Chapter Sixteen
The Call
Things remained the same for several months...well, about the same. There was one major difference: Rai was now a shrape!
She was absolutely beautiful. She was still remarkably slender and elegant for her breed, but she was bigger (about she size of a large dog) and she now boasted magnificent bat-like wings with talons. Her vocalizations now included various chirps, trills, and screches, and her telepathy had become fantastic.
Rai made excellent use of 'her' tower. Gana, Kivo, and Io flew in there a lot, stretching their wings, but the three of them combined didn't spend as much time as Rai. Next to spending time with Starre after school, it was her favorite thing to do. She'd climb up to her ledge with her strong wings and their sharp talons, say hello to Kabo (who lived there now), and then jumped off to soar through the air, her broad wings catching the slightest breeze and carrying her high above the earth.
It was one of her escapes, flying. Starre had told her the story of how she rescued John, which involved explaining the DF. Rai had been more morified than she let on -- at her young age, she had been unable to imagine such violence.
Even now, as she sat on her ledge, it haunted her. How could one being harm another in such an awful way?
Hey, angel, a voice said, startling the red out of her thoughts. She turned around, and saw that Gana had joined her. You look upset.
Rai sighed, a soft, trilling noise, like a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. Just thinking, she replied.
About what? Gana asked, though Rai had a fleeting sensation that he knew exactly what.
I-- she began, but a voice interrupted her.
"Rai?" Starre called. "I'm here, sweetheart. Are you in there?"
Starre! Rai cried. She swooped down from her ledge, and landed in Starre's arms. She laid her elegant head on Starre's shoulder. Starre, she whimpered, I'm so, so mad!
"What's wrong, precous?" Starre asked, her eyes full of concern. "What happened?"
The DF, Rai hissed, that's what happened.
"Oh, honey!" Starre crooned, stroking Rai's smooth neck. "I shouldn't have told you. It's bothering you, and it's all my fault! I feel terrible, just --"
Don't feel terrible, Tai said, a fierce light in her eyes. I'm glad I know. I can do something about it now. When are the protests again?
"I don't know," Starre said apologetically. "I haven't heard from Elaine yet, but I'm expecting her call soon."
Well, she'd better call today, Rai said firmly. Now, let's have a snack. I want to think about what I can do to help.
Starre smiled, gave Rai a little kiss, and laid her down on the ground. "That's my Rai," she said to herself as the terran-arboreal slithered off. "That's my Rai."
You're lucky, Gana said, that she brought this up today.
"Oh!" Starre said, turning to see Gana beside her. "Hey, I didn't see you! Sneaky.... Er...what did you mean by what you just said?"
Gana smiled. Check the phone messages, he said, flying away before Starre could say another word.
**--**--**
Starre and co.? This is Elaine McCarthy. Remember me? ...Didn't think so. Hehe. Anyway, the protests are in three weeks, and, if you're still interested, I can get you dates, times, places, and permission to get out of school. Say hello to the Dragons, and give me a call back. Bye.
"Awesome!" Steavan exclaimed, rubbing his hands together. "Let's go right now!"
"Yeah, 'awesome, no school!'" Nina said sarcastically, but she was smiling with everyone else.
"Whadaya say, Rai?" Starre asked the red shrape. "You in?"
You bet, Rai replied, fierce determination in her glistening eyes.
"Good girl," Starre said lovingly, hugging her beloved friend. "I didn't think otherwise for a second."
"Dragons?" John asked the other three present.
I go if everyone else goes, Ionkori said.
You'll go if I say you go, Kivo said firmly.
I should go to referee these two, Gana added, smirking.
Very funny.
Thank you.
Actually, that was clever.
Not so much.
It was if I say it was!
Nuh-uh.
Yes.
No.
Yes.
Guys.
No.
Yes.
GUYS!
Rai giggled, and Starre grinned. The arguments never failed to amuse her.
"So it's settled," Nina said, her I'm-a-mother-so-it's-final tone kicking in.
"I'll call Elaine back," Starre said, picking up the phone. "Get me some paper so I can write down the dates."
**--**--**
About 15 minutes later, Starre had a sheet of rapidly-scrawled dates. "The big matches are on Mondays," Elaine had said, "so those are the only ones you need to go to."
"But I want to go to all of them!" Starre had cried.
"That's impossible," Elaine had explained, "because there are two at once sometimes. Anyway, it's important that you stay in school."
Which had left Starre feeling rather helpless.
Starre? Rai called, trotting into Starre's room. When do we start? What's the first protest?
