Marriage?

Alpha, Nancy & Songmark Instructors Copyright Mr. Simon Barber.

Used with Permission

Nancy Rote’s jaw almost bounced off the floor when she first heard Alpha’s statement. Well, not actually—still, it would have been impossible for her mouth to open further. “I...” She inhaled, coughed, “...Love?”

“Mother wants to talk to you!” Alpha announced carefully, her voice bright and cheery as she pulled off her earphones. “I love you too!-- havesincesecond time wemet. Come on, now. Here, I’ll showyouhow this works.” She managed to grab the unresisting squirrel’s paw, pulling Nancy to the bed that they had shared not too long ago. Without thinking, Nancy sat beside the smaller shrew, letting Alpha place her earphones (after a bit of adjustment) onto her own head. The shrews rapid fire style of speaking was confusing the squirrel, causing her to simply allow things to happen. At least for the moment.

A crackling sound filled the amateur sleuth’s ears for a moment, as if some connection was making and breaking rapidly. There was a soft, almost comforting hum, followed by a click. Then in perfect sound an older woman’s voice filled the squirrel’s ears. “So, you are the woman who stole my dear sweet daughter’s heart!” It was an aristocratic sounding voice. One that more announced than spoke. “Well then, in the least my daughter has some taste. You are quite an impressive specimen. From this angle.”

Nancy looked down as Alpha pushed her suitcase closer to her. Abruptly she noticed that there was a six inch square plate of mica in front of her. On it was a perfect black and white photograph of a very impressive female mink. Except... the photograph moved. “Is that...” Nancy swallowed as the implications hit her. Germany, America and even Spontoon were just now experimenting with large, clunky machines that they called Super-Iconoscopes. She had seen one in action at the State Capital before leaving home. Huge, its picture grainy, often washed out. Certainly even its sound quality was nothing as good as this. She could have been in the same room as they mink speaking to her. Here, in front of her, was a device that put those inventors’ best efforts to shame. It was like the difference between a horsecart and her own automobile. “Mrs Zarahoff…” she tried, only to be cut off by the older woman.

“Call me Mom-- or Jade. Yes, I believe that if you are to become a part of my family you must call me Jade. Though in mixed company it is ‘Your Excellency’ of course. Proper form you understand. Alpha has already informed me she will be taking your name. So like her father, though I will admit Burghenolbit would have been simply dreadful. It was better that Albert took my name. I am an Aristocrat, after all. Oh, wait, I understand. You are worried about the cost of everything. Dear Nancy, please do not worry a fur on your body, and such an impressive body. As parents of the bride we will take care of everything. Absolutely everything.”

Nancy swallowed as the image before her ran a delicate tongue across its lips. Events were out of paw, the woman’s authorities speech was steamrollering her. Certainly she’d shared some pleasant time with Alpha, enjoyable time. Especially as the shrew had proved to be an absolute beginner at such things. But marriage? For only the second time in her life Nancy found her thoughts confused. The other had been when her mother died, and that had been long ago. Not even during her capture had her thoughts been so confused. Certainly not like this. “It isn’t the money,” she explained, looking for a way out. Any way out. “It’s. Well I have this party planned in two days, then school starts. It’s at least a day for a one-way trip to Cranium Island, after all. Two or three by boat I understand.”

“Oh, that!” the mink replied, her voice sounding as though the problem were no greater than a butterfly’s color clashing with her dress. “Please be assured that both you and Alpha will be home in plenty of time for your party. My word, and Untouched. As she demands. Colors. Yes, Alpha loves blood-red, you... I think you’d look absolutely delicious in black. Yes, basic black, with red highlights. We will make Alpha’s dress red with black highlights. The two of you will be absolutely exquisite. Now let me speak to Alpha, please.”

Numbly Nancy removed the earphones. “Mom wants to talk to you,” she heard herself say. Whatever Alpha had to say to her mother Nancy never heard. She was lost in her own thoughts. ‘What did I say to Alpha?’ she wondered, replaying those earlier hours in her mind while the shrew chatted happily, and at high speed with her mother. She had only meant to repay Alpha for her selfless work. Whatever had given the shrew such ideas Nancy couldn’t determine.

