SGA fic: Gaijin, Part 14/40
Dec. 14th, 2008 10:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sam_gamgeeGaijin, Part 14/40
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
“Congratulations, Rodney-kun!” Jillian said with a grin as she came into their quarters on the evening of the first day of the tenth month festival. “You’ve been chosen to take part in the auction.”
“No Lapran has had that honor in a number of cycles,” Kirby added as he entered after her.
“Auction?” Rodney asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion. “I don’t remember an auction at the last tenth month festival.”
“They’re usually really boring. That’s probably why we didn’t mention it to you,” Jillian replied as she popped a grape-like fruit in her mouth and offered the bag of them to Rodney. “But I’m sure this year’s will be interesting with you being in it.”
Rodney looked at Kirby as he absently took a handful of the not-grapes. “So, what’s up with the auction?”
“Because of your lead in the attack against the Korsans, the other tribes are interested in your help. I don’t know in what capacity, though. I’m sure it depends on which tribe ends up winning you. But this is a great honor.”
“So you’ve said,” Rodney replied nonchalantly as he popped another piece of fruit in his mouth. “So, when’s the auction?”
“At the beginning of the third week,” Kirby replied as he began rooting through his medicine bag. “Between now and then, you’ll have the representatives from each tribe asking you questions and evaluating you to see if you’re what they’re looking for.”
“What else goes up for auction?” Rodney asked. “Any other people?”
“Usually, yes. Anyone who has distinguished themselves in some way in the past cycle is put up for auction. It’s a way for the tribes to share knowledge and services. Otherwise, there’s various type of technology, products and services – just about anything you can think of goes up for auction. Do you know what happened to the tiri leaves, Rodney-kun?” he asked in exasperation.
“We’re all out,” Rodney replied as he finished up the fruit. “You gave the last of it to Lillian for Leah’s stomach ache.” Rodney stood. “I’m going to go see if I can find Kelly so I can tell him. Would you like me to get some more while I’m out?”
“He’s with the Morykons,” Jillian supplied. “Kevin’s with them again.”
“Thanks,” Rodney replied as he pulled on his robe, not sure how to feel about that. He didn’t want to be jealous, especially of someone who would be leaving at the end of the month, if not sooner, but even with the forced separation, they still had a lot more history between the two of them than Rodney had with Kelly.
“Would you, please? Think you can find your way?” Kirby asked, looking up from his bag.
“Are things laid out the same way as last year?” Rodney asked as he pulled on his boots.
“Yes,” Kirby replied. “They stay the same every year.”
“Then I should be fine. What should I tell the Morykons?”
“Tell them I’ll settle with them tomorrow.”
Rodney nodded and headed out of their borough and into the sunlight, pausing for a moment to let his eyes adjust. He instinctively looked up to the sky as soon as they had, searching for what, he didn’t know. He entered the maze of campsites that were in various stages of disarray as they were being set up and said hello to a few people who seemed to remember him from the last festival. It was oddly comforting that they remembered him and Rodney couldn’t help but smile as he approached the Morykons’ camp.
“Good evening to the people of Morykos,” Rodney called out.
“Good evening to a son of,” there was a slight pause as an unfamiliar head stuck out of the curtain and the man’s gaze swept over Rodney, “a son of Lapras. What can I do for you?”
“Is Kelly of Lapras here?” Rodney asked.
“No, I’m sorry, he’s not. He and Kevin went for a walk. They didn’t say anything about where they were going or how long they’d be gone.”
“Who is it, Neil?” a female voice inside asked.
“It’s a Lapran, by the name of Rodney,” Neil replied, turning to look back inside the tent.
“Oh, yes,” Rodney heard the woman reply. “He’s Kelly’s bound friend. Let him in and then go make sure Joseph isn’t wrecking the vases.”
Neil turned back to Rodney and said, “Please, come in,” opening the curtain for Rodney to enter.
Rodney entered gratefully, glad to be out of the awkward situation. “Hello,” he paused for a moment, trying to remember the name of the woman in front of him. “Natalia?” he asked.
She nodded with a smile as she approached him. “It’s good to see you again, Rodney of the Laprans.” She put a hand on his cheek and smiled at him affectionately and Rodney returned the gesture. “You look well.”
“So, um, so do you,” Rodney replied, trying to remember the way pleasantries had started last year. “Has the cycle treated you well?”
She gave a slight nod. “It has. I have two new grandchildren.”
“I hope they are healthy. I, um,” Rodney blushed. “I got engaged.”
Natalia grinned. “Congratulations. I wish many blessings on you and your wife.”
“Thank you,” Rodney replied. “So, I gather Kelly and Kevin aren’t here.”
Natalia looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry, but they left just before you arrived. I’m surprised the three of you didn’t see each other. You’re welcome to stay here and wait if you’d like. I doubt they’ll be long. Kevin knows he has duties to attend to.”
“If you don’t mind, I do have a bit of business to attend to with you. Kirby needs some more tiri leaves.”
“Not a problem,” Natalia replied pleasantly. “And should I assume he said he’d settle with me tomorrow?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Let me go get some,” she said as she headed to the curtain obstructing the view of the next room. “I’ll give you some now to hold his patient over until morning and I’ll give him the rest tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Natalia.”
She disappeared into the other room and Rodney looked around, taking in the surprisingly familiar surroundings. He heard people moving about outside and listened intently for Kelly’s voice. He finally heard it as Natalia came back into the common room and he inwardly sighed in relief as he thanked her and took the leaves, stowing them in an inside pocket of his robe.
Kelly and Kevin entered, laughing, and Rodney felt a slight pang of jealousy at how easily they were able to fall back into their old routine. They both noticed Rodney at the same time and Kelly grinned.
“Rodney-chan!” he said, immediately crossing to him. “I was hoping I’d see you tonight, but I thought you had to help Kirby-sensei.”
“No,” Rodney replied. “It was pretty quiet tonight, so Kirby-sensei didn’t take me with him.”
“I wish I had known so I wouldn’t have had to answer all of Kevin’s questions about what you’ve been doing this past cycle and you could have done it yourself.”
“It’s good to see you again, Rodney,” Kevin added, closing the distance between them and touching Rodney’s face with his hands in greeting. Rodney returned the gesture a little uneasily. “From what Kelly’s said, you’ve had a wonderful cycle. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.”
“Thank you,” Rodney replied. “I still can’t quite believe it’s going to happen.”
“And he’s been courting her for most of the past cycle and becoming engaged has been a definite time user for most of that time,” Kelly added.
“I don’t know if I’d say *that*,” Rodney replied.
“But Jaelyn is a good woman and I’m sure she’ll make you a good wife,” Kevin replied. He glanced at Natalia, who had busied herself making dinner. “I better go finish my duties. I’ll talk to you both later. It was good seeing you both.”
After they exited the tent, Kelly said, “I really am sorry I didn’t double-check with you about what you were doing, Rodney-chan.”
“Don’t worry about it, Kelly,” Rodney replied. “I’m glad you got to spend some time alone with him. Just because things have changed doesn’t mean you should disregard what you were to each other.” He gave Kelly a reassuring smile. “And I’m sure that if you didn’t do it, at some point I would have made you.”
As they walked along and greeted people, stopping to talk to each other, Rodney felt the apprehension and jealous seep out of him. He knew it was childish to feel that way about someone who wasn’t a threat, but he had to chalk it up to an old habit that hadn’t quite died yet.
“I’m sensing something’s up,” Kelly commented as they started to make their way home. “What is it?”
Rodney shrugged casually, not wanting to mention that he’d been brooding about the auction for the past few minutes.
