Chapter 7
The rough timbre of his voice made Xera shiver. His slow, deliberatemovements, as if he were savoring the moment, didn’t help. Ryvenled her before the older man sitting on the throne. Frankly, the manlooked old enough to be his grandfather and must have sired him at alate age. He had a surprising amount of white hair neatly tamed onhis head, and a thin, delicately groomed Fu Manchu that trailed downpast his chin. He looked somewhat like a tanned catfish with fieryeyes.
Hisrobes were simple brown, with a black-belted waist and acream-colored undertunic. The room was decorated with similar,Zen-like simplicity. The floors were tiled in tan stone with a blackmosaic, and pillows for sitting lined the room. The chamber featuredlight filtering through the rough-hewn beams, giving it a tranquillook.
Thosekeen old eyes, so like Ryven’s, studied Xera. “If this is asample of the women that serve on human battleships, I think we willbe more careful about taking our prizes. You are a beautiful woman,Lieutenant Xera Harrisdaughter.”
Shelowered her face as heat fired her cheeks, unable to help herself.She wasn’t used to compliments or such frank appreciation. “Thankyou, Lord Governor.”
“Hm.Sit. Refresh yourself.” The Lord Governor Atarus looked at Ryven.“I think you have not told me the half of your adventures, my son.You mentioned her spirit, but not those magnificent blue eyes.” Helooked back at Xera. “I am told that your captain attacked you,that you broke his knee. Why did you allow him to live?”
Caughtoff guard, she had to think about that. “Our laws...if we had beenrescued by a ship of our own and I had killed him, I might have beenfound guilty of murder. It would have been my word against the restof the crew’s.”
Thoseeyes bored into her. “But you were not found by a ship of yours.”
“No...LordGovernor.” She was beginning to see this man for the canny oldwarrior he was. She’d have to be careful and guard her tongue orhe’d trip her.
“Youhesitate when using my title.”
Shefrowned thoughtfully. “I have to remind myself to not simply callyou ‘sir.’ We do not have lord governors where I am from. Also, Ifeel I am pronouncing the words badly and am trying to do a betterjob.” There were some awkward syllables in there.
“Isthat how you would address the ruler of your country? As ‘sir’?”
“Yes...LordGovernor.”
Herelaxed into his chair. “You may call me ‘sir.’”
Shealso relaxed, relieved to have gotten so far without mortallyoffending him.
“Drink,”Ryven said, and handed her a chilled glass. “He has not eaten youyet, and I suspect he will not.”
“Thankyou, my lord,” she said rather gratefully. She couldn’t detectany spirits in the drink, but decided to go slowly, just in case. Shedidn’t need to make a drunken fool of herself, especially now.
Thetalk turned to lighter things. She let the men speak and merelyobserved, trying to learn more about them. That worked for perhapsfive minutes.
“Ihave never known a woman to be silent unless she is frightened orangry,” Lord Atarus observed. “Which are you, Lieutenant?”
Sheblinked. “I am observing, sir. There is more to being a translatorthan speaking the language.”
“Isthis your passion, then, or your job?”
Shehadn’t thought about it in a long time. How did she feel about it?“Flying was my first love. I joined the Galactic Explorers to be apilot, but was assigned to language services instead. I hated it atfirst, but now...I like knowing what those around me are saying. Ithas been a useful tool.” And yeah, she did feel a little smug nowand then knowing that she heard things her captain didn’tunderstand. She’d had an essential role to play, and it had feltgood.
“Ididn’t know you were a pilot,” Ryven murmured. “What can youfly?”
Sheshrugged. “Small craft, officially, though I’ve spent many hoursin a simulator.” Flying fighters and large craft, but she wouldn’tadd that unless he asked.
Hedidn’t have a chance, for his father had more questions. “Why didyou learn our language? Surely you had many to choose from.”
True.At the time there had been many more practical choices. “It wasexotic, I suppose. I liked the way it sounded, the....” Shecouldn’t think of the word. “It is beautiful to hear.” Althoughshe’d heard it shouted, growled and clipped in the last week, shestill thought it was one of the most lyrical languages she’d heard.It was almost impossible to make ugly.
