The Space Merchants of Arachne

by Wendie Nordgren

  "Aw, look at that one, Thunderdrop. It reminds me of your eyes," I said as I stroked his leg. The necklace was constructed of three long strands of sparkling black polished beads. The shopkeeper returned and walked over toward Simon and me.

  "Lady Alaric Montgomery Lee, you have exquisite tastes," the man said.

  I frowned, "Now you've made me afraid to ask. Is it more than the necklace Eliot just purchased?"

  He nodded, "Yes, my lady. It is considerably more. These are black pearls."

  "Do you hear that? Arachnean Silk spiders have eyes like black pearls," I whispered to Thunderdrop.

  I noticed a black pearl ring surrounded by small square, rectangular, and triangular shaped diamonds to match. I kept walking. I hadn't checked to see how many credits Hiroshi had given me to spend, but I knew the bill in this place would be too high.

  Simon whispered in my ear, "Eliot hasn't been this happy since we were children." Simon led me out of the shop. "Would you like to get a cup of coffee?" he asked.

  "No, not really. Simon, how do you know how Eliot feels? Sometimes you and Gram seem like you know how I feel, know in the way Yukihyo knows," I asked. Simon stopped walking.

  "Lord and Lady Montgomery's descendants inherited enough Laconian blood to make us empathic. It also allows us to communicate with our silk spiders."

  "So, your dad and Ethan are too?" I asked.

  "Yes, more so than you and I, but nowhere close to Yukihyo. Lady Montgomery was Laconian, and her children were strong. Gram knows just about everything we feel and most of what we think. Her mother-in-law passed Laconian blood on to her own son which makes the Alaric line stronger than the Montgomery line. This is important because without the cooperation of our spiders, the Arachnean economy would collapse," Simon explained.

  "Then, they must be glad Yukihyo married me." Simon winked at me.

  "I think the entire community approves of your marriage, dear cousin."

  Eliot came out of the store with a bag, a spring in his step, and a smile on his handsome face. "Cousins, shall we go home for a while?" Eliot asked.

  We agreed. Simon dropped us off and brought Thunderdrop's bag up to my room before going home for a few hours. Eliot went to the office to speak to his father.

  Chapter Two

  I decided to call Yukihyo. He answered from the kitchen vid-screen.

  "Lady wife, you look beautiful today. I like those colors on you."

  "Thank you. We took the boys to the toy store." I picked up the vid-screen and showed Yukihyo Thunderdrop playing with his new transport. Thunderdrop saw Yukihyo and chirped excitedly at him. "Do you know what he is saying to you?" I asked. My husband smiled at me.

  "Not from this distance," Yukihyo said.

  "Is everything okay?"

  "Without you, it is dull. We all feel your loss, but the cakes you made for us help," he said.

  "Are they okay?"

  "Very," he said.

  "I may be out late tonight, so I will call you as soon as I am back here in my room."

  "Where are you going?" he asked. I smiled and clasped my hands in front of my chest.

  "Oh, Yukihyo! Eliot has fallen in love, and Simon and I are going with him and Auria on their first date." Yukihyo gave a joyous laugh.

  "Very good! I am pleased Eliot has found happiness."

  "I didn't know he could whistle a tune or smile so broadly. He is always so serious."

  "Perhaps soon you will have a new photo for your table," Yukihyo said.

  "I hope so, husband. I already like her very much, and I've only met her once. Anyone who loves Eliot as much as she does would have my approval, though. I love you, Yukihyo."

  "I love you, Teagan." He ended the transmission.

  I decided to put on a gown and have a little nap before dinner. A knock on my door woke me. I stretched and sat up. "Come in," I said as I yawned. It was Eliot. I jumped up. "What time is it? How long do I have?"

  He raised a hand, "Calm down. We have an hour until we go to pick up Simon and Auria." I relaxed a bit. "I want you to have a gift. Also, I want to let you know that I spoke to father about Auria. After investigating Auria and her family, he granted me his approval. She would need to agree to a marriage contract that he plans to devise, but I am hopeful that she will be as untroubled by it as you were with Yukihyo."

  I said, "If she truly loves you, it won't matter to her."

  "I hope you will wear this tonight, dear cousin," Eliot said as he handed me a box.

  "Eliot you are so sweet. You didn't have to get me anything. I'm just really happy that you gave Auria a chance. It hurt me to see her so hopelessly in love with you, knowing she thought you could never possibly care for her. When I saw you speaking to her in the bakery, I felt as though you had given me a gift. When you seemed to accept her, I felt more accepted myself." Eliot pulled me into his arms and kissed the top of my head.

  "You now have fifty minutes before you must be in the transport. It will take you five minutes to leave your room, take the lift down, and get into the transport. Open my gift and get dressed."

