Seeing her made Raken's heart tighten in his chest. His mother was long dead, and Aunt Raylene reminded him of that lost happiness. He'd been in his teens when his mother had passed away, and it had been one of the reasons to run away from Alahairo as soon as he finished secondary school, to go to university on another planet.
"We thought you were dead," Uncle Benton said mournfully. "You vanished completely from our radars. Where have you been?"
"On Ulba'wis first, Wega later," Raken answered, sitting with them in the empty room that had enough couches and armchairs for an army. When the whole family gathered in there, there were never enough sitting spots. "Where is everybody?"
"Your father passed away two years ago, we tried in vain to contact you," Aunt Raylene answered.
I'lli'nya gasped and he stared at them, gaping, for a moment. So the reason why he'd left was no more. The person that had made him say away for fifteen years was gone. His stern father would have never approved of I'lli'nya. He thought dark-skinned Humanoids were inferior beings. Raken had never felt strong enough to confront his father, until he'd had to fight and survive in a Wegan arena.
"Sorry," he grumbled lowering his eyes. The anxiety at the prospect of meeting his father was gone, leaving a strange sadness. "I wasn't able to have outside contact for the past three years. I was locked up in a Wegan arena."
"What for?" his uncle asked, incredulous.
"Debts... This is I'lli'nya, my girlfriend. We finally managed to get free of our obligations on Wega and were able to come back. We want to get married soon... when can everybody be here?"
"I guess we'll need at least a month to have all your cousins back," Aunt Raylene said after a quick calculation. They must be scattered around the planet for their work as guardians.
Raken was glad to hear no objection coming from them. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that his father was no more. Uncle Benton seemed too tired or worried to care about the family pride, which was good.
"Oh, fine, it gives us time to invite I'lli'nya's family as well. Where is my little brother?"
"Ah, um... he doesn't live here anymore," Uncle Benton answered, avoiding his stare.
"Where did he go?" Raken asked, puzzled.
"He's still on the planet," Aunt Raylene reassured him. "But he doesn't want to be with the family anymore."
"Oh. And why is that?"
"He feels he doesn't belong."
"Why not?"
"I don't know, Raken." Uncle Benton sounded tired. "He was a problem teen and became a problem young man and after your father's death, we gave up on him."
"He lives on his own and works at a club," Aunt Raylene added. "We stopped worrying for him long ago. He's almost thirty, he can take care of himself now."
"But I want to see him!" Raken blurted out. "Where do I find him?"
His uncle gave him an address. "Will you be staying here?" he asked with his mournful voice.
"If you don't mind. Since Wysten is gone, there is no problem if I share my room with I'lli'nya, right?"
"You should get married first." Aunt Raylene grinned. "But I assume you've slept together already."
"For the past ten or fifteen years," he answered with a nod. Well, not while he was a gladiator and she a prostitute, but... Gods, they'd been together for a lifetime! They really should tie the knot or split. He didn't want to lose I'lli'nya again, though. He'd be very happy to marry her.
"You know where your room is, then," Uncle Benton concluded with a sigh.
***
Raken and I'lli'nya left their things at the Nevermind Mansion and went back to the town center, where Wysten supposedly lived. They ate at a restaurant with good drinks and average food – both overpriced – and Raken decided to try the house special drink.
"How is it?" I'lli'nya asked as he licked his lips.
"Mint green with a few bubbles," he said. He sipped some more, ignoring the droplets running down the sides of the glass. "It smells like caramel and tastes metallic."
"Yuck," I'lli'nya said. "I hope the club your brother works at has better drinks!"
After dinner, they went looking for the nightclub that was by then about to open. They waited in line for about twenty minutes, then were allowed inside. The healthy crowd was loud and rowdy, and there was good music and a card game.
"Going to try your luck?" I'lli'nya asked with a wink.
