Read Online Offspring by Steven Harper - Free Book Online Page A

The results were always the same.”
    “What?”
    “We haven’t been able to figure out why Irfan and Daniel made all these embryos—made me—or how the embryos got onto the ship Mom found or anything else about them. I wish we could have.”
    “What?”
    “Harenn told only me because she figured I should be the first to know. I asked her to keep quiet because I wanted to be the one to tell you. But I couldn’t find a way to say the words until now. I’m sorry.”
    “What?”
    “Would you stop saying what? You sound like you’re broken.”
    “Wha—oh.” Kendi sank into a chair with a dazed expression on his face, one Ben couldn’t read. “All life. Ben, you’re saying that those embryos—that you—are almost a thousand years old? That you’re the son of Irfan Qasad and Daniel Vik?”
    Ben managed a nervous laugh. “Yeah.”
    “ The Irfan Qasad,” Kendi went on. “The first human to enter the Dream. Who founded the Children of Irfan. Who created the idea of human Silent.”
    Ben sat down with a nod. “And Daniel Vik is my father. Yes—the man who tried to destroy all human Silent on Bellerophon. Lucia’s been having fun with that one. Something about it symbolizing the good and evil found in everyone.”
    “ Lucia knows?” Kendi said. “You told Lucia but not me?”
    Ben looked down at his hands. They were twisting themselves in his lap. He had known this would happen. Kendi was angry at him. He hated it when Kendi got angry. Not because he was afraid of Kendi, but because it...hurt. As if he had disappointed Kendi somehow.  Ben hated disappointing anyone.
    “Lucia was there when Harenn gave me the results of the scan,” Ben said to his hands. “Harenn said she had a right to know if she was going to be a surrogate mother.”
    “But I didn’t have the right to know?” Kendi’s voice was growing shrill. “All life, Ben—when were you planning to tell me? After the kids were born? At their first birthday party? Shit, I can’t believe you sat on this for a goddam month! ”
    Ben stood up and walked out of the room. He strode into his study and quietly shut the door.
                                                                                 
    Kendi stared at the empty space Ben had occupied. His mouth opened and shut like a landed fish and his mind spun in circles, trying to encompass what Ben had told him. Ben was the son of Irfan Qasad herself. It was impossible. It was preposterous. But Ben would hardly say such a thing as a joke.
    “Irene, call Harenn,” he said suddenly. “Mark the call high priority.”
    “Working.” A moment later, part of the kitchen walled glowed and Harenn’s face appeared on the monitor.
    “Is it true about Ben?” Kendi said without preamble.
    “Yes,” Harenn said, not mincing words herself. “I ran the scan five times. He and the other embryos are Irfan’s children. And Daniel Vik’s.”
    Kendi flung himself backward against the slats of his chair. “Do you know what this means? It’s like discovering a son of Buddha or Krishna. Not a descendent. A son .”
    “Sons are descendants,” Harenn pointed out.
    “You know what I mean,” Kendi snapped.
    “Are you unhappy about it?”
    “I’m startled out of my billabong, that’s what I am. I knew Ben had something on his mind, but I would never in a thousand years have thought this was it. All life, Harenn—why didn’t you tell me?”
    “I promised Ben I would not. He wanted to be the one.”
    “The Children are going to throw a thousand cats,” Kendi muttered. “Half of them will figure it’s some kind of blasphemy and the other half will worship at Ben’s feet.”
    “Do not forget that your children bear the same genes,” Harenn said. “They are Vik and Irfan’s children as well.”
    Kendi groaned.
    “You are acting like this is bad news,” Harenn said. “Is it?”
    “I don’t know,” Kendi growled.