"I will," Shan-leo promised. "But first, I want to sleep in my bed and sort out all my souvenirs. I might even have something for each of you." He stared fondly at the five present.
"He broke his favorite quill, so you know what to gift him with next," Dadina concluded with a wink.
***
"Where's Hiro?" Dadina asked as she dropped her travel bag on the floor of the living room.
"He moved out," Maela answered. "You'll see him tomorrow at the Labs."
"Oh. Okay."
Disappointed, Dadina went to her room. But she wasn't tired and didn't have that many souvenirs to sort out, so after she unpacked, she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Being home reminded her of the prospective boyfriend she'd completely forgotten after Vilas Lok, too caught up in the chase after the Manuscripts Collector. She tried to call him, but his phone was switched off. Then she tried his extension at the Labs, but it was his day off.
She snorted, frustrated. She didn't know what to do. Hiro was a murderer and had goons looking for him. But he was sweet and the Sire had trusted him enough to leave him alone with a child. She pursed her lips. She really needed some girlish advice.
She decided it was high time to visit M'oll'inda. Her high school best friend now worked at the Vaurabi Labs, in the Biotechnology department. She'd moved to her own apartment six months earlier and had suggested to Dadina they share, but Dadina wasn't ready to leave her mother and the extended family yet.
Maybe it was time to move out, though. Maybe move in with Hiro. She couldn't think of anyone besides M'oll'inda to ask for advice. So she went to her friend's apartment building, wondering if she should have called first to make sure M'oll'inda was in.
She rang the bell and took a deep breath, hoping her friend would be able to help. The door opened, but she saw Hiro gaping at her.
"Ah, Dadina... you're b-back," he stammered, stepping back as if he wanted to slam the door in her face.
She checked she had come to the right door, then frowned. "Is M'oll'inda in?"
"Uh... yes." He let her in, unable to look her in the eyes. "M'oll!" he called.
M'oll'inda emerged from the kitchen with a mini-dress that barely covered her curves and chocolate skin. Her frizzy hair was tied in a high bun that made it look like a halo.
"Dadina!" She squealed and rushed to hug her. Hiro quickly vanished into the bedroom. "When did you come back?"
"One hour ago." Dadina stared at the bedroom door while M'oll'inda dragged her to the couch.
"Sit down!"
Dadina was forced to sit and look at M'oll'inda, now serious.
"I'm glad to see you," the Ulba'wissian said. "We need to talk."
"About what?" Dadina snapped, jarred.
M'oll'inda snorted. "Don't be daft, Dadina," she chided. "Hiro, what else? He told me you had something going on when we first dated."
"Yeah, I wonder what it was for him," she grumbled, averting her eyes.
"I don't care what it was for him, I want to know your feelings," M'oll'inda replied, looking worried. "Did you miss him while you were away or...?"
Dadina pondered.
"I kind of missed him. Until we went to Xi-kong because Shan-leo had caught bronchitis. I talked with him, then with his mother, then... I don't know. We went to Vilas Lok and he fell out of my mind, somehow."
"How was Vilas Lok?" M'oll'inda asked, brightening.
"Fun, but no real boyfriend material around." Dadina shrugged. "What about you? Has he moved in with you already?"
M'oll'inda blushed but smiled. "Actually, yes, a week ago. But I told him we needed to settle things with you before we went public. Are you okay with it?"
"It depends." Dadina took her friend's hands. "Do you love him?"
M'oll'inda nodded slowly. "I think so. I know he can't compare to Shan-leo – nobody can – but..." She sighed.
M'oll'inda and Dadina both had had a crush on Shan-leo during high school. And he'd been gracious enough to spend some time with M'oll'inda after he and Dadina had had enough sex. The two girls had taken their elder brothers out on a double date, but Shan-leo and M'oll'inda had lasted even less than Dadina's first official boyfriend.
"Anyway, Hiro is sweet and says he loves me," M'oll'inda continued, smiling again.
"That's not something I heard from him," Dadina muttered. "Fine!" she added more brightly, squeezing her friend's fingers. "You have my blessing."
"Thank you!" M'oll'inda hugged her, then looked her in the eyes. "Dadi... if you want to find a boyfriend, you must stop comparing everyone to Shan-leo. He was our first love, but he's a Sire and cannot return our affection."
