THE SHATTERED PEACE(13)

Leed shook him off with an angry gesture. Drenna turned to Leed. “You see? I told you of the contempt the Rutanians hold us in. Even your brother. You did not believe me. Now you must see that you can’t go back.”

“No,” Leed said. “I can’t go back.”

“You cannot face our father because you know you are wrong,” Taroon said. “You are afraid of him.”

“I am not afraid of him,” Leed countered angrily. “I do not trust him. There is a difference. I don’t want to be under his influence. I am glad was brought up by others, without being exposed to all his faults. You know after our mother died that there was no one to check him. He is not a bad man, Taroon. Just a bad father.”

Taroon’s face was tight. “And I was brought up by his side, inheriting all his bad traits, while you have all the good. Is that right?”

Leed took a breath. “That is not what I’m saying.” He rubbed his hands over his hair in frustration. “I am not going back, Taroon.”

“That is fine,” Taroon said, his icy rage now burning hot. “I realize now that I was wrong to try to persuade you. Because even if you were to change your mind, I would not stay here in your place.”

Qui-Gon exchanged a helpless glance with Obi-Wan. They had come to Senali hoping that gentle persuasion would help the situation. Qui-Gon had thought that brother to brother, the obvious affection between Leed and Taroon would bring them to common ground.

Instead, the two brothers were farther apart than ever. And the two worlds were now closer to war.





CHAPTER 9


Night fell swiftly on Senali. The four moons rose and stars appeared. Leed silently rolled out bedding for them. He placed a simple meal before them. No one spoke. Qui-Gon thought it better to let the tensions cool. He had found through long experience that one thing was the same for all cultures on different worlds: Even the most extreme crises looked better in the morning.

He lay on his sleep mat next to Obi-Wan. “What do you think, Padawan? ” he asked softly. “Is Leed right or wrong?”

“That is not for me to say,” Obi-Wan responded after a short silence. “I am to remain neutral.”

“But I am asking you what you think,” Qui-Gon said. “You can have a feeling. It does not have to affect your behavior.”

Obi-Wan hesitated again. “I think that personal happiness is less important than duty.”

Qui-Gon frowned. His Padawan had evaded the question. He had not lied, but he had not told the truth, either. Yet Qui-Gon would not chide him. The evasion came from a place of goodness. Somehow Obi-Wan must feel that to tell Qui-Gon the truth would be wrong. Qui-Gon would let the question rest there. He would not push. He was learning how to be a Master as surely as Obi-Wan was learning how to be a Padawan.

Learn not to teach, you must, Yoda had told him. As surely as you must guide, you must also be led.

They fell asleep to the gentle slap of the waves against the dock. The sun rose, and they awoke to the sound of birds and the splash of fish in the sea.

“I’m afraid I have no more food,” Leed said to them. His manner was friendlier than last night. Qui-Gon thought that was a good sign. It reinforced his decision not to push today. He would stand back and wait to see if Leed and Taroon could find each other.

Drenna had been awake for some time and had untangled fishing line and lined up short spears for each of them.

“On Senali, we are taught from an early age to be responsible for our own nourishment,” she said to them. “If you wish to eat, you must fish.”

“I am not hungry,” Taroon said haughtily.

Drenna met his gaze steadily. “That is not true,” she said. “You are hungry. And you are afraid.”

Taroon bristled, and Qui-Gon gathered himself for another argument. He would not allow this one to go so far, he decided. A day of harmony would do them all good.

But before Taroon could speak, Drenna added in a gentler tone, “It is natural to fear water when you cannot swim. But I can teach you. Senali and Rutanians are the same species. If we can be expert swimmers, you can be, too.”

Taroon hesitated.

“Of course,” Drenna said, shrugging, “you might have a problem. You can’t send seeker droids after fish. And if you hit them with a blaster, there goes your breakfast.”

She smirked at Taroon. Drenna had thrown out a challenge, Qui-Gon saw.

“I can learn by myself,” Taroon said.

“No, you can’t. Do not worry,” Drenna said in a soft tone. “I won’t make fun of you. I had to learn myself, once.”

Taroon rose stiffly and picked up some fishing line and a spear. “All right, then. Let’s go.”