August

June 5

The CEC arrived in the middle of the day. William Mackenzie walked out across the grassy lawn to meet the jeeps. The Council had been expecting them.

They picked over everything like vultures; the accounts, the medical facilities, the receipts and licenses and building permits and structural assessments. Will Mackenzie watched it all.

At the end of the day, though, they found nothing - no evidence to indicate any foul play, no items out of place or names unaccounted for. Just three mysteriously dead Dothan and a community still living at the fringes of the world.

~:~

Caddy was sitting in the lush, green courtyard outside of the main house, playing chess with Mahir under one of the billowing white canopies. The afternoon sun that heated the tile around them, reflecting heat up from the ground, was cut significantly by the foliage and canopies, making at least one corner of the courtyard bearable.
Footsteps on the tile alerted them to the approach of a visitor. Mahir and Caddy both looked up to see Anders coming towards them. He was dressed in white pants and shirt, wearing calf-height boots and had a helmet tucked under one arm.
Mahir scowled at him as he approached.
"You're tracking sand through my courtyard."
Anders sighed and dropped down into one of the lounge chairs beside Tyson, who was reading over a stack of papers.
"Sorry, Uncle, I forgot. Afternoon, everyone." he inclined his head towards Caddy and Tyson, greeting each of them in turn.
"So where have you been?" Caddy beamed at Anders, looking him over. "You're dressed weird."
Anders laughed, set his helmet down on the ground and began unzipping his boots as he grinned up at Caddy.
"Playing. With Ghali."
Caddy's smile flickered.
"Oh."
This change in demeanor did not escape Mahir, but he was too much of a gentleman to remark on it. Instead, he focused his attention on Anders.
"No one got hurt, did they?" he asked off-handedly. Anders looked up at his uncle. They locked eyes. "While you were playing."
Mahir placed a strange emphasis on the last word that made Anders tilted his head and glance to the side.
"No, uncle. Nobody got hurt."
Mahir did not remove his gaze.
"Sometimes people can get hurt. In these games."
Anders lifted his chin, then looked away.
"Yes, uncle. I know."
"Sometimes people don't understand the rules."
Tyson was listening now; his eyes flickered back and forth between Anders and Mahir. Anders' jaw tensed, but he said nothing. Mahir pressed further.
"So just be careful, will you?"
Anders nodded. Mahir kept his gaze on him for another moment, then turned back to the chess game, twirling one finger around the lip of the bishop.
"And where is my son now?"
Anders folded his hands together neatly.
"Showering, I think."
Mahir nodded.
"Ah. Of course." there was a pause, and everyone waited for Mahir to say more. But, airily, he waved one hand in Anders' direction. "Well, I'll see you both at dinner then. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon."
The dismissal left Anders looked a bit chagrined but again, he did not complain - merely gathered his boots and helmet and padded back in stocking-feet across the hot tile of the courtyard.
Caddy watched him go for a minute, then, perhaps realizing he'd been caught staring, turned his attention deliberately to the chessboard. Mahir, who had been waiting for Caddy's attention to return, reached out and slid his bishop four spaces.
"Checkmate, Cadmus."
Caddy's face fell.
"Noo!"
Mahir smiled generously at him, then shrugged and relaxed back into his chair.
"Next time, keep your eyes on the game."

~

Dinner was served by two eunuchs in the lower dining room of the main house. Everyone's attendance was requested. Phidias entered last, with Caddy, who had been dithering over which natori to wear. When they arrived, the rest of the house was seated - Mahir, Anthony, and Ghali at one end of the table; Henrik and Anders at the other. Tyson and Everett sat between them. Caddy and Phidias quickly seated themselves, occupying the only empty chairs. The room was dim - although it was lit with candles and oil lamps, it was still windowless, lending it a pervasive darkness.

