The Sarran Senator (11 page)

* * * *

Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.

—W. Somerset Maugham

Duchy of ClanWater Mid Rising

“I’m glad Bron knew that Tron and his bonded
were looking for work and willing to come to cook and act as the
general factotum,” Tarin said as he opened the door of Falling
Waters.

The grounds had been cleaned. Sam thought
they had his offspring to thank for that. They must have done it
right after the council meeting when he and Tarin had gone for
coffee.

They walked into the main reception area and
found the area completely refurbished in their house colors of navy
and silver with accents of emerald green. All though the house it
was the same thing. Everything was done and it was all handmade.
The chairs and dining table in the formal dining room were ancient
and gilded in silver. The fabric was new: navy brocade with a satin
finish. Silvered mirrors hung on the walls with beautiful inlays of
green and navy semi-precious stones.

“Look, my fox, the accent pieces match your
eyes.” Tarin picked up a pillow.

Sam and Tarin looked at each other in
stupefaction.
::Who did this and when did they have the time? I
wasn’t awarded the estate until last rising and no one knew you
were coming until you boarded the Brightstar with Sara, even less
so that we would bond.::

They heard voices and turned around. It was
Zaron and Bron. “You don’t think we would have awarded you an
estate that you’d have to use all of your credits to refurbish, do
you?” Bron asked.

Sam was about to speak, Zaron held up his
hand, “We did the same for your offspring. We’re grateful that Sara
wishes to stay in the gatehouse to help Syn keep an eye on the boys
until she delivers, but she and her bonded are going to want to
move out on their own eventually and we are but a thought away at
Castle Air.”

“It’s beautiful, Bron, Zaron; we don’t know
what to say except thank you. We’re glad you’re here. We’re going
to host in a half-tide for Sam’s name day. We’d like to invite your
Triad. I’ll send an invitation via courier to you, Jonal and Tonas,
and of course Sara, Mark and Juraens,” Tarin stuttered.

“You might want to invite the whole council
seeing as the two of you will be joining our number at the next
formal meeting if you bond after the
dance
which is the
Earthen word the fems insist on calling the great mixing.” Bron’s
eyes twinkled.

“I must admit that I’m not that surprised at
the council seat especially because Sam has so much to offer, but,
I expected to wait until Sky Shield was tested and it worked before
a seat was offered to me. How do you know we’ll bond at the mixing?
We have to bond to be on council.”

“You’ll bond. Syn sensed it, just as she
sensed Sam was your bonded and insisted you be invited to the
moontine meal. As far as Sky Shield goes, we tested it this
rising.” Bron had an aura of satisfaction that was almost visible
to the naked eye.

“Why didn’t you call me in to assist?” Tarin
asked, puzzled.

“Because you were spending time with your new
bonded and that was necessary to seal the bond. There were only two
engineers on the planet who could conceive of and build Sky Shield
and that was you and Bron. Anyone could test it and spending time
with your newly bonded is something only you could do.” Zaron
chuckled at the awe on Tarin’s face.

* * * *

Falling Waters, Residence of the Duchy and the Duke
of WaterClan: Half-tide or Five Risings Later

Syn opened her freezer and offered Sara carte
blanche for the party but Sara declined.

“I’m going to use my Cordon Bleu culinary
education for once. I intend to use Sarran ingredients to make
Earthen dishes and Earthen ingredients to make Sarran dishes to
convey a theme of blending two peoples.”

So Syn acted as Sara’s party planner with
linens, flowers, and the table settings.

They wondered what to do about dishes and
linens until they found the linen press and
dining cabinet at
Falling Waters,
which Sara would have called a butler’s pantry.
There was a set of china for fifty and silver place settings,
elaborate candelabras, and serving dishes. Sam owned silver serving
bowls from his time in the Senate and Tarin had some candle holders
and serving utensils at Soarer’s Nest. Sara mixed these in with the
Duchy dinnerware and linens to spectacular effect. Sara was
surprised that there was silver, gold, and diamonds on Sarran.

“This is a humanoid habitable planet. The
same forces that formed Earth formed Sarran. There are some
minerals that one planet has that the other doesn’t, but gold and
silver are fairly common on rocky planets and diamonds are carbon
based,” Syn told Sara.