Theold man looked pleased. “Do you have many suitors on your homeworld?”
Heliked to hop around subjects like a grasshopper around stones. Xerareplied, “Er, no. I haven’t been home in a long while.”
“Elsewhere?”he persisted.
Shestared at him. “I’ve been very busy, sir.” What with gettingshipwrecked and all. She just hoped he wasn’t asking for his ownbenefit. Too late, she thought about inventing a man, but doubted itwould be useful here. Long-distance relationships were not going tohelp. Judging by the incredulous or scoffing looks around her,business should have been no impediment to her love life.
“Itseems your captain was five times a fool,” Shiza said candidly.“Had you been on my ship….”
“Youmay have been the one with the broken knee,” she interrupted inwarning. Shiza held her eyes, for she had been very rude in sospeaking. She didn’t back down, though. She couldn’t hear what hemay have been about to suggest without fighting adrenaline.
Ryventouched her shoulder, lightly. She stiffened as she met his gaze, butslowly the tension eased in her, almost as if he drained it.
“Youwill not be harmed,” he said quietly. “You do not need to defendyourself from Shiza.” He looked at his friend, who relaxed back inhis chair. His expression was still arrogant, but the man dropped thesubject.
LordAtarus looked pleased. About what, she couldn’t guess, so Xera lether eyes fall on her drink. It made a useful distraction. She’dalways had a hot temper, but few things sparked the full fury of it.No matter how tame they liked the women here, she just couldn’thold her tongue over things like that without a beating. He shouldknow better than to talk about women like that. She really didn’tlike him.
“Ihave appointments this afternoon. It would be best, Ryven, if youwould settle your lieutenant at the palace. We will speak againlater.”
“Sheis hot tempered.”
“Whenthreatened, yes.”
“Beautifulenough to keep a man home.”
Ryvenwaited.
“Iwill consider your request.” His father waited a moment, than addedas if prompting him, “I am pleased.” He seemed slightly anxious,as if afraid his son would not do the thing he was hinting at, wouldnot fulfill the wish the father had held for years now.
Ryvenjust smiled. “As am I, father. I will see you again soon.” Theirtransport was waiting to take them to the palace, and he had alreadysent Xera and her escort down.
Toosunsmirked at him as soon as they were out of their father’s hearing.“It’s cruel of you to taunt him.”
“Itbuilds character,” Ryven said blithely.
“Youare going to do it, then?” Toosun asked too casually. Curiositymust have been burning him from the inside out.
“Perhaps.”
Toosunpunched his arm playfully hard. “You may be the elder, but I canstill beat it out of you.”
Ryvensmirked. “Do not distract me, youngest. I have important plans tomake.”
Toosunjust growled.
Whenshe had been told she was going to the palace, Xera envisioned aEuropean castle or even something Arabic. She had not anticipated themass of dark crystals thrusting themselves toward the sky like ablack starburst. On approach it appeared windowless, bleak andwithout entrance. Monstrously huge, it towered for more than seventystories and had to be a mile in diameter. It looked as if it hadburst from the living rock.
Shedrew a sharp breath in amazement. She’d never heard of anythinglike it. How did people live here?
Theirtransport came in fast, revealing a series of unconnected crystalspikes before it slowed and rounded a last spire. A seemingly naturalcrevasse between crystals opened into an entrance that loomed largerthe closer they got. It swallowed their craft into a tunnel linedwith lights, like the glowing spots of some enormous underwater seamonster. Instead of into a dark stomach, however, the transportemerged into a sunlit shuttle bay. Xera couldn’t see the sky and ithad been overcast outside, so it wasn’t immediately apparent howthe area could be so well lit. She could easily see that the centralshaft rose all the way to the ceiling, and as their craft rose up thedifferent levels she could see shuttle bays on each.
Theywere only a few levels from the top when their driver slowed andpulled into one of the bays. Perhaps she looked as dazzled as shefelt, for Ryven looked at her and said in amusement, “Are you allright?”
