Tales from Kalgachia - 22

Despite its name, the Oktavyan City Flying Club was located some distance from the Kalgachi capital due to the severity of the area's mountain topography - the nearest ground suitable for an airstrip was the base of a valley several kilometres to the city's northeast, and even there the runway was no more than a paltry five hundred metres in length and set upon a gentle slope. Although wholly unsuited for passenger traffic it was a popular leisure venue for those who who could afford the club's substantial membership fees, most of which was passed on in rent to the Church of Kalgachia whose near-monopoly on the country's land ownership included this choice patch of ground. In return the Church left the club largely unmolested, being content with its activity in training fearless Ketherist aviators to soar aloft and confront the Archons of Irredeemable Corruption in their own skyward domain.

Being located in Kalgachia's capital Lieutenancy, the club membership comprised various figures of the national elite; a blend of Church-tolerated business magnates, government officials, officers of the KDF's helicopter squadrons and middle-aged retirees from those squadrons who had gone on to more interesting but highly-classified service with the Directorate of the Tumultuous Wastes. The clubhouse was thus one of the few places in Kalgachia where rumours of a familial connection to the country's ruling Council of Perfecti drew neither commotion nor interrogation around those suspected of it. It was accepted with unremarked nonchalance that Rubina Yastreb, the fifteen year old Nezeni girl who had obtained her solo flight accreditation the previous year and was currently training for her instrument rating, had just such a connection. Her mother Ilessa, who sometimes visited the club to watch her daughter fly, was at least confirmed to be the Pedagogue General of Kalgachia; some of her peers at the Directorate of Education and Outreach were club members. Like her daughter, Ilessa made vague allusions to the man of the family who lived with them underground but her polite evasions as to his true identity were recognised by club members who knew better than to probe her about it. Such information was, at any rate, more fun to obtain by deductionary gossip when neither mother nor daughter were around to hear it. If nothing else the presence of silent, sharp-eyed Laqis clad in unmarked gymnasterkas who accompanied Ilessa and Rubina everywhere were cause for wild speculation in themselves. Their rebuffs to club members' approaches were rather less polite and seemed overly ready to escalate to the physical - after the club treasurer had made an officious fuss about them signing the guestbook and gotten a chokehold for his trouble, they had been left well alone by everyone.

Ilessa's latest visit came half an hour after Rubina had buzzed into the sky on a Buladocga training plane and disappeared down the valley - until she returned, Ilessa contented herself with the company of one Colonel Kedek, a retired KDF helicopter pilot with whom she had been previously acquainted. Together they looked from the panoramic windows of the clubhouse bar across the flightline - an organised mess of Buladocgas, gliders, hang gliders and other light aircraft - which merged onto the runway's gentle slope and led down to a sudden precipice some five hundred metres distant.

"Now I don't wish to badger you, Madam Aerit," said Kedek as he sipped at his glass of gin, "but are you quite sure your daughter is unsuitable for training in my old squadron? I may be out these days but I still have the ear of the boys there. I'm always willing to give her a covering letter, you know. Flying around these valleys like she does, she's getting some fine experience. Her instructors here say she's doing very well indeed. I doubt she'd have any trouble at all transitioning to rotary-wing..."

Ilessa sighed, cradling her own glass of tonic water. "Has she been hassling you again, colonel?"

"Oh no, she's no trouble at all. It's just that she still mentions having a go on Whirdlebirbs now and again." A polite lie to say the least, he thought to himself. Some days it was all the girl ever talked about, indeed it was the only reliable way he could get her to talk at all. The rest of the time she seemed to be in her own silent little world.

"Well as I've said before, it's been ruled out by... greater authorities than I," said Ilessa, picking her words carefully. "Besides, I don't see it as the best application of her talents either. You must understand that there's a gap between what Rubina wants, and what's best for her. The True Will of the Garden, as the Church might put it."

Kedek pouted. "So her involvement here can only ever be a leisure thing?"

"You say that like there's something wrong with it," said Ilessa. She nodded at Kedek's gin. "Do you aspire to drink that for a living?"

Kedek laughed and drank the rest of its contents. "Point taken," he said. Something beyond the window caught his attention; the distant prick of a landing light. "This'll be her now," he said. "Hers is the only plane signed out."

