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Chapter 26
The Osprey landed in Brindisi in the heel of the Italian boot just as the travel-delayed dawn finally caught up with the aircraft. Sterling was the first out when the ramp was lowered, flitting out into the morning on her own wings and pirouetting in mid-air before dropping to the tarmac next to the waiting delegations. Three couples were waiting for the aircraft – one pair of humans in Western business clothing, another pair in the traditional robes of the High Desert, and between them a pair of fennecs, one in a Marine dress uniform and the other in a court robe of red silk. Sterling smiled at the foxes and returned the salute of the Marine. “Sir Richard, Lady Rajiya. Good to see you two again. I take it you're going to be the referees?”
The Marine gave her a brief grin. “That isn't how the Embassy people said it, but I think it's a good description. Any idea which way our guests are leaning?”
“I've only talked with them through a translator, I'm afraid. The older daughter is definitely curious about America, but I don't know what they talked about with Director Lowe. Don't speak the language.”
The High Desert man spoke up at that point. “It is of no import, Captain. We make the offer, as we do have a small community of the Naga in Ba-Yabel who would be happy to welcome them. But we understand that you have the advantage, since you were the ones who rescued them.”
The American woman nodded. “Not that any decision made today is irrevocable, of course. They will be as free to travel as any citizen.”
Her opposite number laughed. “And if they have as much power as most of the Naga, there is little we could do to stop them even if we wished, after all.”
Sterling shrugged. “Three of them are still children, one is a teen, and all of them are untrained, I understand. But here they come. I have duties to attend to, and a flight to make, so I will leave this to you.”
Rajiya offered a hug. “It was good to see you again, Captain. Be well. And say hello to the Prophetess for me.”
Sterling wrapped wing-arms around the fennec. “Thank you. I will.”
The bat headed off across the field to her waiting fighter just as the were-leopard emerged from the Osprey in human guise. He detoured to catch up to her. “Captain?”
She turned, curious, and then smiled as she realized who he had to be. “Ah. Isam?”
“So I have been telling people. But now that I am on my way to America, I can use my true name again. Yusuf bin Ahram, at your service, ma'am. Thank you for the rescue.”
The bat shrugged. “It was no problem, not from my end. We were already going to bring the bombs and the Naga out.”
“I fear I may have made things more difficult for you, though. I was followed, and things became known to Imam Basir that would not have been had I stayed.”
Sterling thought about that. “And you think he may try to retaliate in some way?”
“I would hope he would not be that stupid, and I know that Captain Sayeed would argue against it, but...”
“Thank you for warning me, Yusuf. Just in case, I think we will make our final deliveries to new locations.”
He bowed. “I hope it is unnecessary, ma'am, but I felt I had to warn you of the possibility.”
The bat nodded. “I appreciate it. Good luck in America, Yusuf. We have a small community of shape-shifters who will be pleased to meet you. I'm not aware of any other Muslim lycanthropes.”
Yusuf frowned, his mood darkened. “There -were- others. ISIL has much to answer for.”
The bat nodded, and gave him a half-bow in return. “Talk to the Director. She intends a reckoning with them.”
The were-leopard grinned. “Good. I will offer her my services to help.”
The snake-changelings were being given a quick look around the aircraft they'd ridden in, at the request of young Talifa. Major Davis did the standard air-show talk for them, and Petty Officer Bedford translated as they went. The pilot was rather bemused by them; all were wearing the hijab and had carefully covered their upper bodies, but being snakes they had to leave their lower halves bare. It made for a rather strange contrast, he thought. The youngest one was ready to move on to see the next airplane on the field, but her mother took her in hand. “We must go talk to the ones who arranged for our rescue, Tali. Come along now.”
“Awww....”
Their translator smiled at the young one. “Don't worry, Talifa. You'll be able to see more airplanes. If you come to America, we have whole museums full of them, and airports in every major town.”
“Yay! Let's go to 'Merica, mother! I wanna see more planes!”
Yasmina laughed at her antics. “We won't get there today, Tali. But we'll have a chance to ride in another one before long. Right now, we have to talk to some people.”
