put in jeopardy too. Including Okil’s.
“Darl, what will happen if your people find out about Charlie?”
His face was hard to read. The colours skimming his skin, out of control, were not. That bad . Maybe she should put an end to this; with no tag she would be hard to track. Perhaps she should take Charlie and run for it, and allow Okil and Darl to go back to their planet with Reja. She wanted her friend to be safe, which she might no longer be on Earth, because it was very likely that she had become involved in this too. If anyone had been watching her apartment, when they couldn’t locate Tikki, they might question, or torture, Reja for information.
Darl spoke quietly, his voice as reassuring as any good doctor’s should be. “Tikki, the best thing is if we go to Karal and then try to work out what is happening. It may be that you have to return here, although the Karal don’t usually let people leave once they have touched down on the planet. And I know you may think I am being entirely selfless, but that is not true. From what you have said, my people may be in danger.”
“You believe what Harri said? You really think they may try to start a war with Karal.”
He laughed. “Not a war. No. But let’s just say that there are ways they could try to control us. The fact your President is asking for space cruisers, for one. I don’t believe he intends to simply search for new planets. And if he does, he will also need our wormhole technology, which the Hier Council will never share. We cannot let ourselves be exposed to your species.”
“I never thought I would ever be caught up in something like this.”
“No? Even though your sister was?”
“My sister? Elissa?”
“I wondered if you knew. Now this must stay between us. She doesn’t know what we know. I think for her peace of mind it should stay that way, unless she chooses to tell you. But I think that you need to know all the facts to be able to put the pieces all together.”
“Know what?”
“Elissa worked for the resistance. She was in fact responsible for the deaths of two Karalians. Well, that is a little strong. She organised the demonstration against Karalians, but Harri, the man who was at your apartment, used her and planted a bomb.”
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“Because she was scared, ashamed. Guilty. It was why she was brought to Karal.”
“All this time I never knew.” Tikki shook her head. Did she really know anything, or anyone? All of this stuff had been happening right under her nose, and yet she hadn’t seen it. Her sister, and then Sienna. Secret lives, double lives, and she had been completely in the dark.
“Do you think that is the reason Charlie was given to me to be looked after? It was not only my friendship with Sienna, but because of Elissa too. Because she walked away from the resistance once she saw who they really were.”
“There may be some connection. But we may never know.”
“Unless I ask Elissa?”
“I don’t think that is a good idea. I am going to persuade Okil that the secret of the boy stays with us.”
“More secrets, more lies.”
“I’m afraid so. The less people who know, the better. I trust Elissa, I really do. But her child is growing in her, and I don’t want any of this to jeopardise her or the baby. We will work it out. We have access to the data we need; leave it to me and Okil.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you, or Okil. I know you are risking your lives.”
“Not our lives. There has never been an execution on Karal.”
“Not even for treason?”
Darl shook his head. “No. And this is not treason. We are doing this for our planet, for our people.” He smiled at her, and the colour red flew across his skin. “I know how much Okil loves you, Tikki. I am relieved to see you love him in return.”
“Did you think I was playing him to get to Karal?”
“It had crossed my mind. I know how much you wanted
“Darl, what will happen if your people find out about Charlie?”
His face was hard to read. The colours skimming his skin, out of control, were not. That bad . Maybe she should put an end to this; with no tag she would be hard to track. Perhaps she should take Charlie and run for it, and allow Okil and Darl to go back to their planet with Reja. She wanted her friend to be safe, which she might no longer be on Earth, because it was very likely that she had become involved in this too. If anyone had been watching her apartment, when they couldn’t locate Tikki, they might question, or torture, Reja for information.
Darl spoke quietly, his voice as reassuring as any good doctor’s should be. “Tikki, the best thing is if we go to Karal and then try to work out what is happening. It may be that you have to return here, although the Karal don’t usually let people leave once they have touched down on the planet. And I know you may think I am being entirely selfless, but that is not true. From what you have said, my people may be in danger.”
“You believe what Harri said? You really think they may try to start a war with Karal.”
He laughed. “Not a war. No. But let’s just say that there are ways they could try to control us. The fact your President is asking for space cruisers, for one. I don’t believe he intends to simply search for new planets. And if he does, he will also need our wormhole technology, which the Hier Council will never share. We cannot let ourselves be exposed to your species.”
“I never thought I would ever be caught up in something like this.”
“No? Even though your sister was?”
“My sister? Elissa?”
“I wondered if you knew. Now this must stay between us. She doesn’t know what we know. I think for her peace of mind it should stay that way, unless she chooses to tell you. But I think that you need to know all the facts to be able to put the pieces all together.”
“Know what?”
“Elissa worked for the resistance. She was in fact responsible for the deaths of two Karalians. Well, that is a little strong. She organised the demonstration against Karalians, but Harri, the man who was at your apartment, used her and planted a bomb.”
“Oh my goodness,” she whispered. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“Because she was scared, ashamed. Guilty. It was why she was brought to Karal.”
“All this time I never knew.” Tikki shook her head. Did she really know anything, or anyone? All of this stuff had been happening right under her nose, and yet she hadn’t seen it. Her sister, and then Sienna. Secret lives, double lives, and she had been completely in the dark.
“Do you think that is the reason Charlie was given to me to be looked after? It was not only my friendship with Sienna, but because of Elissa too. Because she walked away from the resistance once she saw who they really were.”
“There may be some connection. But we may never know.”
“Unless I ask Elissa?”
“I don’t think that is a good idea. I am going to persuade Okil that the secret of the boy stays with us.”
“More secrets, more lies.”
“I’m afraid so. The less people who know, the better. I trust Elissa, I really do. But her child is growing in her, and I don’t want any of this to jeopardise her or the baby. We will work it out. We have access to the data we need; leave it to me and Okil.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you, or Okil. I know you are risking your lives.”
“Not our lives. There has never been an execution on Karal.”
“Not even for treason?”
Darl shook his head. “No. And this is not treason. We are doing this for our planet, for our people.” He smiled at her, and the colour red flew across his skin. “I know how much Okil loves you, Tikki. I am relieved to see you love him in return.”
“Did you think I was playing him to get to Karal?”
“It had crossed my mind. I know how much you wanted
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