“That’s it!” Alpha abruptly announced, breaking into Nancy’s thoughts. “Everyone on Cranium Island who’s anyone will be there, except Doctor Rolland. He’s still recovering from that accumulator explosion. Oh Nancy, I’ve never been so happy in my life!” She pushed the squirrel down on her bed. “We still have ten minutes before mom’s glider gets here…” the shrew purred, her paws wandering in pleasant places.

Nancy though, managed to capture both paws, with some effort. Alpha may have been a beginner at lunch, but the shrew was an unbelievably fast learner by the time supper was ready. “We MUST talk!” Nancy gasped, pushing away the feelings Alpha had already drawn from her. Events were simply occurring much too quickly for the squirrel’s liking.

Pulling away from the prone squirrel Alpha smiled. “About what?”

“Marriage. What made you think I wanted to marry you?”

“Well that’s really simple. I was a maiden of course. I even told you so. On Cranium Island, when you take a maiden its only because you want to marry her. Or experiment on her. Anyway, I’ve been in love with you since just after I met you, and when you whispered ‘marry me.’ Of course I said yes. Are you saying you don’t want to marry me? If you don’t, that’s okay. I’ll go back to Cranium right now on mom’s glider, some other girl can have my place at Songmark.”

“Wait...” Nancy sat up, pulling her blouse straight. Even though it was obvious that the shrew was fighting to slow her words, Alpha simply talked too fast, threw out too much information at one time. It was hard to make sense of her words. “I asked you to marry me?”

“Of course.” Getting up Alpha returned to her oversized suitcase, quickly turning several knobs before putting a finger on one toggle switch. “Please understand that I keep my recorder going all the time, so I don’t miss some idea just because I don’t have a pen and paper.” Throwing the toggle switch she adjusted a small rheostat. Her own voice came out of a hidden speaker. “...really liked that a lot” she was saying. There was a long pause, then unmistakable Nancy’s voice. “Marry me?” she asked. To Nancy it sounded like she was asleep-- she did remember a very short nap-- the shrew had more energy than a tank of aviation spirits after all. But anything else she had to say was drowned out by Alpha’s excited, giggling, affirmative response. Then Alpha pulled the toggle switch down again, shutting off their voices.

“I think I was asleep then,” Nancy observed. “Anything someone says while asleep isn’t legally binding. You should know that.”

Alpha’s expression of happiness fell to confusion, abruptly collapsing into sorrow. “All right,” she decided, her speech uncharacteristically slow. It was as if a lightning bolt had struck a tank of molasses. “You better go home now. I need to start packing.” She sighed, getting up from the bed. “It was too good to be real. Wasn’t it Miss Rote?”

“What was too good to be real?” the squirrel asked, fidgeting. She had seen friends shift emotions before, but nothing this abrupt. Where had that “Miss Rote” suddenly come from she wondered.

“Love. I always hoped. When I gave myself... I thought...” She walked away, pulling out a flat topped trunk made of copper from under the room’s bed. Opening it she turned and pulled her suitcase over, closing it down prior to packing it away. “I thought... Oh never mind. It isn’t important anyway.”

Nancy watched in silence as the shrew packed. She had thought that Alpha would be the kind of packer that just threw things in. It was a surprise to see that everything had a place, that everything was neatly folded. Everything was balanced. First her suitcase in the center, then books to each side, then... “Alpha.”

Turning to face Nancy the shrew managed a slight smile. “No worry Miss Rote. I won’t let mother or father send drones after you. It was my mistake, not yours. You just wanted a little fun. I was the one who misunderstood. I should have known better. I’m just filthy Cranium Island spawn anyway.”

Standing from the bed Nancy took the shrews paws in her own, staring down into her eyes. “Look. You’re really cute. Cute in a way I can’t quite understand. You’re fun too, but I have a suitor already. Please try to understand. He’s waiting for me to finish Songmark.”

“He’s better than me, isn’t he?” Alpha asked. “Smarter.”

