Worlds Apart (ThreeCon)

by Carmen Webster Buxton

  Rishi stopped in front of a wide door. She swayed slightly, but then she turned and smiled at Prax. She seemed surprised to see Hari.

  “I don’t think I need any help, thank you, Hari.” She reached up and put one arm around Prax’s neck, and then used her other hand to caress his jaw, moving her fingers back and forth gently, and then briefly sliding her hand down his neck to his chest.

  Despite the pleasant nature of the contact, Prax flushed with shame. Had she no sense of what was proper? Hari was still standing there, watching them.

  “We’ll be fine alone, won’t we, Praxiteles?” Rishi closed her eyes, tilting her head back as if she wanted Prax to kiss her.

  Mortified at having to do it with Hari watching them, Prax leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

  She gave a little sigh of anticipation and laid her head on his chest. Before Prax realized what was happening, her head drooped, and she started to slide to the floor.

  Hari jumped forward to help Prax as he caught her.

  “I was hoping that would happen,” Hari said. “Can you carry her?”

  Prax nodded. He moved his bouzouki so it hung on his back and picked Rishi up in his arms. He felt a twinge from his wound, but it didn’t bother him unduly.

  Hari picked up Prax’s saddle bags and then put his other hand on the access panel by the door; a series of chiming notes sounded. When Hari pressed some buttons on the top of the panel, the door opened.

  Hari walked in and led the way through a large room to a small alcove where a wide bed stood with its headboard against the wall. “Put her right there. I’ll get her maid to come in and make her comfortable.”

  He went over to a panel in the wall while Prax carried Rishi to the bed. The Elliniká deposited her gently on the covers and stood looking down at her.

  “Is she all right?” he asked as Hari came back.

  Hari nodded as he dropped Prax’s saddle bags onto the floor. “I think she’s had a little too much of your Elliniká wine. She’ll be fine in the morning.” He looked Prax in the eye. “Okay, here’s the deal. I can order the shuttle to take you back right now. Home to your family, no more than a few hours gone from your life and quite a story to tell your grandchildren one day. How about it?”

  Prax felt a surge of hope, but realized it was fruitless. His benefactor’s temporary incapacitation changed nothing. He shook his head resolutely. “No. She asked me to come with her, so I must.”

  “She doesn’t own you, you know.” Hari sounded annoyed. “That’s not allowed. Not where we’re going.”

  Prax struggled to express himself. Did these people not understand what obligation meant? “It’s not that she owns me. It’s that we owe her a debt.”

  Hari frowned. “We’re leaving this system tonight. Once we do, I can’t answer for when or even if you’ll ever see Celadon again.”

  Prax shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

  Hari took a breath and let out a deep sigh. “All right. I tried. Come on, I’ll find you a bunk in the security area.”

  Prax blinked in surprise. “But—I mean, shouldn’t I stay here?”

  Hari smiled. “If you really want to, it’s okay with me. But you don’t have to; I can find you another place to sleep.”

  Prax hesitated. He was unsure both of what he should do, and whether or not Hari was someone from whom he should accept advice. “You are not—” He stopped. He didn’t want to give offense, but he still hadn’t sorted out how relationships worked among these off-worlders.

  Hari laughed at the unfinished question. “I’m not her lover or her husband if that’s what you want to know. Technically, I’m just an employee—the head of her security force. I can keep her safe from everyone except herself. But I’ve known her since she was a kid, and I guess we’re pretty close.”

  Prax looked down at Rishi. It was to her his obligation was due, but she wasn’t awake to tell him what she wanted. On the other hand, she had already made it very clear what she wanted.

  “I will stay here,” Prax said. He picked up his saddle bags and set them on a dresser near the bed, then added his bouzouki as if to reinforce his decision.

  Three notes chimed, the same high note three times.

  “That’ll be Lidiya.” Hari nodded at a narrow door in the wall near one side of the bed. “Why don’t you use the facilities while she gets Rishi ready for bed?”