They finally dragged Tali away from the flight line and made their way to the delegations waiting for them. The leopard, now in human form, joined them on the way after his brief chat with the bat pilot. “So you had to flee because your children are changelings, then?”
Farrah looked at him oddly. “We all are, sir.”
“But...” He looked more closely, and shook his head as he tried to focus. He could -see- her snake half, but it wavered in and out, overlain by the image of a normal human. “You are concealing yourself, I see. Probably automatic by now, isn't it? I don't think you need to any more, though.”
“He's right, Mother. Both about you doing it, and that you don't need to any more. The folk here do not care.”
Farrah blushed. “I should give up the sorcery, if it is no longer needed. I am just...”
“Still afraid of what might happen?” The man's voice was kind, the first time she had heard such a thing from a fellow Muslim in years.
“...Yes.”
“You no longer have to worry about that. There are men of your kind in the West; and even a few who were unchanged will find you attractive in your new form. And no one will condemn you for being what you are.”
“Attractive? Like -this-? Do not mock me.”
“I tell you the truth. The Americans do not force anyone to hide who they are, or who they find attractive. If you wish to find a new husband, you will be able to, without hiding yourself behind illusion.” <And Allah alone knows what the -Japanese- have done with all of these new possibilities for pornography. They were bad enough -before-...>
The brief discussion had carried them up to where the representatives were waiting. The fennecs stepped forward to greet them first. “Welcome to the West, Madam Farrah, Mr. bin-Yusuf.” The fennec gestured toward the Americans. “This is our Charges-d'affair for the Embassy to the High Desert, Raymond Morrison and his wife Miriam; for the High Desert, Sahi bint-Thassi, Assistant to Consort Noor, and her husband Malachi bin-Daoud. I am First Lieutenant Richard Foster, United States Marine Corps and honorary Knight of the High Desert; my wife, Dame Rajiya, is from the Desert Realm. We're here to discuss where you would like asylum and arrange for the proper paperwork to make that happen.”
“First, I should correct you. Isam bin-Yusuf al-Zuabi is my son, and as far as I know he is still legally residing in the United States. I was using his identity while in Syria to hide the fact that I suddenly became much younger in appearance. I am Yusuf bin-Ahram al-Zuabi.”
The American representatives produced paperwork and handed it to the fennec tod. “We just found out on the way here ourselves. Getting him out was rather a rush job.”
Yusuf smiled. “Twenty-four hours ago, I had just found out there was going to be a hiatus in the deliveries to al-Suwar and figured out why. Things were rather hurried, yes.”
“So more properly, Mr. Al-Zuabi. Given this situation, I assume you would prefer to join your son in the US?”
“At least to visit him, yes. We did not part on the best of terms, and I... need to apologize to him. After that? I made a promise to seek revenge for those of us who changed and were butchered for it by the Islamic Council.”
Foster's grin managed to be ferocious even on a fennec's features. “I understand you are a were-leopard. I'm sure we can arrange a place for you in that task.” He turned to the snakes. “And you, Ma'am? Do you know where you would like to go?”
Tali piped up with “'Merica! To see the planes!” Everyone chuckled.
“Well, that's one vote for the U.S. But perhaps you should hear the advantages and disadvantages of each, and take some time to decide. We are not in a particular hurry here.”
Farrah nodded. Yasmina looked stubborn, but did not say anything. Rajiya picked up the thread of the conversation. “The Desert Realm has the advantages of speaking a language you already know, and of being a place that is used to using magic rather than electricity, so we will be better positioned to deal with the changes that are just now beginning. The disadvantages... you are a practicing Muslim, I have been told?”
Farrah nodded. “Yes, of course.”
“It is not an 'of course'. The Muslim community in Ba-Yabel is still quite biased against our kinds, so much so that there has been little mixing between the new immigrants and those of us who slept through the times without magic with our Prince. While the Prince protects us, it has not always been comfortable. The American Muslim community tends to be much more accepting of Changelings.”
Rick nodded. “We do have Arab communities where you could still speak your native language while you learn English, and I think we have the better school system. Although I must admit, Prince Haroun is doing his best to modernize as quickly as he can.
Yasmina nodded. “-I- would prefer America as well, Mother. The Prince may be quite progressive, but he is still building the schools the Americans have already. And the Lady Sorceress has already promised us an education if we go there.”
