Chapter 9

Diun arrived the following day and spent time with all of them. Carl and Diun particularly hit it off. The two of them shared family photos and Diun smile as Carl raised eyebrows at the number of his children.

"Ki told me about the other women, but I guess I just didn't picture that you had kids with all of them." Carl said looking at the family photos.

Diun shrugged replying, "Harreden genetics."

"I guess so. Should I worry about anything else?" Carl asked handing the pictures back.

Diun put them back in his back, as there were too many for his already full wallet to hold. Once they were safely put away in his small briefcase Diun turned his full attention back to Carl. Dressed in a new gray business suit Diun looked sharp. Most of his business suits were this color, as gray was his favorite. His hair had been done up in its usual pony tail when he had arrived. When Carl had offered him to get comfortable, Diun had removed the rubber band holding it in place. Now his hair easy spilled to in between his shoulder blades.

"Do all of you have long hair?" Carl had asked noticing the hair length of father and child.

"It is a custom among my people. The longest it ever gets is the small of the back. Harreden genes were designed that way." Diun replied.

"Seems like they thought of everything. Kind of boring if you ask me, none of you being different and all." Carl said.

"While there are slight differences, you are correct. It would be the main reason my people would be attracted to yours. To us you are exotic." Diun said looking at Carl and the others.

"So your people like partnering up with partners who look different." Carl said.

"That's one way of putting it. Most of us are unaware of it. I certainly was before I came here." Diun said.

"I have a question: why don't your people come here and try to conquer this place? It's obvious you haven't kept up with the breeding plan, though I must say you did a good job by human standards." Carl asked pouring them both two cups of coffee out of habit.

Too late did he realize his mistake saying, "Sorry, I keep forgetting."

Chuckling Diun said taking the coffee anyway, "It seems Ki is keeping you well informed."

"She has answered a lot of questions. The biggest eye opener was the number of grandchildren I might end up having. I have to admit that was a shock." Carl said, taking a sip of his coffee as Diun did the same, enjoying the warm liquid. They both took a seat at the kitchen table across from each other.

"The answer to your question is simple. By our laws Earth is still mine. To break that law would cause anarchy, so they don't." Diun answered taking another sip before setting it down on the kitchen table.

"Anarchy?" Joe asked, his curiosity overwhelming him as he too took a seat. The two women also followed suit, taking a chair on either side of him. Ki sat on the right side listening intently. This was an answer her father had neglected to tell her, though she had asked. Over the years he had simply avoided the question.

"All Harreden with the exception of my children are born with the urge to acquire power. It is built into our physical selves and reinforced by memory and our culture.

Here on Earth I changed the more time I spent here, but the same cannot be said for the rest of my people. They are still the same and our laws were made to keep us under control. Total anarchy would turn Harreden against Harreden and our race would fight for who would rise to the top. Breaking the law means that our council will have a hard time encouraging the powerful houses to stay loyal, so Earth still belongs to me. Only when I leave will my rights here be given up." Diun explained patiently.

"So if I understand this right, then you were merely allowed to be the first to breed with our available women." Carl ventured.

Diun nodded replying, "Yes, that is exactly it. So long as I remain, it is possible I might go back to breeding. It is a loophole that I have chosen to exploit."

"Then why have you always been afraid of them coming to take me?" Ki blurted out. She had to know the answer.

Surprisingly enough it was Carl again understood, "Like I said before young lady, it's an advantage they would choose to exploit. My guess is your father understood they might risk it."