Retaliation by Bill McCay

Barbara finished for him. “This stuff is clear, concise, and best of all, it make sense to me as a scientist. We’ll try her on the next batch from Auchinloss alone. And if she works out the way I think she will-we have a new star translator!” Sha’uri stepped quietly down the stairwell, away from the command deck. She hated herself for stand-ing there, eavesdropping on the conversation between the two Earthers, especially since she and Barbara Shore had become friends. But although she hadn’t understood all the slang, two things seemed perfectly clear.
    Her husband’s people seemed frighteningly ca-sual in their approach to sex and relationships. And Faizah seemed to be exploiting that casual attitude to further her interests.
    The uncomfortable question arose-had she done it before?
    Had she done it with Daniel?
    “Are you nuts?” Daniel Jackson hooted with laugh-ter, “Faizah and Gary Meyers?”
    Slowly his laughter faded as he tried to understand what was bugging Sha’uri.
    Because something defi-nitely was.
    “What’s wrong with Dr. Meyers?” Sha’uri asked. “I’ve heard you say that he is respected in your field-more than you were.”
    “The guy’s a stiff!” Daniel burst out. “Faizah could do much better.”
    She could? Sha’uri thought. With whom?
    Daniel stared at his wife as he chewed a piece of bread. She can’t be jealous of Faizah on the job. He tried to edge around the subject. “I think I did the right thing, putting her on the project. From what I hear, Faizah has helped clear up a bunch of those technological hieroglyphics.”
    “Yes. Dr. Meyers speaks very highly of her, too.”
    Daniel swallowed a little too hard. Why was Sha’uri giving him the old skunk-eye? “What does that mean?”
    “Just that it’s interesting how many men think Faizah is quite remarkable.
    Especially men from good old sleep-with-anyone-you-feel-like Earth!” “Barbara Shore certainly isn’t a man. And she thinks that Faizah is an exceptional translator,” Daniel said reasonably.
    Perhaps he’d have done better not invoking a woman who’d admittedly pursued him back on Earth.
    The discussion that followed was not at all reasonable.
    But it was quite heated.
    Faizah looked at her teacher with wide eyes. “But why shouldn’t I be friendly with Gary?” she asked in astonishment.
    “It just gives people the wrong idea,” Daniel said in an uncomfortable voice.
    “You work under him-“
    He bit off that sentence while he was still ahead. Hoo-boy! Faizah’s face radiated puzzlement. “But I call you Daniel, and I learn under you.”
    Daniel was very glad that Sha’uri hadn’t heard that comment. He retreated to the proprieties of teaching.
    “I shouldn’t have phrased the sentence that way,” he said stiffly. “Although there’s an accepted sense of working under someone’s direction, there’s a double meaning-“ A sort of naughty comprehension came over Faizah’s mobile features. “Oh, yes, we have that, too. We call it ‘agreeable work’!”
    Looking into her laughing eyes, Daniel had to admit that farmers often had a more barnyard simplicity about procreative matters. “But who would object-oh. It’s Sha’uri, isn’t it?”
    Again, Daniel had to credit his star pupil’s quick mind.
    “Things don’t seem to be getting any better between you, do they?” she said. “Just bigger and better arguments,” Daniel admitted. It seemed that the more difficult it became to talk to Sha’uri, the more understanding Faizah became. At first Daniel had just spoken in generalities, trying for a second opinion from a woman of the same age and culture. But oddly, their conversations had grown more specific-and downright personal-while also broadening into discussions of policy and politics.
    “I’ve been thinking about why Sha’uri feels troubled.” Faizah spoke in that odd combination of innocence and forthrightness that reminded Daniel of the midnight talk fests of his university