Sheblinked and reminded herself not to gush. Now was not a good time tolook overwhelmed. “I...I’m fine. This is some place you’ve gothere.”
Hesmiled. “There is more to come.”
Shecould hardly imagine. Ryven and Toosun got out, and she slid outafter them, allowing Ryven to take her hand and help her. She barelynoticed that he didn’t return her hand, that he tucked it into thecrook of his arm instead. There were other transports parked thereand people came and went from them, but not many. It was by no meanscrowded.
Ryvenled her to the exit. A glance back showed her aide and attendantssupervising the unloading of Xera’s new things from the othertransport. The hallways ahead were wide enough to let three peoplepass comfortably side by side, and decorated with Venetian splendor.The whole was filled with sunlight.
“Thiscan’t be true sunlight, can it?” she asked Ryven. “We’reinside a huge black crystal! It must be your technology that doesthis, but I wouldn’t know where I was if I hadn’t kept my eyesopen.”
Hiseyes gleamed with pleasure. “We are on the Lord’s level. You’llhave a suite of your own for now. It should not take more than a dayor two to have a decision made about your position. Meanwhile, I havetime. I’ll show you around the palace after you’ve seen yourroom.” He stopped before a door and opened it. The first thing shenoticed was the spaciousness; the second, the curving wall of windowslooking out over a winter garden. As she got closer, she saw that theview was of ground level, an impossibility considering how high upthey were.
“It’sa hologram,” she said, somewhat disappointed. Very pretty, but nomore real than a picture.
Hesmiled and opened a balcony door. He reached out, scooped up a smallhandful of lavender snow and slipped it neatly down her shirt.
Xerashrieked. The melting lump slid between her breasts and down herbelly, then lodged against her sash, and she couldn’t get it off.
Ryvenglanced up at the attendants who poked their heads from her bedroomand they quickly disappeared. “Allow me,” he offered, and slidhis hand into the back of her shirt to whisk away the offending snow.He didn’t fumble around while he was there, but then he didn’thave to. The feel of his hand sliding against her skin was enough tomake her stiffen with shock.
Hetossed the remains of the snow outside. “As you can see, it is areal garden, helped along by a little technology. It is over onehundred years old.”
Herbrains were scrambled. She felt alarmed, but didn’t have time toanalyze the source of it, if there was only one. The moment calledfor a reply, but the only safe one she could think of was acomplaint. “My shirt is wet.”
“Youmay change it if you like. I think they’re finished putting awayyour wardrobe.” He didn’t look the least bit apologetic.
Well,why would he? she thought as she stalked to the bedroom. He was aman, and men liked putting their hands down women’s shirts, even ifhe’d been rather circumspect about it. She didn’t care for theknowledge that he’d enjoyed it, though. She didn’t want to lookat him in that light, didn’t want him to view her in a sexualsense. She wasn’t going to play with him. She was a “guest”here for who knew how long, maybe even the rest of her life. That’swhat they’d said.
Thethought made her flinch. It didn’t help when her attendants lookedat her with wide, questioning eyes.
“Ineed a new shirt,” she said stiffly. “Lord Ryven got snow onmine.”
Namaelooked at her carefully. “You sounded frightened, mistress.”
Xerafrowned. “I was...surprised. I didn’t expect him to be playful.”
Theothers relaxed. Namae helped undo the stubborn sash and chose a creamand blue tunic to replace the damp one. At a quiet word from her, theothers left. Namae solemnly looked into Xera’s eyes.
“Yes?”
Namaelooked down thoughtfully. “You have had a very strange meeting withour men, have you not? You met them as an enemy.”
Xerawondered where this was going. “Yes,” she said warily.
“Havethey hurt you?”
Surprised,Xera blinked. Honesty forced her to admit, “No. They have evenprotected me at times.” And they had saved her life, and tried tosecure a high position for her. It made her question some of thetension she was feeling now.
Namaenodded. “I think you could be safe with Lord Ryven, if you allowedit.” She bowed without waiting for an answer and hurried away.
