Starcrossed

Chapter 14c: twilly (part 3)

Chapter 14 (part 3)

twilly: obnoxious person; jerk

"I tried to." Molly frowned at her brother. "He wasn't big on the listening."

Sean stood and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end with a comical look he clearly didn't intend. "Look, I said I was sorry about Wednesday. I know you think you and Stuart have a graell thing going on. And . . . I guess he actually believes it, too."

"Because it's true," I insisted. "Molly believes me now, don't you, Molly?"

Molly looked uncomfortable, but she nodded. "If everything M told me today is true, I think they really do have the bond, Sean. I'm sorry."

Sorry? "Why—?" I started to ask, but Sean shook his head almost fiercely.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, M, but I just can't buy it, no matter what symptoms or whatever you think you've had. I . . . I know how easy it can be for people to convince themselves of stuff they want to believe. Did you tell her about Penny?" he asked Molly.

"Um, no. But you never told me the whole story, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you were only thirteen. Well, Penny was the twin sister of a good friend of mine, back on Mars. A twilly named Godrick convinced her they were graell bonded, even though they were barely sixteen, and nobody could talk her out of it. She pretended to feel all kinds of vibes off him, claimed he'd even changed her eye color, though nobody else could see it. When she found out he was laughing about it to other guys, bragging how he'd . . . Well, she came unglued, actually tried to kill herself. Last I heard, she was still under a Mind Healer's care and pretty messed up."

Even though it was obvious what he was implying, I couldn't help saying, "That's terrible! What did they do to that Godrick jerk?"

"Nothing . . . officially." Sean's fists clenched, reminding me of his confrontation with Rigel two days ago. "He denied everything and his buddies backed him up, even though a lot of people knew the real story. By then Penny was acting so crazy, her word wasn't worth much as evidence. But her brother and I made sure he regretted what he'd done." He smiled grimly.

I sucked in a breath. "Sean, I'm really sorry that happened to your friend, but I promise you that's not what's going on with Rigel and me."

He shrugged. "Maybe not. But . . . you're the Sovereign, M. Even if it was somehow possible, it still wouldn't . . . I mean, they'd never allow . . . Look, can we not talk about it any more right now? If we do, I'm . . . afraid I'll say something that'll get you mad at me all over again."

I'd been about to remind him of the lightning thing, which was what had convinced Molly, but he looked so uncomfortable I stopped myself. "Okay, I guess I sort of understand. But none of this is Rigel's fault, even if it makes you feel better to think it is."

Sean sighed heavily. "I'll try to remember that. And I really am sorry I came down so hard on him before. It just seems so . . . presumptuous, the way he is with you, touching you without asking and stuff. I know he didn't grow up on Mars so he doesn't have our same ingrained reaction to who you are, but—" He broke off and took a steadying breath. "So . . . more pictures?"

Though I really wanted to finish convincing Sean about the graell, I decided not to push it right now. I could try again later. And soon I was completely distracted by more holograms of Nuath: the area around Glenamuir, classrooms, hydroponic gardens, orchards, and all the people Sean and Molly had known there.

Around nine, their parents came in, Mrs. O'Gara bearing a tray of herbal tea and adorable little lemon biscuits. While I nibbled, they told me how life had gradually changed after Faxon came into power, how he had dissolved the government by degrees until he was the sole authority.

"So, before that, there were two legislative houses, right?" I asked, glancing at Sean.

"Right," he said. "The Royal House, sort of like the Senate here, or maybe more like the House of Lords over in England, and the Eodain. Similar to the House of Commons, whose members are popularly elected."

"The People's House," Mrs. O'Gara clarified. "That's the closest English translation, I suppose, though it's primarily elected from among the Royal and Science fines. Each house had a mix of conservative and progressive members, though historically the Royal House has been the most conservative and the Eodain primarily progressive."

Mr. O'Gara took up the explanation. "Of course, the old government is in shambles after Faxon's depredations—assassinations and arrests, with most others in hiding or here on Earth. Even after he's overthrown, it won't be an easy task to rebuild it. I wish—"

"I know, dear." His wife patted his arm soothingly. "We'll go back as soon as we possibly can."

They spent the next half hour telling me more about how the Nuathan government was structured, with ministries for bizarre things like Terran Obfuscation (a whole branch devoted to keeping Earth from finding out about the colony), Gravity/Antigravity, Water Reclamation, Hydroponics and Animal Husbandry.

"Agriculture is still pretty big there," Sean explained when I looked surprised at the last two. "Though the Sciences have overtaken Ags and Husbandry as the biggest fines. Um, has anyone explained to you about fines yet?"

I nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "Molly did. Sort of like genetically predetermined career paths and clans and a social hierarchy all in one." And self-enforced gene pools, though I didn't say that.

Mrs. O'Gara chuckled. "That's rather a clever way to put it, dear, and not far off the mark."

I was grateful that they never once, during the whole conversation, put any pressure on me, never made me feel like they expected me to do anything, the way Allister Adair did. Still, I couldn't help suspecting the reason they were telling me all this was so I'd sympathize more with their cause. So I'd want to do something eventually.

Worse, I was worried that it might be working.

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