(Serial Novel) The Starward Exiles Entry 13: Mary

I couldn’t bring myself to remember the planet’s name. Perhaps it had no name. It was a terraformed thing, and, therefore, contained no native species. Droguldai, Baavi, a blond race similar to the Nordics, a handful of humans, and others lived and worked and traded with whoever landed, including the Reptilians, Nordics, and Greys. Delvians, a race of people with paper-white skin and charcoal black hair, also frequented the planet, but, to my knowledge, none of them lived on it.

We landed in a nearly vacant space port. As we left the Eagle Seven and I studied the metal platform serving as a tarmac, I saw three ships, a gray, egg-shaped structure for the traffic control, and a handful of uniformed Droguldai, but nothing more. The port seemed all but abandoned, and I realized that the reason this desolate planet was so willing to trade with anyone was because nearly no one came here. I suspect this was because we were nearing the outer planets, where my mission trip and Madulluel’s war plans were to begin. The Nordics patrolled the region beyond the outer planets, but there were plenty of battleships frequently trying to punch a hole in the Terras Confederation’s defenses. Therefore, only the boldest of merchants traveled here, and the pay was said to be high, indicating that the planet was also wealthy.

But this did not seem to be the case as we traversed the tarmac on foot. The air was breathable, but the sky above us was filled with thick haze and had a dirty white and orangish hue as if there were a nearby fire. I supposed this was why the Droguldai resided on this planet. The light wouldn’t have been ideal for them, but it was possible for their stones to convert enough of it to oxygen so they could survive. The temperature was mild, and the ground beyond the steel tarmac was an orange clay. This clay was either collecting in the atmosphere, creating the light, or, somehow, the light was reflecting off the planet’s surface. I couldn’t be sure. I am no expert in such things.

It took an hour for the seven of us to leave the tarmac and reach a nearby mountain pass. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that these mountains were more like a cliff’s edge. I would’ve thought we’d landed on a crater, but this wall was only on one side. Behind us, there was an endless plane.

We walked through the pass, and I was struck by the jagged peaks that looked more like long walls. It was as if a child had stuck his hands in the mud, and the wet ground between his fingers had dried and chipped until the crests of the peaks had formed knife-like edges. These mountains would be impossible to climb. The incline was almost imperceptible.

Everything remained orange until we rounded a corner and saw yet another wall. But this wall was vegetation and stretched before us and to our left and right as far as we could see. When we reached this alien hedge, we saw multiple cement sidewalks, each winding down a wide path. It looked like some worm had borrowed a tunnel into the foliage. Heath chose a path, and we were soon swallowed by a forest. We followed the trail for some time, and then it became apparent why anyone came to this planet at all. The path opened into a beautiful small town, and the place was indeed wealthy.

Like the dome on the tarmac, the buildings were all a uniform egg-shape, the only difference being that they were much wider at the base than at the top. Like an A-frame, the buildings were constructed with a diamond-shaped grid, and what looked to be silver plates were behind each cell. These plates were decorated with jewels that speckled the structure like glistening spots. There were windows positioned randomly on each structure, and every building had an arched door and awning centered in the front. Every property was surrounded by a golden chain-link fence, and the lawns were immaculate, filled with flower beds and even clipped grass. But there were no roads, only the large sidewalk we were following. It wound through the middle of the town, branching off into narrower sidewalks that ran up to each building’s door.

It wouldn’t be quite fair to say that this portion of the town was similar to a suburb because the buildings were spaced so far apart and formed no discernable rows. The properties around the buildings were about half an acre a piece, and fields of wheat and scattered trees filled the gaps between one property and the next.

I looked and on the far side of the town was another row of the cliff-like mountains, which filled the horizon. Turning to my left and right, I saw that the other paths we’d seen at the alien hedge came to other sections of the town. In the distance, I could see them sprouting from the forest like tiny tongues and running into identical collections of buildings. Beyond them, I could just barely make out more of the mountains, and I realized we were inside some kind of constructed and conditioned crater, suggesting that the planet had not been fully terraformed but was probably close.

Jill took my hand and whispered, “The smog above us keeps the Nordics from fully surveying the planet, but they can still scan for vehicles, which is why there are no roads.” She pointed to the distant mountains in front of us. “Beyond that range is a kind of city filled with all sorts of freight, but whoever lands here usually brings their own smaller landcraft and run it up and down the walkway.”

