Fortune's Wheel

by Lisanne Norman

  you are, Sholan style. Now stand still."

  She stood rigid as Vanna began to soap her shoulders and back.

  "Relax," Vanna purred in her ear.

  Gradually the heat from the fine jets of water and the gen-tle rhythm of her friend's soothing fingertipscombined to disperse the stiffness in her body.

  "That looks like fun," said a voice from behind. "Can I help, too?"

  "Of course, Jayed. You finish her back for me," said Vanna.

  Carrie sensed Vanna moving round in front of her before she felt her begin to spread the soapy latherover her neck and shoulders. "Who's Jayed?" she asked.

  "My brother," said Vanna, working downward to cover her breasts.

  Carrie stiffened, her hands going up to stop Vanna. "Your brother! He's a male?" She could feel Jayed'shands starting to rub the soap over her lower back.

  Vanna chuckled, gently pulling her hands free. "Brothers usually are."

  Carrie was suddenly very aware of the hands that were now gently massaging soap over her buttocksand the back of her thighs.

  "Relax," said Vanna, "we're just treating you like one of our family."

  "But he's a male!" she hissed.

  "So? He's helping wash you. That's perfectly normal, isn't it, Jayed?"

  "We always help each other wash," affirmed Jayed. "You help your Leska, don't you?"

  "It's like grooming," said Vanna, squatting as she worked the soap over Carrie's belly and thighs. "It's virtually impos-sible to do it properly yourself, so we help each other. Come on, relax," she said persuasively, looking up at Carrie. "I said this is part of normal Sholan family life."

  Carrie tried, but she was hypersensitively aware of Jayed's hands as they curved around the sides of herthighs. His touch became featherlight, holding the promise of sensu-ality.

  "Such a lovely body you have, Carrie," he purred, his hand briefly caressing her right calf. "Nice firm muscles. Do you exercise a lot?" He finished her legs and tapped her an-kle indicating that she should raise her foot.

  "Um, a fair bit, at the Warrior Guild," she said, standing on one leg.

  He turned the sole backward toward himself, rubbing the soap along her instep and between her toes.

  Carrie flinched and grabbed Vanna for support as his fin-gers tickled her foot.

  "You're tickly?" said Jayed, surprise in his voice. "I sup-pose being furless you would be more

  susceptible than us. Your other foot, please."

  She changed feet, still hanging on to Vanna as her friend stood up. This time Jayed did tickle her, makingher laugh and try to twist away.

  "Now you're relaxing," said Vanna, pleased. "Bend for-ward a little and I'll do your hair."

  Her feet both on the ground again, Carrie bent forward slightly, feeling Vanna's fingers push through her

  hair to her scalp and begin working the lather in. She tried to sense where Jayed was but couldn't. She felt too vulnerable, stand-ing there naked with her eyes closed and soap running down her face. Then Jayed's hands returned, this time with a rougher touch.

  "I'm using a cloth on you to rub away any dead skin," he explained. "Not that I think you have any. Your

  skin's so soft, so sensual," he purred in her ear.

  "Jayed, stop teasing her," said Vanna reprovingly, with-drawing her hands from Carrie's scalp. "This is

  the first time she's experienced the intimacy of a family like ours."

  Vanna's voice seemed to come from behind and Jayed's cloth was working its way round her side. Where was he? Lifting her head, she dashed the water from her face. She found herself eye to eye with Jayed as he stepped round in front of her.

  "You're pregnant!" he said, mouth opening in a happy grin. "You didn't tell us she was pregnant, Vanna!"

  Carrie pulled back, crossing her arms over her breasts and cringing in anticipation of his reaction as shelooked from Vanna to Jayed and back.

  "That's why I brought her here," said Vanna, touching Carrie's cheek reassuringly. "To be pampered a

  little now by us before her mate refuses to let her out of his sight."

  "The child's a Sholan's?" He shook his head, drops of wa-ter flying from his ear tips. "The Gods have

  really blessed you," he said, awe in his voice as he resumed working the cloth across her body.

  His ready acceptance of her situation and his genuine pleasure for her were so different from what she'dfeared that it left her totally confused.