“Come on, Rodney-chan. I know you better than that, so you might as well tell me.”
“I’ve been put into the auction,” Rodney mumbled.
Kelly grinned. “That’s great, Rodney-chan! A Lapran hasn’t been part of the auction for many cycles.”
“But I don’t want to leave Lapras,” Rodney told him. “It was hard enough adjusting to being here after having to adjust to being on Atlantis. I don’t know if I could do it again.”
“We both know you’re a surprisingly resilient person, Rodney-chan. I’m sure that if you had to relocate, you could adapt just fine. But I wouldn’t worry about it. Most times, the tribe that wins someone only wants them for a specific purpose and is more than happy to let them stay with their people.”
“And the ‘not most times’?” Rodney asked, worried.
Kelly shrugged. “Most of those times it’s because the service is location specific. And it’s not like they don’t let you – or whoever – visit your home planet and your family.”
‘Unlike all of you,’ came the unbidden and bitter thought, which Rodney quickly pushed down. “Any ideas what I might be offered for? Or is that something that’s matched up later – like, ‘Oh, they’re from Lapras, let’s ask them to make silk’?”
“The person being offered has made some sort of distinction in the past cycle and the service that is being offered – which is determined by the inter-tribal council – usually relates to whatever the person is distinctive for. So, I’d guess your offer will either be in fighting tactics or how to use the Ancestors’ technology, or possibly both.”
“And, um, have the Korsans come back?” Rodney asked quietly, glancing around to see who was around, unsure if he actually wanted to hear the answer.
“I’ve heard that they’re back, but I haven’t seen or heard from them,” Kelly replied, glancing around as well.
“Think they’ll do something now that they’re here?”
Kelly shook his head. “They wouldn’t be stupid enough to do something out in the open. The other tribes don’t know the extent of what they’ve been doing to us and that they’ve also been doing it to the Morykons and Nagdalis. And if they found out, the Korsans would face very severe penalties and would more than likely get kicked out all together from the tribal league. So it’s in their best interests to not do anything right now.”
“I’m doing my best to not say anything that would jinx our luck,” Rodney replied.
“Please don’t,” Kelly said as they entered their borough. “I think we would all like for things to stay like they’ve been this past cycle. You should probably go find Jaelyn. I’m sure she’ll want to spend time with you before the festival starts and you have everyone wanting to get to know you.”
“Yeah, I should,” Rodney replied as he stamped his boots. He grinned. “Maybe one of these days it’ll sink in that we’re actually engaged.”
“And then it’ll be after the wedding,” Kelly replied with a laugh.
“Which would figure,” Rodney replied with a laugh of his own. “I’ll see you later, Kelly.”
Rodney went into his quarters and gave Kirby the tiri leaves before taking off his robe and boots and putting them away and putting on his moccasins. He passed on Jillian’s offer of food and headed over to Jaelyn’s quarters.
As he was about to announce his presence, Jaelyn exited her family’s quarters and drew in a sharp breath of surprise when she saw him. She laughed, “I’m sorry, Rodney-chan. I didn’t see you. I was just about to come find you.”
“Well, here I am,” Rodney replied, opening his arms wide and grinning.
Jaelyn smiled. “Care to take a walk?”
“Sure,” Rodney replied.
“Have you been out to see anyone?” she asked as they started strolling along the outside edge of the commons.
Rodney nodded as he replied, “I went to the Morykons and saw Neil, Natalia and Kevin. I didn’t really talk with anyone else, though, aside from Kelly. But it looks like everything’s getting set up according to schedule. Did you want to go out and see who’s here? I’m sure your parents will let us.” He laughed. “And I’m sure your grandparents will shoo us out before your parents have a chance to answer.”
“No, it’s all right,” she replied. “I’m sure I’ll see everyone tomorrow. Besides, it’s probably best we stay out of their way so they can set up and give them a chance to get everything done by the end of the day.”
“How are you coming with your part of the wedding plans?” he asked.
“I’m working on it. I know it’s not the traditional thing to do, but would you mind terribly if I asked you for some help? I don’t know if I’ll need it, but depending on how things go with the glass orders we get in and considering I’m training an apprentice…” She trailed off and shrugged.
“Sure,” Rodney replied. “I don’t know how much help I’d be, considering how new I am to all of these marriage customs. Hell, I was bad enough trying to remember them back on Atlantis.”
“I’m sure you could do it, Rodney-chan, considering how well you’ve done with everything else you’ve set your mind to here.”
“We’ll see. I do have duties I need to attend to as well. But we’ll see how much I can get done with the auction and go from there.”
“Auction?” she asked, curious. “What about the auction?”
“Kirby told me they want me to take part in the auction this festival because of what I did in leading the offense against the Korsans.”
“Good for you,” she replied calmly and Rodney was surprised in the difference in reaction between her and everyone else.
They reached her quarters and, as Rodney started to go a second time around, she stopped at her doorway. “I think I’m going to go in, Rodney-chan. I don’t feel well.”
“What’s wrong?” Rodney asked, immediately concerned.
She waved him off. “I’m just tired. I’m sure I’ll feel fine in the morning. Good night, Rodney-chan.”
“Good night, Jaelyn,” he replied. “I hope you feel better in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
The next day, Kirby sent Rodney on a list of errands to various tribes around the encampment. For the most part, he was just calling on the different tribes and exchanging various herbs and other medicinal remedies. At first, everyone looked at him speculatively, but when they found out that he was Kirby’s apprentice, that seemed to open the doors completely for him.
And Rodney found that they warmed up to him quickly. While during the previous festival he had been content to hang in the background while Kirby handled the transactions and answered questions, and Kirby and the tradespeople from the other tribes had been willing to let him, they didn’t let him out of it this time, asking him questions about various medicines and if he could look at this or that or what could cause various bodily functions to change. Rodney answered the questions as best he could, but when the questions truly stumped him, Rodney referred them back to Kirby. On the way back to his quarters, as his head slowly stopped spinning from all the questions, he idly wondered if the questioning had begun for the auction, or if this is what Kirby normally had to deal with when he went out on his rounds during the festival.
When Rodney got back to his quarters at lunchtime, Jillian said, “You’ve already had a few people here looking for you. They’re pretty excited to get to know you better.”
“What should I do?” Rodney asked Kirby as Jillian handed him a bowl of stew.
“We told them to come by after dinner,” Kirby replied. “You can answer their questions then. That’s when most people come by to ask their questions anyway. It’s tradition for the people being auctioned to devote some time in the early evenings to allow people who might be interested in them to come question them in their quarters.”
“How many nights does this take place?”
Kirby shrugged. “As many as necessary. I’ve heard some people only have one or two nights of questioning, and others go from the beginning of the festival right up to when the auction takes place.”
Laura hailed them from outside and Rodney went to admit her. “Would you like some food?” he asked once she had entered.
“No, thank you,” she replied. “I’ve already eaten. I came to see if you were available so you could come with me to deliver some of the items we’ve made. I thought you might enjoy meeting them and getting a sense of who we made things for.”
Rodney looked to Kirby, who said, “I have nothing pressing that I need you to deal with, Rodney-kun. Besides, I think it’ll be good for you to go with Laura and meet some of your clients.”
Rodney quickly finished the rest of his stew and cleaned himself up before joining Laura at the doorway.
She laughed and shook her head as they exited and said, “Your exuberance is an endearing quality.”
Rodney smiled as he picked up one of the large bags that were waiting outside. They traveled all over the encampment and Rodney revisited practically everyone he had seen that morning as they dropped off various items. Everyone they met with was delighted with the workmanship of the items and thanked them profusely as they gave Rodney and Laura the items that Laura had previously negotiated in exchange for their work. And Rodney couldn’t help but blush when Laura told certain customers that he had been the one to make their item and they praised him for it.
