“I guess.” Her look darkened for a moment. “I have two years for that. There’s no rush.” Her eyes glazed over again and a slight smile touched her lips.
It was pretty obvious to me this wasn’t a mere attraction on Candy’s part. I’d made jokes about love at first sight before, but it’s starting to not be funny. Cupid’s arrow found a target on my friend’s heart.
Adding to the drama is that Stud Man appears as smitten. He lights up when he walks into a room where Candy is. When they’re together, his gaze barely leaves her face. He hangs on her every word.
Heaven help them if they are that gone over each other. It’s not impossible for them to have a relationship, but there are hurdles to it. All I can do is wish them luck. They do make a pretty pair.
A notion closer to home weighed on me. I hated to borrow trouble, but no one has heard about Nang in some time. I’m sent into a panic when there’s a sighting, but not having any idea about where that man is worse somehow. I’ve researched some admittedly paranoid skills, such as how to escape hover cuffs, stasis fields, and containment fields. I realize how crazy that sounds. Would he go that far?
I can’t live in fear. I have to be ready for him.
I decided maybe Nobek Jaon would have news for me. I was due to com Clan Aslada, or at least Meyso. With us almost to Kalquor, we have to plan for my mother’s procedures.
So much to do and ready for. The days are starting to fly by like minutes now.
I had the pleasure of talking to all of Clan Aslada. I do not use the term ‘pleasure’ as a euphemism either. It was a very real delight, because they spoke to me from their whirlpool. The men were having a nice soak. Their wet, glistening torsos were above the churning water, looking all muscled, manly, yummy. I stammered over my hellos, and I don’t remember the early part of the conversation clearly. Whew.
I finally recovered my senses to ask Jaon if he’d heard any news about Nang. “No” was the answer.
“He’ll turn up if he doesn’t get himself killed out there,” the Nobek told me. “The route from Earth to the empire is pretty lawless, especially for a lone Kalquorian. The fact Nang doesn’t want to be found by us puts him in greater danger of crossing paths with our enemies. We may have heard the last of Dramok Nang.”
I chewed my lip over Jaon’s cavalier attitude. He was probably right to be confident. Heaven knew my ship had run into more than its share of problems, even with the protection of destroyers and fighters. What chance did Nang have out there all alone?
I also felt ill over the image of something awful happening to Nang. He was a mess, but we did once share a bond. As scared as he makes me, I don’t want bad stuff to happen to him. I just want him shoved in a nice padded cell until he comes to his senses.
I pushed aside all of that to beam at the delicious vision of Meyso. “What do we need to discuss about my mom?”
He smiled, making my heart flip-flop. Who can resist a man who looks good and is intelligent too? And is sitting half-naked in front of you, his carved muscles begging to be touched? Yow.
“The first issue we should take care of isn’t medical at all. You need to establish an affidavit of legal guardianship over Matara Eve. That will clear the way for you to make decisions on her behalf.”
I stopped admiring his gorgeous body to consider what he’d said. “I thought I already had that.”
“Informally, yes. The doctors who saw Eve on Earth deferred to you on a temporary basis due to the history you gave them and their observations of her behavior. That was backed up by the tests Dr. Nayun ran.”
“I have to formalize it?” I squirmed. Mom would be enraged if the dementia allowed her to understand I would be making all the decisions for her. Major decisions, as in letting Meyso play in her gray matter. That would not go over well.
“On Kalquor, you have to assume legal guardianship over your mother in order to sign off on the procedures, which are medicinal and surgical.”
Aslada added his input, his modulated voice smooth as silk. “It’s simple enough. I’ll have my lawyer draw up the papers. You sign off on them, he attaches the medical evidence of your mother’s inability to make competent choices on her own behalf, then he sends it to the judge who will give his approval. It’ll all be accomplished within a day.”
I’d had that power back on Earth. It hadn’t been easy to sign those papers then, robbing my mother of her entitlement to decide her own fate. It didn’t matter that I was doing the right thing to keep her safe. It was an awful step, facing the fact that my strong-willed mother required a keeper. Now I had to do it all over again, but they would be altering her instead of simply keeping her from hurting herself.
I knew it wasn’t just that Meyso would be treating the dementia that had stolen Mom’s ability to live on her own. I was also on the brink of having the bipolar disorder remedied at long last. A judgment that should have been hers ... one she would never go for.
Did I have justification? Was I playing God by removing her almost-constant anger, the sudden outbursts of maniacal cheer, and the suicidal bouts of depression? It sounds like a stupid question, but that was the mother I had before dementia subverted those qualities. She’d also possessed fierce protective instincts when she thought I was threatened. There had been moments of emotion so overpowering that she would grab me in a fierce hug while telling me over and over how she loved me more than life itself.
How much of that would the surgeries erase? Who would Eve Monroe be when the illnesses disappeared and she became the person she could have been? Would I recognize my own mother when it was all done?
We talked more about the procedures themselves, the recovery, the rehabilitation that would be involved later. Yet the choices I had before me kept me from absorbing a lot of that. I even found it difficult to appreciate the men’s gorgeous bodies.