As if that hadn't put them in trouble on Wega – living beyond their possibilities! Raken rolled his eyes. "Not funny, I'lli," he muttered, sending her into a fit of giggles. He glared at her and squeezed her buttocks. "Since you like shaking this, show me the way," he said, pushing her towards the dancefloor.
I'lli'nya's sense of rhythm and love for dancing was so great she had long ago managed to drag him into the wildest dances. He'd been very stiff at first, but by now he could swing and shake his ass as much as she could, and had learned all the dance steps she enjoyed so much. For at least an hour they mingled with the crowd on the dancefloor, then he requested a break and she happily followed him to the bar to get their drinks.
"First time here?" a friendly, talkative trader who clearly had a bodyguard asked them as they checked the list of colorful beverages. "Never seen the show?"
"No... is it any good?" Raken asked.
"Best strippers on the planet!" the man said, raising his glass.
I'lli'nya asked for two house specials to toast with their new friend. She was given a dark brown liquid with pale pink swirls and droplets running down the sides of the glass. The drink smelled like blackberries and tasted like peaches.
"This is good!" she enthused. "When is the show starting?"
"Soon, my pretty. Soon," the trader answered with a wink.
"Do you know if Wysten Nevermind works here?" Raken asked him.
"Ah, no, never heard of him."
The bartender smirked and shook his head. Raken decided to probe him with a huge tip.
"He's my brother. I haven't seen him in fifteen years," he said, leaning on the counter.
The bartender raised his eyebrows, skeptical, then frowned. "Why are you looking for him now?"
"I'd have come back earlier, but I ended up in trouble on Wega." Raken shrugged. "Do you know him?"
The bartender grunted and pointed at the stage on the other side of the club with his chin. "Watch the show."
Puzzled, Raken took I'lli'nya's hand and they went to a table near the stage to have a better view. The trader asked to join them with his bodyguard and soon the curtains went up. Male and female strippers bounced and danced on stage, throwing their clothes at the audience who cheered and threw them banknotes.
"The last is the best," the trader said as the round buttocks of a female stripper left the stage.
"Oy, what are you staring at?" I'lli'nya slapped Raken who gave her a sheepish look.
Lights went down, music started again, and the silhouette of a young man appeared in the limelight. The first thing to fly off was his hat, as a light hit his handsome face. He had cute features and short wavy brown hair.
It was I'lli'nya's turn to cheer as clothes flew off of him. His body was trim and fit, the young man must take good care of himself. He never smiled, but the audience went wild for him.
"Never is the best!" the trader said as he applauded the stripper who retired backstage. "But he never smiles."
Raken thanked him for his company and went back to the bartender.
"Did you see your brother?"
"Actually, no. Was he on there?"
"I think you're looking for Never." The barman pointed at a door that led backstage. "He doesn't linger after the show, so you better hurry or you'll miss him."
Raken thanked him with another tip and went backstage with I'lli'nya. They found the dressing room where Never had finished dressing – very casual clothes – and was brushing his hair out of his face.
"Wysten?" Raken asked, unsure. The more he stared at the young man, the less he could tell if he was his younger b
rother or not. He'd left a scrawny teenager, could he be such a gorgeous stripper now?
Never seemed to hold his breath for a moment, then looked at him. "Who are you looking for?"
"Wysten Nevermind... my little brother..." Raken felt intimidated by the icy stare.
The young man scoffed. "Wysten Nevermind is dead," he snapped. "Now get out of here."
He grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the dressing room, leaving Raken gaping.
***
"What do you think?" Raken asked, frowning. I'lli'nya was staring at an old picture of him and Wysten. Their research had showed there were no records of Wysten's death, thus he must be still alive.
"Is this the newest picture of him that you have?" I'lli'nya asked since the brothers were both still children in the image she held in her hand.
Raken shrugged. He had completely forgotten his brother for fifteen years, after all.
"Maybe my relatives have more recent ones." He sighed, looking around his childhood room. Wysten hadn't left behind anything when he had moved out. Even the posters on the walls were Raken's.
