Pilgrims Page 9

  Jealous and angry, Utz waited till the castle was built and then crashed through it, playing monster.

  Mitzi ran away crying.

  Meanwhile, Fritz had jumped on him in their first real fist fight.

  After that, Utz found other island children to play with and left Mitzi and Fritz to themselves. They were inseparable that holiday and every holiday after that. Utz and Mitzi tolerated each other for Fritz’s sake because Fritz desperately wanted them to be friends.

  When the boys turned thirteen, and their father, King Seehafer, had announced Fritz and Mitzi were to be engaged, no one was surprised. The engagement party was lavish and full of merriment. They wouldn’t be wed until they were both eighteen, but this sealed the alliances and gave King Seehafer control over the crucial Jewel Islands. They were in the middle of a growing trade route, and before the alliance, they had paid heavily for the Jewel Islands to be a refueling station for their ships. With this alliance, everything would be renegotiated.

  However, only a week after the engagement, Fritz died in a cave when a quake dislodged a slab of the ceiling, and it crushed him. Mitzi and Utz mourned together, sobbing and clinging to each other at Fritz’s funeral. With Dad so stoic, Utz had nowhere else to turn. He spent time with Mitzi, but when the grief subsided, he realized that he still didn’t like her.

  Then Dad did the unthinkable. He told Utz that he and Hideaki agreed: Mitzi would now betroth Utz.

  Fritz wasn’t gone but six months when another celebration was held. He remembered the binding ceremony, how Mitzi looked so forlorn as she walked down the aisle toward him. Wispy tendrils of hair framed her gaunt face, and fragrant beche blooms were woven into the braids. She was so achingly beautiful that he thought maybe everything would work out. He could spend a lifetime with someone so regal. Just as she stepped onto the dais, she slipped and almost fell. A look of fatigue passed over her face.

  We should’ve waited longer, he thought. It’s too soon for her.

  But she brightened, and Utz thought it would be okay.

  Hideaki was resplendent in a white and floral sarong; he was covered with beche flower necklaces and had beches in his own hair. Hideaki’s big hand put Mitzi’s small one into Utz’s hand. Somehow, Utz got through the ceremony without embarrassing everyone.

  But afterward the smell of beches always reminded him of Mitzi and how she looked up at him with bewilderment and quietly moaned, “You’re not Fritz.”

  Yet another way he had failed his father.

  Utz walked softly until his shadow fell across the sand castle. “Hello.”

  Mitzi whirled with a bright expression. “You!” Her brown eyes widened with shock.

  Utz winced. That expression meant she was unhappy to see him. Quickly, he explained, “I’m here on business.”

  Mitzi turned back to her sand castle and patted down one side. Without looking at him, she said, “We heard the Earthlings were coming to search for umjaadi. Why did you come?”

  Utz said nothing. Instead, he sat in the sand beside the castle and watched her work in silence. As the minutes stretched, the peaceful surroundings penetrated, and he stretched out his legs and leaned back on his hands to enjoy the sun and wind.

  Finally, she spoke: “Those are worthless starfish, you know.”

  With a sigh, he pulled his knees up and hugged them. Quietly, he explained, “But they hold the key to an illness in the Phoke, the Earthling race that lives in their oceans. We need the Phoke to be our allies.”

  Mitzi sat back on her heels, tilted her head and considered. “These Phoke, do they have gills and breathe water?”

  “No,” Utz said. “Different anatomy, but I’m not sure how. You’ll have to ask Dr. Mangot or Captain Bulmer about that.”

  Now, Mitzi glared straight at Utz. “So, have you come for me? Are you taking me off-planet with you?”

  Again, Utz winced. Her words stung. He should be here to rescue his fiancée, and of course, he didn’t want her to die when the planet imploded. But he also didn’t want to be tied to this engagement. Conflicting emotions swirled, and he wanted to run away, to avoid this confrontation forever. He forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Gruffly, he asked, “Where’s your father?”

  “Out fishing. Trying to catch a mundy.”