Xerastared at the carpet for a moment then nodded her head. Namae mightnot be older, but she seemed kind and sensible. It really was betterto go on without fear.
Ryventook her to the public pools and showed her the place where familiesswam, and the separate pools for single men and women who were ofage. She was frankly baffled why it was okay for unmarried sexes tobathe together when the Scorpio were so strict in other respects. Howwas it okay for them to be naked together when it wasn’t permittedto remove a jacket in a man’s presence? It was going to take timeto figure out. Meanwhile, she could not see herself swimming inpublic anytime soon.
Theytoured the grand public library with its glossy crystal shelves fullof books and media, and he explained as they walked the halls andtook the occasional lift that there were recreation areas, sportsarenas and shopping malls, and where they were located on the variouslevels. They had theaters and art museums and many more amusementswhen she had the time. The only place she and Ryven lingered was thelarge summer garden located in the heart of the Lord’s level.
Itwas a place of incredible beauty. Intellectually, Xera knew that partof the sky and plants were holograms designed to fool the senses, butthe sky still seemed to stretch forever. The illusion was even moreconvincing because so many of the aromatic flowers and herbs werereal, the light so changing, chased by the occasional cloud shadow.Vegetables were interspersed with flowers and grown closely togetherin beds bordered by low hedges or stone walls. Everywhere she lookedthere was beauty, and she felt as if she’d been transported to somerich country estate.
“Thisis amazing! How far does the garden really reach? It looks as if youcould walk here for days and never see it all.”
“Youcould. It’s as big as it looks.”
“Buthow could it be so huge? How did your people build this place, thispalace? It looks impossible from the outside, and even more so fromhere.”
“Perhapswe are not the savages you think.” His words broke the music of themoment, as if a song were cut off mid-word.
Xeralooked at him. Was this a test? Impossible to know from his impassiveface. “I’ve never thought you were savages.”
“Never?”
Shethought about it, gave honest consideration to anything she mighthave seen him do. As she did, a memory stirred. “You killedGenson.”
“Isaw your face when you looked at his body. You made a special effortto return him to your people.”
“Itwas a life wasted. He was a decent man.” And yet it seemed so longago now, with too many experiences layered over it to find theoriginal emotion.
“Washe a friend?”
Shestruggled with the feelings his questions brought up. “He was acomrade, a crewmember. We weren’t close, but he had family.”Family that would be grieving him, and she felt for their loss. Herown family would grieve, too. She was never going home.
Henodded, his eyes steady on her. “Our cultures are very different attimes. You will not believe what I was trained to find just, and Idon’t always understand you. I think you are honest at heart,though. That is rare.”
Sheconsidered the times he’d protected her, given what he had for hercomfort. “You’re not completely repulsive, either,” she agreedreluctantly. She even smiled a little at the joke.
Hesmiled, too, but there was something else in his expression as well.“Do I repulse you?” he asked softly.
Thereit was again, that tension. She tried to be careful with her words.“I’m not comfortable with this subject. Our people are at odds.”
“Iwas speaking of us.”
Itwas hard to look at him. “I don’t want to have a relationshipwith you.”
Helooked thoughtful rather than offended. “It’s like a council forpeace talks, isn’t it? Neither side wants to give away theirconcessions too early. The pace is slow and drags on for days.Sometimes a man can go mad from the tension.”
Sheglanced up, surprised at his admission.
Hestepped forward. “I’ve never had much patience for delays, soI’ll see if we have one goal in common right now.” He took her inhis arms and kissed her.
Xerastiffened. His kiss dispensed with the formalities and cut right tothe heart of the matter. There was no power struggle, only acceptanceor denial.
Herbody chose acceptance: Without her mind’s input, it softened forhim, opened and received. She’d moaned her need into his mouthbefore she’d even had a chance to alert her defenses.
Andthen it was over. Meeting adjourned.
Hiseyes burned into her as his chest rose and fell against hers. “Thatwas all I needed to know.”
Theydidn’t say anything else. She was too shaken and he was tooaroused. Together they left the garden, two adversaries who had mettheir match.