"I know." Dadina sighed. "I'll find someone. Eventually..."
***
Shan-leo looked more closely at the ancient Xi-kongian manuscript on the computer screen. He zoomed in on the little painting of a Xi-kongian woman in traditional clothes of centuries back, dancing with ribbons in the upper corner of the piece. The smell of dust, paper and wood of the Sire Library wrapped him like a cozy low-tech blanket.
As he zoomed more on the round face with slanted eyes, another face superimposed itself on the screen – more real, more modern, but still pretty. Mayumi Ikagoru. Startled, Shan-leo pulled away from the computer and stared in the distance as the memory of the ESP thief hit him again. His heart started beating faster as he wondered where she was, then he sighed, snapping back to reality.
"Did you find anything interesting?" Jan-wen stopped by his side and glanced at the computer screen. "Ah, almond eyes. I think we have something from Xi-kong around here."
"Brought here by the House of Meraini?" Shan-leo asked, more sarcastically than he intended to.
"Are you saying we stole manuscripts from the rest of the galaxy during the Empire?" Jan-wen chided.
"I don't know, Jan-wen!" Shan-leo let out an impatient snort. "Is there any difference? How did the Vaurabi gather all these treasures? Did they really buy everything when they ruled the galaxy?"
Jan-wen stared at him, thoughtful.
"Why do you suddenly wonder, Shan-leo? Just because you helped catch a manuscripts collector, you assume we did the same years ago? I can't tell the exact history of each piece we have here, but let me tell you this. Sometimes we actually saved manuscripts from damage or destruction. And nobody has ever claimed anything back yet."
"Maybe they don't even know they're here!" Shan-leo threw up his hands, frustrated. "I mean, how many old manuscripts do we have? It's taking you a lifetime to catalog everything!"
"And I'm not done yet, but I'm working in close contact with Ndo Koyo on Mirabilis," Jan-wen replied. "That Shaara codex you brought back? It was here until the death of your grandfather. Whenever I find something priceless, I send it to the Library of Cosmic Wisdom."
"Where it's not as safe as it is here," Shan-leo grumbled, frowning at the screen still showing the round face with slanted eyes. "Mayumi wouldn't have been able to read the codes of access to the vault from your mind."
"Well, the Manuscripts Collector was caught." Jan-wen sighed and looked around them. "Anyhow, I'm thinking of finishing my librarian career on Mirabilis. Do you think in a year or two you'd like to become a librarian? Your name and your skills would probably allow you to become Chief Librarian in under five years. Are you willing to take care of our treasures?" He waved his arm to encompass the shelves of dusty books.
Shan-leo gaped at him. He had hoped to have more time. A year or two might not be enough to explore what he wanted to see. But Jan-wen's words made sense. He loved the job. Jan-wen had trained him to be his successor. He was the right person for the Sire Library and the Chief Librarian could finish his days with his friend Ndo Koyo, helping him protect the Library of Cosmic Wisdom.
Jan-wen wasn't getting any younger, why did he expect his mentor to hold to his post for much longer? Just because he'd always seen Jan-wen in the library didn't mean the elder Sire would always be there. Jan-wen wasn't immortal, but it was the first time he mentioned
he wished to retire on Mirabilis.
Shan-leo gulped and remembered to breathe. His eyes fell on the screen again, and he closed the file of the Xi-kongian manuscript with an angry wipe of his bionic hand.
"I see you need time," Jan-wen said behind him. "I took you by surprise. Don't mind the white hair, I won't die tomorrow."
Shan-leo met the amber-colored eyes and found them a little sad. "I know you were preparing me to be your successor," he blurted out. "But I'm only twenty-two and I could never take your place, not now, not in five years, maybe not ever!"
"I think that ESP thief touched you more than you care to admit." Jan-wen smiled. "You're ignoring your true call because your mind is set on a pretty Xi-kongian girl. Like I said, I won't die tomorrow. Feel free to explore your new obsession. You know where to find me when you make up your mind."
Shan-leo had blushed at the first mention of Mayumi and had been too stunned to interrupt the old librarian or deny what was being said.