Silence reigned as the meal was served. As soon as the eunuchs had departed, Anthony spoke.
"We've called a private dinner because Ghali has an announcement to make."
The tension in the room increased, and Ghali swallowed nervously before getting to his feet. He hesitated, glanced down at Mahir, then spoke quickly, in a single, short sentence.
"I want the shot."
Henrik set his fork down at the edge of his plate. He looked to his left, to Anthony, who had a tight jaw and was not speaking. After Anthony, Henrik looked over to Mahir, whose face was expressionless, then back to Ghali.
"I take it you three have talked about this."
Mahir glanced at Anthony, who just nodded grimly.
"Ghali came to us three weeks ago."
"And you told him it was fine." Henrik amended, his tone annoyed.
Mahir's face heated, and he leaned forward as if to answer back, but Anthony stopped him with a hand on his wrist.
"We told him to take two weeks and think about it. He said he'd been thinking for months."
Mahir had sat back in his chair now, and was rubbing his bare upper arm nervously.
"Months doesn't do the change justice, I told him." Mahir said, quietly. He looked over at Ghali, who was watching the dialogue with caution. "But he is determined to have it." Mahir finished, and looked up at Anders.
This did not escape Henrik.

Phidias, unsure of what to say, or whether he should even speak, watched his husband's knuckles whiten in silence.
Abruptly, Henrik turned to Anders, upsetting his silverware and sending a fork clattering across the stone floor. In the corner, it lay ignored.
"Did you tell him to do this, Anders?"
Anders looked as if he'd expected the question.
"No, sir."
More silence, and the room seemed to be balancing on a knife point. Caddy snaked a hand out and took a long swallow of his wine.
"Cadmus!" Phidias scolded him in hushed tones. "I said a little bit. And slowly."
Caddy glanced at Anders, who did not meet his gaze, then guided his eyes back down to his lap.
"Baba." Ghali spoke now, from the opposite end of the table, seated to his mother's left. His voice was soft, and his eyes pleaded with Henrik. "Please. I want this."
Henrik's jaw flexed. He looked down between his linked hands at his plate.
"It is not an easy life, Ghali."
Ghali nodded.
"I know, Baba."
"You will have to make a lot of changes."
"I know, Baba."
"A lot must be sacrificed."
"Baba, please. I know." Ghali's voice was still pleading, but had an edge of barely restrained glee - he knew Henrik was preparing to acquiesce. Henrik looked up and sighed heavily.
"Tell me something, Ghali."
Ghali looked up at Henrik eagerly. Henrik unlatched his hands and waved one towards Anders.
"Does this have anything to do with my son?"

Phidias, who had been feeling distinctly underinformed, began to understand at least a small part of the puzzle.
Ander's skin was flushed, but he was silent and still. He did not look at anyone but his father.
Ghali glanced to him anyway, hoping perhaps for a clue or a reprieve. None came. He swallowed and shook his head.
"No, Baba. This has nothing to do with Anders."
"I know you've been involved."
Ghali did not deny this.
"Yes, Baba."
Henrik continued to stare evenly at the young man.
"You are inseparable when he is here in Wafra."
This was not question, and so Ghali did not answer.
Henrik went on.
"I find you in his bed as often as your own."
"Dad." Anders interrupted, quietly.
Phidias and Caddy both looked at him, startled. Anders never interrupted his father. But the younger Angstrom was red in the face now, and tension appeared in the set of his shoulders. Tension and a boldness that he had not expressed before. "That's not necessary."
Henrik raised one eyebrow at his son, then turned his attention back to Ghali.
"Was he your first?"
"Dad, stop it."
Henrik ignored the outburst.
"Has he been kind to you? Told you that he loved you?"
Some curious mixture of emotions, some of them dangerous but all of them aching and raw with exposure, throbbed through Ghali's face. He glanced at Anders, but the other was locked in focus on his father.
"Dad, enough."
Henrik shrugged.
"He's told that to all his lovers stateside as well. Did you know that?"
"DAD!" A chair went spinning out behind him and banged into the wall as Anders leapt to his feet. "Enough! What Ghali and I do is ours, and ours alone, understand? If you have a case to make, then make it, but if not, then let the past be that and let Ghali have what he wants."
Henrik looked calmly up at his raging son, then down at the other, trembling boy.
"Ahhh." he said, as if understanding were just now coming over him. Then, darkly, "That's what I thought."