“Better?” Nancy laughed. “We haven’t even kissed yet. As to smarter, I wouldn’t think he could hold a candle to you in that area.”

“Then. Then it was your first time too?”

Nancy shook her head ‘no’. “Sit down Alpha, please. Let me tell you a story. One just between you and I. At least for now.” While Alpha sat Nancy started to tell her tale. At first she had meant to gloss over most of her time as a captive, yet somehow she found herself unburdening herself completely. When finally she wound down the silence lasted only a few seconds.

Instead of pulling away Alpha, threw herself at Nancy, hugging her close to herself. “That’s why you’re so fired up to be a Detective. You want to stop those things from happening to others. I could have helped, maybe. I thought, I could… I mean….”

“How?” Nancy asked. “How do you think that you could have helped me?”

Pulling back Alpha waved at her packed away transmitter. “That for example. A lot of other things. I built that Miss Rote. Father designed it but I built it. And other things. I keep the glider flying, a lot of laboratory work too. You want to be a flying Detective. I want to be a flying Scientist. But learning to fly is the easy part isn’t it?” Her voice was still slow, still measured. It was as though she didn’t want to chance using the wrong words. Didn’t want to chance angering her companion. What Nancy couldn’t know was the massive headache building in the shrews head. A headache caused by the pressure of thoughts bottled up for the first time.

“I guess so,” Nancy admitted. “There’s survival to start. Self-defense. Navigation and mechanical work certainly. There are a lot of things I joined Songmark to learn. Not just the flying.”

“Same for me. And I must learn self-control.” She pushed at the stack of photographs Nancy had left. “I never had as much joy as deciphering those things for you. Honest, never. Then you kissed me and... After that I thought it could never be better. I was right. I wanted to be Watson to your Sherlock. Spending hours in my lab, creating things for you. Deciphering things. Doing your science work. I guess he will be doing that though. Right?” She turned back to her packing, rubbing her now aching head with one paw.

“No. No, he won’t Alpha.” Nancy looked down at her paws. “He’s a traveling book salesman.” Alpha had the right of it Nancy realized. She needed to learn self-control, and Nancy had to admit she could use a trained scientist in her work. She did like the shrew, and Alpha was a lot more attractive than say, Isabella (Actually the squirrel thought, almost anyone was more attractive than Isabella) but marry? “It’s not even legal!” she blurted out.

Alpha looked up from pulling a sock from under her bed. “What’snotlegal?”

Nancy waved one paw around her. “Women can’t marry women. It’s completely illegal. It’s against Gods law. I think.”

“Maybe where you are from Miss Rote” Alpha corrected. “Itis completelylegalon Cranium Island, Spontoon, Krupmark, Saint James, Kuo Han, Vanirge, Piccucapac anddozenother places I can name. Noteveryone islimitedintheir thinking by some busybody inblackrobe. Not everyon worshipssameGod, or Goddess.”

Alpha had lost the battle with her words, they had overtopped the damn she had created and were spilling out almost as fast as she could speak them. Even so her head felt like it was going to explode.

“Why, there mustbehundredshere on Spontoon alone” the Cranium Island Mad Scientist continued. “Gods and Goddesses I mean. Butdoesn’tmatter. “ She shoved a massive book into a slot meant for it. “I’ll neverforgetyouMissRote. Honest. I never will.”

Silence descended again, broken only by the sounds of Alpha’s packing until Nancy came to a decision. “Alpha?”

“Yes Miss Rote?”

“Look at me, please?”

Setting a heavy pair of steel-toed rubber boots down, Alpha turned to face her visitor. “What is it Miss Rote?”

“We have three years right? I am referring to finishing Songmark. It is a one-chance offer of course. An expensive one at that. If we fail, we cannot try again. Correct?”

“Those are the rules,” Alpha agreed. “So? I’mgoingto claimafamily emergency, thenre-applyinthree years. After you’regone. Since schoolhasn’teven startedyetI’mfine. Itisin thecontract. Theyhaveallowed itbefore. I checkedbeforeapplying.”

