An Accidental Alliance (35 page)

     
“Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about that,” Dannet told him. “By our traditions, Luna, as you call it, has effectively already accepted you as owners of the Moon by conquest.”

     
“It is ours by ancient right,” Park reminded him.

     
“Perhaps,” Dannet nodded, “but conquest is the clincher, now isn’t it. Most likely the negotiations will be over whether or not you should be recognized as owners of the entire system. It is debatable whether Luna is empowered to concede that.”

     
“There are other Galactic bases?” Marisea asked.

     
“Not like Luna,” Dannet shook his head. “There are some commercial concerns in the outermost reaches of the system. You are rather centrally located, you know.”

     
“After two hundred and fifty million years,” Park commented, “that does not necessarily follow. Still, I’ll let Arn and Terius have the fun of arguing that out. For now let’s just go home.”

     
Nearly all of Van Winkle Base came out to greet
Trenisi
when it landed late the next day. Thousand of Humans, Mer and Atackack crowded around the spaceship when it came to a halt at the base of the control building.

     
“Well, nice to know we can bring one back all in one piece for a change,” Park laughed as he strolled down the long stairs with Iris on his arm. Normally he might have had Marisea on his other arm, but she had decided Dannet deserved an escort for his first steps on the motherworld.

     
The other Galactics were somewhat more hesitant to leave the ship, but Marisea adjusted her suspensor, jumped back to the top of the stairway and led Sartena out of the cabin by hand as well.
 
Once they were out, the others followed.

     
“Where’s Arn and Terius?” Park asked Patty Zinco when it turned out the two leaders were nowhere in sight.

     
“Those two? They’ve been shouting to the stars for hours,” she laughed. “Practically since you radioed the results of your little foray. A few minutes ago they were arguing over where to sign this new treaty or surrender or whatever it’s supposed to be. The Galactics want to come here and Terius insists we go to the Moon.”

     
“I’ve always wanted to go to the moon,” Park remarked thoughtfully. I wonder if Tranquility Base is still there. Probably not.”

     
“Where?” Dannet asked.

     
“The site Man first stepped on the surface of another world,” Park explained. “Part of the landing craft and a flag was left behind, but for all I know it was a juice bar one hundred million years ago.”

     
“You know where that was though?” Dannet asked.

     
“More or less,” Park nodded. “If the moon were up I could point it out to you.”

     
“I’d like that,” Dannet told him. “No one has ever known where that was. Well, if that’s what they are arguing about, I think it is safe to say they’re close to an agreement.”

     
“Hopefully,” Patty nodded. “Although that Gount character
 
slipped at one point and called Arn a pirate. That’s going to cost him even more than when he aimed the same word at Park,” she laughed and then turned toward Dannet. “Hi! You must be the prince?”

     
“Dannet Nrenth at your service, Miss,” he replied with a grin and a slight bow.

     
“Hmm,” she considered, “I think Arn could take a few lessons from you,” Patty laughed. “Well, I’ve been arranging accommodations for you and your people. I’m sorry they’re in the original installation and most of the rooms are a little small but I understand you won’t be here for too long if we can agree on a formal treaty.”

     
Dannet chuckled wryly. “I’ve been living on various spaceships for two years. I doubt even your broom closets will look small in comparison to any of my cabins.”

     
“That reminds me,” Park commented. “I want personal cabins in the next ship even if we have to stack them three-high. Sleeping in the chair gets old fast and the couches in the big aft cabin weren’t enough once we took on passengers. Dannet, we have an extra room in our home, if you like.”

     
“Kind of you,” Dannet nodded, “but so long as my people are here, I’ll stay here as well.”

     
“Patty, give him the old suite Iris and I used to share,” Park suggested.

     
If Dannet is staying on the base,” Marisea asked, “would it be all right if Sartena stays with us?”

     
“Fine with me,” Park shrugged. Iris nodded and Park turned to her. “Hon, I’m going to go see how the negotiations are going. I’ll meet you back home in a while.”

     
“Don’t stay up too late, dear,” Iris warned him. “Dannet, why don’t you come to dinner at least?”

     
Dannet thanked her and when Park gestured for him to follow; both men went toward the upper door of the original Van Winkle installation. “Sorry about all the steps,” Park told him. “It’s hard to believe this was once three thousand feet underground. Hmm, are you sure none of your people will try to escape?”

     
“We have formally surrendered,” Dannet replied, stiffness coming back into his voice.

     
“In the world I came from, it was considered the duty of a prisoner of war to try to escape,” Park told him, “but that is not why I asked. Well, in a way it is, but actually I was just making sure. I found out the hard way that there are some fairly exciting wild animals out there once you get beyond the town line. A lot of them are carnivores and a lot of the herbivores are mean-tempered enough to fend off a carnivore. The river monsters are, well, impressive and some of the plants can’t be bothered to sit and wait for their food to come to them.”

     
“Sounds delightful,” Dannet opined.

     
“Well,” Park hedged, “it’s not guaranteed instant death or I wouldn’t be here to tell the tale, but it’s not exactly a tropical idyll either. I just don’t want anyone getting hurt. Later on, if anyone is interested, we can fly around.”

     
“That sounds like fun,” Dannet decided. “I’ve always enjoyed playing tourist and from what you tell me, this base is probably the oldest structure in the galaxy still being employed in its original use.”

     
“Well, we cheated a bit and came here by a temporal shortcut,” Park laughed. He paused before going inside and looked out over the town. “This was a very different land two hundred and fifty million years ago.”

     
“What do you call this land?” Dannet asked.

     
“We used to call it Ohio,” Park told him, “but now we call it home.”

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