Candidate (Selected Book 4)

by Robin Roseau

  So when I say she smiled, understand that meant her ears twitched and her teeth were just visible.

  I looked at her then dropped my gaze to the chain for just a moment, then back at her.

  "Thank you for letting me have my little pleasures, Andromeda."

  I glanced at the chain again then back up at her. And I decided something. "You're welcome, Charo." I offered my own smile. "Maybe this is a little sexy."

  She squeaked and then leaned closer. "It's not a little sexy, Andromeda. It's a lot sexy. And you think so, too."

  "Maybe, but if you want to carry it further than this, you still need to win a challenge."

  "Does it need to be a physical challenge?"

  I considered briefly. Rule number one of dating: don't talk about other women. So I told her that.

  "Why do you mention that? I know you need to date other women. This is pertinent?"

  I told her very briefly about Cherish and somewhat more about the concentration game challenges we had.

  "I know this game," she said. "It is a Tutor invention. I have played only once, and she beat me soundly."

  "We played far more than once, and even with a significant handicap in the game settings, she easily beat me, too. But it was fun. If you can devise intellection challenges that are as fun, then I will accept them. But remember something. I like to exercise, and I like to get outside. But I only get to go outside if you take me, and I've been here nearly two months." I thought about it. "Maybe that means less to someone who lives her life on a space station. You're always inside."

  "No, I understand entirely, Andromeda."

  "If we were playing strictly for fun, then I don't even mind if the challenges are imbalanced. But if there are consequences for losing," and I shook my wrists, "then I should feel like you're at least trying to make it fair for both of us."

  "Were there consequences when you lost these concentration games?"

  "Yes, although I felt they were less than this, and she gave me a significant handicap to make up for the difference in experience. Plus I felt there wasn't a species advantage. It was a game I could get better at. I am not a big human, but I'm larger and presumably stronger than a Kitsune. I don't know if I am faster. I don't know what physical advantages you have over me."

  "Better hearing," she said. She swiveled her ears in punctuation. "But as you said, I have spent much of my life on a space station. This is your world. It is alien to me. The average human, at least the average human in good shape, is a significantly better athlete than I am in almost all ways."

  "Well," I said. "I want fair challenges. There are some that can be made very even and can be fun. Do Kitsune like to hunt?"

  "Ancient Kitsune were, of course, predators, but we are deeply isolated from that. I have never hunted anything in my life, and I have no species imperative to do so. I can survive on fruits and berries, although, like you, I require sources of protein." But then she did another Kitsune smile. "I admit, chasing and catching you sounds like fun. Letting you catch me though, I'm not sure how I feel about that."

  I laughed. "I will let you pick the challenges. Make them fun."

  Her ears swiveled, and one dipped. Then she paused and nodded.

  "What was that?" I asked. I gestured to her ear.

  "Nodding for yes is a human gesture, and it's not even universal among humans. It's not used by any other species that I know of."

  "But you just nodded."

  "If you see one of us nodding to say yes, it's because we're trying to offer gestures you understand. The single ear tip is the Kitsune equivalent, but then I realized what I had done."

  "Oh," I said. I smiled again. "I would like to grow accustomed to your gestures and expressions. Will you help me?"

  "Of course," she said. She put a hand on mine. "Some are shared, like this." And she squeezed my hand. "Most of our facial expressions are through our ears, and some are involuntary. But we have a few expressions with our hands, including one that is mirrored by both humans and Catseye?"

  "Oh?"

  "You have perhaps noticed the Catseye express themselves through their tentacles."

  "Yes. They wave and quiver. I'm just starting to distinguish the different types of quivers."

  "Right. Well, there's a human gesture." Then she made a loose, partial fist, with her index finger pointed into the air. Then she waved it back and forth slightly a few times.

  "No," I said.

  "Right."

  "That's not universal."

  "Perhaps not, but you recognized it. Well, Catseye will do something very similar, but it's a tentacle tip. And Kitsune also do something similar, but it's two fingers, like this." She used her index and middle finger, and her hand was turned at a different angle to me than the human gesture. But it was unmistakable.

  Then she brushed my hand again. "I'll teach you as we go. But now it is time to order our meal."

  * * * *

  Dinner was lovely. The food was good, and Charo was enchanting. All my anger and frustration from earlier evaporated, and I grew increasingly relaxed.

  She teased me, of course. Partway through the meal, unbeknownst to me, she kicked off her shoes, and then one foot came sneaking over to caress my leg. The first time that happened, it was a surprise, but I looked down and saw the foot, and then I saw her ears twitching.

  After that, she spent much of the rest of our time sliding a foot over my leg. A few times, she wrapped toes into the chain binding my ankles and tugged on it, just to remind me it was there. Each time she did that, her ears twitched rapidly.

  She held my hand. She stroked my arm. And she tugged that chain a few times, too.

  We shared stories. I learned about her older brother and sister, much older than she was. "I was very young when they left the planet. I remember a few of the fights with Mom. I remember Mom being very upset when they left. As I was older, old enough to understand, she explained she didn't blame them. And she made promises to be more supportive of me. And she has been, or I wouldn't have come with her when she came here, and I certainly would have my own household."