  It sounded like a good idea to Prax. The fewer people who witnessed his disgrace, the better. “Very well.”

  He went through the doorway and found himself in what was clearly a bathroom. It was enough like the ones he had used in Pireaus for him to figure out how the appliances worked. After he had relieved himself and washed his hands and face, Prax unbuckled his belt and took off his shirt. He stared at himself in the huge mirror. His scars looked very noticeable in the bright light, and the bandage on his side was impossible to miss. Fortunately, he had shaved for the feast, so he didn’t look totally disreputable.

  He opened the door and stepped through it. He couldn’t see anyone in the room, but the lights were still on. Prax advanced slowly. Rishi still lay on her back, but now she was mostly under the bed covers. Prax could see that she wore what looked like a pale blue nightgown instead of the black dress. Her short black hair spilled onto the pillow beside her. The beautiful golden color of her skin contrasted with her black, elegantly-arched eyebrows. Her right eyebrow came to a sharper point than her left, giving it an interesting lilt. Long black lashes curved on her cheek, and she had a tiny mole just below her left cheekbone.

  Prax walked around to the far side of the bed and dropped his shirt and belt on top of his saddle bags. He sat on the bed to pull off his bodi-hide boots, and then he pulled back the covers and slid in beside the woman. A few seconds later, the overhead lights went out, leaving only a faint illumination from the baseboards. Prax sighed as he laid his head on the pillow. His life as an Elliniká was over. He had no idea what the morning would bring, but all he could do was to face each day with as much courage as he could muster and try not to disgrace himself more than he had already.

  Beside him, Rishi stirred and snorted quietly. She gave a little sigh and then rolled onto her side, closer to her edge of the bed. Prax held his breath, but she didn’t wake up. It looked as if his new life wouldn’t start until morning.

  Prax closed his eyes and tried to will himself to go to sleep.

  Chapter Four

  Rishi woke with a nagging headache. The lights were already on as she stumbled out of bed, so it must be past her usual time to get up. She headed straight to the bathroom. A dose of hangover remedy and a quick shower made her feel much better. It was only when she came out of the bathroom that she saw the sleeping figure on the other side of her bed.

  Rishi stopped in her tracks. Light brown hair, a square jaw, and skin that seemed tanned rather than naturally golden looked familiar, but it wasn’t until he opened his blue eyes and stared right at her that she recognized Praxiteles.

  “Good god!” Her hands went to her mouth until she realized she had nothing on but a bath towel. She glanced around frantically, and when no robe presented itself, she snatched the coverlet off the bed and clutched it in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

  He sat up under the sheets. It looked as if he were naked. In addition to the bandage on his side, a network of scars criss-crossed his chest, and in spite of herself, Rishi couldn’t help studying them.

  “I came here with you.” His forehead wrinkled in confusion and a deep red blush covered his face. “In your flying machine,” he added helpfully.

  Rishi searched her memory but found the night before something of a blur. She could remember dressing in the black, diamond-covered gown, arriving at the Elliniká camp, listening to speeches, and watching dancers, but nothing else—certainly not the trip back to the Golden Hawk. She backed up to the com
console on the wall, turned off the video, and punched Hari’s key.

  “Hari!”

  After only a few seconds’ pause, his voice came on. “Good morning, Rishi. How did you sleep?”

  The amusement in his voice was enough to tell her he knew very well what she had found in her bed. “I need to talk to you, Hari! Now!”

  “I’ll be right there.”

  She turned back to Praxiteles to find that he had gotten out of bed. Fortunately, he was wearing trousers. He pulled the sheets up over his pillow and stood up. “Good morning, lady.”

  Rishi swallowed. She had never before awakened with a relative stranger beside her. Her anonymous liaisons had always ended with her leaving whatever venue she had chosen wide awake and well aware of what she had done. “See here,” she said in a rush. “Did you—I mean, did I—did we—”

  “No,” he said at once. “You fell asleep.”

  Rishi felt an immense relief. At least she hadn’t actually been intimate with a man under the influence of whatever was in Elliniká wine. “I see. Then why did you stay here?”

