Page 72 of Alien's Eternal Mate

Lo clapped his hand to his shoulder, a gesture he’d picked up from the warriors. He dashed away, leaving me to my meeting, such as it was.

“I remember when my wife first foaled,” Pageus said wistfully. “Oh, I thought she would kill me for certain.”

“Did it ever get any easier?” Nikor asked.

“Not really, but one does get used to it.”

I joined them in their laughter, but the affairs of state quickly stole my mirth. I picked up a tablet that would have made a good compad but for the lack of galactic ethernet connectivity.

“I’m a little concerned that the Black Sand tribe continues to threaten hostilities. We may need to give up access to the White-Thunder river that runs through their valley.”

“The Black Sand tribe is miniscule. We could crush them with ease,” Nikor pointed out.

“Yes, we could, and then we would spend a great deal of time and effort crushing dissent. The facts remain the facts. The Black Sand tribe needs the Republic more than the Republic needs the Black Sand tribe. Either they will come around to reason, or they will not. In either case, we must forge onward.”

I rubbed my eyes, feeling very tired. I never was much of an administrator. I was a researcher. That was the environment in which I thrived.

Now, however, I had to be a leader, and every leader had to manage those they led. I just kept making my work harder, because we added a new tribe to the Republic almost every week. Pageus liked to point out that no one had stretched their influence out further than we had, not even Grhoma Jark at the height of his power.

I saw the entire affair as a matter of practicality and safety more than political zealotry. I pursued a republic because I honestly thought it would be the safest environment for my wife and child…and perhaps future children.

If I had thought that a dictatorship or some other form of government would have worked to keep them safe better, then that is what I would have pursued. I made no pretenses to the greater good, my motives were purely selfish.

The meeting adjourned with a wait and see attitude toward the Black Sand tribe. My fellow leaders proved themselves to be friends as well. Zey made a point to yawn and stretch and tell me how late it had gotten, though we usually went much longer into the night.

I left the meeting and diverted to a fruit seller for the Lempu. Once I had several of the hairy, tawny-hued bitter fruit in a knitted sack, I returned to my home.

Arael looked up from the divan, dark circles under her eyes. It did not seem to me that her belly could get much larger.

“Did you bring the Lempu fruit?”

“I did.”

I took one of the fruits out of my sack and used a short paring knife to remove the hairy outer skin. I started to slice the fruit for Arael as well, but she impatiently grabbed at it.

“Never mind all of that, just give it to me.”

She seized the fruit from my grasp and crammed half of it into her mouth. Arael’s nostrils flared as she wolfed down the fruit. Once the fruit vanished, she leaned back on the sofa and folded her hands over her belly.

“Oh, thank you, sweet relief.”

My face wrinkled with a worried frown.

“Is the nausea bad again?”

“It’s never stopped being bad. Again? Please. I thought you were a scientist, and yet you don’t seem to be able to discern observable data.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Bah.”

She waved me off. I ventured into the kitchen and re-heated a pot of porridge I’d made earlier that day. Once she ate, Arael quickly grew sleepy. I tucked her into our bed and then went to stand by the window. The triad of moons were high in the sky. I’d made it home early, only to watch her slumber.

Do not think such things, Carter. Your wife is dealing with a lot right now. Just be glad you are able to be there for her when she needs you.

I sighed and shook my head, though a smile tugged at my lips. I did not even recognize myself, not even my own thoughts.

I’d never spared a thought for anyone other than myself for most of my life. Whenever I gave lip service to the greater good of humanity, it had been just that--lip service. I hadn’t cared about the cause at all. I didn’t like aliens, I hated them in fact, but I had no delusions about the greater good of humanity.

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