Jeff groaned. “It’s war for certain, isn’t it?”
Muddy answered before I could. “Yes. The Aicirtap will look at this planet as a, I believe the correct word is ‘buffet.’ And the Z’porrah will be right behind them if it looks as though they’re winning.”
“What about if it seems as though they’re losing?”
“Then I believe they will hold off. The Z’porrah are tired of losing to you.”
“Earth has done a decent job of repelling them, I guess.”
“No.” Muddy shook his head emphatically. “They fear you, Queen of the World. And those who support you. But you, most of all. They want you destroyed. They believe that with you gone, both the Earth and Alpha Centauri systems will fall easily.”
“Wow, they sell everybody else really short.”
He smiled. “No. They understand how effective you have been. Even now, you have formed another alliance.” He indicated the Turleens surrounding us. “An alliance willing to fight by your side.”
“True,” Jeff said. “And this is exactly what Chuck said earlier, baby, so I don’t know why you’re arguing it even a bit.”
“It’s one thing for us to guess. It’s another to have it confirmed. So to speak. All kinds of flattered, of course, but that just means I need to get moving on Mission: Get The Rest of the World Ready.”
“That will take both of you,” Muddy said.
We stared at him. “Just how closely have you been observing Earth?” I asked.
“Assume that she’s asking that for me, as well, and in an extremely formal capacity,” Jeff added.
“That does not affect my reply.” Muddy shrugged. “As I have already told the Queen of the World, we have been observing, and visiting, for centuries. Not me, personally. Our lifespans are more like yours than those of the Z’porrah or the Old Ones. However, Earth has been a very interesting place to watch. There is so much otherworldly activity here. We have always had the ability to travel through space, discovered this planet millennia ago, and have enjoyed observing what goes on here in person as well as from a distance.”
“I’m officially tired of being the galaxy’s stealth vacation destination. How much did the Turleens meddle with our evolution?”
“Not at all!” Muddy seemed shocked I’d even asked. “Only the Old Ones and the Z’porrah have the means and the inclination to uplift. The rest of us understand and accept that.”
Knew this was untrue, but then again, I was one of a handful who knew the Black Hole Universe existed.
“Really?” Jeff asked, sarcasm knob heading toward eleven. “No one else tried to affect things to their benefit? No one in all the thousands of years that intelligent life has been around?”
“Wanting to uplift and having the ability to do so are two very different things. The most non-Z’porrah or Old Ones meddling, as you call it, happened when your people came here.”
Jeff looked upset. Looked at Lorraine and Claudia. Yeah, they looked upset, too. Trotted over and gave the girls a hug. Then went back to Jeff, took his hand, and gave it a squeeze. “If that’s what Muddy calls meddling, I and the rest of Earth will take it, you guys.”
He managed a grin and squeezed my hand back. “Thanks, baby, I just don’t want to be the cause of harm to the planet that took us in.”
“You haven’t harmed this planet,” Joseph said. “You’ve helped us.”
“It’s why we want to do a good job,” Rob added. “Not that we feel that we haven’t been. But you’re the future. And it’s a future that matters.”
“As the others have said, you have not harmed this planet,” Muddy said. “And I must stress again that what you hope to achieve will take you both.”
“They don’t want Jeff leaving the country right now. Due to all the things I’m sure you guys know from watching the Earth Channel.”
“Yes, however, those reasons mean nothing now.” Muddy looked at us and sighed, presumably because we all looked blank. “Galactic war is coming. The King and Queen of the World must both go forth to the lands they rule and explain why all must put aside their differences and band together.”
“You know we’re not really the king and queen of anything. I know you do, so don’t try to play dumb, Muddy.”
He smiled at me. “The Z’porrah are not a democracy. Neither are any of the planets in the Alpha Centauri system. The idea of royalty is something that our galaxy is filled with. Yes, there are plenty who are in other forms of government. However, more of those have fallen against the Z’porrah than not.”
Another chance to let a big statement sit on the air. We were just chock full of this kind of luck today.
“You’re insinuating that worlds with some kind of royalty in charge fare better against the Z’porrah?” Jeff asked finally.
“The numbers do not, so far, lie. Yes.”
“Why?” Claudia asked.
“Possibly because when the King of the World says ‘this must be done’ it is done.”
“He has a point,” Rob said quietly.
“You’re therefore also saying that when a world has a variety in charge, they’re more likely to argue points of protocol, or vote for the Z’porrah’s uplift than not?” Wanted to be really sure of what Muddy was telling us.
Muddy nodded. “Tur is one such planet. We fear that the other sentient races will choose the Z’porrah. The Aicirtap were, I believe you’d say, communist. The Old Ones are theocratic, but that theocracy is based on bloodline and so falls more toward royalty. The races fleeing to Earth are, for the most part, democratic, with a few that would fall into the Earth categories of socialist and communist. The Z’porrah, however, are triumvirate.”
“That’s not a form of government,” Jeff said.
“On Earth? No, not really. However, on other worlds? Yes, it is. Three chosen or who have proven themselves in whatever ways matter. Those three make all the decisions until one dies and a replacement is found.”
Thought about Operation Destruction. “Three Z’porrah came to officially tell us to surrender.”
“Yes. They work in the threes in terms of leadership, both high and low. And if all three are in agreement, none under them question.”
“Some do,” Jeff said. “Because we have a lone Z’porrah ship heading for us, too.”
“Did you read their emotions?” Muddy asked politely.
Jeff ran his hand through his hair. “How much about us do you know?”
“Much more than your enemies do.”
“Let’s hope. I did read them, yes. They were scared and hopeful, just like the rest of those in the ships.” Jeff concentrated. “Your people aren’t scared. Your people feel . . . determined. Some are exhilarated, some are angry about the attacks, some are looking forward to sightseeing. But overall, determined seems to be the Turleen feeling of the moment.”
“We are determined. We will not allow the Z’porrah to win. Ever.”