By the time Rubina's plane had flared down to a bouncy landing and pulled onto the flight line, Ilessa was stood outside waiting for it. Her Laqi escort and Rubina's were waiting too, their eyes instinctively scanning the airstrip beyond as the plane sputtered to a halt in front of them. At the sight of her mother, Rubina's flat face turned visibly sour in the cockpit glass as she scribbled in her logbook, sighed and eventually lifted the canopy open.

"Heya Beans," said Ilessa, walking up to the plane.

"Must you follow me everywhere, Mama?" came Rubina's quiet voice as she swung herself onto the plane's wing and hopped down onto the asphalt.

"I got off work early, dear," said Ilessa, ignoring the girl's petulant tone, "so I thought I'd call in here and take you home. How was your flight?"

"Pointless," muttered Rubina, lifting her flight helmet off and adjusting the short tresses of blood-red hair which spilled out of it. "I still had half a tank of fuel but the tower radioed in and said they had scud rolling in from the west. I was just getting settled."

"Never mind dear," said Ilessa. "All the more reason to study hard for your instrument rating. Then you won't have to stop when the weather comes in."

"I could get the rating now, Mama," said Rubina. "Thank you Timur..." she added to the Laqi escort taking her helmet away, "...but they insist on making me do the formal course, so I have to sit on the waiting list forever."

"I'm sure it's nothing personal, Beans. Everyone has to do it that way... and it'll do you good to experience that. You're getting to be a real Lyssansa lately."

Rubina hissed at her comparison to the notoriously spoiled Empress of Minarboria, but had no verbal comeback. She fell into a typical silence as she walked back to the clubhouse and handed in her paperwork, broken only by muttered goodbyes to club members as she left for the parking lot. Within a minute she was sat in the back of a limousine, her mother at her side and the two Laqi escorts in the front. By the time they pulled away from the airstrip and began up the steep switchbacked road to Oktavyan City, the fluffy little clouds Rubina had been warned about were beginning to play across the pale sun. Feeling a little drowsy, she leaned her head back against her seat and closed her eyes.

"Beans..." Ilessa's voice brought her out of her snooze before it could begin.

"What?"

"I have a confession to make. I didn't come by here just to bring you home. I've got some news for you."

Rubina was awake again, her yellow eyes frowning critically at her mother. "What kind of news?"

"Good news," said Ilessa, her own eyes of silver betraying an almost mischievous mirth. "You're going to have a little sibling."

Rubina's greyish-brown face contorted itself in instinctive shock and she looked away from Ilessa, at her own knees. "Ugh..." she said after a while.

"Aren't you happy?"

"What? Uh... I guess."

"You're not happy, Beans. What's wrong?"

"Well..." said Rubina, fading into a whisper. "I wasn't expecting it, that's all."

"I know you don't like surprises, dear, but I had to tell you at some point. It'll be wonderful. You'll see."

"Well okay," said Rubina, suddenly reluctant to meet her mother's gaze. "I just didn't know you and Papa were still..."

Ilessa chuckled. "How do you think you got into this world?" she said.

"But that was in the past."

"The past? We still do it most nights, Beans."

"I didn't need to know that."

"When we're stressed from work.. when we need to make up after an argument... when we're just bored... the worse our day has been, the more passionate it is."

"Mama..."

"You know the best we ever had was after we heard about your little stabbing incident. I'm not a squealer by nature but I'm surprised you didn't hear us that night. Ever wonder why we were smiling the next morning?"

"Mama stop!"

Ilessa laughed again. "We're Nezeni, Beans. We mate like rabbits. Deal with it. One day you'll want that kind of action too. It'll hit you like a train. You might be at that point already... I was at your age."

"Can you stop being so Storish about it!?" Rubina squeaked. "You're scaring me."

"Rubina!" gasped Ilessa. "I resent that accusation, young lady. Are your Papa and I rebuilding the whole structure of Kalgachi state and society for our sexual gratification?"

"No, but-"

"Well then we're not being Storish. You'll understand, when you want children of your own."

"I don't ever want children."

"Nobody ever does, in the beginning," said Ilessa. "But I know there's a boy you like."

Rubina froze for a moment. "You don't know anything, Mama," she muttered. "Just shut up."

"I've seen you," said Ilessa. "Gazing into the distance at random times, going off your dinner and all. It's so cute... who is he?"

"I'm not talking to you any more."

"Is it young David? The kid you saved at your Urchagin?"

"What? No!" squeaked Rubina. "I haven't talked to him for years."

"So who is it then?"

"I'm not telling."

"If you don't tell me, I'll have the Prefects look into it. Which would you prefer?"