On their way back to their village that evening, Laura said, “I hope you weren’t too embarrassed by what I did. I wanted to make sure you were given the credit you deserved.”
“It was just unexpected,” he replied, truthfully. And he couldn’t help but think how odd it was that once he had craved the admiration and praise of everyone around him, but now he was content with staying in the background and letting others take the credit. He wondered how much of it was due to the meditation sessions, first with Kirby and then by himself, to let go of a lot of the negative things in his past, and how much was due to the fact that the Laprans had a tendency to praise and affirm quickly and not hold grudges.
When they got back to Rodney’s quarters, Laura gave him a fair portion of the items they had been given.
“I don’t deserve all of this,” Rodney told her, looking at all the different foodstuffs, cookware, lamp oil, and clothing dye.
“It’s a fair share for the work you did, Rodney,” Laura replied. “And it’ll help you prepare for your life with Jaelyn. I’m proud of the work you’ve done and the progress you’ve made in this past cycle.”
“Thank you, Laura,” Rodney replied. “Let me know if there’s anyway I can repay you.”
Laura laughed. “I just expect you to do the same when you have your own apprentices. I need to get back to my quarters and put these things away. I’ll talk with you later about coming with me for our next set of orders, so you can learn the negotiation process. Goodnight, Kirby and Jillian.”
“It seems that you’re doing quite well for yourself,” Kirby commented as Rodney started putting things away after Laura had left. “Even after your rocky start.”
“‘Rocky start’ is putting it lightly,” Rodney commented as Jillian helped him put everything away. She took the food and oil, but wouldn’t let him give her the cookware. “Your pot’s cracked,” Rodney stated, pointing at the offending item hanging over the fire.
“And I’m getting a new one, Rodney-kun” Jillian replied, exasperated. “This is meant to be for you and Jaelyn. Besides, you earned it.”
“And I want to contribute to this family,” he replied, equally exasperated. “I feel like I’ve done nothing but take from both of you since I got here three cycles ago.”
“Rodney-kun,” Kirby said in a tone that made Rodney look at him, “please keep the cookware. We understood what we were getting into when we took you in and we did it willingly. And now that you are coming into your own, you can begin contributing to our family. But you must understand that you also need to think ahead and begin planning for your new life with Jaelyn.”
“I seem to be the only one doing it,” Rodney muttered.
Kirby and Jillian gave him a confused look, but didn’t say anything as Rodney sat down next to Jillian and she handed him a plate of food and someone hailed them from outside.
“That would be Natalia and Dom’yan,” Kirby said as he moved to admit them. Rodney put his plate aside, but Kirby said, “They won’t mind if you continue eating. Just don’t talk with your mouth full.”
‘And it’s still good to know some things don’t change cross cultures,’ Rodney thought to himself with a small chuckle as he resumed eating. Jillian gave him a curious look and he just shook his head, still smiling.
Jillian and Rodney greeted their newcomers as they entered and Rodney saw that it wasn’t just Natalia and Dom’yan, but also they each had another person from their respective tribes with them. The foursome seated themselves around the fire along with Jillian and Rodney and Kirby reseated himself next to Rodney. Jillian offered them all food, but they all declined.
“First off, Rodney,” Natalia began, “we wanted to thank you for what you did for us at the end of last festival.”
“We’re all very grateful for your courage to take on the Korsans,” Dom’yan added.
“Have they given either of your tribes any trouble since then?” Rodney asked.
All four of them shook their heads. “They haven’t even spoken to anyone from either of our tribes today,” Natalia said, “and they’ve crossed our paths a couple different times.”
Dom’yan glanced at Natalia before adding, “Our members who have seen them said that the Korsans gave them a sour look, but didn’t approach them or talk to them. They actually went out of their way to avoid them.”
“The Korsans are a highly superstitious people, though,” Kirby interjected. “They probably think that someone from one of our tribes put a curse on them. And until they figure out which tribe was responsible, they’re going to be wary of all of us.”
“This is very true,” Natalia replied. “We should gather together with the rest of your elders before the festival is over and consider a course of action if and when they do figure out who’s responsible and take a course of action.”
Kirby nodded. “I’ll talk with the rest of the elders and we’ll get in touch with all of you so we can plan our response.” He looked at Rodney. “And I’m sure Rodney will be willing to help us.”
“Of course,” Rodney replied, nodding. “I’d be happy to.”
“In that mindset, may we ask you some questions, Rodney?” Natalia asked.
“Certainly,” Rodney answered, after quickly swallowing a bite of meat. “Fire away.”
The four newcomers looked at him, confused, but Natalia recovered quickly and continued, “How did you know what to do fight off the Korsans?”
“In which respect?” Rodney asked. “Keeping them from coming to your worlds, or defending ourselves from them?”
“Both.”
Rodney shrugged casually as he balanced his plate in his lap. “I’ve worked with similar technology among my native people, so figuring out how yours worked was pretty simple. Though, I will admit that I wasn’t completely certain if it would work until the Korsans actually tried to use it. And my native people are also much more confrontational than the Laprans, so it’s necessary for everyone to have some knowledge of self-defense, as well as instigation. So, for me it was common sense to know what to do when they came. And the fact that most of the Laprans had a basic knowledge of how to use staffs, it made it easy to build on that.”
They took that in before Dom’yan asked, “Do you miss your native people?”
“*Of course* I do,” Rodney replied, “I spent most of my life among them and I had expected to live the rest of it there as well. So, obviously, getting stranded here was definitely a surprise. But, while I wish I had a chance to say good-bye to them and let them know I’m okay, I’m otherwise happy here with Kirby and Jillian and the rest of the Laprans.”
“Do you have any qualms about teaching our peoples how to fight?” Natalia asked.
“No,” Rodney responded. “I think that everyone should know how to defend themselves against the Wraith and whatever other threats may turn up.”
“How have your people fought against the Wraith?” Dom’yan asked, intrigued.
Rodney grimaced. “We’re still working out the best way to do it. Usually we do the best we can every time they attack us. But we’ve found full-on confrontation does work to some extent, even if we only take a few out at a time. I have a feeling they’re not used to their food fighting back.”
“You’re right about that,” Natalia agreed. “Your people do have a certain amount of gumption to take the Wraith head-on.”
“Or a high level of stupidity,” Dom’yan added. “Not many people would consider it a good idea to actually fight against the Wraith or take it in stride as your people seem to have done from the way you talk.”
Rodney shrugged again, his food forgotten. “I think it comes from the same place that everyone else’s decision comes from. In many cases, it makes more sense to hide or flee in order to survive being culled by the Wraith. In our case, it made more sense to fight.”
“And you certainly have a high degree of adaptability,” Natalia stated. “It sounds like your native people have a higher level of technology than the Laprans do, but you were still able to hold off the Korsans and actually make them leave without taking anything.”
Rodney felt his cheeks heat at the indirect compliment. “I feel like I did what I needed to do to protect those I care about. Any good fighter knows that you take into account what you have available and you use it as best you can.”
Rodney felt his chest tighten a bit at the sudden memory of the combat training that Elizabeth had made the entire scientist team take over their first few months in Atlantis. She had also put Sheppard in charge of handling what the scientists had to learn and who would teach them. Surprisingly, he still remembered the excited expression on Ford’s face when he taught them about explosives.
“Are you okay, Rodney-kun?” Jillian asked softly.