  "Carrie, I can't reach your head easily," said Vanna gently.

  As Jayed moved to one side, Carrie bobbed her head down again, then froze as a third person began torub her back.

  "I've done there, Kara," said Jayed.

  "Not with the cloth."

  Beginning to panic again, Carrie stumbled, clutching at the nearest body to stop herself from falling over.

  A hand she knew was Vanna's caught her arm.

  "Relax, Carrie," her friend said soothingly. "I know hu-mans don't share wash times, but we do. You need to expe-rience more about us as people. I'd have suggested this to Kusac earlier, but you weren't ready emotionally for it."

  While she talked, Vanna moved round in front of her, lift-ing her face and wiping the soap from her eyeswith Jayed's cloth.

  "Open your eyes," she said, turning her around. "See? It's only my cousin Kara. Nothing to fear, truly. Do you think I would bring my friend here, to my family, only to let her be seduced or raped? Shame on you, Carrie!"

  Despite Vanna's humorous overtones, Carrie flushed. She felt a sense of amusement from Jayed as if heknew what she was thinking.

  "You're one of us, Carrie," she said, cupping the girl's face with both hands. "You're part Sholan, part

  human, just like your unborn cub. You really do belong here on Shola, there can never be any doubt of

  that now—not that there ever was."

  Carrie reached up to cover Vanna's hands with hers, feel-ing the familiar silkiness of wet fur beneath herpalms. "Thank you," she said.

  Vanna grinned. "Don't mention it. Now if you have no further objections, I'll wash the soap off your hair."

  Chastened, Carrie bent her head again, feeling Vanna lift and part her hair, letting the stream of waterwash the soap off. Meanwhile, the other two continued to gently rub at the rest of her body. She beganto relax, giving herself over to the pleasantly sensual feelings their touch engendered.

  Searching her inherited memories, she found similar scenes from Kusac's life at the guild and at home. Hissense of relaxation and security from those days filled her. This was an experience only shared with familyor close friends. More often now she was finding that her experiences and his memories were beginningto overlap. Carrie smiled, sud-denly feeling much more at home with Vanna's family.

  "Vanna's turn now," said Kara.

  Carrie blinked the water from her eyes. Vanna had turned away from her and Kara had begun tovigorously lather soap into her fur. Jayed had also turned to help his sister.

  "May I help?" she asked hesitantly.

  Vanna's eyes lit up as she grinned. "Yes, cub. Join in the fun. It's one of the pleasures of belonging to alarge family."

  "Here," said Jayed, handing her his soap bottle. "Use mine."

  Hesitantly at first, she rubbed the soap into her friend's side, pushing the lather through the fur to the skinunder-neath, massaging it in with a circular motion.

  "Kusac showed you how to do it properly," Vanna said, turning her head to grin at Carrie over her

  shoulder. "Don't stop, Carrie, that feels really good."

  Her grin was infectious, and smiling back, Carrie contin-ued to rub the lather over her friend's side. Asshe worked, she realized that the four of them had formed a natural little grouping of Jayed washing Karaand Kara and herself wash-ing Vanna.

  "Don't worry about me," said Jayed grinning across at her. "I'm done. I was just finishing when you

  arrived."

  As she rubbed the soap across Vanna's flat chest and belly, she began to
appreciate why the Sholanideal of beauty was a lean, muscular body. Though smaller and stockier than Kusac, there was little realdifference in the physical shape or feel of Vanna's body when compared to his, but a world of differencein the mental feel. With no outward difference between the sexes beyond the colored banding of thefemale's fur, each admired the same features in the other. To all intents and purposes their bodiesap-peared sexless to the Terrans who relied only on sight to identify the males from the females.

  But you obviously know differently, came the humorous thought. The sending was faint butunderstandable.

  Startled she looked up, catching Jayed's eye. He flicked an ear at her, grinning again. Looking away inconfusion, she returned to lathering Vanna's legs.

  I'm only a grade three telepath, not as exalted a level as you and your Leska, he sent.

  You do all right, Carrie grinned back at him.