Nancy nibbled on her lower lip, thinking. It was wild-- it was unheard of in Creekside. But, well, she could at least try. “What about a trial marriage?” she asked softly.

Alpha’s eyes widened. “Trial marriage? Like, afterayear, ifitdoesn’twork, webreakup?” Life was returning to the shrew’s voice. Not much as yet, but it was there.

Nancy made a fateful decision. Not a snap decision, she almost never made snap decisions. But not one that she’d spent hours working on first either. She hoped it was a decision that she wouldn’t regret. “I’m thinking more of three years. We could still see other people if we want. In fact, seeing as I already have so much more experience, even though it wasn’t of my own free will, I would much prefer you saw others at least. Of course we would have to vow that school comes first. Your are right of course. I can very much use a scientist. One with self-control though. One who can create things that are still dreams to everyone else.”

She grinned as her own excitement built. “Not the same dorm, certainly not. It would be too difficult for both of us. We would never pass a single test.” Jumping in with both feet Nancy made her final decision. “Alpha. I’m willing to try three years. Under certain conditions: We both have to pass, which means we have to help each other when we can. No cheating, just normal help. School days we are students, but when we can be together… Well, of course, a team needs practice so we will have time together. We have to find out if we really are meant for each other. If we can work together as a team, and more. Certainly both of us need to stay on the right side of the law. If either of us fail, for any reason, our marriage is over. But the other has to swear to graduate Songmark.”

Alpha’s voice rose in frequency “So. Ifafterthreeyears wedecideitisn’t right...”

“We don’t renew our vows” Nancy finished. Even for her mind, following the shrews rapid fire speech was difficult. “We part as friends, with some really grand memories. If it does work, right now I can’t think of a partner I’d rather drag around the world than you. Even if we will be looked down upon by those who discover our secret.”

Alpha squealed in delight, throwing herself into Nancy’s arms. “I’llbethebestwifeanyonecouldaskfor!” she rattled.

Nancy laughed, somewhat nervously. She still wasn’t certain where this was going, or if she were making a terrible mistake. “There are other conditions,” she reminded her companion.

“And?”

“First. You have to learn not to string all your words together, it is very difficult for me to understand you.”

“And?”

“I want children.”

Alpha giggled. “To experiment on, or raise?”

“Raise you goofy little shrew!”

“Sodo... I,” Alpha admitted. “Helga has been trying for years, but her experiments stillsay... it takes a male to make a baby.”

“My point exactly,” Nancy sighed in relief.

“I can... I can live with that,” Alpha agreed. “I do love you Nancy. I really, really do.”

“Then we better be ready when your aircraft lands. It’s a long trip according to the maps I read.”

“Two hours,” Alpha agreed. “Mom’s glider hasbeenhereoverfive minutes already. We can go now? Please?”

“Sure.” Standing Nancy took a step towards the door. A step into a new part of her life. ‘Things move so fast here’ she thought, when a metal tentacle abruptly wrapped itself around her waist.

They were ten minutes out of Spontoon before Nancy managed to gain control of her emotions again. “You should have warned me!”

“It’s the fastest way to board,” Alpha answered. “I am sorry, but youdidn’tevenscream.”

“Things happened too fast,” the squirrel admitted, privately accepting that the constricting metal tentacle had been... fun. Once she realized what it really was. “So what do we do now?”

“Untilwe... Until we get to my home? There’s food. Your kind of food,” Alpha added.

“But who flies this craft?” Nancy had looked around, but found no other living thing aboard the craft, though Alpha wouldn’t let her enter the engine room.

“Simple flight, beacon to beacon, crystal brain does all flying,” Alpha explained. “No good for anything more. It usuallycarriescargo. Occasionally mom or dad, or both. It homedonmy beacon, but I hadtotellit to return. It’s really limited. Another reason I applied to Songmark. We haven’t but two pilots left.”

“Oh!” was all Nancy had to say about that. She listened to the aircraft’s engine noise. To her ears it sounded nothing like the drone of those aircraft she had flown on so far, but a muted scream that even outside had been quiet. As she found a comfortable seat she thought about her decision. Why, a craft like this. Criminals would never know she was coming. And Alpha... She studied the shrew from behind as Alpha read something on the ships control panel. Okay, she was a shrew, but wow, what a shrew!