They went downstairs to ask for more images.
"Ah, no, he was always so camera-shy." Aunt Raylene sighed. "See?" She pointed at a digital frame with a slideshow of family photos. The only ones with Wysten in them dated from when Raken still lived in the house. It was as if his brother had decided to retire from public life as soon as Raken had gone away to study on another planet.
"Can I see that one better?" I'lli'nya asked.
Uncle Benton took his tablet and gave it to I'lli'nya, open on the folder of photos of that occasion. She finally found what she was looking for and zoomed in on the half-hidden face of Wysten.
"I think it's him," she said thoughtfully.
"Him who?" Raken asked, puzzled.
"That stripper, Never. He denied it, but I think he's Wysten. See the high cheekbones and the eyes? He probably has colored his hair, but I think it's pretty much him."
Raken looked closely at the close-up. I'lli'nya was probably right. He sighed and gave the tablet back to his uncle.
"Let's go back to that club," he decided. "We better talk to that guy again."
This time they went straight there before sunset. The place was empty and silent, but the bartender was already there. He glared at them.
"We're closed!" he snapped.
"We're not here to drink, we'd like to talk to Never," Raken replied. "When is he going to arrive? I assume he comes in early, can we wait for him?"
"I doubt he wants to see you," the man retorted. "Just get out of here, come back when we're open."
"One last question, then. Do you have a back door or stage door?"
"No."
"Thank you."
Raken grinned and left.
"Let's hope he's not lying," I'lli'nya said. "I mean, if he's protecting that Never guy, he might tell us there isn't a back door..."
"The front door wouldn't be open," Raken replied. "They must get in from somewhere. Anyhow, let's have a look around the building, just to make sure."
It was early anyway, so they just walked around the low edifice with a terraced roof – probably for those starry summer night parties – and returned to the club's door.
"There's a coffee shop on the other side of the street, why don't we sit there while we wait? It has windows overlooking this door," I'lli'nya suggested.
Raken nodded and they took a seat by the window and close enough to the door they could dash out if they saw the stripper arrive. They ordered a quick fast-food dinner and were almost done when I'lli'nya elbowed Raken and pointed at a young man walking down the street towards the club's entrance.
"Go, I'll pay," she said as Raken rose and quickly exited the coffee shop to intercept the stripper.
"Hello again," he greeted, ignoring the glare the young man shot him. "There is no trace of the demise of my brother Wysten Nevermind, so I was wondering..."
"What? Suddenly you remember you have a brother and expect him to welcome you with open arms?" the other snapped.
"So you are Wysten." Raken felt relieved in spite of the hostility.
"Yeah, so? I don't want to talk to you. You're dead for me."
"I have been absent, I know, but I left you with Dad..."
"Thank you very much." Wysten's tone was sarcastic. "So keep living your life with your colored girlfriend and leave me alone!"
"Wysten..."
Wysten raised a hand to shut him up. "Not another word. Get out of my life one more time, and this time don't come back!"
Raken opened his mouth to protest, but Wysten shoved him aside and entered the club without turning back.
"That didn't go too well," I'lli'nya commented, joining him. "Let's go home, we'll find another way to get in touch with him."
"He refuses to see me!" Raken complained, incredulous.
"And can you really blame him?" I'lli'nya replied. "You did forget he existed for fifteen years..."
Raken sighed. "So, what am I supposed to do now?"
"Let's go home, we'll find a way."
***
The Nevermind Mansion had the bedrooms on the first floor, usually suites where families could settle and have some kind of privacy at night. Raken and I'lli'nya had moved into his father's apartment but had decided to keep his parents' bedroom with the king-sized bed for after the wedding, sleeping in the two single beds of the boys' room – Raken in his own, Y'lli'nya in Wysten's.
As cousins and uncles filled the mansion again for the upcoming wedding, Raken had to rekindle all sorts of relationships with his relatives. Usually they came to visit him in his father's apartment or welcomed him back in the spacious living room.