“But... the clerics have always told that the Americans were the tools of Shaitan...”
“Mother... they say that about all the West, and the Russians as well. They also say that the Prince of the High Desert is a wicked and malicious sorcerer who turns the true followers of Allah into swine.”
Rajiya grinned. “Well, -someone- has been turning the leaders of the Islamic Council into pigs, surely enough. I am not sure that they are -true- followers of Allah, though.”
The Lieutenant nodded. “In any event, you do not need to decide standing here on the tarmac. We have a guest suite prepared for you, and you may call on any of us at any time while...” He was interrupted by the shriek of jet engines as an F-18 rolled down the runway and lifted off into the morning sky. Tali cheered as it went by and waved at it until it turned to the east and waggled its wings as it climbed.
Yasmina looked at the fennecs. “Was that...?”
“Captain Sterling, I believe, yes. She had duties to return to. As I was saying, rooms have been prepared for you, and we will leave you to decide. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. If you would come this way...?”
The rooms in question were actually the entirety of an off-season bed-and-breakfast on the Italian Adriatic coast. The official parties and al-Zuabi took the ground floor, while the naga had the second floor to themselves. Tali had claimed a broad bay window for herself and curled up in the morning sunlight, staring at the ocean in rapt amazement. “So much water...”
Yasmina watched her sister with amusement. “It's salt water, I'm afraid, Tali. You can't drink it.”
“That's all right. There's ships to look at!”
They left the youngest one to watch the ocean and held their own council in the living room of the suite. “Is there really a question about this, Mother? For now, the Americans have better schooling and Muslims who will not try to stone us on sight.” <If I even decide to remain a Muslim after all of this. Surely a just God would not condemn us for something beyond our control.>
“But it would be such an alien place. A different language, magic openly used, women dressed immodestly... hardly a good influence on you girls.”
Yasmina just hissed laughter at that. “We have no legs to cover any more. And if we put clothing on our snake halves, we cannot easily move. Immodesty seems to be required of us now. We might as well go somewhere that it will not be a problem.”
“But... to the Great Satan...?”
“Mother... we already talked about this. We have nowhere to go that has not been denounced by the clerics. The same clerics who insist that we stand condemned by our new forms. If they are right, we are damned anyway, so we may as well embrace it. And if they are wrong, which I believe is more likely...? The fennec officer told us that there are Muslim Changelings in America. Perhaps neither Sunni nor Shi'ite are completely correct. Learn to read, read the words of the Prophet for yourself, and perhaps a new way will reveal itself to you. And the Lady Wolf has promised that we may leave again if we truly wish to. They will not hold us against our will.”
“You would trust a sorceress?”
Yasmina thought about it. “That one...? Yes, I would. I told you that we both have the Power. I -know- when someone lies to me. As you did to my sisters and me more than once over the past years, when you assured us everything was fine when it was not. I could sense no deceit in the wolf, nor in those who met with us today. They may be mistaken, but they are not deliberately lying.”
“It is just that...”
“And remember, they said that the High Desert uses magic more than the Americans do. So if you are worried about -that-... Nasua, Fatima? Where would -you- rather go?”
The twins looked at each other and shrugged. “Anywhere would be better than where we have been.”
“I must pray on this, daughters. Behave yourselves. Go downstairs if you wish and talk to the ladies there, or go outside, since it is finally safe for you to do so. Yasmina, I depend on you to watch them.”
“Of course, Mother. You know what my advice is. I thought you had already decided.”
“I thought I had... but it is such a frightening thing...”
“America, mother. The clerics lie about them. As they lied about us. If you were truly doomed to Perdition you would not worry that you were doing the right thing – and surely if they lied when they said our forms damned us, they lied about the rest as well.. We will go have some breakfast while you make the right decision.”
After a brief tussle to get Tali to come with them peacefully, successful mainly because Yasmina pointed out that she could watch the ships from downstairs as easily as from upstairs -and- eat at the same time, the four ended up in the kitchen, where an Arabian-speaking cook was ready to feed them. “What would you young ladies like?”
Tali, having been pried away from boats and airplanes, was now poking her nose into all the machinery for food preparation in the kitchen. “I want a 'Merican breakfast!”