  Finished now, they all stood for a few minutes letting the water flow sleekly off their bodies. Carriewatched the last of the soap and loose fur swirl around their feet to be sucked down the drain.

  "You forgot towels," said Sashti from outside the stall. She was carrying a large bundle of them.

  Vanna turned the shower off and as the Sholans began to run their hands down their bodies pushing thewater from their fur,. Sashti dumped her bundle on a nearby bench, tak-ing one from the top and openingit out.

  "Come, I'll dry you, Carrie," she said.

  "It's all right, I can do it myself," Carrie said, stepping out into the cooler air of the room with an

  involuntary shiver.

  Sashti flicked her ears. "Why do it yourself when I can do it for you? Vanna said you needed somepampering, so come and be pampered!"

  Gently but vigorously she was toweled down. "I'll start her massage now, Vanna," Sashti said, wrapping

  Carrie in the folds of a fresh, dry towel.

  "I'll be through in a minute," said Vanna, her head briefly emerging from her towel.

  "I'm sorry to put you all out by being here," Carrie began, but Sashti cut her short as she took her through

  to the room where they'd left their clothes.

  "No. Your visit has made today special for us," she said, indicating that Carrie should get up on the massage table. "When Vanna visited home last, she told us all about you and we longed to meet you. The chances of us being able to do that would normally be very small, yet here we are with you all to ourselves, not just for tonight, but tomorrow as well! This is a treat for us."

  She lifted Carrie's legs up onto the table. "Roll over on your stomach first," she said, helping her unwindthe towel again. "You see, we can show you family hospitality here, something you can't get from your lifeat the guild. Tonight will definitely be special," she promised, reaching for her jars.

  "Oils? I wouldn't have thought you could use oils," she said, pillowing her cheek on her forearms.

  "We need to look after our skins, too, you know," Sashti said, beginning to rub the delicately scented liquid into Car-rie's back. "We get dry and sore patches under our fur and a good massage puts back the oils that we lose through washing daily."

  Her fingers probed gently at Carrie's back. "Your muscles are quite different. I'll need to feel my wayaround them for a few minutes."

  "Is massage your profession?"

  "You could say that," said Sashti with a touch of humor in her voice.

  "She runs the largest massage store in Valsgarth, and her oils are bought by even the city stores in

  Nazule," said

  Jayed. "If you give me ajar, Sashti, I'll work on her feet and legs."

  Sashti passed one down to him then began gently knead-ing the muscles across Carrie's neck andshoulders. This time, Carrie found herself relaxing almost immediately as the scent of the oils filled the

  room.

  "You do realize you could end up with a great many Terran customers, too, don't you?" she murmured,

  giving herself up totally to the soothing rhythm of Sashti's and Jayed's hands.

  "So I could, once I've practiced a few times on you."

  "Any time at all," said Carrie, her voice almost a purr as she let her eyes close.

  Wrapped in a warm toweling robe, Carrie was ushered back through to the main room where the thirdmeal was waiting for them—not on the dining table, but on a low table set in the center of the floor. Largesoft cushions surrounded it.

  As they joined the others at the table, Sashti looked around the group of expectant faces. "Since we'vegot Vanna and Carrie with us, after we've eaten, we'll tell sto-ries. I'm sure they have new ones wehaven't heard before." This pronouncement was greeted with enthusiasm by every-one.

  The meal was long and leisurely, consisting of the usual wide variety of hot cooked meats and vegetablesto dip into half a dozen different rich sauces. Unlike those in the restau-rants she'd eaten in before, thesesauces had a fruity base taste to them. There were several different breads to try, all of them baked onthe estate. Afterward there was fresh fruit, including several kinds that Carrie had never seen before. Oneparticular one she found greatly to her liking was a rainbow fruit. Shaped like a star, the thick waxy skinpeeled off to reveal a delicately colored flesh that shaded from lilac through to yellow in rainbow hues. The taste was unlike anything she'd ever had before.

  "Fruit and bread are our Clan's specialty," said Sashti, passing her another rainbow fruit. "When it comes

  time for you to leave, we'll make sure you take some of these with you."