“But why go to so much trouble if the Nordics trade here anyway?” I asked.

Jill giggled. “Because they’re not supposed to. The Droguldai have promised them a lot of money to keep quiet, and it works. This is also where we get the majority of our spies. They’re merchants.” She then moved her finger along the tops of the distant mountains. The Droguldai have also created a shield above the town, just in case the Nordics catch on.”

“How do you know this? I thought your crew wasn’t involved in the war?”

Jill shrugged. “We’re smugglers. A lot of our freight comes from here. We usually rent the landcraft in the city and have somebody drive them back. Then we do the same wherever we deliver the freight. Saves on space.”

“I doubt the Monk cares,” Heath said.

“He might,” Jill said. “I’d want to know why we’re walking.”

“Is Mary safe here?” I asked.

“As safe as she can reasonably be,” Heath said. “Unless she wanted to return to Earth, which I doubt she’d do.” He pointed to the mountains in front of us. “There are more guns there than anywhere else I’ve seen. It’s where we get our weapons.” He tilted his head toward the town. “Come on.”

We continued to follow the sidewalk. As we walked, Jeena asked, “So, why are we going to see her? Are you asking for forgiveness before you die?”

Everyone turned to her. I hadn’t heard her say a word since our conversation.

“Shut up, Jeena,” Helen snapped.

“I’m not sure what I’m doing,” Heath admitted. “Madulluel wants me to talk to her.”

“Mary wants you to see your kids,” Cynthia said.

Everyone stopped. Heath turned and glowered at her. “That’s not happening. Not if I can help it. Why tell them about their dad, just so they can learn he died a few months later?”

“You don’t know that’s going to happen,” Cynthia argued.

“If you don’t meet them, they’re going to blame their mother later,” Jill pointed out. “I know you don’t want that.”

Heath sighed. “They probably won’t remember me.”

“They might,” Cynthia said. “One of them was four. You never know.”

“Geez, were we with Mad for that long?” Helen asked. “I forget. That’s almost as long as the zoo.”

“It’s about the same,” Silby said. Everyone looked at her. They didn’t seem angry, just surprised she’d spoken. Silby blushed and looked at the ground.

“Let’s go,” Heath said, and we continued walking.

As we entered the town, I had no idea how we were supposed to find Mary. There were no names or addresses on the homes. I couldn’t imagine trying to find their house in the dark. Droguldai crouched over their gardens, some of them looking over their shoulders and returning to their work as we passed. Apparently, they were used to strangers. I did notice that no one was walking on the sidewalk, and after a few minutes, I saw a cloud of orange dust rising near the mountains. Some of the landcraft Jill spoke of were heading our direction.

“Should we get off the path?” I asked.

“They’ll see us,” Heath said mildly.

Just then a woman, the first human I’d seen so far, stepped out of her home and saw us. I was close enough to see her smile briefly, then she hid the grin and straightened. When everyone noticed her, she smiled again, but this time it was more courteous than joyful, and raised her hand, motioning us to wait. We stopped, and she returned to her house. A moment later, a large, muscular man with dark black hair and a thick handlebar mustache stepped out under the awning. He was dressed like a logger, and I was astonished at the size of him.

He looked at Heath and began moving towards us. Heath took a few steps forward as well, and the two stood practically nose to nose although, the man was easily a foot and a half taller than Heath.

After a long pause, the man said, “Well, this sucks.”

Heath sighed. “Yeah.”

“So, you’ve finally come to see her.”

“Is that going to be a problem?”

The man frowned. “You know me better than that. If I thought you could get her, I’d have killed you already.”

Heath snorted. “You would’ve tried.”

The man snorted as well. “So, what do we do now? Bang our chests and grunt, make it look convincing?”

“I think this is good enough,” Heath said. “How is she?”

“She’s talking about you. More than I like.” He shook his head. “Look, I know we’ve had it out. It was a good fight and everything, but this . . . I don’t know. I think we should go over it again. With you going along with that alien queen’s scheme and everything. I just . . .”

“We’re good,” Heath said firmly. “She was already gone, and I’d rather her be here than running around like those two.” He tilted his head back toward Jeena and Silby.

The man looked at the two women and blinked. “You found them?”

“Madulluel did,” Heath said. “How’s the kids?”

