by J. Naomi Ay
"You'll be lucky to keep both your heads," Zem added, as he once again slapped at a jack. "If you think she's mean, Sleeping Beauty over there is ten times worse. You had better hope he stays asleep for a really, really long time."
"Grandpa?" Angelica whimpered. "I think I'm going to barf."
"That'll be hard to do when your head is somewhere else."
"That's enough, Zem," Katie snapped. "They get the point."
"Good day, Madame." Berkan rose to his feet. "Sir," he nodded and backed out of the room.
"Grandpa!" Angelica screeched and ran to the door. It slammed shut as Katie collapsed in her chair.
"If there's a knock on the door again, Zem, don't answer, whatever you do."
"Don't worry, Captain," Zem replied, shuffling the cards one more time. "The Jack of Diamonds is still hidden in the deck. When he shows up, he'll come to the Queen's rescue. Jacks always love their mothers best."
Chapter 16
Marik Korelesk had just clicked off the vid and was making himself a drink when his doorbell chimed.
"I'm busy," he growled, not knowing or caring who was there. After the last two phone calls, he was in an extremely foul mood. Nothing was going right, and so far, nobody wanted to support the Korelesk coup d'état.
"Lord Turko is back," the captains kept saying. "Lord Turko has the Empress's full support. Lord Turko will maintain the ship of state until the Emperor returns."
"Lord Turko is nearly ninety fucking years old!" Marik swore. He was sick and tired of this Empire being run by a bunch of senile old men.
If Berkan wasn't going to act, if Berkan cowed before Taner like he always had, then maybe Marik would have to act alone. Fuck Berkan and his seniority. It was time he retired, too. Marik wasn't going to wait anymore.
The door chimed again, followed by a soft rap.
"Marik?" It was Hannah. "Are you home? I just wanted to say goodbye before I left in the morning."
Marik set down his glass. Hannah had perfect timing. Karut women were known for their intuition. As he strode over to the door to let Hannah in, he considered all the elements of his plan, and the pieces that would need to fall into place.
The Mishnese and Rozarians should rally to him just because he was a descendent of the Saint. His marriage to Elana brought a queen from the outer empire which would pacify the other Imperial planets. Angelica, by carrying Senya and Katie's grandchild, would provide legitimacy for her future reign, so all that remained were the Karuts which Hannah would bring to the table.
After this incredibly awful day, in this exceptionally rotten week, in this horribly bad and extremely fucked up year, Marik suddenly saw a brilliant ray of hope, and he didn't need Berkan's help to grasp it.
"Come in." Marik bowed politely to Hannah as if they were in Mishnah at the Imperial Court. He surveyed her backside as she passed in front of him, having always appreciated her lithe and graceful form. She was too good for that asshole Shika de Kudisha. She always was, Marik considered, but Shika had a crown on his head. Yet, he still managed to fuck things up.
Marik decided, he would send Shika somewhere far away. Either that, or he'd find a high crime to indict, and it would be something a hell of a lot more lethal than a tax audit.
"So, do you want me to bring you anything from Cascadia?" Hannah forced an awkward laugh as she glanced around Marik's stateroom. Walking over to the desk, she picked up a picture of a smiling Angelica. "Such a pretty girl. She looks just like your wife."
"She looks like my mother," Marik replied, fetching a cold bottle of Chardonnay.
It was his wife's favorite wine, but he didn't care. Elana wasn't here. Hannah was, and she was thirsty. He could tell by the wicked sparkle in her eyes.
"How is Crown Princess Elana?" Hannah asked, accepting her glass and tasting it with the tip of her tongue.
"Elana is depressed, and Elana is depressing, as is the entire planet of Cyganus which I despise." Marik poured himself another scotch and swallowed it all in one big gulp while watching Hannah with a wolfish gaze. "I'm sure you never bitch like her. You don't call up Lee and tell him he's a failure as a father, as a husband, and especially as a consort to a future queen."
"How do you know I don't?" Hannah smiled over the edge of her glass. "Maybe not to Lee, but I bitched plenty at Shika."
"That's because Shika was a failure. He's even more so now. Shika de Kudisha is a waste of carbon molecules."