  Instantly, a red flush suffused his face, neck, and even part of his chest. “Should I have gone? I did not know. I am sorry, lady.”

  Rishi became aware of the faint vibration under her bare feet. “Are we underway?”

  He stared, uncomprehending. “Pardon?”

  Three rising notes sounded. “Come!” Rishi said at once.

  Hari strode into her cabin with a spring in his step and a glint of unholy glee in his eyes. “Good morning, Rishi. Good morning, Praxiteles.”

  “I need to talk to you,” Rishi said. “Alone.”

  “Praxiteles,” Hari said, “why don’t you go into the bathroom and have a bath or a shower, whichever you prefer, while Rishi and I have a talk?”

  Without a word, the Elliniká picked up a shirt, a belt, and a wide leather strap with a bag at either end from the top of the dresser and started for the bathroom.

  The sight of the leather bags tugged at Rishi’s memory. There had been a stringed instrument, too. Rishi remembered that when Praxiteles had returned from his wagon, he had been carrying both the leather bags and a long-necked stringed instrument. When he had returned from his wagon? More memories of the previous night rushed back to her.

  Rishi pressed a hand to her forehead. “Oh my God! Did I kidnap Praxiteles?”

  Hari dropped into a chair and propped his feet on a low table. “Not exactly. In an excess of hospitality, that Elliniká woman offered you anything you wanted, and you asked for Praxiteles. They seemed upset at your choice, but you said to wrap him up and you’d take him with you.”

  Rishi sank down on the edge of her bed. “How could you let me do that?”

  Hari snorted. “Girl, I did everything but knock you over the head. There was no talking you out of it.”

  “Was I drunk?”

  He held out his hands. “Hard to say. You claimed you only had three glasses of wine. And until right before you passed out, you had no trouble with your balance or coordination. But I checked Fodor’s again, and it said Elliniká wine could be good for a cheap thrill. Instead of alcohol, it has a chemical in it that does an even better job of suppressing inhibitions. Some people are more sensitive to it than others.”

  “But—” Rishi still couldn’t believe what she had done. “But why would I do that? Why would I ask for Praxiteles like he was a gift they could give me?”

  Hari studied his fingernails intently. “Praxiteles seemed to understand why.”

  Rishi felt a warm rush of embarrassment. “You mean I just wanted him for sex? Then why would he say yes?”

  Hari cleared his throat and looked up at her. “The Elliniká have a strong sense of obligation. They owed you big time. Praxiteles is the payback.”

  Rishi fought a surge of nausea. “But that’s disgusting! Making someone go to bed with me out of gratitude—that’s like extorting sex. It’s little better than rape. I would never do that.”

  Hari grunted. “Don’t be melodramatic, Rishi. It wasn’t rape. Praxiteles seems quite willing.”

  Rishi shook her head. “Grateful isn’t the same thing as willing.”

  “Have it your way.” Hari glanced at his wrist com. “In any event, we’ll initiate spatial fold in about ten hours.”

  “We’re that far out?”

  He grinned. “You do remember our schedule, don’t you?”

  Rishi rubbed her temples. “So I did abduct Praxiteles. I took him away from Celadon.”

  “But not against his will. I gave him the chance to go home last night, after you passed out cold. He wouldn’t take it.”

  Rishi suddenly remembered that she had awakened in her nightgown. “Who changed my clothes?”

  “Lidiya. I called her.” Hari smiled wryly. “Praxiteles hid in the bathroom while she got you ready for bed. I gather you were no help. She told me this morning it was lucky we don’t maintain normal gravity.”

  Rishi fought another blush. “So what do I do now?”

  Hari held up his hands. “How about we turn the ship around and take him home?”

  “No.” The word was out before she even had time to think what she wanted to say.

  Hari lifted his brows. “No?”

  She jumped to her feet and paced a few steps, trying to sort out what she was feeling. “I need time to think about what to do.”

