Chapter 11

"I don't know about all the secrets of the universe," Nilsen said slowly, looking at his bodyguard with something akin to awe. "But it would certainly help us figure out a lot of what has been done already. Lav, you say your people have three of these readers, working?"

"Three that I know of," she said uncomfortably. Fobie jumped up and without a word ran out of the room.

"How is that possible?" Deimie demanded. "We have seen hundreds of these readers, but none of them work!"

"I don't know," Lav answered with a shrug. "We have always had them. Every child must spend their time with the machines. They teach us how to read, some mathematics and of course the holy books of Genetics. Why do yours not work?"

"No power," Nilsen answered her. "Are you familiar with what happened during the Time of Change?"

"It is said the people of the earth were not perfect and the gods of the earth punished them by leveling the land and raising the seas." Again she shrugged. "It is my people's belief that they were spared this fate to carry on the work of perfecting the human race. It has been the one goal we have strived for as long as we have recorded our history."

"Fascinating," Nil said. "One theory we've been taught is the earth's magnetic field did one of its periodic flips: the north pole becoming the south and the south becoming the north. That in and of itself doesn't seem like it would be that calamitous, but it seemed to trigger a massive disruption in the earth's crust. Or maybe it was the other way around; the disruption caused the poles to shift. Anyway land did indeed fall and most of it was covered by the sea. Most, if not all, of the big cities ― and those were bigger than we can even imagine ― were completely wiped out along with most of the human population.

"The reason we can't find much of the old technology that still works is our ancestors powered almost everything they had using the earth's magnetic field. I don't know if that is true and I certainly don't understand it even if it is true, but the O'Tech Technicians have been studying it for a long, long time and that's what they tell us they believe. It would explain why nothing we have works, though. But why would yours work and not ours?"

"I am not one of the elders," she said, shrugging again. "Maybe they know, but they don't tell the likes of me."

Fobie came back into the room walking quickly followed closely by Makro and Jarrah. Makro had a stunned look on her face and Jarrah her ever-present frown.

"Is this true?" Makro demanded. "You know where there are working chip readers? How could you not tell us? This is the most amazing discovery ever!"

"I am sorry, My Lady," Lavender began. "I didn't think it was very important. They have always been there..."

"Important? Important?" Makro raved. "Do you have any idea what we could learn with a working reader?"

"May," Nilsen said sharply, "leave the poor girl alone! How could she possibly have known that we might be interested in something like this?"

"But, Nil..." she whined.

"But nothing," he interrupted. "Browbeating Lavender will benefit no one. If you can think of a question or two then you can ask her. Remember, though, we are talking about something that may be a secret of her people. Granted, she left them under less than ideal circumstances and because of that we don't have a particularly high opinion of them, but that doesn't mean she wants to blab to the whole outside world about what they may or may not have."

"This is important!" she exclaimed, stomping her foot in a way that made her appear about five seasons old. "This is too important for that! You can order her to tell us!"

"I can, but I won't," he said coolly. "But if you don't calm down and behave like an adult, this conversation is over, understand? I'm not even going to threaten to spank you; we'll just stop talking about it altogether."

"You can't do that!" Makro was working herself up into a real rage by this time and Nil was about to do the unthinkable and wade right in there against her when he felt a soft tapping on his shoulder. He looked back, and then up into a pair of lovely violet eyes set in a worried face.

"It's all right, Nil," she said. "The teachers aren't a secret; at least they never told us they were. I'll answer any question that I can, but I don't want you to fight about it."

"Thank you, Lavender," he said suddenly calmer. "I appreciate that and you can be sure we have a bit more than just a few questions about your 'teachers' and your people in general. I can see we have been terribly remiss in learning about where and who you came from. But be easy, My Lady; this is only superficially about those readers."

Turning back to a still-fuming Makro she started in on him right away. "Who do you think you are?" she started. "You have no right―"

"You're wrong," he interrupted. "I not only have the right, but the obligation." Makro's mouth clamped shut but the expression on her face screamed mayhem.

"You were willing for me to impose my will on Lavender through our bond to obtain this information, were you not?" Makro nodded curtly but didn't say anything. "Let me ask you this," he continued. "Is this information critical for the survival of our family, Jeevel or its people?"

"Of course," she spat out. "This could be absolutely priceless!"

"So, if we had never learned of this Jeevel and our family would have been in dire straits?"

"Of course not," she admitted. "But with it we can..."

"I'm not stupid," he snapped back. "I know what this could potentially mean. The medicine and advancement in agricultural alone would be phenomenal! But at what price? Do I force someone to give up what they don't want to because I need it, or just want it?

"If it were a matter of life or death then yes I could not only understand doing it ― sorry Lavender ― but I would do it. But to violate a trust like that just because something would be nice to have? I don't think so."

"But Nil..." Makro whined.

"He's right," Jarrah broke in, Makro and Nilsen turned to stare at her. "Well, he is," she said defensively. Then she grumbled, "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. It wouldn't be right to torture someone for information like that."

"I didn't say we would torture her for it," Makro recoiled a little at the attack.

"I'm sure you didn't," Jarrah continued. "But think: how would you feel if you were forced to tell something about our family that you didn't want to, something that might hurt them? It might not be the breaking bones kind of pain, but it's still pain. It sounds like torture to me."

"I don't..." Makro stopped abruptly before she could finish. She paused for a moment and then sighed. "I didn't think of that," she admitted. Looking up at Lav she apologized, "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking of what it would mean for you."

"No need for you to be sorry," Lavender shrugged. "I would have done the same in your place. In fact as much as I appreciate what Lord Nilsen is saying and has done, it is foolish to do so. You are my master and I must do what you wish of me. It is not ... normal ... for a master to worry about what his slave wants or doesn't want. It could make you seem weak to some."

