ShiVani could hear a quiet argument being held near her,
but when she struggled to open heavy eyes, she could only see dark blurs.
Cursing her exhausted, sickness weakened body, she turned her attention
to distinguishing the voices. A deeper, quiet yet forceful voice - that
had to be Va'ali, her father. And the lighter, rich tenor - Ze'klii, her
soul-mate-to-be.
"But, Va'ali-fal* ! We can't leave ShiVani!" That had
to be Ze; yes, she recognized the gentle, thickly furred paw that was placed
protectively on her shoulder.
"Ze'klii-chan**, she's my daughter. My only child. Do
you think that I want to go without her? But we don't have many starships
that still work... and she'd probably infect us all. ShiVani has to stay
here, mi-chan."
Through a haze of confusion and tiredness, ShiVani vaguely
understood that her parents, Ze'klii, all those who knew her and were important
to her... they were leaving. and they would abandon her here, on plague-ridden
Faelin. Fighting the horrible sense of helplessness, she tried to cry out
to them. But only a barely audible moan escaped her choked throat.
It was enough for Ze'klii. He crossed the room to sit
by the tall Faeliyiin girl. "I'm staying here with ShiVani, Va'ali-fal.
We'll make it - together."
Her father shook his head sadly. "No, Ze'klii. I admire
your devotion, but you can't stay. You have been like a child to us; Tau'mayn
would never forgive me if you lost your life on sick Faelin. My daughter
will not live, but you need to. With us, Ze'klii, among the stars."
ShiVani mentally screamed. She would not die! How
could her father take Ze'klii away?
But it appeared that this was his intent. Pulling himself
to his full height, the older Faeliyiin overpowered his younger son-to-have-been.
And, as ShiVani watched, unknown to them, in horror, the last of her family
left the hut.
And the planet.
From the decks of the few starships congregated above
her surface, Faelin looked peaceful and innocent. Its gold-and-green surface
did not betray that it had turned against its children, the race that it
had nurtured.
But those on the ships did not look back. They went on,
flashing through space, looking for a new, a better home.
For several weeks, the lethal plague raged on. Then, abruptly,
as if realizing that those who woulc desert were gone, the planet ceased
its fury. The much diminuished population was permitted to return to a
normal - by new standards - life.