Hannah laughed in her throat and finished her Chardonnay, holding out her glass for a refill.
"We need to toast," Marik suggested, clinking his glass against hers.
"What are we celebrating? Are you happy, I'm leaving for vacation?"
"I would only be happy if I was going with you. Why don't you ring Lee and tell him you've been delayed. Then, the two of us will find a secluded beach on another planet."
Hannah laughed again as her face got very warm. She wasn't sure why she was drinking so much tonight. Yet, there was something about Marik now. He had always radiated power in his Captain's uniform, but for some strange reason, tonight Hannah was drawn to him.
"Sit down." Marik waved his hand and indicated the couch. "There is something that I've been meaning to discuss with you."
"Alright." Hannah placed herself in a corner while Marik settled in across from her.
"Hannah," he cleared his throat. "Are you aware of what's going on in Mishnah?"
"I've heard some rumors," Hannah admitted, not immediately showing her hand. Joanne of Turko had rung and told her all about Taner's emergency trip. Hannah knew the Korelesks were scheming to take control.
Marik leaned forward as if to whisper, his eyes focused on Hannah's like laser beams. "How would you like to be Queen of Karupatani instead of a ship's doctor out here in space? I can you make you Queen Hannah. All you have to do is say yes."
"That's ridiculous, Marik," she scoffed and wondered if he was drunk. "I've given up playing chess, especially with de Kudishas."
"I'm totally serious." He reached for her hand and kissed her palm with his big lips. Hannah appreciated the fact that he had only one row of normal white teeth. "I'll kill every fucking one of them and then I'll make you the Queen. You declare allegiance to the Korelesks, and I'll ensure your protection. You can bring your kids and that Cascadian freak along, or forget them and I'll just come visit you every other fortnight."
"He's not a freak!"
"So you say." Marik pulled her across the divide. "I think you need to sit next to me." Hannah found herself on Marik's lap instead of the couch. "Why don't we say the first fortnight begins right now? I'm game if you are, Queen Hannah."
"I'll play," Hannah agreed and unbuttoned her own shirt, then she ran her fingers through the fuzzy hair on Marik's well-muscled chest.
In a matter of a minute, Hannah and Marik were both naked in bed. Although, this was the first time they were together, it felt to both as if they had been at it for years. They fucked themselves silly until morning when Hannah's husband called.
"What did he want?" Marik grumbled, his face smashed into his pillow.
"Just checking the time on my flight." Hannah rubbed Marik's back. "Marik? How are you going to get rid of them? Rekah has about a million sons. God knows, I've dated practically every one of them over the years."
Marik flipped on his back and grabbed Hannah's breasts. They were smaller than Elana's by half, but perky instead of hanging like fruit. Hannah's nipples were large and red that cried out to be licked by his tongue.
"Stop it," she giggled and reached for his cock.
"Did you fuck them, too?" Marik prompted, rising to attention.
"That's none of your business."
"Now, I have a reason to destroy them all in a jealous lover's fit. They have bows and arrows while I have this magnificent ship."
"That's not all that's magnificent," Hannah declared and went back to work. For the next four minutes, they didn't speak as they were busy. However, when they were finished, a th
ought came into Hannah's mind, and immediately popped out of her mouth. "Rekah's sons aren't your only problem, Marik."
"Don't worry, I'll get rid of the Imperial Asshole first."
"It's not Shika either," Hannah continued, wondering if she should stop. After all, she wouldn't want any harm to come to the little girl.
"What is my problem then?" Marik sat up on the bed.
He was completely spent and not up for any more games. On top of that, it was time to get to work. His shift at the Com began in twenty minutes.
"The girl." Hannah swallowed hard. "Promise me, you won't hurt her, whatever you do. She's just an innocent child. It's not her fault how she came to be. Promise me, you'll send her someplace far away. As long as nobody knows who she is, she'll never be a threat."
"What girl?" Marik scratched his chin. He wasn't sure he had time for both a shower and a shave. Maybe he would skip the shower and just shave and brush his teeth.