The man smiled, and his face brightened. “Ours and yours are good, growing like weeds.”

“I don’t want them seeing me, Tom,” Heath said. “You hear me. Her scheme is probably going to get me killed. You’re their dad now, and it needs to stay that way.”

Tom frowned. “I don’t know if I can help with that.”

“Please stop,” Mary shouted behind them. She ran up to the two men. “One broken nose is enough.”

Tom smiled. “I didn’t think he could reach.”

Heath grinned as well. “Couldn’t open my eye for a week.”

Mary looked back and forth, and her eyes widened. “I knew you two were working together again, but I didn’t think . . .” She trailed off and then shook her head. “Well, that’s one problem handled. Come on. I have drinks for everyone.” She then noticed the rest of us—who had unconsciously formed a semicircle around the two men, waiting for something to happen—and added. “I think.” She waved us inside.

I won’t say the inside of their home was as nice as the outside. The walls and floor were wooden. In fact, everything, save the kitchen equipment, was wooden. Everyone except Jill and Helen, who stood on either side of the door, sat down on wooden kitchen chairs. I offered my seat to them, but they refused it, saying I was too old and needed to sit down. I relented and sat beside Cynthia, who had pulled her seat next to the wall. She’d also done the same for Jeena’s and Silby’s chairs. It seemed that we had all decided to give Heath, Tom, and Mary the kitchen table without saying a word.

The three of them sat down. Tom and Mary sat beside each other, and I saw Tom raise his hand to take Mary’s, but then he thought better of it, placing both his hands in his lap. He looked down as if he were studying the grains of the table. It seemed as if he wanted to tune out their conversation entirely while still remaining by his wife’s side.

A silence fell on the room, then Mary cried, “Drinks!” She sprang up and went to her version of a refrigerator, which lay horizontal on the floor more like a freezer. She bent over the fridge, reached inside, and collected several glass bottles. When she turned and began handing the bottles to each of us, Heath said, “So, how do you want to do this? Start with the hard stuff first or just start small and work our way into it?”

The joviality he’d shown to Tom was gone. His words were clipped and harsh. Mary ignored this, saying, “I think we should have this talk in private. Maybe the living room, so Tom can at least see us.”

“I trust you both,” Tom said. “If you need to go outside, that would be fine.”

Heath shook his head. “No. I don’t want him pining over you while you’re gone. Besides, I’ve got a problem child here.” He turned and eyed Jeena. “I don’t want to leave her alone.”

Mary stopped, her arm half extended to Cynthia. “This isn’t the cave,” she muttered, her words clipped as well. “We don’t have to discuss things as a group anymore. We can have a little privacy.”

“We could when we were married,” Heath shot back.

“We stopped being married when—“ She stopped and shook her head. “We can’t do this. There’s too much on the line. Heath, I don’t want to hurt him, and as much as I love the other girls, not being able to talk to you was always the problem.”

“We can leave,” Cynthia said.

“Yeah. I don’t want to hear this anyway,” Helen added.

“No.” Heath said. “I don’t want you to hear it either, but we all deserve a little humiliation because we were all in on it, even Tom because you brought him in. Tom deserves to know what you’re thinking. Because you’re married to him. You made that choice. I didn’t have a choice, but the second you had a choice, you left.”

“You had a choice,” Jeena said, sneering. “You could’ve died, and we might’ve got a better deal.”

“I was hoping you’d say something like that,” Helen said. She marched across the room, grabbed Jeena by the hair, and hauled her out of the house, slamming the door behind her. As Helen began screaming obscenities and threatening to, “stove your head in,” Cynthia stood up and rushed to the door, but Jill stepped in front of her.

“Don’t,” Jill said. “If she likes us, she’ll stick around.”

“It’s not her fault,” Cynthia said.

“I know, but she’s still poison,” Jill said. Cynthia frowned, and Jill added, “I’ll make sure she doesn’t go too far. We’ll talk later.” She opened the door and closed it behind her.

Cynthia turned to Heath. “I really think we should go. I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but we can’t help.”

“I shouldn’t have told you to leave him,” Silby said to Mary, tears in her eyes. “I’m so sorry!”

“Silby, please not now!” Cynthia said.

The last thing in the world I wanted was to get involved. This entire situation was a nightmare, but as a monk, I did spend more than a little time handling domestic matters, and this was as close to a familiar situation as I was bound to expect in space, so despite my hesitation, I stood.

