Chapter Eight

D ante scrambled after Regi, ignoring the presence of Regi's parents behind him. He'd never had good luck with meet-the-parents events, and being on an alien planet had not improved his performance. So far, he felt as though he'd been standing around uselessly, watching Regi's family implode.

He had so much experience with dysfunction he didn't know why he was surprised to find one more version of it. Regi asked a Kowri woman if they had seen an outsider leading two pebafri, but she shook her head and rushed away. An older Kowri tending a food cart pointed them in a direction, and then children watching from second story windows told Regi to head for a narrow lane leading from the growing-season temple.

Street after street, Dante hurried after Regi with fear crawling up his throat. If these people did something to Vk, he would kill them. They were almost to the opposite end of the town when Dante's feet started protesting. Alien boots were not made for walking.

Behind him, Regi's mother and fathers whispered, and Dante ignored the growing fear at having potential enemies at his back. Instead, he focused on Regi. They turned a corner and ahead he saw a pyramid top above the roofs lining the lane.

The lane broadened, and Dante spotted Divashi's Brown stripping low-hanging leaves from a tree. Dante broke into a trot, eager to find Vk and her ridiculous nose, which he'd grown quite fond of. Maybe Regi felt the same because he ran ahead. A half second later, he spotted her standing next to Gimi a'Onidba. A few feet away, Bekdi a'Gavd glowered at an unfamiliar Kowri who carried a scanner of some sort.

Regi hesitated, catching Dante's arm.

"The outsider appears safe," Regi's mother said.

If Dante's father had used that tone, Dante would have assumed that was either disdain or dismissal. Perhaps both. He suspected the same was true of Regi's mother, and Regi glared at her before he pulled Dante forward.

Unlike the calm greens of the growing-season temple or the icy grandeur of the cold-season one, this temple looked like a Thanksgiving table had thrown up all over the building. Reds and oranges and yellows filled every inch of the walls. He could see leaves and various fruits and vegetables in vivid plums and purples.

"Officer Vk," Regi said.

She whirled around. "Security Chief Regi." She sounded relieved, but a half second later, she stiffened.

"Security Officer Vk, explain why you abandoned your post," Regi said, his voice low and dangerous. Dante winced in sympathy for his friend.

"Sir, I didn't... I mean..." She fell silent and stood taller. "I apologize, sir."

Gimi tilted her head to the side as she studied Regi. "I asked her to come with us," she said. "There was some question as to the relationship your crew might have to the gods, and I asked her to assist us."

"You have a question," said Bekdi. "I do not. I know the gods will not turn their eyes toward outsiders."

Gimi gave him an unimpressed look. "Do you know the direction every god might look?" Gimi asked.

"I know the gods do not see outsiders," said Bekdi.

Gimi scoffed. "The Lady Divashi has taken note of Dante a'Divashi."

Bekdi towered over most other Kowri, and even had a good few inches on Dante, so when he showed his teeth, he projected an impressive level of intimidation. "I have heard Regi a'Divashi speak of how Dante's species does not exist in known space. Perhaps Dante a'Divashi is unique. We cannot judge other outsiders by how our gods react to this one."

Gimi huffed. "I assume Dante would require at least one huuman parent who contributed to his existence."

"Two, ma'a... excuse me," he said, correcting himself before he could offend another exalted the way he had Regi's mother. "Exalted, I apologize for the incorrect term of respect, but a human requires two individuals, one to contribute an egg and one with sperm in order to create a new human."

She gave him a wicked smile. "Then logically, the existence of Dante a'Divashi implies the existence of at least two additional huumans, and the existence of his two progenitors implies four additional huumans existed to create them, although I suppose it is possible that pair bonding within a genetic line could allow for the existence of fewer individuals."

It took a second for Dante to understand the translation. "Wait. Within a genetic line? Are you talking about my father being my uncle or something like that? No. No. Absolutely not!" Dante was ill at the thought.

Gimi nodded. "A cultural taboo against incest. Genetically wise."

"We are off-track," Bekdi said.

"I thought we were on-track in discussing whether Dante could be unique, and logic dictates he cannot. And if Divashi is capable of seeing Dante, she is capable of seeing other outsiders," said Gimi.

"Other huumans perhaps, but they are not part of the Coalition of thieves," Bekdi said.

Regi pushed forward, halving the distance between himself and Bekdi. "The Coalition's history is old enough that no living member of the Coalition is guilty of the crimes that you continue to obsess over. They stole and the Empire killed those who were guilty. Both sides have their share of sins."

"But our sins are forgiven by our gods who bless us and watch over us," said Bekdi. The rhetoric sounded familiar, although Dante was used to a different god being referenced.

"Yet a god blesses and watches over an outsider." Gimi was enjoying her verbal torture of Bekdi. If it weren't for her fur, she would have made a proper Texas woman—all smiles and brittle politeness over verbal brutality. "And if Divashi can see one outsider, she can see others. And since all gods are equal in power if not interest, then all gods are capable of seeing all outsiders," she finished with a smile.

Bekdi's face was frozen in a grimace.

"None of this explains why we are gathered here," Regi said, his voice low and controlled.

"Here is the location of the nearest scanner capable of checking whether a god has taken an interest in other members of your crew," said Gimi.

Regi turned on Vk. "You abandoned your post for this?"

She stiffened, scanning the gathering crowd. Regi's larger father had a hand on the smaller father's shoulder; he was the peacekeeper in the family. Regi's mother, on the other hand, had a calculating expression that made Dante nervous.

"Exalted Gimi requested my assistance, and given that Dante was with you, I had no assigned tasks at the time," said Vk. She glanced toward Gimi.