“Do you like eggs and cheese?”
Tali nodded. “Uh-huh!”
“Then how about an omelet? It has eggs and cheese in it, and I can add other things if you would like.”
“Like what?”
“Well... there's onions, tomatoes, peppers, hamburger, celery, shredded potatoes, or chicken.”
Tali frowned. “What's a tomato?”
“Well... it's kinda halfway between a fruit and a vegetable.” He got one out to show her. “They look like this, and we chop them up to put in an omelet or a salad.”
Tali wasn't sure about it, and Yasmina intervened with a chuckle. “These 'omelet' things sound tasty, but I have never heard of them either. What is your favorite kind?”
He smiled. “I'd go with cheese, onions and peppers, with hash brown potatoes separately.”
Yasmina nodded. “That sounds fine. Make that, and we can experiment later.”
“Four omelets, coming up!” He shooed them out of the kitchen, and they found themselves back in the B&B's common room. Miriam and Sahi were already there, along with the fennecs, and the two Americans were sorting through the available children's videos. “Not Aladdin, the villain turns into a snake. Pity, it would have been excellent otherwise. Maybe later, but not for the first day. I don't think we're going to find any snake heroes, but let's avoid scaly bad guys for now.”
“That also knocks out Jungle Book and Robin Hood. How about a dragon good guy?” Sir Richard held up a copy of 'Pete's Dragon.'
“Best we can do for now, I think.” Miriam indicated the young snakes emerging from the kitchen. “They did do that Dragons of Pern movie – Gold agreed to do the motion capture for the dragon pattern, but it's not really for kids. Oh! Got it. Hunchback. No snakes, but the bad guy is a corrupt priest. Should minimize the culture shock.”
'Start them with Pete, then Hunchback, and then let them watch the neutral ones with no snakes at all?”
“Should work.” She turned to Yasmina. “You kids want to watch a movie?”
Three of the snakelings looked confused. Yasmina explained. “We've been on the run since the Change. Talifa was -born- on the run. I don't think they know what a movie -is-.”
“Well, then! You're in for a treat. A movie is a story with pictures. Gather round!” She soon had the young ones mesmerized.
Yasmina had wandered over to the other American present. “Lieutenant... I need to ask you a question.”
“Go right ahead. I'm all ears.”
Yasmina hissed a chuckle. “I noticed that...” She didn't stay distracted for long. “I am not sure what my mother will decide after all. The idea of voluntarily going to the Great Satan seems to be a problem for her now that it is possible after all.”
'The High Desert is a fine place, too. I've lived there for years on and off, and Rajiya all her life.”
“But I don't want to go there, no offense to your lady wife. I want to go to America. Can I make my own decision if my mother chooses not to?”
“I... don't actually know. I'm not that familiar with the details of the rules. How old are you?”
“Fourteen.”
“Well, that's old enough to make decisions in the princedom, but too young in America. We'll have to get both the Morrisons and Sahi in on that question. Can it wait?”
“For now. But I wanted you to know, just in case. And I don't want my mother to know unless she does decide for the High Desert. If she eventually picks America, or if she does and I have to go with her for a few years, I don't want to look rebellious.”
The fennec nodded. “I don't blame you a bit. I'll find out, and let you know. In the meantime... there's a couple of good movies for the young ones, but they have snakes as villains, made long before the Change. Would that be a problem?”
She chuckled, drily. “It wouldn't be a -surprise-... are there any with our kind as heroes?”
“Well, there's a couple with dragons as heroes. Best we've found so far. In fact, one of those is what we chose to start off.”
“Let's avoid those if we can, Sir Richard. For now, at least.”
“That's what I was thinking. Consider it done.”
The Osprey landed in Brindisi in the heel of the Italian boot just as the travel-delayed dawn finally caught up with the aircraft. Sterling was the first out when the ramp was lowered, flitting out into the morning on her own wings and pirouetting in mid-air before dropping to the tarmac next to the waiting delegations. Three couples were waiting for the aircraft – one pair of humans in Western business clothing, another pair in the traditional robes of the High Desert, and between them a pair of fennecs, one in a Marine dress uniform and the other in a court robe of red silk. Sterling smiled at the foxes and returned the salute of the Marine. “Sir Richard, Lady Rajiya. Good to see you two again. I take it you're going to be the referees?”