"The one who was just rescued from the crash on Lyra II." Hannah sat up on the edge of the bed. Her breasts tumbled forward, calling out to Marik's hands. As much as he wanted them again, he left for the bathroom. Hannah followed him and stood in the doorway. "The girl," she repeated, crossing her arms. "She can challenge you to the throne, you know."
"How?" Marik mumbled, his mouth full of foamy toothpaste. "She's the daughter of a minor prince and a Xironian slave."
"Nope."
"No?" Marik spat. "Well, who in the hell is she?"
Hannah rolled her eyes. Could he be so dense? "Did you get a look at her face? Shit Marik! She's definitely not Pedah's kid. If you have any doubts, I ran a scan, and she's only one-eighth Karupta. She's also one-eighth Mishnese, which Pedah certainly was not. Shika messed around with her mother, just like Shika messed around with every other whore. When somebody recognizes the girl, there won't be any more crises in the succession. Sara de Kudisha is your competition, Marik, like it or not."
"Fuck," Marik growled and sat down on the edge of the tub. He picked at his toenails as he started to think.
"Don't you hurt her," Hannah warned. "Promise me right now."
Marik smiled with his gigantic teeth and held up his hand. "Of course not, darling. I'll just make sure she is safe. You have nothing to worry about. Now get home to your husband and kids. As the future Queen of Karupatani, you probably have some arrangements to make. I'll ring you in a few days and let you know what's what."
"Ok." Hannah leaned over and kissed him again.
Marik watched her leave while considering this new wrinkle in the plan.
Fortune smiled on Marik the very next day, when Spaceplane 2220 recorded those faults. Commander Sam diverted to the nearest port, which was only seven clicks from where the Queen of Rozari patrolled.
At the same time, Berkan informed SpaceNavy Command that Marik's presence was required back in Mishnah. Marik was granted the use of SpaceNavy plane to bring him home for a meeting with his dad. He chose a pilot, who was young and dutifully followed orders. Then, Marik left the Queen Ship in the hands of his third in command.
Departing en route to the Capital Planet, Marik ordered the plane to deviate to the same spaceport for repair. Unbeknownst to little innocent Sara de Kudisha, who was sitting in a hotel room watching cartoons, she was the number one target on Marik's list to be executed, and he intended to carry it out this very day.
Chapter 17
Rent ran half way across the spaceport before his breath and legs gave out. He ducked into the nearest men's room and collapsed on a stool. As he sat there trying to catch his breath, a familiar voice echoed from the next stall.
"There you are, Tonto. I've been looking all over this dang place for you."
"Crap," Rent muttered, and glanced down at the snakeskin boots with silver spurs resting on the floor beneath the partition.
"Yep," the old wrangler agreed. "It's like shitting money just to fix that old plane. It ought to be ready by this afternoon, so we can head out as soon as it's done. I've got a lead on another crash site for us to pillage. If we get lucky, we'll refill the coins in the old coffer right quick."
"Ok, Tex." Rent flushed the commode and washed his hands at the industrial sink. Then, he put them under the air dryer and waited until every drop of water was gone.
Rent liked the feel of the hot air on his skin. It was comforting like warm milk or chocolate mixed with peanut butter or Rent's overall favorite, macaroni and cheese. It reminded him of his tiny room in his adopted parent's house where the air conditioning never worked, and he would lie on top of his bed at night surrounded by heat.
"Ready, son?" Tex dried his weathered hands with a paper towel. He tossed it at the trash can and strode out into the hall. "Let's get us a bite to eat. Do you fancy a burger or rack of ribs? I'm feeling the need to chew on something with a big bone. I'm so hungry, I could eat the whole dang cow including the horns."
"Whatever you want, Tex." Rent shrugged and followed along, emulating the old man's bow-legged stride.
He figured he had no choice. This space station wasn't much bigger than his old hotel. No matter where he ran, either Tex or that SpaceNavy cop would find him. So, Rent threw his cards in again with Tex and went off to swallow a mega Fat Burger along with French fries and a Dr. Pepper.
While Tex and Rent were filling their guts, Sara was sitting on the couch watching cartoons in the room of the adjacent SpacePit Motel. Kiman was lying on one double bed staring at the ceiling where a large but harmless roach was building a nest. His thoughts were running in circles between Sara, who was laughing uproariously at the antics of a square creature in a red necktie, and that unknown young man from the tower.