"Then I'll just look weak," he said with a shrug. "You know I don't consider you a slave, and I don't like hearing it."

"I know," she said with a slight grin. "But this metal band around my neck binds me to you."

"I'd rather have a band around your heart binding you to me," he said looking up at her.

For a moment she stood silently, her face devoid of any expression. Suddenly she bent down and wrapped her arms around him, crushing him to her with such force he could barely breathe.

"You have that already, little man," she choked out hoarsely. "You have my heart completely, you ugly little toad."

"Yeah, well I love you too, you oversized doll," he said pulling her down to where he could reach her lips.

The kiss was warm and heading toward downright passionate when Jarrah interrupted them. "Excuse me!" she exclaimed loudly. "But if you two are going to breed now, at least have the courtesy of letting us know so we can leave."

Lav and Nil broke apart with decidedly sheepish looks. "Um, yeah, sorry," he mumbled, "Besides we aren't going to breed, you sanctimonious prude."

"I'm surprised you can even use the word," Jarrah responded dryly. "Although I think it highly unlikely you know what it means."

"It means at the ripe old age of eighteen seasons you are a shriveled up old..."

"Please, Nil," Makro broke in. "Can we do without that for now?"

"Besides," Fobie interjected. "They'd be doing it for fun; they have already 'bred' as our dear sister put it." It was silent enough to hear the crickets chirping outside the window and the looks of astonishment couldn't have been more pronounced if she had pulled a camel out of her coin purse.

"What do you mean?" Jarrah asked slowly.

"You know exactly what she means," Deimie smirked.

"That is impossible!" Lavender gasped.

"Why?" Fobie asked. "I would have thought that someone as well-versed in genetics as you are would know how it happens. Have you been taking the potion Jarrah has to prevent conception?"

"Impossible!" Lav again exclaimed hoarsely.

"I assure you, not only is it not impossible but it is a fact," Deimie said lightly.

Teetering slightly Lavender fell to her knees and would have fallen over completely if Nilsen hadn't grabbed her quickly and held her upright.

"Oh, My Lord," she wailed looking up at Nil. "I am so sorry! You must hate me; all of you must hate me!"

"Don't be silly!" Fobie scolded. "Why would we hate you? You are the first to bear his child; that is a cause to rejoice, not hate! Nil, say something, you idiot, or she will think you're angry with her."

"I'm stunned," he finally mumbled. "Lav, I don't hate you, how could I do that? This is all my fault. I've been a selfish fool. I should have asked if you had protection. I never even thought about it."

"Damn right, it's your fault," Makro finally said. Stepping over to Lav's side she grabbed the big woman in a hug and gave her a kiss on the lips. "Welcome to the family, because if what these two little witches say is true, then you are definitely part of the family now."

"But to bed a cull is bad enough, to actually breed with one..." Lavender sucked in a deep breath, her eyes taking on the haunted appearance of a condemned criminal.

"Nil..." Makro's expression was one of aggravation this time.

"Oh, of course," he said shaking himself. Turning back to Lav he cupped her chin and lifted it so he could be sure she was looking him in the eyes. "I may be surprised," he said softly. "But let me assure you Warrior Lavender what-ever-your-full-name-is, not only am I not mad at you I am so proud I'm almost giddy. I couldn't be happier right now. Maybe you aren't, and we'll have to deal with that, but I am."

"Lavender Mist Bwejeri," Lavender said, talking almost like she was dreaming.

"What?" Nilsen said, shaking his head again.

"Lavender Mist Bwejeri," she said again a little stronger. "Daughter of Xolan Bwejeri, Chief of the Zagwci clan, First Speaker for the Havila nation of the Kushitic people. That is who I am ... who I was."

"Very well, Lavender Mist Bwejeri," he said with a grin. "You are now Lavender Mist Bwejeri deSiso. I don't know what the custom is with your people, but with ours it is customary for the wife to take her husband's family name as her own. A bit chauvinistic I will admit, but I like it; it sounds right to me."

"But I cannot be your wife," Lav insisted, regaining some of her composure and determination. The concept of being pregnant caused her mind to swirl around, making her dizzy. She was sure any moment now she would wake up and find this had been nothing but a dream or nightmare. "I am your slave; I can't be your wife."

"I can assure you it's possible," he said. "What do you think my ... Wait, you don't know, do you?" Nilsen got a devilish look in his eye. "Oh, my, nobody told you, have they? Well, we'll make sure they don't; what a delicious surprise you have coming."

"What do you mean?" Lavender frowned and stood up. She did so carefully since Nil's arm was around her and she had no desire to dislodge it.

"Nothing," he said waving off the question. "Just believe me when I tell you it's not as much of a problem as you might think."

Lav frowned again, but with everything else that was happening put it out of her mind for the moment.

A baby! she thought to herself. Something she was sure would never happen to her. Conflicting emotions of joy, terror, bewilderment and again terror streamed through her mind as she strived to remain calm and nonchalant on the outside. Nilsen didn't even bother to try. Although his expression wasn't quite that of a pole-axed steer he did have a bit of a dazed look.

"This is wonderful news," Makro broke in. "I certainly don't want to take anything away from the moment, but this matter of the crystal readers is something we do need to talk about. Lavender's condition is interesting, but to be honest, the only thing surprising about it is that it didn't happen before now, contraceptive potion or no.

"Now don't get huffy," she chided when his face clouded up and it was obvious he was going to explode. "If you think about it, I'm sure you'll agree with me. For now, though, we need to decide what we're going to do about this extraordinary information."