The Marine gave her a brief grin. “That isn't how the Embassy people said it, but I think it's a good description. Any idea which way our guests are leaning?”
“I've only talked with them through a translator, I'm afraid. The older daughter is definitely curious about America, but I don't know what they talked about with Director Lowe. Don't speak the language.”
The High Desert man spoke up at that point. “It is of no import, Captain. We make the offer, as we do have a small community of the Naga in Ba-Yabel who would be happy to welcome them. But we understand that you have the advantage, since you were the ones who rescued them.”
The American woman nodded. “Not that any decision made today is irrevocable, of course. They will be as free to travel as any citizen.”
Her opposite number laughed. “And if they have as much power as most of the Naga, there is little we could do to stop them even if we wished, after all.”
Sterling shrugged. “Three of them are still children, one is a teen, and all of them are untrained, I understand. But here they come. I have duties to attend to, and a flight to make, so I will leave this to you.”
Rajiya offered a hug. “It was good to see you again, Captain. Be well. And say hello to the Prophetess for me.”
Sterling wrapped wing-arms around the fennec. “Thank you. I will.”
The bat headed off across the field to her waiting fighter just as the were-leopard emerged from the Osprey in human guise. He detoured to catch up to her. “Captain?”
She turned, curious, and then smiled as she realized who he had to be. “Ah. Isam?”
“So I have been telling people. But now that I am on my way to America, I can use my true name again. Yusuf bin Ahram, at your service, ma'am. Thank you for the rescue.”
The bat shrugged. “It was no problem, not from my end. We were already going to bring the bombs and the Naga out.”
“I fear I may have made things more difficult for you, though. I was followed, and things became known to Imam Basir that would not have been had I stayed.”
Sterling thought about that. “And you think he may try to retaliate in some way?”
“I would hope he would not be that stupid, and I know that Captain Sayeed would argue against it, but...”
“Thank you for warning me, Yusuf. Just in case, I think we will make our final deliveries to new locations.”
He bowed. “I hope it is unnecessary, ma'am, but I felt I had to warn you of the possibility.”
The bat nodded. “I appreciate it. Good luck in America, Yusuf. We have a small community of shape-shifters who will be pleased to meet you. I'm not aware of any other Muslim lycanthropes.”
Yusuf frowned, his mood darkened. “There -were- others. ISIL has much to answer for.”
The bat nodded, and gave him a half-bow in return. “Talk to the Director. She intends a reckoning with them.”
The were-leopard grinned. “Good. I will offer her my services to help.”
The snake-changelings were being given a quick look around the aircraft they'd ridden in, at the request of young Talifa. Major Davis did the standard air-show talk for them, and Petty Officer Bedford translated as they went. The pilot was rather bemused by them; all were wearing the hijab and had carefully covered their upper bodies, but being snakes they had to leave their lower halves bare. It made for a rather strange contrast, he thought. The youngest one was ready to move on to see the next airplane on the field, but her mother took her in hand. “We must go talk to the ones who arranged for our rescue, Tali. Come along now.”
“Awww....”
Their translator smiled at the young one. “Don't worry, Talifa. You'll be able to see more airplanes. If you come to America, we have whole museums full of them, and airports in every major town.”
“Yay! Let's go to 'Merica, mother! I wanna see more planes!”
Yasmina laughed at her antics. “We won't get there today, Tali. But we'll have a chance to ride in another one before long. Right now, we have to talk to some people.”
They finally dragged Tali away from the flight line and made their way to the delegations waiting for them. The leopard, now in human form, joined them on the way after his brief chat with the bat pilot. “So you had to flee because your children are changelings, then?”
Farrah looked at him oddly. “We all are, sir.”
“But...” He looked more closely, and shook his head as he tried to focus. He could -see- her snake half, but it wavered in and out, overlain by the image of a normal human. “You are concealing yourself, I see. Probably automatic by now, isn't it? I don't think you need to any more, though.”
“He's right, Mother. Both about you doing it, and that you don't need to any more. The folk here do not care.”