Starre smiled at her friend's enthusiasm and determination. She was proud beyond description. "Three weeks from now. We leave on that Sunday afternoon, precious," she explained. "We'll protest on Monday morning, and be home that night. I'll only miss one day of school each week."
Oh, Rai said. Well, I'm excited. I can make a difference now. So can you, she added, a little dragon smile on her face.
**--**--**
The next three weeks seemed exceptionally slow, with all the inhabitents of the house anticipating the protests in their own way. The topic had become the subject of constant discussion in the household, with groups of two or three wandering around and inventing new chants or slogans to use in getting their message across better. Of all of them, Io's were the most inventive and...colorful.
We want freedom for the Kin, da--
"Do you really want to finish that?" Nina asked sternly, stroking Kivo's neck lazily while watching TV.
Yes, Io replied, but a look from Gana put all those ideas out of his mind in an instant.
Rai's passion for 'making a difference' had grown immensly since the call. She could be found on Stevan's computer frequently, researching the history of the DF, and the reasons that it had survived for so long, and the various ways that the Kin were abused and tortured. She used that information to write a detailed brochure that she convinced Starre to distribute at the middle school. It got quite a reaction.
"'Wow,'" Starre said, quoting a boy, "'I didn't know that foreign people were so mean!' He's totally missing the point!"
But many people got the point, and the protesting force grew as more and more people called Starre and Elaine for information. Before long, Starre was actually receiving donations in the mail for her new 'noble cause.' She used them to distribute Rai's brochures in other areas.
On the designated Sunday, the Matthews/Copper household received an envelope with tickets good for numerous round trips to Saxvistan, sent from Elaine. She frequently was forced to turn down payment for the tickets, insisting that she had 'sources' and that she needed no money whatsoever. So the group boarded the plane that afternoon, and they were in Saxvistan the next morning.
"I'm tired," Stevan muttered sulkily as they got off the plane, the two Kin sporting bulky sweaters and sweatpants.
"Then you should have slept instead of watching action movies," Nina replied shortly, ruffling her son's hair. "Come on, we can hail a taxi. The protest's in 20 minutes."
I can't wait! Rai squealed, flying up to perch on Starre's shoulders. Taaaaaaxi, take us to the pro--
"Hush!" John hissed. "We can't say a word about the protest, it'll cause suspicion."
Sorry, Rai said quickly, just as a yellow taxi pulled up and honked.
"Oi!" the man called, "you with the DF?"
"Er...yes," Nina said, "and we need a ride to the stadium. We're supervising there."
"Yes, ma'am," the driver replied, allowing the group in. Gana smiled proudly, winking at his friends and pointing to the band on his arm, which he had never managed to get off, even with the assistance of scissors and knives.
After a few minutes, the taxi driver reached a road near the stadium. "Let us off here," Nina said quickly, giving the driver his due payment and helping her companions out.
"Cheer Saxvistan for me," the driver called as he drove away, zooming back to the airport.
"Don't worry," Starre said under her breath, "I won't."
And the eight ran off to join the protestors.
As Starre joined the gathering throng of people with anti-DF signs and angry faces, she spotted a flash of familiar silvery hair.... "Amaryllis!" she shouted, catching the girl's attention. "Hi, nice to see you again!"
"Hi!" Amaryllis replied, stepping up to shake Starre's hand. "I -- oh my goodness, you got your bishel dragon?"
"Yes," Starre said, grinning. "This is Raistlin."
Hey! Rai said to Amaryllis. I've heard about you. You can call me Rai, if you want.
"Certainly!" Amaryllis replied, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "Nice to meet you, Rai. And congratulations, Starre. That's a great achievement. I trust that you've been taking excellent care of her?"
"Of course!" Starre laughed. "How could I not? Just look at her -- she's precious!"
Rai smiled happily at all the attention, and she smiled even more when the other six came rushing over.
"Who's this?" John asked, smiling at Amaryllis and then looking at Starre with confusion.
"Oh, this is the Amaryllis I told you about," Starre said. "Remember, I met her here last year? This is John, my father, and Stevan, my adopted brother." At Amaryllis's confused look, Starre explained how she'd been adopted in America, and then found her father.
"That's a beautiful story," Amaryllis replied, smiling. "Oh, wait a sec, the protest is about to start! Sorry, Starre, I've got to go, but I'll see you later!"
"Okay!" Starre said eagerly, turning to watch as Amaryllis got up to her microphone to begin the protest.