Rodney shook himself out of his memory. “Yeah,” he replied. “I was just reminded of something.” He looked at the delegation across from him. “Sorry. Please continue.”
Natalia and Dom’yan continued going back and forth asking him a few more questions about what he knew and telling him a bit about how their tribes worked and what sorts of suggestions he had for them, as a preventative measure, if the Korsans did in fact attack them again. Rodney was happy to help them and easily gave them his advice, while, in the back of his mind, he wondered what would happen if the Korsans figured out that a Lapran had been the one to rig their ‘Gate device so it wouldn’t dial either of the three worlds. He made a mental note to start planning for that eventuality.
Eventually, the questioning turned into more casual conversation and Rodney felt himself relax, grateful that the “interview” was finally over. While he didn’t participate in much of the conversation, Rodney enjoyed the flow of conversation around him and felt it lull him into a sleepy state, the likes of which he hadn’t felt in a very long time – if ever.
He roused when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up, bleary-eyed, to find Jillian standing over him with a warm, and slightly amused, smile. “It’s time for bed, Rodney-kun,” she said quietly.
“But what –?” He looked around, confused, for their guests.
“They’ve just left,” she replied with a chuckle. “Don’t worry – they weren’t offended. Go to bed.”
Rodney nodded sleepily and carefully made his way to bed, where he collapsed gratefully and was back asleep before his head hit the pillow.
“And why aren’t you doing this with your dad?” Rodney asked Kelly, as he helped him carry his wares to his clients.
“One of the yaks has taken sick,” Kelly replied, adjusting the strap on one of his bags. “He needed to stay with it and nurse it through. How’s the questioning coming?”
“Let’s not go there. I think some of these people are certifiably insane. I got asked if I preferred turnips or beets. I didn’t like beets before I went to Russia and even less after I ate borscht the first time. And turnips are just nasty.”
Kelly laughed. “You’re amusing when you get riled up.”
“You would be too, if you put up with some of the things I’ve had to. Isn’t it hard for you to take care of the yaks and then schlep things made from them to customers?”
Kelly shrugged. “It’s a way of life, Rodney. Do you feel the same way about the silkworms?”
Rodney gave him an ‘are you insane?’ look. “*No*. For one, I don’t work on that part of the production and another – they’re insects. While I totally respect their position in the economic stability of this world, that doesn’t mean I actually like them. The yaks, on the other hand…. You have to admit they’ve got some winning qualities when you get past the hair and the stench.”
Kelly laughed. “Okay, I’ll admit that, yes, I do become attached them. But it’s a fact of life that one day I’m going to eat them and use the rest of the remains to make life better for someone – whether that be myself or my dad, another Lapran, or someone from one of the other tribes. Just like you and your ‘insects’ do with your weaving.”
Rodney had to admit that he did admire the work Kelly and his father did with the yak remains. He knew that they used as much as possible of the animals and the resulting products were definitely works of art. It had just never hit home before that the animals he saw Kelly taking care of equaled these items and part of his diet. No wonder some people became vegetarians.
“How’re things going with Jaelyn and the wedding?” Kelly asked as they made their way home that evening.
Rodney shrugged half-heartedly. “Okay, I guess. I haven’t really seen her much this month. I’ve been doing what I can to get things ready for us to get married, but it’s tough when I want her feedback on the decisions I’m making and she’s nowhere to be found.”
“Well, I think you might get a chance now.”
Rodney followed Kelly’s gaze and saw Jaelyn and Jennifer returning from another part of the encampment. Jennifer waved to them and Kelly returned the wave.
When they met the women, Rodney asked, “Jaelyn, may I speak with you privately?”
“Sure, Rodney-chan,” she replied, smiling. They waited until Kelly and Jennifer were a few steps ahead of them. “What is it?”
“I’m just worried,” Rodney said, turning to look at her. “If you don’t want to go through with the wedding, you just have to say so.”
Jaelyn gave him an astonished look. “What makes you think that I don’t want to go through with it?”
“Well,” Rodney hesitated. “I know that the festival’s kept everyone busy with obligations and all, but I’ve hardly seen you this past week and a half and when I do see you and mention the wedding, you become evasive.”
She looked at him darkly. “Maybe I become evasive because I get enough talk of the wedding at home. That’s all my entire family talks about! Maybe I want some time where I can talk about other things – normal things.”
“Well, pardon me for not knowing that because we never talk about it!” Rodney replied sharply. “But when someone’s getting married, the tendency is to think that the person they’re getting married to would be concerned about the wedding as well!” He looked around before lowering his voice. “If you’re just staging this for everyone else’s benefit and there’s really someone else, that’s fine. I completely understand.”
“There isn’t anyone else, Rodney-chan!” she bit out harshly. “I just –” She cut herself off and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t talk about this right now.”
She strode past Kelly and Jennifer and they both turned back and looked at Rodney, perplexed. Rodney shrugged and gave them his best “your guess is as good as mine” look.
“So, what do you think of the whole questioning process?” Kelly asked as they ate dinner.
Rodney laughed. “It has its moments. I swear, some of the questions are the basis for rejected Monty Python skits, they’re so absurd. I just can’t decide who I’d like to win me. What do you think, Kelly?”
“Rodney-kun,” Kirby gently chided. “It’s not nice to talk that way – it might be considered tempting fate. Plus, it’s tacky.”
Rodney rolled his eyes. “You know I don’t really believe in that.” He turned his attention back to Kelly. “I hope it’s not the Deegans. They scare me a bit.”
“Why?” Kelly asked. “Is it because they have a reputation of using people as studs and brood mares?”
“As much as I like sex,” at Kirby’s sharp look, Rodney amended, “as much as I liked sex prior to coming here, and while I strongly believe that someone of my superior intellectual prowess should pass on their genes to the next generation, being reduced to a sperm-producing machine is a level I don’t wish to fall to.”
“Then which tribe would you like to have win you?” Jillian asked.
Rodney shrugged. “There are a few that seem to have at least some level of technology. At least one does, since they came up with the portable ‘Gate dialers. I prefer one of them, if only to use the skills I accrued prior to coming here.”
“You do realize you won’t have a final say in who gets you or what they’ll ask of you, right?” Kelly asked. “For all we know, you’ll go to one of those groups and they’ll want you to help beef up their fighting skills and then reproduce with one of them in the hopes that you’ll pass on your knowledge to them through your child.”
“Don’t worry him, Kelly,” Jillian gently reproved, at Rodney’s apprehensive look. “Don’t listen to him, Rodney-kun.”
“No, no,” he said, waving her off. “It’s probably best to get the worst-case scenario out in the open beforehand, that way I can deal with it and I can approach the situation with a better attitude and more positive outlook.”
Jillian and Kelly both laughed at that and Rodney was almost certain he also heard Kirby chuckle.
“You’ve come a long way since you first arrived here, Rodney-kun,” Kirby commented. “I’m glad to see you’ve grown to have a more positive outlook.”
“Positive?” Rodney asked, a bit of incredulity staining his tone. “I’m being realistic.” To Kelly, he said, “Okay, give me the rundown on the tribes again. If I can figure out which one I’d like to go to, maybe I can tailor my questions to them and they’ll decide to bid the most on me.”
Kirby shook his head as he stood and gave Jillian his dirty dishware. “I have to make some calls. Jillian, please don’t let them get too out of hand.”
“Will do,” Jillian replied in amusement.
When Kelly left later that night and Rodney went to bed, he felt better about his prospects with the auction, hoping that the next few days would pass quickly so he could get the auction over with. And after that, he could concentrate on dealing with whatever it was that was bothering Jaelyn. He wouldn’t let this relationship fail if he had anything to say about it.