Arrival at Cranium Island was another amazing event. Instead of landing on an airstrip or the water, Alpha’s manta-shaped craft flew directly into a cavern. There it hovered until some kind of docking device attached itself, a single arm slipping into some socket high above Nancy’s head. After that it was a simple matter to walk out and meet her prospective in-laws.

Mrs. Zarahoff was a tall, stately mink it turned out. One who exuded a social training Nancy could only guess at. Her husband, Alfred, was a shrew like Alpha. Once Nancy had a good look at him she was happy Alpha took after her mother. He was short, fat, balding, with glasses so thick they looked like bottle-bottoms. Yet his voice was deep, rich. His intelligence shown through with his words, along with a very powerful animal attraction. “Welcome to our home, Nancy,” he said in greeting, stepping forward to envelop Alpha in a massive, bone-crunching hug. “Your home now. Alpha, you finally lost your heart. May she be equal to your mother, in her own way.”

“Yes!” Mrs. Zarahoff agreed. “Miss Rote. I welcome you to Zarahoff Keep. Please, though, we would prefer several weeks getting to know you much better...”

“Mother!” Alpha warned softly.

“Ah, yes. I am much afraid that my daughter has made her feelings very plain regarding your welfare. Please, everything is arranged. As you must be back in Spontoon by tomorrow, and the storms will have passed not long after noon, events must be rushed. At least not for the same reason as dear Karla’s marriage was.”

“Karla?” Nancy asked.

“Botany,” Alpha explained. “She accidentally lockedherselfinher plant room one night. So she claims. Her son is ratherunique.”

“Oh,” Nancy swallowed. If what she was learning about Cranium Island was right, Alpha was probably the sanest person she would meet while here.

Mrs. Zarahoff cleared her throat, catching both girls’ attention. “Well, Patty is waiting. I’m certain you will want to have your dresses fitted correctly. Miss Rote. I would send a message to your father, if you wish. However Alpha has expressed a feeling that he would not approve of your choice in life partners. Is this correct?”

“Yes... Jade,” Nancy admitted. “He would disown me in a moment. At least, please, let me find the time and place. Perhaps I may make him understand.”

“Of course my dear. Why, when I informed my parents of Alfred. Why Father wanted to duel him, while Mother passed out right in front of the maid. Things between us are much better now, though I would still not trust Alfred and Father alone for more than a few seconds. Alpha?”

“Yes, mother.”

“You will treat her as an equal?”

“Of course, mother.”

“Very good then. It is important that married couples treat each other as equals. If you will excuse me Nancy, I’ve an alloy simmering. It is almost time to pour. I assure you that I shall be available well before the ceremony.” Leaning down Mrs. Zarahoff kissed her husband’s furless head. “Be careful dear Alfred” she stage whispered. “Miss Rote is very attractive. I wouldn’t want to lose you. Not after this long.”

“Uhh....” Nancy swallowed.

“Come on, Nancy!” Alpha called, her voice filled with that strange energy that seemed to never end. “We only have one hour. I know the alloy mother is working on. It will take her that long to finish and dress.”

Giving into the flow-- it was her own doing after all-- Nancy followed the shrew.

Mr. Zarahoff, or ‘Dad’ as he preferred Nancy to call him, supplied the rings. “Beautiful!” Nancy gasped as she examined the twin rings. “They look like colored glass. Won’t they just break?”

Alfred’s booming laughter answered her. Taking one of the rings he sat it on the stone floor, then picked up a large metal statue. Swinging as hard as he could the mad scientist crushed the ring, then stepped back. There was a bright spot on the metal statue, a nick in the floor, but the ring itself was untouched. “We don’t yet know what they are,” he explained as he replaced the statue. “They even self-resize to fit each finger. We can’t even melt ‘em with a death ray.”

“Death ray?”