"She does spend a lot of time with Dante a'Divashi. I thought if the goddess were going to notice someone, she would be an excellent candidate," said Gimi. "If there is fault, it is mine."

"I accept responsibility for my own actions, Gimi a'Onidba, although I appreciate your attempt to resolve this conflict." Vk's nose drew up, the skin crumpling in a way that broke Dante's heart. He moved to her side in silent support.

Regi looked from one to another before he slouched, the starch vanishing from his spine. "If the goddess would notice anyone, she would notice Ter given how often she interferes with his engines; however, I suspect she sees him less than the engine she is so determined to break."

Bekdi was not as quick to end the conflict. "You speak as though you can read your goddess's mind."

Regi sighed. "I have served with Ter for many years. I have never seen a mechanical problem that required more than a few hours of his attention, and now he has been unable to repair a ship in over a month. I know the Lady Divashi holds us here for a reason."

"You speak to excuse the engineer's temper."

Regi's larger father stepped into the middle of the group. He was an inch or two taller than Bekdi. "All of us have been frustrated enough by our gods to seek to throw a few things. I am lucky that honoring Qis gives me plenty of opportunity to walk through the woods with a large ax and an excuse to wreak havoc on wood. Otherwise our walls might have more holes than have been left by Rel and his habit of flinging non-functioning electronics into stationary objects. But I for one wish to know what you have found, exalteds. Have you found a god touch on another of my son's crew?"

"Of course not," Bekdi snapped.

"Regrettably, he is correct," Gimi added. "If the goddess were to see the crew and not simply the ship, this conflict might have ended more quickly."

"I don't think the gods wish to see my ship leave anytime soon," Regi said. His mother's expression was almost sympathetic, but Dante figured these people had grown used to being used like pawns in the schemes of their gods. "Officer Vk, we must return to the ship. Do you require assistance getting onto the pebafri?"

She gave the animals tethered to a nearby tree an expression full of despair.

"The steps over here should work," Dante said with a gesture toward a low wall. He went over and freed the two pebafris' reins from the tree limb. He soothed Peaches for a moment, stroking her quills to encourage her to lay them flat before any accidents could happen, and then he leaped onto the back of Divashi's Brown.

Being in the saddle made something hard and cold in the pit of Dante's stomach relax. He was at home in one, far more than he ever would be with his two feet on the ground. He gathered up the reins and led Vk's animal over to the wall.

"You know your beast well," Regi's larger father said. Since Regi had referred to the smaller father as "Rel," Dante thought the larger one was Pertin. Kowri tended to fling about a lot of names in a short period of time, and he often had trouble keeping track.

"I grew up riding horses, which are herbivores that look a lot like pebafri," Dante said.

Gimi gave him a curious look. "Do your people also have freios?"

"We have bears that are almost as large, but much slower and moose that are herbivores and wild cats that are fast and deadly, but they're not even a fraction of the size, so I think the freio I saw couldn't compare to anything on earth."

"You saw a freio?" Rel demanded in a terse voice.

Dante held the pebafri's reins as Vk clambered on the animal, struggling to avoid sliding off the far side.

Regi's mother put a hand on her husband's arm. "I will share that report. The freio escorted the outsider into the temple sanctuary—the cold-weather temple sanctuary."

Dante knew that was a big deal to the Kowri. Apparently freios were sacred to the god of retribution, who was properly worshiped in the harvest-season temple. No one could pretend it was a coincidence when that enormous predator had shown up at the wrong temple in time to save Regi and Dante.

"I'm happy that I serve my god by carving and not by having to make decisions," Pertin said with a good-natured smile. "My mistakes can be tossed aside without any harm other than the loss of the time required for me to redo the work. Those of you who have the attention of difficult gods have a much more arduous task."

"A task made impossible by those who disregard our ways," Bedki said.

Regi didn't answer. He walked over to Dante and stood beside Divashi's Brown. The pebafri wanted to move, and Dante had to take a firm hand to prevent the animal from endangering everyone's feet by prancing with energy. If he could ensure that only Bekdi a'Gavd's toes were put in danger, he probably wouldn't put so much effort into controlling his ride.

"Can I ride behind you?" Regi asked.

Dante held down his hand and braced himself in the stirrups. Regi easily vaulted up behind him, sending Divashi's Brown tap dancing across the lane. Everyone retreated, even those who had gathered in a wide circle around them. Kowri were wise enough to respect the power of the animals.

"Exalteds," Dante said with a two-finger tap to his forehead. That felt more respectful than trying to mimic their thumb-touch. Vk had grabbed the front of her saddle, so Dante assumed she would rather him take control of her pebafri. Once Regi had exchanged farewells with the others, Dante wrapped the reins of the other animal around his fist and turned Divashi's Brown back toward the ship.

The crowd parted for them, eager to avoid either the incautious hooves of the pebafri or the contamination of outsiders—Dante wasn't sure which.

"I apologize for my lack of judgment," Vk said.

"We can discuss it on the ship," Regi said.

Dante winced, and when he glanced over, Vk looked more miserable than he had ever seen her. He wished he had some words of comfort, but with Divashi still sabotaging their ship and Ter under investigation and Regi's estranged family showing up, the situation was too far gone for simple platitudes, so he guided them back toward the ship and tried to take a few minutes to enjoy the dappled sunshine on his neck and the gentle chittering as Peaches entertained herself, and the awe-inspiring sight of the planetary rings hanging in the blue-gray sky.

And he tried hard not to notice the strong arm wrapped around his waist or the way Regi's thighs pressed against his. Yep, they had too much going on for Dante to let his libido get out of control but he wished they didn't. Luckily Vk's guilt cast a shadow over all of them so it was a little easier to keep himself under control.