Continue to Part 15
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
“Congratulations, Rodney-kun!” Jillian said with a grin as she came into their quarters on the evening of the first day of the tenth month festival. “You’ve been chosen to take part in the auction.”
“No Lapran has had that honor in a number of cycles,” Kirby added as he entered after her.
“Auction?” Rodney asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion. “I don’t remember an auction at the last tenth month festival.”
“They’re usually really boring. That’s probably why we didn’t mention it to you,” Jillian replied as she popped a grape-like fruit in her mouth and offered the bag of them to Rodney. “But I’m sure this year’s will be interesting with you being in it.”
Rodney looked at Kirby as he absently took a handful of the not-grapes. “So, what’s up with the auction?”
“Because of your lead in the attack against the Korsans, the other tribes are interested in your help. I don’t know in what capacity, though. I’m sure it depends on which tribe ends up winning you. But this is a great honor.”
“So you’ve said,” Rodney replied nonchalantly as he popped another piece of fruit in his mouth. “So, when’s the auction?”
“At the beginning of the third week,” Kirby replied as he began rooting through his medicine bag. “Between now and then, you’ll have the representatives from each tribe asking you questions and evaluating you to see if you’re what they’re looking for.”
“What else goes up for auction?” Rodney asked. “Any other people?”
“Usually, yes. Anyone who has distinguished themselves in some way in the past cycle is put up for auction. It’s a way for the tribes to share knowledge and services. Otherwise, there’s various type of technology, products and services – just about anything you can think of goes up for auction. Do you know what happened to the tiri leaves, Rodney-kun?” he asked in exasperation.
“We’re all out,” Rodney replied as he finished up the fruit. “You gave the last of it to Lillian for Leah’s stomach ache.” Rodney stood. “I’m going to go see if I can find Kelly so I can tell him. Would you like me to get some more while I’m out?”
“He’s with the Morykons,” Jillian supplied. “Kevin’s with them again.”
“Thanks,” Rodney replied as he pulled on his robe, not sure how to feel about that. He didn’t want to be jealous, especially of someone who would be leaving at the end of the month, if not sooner, but even with the forced separation, they still had a lot more history between the two of them than Rodney had with Kelly.
“Would you, please? Think you can find your way?” Kirby asked, looking up from his bag.
“Are things laid out the same way as last year?” Rodney asked as he pulled on his boots.
“Yes,” Kirby replied. “They stay the same every year.”
“Then I should be fine. What should I tell the Morykons?”
“Tell them I’ll settle with them tomorrow.”
Rodney nodded and headed out of their borough and into the sunlight, pausing for a moment to let his eyes adjust. He instinctively looked up to the sky as soon as they had, searching for what, he didn’t know. He entered the maze of campsites that were in various stages of disarray as they were being set up and said hello to a few people who seemed to remember him from the last festival. It was oddly comforting that they remembered him and Rodney couldn’t help but smile as he approached the Morykons’ camp.
“Good evening to the people of Morykos,” Rodney called out.
“Good evening to a son of,” there was a slight pause as an unfamiliar head stuck out of the curtain and the man’s gaze swept over Rodney, “a son of Lapras. What can I do for you?”
“Is Kelly of Lapras here?” Rodney asked.
“No, I’m sorry, he’s not. He and Kevin went for a walk. They didn’t say anything about where they were going or how long they’d be gone.”
“Who is it, Neil?” a female voice inside asked.
“It’s a Lapran, by the name of Rodney,” Neil replied, turning to look back inside the tent.
“Oh, yes,” Rodney heard the woman reply. “He’s Kelly’s bound friend. Let him in and then go make sure Joseph isn’t wrecking the vases.”
Neil turned back to Rodney and said, “Please, come in,” opening the curtain for Rodney to enter.
Rodney entered gratefully, glad to be out of the awkward situation. “Hello,” he paused for a moment, trying to remember the name of the woman in front of him. “Natalia?” he asked.
She nodded with a smile as she approached him. “It’s good to see you again, Rodney of the Laprans.” She put a hand on his cheek and smiled at him affectionately and Rodney returned the gesture. “You look well.”
“So, um, so do you,” Rodney replied, trying to remember the way pleasantries had started last year. “Has the cycle treated you well?”
She gave a slight nod. “It has. I have two new grandchildren.”
“I hope they are healthy. I, um,” Rodney blushed. “I got engaged.”
Natalia grinned. “Congratulations. I wish many blessings on you and your wife.”
“Thank you,” Rodney replied. “So, I gather Kelly and Kevin aren’t here.”
Natalia looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry, but they left just before you arrived. I’m surprised the three of you didn’t see each other. You’re welcome to stay here and wait if you’d like. I doubt they’ll be long. Kevin knows he has duties to attend to.”
“If you don’t mind, I do have a bit of business to attend to with you. Kirby needs some more tiri leaves.”
“Not a problem,” Natalia replied pleasantly. “And should I assume he said he’d settle with me tomorrow?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Let me go get some,” she said as she headed to the curtain obstructing the view of the next room. “I’ll give you some now to hold his patient over until morning and I’ll give him the rest tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Natalia.”
She disappeared into the other room and Rodney looked around, taking in the surprisingly familiar surroundings. He heard people moving about outside and listened intently for Kelly’s voice. He finally heard it as Natalia came back into the common room and he inwardly sighed in relief as he thanked her and took the leaves, stowing them in an inside pocket of his robe.
Kelly and Kevin entered, laughing, and Rodney felt a slight pang of jealousy at how easily they were able to fall back into their old routine. They both noticed Rodney at the same time and Kelly grinned.
“Rodney-chan!” he said, immediately crossing to him. “I was hoping I’d see you tonight, but I thought you had to help Kirby-sensei.”
“No,” Rodney replied. “It was pretty quiet tonight, so Kirby-sensei didn’t take me with him.”
“I wish I had known so I wouldn’t have had to answer all of Kevin’s questions about what you’ve been doing this past cycle and you could have done it yourself.”
“It’s good to see you again, Rodney,” Kevin added, closing the distance between them and touching Rodney’s face with his hands in greeting. Rodney returned the gesture a little uneasily. “From what Kelly’s said, you’ve had a wonderful cycle. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.”
“Thank you,” Rodney replied. “I still can’t quite believe it’s going to happen.”
“And he’s been courting her for most of the past cycle and becoming engaged has been a definite time user for most of that time,” Kelly added.
“I don’t know if I’d say *that*,” Rodney replied.
“But Jaelyn is a good woman and I’m sure she’ll make you a good wife,” Kevin replied. He glanced at Natalia, who had busied herself making dinner. “I better go finish my duties. I’ll talk to you both later. It was good seeing you both.”
After they exited the tent, Kelly said, “I really am sorry I didn’t double-check with you about what you were doing, Rodney-chan.”
“Don’t worry about it, Kelly,” Rodney replied. “I’m glad you got to spend some time alone with him. Just because things have changed doesn’t mean you should disregard what you were to each other.” He gave Kelly a reassuring smile. “And I’m sure that if you didn’t do it, at some point I would have made you.”
As they walked along and greeted people, stopping to talk to each other, Rodney felt the apprehension and jealous seep out of him. He knew it was childish to feel that way about someone who wasn’t a threat, but he had to chalk it up to an old habit that hadn’t quite died yet.
“I’m sensing something’s up,” Kelly commented as they started to make their way home. “What is it?”
Rodney shrugged casually, not wanting to mention that he’d been brooding about the auction for the past few minutes.
“Come on, Rodney-chan. I know you better than that, so you might as well tell me.”