Henrik pushed his own chair back - the scraping startled Anders and he retreated a step, before catching himself and holding his ground. Ghali, who was had grown red and was settling his stomach with wine, tensed and trembled a little in his seat.
Not looking at Henrik, he spoke up again.
"Please, Baba. It's not about Anders. I would - I do want this. I need this. Please. I - " Ghali bit his lip and looked down at his lap, then, at last, up at Henrik. "What else am I going to do?"
Henrik paused, half-risen, and Phidias saw a series of emotions flicker across his face - sadness, pity, longing, regret. His expression grew determined.
"You will stay here, at Wafra. You will work with us. Take over our research, in time."
Ghali shook his head sadly.
"I was 15 before I learned to count, Baba. But what you suggest...with a lot of work, I could, perhaps, someday. And then what?"
"Then you would live here."
"And would I have a family? Would you bring me a carrier? Should I fall in with one of the local boys? Or would Anders and I be childish lovers forever?"
Henrik ground his jaw.
"We will settle those things in time. You - "
"Baba." Ghali interrupted gently, "I don't want this life."
"Then we'll find something else for you. You can take care of Wafra, run the orchards, build your own home - "
"To live in alone?"
"Leave the Emirates, then. Come back to the Union with us. Go to the A.W.N.S. with Josef or Cary."
Ghali looked aghast, then just shook his head.
"This is my home, Henrik. You know this. It's my only home."
Henrik exhaled.
"Then we will - "
Ghali shook his head again.
"No, Baba, please. You can't keep changing the rules for me. You've given me so much that I shouldn't even ask, but please, please. Let me have this?"
Henrik stared and twitched and looked as though he wanted to say more, but suddenly, he turned away.
"Fine."
Ghali sucked in a breath of relief. Henrik shook his head.
"I'll give you the shot in the morning." he looked back over his shoulder at Ghali. "Mahir and Tyson will help you make preparations for the transition tonight."
Ghali exhaled, his voice rising and breaking.
"Thank you, Baba. Thank you, thank you so much."
Henrik turned back to the table, but couldn't look up and meet Ghali's eyes.
"Thank me when the change is in effect." he answered, weakly.
Then, recovering something of himself, he cleared his throat.
"I will have clothes brought for you. Anthony, Everett, and I will move your room."
Ghali nodded.
"Yes, thank you, thanks."
"You need to get your rest tonight. And drink lots of water. Food before the shot will help with the headache, but not the vomiting, I'm afraid."
Ghali nodded. Henrik looked over at his son again, who was watching the scene with a sort of detached stare.
"Tell your friends goodbye tonight - you won't be seeing them any more after the morning."
Ghali looked up, sharply, as if perhaps this part of the deal hadn't come to him before. Then he looked back down, at his lap.
"Yes, Baba. I will."
Henrik inhaled deeply.
"I love you, Ghali. That is the only reason I am doing this."

~:~

Sheridan sat bolt upright in bed, fighting his way out of the tangled blankets. He panted for a moment, gathering a sense of his surroundings, of his head, then his body - the general accounting of wakefulness. In the dark, he discerned the shape of Soyinka, who stirred.
"Danny?"
Sheridan put one hand to his chest, trying to calm his racing heart.
"Sorry. Sorry. I had a dream."
Soyinka was sitting up now, his shadow blocking some of the light of the moon. He pulled Sheridan in close to him.
"What did you dream about?"
Sheridan blinked his eyes shut, then opened them slowly.
"Snakes," he said, "I dreamed about snakes."

~:~