"You're right, Jan-wen," he whispered, dejected. "I want to take care of your treasures, but I also want to explore more... everything."
"I was young too, once upon a time. I fell in love, started a family, and the then Chief Librarian almost gave up on me." Jan-wen grinned. "Take your time. I know you'll be back."
Shan-leo nodded, but frowned with worry. He slowly went back to his room pondering the Sire librarian's words. He couldn't stop thinking about Mayumi. He lay on his bed even if it was mid-afternoon, and stared at the white ceiling, reliving the events that had brought Mayumi into his life.
And now here he was, in his room in the palace apartment, safe and sound with his manuscripts and his research and his calligraphy and who knew where Mayumi was. The Galaxy Police had released her, but what if the other adventurers and outlaws made her pay for framing Drox? He should have taken her and her partner with him.
Why do I bother? She'd had enough of me anyway! She's a free woman and she probably doesn't like me. I put her in danger and forced her to betray her employer... she can't be too fond of me!
He snorted and rose, picking up his tablet to check the messages. In his inbox he saw a request to participate in a talk show. Sassy&Sexy, pseudonyms of two women who were natural born entertainers, were always looking for stories to feature in their show, and they'd heard about Kay-low's kidnapping. They wanted to interview him about why he had done it and how he'd managed to come out clean. Bess-lin had declined to be on the show, so they were very eager to meet him to hear his side of the story.
He forwarded it to Dadina, adding a short note: "If you come with me, I'll go, if not, I'll pass. I've had enough of the limelight when I was a child."
Dadina must have been online, since she immediately replied, "Let's go. I need to get away from here."
And then the phone rang and it was her.
"Should we go with the Haiduc?" she asked. "Or will they fly us first class to the studio?"
"Wow, you're really very eager to leave again," he commented. "What happened?"
"Told you, I need to get away from here."
"Hiro didn't wait for you?"
"That too. He's with M'oll'inda now."
"Ouch. Sorry."
"Well, you said it wasn't meant to be anyway..."
"You didn't spend enough time together. Besides, you were unhappy with what you discovered on Xi-kong. Now if we could meet Mayumi and Wim again..."
"What? Are you out of your mind?" Dadina exploded. "Why do you want to find those thieves?"
"I'm not going to look for them, but if we happen to meet them..." he said patiently.
"Tell me again that you didn't like Mayumi," she snapped.
"I do like her, much like you like Wim."
"I don't!"
"Yes, you do, so stop denying it." Shan-leo smiled against his will. "So, shall I tell Sassy&Sexy that we're on?"
"Please. I really need to get away from here and think about something else..."
So do I, Shan-leo thought. At least they'd talk about Kay-low, not a pretty ESP thief with slanted eyes and long raven hair...
12. MAYUMI AND WIM
Sassy and Sexy worked well together and on screen because they were very different. Sassy had platinum blond hair and dressed "ethnic" but wore no makeup, Sexy had black hair with a purple tuft and wore corsets and miniskirts and usually very red or purple lips and nails.
Shan-leo's nails were normal again when he walked on the set of the show with Dadina. He wore his usual casual clothes and short sleeves that showed off his muscled arms and his prosthetic with the bandanna wrapped around the elbow. Dadina, who never wore makeup, followed him in her jeans and shirt, her hair loose on her shoulders. The studio was in an orbital station on a gas planet and it was furnished like a posh living room on a stage, with room for a live audience. Except the big window behind them was actually a mega-screen that showed the starry sky and the planet outside or showcased archive reels.
Shan-leo and Dadina sat next to each other on the couch across from Sassy and Sexy. Dadina was a little nervous, but Shan-leo looked so relaxed, she ordered her heart to slow down. He'd be the main focus of the show anyway – he was the aristocrat Sire, she was just a Sylvanian who happened to sort of work for him.
Once more she admired his way of handling public interviews. As if he'd had many as a child... but he'd obviously listened in on his late mother or grandfather. Or maybe he just had that natural class that made him look like a prince even when he wore casual clothes.
Sassy started by asking him to recount what had happened, which he did. Dadina blushed when he pointed at her as his trusted first mate and the builder of the little robot that had since passed to Kay-low.