“I’ve been put into the auction,” Rodney mumbled.
Kelly grinned. “That’s great, Rodney-chan! A Lapran hasn’t been part of the auction for many cycles.”
“But I don’t want to leave Lapras,” Rodney told him. “It was hard enough adjusting to being here after having to adjust to being on Atlantis. I don’t know if I could do it again.”
“We both know you’re a surprisingly resilient person, Rodney-chan. I’m sure that if you had to relocate, you could adapt just fine. But I wouldn’t worry about it. Most times, the tribe that wins someone only wants them for a specific purpose and is more than happy to let them stay with their people.”
“And the ‘not most times’?” Rodney asked, worried.
Kelly shrugged. “Most of those times it’s because the service is location specific. And it’s not like they don’t let you – or whoever – visit your home planet and your family.”
‘Unlike all of you,’ came the unbidden and bitter thought, which Rodney quickly pushed down. “Any ideas what I might be offered for? Or is that something that’s matched up later – like, ‘Oh, they’re from Lapras, let’s ask them to make silk’?”
“The person being offered has made some sort of distinction in the past cycle and the service that is being offered – which is determined by the inter-tribal council – usually relates to whatever the person is distinctive for. So, I’d guess your offer will either be in fighting tactics or how to use the Ancestors’ technology, or possibly both.”
“And, um, have the Korsans come back?” Rodney asked quietly, glancing around to see who was around, unsure if he actually wanted to hear the answer.
“I’ve heard that they’re back, but I haven’t seen or heard from them,” Kelly replied, glancing around as well.
“Think they’ll do something now that they’re here?”
Kelly shook his head. “They wouldn’t be stupid enough to do something out in the open. The other tribes don’t know the extent of what they’ve been doing to us and that they’ve also been doing it to the Morykons and Nagdalis. And if they found out, the Korsans would face very severe penalties and would more than likely get kicked out all together from the tribal league. So it’s in their best interests to not do anything right now.”
“I’m doing my best to not say anything that would jinx our luck,” Rodney replied.
“Please don’t,” Kelly said as they entered their borough. “I think we would all like for things to stay like they’ve been this past cycle. You should probably go find Jaelyn. I’m sure she’ll want to spend time with you before the festival starts and you have everyone wanting to get to know you.”
“Yeah, I should,” Rodney replied as he stamped his boots. He grinned. “Maybe one of these days it’ll sink in that we’re actually engaged.”
“And then it’ll be after the wedding,” Kelly replied with a laugh.
“Which would figure,” Rodney replied with a laugh of his own. “I’ll see you later, Kelly.”
Rodney went into his quarters and gave Kirby the tiri leaves before taking off his robe and boots and putting them away and putting on his moccasins. He passed on Jillian’s offer of food and headed over to Jaelyn’s quarters.
As he was about to announce his presence, Jaelyn exited her family’s quarters and drew in a sharp breath of surprise when she saw him. She laughed, “I’m sorry, Rodney-chan. I didn’t see you. I was just about to come find you.”
“Well, here I am,” Rodney replied, opening his arms wide and grinning.
Jaelyn smiled. “Care to take a walk?”
“Sure,” Rodney replied.
“Have you been out to see anyone?” she asked as they started strolling along the outside edge of the commons.
Rodney nodded as he replied, “I went to the Morykons and saw Neil, Natalia and Kevin. I didn’t really talk with anyone else, though, aside from Kelly. But it looks like everything’s getting set up according to schedule. Did you want to go out and see who’s here? I’m sure your parents will let us.” He laughed. “And I’m sure your grandparents will shoo us out before your parents have a chance to answer.”
“No, it’s all right,” she replied. “I’m sure I’ll see everyone tomorrow. Besides, it’s probably best we stay out of their way so they can set up and give them a chance to get everything done by the end of the day.”
“How are you coming with your part of the wedding plans?” he asked.
“I’m working on it. I know it’s not the traditional thing to do, but would you mind terribly if I asked you for some help? I don’t know if I’ll need it, but depending on how things go with the glass orders we get in and considering I’m training an apprentice…” She trailed off and shrugged.
“Sure,” Rodney replied. “I don’t know how much help I’d be, considering how new I am to all of these marriage customs. Hell, I was bad enough trying to remember them back on Atlantis.”
“I’m sure you could do it, Rodney-chan, considering how well you’ve done with everything else you’ve set your mind to here.”
“We’ll see. I do have duties I need to attend to as well. But we’ll see how much I can get done with the auction and go from there.”
“Auction?” she asked, curious. “What about the auction?”
“Kirby told me they want me to take part in the auction this festival because of what I did in leading the offense against the Korsans.”
“Good for you,” she replied calmly and Rodney was surprised in the difference in reaction between her and everyone else.
They reached her quarters and, as Rodney started to go a second time around, she stopped at her doorway. “I think I’m going to go in, Rodney-chan. I don’t feel well.”
“What’s wrong?” Rodney asked, immediately concerned.
She waved him off. “I’m just tired. I’m sure I’ll feel fine in the morning. Good night, Rodney-chan.”
“Good night, Jaelyn,” he replied. “I hope you feel better in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
The next day, Kirby sent Rodney on a list of errands to various tribes around the encampment. For the most part, he was just calling on the different tribes and exchanging various herbs and other medicinal remedies. At first, everyone looked at him speculatively, but when they found out that he was Kirby’s apprentice, that seemed to open the doors completely for him.
And Rodney found that they warmed up to him quickly. While during the previous festival he had been content to hang in the background while Kirby handled the transactions and answered questions, and Kirby and the tradespeople from the other tribes had been willing to let him, they didn’t let him out of it this time, asking him questions about various medicines and if he could look at this or that or what could cause various bodily functions to change. Rodney answered the questions as best he could, but when the questions truly stumped him, Rodney referred them back to Kirby. On the way back to his quarters, as his head slowly stopped spinning from all the questions, he idly wondered if the questioning had begun for the auction, or if this is what Kirby normally had to deal with when he went out on his rounds during the festival.
When Rodney got back to his quarters at lunchtime, Jillian said, “You’ve already had a few people here looking for you. They’re pretty excited to get to know you better.”
“What should I do?” Rodney asked Kirby as Jillian handed him a bowl of stew.
“We told them to come by after dinner,” Kirby replied. “You can answer their questions then. That’s when most people come by to ask their questions anyway. It’s tradition for the people being auctioned to devote some time in the early evenings to allow people who might be interested in them to come question them in their quarters.”
“How many nights does this take place?”
Kirby shrugged. “As many as necessary. I’ve heard some people only have one or two nights of questioning, and others go from the beginning of the festival right up to when the auction takes place.”
Laura hailed them from outside and Rodney went to admit her. “Would you like some food?” he asked once she had entered.
“No, thank you,” she replied. “I’ve already eaten. I came to see if you were available so you could come with me to deliver some of the items we’ve made. I thought you might enjoy meeting them and getting a sense of who we made things for.”
Rodney looked to Kirby, who said, “I have nothing pressing that I need you to deal with, Rodney-kun. Besides, I think it’ll be good for you to go with Laura and meet some of your clients.”
Rodney quickly finished the rest of his stew and cleaned himself up before joining Laura at the doorway.
She laughed and shook her head as they exited and said, “Your exuberance is an endearing quality.”
Rodney smiled as he picked up one of the large bags that were waiting outside. They traveled all over the encampment and Rodney revisited practically everyone he had seen that morning as they dropped off various items. Everyone they met with was delighted with the workmanship of the items and thanked them profusely as they gave Rodney and Laura the items that Laura had previously negotiated in exchange for their work. And Rodney couldn’t help but blush when Laura told certain customers that he had been the one to make their item and they praised him for it.
