“I can’t accept this,” Juna said. “It’s too much!”
Quang Nguyen folded her hands around their gift.
“Please,” he said. “You are a remarkable woman. This is a barely adequate tribute to all you have done. We wished to thank you for the honor you have done us in considering our proposal of marriage.”
If he were Yang’s age, and unpaired, Juna realized, it would have been much harder to refuse the Xavieras’ proposal. She looked up and saw Abeo’s eyes on her, and realized that Abeo knew this too. The knowledge chilled her.
“Thank you, Quang Nguyen,” Juna said. “You honor me with this gift.”
Just then a little girl in a white uniform came out and rang a dinner gong, rescuing Juna from this awkward conversation.
“Dinner is served,” she announced, and the thick tension of the moment evaporated.
Conversation over dinner was light and inconsequential.
“So,” Quang Nguyen said, as the children served dessert and poured tea into translucent porcelain cups. “Have you decided whether you will you do our family the honor of marrying us?”
“Yes, Quang Nguyen, I have,” Juna replied. Her hands were sweaty with nervousness. “Though I am deeply honored by your proposal, I am sorry to say that I must refuse your offer.”
A light seemed to go out of Quang Nguyen’s eyes. His visible disappointment surprised Juna. “I am very sorry to hear that, Juna. May I ask why?”
“Someone placed a listening device in my room,” she said.
Quang Nguyen’s eyes flicked to Abeo and back again, so swiftly that if Juna hadn’t been looking for it, she might have missed it.
“On behalf of the entire family, I apologize for this insult.” His eyes were hard and bright with anger, and Juna realized that he could be a formidable adversary.
“It wasn’t just the microphone,” Juna told him. “There are other reasons as well. The Tendu and I must remain as neutral as possible. Tying myself to your family would interfere with that neutrality. And I prefer a marriage of affection to one of convenience. It is possible that I might have found someone to pair with, but— ” She shrugged. “Were the circumstances different, I would have accepted your offer, but if the circumstances were different, I think the offer would never have been made.”
“Dr. Saari,” Abeo said, “I appreciate your tact in not mentioning my role in this, but it is not necessary. I like you, Juna Saari, and I’m truly sorry that this has come between us. But the Xavieras are a wealthy and powerful family, and we have enemies. I wished to keep my family safe. If you would like, we will destroy the recordings before your eyes. There is nothing particularly revealing on them.”
“That will not be necessary,” Juna told her. She admired Abeo, despite the invasion of their privacy. She, too, was sorry that this had come between them.
“I am most sorry that you cannot accept our offer,” Quang Nguyen said. “Despite this unfortunate incident, I hope you will consider our family as your friends. If there is ever anything that we can do for you, please ask, and if it will not harm our interests, we will do it.”
“Thank you, Quang Nguyen,” Juna replied. “Your friendship does us honor.”
He laid a hand on her arm. “Juna,” he said, “I want you to understand something. We are not attempting to set up a quid pro quo arrangement here. We are asking for something much deeper. The Tendu have much to give humanity, but there are powerful forces allied against you. They are afraid of the challenge and the changes that the Tendu bring with them. The Xaviera family does not want these people to succeed, and we are willing to commit our resources to stopping them. Do you understand?”
She looked into his dark, almond-shaped eyes. She could see only truth there. “Yes, Quang Nguyen, I do.”
“The Tendu will remember that you have offered your help,” Ukatonen declared.
“Thank you, Ukatonen,” Quang Nguyen said. “We are grateful.”
Ukatonen inclined his head graciously. It was a gesture he had learned from Quang Nguyen, but it fit him well.
“We have been trying to visit Earth,” Ukatonen said, “but we cannot get permission. Is this something that the Xavieras can help us with?”
“I will see to this,” Abeo volunteered. “I’ll will put Raoul on it. He enjoys this kind of thing,” she told her husband.
“Thank you, Abeo,” Juna said. “We appreciate it.”
“I will tell Raoul to hurry,” Abeo went on. “In a few months, your pregnancy will interfere with your ability to travel. And you should have time to spend with your child when it’s born.”
Her dark face lit up with a fond smile. “Having a baby is such a pleasure, especially the first time. Don’t let anyone or anything come between you and that baby for the first six months, longer if you can possibly manage it.”
Juna nodded. “Don’t worry, [[‹I’m taking my full child-leave.]] The rest of the world can go hang.”
Ukatonen walked with Eerin and their security detail down the hall to their meeting with the hospital staff. He thought of the Xavieras’ compound and a faint mist of regret clouded his skin. It was too bad that they could not stay there, but Eerin was right. Despite the powerful inducements that the Xavieras had to offer, they could not tie themselves to so powerful a family. Still, he was tired of this cold, dry station, and the continual presence of security escorts. They kept him from meeting people, and learning what they thought, which was an important part of an enkar’s work. He hoped that Eerin could figure out a way to rid themselves of their escort.
Dr. Andraia met them at the door to the conference room.
“Welcome back,” he said, as he opened the door for them. “We missed you.”
“Thank you,” Ukatonen said.
He waited while the humans settled down and the meeting got underway.
“Because of the security problems we’ve been having,” Dr. Andraia began, “we need to make some changes. We’ve made arrangements for you to be quartered here at the hospital. We’re doubling your security escort, for additional protection.”
Ukatonen let a private flicker of irritation fork down one leg, where it could not be seen.
“Why do we need so much security?” he asked.
“We’re afraid that you might get hurt. Someone might try to kidnap you, or hold you hostage,” Dr. Andraia replied.
Ukatonen looked at Eerin, ears spread wide.
“He means that someone might catch you and try to keep you against your will,” she explained.
“Like taming an animal?” Moki asked.
Eerin shook her head. “No, they want to keep you because you’re valuable, because they think they can get things from the government by threatening to harm you.”
“Or someone might simply want to kill you,” Dr. Andraia put in. “The hospital has already received a number of death threats against you.”
Ukatonen was puzzled. “Why would they try to do such a thing? Have I harmed anyone without realizing it?”
“By coming here and healing the sick and injured, you have given people who had no hope a chance at a miracle. But it is a very scarce miracle. You can only heal a fraction of the people who need it. That is what makes you so valuable as a hostage,” Dr. Andraia explained. “Dying people are desperate people, and some of them will resort to violence in order to get your help.”
“I don’t understand,” Ukatonen said.
“You’re doing things that are completely beyond our medical capabilities. That is what makes you so valuable, and why we need the security guards to protect you.”