Before, fixing Mom’s problems were all a theory, an event far into the future. Now the time was at hand. When Aslada told me he’d talk to his lawyer that afternoon and to expect the documents to arrive in the next couple of days, my heart went into overdrive. Could I do it? Should I? And if I do, would she forgive me?
As God is my witness, I just don’t know.
September 10
It’s been a momentous day for Katrina. She and her clan have decided to have their ceremony on the colony of Haven. The colonists have apparently built an amazing Temple of Life there, headed up by the Kalquorian governor’s Imdiko. The priest on board the Pussy ‘Porter is pulling things together with the main priest on Haven.
Katrina came to my quarters with Candy in tow and a bottle of bohut to toast her good fortune. “This isn’t the real news,” she said as I located cups to pour our booze into. Anrel was having her nap, so I decided a drink wouldn’t end the universe.
“You have more news?” Candy asked.
“I’m saving that to knock your socks off with in a few minutes. Anyway, my Imdiko is taking care of what will be spoken in the vows with the priest on board. The priest – oh, what is his name?”
“Imdiko Tineb,” Candy supplied. She sipped her bohut and rolled her eyes in pleasure.
“Right, Tineb. He’ll do a bunch of ‘do you, will you, do you promise’ stuff, which we’ll all answer yes to. It’ll be quick and painless, thank goodness. This other priest – crap, I’ve forgotten his name too.”
“Your age is showing,” I teased.
“Fuck you, whippersnapper.” Katrina grinned. “His name sounds similar to ‘rivet’ or ‘ricket’. Anyway, he’s going to decorate the temple. All I have to do is roll out of bed, put my clothes on, and show up.”
Candy blew a raspberry. She wanted Katrina to have a blowout of a ceremony with ribbons and doves and roses covering every surface in sight. In short, the exact opposite of what Katrina wanted. “Romance is dead,” she said in a flat monotone. “You’ve killed it.”
“The sex is still sweaty and wild,” Katrina informed her. “We’ll have a party afterward too. This Imdik
o Rivet or Ricket or whatever his name is will make the arrangements. The Kalquorian governor is supplying leshella in honor of the first clanning on Haven. He’s some rich guy, a former councilman or ambassador or some such important dick.”
“Nice!” I exclaimed. “What’s the Earther governor supplying?”
“They haven’t filled that position yet. The colony is barely getting its legs under it. They only have about twenty Earthers there so far, but with free land and materials to start with, that’ll change pretty quick.”
“Are you hoping Matt will go there?” I asked.
Katrina beamed. “I don’t know. Since you brought him up, let me tell you my big news.”
Candy squealed with excitement. “He’s asked for your forgiveness!”
Katrina snorted. “Not hardly. Matt isn’t speaking to me yet. But he did let my grandchildren com. I received their message this morning.”
Candy and I jumped to our feet, bouncing up and down with joy. Could there have been a better clanning present given to Katrina? I couldn’t imagine it. Her happy tears spoke volumes about the hope that had been restored to her.
“What did they say?” Candy asked once we’d calmed down enough to talk again.
“Just ‘hi Grammy, we love you, we miss you, can’t wait to visit you, send us a message’. I don’t think they know why we were cut off for so long.” Katrina sighed, her expression alight with bliss. “I commed immediately to tell them how much I love them. I’ve been walking on air since.”
I’m so thrilled for Katrina. She’s been such a friend to me, and I want her to have all the happiness she deserves. Today was the reward karma owed her. With us scheduled to reach Haven Colony tomorrow and her ceremony taking place the next day, I’m hoping for more of the same. I have my fingers crossed for her to live happily ever after.
Only one thing put a damper on my day. I received the legal forms that would give me permission to determine all life resolutions for my mother. I continue to struggle with that issue. I’d rather take on Tragooms than have to determine Mom’s future for her.
The only thing I’ve decided is to put off making a decision. I’m going to enjoy shore leave on Haven, have a blast at Katrina’s clanning ceremony, and try not to worry about anything for a few days more. Maybe I’ll poll my friends for their opinions too. This feels too big for me.
September 12
Haven is beautiful. If I weren’t going to Kalquor ... and had any interest in being a farmer, ha-ha ... I wouldn’t mind living there.
It was nice to be on a planet again, and Haven reminded me of Earth in so many ways. Blue skies, green grass, real trees. Marvelous. We visitors were transported by small hover shuttles from the airfield, which is under construction. The moment the rolling green of hills unwound on either side of our shuttle, we begged the pilot to let us out to feel real grass under our feet. The Kalquorian displayed no confusion over our request in the least. He stopped the vehicle and opened the hatch. All of us from Betra’s group poured out of the shuttle. In an instant, ten women and a baby were lying – and rolling – on the ground, our shoes kicked off.
The grass wasn’t exactly what we’d had on Earth, but it was similar enough. Anrel, who had never been on a planet before (!), grabbed handfuls of the short green blades, pulling them up and trying to shove them in her mouth. I watched her close her eyes against the occasional breeze that ruffled her black hair, each waft greeted with a surprised laugh. She spread her arms and legs wide like a starfish, as if to soak in every ray of the sun. Witnessing her first experience in a natural environment made me wish we were finished with the Pussy ‘Porter. It felt wrong to close her up on the ship again, even for the remaining few days left of our journey.