  Utz grunted his understanding. It was hard for him to ask her, but he needed help. “Could you, or your Dad, arrange for someone to bring us a basket of food? And can you come up and show me things in the kitchen so we can take care of ourselves?”

  She hesitated.

  Utz understood. The whole world was going to blow up soon. Why should she work when the beach and the water called her? And like him, she had no loyalty to this engagement.

  But she agreed, “Yes.”

  They stopped at the village quickly for Mitzi to talk to a couple people. The houses had woven mat walls that rolled up to open to let in the wind. The thatched roofs made them blend in with the jungle foliage. She stopped another girl who was wearing a red bikini top and a sarong skirt, and quickly explained the supplies she needed. “Nola, could you bring them up to the resort?”

  The girl wore an eye-patch, and when she saw Utz looking, she said, “Infection last month. We had nothing to treat it and no way to get anything. I’m blind in that eye now.”

  Utz’s stomach gripped in sympathy, but it was a story he’d heard everywhere in the last six months. Medical problems were ignored because, well, in the face of utter destruction, an eye infection counted for little.

  The girl nodded, and with arrangements made, they turned back to the path toward the Crown Jewel. Climbing the slope, side by side with Mitzi, he could almost imagine that he was Fritz, and this was how life had meant to be.

  The Earthlings were all on the porch, resting in the deep shade. Spotting them, Jake stood immediately, impatient as always.

  “We’ve got some things worked out,” Utz said. He blinked in the darkness of the porch, his eyes taking a minute to adjust. “This is Mitzi Adams. Her father, Hi, owns the island.” He hesitated, glanced at her, and then down at his bare feet. The tops were covered with white sand. “She’s, um, my fiancée.”

  “Oh!” Jake said, obviously surprised.

  Utz sighed. He’d almost said, “My brother’s friend.” She wasn’t his friend. Never was. But officially, she was his fiancée.

  Ignoring the curious looks, Utz forged onward. “They’ll get us started, and they don’t mind us using the resort. But no maids or cooks.”

  Utz introduced the team, who each stood up and shook Mitzi’s hand—a very Earth-like gesture that embarrassed her. By Jake’s turn, she had firmly placed her hands behind her back.

  Jake just nodded and asked, “Is there any way we can get some breakfast? I’m starving.”

  Mitzi shrugged. “None of the villagers are interested in serving anymore.”

  Utz said, “If the islanders help us, it’ll be out of kindness, not from any payment we might offer.” He asked Mitzi again, “Do you mind showing me where things are?”

  Mitzi looked at Utz and her face softened. “I’ll help you.”

  She was staring at him with a raw yearning.

  He’d seen that look on the face of people in Killia, a desperate grasping for life. Utz didn’t like it, but they had to take advantage of Mitzi’s interest in getting off-planet, because they had to eat while on the island.

  Nola marched up the steps. She held a large basket that appeared to be full of food: pineapples, eggs, bread and more.

  Jake gawked at the beautiful girl. Utz wanted to tell him that all the islander girls looked like this, but stopped himself. Why spoil a good surprise?

  “Here, Mitzi.” Her voice was low and melodic. Glistening dark hair fell like a waterfall to mid back while she moved gracefully. When she turned, though, so that Jake saw her eye patch, he gaped anew. Then, awkwardly, he looked away.

  Mitzi turned and took the basket. “Thanks. Want to help me cook some breakfast for them?
”

  The girl shook her head. “Nah. Everyone else is going sailing. See you later.”

  She waved and turned away toward the beach path.

  Mitzi shrugged and said ironically, “Hard to get good help these days.”

  Utz said, “We can cook for ourselves if you want to go sailing.”

  “No, I’ll visit with you. Why don’t you come in the kitchen and help?” She turned to the rest of the group. “Just pick out a room, we don’t care. You won’t have any maid service, but you’re welcome to use the washing machine. Hmmm. If you want hot water, you’ll have to fill the cistern and let the sun warm it up.”

  Jake shook his head. “It’s OK. A cool shower will feel great.”

  An hour later, they gathered in the dining room, ready to make plans. Utz had explained to Mitzi that they needed to find a breeding pair of umjaadi starfish.