“Oh yes, didn’t Alpha tell you? Dr. Heimdale created it. Melts almost anything but these rings, and those Tikis. Nothing affects either. A few other things we have discovered, of course. Trust me Nancy, you and Alpha will be dust in your graves together long before these things ever tarnish. If then. There is a great deal of strange and funny stuff around here. You should ask Dr. Christen.”

“Is he an archaeologist?” Nancy asked.

“He? Oh no, my dear sweet child. Dr. Christen is a woman, a doe. She’s a few years older than you I think. Insatiable curiosity. It’s too bad about her little sister.”

“Left a window open at night?”

“Nanette? No, Nanette was much too smart to do something that foolish. She crossed her father. Christen locked her in the lower levels of that ruined temple they live in, to keep her father from experimenting on her. Everyone but her father knows of course. Why, I haven’t seen her in four, five months now.”

Nancy swallowed-- these people were insane-- and she was binding herself to them through Alpha? “Then she’s dead?”

“Dead?” Dr. Zarahoff shook his head. “Christen talks a good game Nancy. But she would never hurt her little sister. It is their father who is the danger. He would, and only for the fun of it. No Nancy, I think in a little while we will see young Nanette pop up on some island. Perhaps even Spontoon. All safe as can be. We may be mad scientists here daughter in law, but only a very rare few are truly insane. One of those is Christen’s father. So beware of him.”

“What about you and your wife?”

“Ah... Now there is the rub Nancy. Alpha will tell you we are crazy. Then, don’t all children believe their parents mad in one way or another? My darling Jade is a mistress of Alloys. Right now she is working on a new, very flexible armor. One that will reflect even Heimdale’s death ray. Myself. I am a mathematician. I am working on a new dimensional gate, yes. One that uses little power to open. But insane, no. We are not insane Nancy. True, Jade would love to experiment on you. But as long as Alpha loves you that will not happen. So don’t you worry your pretty head about waking up with liquid metal having replaced your blood, or your eyes being silver orbs or anything like that. Besides, she’s already done that. Now hurry along, I hear the music. And Nancy?”

“Yes?”

“You look delicious in that dress. Stay away from the plant room.”

“Thank you... Dad.” Hurrying out Nancy wondered why she should stay away from the plant room, until she remembered Karla’s story. When she saw Alpha her breathing stopped for a moment. If it were possible to package a shrew to look any better, Nancy was certain the vixen Penny would know how. Alpha’s blood red dress clung to her like a second skin; her neckline plunged, opening into a diamond that framed her navel. A navel holding a red gem. A naval that Nancy well remembered. Nancy’s own dress was equal, though her own navel was unadorned. Perhaps Alpha could arrange a gem like that for her. Then the formal music started. It was time. So soon. So very soon.

“Do you,” a great horned owl asked. “Alpha Zarahoff, take this woman, Nancy Rote, as your lawful mate.”

“Ohyesyesyes!” Alpha gasped, then blushed and spoke again, her voice much slower. “Yes, I do.”

Nodding to the shrew, whom Nancy kept expecting to suddenly become the owl’s meal, he turned to her. “Do you, Nancy Rote, take this woman Alpha Zarahoff, to be your lawful mate?”

Nancy swallowed, absently raising her tail higher. Here it was, she was making a decision she would have to live with for three years, at least. Still, she had chosen Songmark. If she could manage three years of Songmark, she could manage three years of Alpha. But what would her instructors think when they found out? “I do,” she answered, surprised at the calmness of her own voice.

“Then by the power vested to me by the Neo-Vatican and Pope Elizabeth the Third, I now pronounce you Lady and wife. May no creature, mortal, immortal or other attempt to sunder this bond. Lest the power of all Cranium Island and the Neo-Vatican be raised against them. You may now kiss your bride.”

Alpha immediately threw herself into Nancy’s arms, giggling all the time. “Married!” she finally gasped after they parted.

Nancy though wondered just what she had gotten herself into. Was it a good thing, or a bad thing? Certainly, she couldn’t tell her father. At least, not until she was able to support herself. Or at least in person. Right now though she was trying to survive Alpha, who seemed to want to squeeze the two of them into one body.

It was going to be a very strange three years she realized.