Sexy was the one looking for the juicy bits, so she immediately asked if they were a couple.
"No, she's my foster sister," Shan-leo answered.
"Is it because she's not a Sire and your father would never allow you to marry her?" Sexy insisted with a mischievous smile.
"My father never really forbade me anything," Shan-leo answered, amused. "I might marry a non-Sire, now that the empire is no more. I'm not really a prince anymore..."
"You sure are, in millions of women's dreams!"
Dadina had to agree with Sexy on this, but she kept her mouth shut. Shan-leo was anyone's Prince Charming, pity he didn't want to be that for the rest of his life. Dadina wondered if he'd end up marrying that thief who had so obviously touched him – and what would Ker-ris say of his choice? The Sire seemed to be still quite traditional, how would Shan-leo manage to carve his path away from the nobility's rules?
"So you make robots and what else?" Sassy asked her.
"Not much." She shrugged. "I like AIs and starships. I work at the Vaurabi Labs."
"So neither of you has a significant other yet?" Sexy asked, staring eagerly at Shan-leo.
"We're still young, we have plenty of time to find our soul mates," he answered.
And maybe we haven't met them yet, Dadina thought, frowning at the thought of Mayumi and Wim. Why did Shan-leo have to bring them up? Would he really look for them? But where? Why would they go back to Friport anyway?
Dadina, you worry too much, he transmitted, glancing at her. Let's finish this interview, and then we can make plans, shall we?
Dadina focused on the two show-runners again, hoping they'd stop asking personal questions live in front of the whole galaxy. Luckily for her, they were focused on Shan-leo again, so she waited patiently for the end of the show, paying attention to what was said and not allowing her mind to wander again.
***
"I wasn't expecting to sign autographs." Dadina huffed as they left the studio. The audience had surrounded them as soon as the cameras were off, and even Dadina had had her share of attention.
Shan-leo chuckled. "You're now as famous as I am, even if you're not a mighty Sire," he teased. "Have you heard how many people thought we were a great couple?"
"Yes, except we're brother and sister," she grumbled,
averting her eyes as they headed for the hangar where they'd parked the Haiduc.
The producers had offered to pay their trip to the studio, but they'd decided to be autonomous – Shan-leo was restless, as if Marc'harid wasn't enough for him anymore. He wasn't going to join the rogues and outlaws like Uncle Kol-ian had done, but after that taste of his old life, he didn't want to go back to the former Imperial palace yet. He wondered if he could vanish for a year or two, hiding on a low-tech planet or burying himself in foreign libraries to see and touch pieces of ancient history. His studies had been done remotely so far, leaving him with a thirst for trying the actual thing – breathing other worlds' air, exploring ancient ruins, searching what was left of the past throughout the galaxy...
"If I'm forced to marry someone, I'll have you," he promised with a shrug.
"Why would you be forced to marry?" she protested. "Just because Ker-ris keeps asking doesn't mean he'll force you to marry!"
"I know, but maybe one day I'll need someone just to shut everybody up. I plan on living a secluded life, but unfortunately I am the late Emperor's grandson, and I doubt anyone will ever forget it. I don't want the power my grandfather had, but..." He sighed. "Why can't I be an anonymous citizen of the galaxy?"
"Oh, Shan-leo, I'm sorry, we shouldn't have come," Dadina said, worried. "Why did you humor me? You knew you'd be the center of attention anyway!"
"It's okay, I needed to get away from Marc'harid too." He smiled. "Now, where to?"
They entered the hangar and reached the Haiduc.
"Xi-kong?" she suggested. "You didn't see much of it when we went there, and you might find information about Mayumi."
He grinned. "Love you, Dadi," he whispered opening the external door.
They entered the starship and went to the deck to program their flight.
"So, Xi-kong coordinates entered," Shan-leo announced. "Let's go there."
"I don't think so."
The female voice startled him. It wasn't Dadina's, and he couldn't feel the mind. He turned around, breathless, and met Mayumi's stare. She had a gun pointed at him and Wim was by her side, his weapon pointed at Dadina. Shan-leo heard Dadina curse under her breath as Mayumi slowly smiled.
Star Minds Next Generation Page 12