  When they were all served a simple meal of fruit and cheese, Mitzi sat down with them to discuss the situation. “The seas are erratic now,” she said. “You never know where a new vent will start pouring out magma. The water temperatures are already five to ten degrees above normal across the planet, with hotter spots here and there. Some marine animals can’t take it. We’ve had massive die-offs of several species.”

  Dr. Mangot speared a piece of pineapple and leaned forward. “Do you know where the umjaadi did live? We could start there.”

  “I’ll ask my father,” Mitzi said. “He might know.”

  “Can we do that soon?” Dr. Mangot insisted.

  “No, he’s out fishing. He’s always sworn that he’d catch a prize mundy fish, so he’s been spending a lot of time on that.”

  At Jake’s puzzled look, she added, “It’s a popular sporting fish that can be taller than a man.”

  Utz swallowed. What things had he vowed to do before he died? Nothing really. He was just 14—startled, he realized that his birthday was on March 1, and he’d be 15. He couldn’t blame Mitzi’s dad for being so interested in something like catching a big fish. You should you fill your last days with family and friends and fishing.

  Blake asked, “Are there boats we can use? Maps?”

  “Sure, we can do that much,” Mitzi said. “But we have little gasoline, so it’s row boats or sail boats.”

  Captain Bulmer suggested, “Let’s just go to the beach this afternoon, snorkel a bit and get our bearings. We’ll check out the boats and gear so we can be out early tomorrow.”

  “We’re moving too slow,” murmured Dr. Mangot. But, with a shrug, she added, “Don’t see how we can do it faster, though.”

  The Umjaadi Starfish

  They spent the afternoon at the beach getting set up. Captain Bulmer and Mitzi checked out the available sail boats, while Utz swam and Blake snorkeled to get an idea of visibility and any other parameters that might affect their dives. Jake helped Dr. Mangot with chemical testing of the waters, an important data point for her research.

  That evening, Utz took Blake and Jake along as he went looking for Hideaki Adams, the owner of the island resort. They needed more information on the umjaadi starfish, so they could plan their dives.

  The village, a group of thatch-roofed houses, lay north of the resort. It was easy to find the villagers who were gathered around a bonfire on the beach. A whole animal—pig-like or calf-like—was roasting on a spit, and the smell was sharp and spicy. When they appeared in the firelight, a voice rang out, “Welcome!”

  Immediately, a crowd of people pressed around interested in Blake, who was the first Earthling they’d seen.

  “Raise up your arm,” someone called. “We want to see if you have gills.”

  Blake just wore a tank top and shorts, so he obliged them.

  “Oh! Hairy!”

  Shocked, the crowd just stared until one brave girl pushed forward to touch Blake’s hairy armpit, and then everyone wanted to.

  Utz roared. “Hey! Give us room.”

  Laughter clamored around them and several reached in to pat Blake’s shoulder.

  “Hey! Give them room!” A bearded man, large and thick, broke through the crowd. Jake smiled in surprise. Tizzalurians rarely had beards, especially such a thick one.

  Utz nodded at the man and said, “Let me introduce you to Hideaki Adams.”

  By flickering firelight, Hideaki looked nothing like his daughter. Where Mitzi was blond and fair, Hideaki was dark-haired and deeply tanned. Mitzi’s personality was pleasant, but Hideaki looked vicious. Part of that was a dark tooth at the front of his mouth, but part of it was just his physical presence. He was obviously from Seehafer stock, so his body was thick and stone-hard. The biggest difference, though, was the respect he commanded. As soon as he called for people to back off, they did.

  Jake stepped forward and said, “Sir, I am Jake Quad-de. Let me introduce Commander Rose, from the United States Navy, of the United States on Earth.”

  Blake stuck out his hand, so Hi shook it.

  “Come and sit,” Hi said. “We’ll talk.”

  “Excuse me,” Utz said. “I’ll say hello to Mitzi and be right back.” He nodded at the girl on the edge of the crowd.

  They nodded and followed Hideaki to seaweed lounge chairs near the fire. Someone handed them cool drinks, a sweet fruit punch made from unknown fruits.