On their way back to their village that evening, Laura said, “I hope you weren’t too embarrassed by what I did. I wanted to make sure you were given the credit you deserved.”
“It was just unexpected,” he replied, truthfully. And he couldn’t help but think how odd it was that once he had craved the admiration and praise of everyone around him, but now he was content with staying in the background and letting others take the credit. He wondered how much of it was due to the meditation sessions, first with Kirby and then by himself, to let go of a lot of the negative things in his past, and how much was due to the fact that the Laprans had a tendency to praise and affirm quickly and not hold grudges.
When they got back to Rodney’s quarters, Laura gave him a fair portion of the items they had been given.
“I don’t deserve all of this,” Rodney told her, looking at all the different foodstuffs, cookware, lamp oil, and clothing dye.
“It’s a fair share for the work you did, Rodney,” Laura replied. “And it’ll help you prepare for your life with Jaelyn. I’m proud of the work you’ve done and the progress you’ve made in this past cycle.”
“Thank you, Laura,” Rodney replied. “Let me know if there’s anyway I can repay you.”
Laura laughed. “I just expect you to do the same when you have your own apprentices. I need to get back to my quarters and put these things away. I’ll talk with you later about coming with me for our next set of orders, so you can learn the negotiation process. Goodnight, Kirby and Jillian.”
“It seems that you’re doing quite well for yourself,” Kirby commented as Rodney started putting things away after Laura had left. “Even after your rocky start.”
“‘Rocky start’ is putting it lightly,” Rodney commented as Jillian helped him put everything away. She took the food and oil, but wouldn’t let him give her the cookware. “Your pot’s cracked,” Rodney stated, pointing at the offending item hanging over the fire.
“And I’m getting a new one, Rodney-kun” Jillian replied, exasperated. “This is meant to be for you and Jaelyn. Besides, you earned it.”
“And I want to contribute to this family,” he replied, equally exasperated. “I feel like I’ve done nothing but take from both of you since I got here three cycles ago.”
“Rodney-kun,” Kirby said in a tone that made Rodney look at him, “please keep the cookware. We understood what we were getting into when we took you in and we did it willingly. And now that you are coming into your own, you can begin contributing to our family. But you must understand that you also need to think ahead and begin planning for your new life with Jaelyn.”
“I seem to be the only one doing it,” Rodney muttered.
Kirby and Jillian gave him a confused look, but didn’t say anything as Rodney sat down next to Jillian and she handed him a plate of food and someone hailed them from outside.
“That would be Natalia and Dom’yan,” Kirby said as he moved to admit them. Rodney put his plate aside, but Kirby said, “They won’t mind if you continue eating. Just don’t talk with your mouth full.”
‘And it’s still good to know some things don’t change cross cultures,’ Rodney thought to himself with a small chuckle as he resumed eating. Jillian gave him a curious look and he just shook his head, still smiling.
Jillian and Rodney greeted their newcomers as they entered and Rodney saw that it wasn’t just Natalia and Dom’yan, but also they each had another person from their respective tribes with them. The foursome seated themselves around the fire along with Jillian and Rodney and Kirby reseated himself next to Rodney. Jillian offered them all food, but they all declined.
“First off, Rodney,” Natalia began, “we wanted to thank you for what you did for us at the end of last festival.”
“We’re all very grateful for your courage to take on the Korsans,” Dom’yan added.
“Have they given either of your tribes any trouble since then?” Rodney asked.
All four of them shook their heads. “They haven’t even spoken to anyone from either of our tribes today,” Natalia said, “and they’ve crossed our paths a couple different times.”
Dom’yan glanced at Natalia before adding, “Our members who have seen them said that the Korsans gave them a sour look, but didn’t approach them or talk to them. They actually went out of their way to avoid them.”
“The Korsans are a highly superstitious people, though,” Kirby interjected. “They probably think that someone from one of our tribes put a curse on them. And until they figure out which tribe was responsible, they’re going to be wary of all of us.”
“This is very true,” Natalia replied. “We should gather together with the rest of your elders before the festival is over and consider a course of action if and when they do figure out who’s responsible and take a course of action.”
Kirby nodded. “I’ll talk with the rest of the elders and we’ll get in touch with all of you so we can plan our response.” He looked at Rodney. “And I’m sure Rodney will be willing to help us.”
“Of course,” Rodney replied, nodding. “I’d be happy to.”
“In that mindset, may we ask you some questions, Rodney?” Natalia asked.
“Certainly,” Rodney answered, after quickly swallowing a bite of meat. “Fire away.”
The four newcomers looked at him, confused, but Natalia recovered quickly and continued, “How did you know what to do fight off the Korsans?”
“In which respect?” Rodney asked. “Keeping them from coming to your worlds, or defending ourselves from them?”
“Both.”
Rodney shrugged casually as he balanced his plate in his lap. “I’ve worked with similar technology among my native people, so figuring out how yours worked was pretty simple. Though, I will admit that I wasn’t completely certain if it would work until the Korsans actually tried to use it. And my native people are also much more confrontational than the Laprans, so it’s necessary for everyone to have some knowledge of self-defense, as well as instigation. So, for me it was common sense to know what to do when they came. And the fact that most of the Laprans had a basic knowledge of how to use staffs, it made it easy to build on that.”
They took that in before Dom’yan asked, “Do you miss your native people?”
“*Of course* I do,” Rodney replied, “I spent most of my life among them and I had expected to live the rest of it there as well. So, obviously, getting stranded here was definitely a surprise. But, while I wish I had a chance to say good-bye to them and let them know I’m okay, I’m otherwise happy here with Kirby and Jillian and the rest of the Laprans.”
“Do you have any qualms about teaching our peoples how to fight?” Natalia asked.
“No,” Rodney responded. “I think that everyone should know how to defend themselves against the Wraith and whatever other threats may turn up.”
“How have your people fought against the Wraith?” Dom’yan asked, intrigued.
Rodney grimaced. “We’re still working out the best way to do it. Usually we do the best we can every time they attack us. But we’ve found full-on confrontation does work to some extent, even if we only take a few out at a time. I have a feeling they’re not used to their food fighting back.”
“You’re right about that,” Natalia agreed. “Your people do have a certain amount of gumption to take the Wraith head-on.”
“Or a high level of stupidity,” Dom’yan added. “Not many people would consider it a good idea to actually fight against the Wraith or take it in stride as your people seem to have done from the way you talk.”
Rodney shrugged again, his food forgotten. “I think it comes from the same place that everyone else’s decision comes from. In many cases, it makes more sense to hide or flee in order to survive being culled by the Wraith. In our case, it made more sense to fight.”
“And you certainly have a high degree of adaptability,” Natalia stated. “It sounds like your native people have a higher level of technology than the Laprans do, but you were still able to hold off the Korsans and actually make them leave without taking anything.”
Rodney felt his cheeks heat at the indirect compliment. “I feel like I did what I needed to do to protect those I care about. Any good fighter knows that you take into account what you have available and you use it as best you can.”
Rodney felt his chest tighten a bit at the sudden memory of the combat training that Elizabeth had made the entire scientist team take over their first few months in Atlantis. She had also put Sheppard in charge of handling what the scientists had to learn and who would teach them. Surprisingly, he still remembered the excited expression on Ford’s face when he taught them about explosives.
“Are you okay, Rodney-kun?” Jillian asked softly.
Rodney shook himself out of his memory. “Yeah,” he replied. “I was just reminded of something.” He looked at the delegation across from him. “Sorry. Please continue.”