"The shower here is good," Sam announced, coming from the bathroom, a ragged, gray towel wrapped around his waist. "The water is very hot, and the soap smells like perfume." Sam removed the bedspread from the second bed and piled it on the floor. Then he sat down on what appeared to be fairly clean sheets. "You shouldn't lie on the bedspread, Kiman. I read somewhere that more than seven billion types of germs can live on those poly-synthetic spreads. The dark ones, especially, tend to incubate the most."
Kiman didn't respond and neither did he move. He figured he had a lot more to worry about than space roaches and germs. "Sam," he started, hesitantly. "How much do you know about the Empress and the time she was away when we were all kids?"
Kiman knew that Sam's uncle Zem had been held in captivity with her. Perhaps inadvertently, Zem had revealed something that nobody else knew.
"Not much." Sam shrugged and tested the mattress by bouncing up and down. The springs creaked, and something snapped as if it had broken. "My uncle couldn't remember a lot of what happened. It was too traumatic, so we tried not to pry."
"Did he ever mention a baby?"
"Stevie? Sure, he talked about Stevie a few times. After all, he was there when Stevie was born."
Sam persisted in calling the Imperial Prince by his English name, even though the men hadn't spoken to each other in years. A long time ago, the two had been friends, but that was before Stevie had become a drunk. Sam had this notion that someday his buddy would wake up and become again the guy that he had so admired.
Kiman had actually hoped that too, somewhere in the bottom of his soul, because the truth was, Kiman was more than just a callous, indifferent soldier. He had respected the Imperial Prince as a leader and loved him as a friend. He had planned to serve him his entire life, just like his father.
"Could there have been another baby?" Kiman asked, keeping his voice steady and low.
"A twin?" Sam scoffed. "You would have thought we'd have heard that by now. Can you imagine Stevie having a brother? Fricking, fricking, that would sure mess things up!"
"Not a twin, but, another baby. Maybe, when she was gone for those ten years? Think carefully, Sam. Did your uncle ever mention a baby when they were together?"
"Sam?" Sara looked up from the vid. "My show's over now and I'm getting hungry. Is there anything to ha
ve here besides all those tiny bottles in the fridge?"
"No, Sara. You don't want those little bottles." Sam jumped up and disappeared to put on his clothes. "I bet I know what you'll like." He returned in a clean uniform and took her hand. "My daughter, Carolie's favorite thing is chicken nuggets with honey mustard sauce, large fries and a vanilla cone dipped in chocolate."
Kiman followed them out the motel's door and into the mall that comprised the passenger decks of the space station. While Sam and Sara chatted about the joys of dipping fried chicken meat in synthetically flavored sauces, Kiman scanned the complex for the young man. The guy could have been the Imperial Prince's twin, although seven or eight years younger, and with a few minor differences. His eyes and hair were a lighter blue and blonde, and his face looked a little more like Katie's, while Shika took after Senya, and the other de Kudishas.
Despite Kiman's vigilance, it was Rent who spied them first. Tex was nursing his sixth or seventh beer while listening to the strains of a juke box Johnny Cash. Rent, whose stomach was virtually a bottomless pit, was now finishing up a Banana Split with a side of Pecan Pie.
"Oh!" Rent gasped and ducked below the restaurant's window.
He slid down beneath the table in the yellow vinyl booth, while Tex shook out a Marlboro from a pack in his pocket and lit it by tapping his finger against the tip. Tex took a long satisfying drag and watched the two SpaceNavy officers and the little girl with the Happy Meal pass right outside.
"You can come up now, son," he announced when the party had disappeared.
Rent breathed a heavy sigh of relief and proceeded to eat his dessert while Tex finished and started a new cigarette. Afterward, Tex paid the bill with a few coins, leaving an extra one for the waitress, who had given exceptional service. She had smiled and offered Tex her own special dessert if he would meet her out back.
"I don't have time today, darling," Tex had purred, dropping the coin in the slot known as her cleavage. "And, if I did, my old lady would skin this doggie's hide."