"You can't do that!"

"Yes I can. It has national security implications."

"I'll tell you later."

"You'll tell me now, young lady."

Rubina growled and buried her head in her hands. "You wouldn't approve," came her muffled voice.

"You'd be surprised, Beans. Try me."

Rubina emitted a prolonged, scratchy groan. "Promise you won't tell Papa."

"I won't tell anyone, dear. It'll be between us two... and those two." She glanced at the two Laqi escorts in the front seats. The driver, whose ear was subtly turned to listen, jerked his head back to a front-facing position.

"You know Arben's new friend... from Goldshire..."

Ilessa gasped. "Roy Stone!?" she said. "You were right... I don't approve."

"Mama..."

"He's twice your age, Beans!"

"But I love him..." Rubina began to sob.

"Why? He's a weirdo!"

"He's not, Mama!" Rubina looked at her mother for the first time again, tears forming in her eyes. "No more than I am. He's just... different. But he's so sweet! Please don't be angry, Mama..."

"I'm not angry, Beans. I'm just disgusted..."

"He's not disgusting!" Rubina took on a glare of anger. "Don't say that!"

"But he is! I met him for ten minutes, that time we called by Arben's place, and that was enough for me. He's scruffy, he's awkward in conversation, and the moment he starts getting interesting he runs off to the toilet. Who knows what he gets upto in there..."

"He can't help it!" cried Rubina. "Why do you have to be so cruel!?"

"I'm not being cruel, dear... I just think you can do better. You should be on hand-holding terms with someone your own age. Who knows what Roy would do to you if he got you alone..."

"He's not like that!" By now Rubina was a snotty, blubbering mess. "I've been alone with him a few times already, he didn't do anything weird! He doesn't even know I love him! He's more shy than I am!"

"You've been alone with him!?" said Ilessa. "Oh Garden help me... well I'm going to put a stop to that."

Rubina all but stopped breathing and began to tremble, her eyes wide with horror. "No..." she squeaked.

"Yes," said Ilessa. "You won't be seeing him any more. I'm sorry Beans, but it's for the best."

"No..." Rubina squeaked again. "No no no no NO NO NO!!! NO NO N-"

Timur chanced a look into the car's rear-view mirror as something resembling a cat fight broke out behind him. In the mirror's narrow frame he saw Rubina's greyish fists flying freely among a cacophony of shrieking, occasionally pushed back by Ilessa's pale purple hands. He glanced across at the driver, who only pouted and shrugged back at him. A glimmer of light in the mirror caught Timur's attention, and before he could even register his own actions his arm had sprung back between the seats and taken hold of Rubina's wrist, his thumb digging into the relevant pressure point to release the small, ornate dagger she was clutching in her hand.

It dropped into the lap of Ilessa, who was too shocked to do anything with it. "Rubina...?" came her voice with a sudden deathly quiet.

Rubina wriggled free of Timur's grip and retreated tight against her side of the car. "Oh no," she whispered. "Mama... Mama I didn't mean to-"

"Rubina..." whispered Ilessa again, visibly struggling to remain composed. "Where... where did you get that...?"

"I didn't mean to... I didn't mean to..." Rubina curled up in her seat and began to convulse with muffled sobs.

Ilessa straightened herself in her seat, pressed a button to lower the electric window and quickly flung the dagger outside.

"I'm sorry, Mama..." came Rubina's crackling voice. "Please, I'm so sorry..."

Ilessa looked turned her attention to the Laqi in front whose reflexive hand had saved her and her unborn child. His usually inscrutable black eyes had assumed the shape of awkward bemusement. "Thank you Timur," Ilessa said with as dignified an air as she could muster, and looked back to Rubina's quivering form.

"Your Papa will be hearing of this."

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"Ugh."

The reaction of Rubina's father, Xantus, was predictable - as was the incident itself, he realised. He lifted his head from his desk, nodded wearily at Ilessa and motioned for her to leave his book-strewn study. Rubina remained alone in front of him, staring down at her little black shoes and silent except for the occasional sniffle.

"Alright, so I've heard your mother's side," said Xantus at length. "Now it's time to hear yours."

Rubina gave her position once more, barely audible above the study's dead silence. "I didn't mean to, Papa..."

"Didn't mean to? Timur caught you mid-stab, for Shrub's sake. Garden be thanked that the Prefects are still sending us decent bodyguards, or you might have had two murders to your name..." his voice dropped to quiet growl, "...and I might have had one."