  "Would we live right next door?" I asked. "I'm not sure how I feel about living next door to my mother-in-law. It's a big space station, right?"

  "It is," she said. "I don't want to tell you too much about it. No, we wouldn't live right next door, not literally. But we would be close."

  "How close?"

  "Walking distance, although that could still mean a kilometer or so."

  "It's five kilometers across."

  "And we tend to travel the rim, even when crossing to the opposite side."

  "And there are two rings, right?"

  "Yes, but only one is used for living quarters. I don't want to explain why, but we would live within a kilometer, probably closer. Perhaps fewer than a hundred meters. Does that disturb you?"

  "I don't know. I suppose in the scheme of things, there are worse things."

  "I was under the impression you liked her."

  "I do, but I was under the impression she likes to meddle."

  She squeaked. "Well, that's true."

  "We're getting a little ahead of ourselves."

  "Not that far ahead," she replied. "What about your parents?"

  "Well, I inherited their athleticism. Until a few years ago, they were better water skiers than I am, especially Mom. But they still can bike a century."

  "A century? A hundred years?"

  "A hundred miles."

  "Is that a long way?"

  "Not if you're a professional," I said. "But yeah, it's a long way on a bicycle. But in spite of winter, Minnesota is bike friendly." I talked about them for a while, Charo asking questions periodically.

  "It sounds like you have a good relationship."

  "We do," I said.

  "I have never done these things," she said. "I have never been on a mountain. I have certainly never skied or ridden a bicycle."

  "You could always take me skiing," I said with a grin.
"I'm sure there's snow somewhere by now. I could teach you."

  Her ears twitched. "You know that isn't going to happen."

  "I couldn't escape. I know that."

  She sobered. "It would take you seconds to tell a room full of people what happens here, Andromeda."

  "I could promise not to."

  "Maybe someday," she said. But she leaned forward. She used one hand to hold mine and the other to caress my arm. "I'd like to go for a walk."

  I looked down. "I don't want to shuffle around, and I don't think I want to be tugged all over town. Are there other options?"

  "But a walk would be nice?"

  "A walk would be nice."

  "Good. The bill is paid, so we can go."

  I drank a little more water, and while I was drinking, the visor dimmed. Charoite took the glass from me, tightened the hoop that bound my hands closer together, then took my arm. She led me from the restaurant, caressing my arm as we walked.

  "Andromeda," she said, "I think I really like you."

  "I think I like you, too, Charo."

  She led me into the jumper, set me in the seat, and then I was partially swallowed.

  "Where are you taking me?"

  "How would a walk along the beach sound?"

  "I think I'd enjoy that quite a bit."

  A minute later we were in the air. We talked easily during the twenty-minute flight, and then I felt the jumper set down.

  "I think barefoot sounds good. How about you?"

  "Barefoot sounds wonderful."

  I felt her hands on my feet. She took off the shoes and then the ankle restraints. "I'm keeping the wrist restraints, Andromeda. Frankly, I'm enjoying it too much."

  "I can tell," I said.

  She released me from the chair then tugged me from the jumper. At the bottom of the ramp, we stepped out onto the sand, and I could hear the surf. We walked a short distance, and the sand grew firm and damp. She tugged me into place beside her, wrapped an arm around my waist, and then the visor brightened.

  We were standing on the beach, facing the ocean. The sun was low in the sky, and it would be sunset soon.

  "Earth has beautiful sunsets," said Charo. "Do you know where we are?"

  I looked around. "This is the coastal arena. The typical starting point for the mating candidates is..." I looked around. "That way, I think."

  "Have you used the cameras to explore?"

  "Of course. The aquatic cameras are especially fun to play with. There's a reef offshore that's filled with colorful fish."

  "How about the edges? Do you know the limits?"

  "Yes," I said. "Why do you ask?"

  "You've seen the fence."

  "Charo," I said, putting as much reproach into my voice. "I'm not going to try to escape from you. I'd get three steps and you'd blind me."

  "You could hurt me first."

  "Charo," I said, hurt in my voice.

  "You're bigger than I am. Stronger."

  "Where would I go?" I asked. "All I know is we're somewhere in western Africa, I presume slightly south of the equator. This is not a politically stable region, but I don't even know what country we're in. I don't know which countries are particularly unstable. I don't know if the local villages would give me back to you. I bet you could post a big reward for me, and these people are so poor, they'd give me back for ten bucks. I wouldn't know which direction to go. I don't know how to live off the land. I'm barefoot, Charo. I don't know how to find water. I certainly don't know how to filter it. I don't know how to find food. I can't take the visor off."

  "You could break it," she said.

  "Fine. So I could break it. But the only thing I can accomplish by hurting you is committing suicide."

  When she didn't respond to that, I shook my head. "I'm not happy about the situation."

  "You threatened-"

  "I did not! Jasmine asked me what my options were. Suicide is an option, but I never threatened it or suggested I was considering it. It's an option. Admitting it isn't making a threat to do it."