  “How can I help you?” Hi said. He lay back on the lounge chair and closed his eyes.

  Is he listening? Jake wondered.

  Blake talked confidently, though, and Jake translated for him. “We are looking for the umjaadi starfish. We had one of the glow star globes, and it accidentally broke contaminating at least one waterway on Earth. It’s caused a severe illness in the Phoke.”

  “I know that much,” Hi said without opening his eyes.

  “We’d like to catch a couple breeding pairs of the starfish,” Blake said.

  “Hmm. Do you think it will help?” Hi asked.

  “No idea,” Blake said. “But the Phoke doctor thinks it will.”

  “Female starfish are easy to catch. This time of year, you’ll find them in about 50 feet of water anywhere off the islands.” His voice was deep, gruff, and almost sounded like he was angry. “It’s the males that are hard to find. They live deeper and only come up at night to find food. Since they are a dark maroon, almost black color, they are hard to see. It’s like a black ghost fish in a black sea. The only time we manage to catch males is during spawning time when they join the females in shallow waters. For you, since you don’t know our seas, it’ll be impossible.”

  Impossible! Jake wished that Hi had lied to them, had allowed them to hope. They’d come so far—half a galaxy—to find a cure for the umjaadi illness. They were so close. And now, Hi dashed their hopes of finding the starfish quickly, if they could find it at all. If these islanders couldn’t find the male starfish, how would they?

  Jake could see now that they were fools on a fool’s errand. They had expected to waltz into a foreign environment, grab what they needed immediately, and leave. Tasks were always more complicated than he expected.

  “Is there any bait that would help? Could we entice the males up for a special food?” Jake asked.

  Hi shrugged. “Not that I know of.”

  “Is there any way to herd them out of the depths?”

  Hi snorted. “What? You want to send a kyrra down to chase them up?”

  “Isn’t there something we can try?” Jake asked, exasperated with Hi’s answers.

  “Not that I know of. Do you want me to say it again? Not that I know of. No one has ever cared about that starfish. It’s not good to eat, and there’s nothing different about them from a thousand other species of starfish, except they can survive in a closed environment like a glow globe.”

  Jake wanted to protest, to ask more questions, to find an answer. They had to catch a male starfish so Dr. Mangot could run the right tests. He didn’t want to hear the word “impossible.”

  Dad said, “I guess we’ll catch the females tomorrow. That will leave us time
to find a way to hunt the males.”

  We’re so close, Jake wanted to moan. But it would be as foolish as thinking you could embrace the distant moon. He could see success, but he couldn’t touch it.

  They would fail. Em would die.

  For a moment, he contemplated a universe where Em no longer lived. No, that was the definition of “impossible.”

  But even the natives had trouble catching the male starfish.

  Utz appeared frowning, and almost growled, “Do you have what you need?”

  Blake looked up and blinked in surprise. “Yes.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Apparently, Utz had argued with Mitzi. Jake shoved up to his feet, ready to leave the despair about catching a male starfish. He needed time to think about what this all meant, to find a way to squirm out of this difficulty.

  “Wait.” Hi sat up and glared at Utz. “I hear that you’re going off-planet. You’re taking Mitzi, right?”

  Utz looked down and scuffed his feet in the sand.

  Frantically, Jake recounted the people who had to board Utz’s small spaceship. Oh, this was going to be bad.

  Hi rose and stepped closer to Utz. “Because,” he continued in a soft voice, “you’re engaged. She’s a priority for you. Right?”

  Utz glanced up and took a step back at the threatening bulk. “Hi,” he said, his voice pleading, “you know.”

  “Know what?”

  Utz’s voice broke. “I’m not Fritz.”

  Surprisingly, Mitzi was there to put a hand on her father’s arm. “It’s okay. I understand. I wouldn’t go with him anyway.”

  Hi looked down at her and pulled her into a fierce embrace. They stood there for a long moment, father and daughter, grieving over the loss of their way of life.

  Finally, Hi looked up and waved Utz away.

  Utz turned and trudged off toward the resort. Blake and Jake followed.