“Listen,” I said firmly. “I know this situation is complicated, but I do have experience in handling disputes. Granted this is a great deal more involved than I would typically expect, but I do think what’s needed here is a mediator.”

“This isn’t your business, Monk,” Heath snapped.

“I know that. It’s everyone else’s business, and I think the point you’re trying to make is that Mary’s decision has affected everyone, not just you. I believe I understand. But as you can see,” I fell silent for a moment just to make sure Heath could hear Helen screaming, “the situation has devolved into chaos. I think you all need help.” I turned to Silby. “Young lady, you’ll have a chance to talk to Mary when this is done. But she needs to deal with her ex-husband first.” Silby nodded. I turned to Cynthia. “Cynthia, now is not the time to be gentle. I need you to quiet those two because Jill has no interest in doing so. Tell her I insisted, and I’m sure she’ll help you. Take Silby with you, please.”

Cynthia nodded and gave me a grateful smile. Then she took Silby and left the house. Once I was sure Helen was no longer screaming, I took Mary’s chair and moved it. I already had a sense of the dynamic. Tom, to his credit, was cognizant of the fact that he didn’t want to seem as if he were ganging up on Heath. By my account, he was the most rational man present, but he was also torn between his desire to be fair and his desire to support his wife. He was going to be forced into the position of ganging up on Heath regardless of what he did. This was the first error I needed to correct. I placed Mary’s chair on the opposite end of the table, facing Heath. Then I motioned for Tom to adjust his seat so that he was centered on the right-hand side. Then I moved and stood between Tom and Heath. That way neither man would be too eager to interject or escalate because I was standing over them, and hopefully Mary would hesitate to escalate as well because I would be mostly looking at her. I motioned for Mary to sit down.

When she was seated, I began, “Now, Mary, I want you to start. Speak as if you were speaking to Heath in private and hold nothing back. Heath, I want you to follow. And Tom, I assume you will want to remain silent for most of this, but if you choose to say something, please kindly raise your hand so I know to call on you.”

“This is like grade school,” Heath snarled.

“I know,” I admitted. “But as Mary said, too much is on the line. This might be the last time you all get to speak to each other, so we should take this slow. Mary when you’re ready.”

“I’m sorry, I left,” she said right away. “Tom, I’m sorry for saying that.”

“Honey, I already know,” Tom said with tears in his eyes.

I didn’t rebuke him for the outburst, but I made a note to be more stern if he chose to speak again. In this situation, order was everything. Heath scowled at me but said nothing.

“I was so angry. I still am, but I know it wasn’t your fault,” Mary said.

Heath shrugged. “Nothing can be done about it now. You’re safe. I’ve seen your home, and yeah, I’m still pissed at Tom, but I know he’s a good man . . . overall, and I know he’ll protect you and the kids. That’s all I care about. But I can’t see them. Do you understand that? I’m going to die. There’s no point.”

“Vivian remembers you, Heath,” Mary said. “It wouldn’t be right.”

“Why are you going to die?” a child’s voice asked.

We all turned, and an innocent girl, about seven, perhaps eight, stepped into the room. Whatever plan I might’ve had in that moment fell apart. Mary took advantage of the opportunity. She quietly got up as Heath melted and consulted the little girl while she wept. She brought the other kids into the room and introduced them to their father. The battle, if it could be called that, was over, and I decided that Mary was going to get her way. I motioned for Tom to stand. He did and followed me outside.

The girls were all sitting on the sidewalk. Jeena had a number of new bruises and a bloody nose, but I must confess, I didn’t feel bad for her. Helen had gotten a few bruises as well, but she didn’t seem to mind. A small smile was curled on her lips as she stared up at the hazy, orange sky.

“Thank you,” Tom said quietly. “I didn’t know how to handle it. I’m glad you stepped up.”

“I don’t think anybody could’ve handled that well. The child saved us all.”

Tom smiled and nodded. “Heath’s a good man. He’s my best friend. I knew he’d be angry, but I knew if Mary took off like some of the others did, well, it’d end bad. For her and the kids.”

“But you love her too,” I pointed out.

“I do,” Tom admitted. “I don’t know if I should feel guilty about that or not.”

“Not now,” I said. “There was pain. You’ll pay for that for the rest of your lives, I suspect, but God can use anything, and I believe He will use this for good.”