The threat provoked Rubina's startled glare. She bit her lip to stop it quivering. "Than you would have killed me for nothing," she said. "I didn't want to stab Mama. Or her little baby." She wiped her nose with her sleeve. "I'm not Lord Adam..."

"Why did you try to stab her if you didn't want to?"

"I was angry, Papa. I had to stab... something... Mama just happened to be there."

"Again with the knifeplay..." muttered Xantus, shaking his head. "Beans, are you familiar with the life of your great-grandmother Aegrotia?"

Rubina nodded. "I read all about it in Minor Benacian Nobility Through the Ages. Volume Six. Chapter Nineteen."

"I wondered where that volume went... I'd like it back when you're done with it."

"Okay."

"The reason I ask is... well, you're a bright kid. You realise she worked out her issues with the blade too."

"But she liked to cut herself, Papa. I stab other people."

Rubina squared up as she said this, cuasing Xantus recoil a little. "It's nothing to be proud of, Beans," he said. "But it seems to be a tradition of Yastreb women all the same. I thought all that business at your Urchagin was just a one off, but it looks like I was wrong."

"Do you think I'm sick, Papa? Like... mentally sick? Like Aegrotia was?"

"I don't know. Do you feel mentally sick?"

"A little. I shouldn't have tried to stab Mama... I should have waited and stabbed somebody else, perhaps."

Another groan from Xantus. "Beans, ideally you shouldn't be stabbing anyone."

"What if they deserve it?"

"You already admitted your Mama didn't deserve it."

"And that's why I'm sorry..." Rubina looked at her feet again.

"I get the sense that stabbing people is an end rather than a means, when it comes to you. A way of dealing with stress. Would I be right?"

Rubina's eyes glazed over in throught for a moment. "Mmm-hmm," she nodded. "I have a practice cushion."

"Well that's dangerous too," said Xantus. "Ask our occluded brethren. Visualising the cushion as people who've annoyed you as you stab it... might have arcane consequences. I think we need to find a safer way for you to get this stabby thing out of your system... tell me, do you watch the fencing contests on television?"

"Well I try to... I like it. But I get too excited. And then and I have to go and stab the practice cushion. And I can't even do that any more. Mama threw away my dagger."

"Well how about I have some words with a few people... about getting you some fencing training. Specialising in short-bladed implements, as they seems to be your style. The Nova English Army has a combat training team over here... I seem to recall they do a course on unfixed bayonet fighting. Then if you get all worked up about something, you can go and spar with them without anyone getting killed."

Rubina's soft jaw had dropped. "Really, Papa?"

"Sure. Seems the best course of action to me."

"But I thought you were going to punish me."

"Our little family Garden doesn't grow on mutual recrimination, Beans. Everything has its place... we just need to find a place for you and your damned knives."

"And... what about Roy?"

Xantus leaned back in his seat. "Well your Mama was right... he's an awkward sort. I got the word of the King of Goldshire himself on that, before the poor old fossil fell into his coma. Truth be told, I only took Roy into the country as a favour to the House of Everstone. Us Yastrebs have always looked out for them, you know... even if the fools still insist on taking the Kaiser's oath. But I've read all the reports on Roy's conduct in this country... he's not been a nuisance but he hasn't exactly applied himself either. I don't see what he has in common with you at all."

"He doesn't need to have anything in common, Papa. He's just incredibly nice, that's all."

"He could be the nicest man on all Micras, Beans, but you're fifteen and he's knocking around thirty. And you know I don't approve of the Storish Vice."

"Can we just be friends then?"

"You can, but I'll be enforcing that friendship. I'm going to make sure Timur keeps you in sight every moment you're around Roy."

"But I can still see him?"

"Subject to those constraints, yes."

Rubina emitted a squeal and ran around the desk, assailing Xantus with a rare hug. "Thank you Papa!" she squeaked. "I knew you'd understand, not like Mama."

"Don't talk your Mama down like that!" said Xantus, hissing as he ruffed Rubina's hair. "She would have understood just as well... if you hadn't been trying to murder her. You've got to promise me you won't give her too much stress while baby's on the way, okay?"

"Okay," said Rubina with a shrug. "I think it'll be good to have a little brother or sister."

"So you're warming to the idea?"

"Well when they're old enough, I can practice knife stuff with them too."

"Ugh," said Xantus, shaking his head. "Go on, get out of here."