  He frowned at her. “What’s to think about? You’re stone cold sober now. Let’s take the guy home.”

  She thought furiously. What was the objective point of view? Look at the situation rationally, her father had always said. In business, what’s good for the business comes first. “We’d lose a lot of time going back from this far out.”

  “So?”

  “I have some tight deadlines once I get to Subidar.”

  Hari stood up. “Okay, when we get home, you buy him a one-way ticket to Celadon.”

  It sounded perfectly reasonable, but for some reason, Rishi was reluctant to agree. “I need to talk to Praxiteles.”

  At that exact moment, the bathroom door opened.

  Rishi took a deep breath as the Elliniká, fully clothed except for his boots, advanced cautiously into her bedroom. “Sit down, Praxiteles. I need to talk to you.”

  He hesitated and then walked to a chair. “Are you going to sit, lady?”

  Rishi sank back onto her bed. “Yes.”

  Praxiteles sat down on the chair and put his leather bags on the floor beside him.

  “Now,” Rishi said, trying for a contrite but objective tone, “there are several things I have to say to you, but the first is that I’m sorry.”

  Praxiteles looked confused. “Sorry?”

  “Yes. For making you leave Celadon.”

  His expression cleared. “You didn’t make me leave, lady. You asked, and I came.”

  “I know, but it was still wrong of me. I shouldn’t have asked you. I hope you don’t hate me for it.”

  “You saved my clan. How could we hate you?”

  It sounded reassuring, but Rishi shook her head. “That doesn’t change the fact that I did a bad thing by asking you to come with me.”

  He frowned. “Do you want me to leave?”

  She felt her face flush and refused to let herself think about what a truthful answer would be. “It’s not what I want that’s important here, Praxiteles. It’s what you want.”

  “I want to pay our debt to you, lady, in any way that I can.”

  Rishi couldn’t resist looking triumphantly at Hari. He gave her a sour smile in return. “You’re sure you don’t want to go back to Celadon?” she asked Praxiteles.

  The Elliniká’s frown deepened. His confused look returned. “How could I pay the debt if I went home?”

  Hari answered before she could. “That’s not the qu
estion. It’s how do you pay the debt if you stay.”

  Rishi hadn’t thought about this point. “You’re right, Hari. What can he do?” She looked anxiously at Praxiteles.

  He looked at Hari and then at Rishi. His face turned a deep red, and he stared down at the carpet as if the pattern were fascinating. “I thought—I mean you said—I will do whatever you wish, lady.”

  Rishi fought for control of her reactions. It was amazing how contact with primitives had made her revert to a state of youthful embarrassment. “No. I mean, forget whatever I said last night. I wasn’t myself.”

  He looked almost stunned as he lifted his eyes to hers. “Then you don’t want—”

  He stopped abruptly, and thankfully, Hari picked up the conversational ball and tossed it in a new direction. “There’s no reason Praxiteles can’t make himself useful to the House of Trahn. He’s big and strong, and used to firing weapons. I’ll bet he could learn to be a security guard.”

  Rishi felt a warm rush of gratitude. Leave it to Hari to find her a way out. “That’s a wonderful idea. Would you like to be a security guard, Praxiteles?”

  “What does a security guard do?” Praxiteles asked.

  “Well,” Hari said, “with the House or Trahn, being in Security is a lot like being in a small private army. Your primary job would be to guard Mistress Trahn and her property. To do that well, you’d have to follow orders, stay in shape, and learn to fight.”

  Praxiteles lifted a hand in a dismissive gesture, as if to suggest that these were minor considerations. “If this is how Mistress Trahn wants me to serve her, then this is what I will do.”

  Rishi felt as if a tremendous burden had been lifted from her shoulders. “Well, that’s settled then. Hari will explain everything to you, Praxiteles, and he’ll show you where you’ll stay, and everything.”

  Praxiteles must have recognized dismissal when he heard it. He picked up the leather bag and stood up. “Very well, lady.”

  Hari got to his feet. “Put your boots on and let’s go.”