I wasn't sure who felt more nervous about Mom and Dad meeting again after all this time: me or Omega. Beta seemed fine, as did Mom, which seemed odd.
"Are you okay, Mom?" We rode the tube to the High Council after using the hover-truck to get to the closest undamaged section to the University. With all the damage that had been done to Arcadia Station, most people were at home, so we had the tube car to ourselves
"Present circumstances notwithstanding," she said, "potential war among the Amazons, I'm quite peachy, Alice. Why do you ask?"
"Are you and Dad going to fight?" Omega said suddenly. He wrung his hands together in his lap.
"Why would you think that?" Mom asked Omega.
"You guys hate each other, don't you?"
"No, Omega. We don't. We just couldn't stay married to each other. It was better for both of us if I went back to the Amazons, and... and 'Dad' stayed to work with the High Council."
"Oh," Omega said.
"And it's not like I haven't seen 'Dad' since I left. I've been the one chosen to come talk to the High Council when needed, mainly because I used to live here." She shot me a look telling me not to say a word. I obliged. "So, Omega, we aren't going to fight, and you shouldn't be so nervous."
Omega calmed, but was still far from calm by the time we arrived.
Mom led us into the High Council's main public chamber. Seated in their respective chairs were four of the five council members. Sitting front row by himself was Alpha. He turned in his seat to look at us when the door opened. I swear he wagged his tail when he saw us, but didn't get up to greet us.
"Where's Councilor Proctor?" Mom asked. Sylvia was the former Amazon, like Mom.
"That is partly why we asked you all here," Luna Armstrong said. She was not only the newest member of the High Council, but also the youngest, and the swing vote in close cases. "Sylvia has recused herself from this particular matter because of her background."
"Does this have to do with Amazons?" Omega blurted out.
Luna turned a sympathetic, but stern, look to Omega. "Wolfdroids, please take a seat and do not interrupt."
"Sorry," Omega said with his head bowed. He and Beta took seats next to Alpha.
"But to answer his question, yes, our current situation concerns matters with the Amazons, specifically the Tanglewood Outpost and the Archers of the Desert Outpost of the Holy Crossbows."
"What's going on with them?" Mom said.
"There is a power struggle, as you know, Lady Belladonna," Jackson said.
Lady Belladonna? Mom? What the heck was going on? I had always thought her name was Donna. I never heard "Belladonna" before. And "lady"? Was she Amazonian royalty? Seemed like I had even more questions for Mom once this was over.
"Are we to mitigate a deal?" Mom said. "Help negotiate a peaceful transition for Queen Anza?"
"We are to protect Arcadia Station," Dad said. "And the recent events, though unintentional, still constitutes aggressive behavior towards this station from the Tanglewood Outpost."
"Are you insane?" Mom said. She pulled the Forest Orb from the pouch on her belt. "This was being studied by one of your own scientists when it reacted."
Three of the four members of the High Council reared back with their hands up to ward off whatever they thought Mom was going to do. Dad stared at Mom. Looked like she was wrong. There was going to be a fight. "Put that away, Lady Belladonna," Dad said, his voice even and unemotional.
Mom glared at him a full three seconds before putting the Forest Orb back in her pouch. "So that's how it's going to be."
Jackson, Luna, and the fourth councilor, Maria Mason, relaxed, but still looked uneasy. "Please tell us the significance of the Forest Orb," Jackson said. "Queen Anza wasn't very forthcoming with information, only demanding that it be returned."
Mom retold the story she told me in the hover-truck about the amount of influence, as well as the abilities of the Forest Orb to affect forested regions.
"If what you say is true," Maria said, "then why was the Forest Orb in a cavern in the desert?" Dad must have told the other council members how the Wolfdroids and I found it.
"Queen Callista had it put there," Mom said. "To keep it out of Anza's hands, knowing she'd do something like this."
"Like what?" Dad said.
"Challenge the Archers to dominate the Amazonian Council."
The councilors exchanged looks amongst themselves. Dad turned to Mom and said, "We've seen what the Forest Orb can do. You say the other Amazon tribes have similar Orbs?"
"They do."
"With similar capabilities?" said Luna.
"Yes."
"Bring the Orb to me," Jackson said.
"No," said Mom.
Jackson shook his head as if to clear it, like he hadn't understood what Mom said. "I said, bring it to me."
"I heard you just fine, Councilor, but apparently you didn't hear me. I said no."
"Explain yourself," Maria Mason said. "You stand before the High Council of Arcadia Station, and you will answer to us."
"I am not a citizen of your station, councilor. I am of the royal House of Tanglewood, here as an ambassador, not to be ordered about, and give up an artifact of my people."
"Lady Belladonna," Luna began.
"No, I agree," Dad said. "We asked her here to provide information and insight into the Amazonian council power struggle. She has done so. We can't ask much more of her. It seems that if Queen Callista wanted that green ball locked away, it was for a good reason. What I know of Queen Anza, she was right to do so."
"Thank you," Mom said.
"My guess would be she locked it in that chamber in the desert so its power would be lessened. Take its power out of the equation when dealing with the other tribes, relying on her own intelligence, if I knew Callista at all. I see no reason to go against those wishes."
"Your understanding of the situation is correct," Mom said.
"I would like my daughter and her three friends to accompany you to hide that Orb wherever you can, and I wish you would do it soon. Queen Anza is supposed to be coming tomorrow to discuss its return, and I would like to look her straight in the eye and tell her I don't know where it is, and tell the absolute truth when I do it."
Mom smiled a soft smile just for Dad, which he returned.
"Councilor Dawson, you overreach your authority," Jackson said.
"I disagree," Luna said. "I side with Dawson on this."
"As do I," Maria said. "Which brings the vote to 3-1." She turned to Mom. "Lady Belladonna, go with luck."
We left the chambers. I could feel the questions from me and the boys ready to spill over, but knew we needed to get moving. As soon as we were out of the chamber, I turned to them with my hands up. "No questions until we are in the air." All three Wolfdroids closed their mouths, then nodded in turn. "Great. Let's go."
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