  Finally the table was cleared and removed, the cushions spread to fill the gap and more wine handedround as they got comfortable for the serious business of telling and listen-ing to stories.

  They each took a turn, starting with Vanna and as the eve-ning wore pleasantly on, Carrie's headdrooped lower and lower till she was leaning against Vanna.

  "Your friend's asleep," said Kikho, looking across at her.

  "I know," she said, twisting round and trying to take hold of Carrie's limp body.

  "I'll help," said Jayed, leaning forward from his place be-side Kikho. He gently took hold of Carrie and laid her down on the cushions. "From the feel of her mind she'll sleep the night through now," he said. "She's a lot calmer than when she arrived," he added, gently touching the sleeping human's face. He sat back, looking quizzically at his sister. "What is it you want us to do for her?"

  "I'm breaking up the evening," Vanna said, looking round the others.

  "Not at all," said Sashti. "I'm equally intrigued as to why you brought Carrie to us, not that I mind in the

  least," she added hurriedly, ears flicking.

  "She has a problem," said Vanna, pulling her legs up in front of her and wrapping her arms around them.

  "Imagine you have a lover who's Terran, her kind but male. Jayed, you think of her as your Leska."

  Her brother's tail flicked lazily. "I've got the picture, Vanna," he said.

  "You remember what it's like to leave the life you grew up with, Jayed, don't you? When the guild found you and you had to leave the estate? Well, Carrie has suffered all that, but in a culture truly alien to her. She's tried to fit in, but found because of her Leska she can only do that by turn-ing her back on her own kind. Then the impossible happens. She finds out she's pregnant and the child is her Leska's, a Sholan child."

  "And?" prompted Jayed.

  "The Terrans have no time for her because of her relation-ship with Kusac. They're likely to hurl abuse at her when they know she's pregnant, so she can't belong to them. Kusac is betrothed, so she has no security there, and finally, she's afraid her child is going to be some kind of hybrid monster," concluded Vanna.

  "That's some problem," said Sashti. "Is she right about the cub?"

  "I can't tell until we've done a scan," Vanna replied. "Carrie's stuck between two worlds, feeling she

  belongs to neither. For now, she desperately needs to feel she belongs with us."

  "Vanna, how did she become pregnant in the first place?" asked Jayed
.

  Kikho laughed, easing her gravid body into a more com-fortable position as she leaned against hercompanion. "The same way I did, Jayed. Don't tell me you've forgotten what to do since last night?"

  "That's not what I meant," said Jayed, ears flicking in acceptance of the general laughter at his expense.

  "I don't know the answer," said Vanna. "It should be im-possible, yet there's a child on the way, and

  Kusac is the fa-ther."

  "You brought her here because of me, didn't you?" said Kikho. "You hope she'll accept her pregnancy

  better after seeing me."

  "Yes, but it's not that simple, Kikho," said Vanna. "I want her to feel what it's like to be part of a family,

  part of us. All she's known is the starship and the Telepath Guild."

  "Where is her Leska, then? He should be with her now, helping her feel part of his life," said Sashti.

  "That's another problem. He's equally shocked by the fact she's pregnant. They had a row and she ran

  from him. I was called to look after her."

  "Does her Leska knows she's here?" asked Kara.

  Vanna shook her head. "No, he doesn't. He needs a lesson in taking equal responsibility, and to bereminded he had more than a little to do with her condition. She wants a day or two away from him, so Ithought here would be ideal."

  "A child is a child," said Kikho. "They should be happy at this time. She chose to bear one, after all,

  despite their physical differences."

  "I don't know if she did. As I said, it came as a shock to her, too. I wonder if human females can control

  their fertil-ity. Because we do, it's natural to assume that they can."

  "Is she saying she doesn't want the child?" asked Jayed.

  "She's not saying anything about it yet. That's why she's here. I want to help her feel that she isn't some kind of freak. Let her realize that pregnancy is a normal part of life for females, even for her. Just make

  her feel welcome and part of us, nothing out of the ordinary."

  "That part's easily done," said Sashti. "She's pleasant company."

  "I have to work tomorrow, but I'll be back in the evening. You don't mind looking after her, do you?"