Reclamation

The weird scene was attracting attention. Passersby, probably on their way to warehouses or ship docks, turned their heads to see what was going to happen next. A few of them actually stopped dead.

The children also got a look at who blocked their way.

"Murderers!" screeched Ri. The capsule shuddered in Aria's arms as Ri threw herself against the side. This time her sister made no move to stop her. "Murderers!"

Some people in the gathering crowd must have had translator disks, judging from their expressions.

"These children seem to have a grievance against you," remarked Aria slowly.

"Your body is Vitae property," said Young One. "You have no legal recourse to grievance committee or to council."

Aria shook her head. "I am not making a grievance. These two of the Shessel race are."

It was an old trick. Hide behind a superior rank whenever you could.

"You killed our parent!" Ri's voice rose so high Aria's eardrums responded with pain. "You slashed the membrane, shut the power, you left our sisters for dead, you suffocated our family, you…"

"Ere, calm her!" ordered Aria. Ri was going to hurt herself if she kept up her pounding. Worse, her shuddering would make Aria drop the capsule.

Ere wound herself around her sister again, but with less success. The capsule shook in Aria's arms and she began to feel the strain of holding it.

"I am going to take these children to the Shessel Embassy." She shifted her grip on the capsule. "You are welcome to come along and make whatever claim you have in there. If I don't get them there, there will be two more deaths, this time in front of witnesses, because I can't hold them much longer and if I drop them, and if this casing cracks, they'll smother."

The Vitae said nothing.

"Or we can just start shouting for a security patrol and I can tell my story to them and then you can tell yours and the Shessel can add whatever they feel necessary." I am not a Notouch here, you bald, blind children, however hard you try to make me one. Then, a strange thought struck her. But you run this world, why isn't security here already, by your orders ? A tart, satisfied feeling warmed her stomach. You're doing something illegal, aren't you? You CAN'T call security, can you?

Whatever it was the Vitae said to each other, the translator did not make any sense out of it. Aria watched the crowd behind the Vitae, and it was a real crowd now. They stood and stared. They said nothing. They didn't move. They waited. These were the ones who ran their world and the crowd waited to see what they'd do.

Aria decided not to wait until the Vitae called her bluff. "Somebody get security!" she shouted to the crowd. "It's a diplomatic incident and a murder call against the Vitae! Somebody get security!"

"Got it!" shouted a voice from the back of the gathering. "On the way! Five minutes!"

Aria smiled grimly. Some of these silent watchers wanted to rebel, all right, whether it meant the end of the world or not. Some of them were just waiting for the chance. Let the bald ones remember that!

"The Shessel will be taken to their Embassy," said Tall One, "but you are our property. You will be taken by us."

"Tell the patrol that. Tell them all about why these two are scared stiff of you."

"They are children. They cannot give witness."

"I can by Shessel law." Ere pressed all her hands against the capsule side. "Our parent is dead. I am first-named and that makes me the voice of my family. I can give witness and name protectorates. I name Aria Stone." She spread her mouth wide. Aria, for the first time, saw her needle-sharp teeth. "If we do not arrive at the Embassy in her hands, you are in violation of the treaty between the Shessel and this world and that is compounded on the crime of murder."

"Murderers, murderers, murderers," hissed Ri like she couldn't make herself stop. By now, she probably couldn't. "Murderers, murderers, murderers."

"So, unless we all want to report to the patrol, you're going to let me take these children out of here." Aria shouldered the capsule again, grateful for the fact that Ri was confining herself to hissing and buzzing.

Aria started forward, right past the taller Vitae. He, she, or it, was speaking in the untranslated language, but she couldn't tell to whom or what. They made no move to stop her, though, and she was glad. She was fairly sure the patrol would be on her side, but there would be endless Skyman formalities, and she had already lost too much time. "Ere, I am going to need your help." Aria walked through the crowd. The bodies parted for her.

"Ah…all right. I'll try." The capsule wobbled precariously as Ere squirmed.