Farrah blushed. “I should give up the sorcery, if it is no longer needed. I am just...”
“Still afraid of what might happen?” The man's voice was kind, the first time she had heard such a thing from a fellow Muslim in years.
“...Yes.”
“You no longer have to worry about that. There are men of your kind in the West; and even a few who were unchanged will find you attractive in your new form. And no one will condemn you for being what you are.”
“Attractive? Like -this-? Do not mock me.”
“I tell you the truth. The Americans do not force anyone to hide who they are, or who they find attractive. If you wish to find a new husband, you will be able to, without hiding yourself behind illusion.” <And Allah alone knows what the -Japanese- have done with all of these new possibilities for pornography. They were bad enough -before-...>
The brief discussion had carried them up to where the representatives were waiting. The fennecs stepped forward to greet them first. “Welcome to the West, Madam Farrah, Mr. bin-Yusuf.” The fennec gestured toward the Americans. “This is our Charges-d'affair for the Embassy to the High Desert, Raymond Morrison and his wife Miriam; for the High Desert, Sahi bint-Thassi, Assistant to Consort Noor, and her husband Malachi bin-Daoud. I am First Lieutenant Richard Foster, United States Marine Corps and honorary Knight of the High Desert; my wife, Dame Rajiya, is from the Desert Realm. We're here to discuss where you would like asylum and arrange for the proper paperwork to make that happen.”
“First, I should correct you. Isam bin-Yusuf al-Zuabi is my son, and as far as I know he is still legally residing in the United States. I was using his identity while in Syria to hide the fact that I suddenly became much younger in appearance. I am Yusuf bin-Ahram al-Zuabi.”
The American representatives produced paperwork and handed it to the fennec tod. “We just found out on the way here ourselves. Getting him out was rather a rush job.”
Yusuf smiled. “Twenty-four hours ago, I had just found out there was going to be a hiatus in the deliveries to al-Suwar and figured out why. Things were rather hurried, yes.”
“So more properly, Mr. Al-Zuabi. Given this situation, I assume you would prefer to join your son in the US?”
“At least to visit him, yes. We did not part on the best of terms, and I... need to apologize to him. After that? I made a promise to seek revenge for those of us who changed and were butchered for it by the Islamic Council.”
Foster's grin managed to be ferocious even on a fennec's features. “I understand you are a were-leopard. I'm sure we can arrange a place for you in that task.” He turned to the snakes. “And you, Ma'am? Do you know where you would like to go?”
Tali piped up with “'Merica! To see the planes!” Everyone chuckled.
“Well, that's one vote for the U.S. But perhaps you should hear the advantages and disadvantages of each, and take some time to decide. We are not in a particular hurry here.”
Farrah nodded. Yasmina looked stubborn, but did not say anything. Rajiya picked up the thread of the conversation. “The Desert Realm has the advantages of speaking a language you already know, and of being a place that is used to using magic rather than electricity, so we will be better positioned to deal with the changes that are just now beginning. The disadvantages... you are a practicing Muslim, I have been told?”
Farrah nodded. “Yes, of course.”
“It is not an 'of course'. The Muslim community in Ba-Yabel is still quite biased against our kinds, so much so that there has been little mixing between the new immigrants and those of us who slept through the times without magic with our Prince. While the Prince protects us, it has not always been comfortable. The American Muslim community tends to be much more accepting of Changelings.”
Rick nodded. “We do have Arab communities where you could still speak your native language while you learn English, and I think we have the better school system. Although I must admit, Prince Haroun is doing his best to modernize as quickly as he can.
Yasmina nodded. “-I- would prefer America as well, Mother. The Prince may be quite progressive, but he is still building the schools the Americans have already. And the Lady Sorceress has already promised us an education if we go there.”
“But... the clerics have always told that the Americans were the tools of Shaitan...”
“Mother... they say that about all the West, and the Russians as well. They also say that the Prince of the High Desert is a wicked and malicious sorcerer who turns the true followers of Allah into swine.”
Rajiya grinned. “Well, -someone- has been turning the leaders of the Islamic Council into pigs, surely enough. I am not sure that they are -true- followers of Allah, though.”
