The four crew members of the Manessa Kwi, currently in reptile form, walked from the scene of the last fight, and Sata’s strange disclosure, toward their sleeping cave near the main cavern.
Mati smiled at a young lizard who had been friendly when they tended mushrooms together, but received only a brief icy stare.
Boro waved to one of his shmur-drinking buddies, but the other male hissed and walked away.
Sata greeted an older female who had helped make the potion the evening before, but the female turned away and began talking with someone else about grubs.
Once in their sleeping cave, they huddled close and spoke softly.
“I . . . I blew it, didn’t I?” Sata asked with a trembling voice. “First I was in heat, and came very close to mating with . . . anyone. Then I told the one thing I wasn’t supposed to tell, ever.”
“I . . . don’t know,” Rini replied.
Mati smiled with sympathy.
Boro was tempted to confirm Sata’s suspicion that she had made huge mistakes, but decided to remain silent.
After a long pause, Mati said, “Actually, I don’t care. If they can’t handle the truth, that’s their problem. I just wanna go home, so we either have to figure out why they don’t like any of the desert planets they’ve been offered, or just survive another . . .” She looked at Rini.
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 201
“Fifty-six
days.”
Mati rolled her eyes again. “With me and Sata going in and out of heat, and Boro and Rini bleeding half the time, trying to protect us, I’m not sure we’re gonna make it.”
“But we never have time to figure out what kind of home they want!” Sata blurted out with frustration. “Now, because of my stupid mistake, they won’t even talk to us.”
The other three were silent for a long moment, but eventually had to nod agreement.
The grub collecting teams departed without the newcomers, mushroom gardens were tended as usual, and cactus fruit was gathered and cleaned as it had been every day since long before any of the reptiles could remember.
Rini worked up the courage to humbly approach the food storage caves, but found several large males guarding them, and was chased all the way back to the group’s sleeping cave.
The four outcasts talked quietly or dozed for the rest of the day. Sata carried her shame like a great weight, until late in the afternoon when Mati hissed at her. “The only way they would have accepted us, in the long run, is if you and me both mated, laid eggs, and hatched out lots of little lizards.”
“She’s right,” a young reptilian voice came from above them.
They all looked up. A half-grown orange female perched on a rock shelf near the ceiling. As soon as she had their attention, she tossed down a dried gourd with a hinged lid.
Boro caught it, looked inside, and discovered lots of wiggling grubs.
“It’s not a feast, but it’s all I could get without making them suspicious.”
“Thank you!” Mati said softly.
“Most of the people are scared and just want you to go away. Some, mostly males, want to kill you, or at least . . . you know . . . two of you. A few people
. . . very few . . . mostly my friends . . . want to talk to you about this . . . star thing . . . and how you could help us.”
“The ones who want to kill us . . .” Boro began, “how soon do you think they’ll . . .”
“Probably tonight. There’s a little tunnel up here that leads to the outside,
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 202
but only three of you will fit.”
Boro nodded with understanding.
“I have to go tend mushrooms. There are insect caves higher on the mountain where the grown-ups never go. The grubs are small, but they’ll keep you alive.” She turned and vanished into the rocks.
Boro passed out the precious gift of grubs as they all pondered the situation.
Crouching between rocks at the entrance to their sleeping cave, Rini kept an eye on the cavern as nearly three hundred reptiles gathered for their evening meal. The mood was tense, he reported, with whispering and grumbling among the males, and repeated glances in their direction.
While Rini kept watch, Mati and Sata tried the little tunnel near the ceiling. Sata scraped herself a little, but could get through.
After they returned, Boro stuck his head in, then sighed. “I’ll have to fight my way through the cavern. Right after they eat, they get a big drink of water, and are slow . . .”
“We know,” the other three assured him.
Boro chuckled. “This feels good now that we know what we’re doing, and have a plan.”
Mati nodded. “We’ll wait at the big boulder near the insect caves.
Remember, you won’t be protecting anyone, so just get away as fast as you can.”
Boro blinked. “If I can catch them off-guard, I might get through without a scratch.”
With all the details of the escape plan set, they fell silent. Rini reported that the meal was drawing to a close, and some were heading down to the water cave. A few young males crept near the sleeping cave, still attracted by Mati’s scent, but older males warned them away.
Suddenly Rini frowned. “Not all the large males were at the evening meal
. . .”
NEBADOR Book Six: Star Station 203
Deep Learning Notes
Shunning is a time-honored method of expressing social displeasure. In its simplest form, all those who are “in” pretend the one who is “out” doesn’t exist. The goal is usually to make the shunned person change their ways and re-join the group. In a more extreme situation, the goal is to make the shunned person so uncomfortable they leave. In a modern society where violence is illegal, it is often the only method a group can use to get rid of an undesirable person, so the practice has a long history in most religions. In a more primitive environment where dangers lurk just outside the boundaries of the community, shunning can be a death sentence unless the shunned person is very self-reliant. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel contains an excellent example.
Being “half-grown” seems to be a point in life that allows more insight and flexibility of thought than at any other time. The author receives his most honest feedback from people in the 8-12 age range. Enough of them (especially girls) are out of “childhood,” but are not yet fully enmeshed in the loyalties and concerns of adulthood.
When Rini noticed that there were fewer large males at dinner than usual, what was he fearing?