“And humans are a carbon based life form…”
Sara thought for a moment. “Then they must have had fossil fuel.
Yet the planet is so pastoral and idyllic.”

“The Sarrans have had ten thousand years to
get over using fossil fuel and switch to crystal technology. That’s
something our council will give Earth if the planet can be united.
Earth would become Sarran’s closest ally.” Syn sat down and put her
feet up.

Sara and Syn put an elaborate dinner party
together in record time without the Warriors except for Tron and
Exton, Sam and Tarin’s new chef and butler. Sara made several
cakes, breads, and pastries, but the name day cake was a surprise.
Sara refused to tell even Syn what she planned. Sara learned that
it was a Sarran custom to give small gifts for the guests to take
home at name day celebrations. She fashioned chocolates, and linzer
torte cookies, fabricated Tiffany-like boxes but colored in navy
blue instead of turquoise with silver lace ribbons to contain the
treats. Everything was in hand the day of the party.

* * * *

Duchy of Clan Air: Sam’s Name Day 19:00 tines

TeAllen and TeWell were the last to arrive.
They joined Sam and Tarin at the bar where Sam was introducing the
council to the many variations of a Martini. “Who planned the
party?” TeAllen asked Tarin.

“My femspring, Sara, bonded to Mark and
Juraens, with the help of Syn, Zaron, and Bron’s bonded.”

“We all know Syn. That fem has
single-handedly done more for the fems on Sarran with her agile
mind and her uncanny ability to know exactly what is needed than
any council member.”

Tarin stood up straighter and gave a small
bow. “TeAllen…”

“Te is not necessary; we’re not in council
nor are we at a formal occasion. Name Day parties are supposed to
be fun.”

“Sara hopes to do the same as Syn. She needs
to give back. Sara wants to make a contribution to the general
welfare of the people who saved her life,” Sam said grimly.

Tarin changed the subject to chase the clouds
from Sam’s eyes. “The dinner gong has sounded, my fox, let’s gather
up and go to dine.”

They sat twenty-two down at table. Sara
unconventionally used the place cards as pickup sticks and everyone
was pushed out of their comfort zone and forced to get to know
those seated next to them. The only WarriorPair or Triad who
remained together at table were the hosts and their femspring who
sat at the head of the table.

After dinner, before the name day cake,
another new custom for the Sarran, the men drank Asta.

“So your femspring planned the party…” TeAxit
said to Sam.

“As I said, Sara, who as you know is bonded
to Mark and Juraens, planned the party with Syn and my new staff,
Tron and Exton. Sara did all of the fancy bread and cakes.”

“I see she used mostly Sarran ingredients in
Earth-like desserts for example, Tierest fruit shortcake. I have
tasted strawberry shortcake from the fabricator. The addition of
spel instead of Earthen sugar gives the cake a sweetness that is
not as cloying as Earthen sugar and whipping liquid cha until it’s
fluffy with spel to use as a confection is something that never
occurred to our chefs. The result is spectacular,” Allen said and
licked his spoon.

Well came up and kissed his bonded on the
neck. “Mixing Earthen cooking styles with Sarran ingredients is
true genius.”

“This is the first time Sara has been able to
use her education out of her own home. She made us so proud of her
this moontine and we haven’t even seen the name day cake yet.”

“Michael offered me a chocolate chip cookie.
He confided that he likes Syn’s chocolate chip cookies better than
his mommie’s. Sara was right behind him. She laughed and said that
she did too.” Well chuckled

“Naffer whispered that the cookies were Syn’s
and that he and Michael helped. Offspring and Warriors in the
kitchen is something we need to encourage. Axit and Zuron’s Ellen
doesn’t cook and neither does Jonal and Tonas’ Anya. Their Warriors
are talking about taking lessons from Syn and Sara to please their
fem.” Allen marveled at the way Sarran life was changing.

“Your femspring is wonderful, she is not
haughty as one of her social station both here and on Earth might
be. She’s beautiful, kind, and witty. We’ve gotten to know all of
the fems that bonded to council Warriors and every one of them is
bright and eager to embrace Sarran. I only lament that Allen and I
have yet to bond,” Well complained.