The Lieutenant nodded. “In any event, you do not need to decide standing here on the tarmac. We have a guest suite prepared for you, and you may call on any of us at any time while...” He was interrupted by the shriek of jet engines as an F-18 rolled down the runway and lifted off into the morning sky. Tali cheered as it went by and waved at it until it turned to the east and waggled its wings as it climbed.
Yasmina looked at the fennecs. “Was that...?”
“Captain Sterling, I believe, yes. She had duties to return to. As I was saying, rooms have been prepared for you, and we will leave you to decide. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them. If you would come this way...?”
The rooms in question were actually the entirety of an off-season bed-and-breakfast on the Italian Adriatic coast. The official parties and al-Zuabi took the ground floor, while the naga had the second floor to themselves. Tali had claimed a broad bay window for herself and curled up in the morning sunlight, staring at the ocean in rapt amazement. “So much water...”
Yasmina watched her sister with amusement. “It's salt water, I'm afraid, Tali. You can't drink it.”
“That's all right. There's ships to look at!”
They left the youngest one to watch the ocean and held their own council in the living room of the suite. “Is there really a question about this, Mother? For now, the Americans have better schooling and Muslims who will not try to stone us on sight.” <If I even decide to remain a Muslim after all of this. Surely a just God would not condemn us for something beyond our control.>
“But it would be such an alien place. A different language, magic openly used, women dressed immodestly... hardly a good influence on you girls.”
Yasmina just hissed laughter at that. “We have no legs to cover any more. And if we put clothing on our snake halves, we cannot easily move. Immodesty seems to be required of us now. We might as well go somewhere that it will not be a problem.”
“But... to the Great Satan...?”
“Mother... we already talked about this. We have nowhere to go that has not been denounced by the clerics. The same clerics who insist that we stand condemned by our new forms. If they are right, we are damned anyway, so we may as well embrace it. And if they are wrong, which I believe is more likely...? The fennec officer told us that there are Muslim Changelings in America. Perhaps neither Sunni nor Shi'ite are completely correct. Learn to read, read the words of the Prophet for yourself, and perhaps a new way will reveal itself to you. And the Lady Wolf has promised that we may leave again if we truly wish to. They will not hold us against our will.”
“You would trust a sorceress?”
Yasmina thought about it. “That one...? Yes, I would. I told you that we both have the Power. I -know- when someone lies to me. As you did to my sisters and me more than once over the past years, when you assured us everything was fine when it was not. I could sense no deceit in the wolf, nor in those who met with us today. They may be mistaken, but they are not deliberately lying.”
“It is just that...”
“And remember, they said that the High Desert uses magic more than the Americans do. So if you are worried about -that-... Nasua, Fatima? Where would -you- rather go?”
The twins looked at each other and shrugged. “Anywhere would be better than where we have been.”
“I must pray on this, daughters. Behave yourselves. Go downstairs if you wish and talk to the ladies there, or go outside, since it is finally safe for you to do so. Yasmina, I depend on you to watch them.”
“Of course, Mother. You know what my advice is. I thought you had already decided.”
“I thought I had... but it is such a frightening thing...”
“America, mother. The clerics lie about them. As they lied about us. If you were truly doomed to Perdition you would not worry that you were doing the right thing – and surely if they lied when they said our forms damned us, they lied about the rest as well.. We will go have some breakfast while you make the right decision.”
After a brief tussle to get Tali to come with them peacefully, successful mainly because Yasmina pointed out that she could watch the ships from downstairs as easily as from upstairs -and- eat at the same time, the four ended up in the kitchen, where an Arabian-speaking cook was ready to feed them. “What would you young ladies like?”
Tali, having been pried away from boats and airplanes, was now poking her nose into all the machinery for food preparation in the kitchen. “I want a 'Merican breakfast!”
“Do you like eggs and cheese?”
Tali nodded. “Uh-huh!”
“Then how about an omelet? It has eggs and cheese in it, and I can add other things if you would like.”
“Like what?”
“Well... there's onions, tomatoes, peppers, hamburger, celery, shredded potatoes, or chicken.”
Tali frowned. “What's a tomato?”
“Well... it's kinda halfway between a fruit and a vegetable.” He got one out to show her. “They look like this, and we chop them up to put in an omelet or a salad.”