Natalia and Dom’yan continued going back and forth asking him a few more questions about what he knew and telling him a bit about how their tribes worked and what sorts of suggestions he had for them, as a preventative measure, if the Korsans did in fact attack them again. Rodney was happy to help them and easily gave them his advice, while, in the back of his mind, he wondered what would happen if the Korsans figured out that a Lapran had been the one to rig their ‘Gate device so it wouldn’t dial either of the three worlds. He made a mental note to start planning for that eventuality.
Eventually, the questioning turned into more casual conversation and Rodney felt himself relax, grateful that the “interview” was finally over. While he didn’t participate in much of the conversation, Rodney enjoyed the flow of conversation around him and felt it lull him into a sleepy state, the likes of which he hadn’t felt in a very long time – if ever.
He roused when he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked up, bleary-eyed, to find Jillian standing over him with a warm, and slightly amused, smile. “It’s time for bed, Rodney-kun,” she said quietly.
“But what –?” He looked around, confused, for their guests.
“They’ve just left,” she replied with a chuckle. “Don’t worry – they weren’t offended. Go to bed.”
Rodney nodded sleepily and carefully made his way to bed, where he collapsed gratefully and was back asleep before his head hit the pillow.
“And why aren’t you doing this with your dad?” Rodney asked Kelly, as he helped him carry his wares to his clients.
“One of the yaks has taken sick,” Kelly replied, adjusting the strap on one of his bags. “He needed to stay with it and nurse it through. How’s the questioning coming?”
“Let’s not go there. I think some of these people are certifiably insane. I got asked if I preferred turnips or beets. I didn’t like beets before I went to Russia and even less after I ate borscht the first time. And turnips are just nasty.”
Kelly laughed. “You’re amusing when you get riled up.”
“You would be too, if you put up with some of the things I’ve had to. Isn’t it hard for you to take care of the yaks and then schlep things made from them to customers?”
Kelly shrugged. “It’s a way of life, Rodney. Do you feel the same way about the silkworms?”
Rodney gave him an ‘are you insane?’ look. “*No*. For one, I don’t work on that part of the production and another – they’re insects. While I totally respect their position in the economic stability of this world, that doesn’t mean I actually like them. The yaks, on the other hand…. You have to admit they’ve got some winning qualities when you get past the hair and the stench.”
Kelly laughed. “Okay, I’ll admit that, yes, I do become attached them. But it’s a fact of life that one day I’m going to eat them and use the rest of the remains to make life better for someone – whether that be myself or my dad, another Lapran, or someone from one of the other tribes. Just like you and your ‘insects’ do with your weaving.”
Rodney had to admit that he did admire the work Kelly and his father did with the yak remains. He knew that they used as much as possible of the animals and the resulting products were definitely works of art. It had just never hit home before that the animals he saw Kelly taking care of equaled these items and part of his diet. No wonder some people became vegetarians.
“How’re things going with Jaelyn and the wedding?” Kelly asked as they made their way home that evening.
Rodney shrugged half-heartedly. “Okay, I guess. I haven’t really seen her much this month. I’ve been doing what I can to get things ready for us to get married, but it’s tough when I want her feedback on the decisions I’m making and she’s nowhere to be found.”
“Well, I think you might get a chance now.”
Rodney followed Kelly’s gaze and saw Jaelyn and Jennifer returning from another part of the encampment. Jennifer waved to them and Kelly returned the wave.
When they met the women, Rodney asked, “Jaelyn, may I speak with you privately?”
“Sure, Rodney-chan,” she replied, smiling. They waited until Kelly and Jennifer were a few steps ahead of them. “What is it?”
“I’m just worried,” Rodney said, turning to look at her. “If you don’t want to go through with the wedding, you just have to say so.”
Jaelyn gave him an astonished look. “What makes you think that I don’t want to go through with it?”
“Well,” Rodney hesitated. “I know that the festival’s kept everyone busy with obligations and all, but I’ve hardly seen you this past week and a half and when I do see you and mention the wedding, you become evasive.”
She looked at him darkly. “Maybe I become evasive because I get enough talk of the wedding at home. That’s all my entire family talks about! Maybe I want some time where I can talk about other things – normal things.”
“Well, pardon me for not knowing that because we never talk about it!” Rodney replied sharply. “But when someone’s getting married, the tendency is to think that the person they’re getting married to would be concerned about the wedding as well!” He looked around before lowering his voice. “If you’re just staging this for everyone else’s benefit and there’s really someone else, that’s fine. I completely understand.”
“There isn’t anyone else, Rodney-chan!” she bit out harshly. “I just –” She cut herself off and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can’t talk about this right now.”
She strode past Kelly and Jennifer and they both turned back and looked at Rodney, perplexed. Rodney shrugged and gave them his best “your guess is as good as mine” look.
“So, what do you think of the whole questioning process?” Kelly asked as they ate dinner.
Rodney laughed. “It has its moments. I swear, some of the questions are the basis for rejected Monty Python skits, they’re so absurd. I just can’t decide who I’d like to win me. What do you think, Kelly?”
“Rodney-kun,” Kirby gently chided. “It’s not nice to talk that way – it might be considered tempting fate. Plus, it’s tacky.”
Rodney rolled his eyes. “You know I don’t really believe in that.” He turned his attention back to Kelly. “I hope it’s not the Deegans. They scare me a bit.”
“Why?” Kelly asked. “Is it because they have a reputation of using people as studs and brood mares?”
“As much as I like sex,” at Kirby’s sharp look, Rodney amended, “as much as I liked sex prior to coming here, and while I strongly believe that someone of my superior intellectual prowess should pass on their genes to the next generation, being reduced to a sperm-producing machine is a level I don’t wish to fall to.”
“Then which tribe would you like to have win you?” Jillian asked.
Rodney shrugged. “There are a few that seem to have at least some level of technology. At least one does, since they came up with the portable ‘Gate dialers. I prefer one of them, if only to use the skills I accrued prior to coming here.”
“You do realize you won’t have a final say in who gets you or what they’ll ask of you, right?” Kelly asked. “For all we know, you’ll go to one of those groups and they’ll want you to help beef up their fighting skills and then reproduce with one of them in the hopes that you’ll pass on your knowledge to them through your child.”
“Don’t worry him, Kelly,” Jillian gently reproved, at Rodney’s apprehensive look. “Don’t listen to him, Rodney-kun.”
“No, no,” he said, waving her off. “It’s probably best to get the worst-case scenario out in the open beforehand, that way I can deal with it and I can approach the situation with a better attitude and more positive outlook.”
Jillian and Kelly both laughed at that and Rodney was almost certain he also heard Kirby chuckle.
“You’ve come a long way since you first arrived here, Rodney-kun,” Kirby commented. “I’m glad to see you’ve grown to have a more positive outlook.”
“Positive?” Rodney asked, a bit of incredulity staining his tone. “I’m being realistic.” To Kelly, he said, “Okay, give me the rundown on the tribes again. If I can figure out which one I’d like to go to, maybe I can tailor my questions to them and they’ll decide to bid the most on me.”
Kirby shook his head as he stood and gave Jillian his dirty dishware. “I have to make some calls. Jillian, please don’t let them get too out of hand.”
“Will do,” Jillian replied in amusement.
When Kelly left later that night and Rodney went to bed, he felt better about his prospects with the auction, hoping that the next few days would pass quickly so he could get the auction over with. And after that, he could concentrate on dealing with whatever it was that was bothering Jaelyn. He wouldn’t let this relationship fail if he had anything to say about it.
Continue to Part 15