  I sighed. "This was a stupid conversation, and now it's your responsibility to put me back in a good mood."

  She didn't say anything, but she collected the chain, wrapping it around her arm, and then we turned down the beach and began walking quietly.

  Neither of us spoke for the next several minutes. I spent most of it looking around. It really was pretty here. To our left was the ocean. To our right, more beach, then jungle, and then cliffs, forming quite the wall. I knew that periodically the wall was broken, and one could climb to the top of the cliffs. But the jungle was sufficiently thick it wasn't always easy to see where those spaces were.

  "Is sharing your life with me such a horrible thought?"

  "Charo, stop it," I said. "I was mad at her. And I made no such threat. But I'll also point out you haven't offered yet. You could leave like all the others have left or turned away from me. You aliens don't seem to think I'm such a good catch." But now she had annoyed me. I shook her arm off and plopped down in the sand, turning to face west to watch the sunset. After a moment she sat down beside me, not touching.

  "Are you from the Kitsune home world?"

  "Yes."

  "What's it called?"

  She made a noise I couldn't have duplicated. I laughed.

  "I suppose it doesn't have a name I could pronounce."

  "No."

  "Is it like Earth?"

  "In some ways. The land masses are smaller, and we have more islands. It has a low axial tilt, so the seasons aren't as extreme. But it is on average a little warmer, so the weather can be violent, anyway."

  "You have trees?"

  "Yes, abundant vegetation. And there are sapient creatures swimming our oceans, as you have here."

  "Do they resemble our whales?"

  "They are smaller, but yes, in a way."

  "When you sit here, does it feel like home?"

  "The space station has been my home for a long time. It is home now. But I know what you are asking." She looked around. "Yes, in some ways. Looking out over the ocean while sitting on the beach, this could be anywhere from our home. But if I turn around, it is different. We have some green plants. And you have some purple and red plants. But yours are primarily green, and ours are not."

  Then we sat, but I moved closer to her until we were touching. She leaned against me, laying her head against my shoulder.

  "Are we being watched?"

  "Yes, but the cameras will leave at sunset. There's something we should do before they leave."

  Then she shifted, climbing onto my legs to straddle me. She released the ring at my wrists, letting me spread my hands apart. And then she moved closer and leaned in.

  We kissed, gently at first, then she began to tease me with her tongue. I wasn't sure how I felt about doing this for the cameras, but I wrapped my arms around her and decided to enjoy it.

  She teased, and then she pressed further, and I let her press me backwards until I was lying in the sand with a warm, passionate Kitsune perched over me.

  She pulled away and looked at me. "I want you, Andromeda." She looked over her shoulder, then back to me. "The sun touches the horizon."

  "I guess we have five minutes more of kissing," I said. I reached up, very gently pinched her ears, and used them to guide her mouth back to me. But she squeaked instead of kissing. I released her instantly.

  "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

  "No," she said, still squeaking a little. "No one has ever done something like that to me before. I haven't decided if I like it."

  I reached my fingers up, teasing the tufts. "Maybe I should keep doing it until you decide."

  "Maybe I should make you stop talking." And so she did.

  We kissed, and then she began moving above me, and still we kissed. The world turned red, and I could feel her pressing against me, sliding against me. I knew she was teasing herself.

  I tried to reach for her, to help tease, but I couldn't reach. However, she figu
red out what I was doing and pulled away.

  "No, no," she said. "I am the one in control, Andromeda."

  "You haven't won any challenges, Charo."

  "I tricked you," she said. "I captured your wrists. Perhaps that was our challenge." Her ears twitched. "I should take you to the pillar and command it to swallow your hands."

  "You don't really think we're going to make love here on the beach do you?"

  "Well, not here, here," she said. Then she began licking again. I liked the licking, but now she had me nervous. I did not want sand everywhere she was going to be pushing sand if we tried to do this. I wasn't that thrilled it was probably already in my hair, and I began to worry about bugs, and... and...

  I pushed her away. "Stop!"

  "Why?"

  "Because we're on the beach."

  She looked over her shoulder. The sun was down. "Jasmine Brighteyes promised the cameras would leave at sunset."

  "Did she also promise there aren't any sand fleas? Is this magic sand that isn't at all like normal sand?"

  "What are you talking about?"

  "Sand gets everywhere, Charo. Do you get what I'm saying? It's already in my hair, and that means I'm going to have a devil of a time washing later."

  She flicked her ears and began climbing off me. Then she used the chain to pull me to my feet. She collected my arm and turned me the way we had come.

  We walked for a while, as it grew darker.

  "I'm sorry," I said a few minutes later. "It's just..."

  "That you don't trust me."

  "Of course I trust you."

  I could see the jumper ahead of us now.

  "You don't believe I thought of these things."

  I didn't say anything. I couldn't judge her mood. I couldn't tell if she was teasing me or if she really was upset.

  But my head itched.

  Damned sand.

  She led me to the jumper.

  "We could walk longer, Charo," I said quietly.

  "We're going to," she said. She turned me to face her as we stood in the aisle of the craft. "I want you to promise to obey me."