Tali wasn't sure about it, and Yasmina intervened with a chuckle. “These 'omelet' things sound tasty, but I have never heard of them either. What is your favorite kind?”
He smiled. “I'd go with cheese, onions and peppers, with hash brown potatoes separately.”
Yasmina nodded. “That sounds fine. Make that, and we can experiment later.”
“Four omelets, coming up!” He shooed them out of the kitchen, and they found themselves back in the B&B's common room. Miriam and Sahi were already there, along with the fennecs, and the two Americans were sorting through the available children's videos. “Not Aladdin, the villain turns into a snake. Pity, it would have been excellent otherwise. Maybe later, but not for the first day. I don't think we're going to find any snake heroes, but let's avoid scaly bad guys for now.”
“That also knocks out Jungle Book and Robin Hood. How about a dragon good guy?” Sir Richard held up a copy of 'Pete's Dragon.'
“Best we can do for now, I think.” Miriam indicated the young snakes emerging from the kitchen. “They did do that Dragons of Pern movie – Gold agreed to do the motion capture for the dragon pattern, but it's not really for kids. Oh! Got it. Hunchback. No snakes, but the bad guy is a corrupt priest. Should minimize the culture shock.”
'Start them with Pete, then Hunchback, and then let them watch the neutral ones with no snakes at all?”
“Should work.” She turned to Yasmina. “You kids want to watch a movie?”
Three of the snakelings looked confused. Yasmina explained. “We've been on the run since the Change. Talifa was -born- on the run. I don't think they know what a movie -is-.”
“Well, then! You're in for a treat. A movie is a story with pictures. Gather round!” She soon had the young ones mesmerized.
Yasmina had wandered over to the other American present. “Lieutenant... I need to ask you a question.”
“Go right ahead. I'm all ears.”
Yasmina hissed a chuckle. “I noticed that...” She didn't stay distracted for long. “I am not sure what my mother will decide after all. The idea of voluntarily going to the Great Satan seems to be a problem for her now that it is possible after all.”
'The High Desert is a fine place, too. I've lived there for years on and off, and Rajiya all her life.”
“But I don't want to go there, no offense to your lady wife. I want to go to America. Can I make my own decision if my mother chooses not to?”
“I... don't actually know. I'm not that familiar with the details of the rules. How old are you?”
“Fourteen.”
“Well, that's old enough to make decisions in the princedom, but too young in America. We'll have to get both the Morrisons and Sahi in on that question. Can it wait?”
“For now. But I wanted you to know, just in case. And I don't want my mother to know unless she does decide for the High Desert. If she eventually picks America, or if she does and I have to go with her for a few years, I don't want to look rebellious.”
The fennec nodded. “I don't blame you a bit. I'll find out, and let you know. In the meantime... there's a couple of good movies for the young ones, but they have snakes as villains, made long before the Change. Would that be a problem?”
She chuckled, drily. “It wouldn't be a -surprise-... are there any with our kind as heroes?”
“Well, there's a couple with dragons as heroes. Best we've found so far. In fact, one of those is what we chose to start off.”
“Let's avoid those if we can, Sir Richard. For now, at least.”
“That's what I was thinking. Consider it done.”
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Hi Kythra,
I just started following you recently, and have been reading your stories starting with Blood of Dragons. The four chapters you posted here were enough for me to search it out (since I didn't see a link for the ebook) and buy it from Kobo. Going through your gallery from oldest to newest, I just happened to see Volixsis's request above, and wondered if you'd be willing to send me the file for book two, since it isn't available for purchase yet. Oh, and if Changelings or Godlings are available as ebooks somewhere, please let me know where and I'll purchase them as well. Thank you.
I just started following you recently, and have been reading your stories starting with Blood of Dragons. The four chapters you posted here were enough for me to search it out (since I didn't see a link for the ebook) and buy it from Kobo. Going through your gallery from oldest to newest, I just happened to see Volixsis's request above, and wondered if you'd be willing to send me the file for book two, since it isn't available for purchase yet. Oh, and if Changelings or Godlings are available as ebooks somewhere, please let me know where and I'll purchase them as well. Thank you.
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