Tamara, the daughter of Benton and Raylene, came to the apartment directly, and made sure the door was closed behind her before starting to speak. She had bronzed skin, a small scar and a short build. She was the same age as Wysten and she admitted she was still in touch with him – the only one from the family who hadn't let him go. One of her hobbies was experimenting with pyrotechnics and Wysten often helped her with that.
"He wasn't too happy to hear I'm preparing a grand show for your wedding," she told Raken. "But then he became curious." She chuckled. "He started asking me about you and your bride, and I had to admit I knew almost nothing! Will you enlighten me so I can tell your brother how you met an Ulba'wissian, and what took you so long to decide to get married?"
"I'd rather talk directly to him," Raken answered. "Did you invite him to the wedding? I have no idea of where to send the invitation..."
"Yes, but he won't come – like he doesn't come to any of the family gatherings." Tamara shrugged. "I'll do my best to convince him, but I can't promise he'll be there."
"Why do you think everybody gave up on him?" Raken wondered, frowning. "Wasn't Dad taking good care of him?"
Tamara huffed and rolled her eyes. "You chose a university on another planet to get away from your father and you ask if he took good care of your brother? What's with you, Raken? Your father lost it when your mother died! No, he didn't take good care of Wysten, and nobody helped your brother. You were gone, and he is shy and very stubborn, so he simply shut off. He left the mansion as soon as he could – which enraged your father, by the way, but he didn't manage to bring him back."
"And how come you're still in touch with him?"
"Because I'm even more stubborn than him, and we have a few passions in common." Tamara shrugged. "Including a girlfriend at some point. But she dumped us both."
"So he doesn't have anyone at the moment?"
"No. Well, he has a different lover every night, since he's the most appreciated stripper of that club!" Tamara winked. "But no steady relationships since that bitch Laronda-Isabelle told us to fuck off."
"When was that?"
"Four years ago."
"Mm. Four years ago I ended up in the Rotshy Dungeon for a debt with Ivanka..." Raken sighed. "So I was unavailable to the outside world for the
whole four years!"
"You were in touch with Tyrell, weren't you?" Tamara asked, mentioning another cousin of theirs. "He said he thought you'd been killed somewhere out there, but nowhere was your death recorded."
"I was alive, although I had to fight in a gladiators' arena... But the rest, I'll tell only to Wysten first!"
"Sneaky cousin!" Tamara pinched his arm and grinned. "I'll see if with what you gave me I can feed his curiosity, make him want to know more..."
***
Wysten capitulated a week later. He grumpily agreed to meet his brother in no-man's land – their late mother's favorite museum in town. The moderately-sized multi-story museum of modern art had a unique design. The interior was done in colors that reminded of a vegetable garden.
"That was why Mom loved it so much." Raken sighed. "Sometimes I still miss her. When I saw Aunt Raylene again..."
"That's why I moved out of the mansion," Wysten said bluntly, staring at an abstract painting with bright colors. "This sucks," he muttered, turning his back to the painting. He glanced at a few more before stopping at a very round statue. "Can't they ever do anything realistic?" he complained.
"Well, that's modern art for you – and it's in the right kind of place." Raken pointed at the often curving walls and weirdly-shaped windows. "Also, rumor has it that a group of thieves used the building as a meeting place."
Wysten glanced at him and scoffed. "Still believe that urban legend?"
Raken shrugged. "Ever left the planet, Wysten?"
"No. When you made plain obvious you weren't coming back, I decided I might as well stay here and guard Mom's tomb only. Working that cemetery with Dad..." He visibly shivered in disgust.
Raken couldn't blame him. He'd visited his parents' tomb and his mother's tombstone was indeed better kept than any other.
"Ever wished to leave?" Raken insisted, frowning. He couldn't understand what kind of man Wysten had become yet. They'd been estranged for so long it felt weird talking to him again, as if his brother were a stranger. A not very friendly stranger.
Star Minds Interregnum Page 14