“Although Tarin and I are newly bonded, we
have high hopes for the dance.”

“You too. We called it a mixing and all of
the Earthen fems insist on this dance word.” Well shook his
head.

Sam laughed. “On Earth, if there is music,
food, and a place to gyrate on the floor, it’s a ‘dance.’ Unless
everyone is dressed in gowns and formal wear, then it’s a ‘ball.’
Sara and Syn have been to balls and maybe some of the others, but
balls are not as common as dances. Your mixing would have gotten
more respect if you called it a ball.”

“I suppose you could call it a ball. The
WarriorPairs will be in formal trews and Sara and Syn say that all
of the unattached fems have either had made or fabricated gowns for
the evening.” Zaron observed.

“I’m glad it’s next week. I don’t think the
pregnant fems will be up to dancing in a tide or two.” Sam looked
around. “Everywhere I look I see fems with a baby bump.”

“Anya and Ellen think they will deliver in
two tides.”

TeAxit joined the group. “Sam, you have to
attend the birthing class. Every Sarran Warrior is required to take
the course. We have too many pregnant fems and not enough doctors.
We want to reserve the doctors for cases with complications. Anya
can give you the course tomorrow, if you have nothing scheduled.”
Sam glanced at Tarin who nodded his head.

“I’ll go with my bonded. I must admit I
didn’t take notes the first time because I didn’t expect to bond
again, but this time I’ll pay better attention. If we are blessed
by the Goddess with a fem, I certainly want to know how to help
her.”

“We can expect the same situation in another
fifteen tides with the new Earthen fems. How wonderful it will be
to see the planet overrun with bebes. I’m for having as many bebes
as our fems agree to bear,” Jonal added as he joined the group.
“Anya said that her pregnancy has been pleasant, not at all like
the pregnancies on Earth. She believes that having her Warriors and
the psy make the whole thing easier.”

“How so?” Sam asked, very interested. “I
remember my late wife, Mary, being quite uncomfortable during her
pregnancy.”

“The Warriors help out around the house. She
uses her psy to avoid the stairs and she wasn’t nauseous. Her only
problem is the bebe kicks her bladder but she says that isn’t that
bad because we have restrooms all over Sarran and retiring rooms
for pregnant fems to put their feet up. Anya claims Sarran is fem
paradise,” Jonal laughed.

“Anya insisted on starting work with the
offspring and femspring that came with the latest fems. Since some
of them were homeless, they need special care from a pediatrician
who can recommend strategies to undo any damage their earlier life
might have engendered,” Tonas observed. “They were all vaccinated
against Sarran organisms when they boarded, but it takes time to
undo the damage caused by starvation and abuse.”

“Syn and Ellen are working with the abused
fem as well as the Warriors, fem, offspring, and femspring affected
by PTSD. Several of the new fems are psychologists and
psychiatrists and have offered their services as well, even the
unbonded ones,” Zuron added.

“We were lucky. With all of the over seven
thousand fems we brought to Sarran we only had to send one back as
unsuitable and, better yet, none of the others have wanted to
leave. Several have approached me and asked if they can stay even
if they don’t form a bond.” Bron raised his eyes and made a small
bow. “Thank the Goddess; those fem may be meant for Warriors that
have not as yet formed a pair bond. There are some older Warriors
who lost their bonded; Warriors like Tarin who may bond again and
find a fem. We only need about twenty-five hundred more fem to have
one for every possible WarriorPair on the planet. The rest are the
younger fem that I would guess the Goddess has selected for young
Warriors at the Academy who have not, as yet, pair bonded.”

“Is it true that every unbonded Warrior as
well as every unbonded WarriorPair are required to attend? You
handled this Axit. Was it made mandatory like the birthing
classes?” Tonas asked.

“Yes. Those who are manning the fleet who are
unbonded to a Warrior or are a WarriorPair without a fem are being
replaced for the moontine by their brethren in Triad. Everyone is
being given a chance. As members of the council, we are required to
attend the mixing, but Saxon and Lunas are leaving, taking Kristen
with them and going back up to command Brightstar. Kristen liked
living on the ship. She is an adventurous fem. The fleet will be
fully manned that moontine in case of trouble,” Juraens stated.