Liana's Ship (#ONC 2021)

20. Zan: Academy Winning Performance?

All hope was lost at that moment. My Father’s victorious smile had changed to one of horror.

"You're too late, Lord Dascan," I  said, "the children within the pods are dead. That's what they were. Children." I suppress a sob, "beings that deserved to grow and live their lives, nor to be mutilated and silenced for your convenience."

Lord Dascan was silent. For a moment I thought I saw regret, "a sentimental thought indeed. However, we have ways around this problem. Don’t you think we had another plan? There are other pods out there. We’ll search for them.”

“The wildships are a myth, Lord Dascan,” I said. While we exchanged unpleasantries, Liana was looking at us, observing, with the most absurd look of confusion. She couldn't understand us, she was relying on our body language to figure out the situation. Surely, she would not be this alert?  She shouldn't still be standing with a rot infection. Come to think of it, the smell, it wasn’t like rot at all. The sickly sweet decay was unmistakable. In fact...

The smell was faint, almost undetectable unless you got close. It smelt similar to the brown foul smelling drink Liana liked. Then I knew what Liana was up to.

Oh Liana, I thought, you're a genius! I thought, I just hope my Father doesn’t realise this or inhales too deeply. He had clasped a cloth with strong smelling herbs to his face. A rather useless defence against the rot but it disguised the smell. He wouldn’t be able to tell the difference with the pungent herbs obliterating other smells. It was time to act.

"There's nothing for you here, Lord Dascan," I said, “You need to go back to your ship and decontaminate. Unless you want to get infected. 

Liana’s knees gave out from underneath her.

"Zan I don't feel so good." She said, face down and with a feeble voice. She turned to me and closed one of her eyes, when no one could see.

I think that's the human way of saying I’m pretending. I held my breath as I tried to read my father's face. Did he have any compassion left? Or would he terminate Liana there and then?

He wouldn't, would he? He retched and clasped the cloth closer. The pause felt like forever.

He raised his hand, the sign to stand down. The guards backed away, without hesitation. Probably eager to retreat from the diseased pods.

"Zanthric, you have made your choice.” He retched again, “I hope it is merciful and qui-” He didn't finish his speech before he vomited. "We'll find them, eventually, Zanthric." he croaked, after emptying the contents of his stomach down his elegant suit. “Come on! I am leaving before I lose whatever dignity I have left disappears!”

The platform turned around. Unfortunately, what dignity my Father had evaporated when the useless platform ran into the wall. My father fell off the platform. I held back a laugh as the Xeran kicked the wretched thing and tried to remount it. It refused, evading any attempt my Father made. After several attempts, he looked at me, snorted and gave up. The vomit stained Xeran, dignity destroyed limped away with his bloated unused legs. It had been the most exercise he had in years.

Liana was shaking. I ran over to her, thinking for a moment that she really had succumbed. She turned over, clutching her stomach with laughter.

“It’s not funny,” I said, “My Father has disowned me and we are still on a dying ship.”

“Yes, I know,” She replied, “but you have to admit throwing up and falling over, isn’t the way to do a hostile takeover.”

How very true, I thought. Without warning, the corners of my mouth turned up and before I knew it I joined Liana in her laughter. For a moment, I thought I heard Thera laugh too. Soft and faint but full of joy.

I think she slipped away at that moment, silently leaving. Her mission complete, her children stood a chance. It was all down to Liana to guard them.