Or maybe it was because I felt so starved for wide open spaces and real air. It all felt wonderful to me and the others. We would have been perfectly happy to spend our entire shore leave lying on the grass and staring up into the endless blue of the sky.
Betra had to remind us three times that we were due for the governor’s reception at the Temple of Life. Katrina had to look over the preparations for her clanning ceremony. Dr. Ret, who had come along with us to help Katrina with any last-minute assessments, was along for the ride. It was his prodding that convinced her to sit up with a put-upon sigh.
She called, “Come on, gals. Ret promises there will be plenty more opportunities to enjoy ourselves. There’s food and drink at the end of this road.”
We got to our feet and dragged ourselves into the hover shuttle. Betra chuckled at the tide of grumbling that came with us.
We gazed eagerly at the passing scenery. Fields of growth dotted here and there, along with tidy homesteads. Families – actual families with men and women and children – stopped whatever they were doing to watch our shuttle fly by. Since our ‘windows’ were actually vid feeds, we didn’t wave. I counted three such places on our route.
There was also a suggestion of a town. The houses there were Earther in appearance, but none of them had windows. We saw mostly Kalquorians in that area, with two Earther women and four Earther children as well.
We passed through the settlement in an instant. We found ourselves rushing through a wooded area, the shuttle picking up speed as it left the habitations behind. The gray-barked trees flashed by in a dizzying blur. Most of us had to look away.
Then we slowed again. All at once we were through the trees and into a huge clearing. We all gasped at once.
At first, I thought I was gazing at a small mountain that had been carved ... but at second glance, it appeared as if the structure had somehow organically shaped itself into a natural castle or cathedral. It was the whitest thing I’d ever seen, positively glowing with the purity of the color. Its shape reminded me of sprays of seafoam, of swirling mist. I’d never experienced such architecture. It was beautiful and magnificent and unreal. There were spires and arches and curves in places that appeared to have no rhyme or reason ... and yet it looked perfectly, maybe divinely, constructed.
The shuttle settled before this amazing building – if I could call something so astounding a mere building. The pilot said something along the lines of, “Welcome to Haven’s Temple of Life.” I wasn’t paying attention to anything but the gorgeous structure. A rushing tide of humanity, we hurried out to stand before it, gaping in wonder. Not even the springy grass underfoot could draw us into rolling again.
I couldn’t say how long we stared at it in astonishment. Betra and Ret stood speechless with us. It wasn’t until three men came out of the wide-open doors of the place to greet us that we regained our senses.
The man in front had a Dramok-like aura of command, but the kindness on his expression was all Imdiko. He was as interesting as the temple.
His features were extraordinarily masculine, as if chipped from granite. I’m not sure how such strong characteristics managed to appear warm and kind, but he radiated those qualities. He had the air of someone you’d trust on sight. Heck, forget the face – his entire aura spoke of calm goodness, the kind that would stop a cranky child’s tantrum in mid-scream.
He wore layers of robes tied off with a braid of silver cord at the waist. The robes made me imagine the temple had formed itself a Kalquorian body as they were the same colors: blameless white and the cool shadowed hues of blue and gray. Overlaying the garments was the longest sheet of black hair I’d laid eyes on. It hung down to his ankles, all of it free except at the temples where it had been braided.
We stared as dumbfounded at his presence as we had at the temple. Then he spoke, his voice unspooling akin to silk thread, making a number of us shiver with its quiet power.
“Greetings, Mataras. I am Master Rivek. Welcome to Haven.”
A few of us murmured hellos. The spell began to lift. For me, the astonishment was replaced by a quiet sense of peace. The temple and the priest Rivek wrapped me in a cocoon of calm. I can’t explain why I suddenly felt tranquility. Even Anrel lay serene in my arms.
Anothe
r man stepped forward, coming to Rivek’s side. This fellow was dashing at first glance, with a square jaw, shoulder-length black hair, and an easy grin. A closer look helped me realize that though handsome, he wasn’t as gorgeous as I initially took him for. It was all in the smile. It was full of charm, and his purple eyes danced with merriment as if he considered life perpetually amusing. The attitude made him striking, more so than his actual features. I had the feeling he was full of deviltry, the kind a gal wanted to be talked into. I thought he must be the exact opposite of the tranquil Rivek.
He bowed low to us, the pleasure never fading for an instant. “I am Master Rivek’s Dramok, Governor Ospar. I too welcome you to Haven, as does our Nobek, Jol.”
The third bowed. My heart skipped a beat as he straightened. If Rivek was the Kalquorian embodiment of an angel of mercy, this guy could have stood in for the angel of death. Nobek Jol exhibited no malice toward us, but there was the unmistakable feeling of predator about him. More than any Nobek I’d encountered, he appeared to be capable of taking a life without a moment’s pause. Oses carried only half that much danger about him.
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