backed away. I eased on the vertical thrusters, and when I was sure no Taruffs would get caught in the thruster wash, I kicked the fighter into full burn and ascended into the purple twilight.