11. Negal

Negal dropped another pod into the coffeemaker and glanced at the door to Aru and Gabis room.

It was after eight in the morning, and his commander should have been awake already. On second thought, Aru and Gabi might have been up for a while and were engaging in some morning fun.

The soundproofing on the damn ship was so good that he couldnt hear them, even with his superior hearing. Not unless they got really loud, which they hadnt so far.

When the door finally opened, he cast a smile at the emerging couple. Good morning. Can I interest you in coffee?

Yes, please. Gabi tightened the tie around her short robe and sat down at the dining table. Did you sleep here last night?

He pulled out two mugs and put them under the twin spouts of the coffeemaker. Frankie is back in her room with Dagor, so Margo was not left alone, and I had no excuse to stay.

Gabis brows furrowed. I thought things were going well with the two of you. Why is she still playing hard to get?

Negals shoulders stiffened. Margo is not playing any games. He took the two full mugs and placed them in front of Gabi and Aru. She just needs more time to feel comfortable with me.

You dont have time, Aru said.

Then I will make time. Negal popped another pod into the machine. I like it that we are taking it slow. It allows us time to get to know each other, and there is also something to be said for delayed gratification.

Given the doubtful expressions on Gabi and Arus faces, they didnt share his opinion, but that was their prerogative. Each couple had its own dynamic, and what was good for one wasnt necessarily good for another.

I cant delay our departure. Aru took a sip from his coffee. Weve already pushed it with the commander.

You said that you would try if Margo started transitioning. That means that youve thought of a way to convince the commander why we need to stay in the area for longer.

Ive thought of many things, but none of them are very convincing.

Gabi took her mug and rose to her feet. Ill leave you two to talk while I get dressed. She leaned down to kiss Aru on his cheek before turning around and padding to their room.

When the door closed behind her, Aru turned to Negal. Did you talk with Margo about coming with us?

I did. Negal took his mug and joined Aru at the table. Her main objection is that she would need medical supervision while transitioning, and her second objection is about the job Toven promised her if she joined the clan.

Aru leaned back in his chair, holding his mug. The truth is that Margo can go without medical supervision. Your blood can ensure that she makes it.

It had occurred to Negal that he could give Margo a boost with a transfusion of his blood, but that still didnt make it acceptable for her to transition without Bridget or one of the clans other doctors watching over her.

Your blood helped Gabi, and Dagors helped Frankie, but they still needed a doctors supervision.

Aru sighed. What do you suggest we do then?

You, Dagor, and your mates can go ahead while I stay behind to be with Margo and join you later. It will be easier to come up with a good excuse for why only I stayed behind.

Like what?

Negal rubbed a hand over his jaw. Now that we need our resources to last much longer than was originally planned, we need to find a way to supplement our allowance. I think it can be an excellent excuse to give the commander. You can tell him that I stayed behind to work on a deal. He knows that we are using the flea market trading as a cover and as a way to refill our coffers.

Thats a possibility. Aru put his mug on the table. But again, I would rather do it only if we know for sure that Margo is transitioning. We can use that excuse once, but not over and over again.

Agreed. Although I can think up more plausible excuses. We could have gotten a lead about something suspicious in the Los Angeles area that we need to investigate.

Aru chuckled. We used that one to explain our prolonged stay in California and our trip down to Mexico. Im surprised the commander didnt realize that it was highly unlikely for us to find any clues so far from the crash site. There is no way any of the pods landed in this area.

True. Negal took a sip of his coffee, giving himself time to collect his thoughts. But information about the pods could have traveled elsewhere. Perhaps we found someone who knew something that could point us in the right direction. Or maybe a pod was taken to a facility for investigation. The commander is well aware that humans are not as primitive now as they were the last time gods visited this planet.

Aru sighed. And thats another reason for worry. How long do you think he would be able to hide this knowledge from the king?

He wont be able to hide it at all, but he can downplay it. As long as humans dont have interstellar travel capability or even communication, he wont consider them a threat.

His words didnt seem to reassure Aru. Once the Eternal King finds out how close they are to achieving these benchmarks, he will be watching them much more closely. I hope the heir and her clan can do something about it and thwart human advancement in that area.

Negal shrugged. Humans would also need to come up with a way to keep their travelers in stasis so they could traverse hundreds of light years, and thats an even more advanced technology than traveling at the necessary speed.