Tom snorted. “I’m surprised you still believe in God with all those aliens out there.” He met my eyes and grinned. “But something tells me you’ve had that conversation before.”

“Plenty of times,” I said, smiling. For the first time since my conversation with Jeena. I was beginning to feel my confidence come back, or perhaps my faith.

“Speaking of God,” Tom said. “When Madulluel called, she wanted Mary to tell you all that some soldier is going to meet you in town. I guess that will spare the crew a stop. From what I understand, he’s a believer too, so you’ll have company.”

My mind raced back to our conversation with Madulluel when she’d told us that we were supposed to meet somebody who would train both Heath and the girls as well as help me begin my mission work, although they were wanting to use my mission as bait for the Nordics. A tremor of fear went through me at that thought, but I thanked Tom for the information just the same.

Several hours passed, and I learned a great deal about how the crew operated while Mary and Heath had their final conversation. Tom was Heath’s main supplier of goods. The crew ran weapons mostly, but they also smuggled sex slaves and any other humans who they managed to free from subjugation. It turned out that Mary’s nameless planet was something of a hub for the Droguldai’s operations against the Nordics, and when the time was right and Madulluel had managed to convince the Droguldai to declare open war, they would use this planet as their base.

Heath and his crew had dramatically understated their role in the conflict. His reputation went far beyond causing trouble in a few brothels. He was a master at evading the Nordics during his runs. They knew of him, but they had so far been unable to catch the Eagle Seven, which was why they’d eventually started hunting for the women at the zoos. They were hoping to bait him out in the open. In a sense, he was already a war hero, which was why Madulluel was already placing so much faith in him, but the man wouldn’t admit this to himself.

Finally, Mary and Heath opened the door, and after a long and tear-filled goodbye to the children, Mary closed the door behind them. She gave Heath a long hug. She didn’t mean for us to hear her, but I heard her whisper, “So, you really forgive me?”

“Of course, I do,” Heath whispered back to her. “And you me?”

“Of course.”

Then Mary took her husband’s hand, and the pair moved to the sidewalk. “We’ll walk you to the mountains. Mark is waiting in town.”

“Mark?” Jill asked.

“The guy Mad wants us to meet,” Heath said.

“Right him,” Helen said.

We began walking, and there was more conversation. Before long, even Silby had made her peace with Mary and Heath. Everyone was filled with that bright emotion that swallows the heart when true restoration has taken place. During this time, I noticed that Jeena was more dour than usual. It seems seeing Silby, Mary, and Heath make amends had truly ruined her day. It was hard not to smile at that. Bitterness hates watching its fellow weeds die.

We walked on, but before we reached the mountains, Mary took me aside and said, “I’m sorry, but I never thanked you for your help.”

“I hope I did,” I said. “The situation seemed like something I was vaguely familiar with, despite the details.”

“You did,” Mary reassured me. She paused, then whispered. “There’s something that has kept me up at night. Something I was hoping you could help me with, given your profession, I guess.”

“I’ll try,” I said.

“I know it was a sin to divorce my husband . . . or leave him. He didn’t have a choice, and he was trying to keep us alive, but he still slept with those women, so I felt it was fair at the time. Now, I don’t know, but what can I even do? If I left Tom, it would just be another divorce, wouldn’t it? And if I returned to Heath, wouldn’t that be adultery? But by staying with Tom, am I still committing adultery? I don’t know. I had to make a choice, but I don’t know. Sir, how can God be real when there are situations that only leave you with sin?”

I stammered. I had no idea what to say, and I still don’t. At length, I told her that she was right to remain with Tom, but she saw my face, my uncertainty, and smiled. “I’m sorry. That’s a hard thing to spring on you, and you’ve had a long day. But please let me know if you find an answer. I know Heath’s a cynic, but I hope to see you all again.”

I told her I would, and she returned to her husband’s side. My mind was wrapped with that question for the rest of our walk. I suppose I’d been circling around that question for a while. All these situations seemed to have no answer, not really, nothing beyond moving on. Doubt crept in again, and by the time we were standing at the base of the mountains and Tom and Mary were waving goodbye, my mind was consumed by it. I looked up at Jeena. She was looking back at me with a smile.

I’ll record what happened then, Lord willing.

May God grant you peace.

Hieromonk Nicholas Petrov