  He reminded me of Eric, so bossy. He let go of me and gestured for me to open his gift. I placed it on the bed and unwrapped it. A jewelry box was inside. I opened the lid to the black pearls spread out around the matching ring. My hands went to my mouth. "Oh, Eliot! This is too expensive!"

  "If you refuse my gift, you will wound me deeply, sweet cousin."

  "Eliot, I have no intention of refusing your gifts, but I don't want you to ruin yourself financially because of me either." He smiled.

  "When you were in the toy store, did the toy transports you bought as gifts put much of a dent in your credits?"

  "No, it was nothing, and it made them so happy," I said. Eliot lifted my chin and smiled at me.

  "You now have forty-five minutes."

  Gram came into my room. "What a beautiful present. You are such a thoughtful young man, Eliot. Did I hear you say you are both going somewhere?" Gram asked. She looked innocently at Eliot. He gave her a big kiss on the cheek and whistled his way out of the room.

  "Well, don't just stand there in your gown. Go to your bathroom and freshen up while I find you something to wear."

  I minded. Gram selected a simple dress in a dark green with long sleeves and a rounded neckline. She helped me to put on the pearls. They were stunning. I put the ring on my right hand and moved my fingers so I could watch the diamonds sparkle. Gram had me to sit down on the bed while she brushed my hair and twisted it into a low bun. "Call that husband of yours right now so he can see you all dressed up," Gram said.

  I laughed and called him. The small capillaries in his eyes began to turn pink when he saw me.

  "How do I look? Gram just did my hair for me." Yukihyo clenched his jaw.

  Yukihyo said, "If I were there, you would not make it out of your bedroom." I blushed and smiled at him.

  "Yukihyo, Gram is in the room. Are you almost to Malta?"

  "Yes, it won't be long until we are there."

  "Good. I miss you."

  An impatient knock sounded at my door. Gram answered it. I held the vid-screen so Yukihyo could see an excited and nervous Eliot. Eliot waved at Yukihyo.

  "Could you convince your wife to come down to the transport?" I turned the vid-screen back to me.

  "Call me when you return, please."

  "Okay, I'll fill you in on all of the details." He ended the call.

  Eliot extended his hand to me. He wore an expensive and well-made suit and had the box with the blue ribbon in his other hand. Thunderdrop came to my shoulder, and ZeeZee followed us to the lift.

  "Have fun kids," Gram said.

  Elliot led me to the larger transport. The driver opened the door for us. After we were all inside, he took us to pick up Simon and Cass. Eliot tapped his fingers nervously on his knee.

  "So, when are you going to invite her to the house to meet Sydney, Ethan, and Gram?"

  "If all goes well, I'll invite her to have
dinner with us tomorrow."

  Eliot was agitated which made the drive seem to take even longer, and since all I had eaten were three pastries, I was starving. My hunger didn't make me very patient with Eliot's anxiety.

  "Don't be so nervous."

  He scowled, "Her parents will be there when I go to her door."

  "Well, I don't think she will be letting you kiss her passionately before dinner anyway, so what does it matter?"

  Eliot froze and said, "What? No, I just meant...."

  I smiled and looked out of the window. "Clack clack," ZeeZee told him. The driver pulled to a stop. Simon didn't wait for the driver to open the door. He must have sensed Eliot's eagerness to see Auria. Simon wore a dark grey suit that went well with his bright red hair.

  Simon said, "Teagan, you look beautiful this evening."

  "Thank you, Lord Montgomery. You look very handsome in your suit."

  Simon looked at my neck. "Nice pearls, Teagan. Eliot, I won't be outdone by your gift. Now, I must give Teagan something better."

  Eliot retorted with, "You will lose that competition."

  "We shall see, Lord Alaric."

  I rolled my eyes at them. They began discussing a new weaving machine they wanted to buy and spent enough time on the topic that Eliot managed to calm himself by the time the driver stopped in front of a small flower covered cottage. I thought we were only a few blocks from the bakery. Eliot opened the door and left us to walk up the path to the door. Simon chuckled.

  "Wait until Eric hears about this," I said.

  "Oh, I called Eric as soon as I got home earlier," Simon chuckled again.

  "I told Yukihyo, so he probably told Hiroshi and Phillip. Did you tell Gina or Sherman?"

  "Of course," he said.

  Eliot knocked on the door, and a large man with a cheerful face opened it, gave Eliot a bow, and invited him inside.

  "I wish I could see inside," I said.

  "Clack clack," ZeeZee said.

  "I know. You want to see, too."

  "Clack."

  "I assume Eliot is meeting Auria's parents. Then, she will thank him for the flowers. After that he will hand her the box. She will sit on a chair and open it. Eliot will fasten the necklace around her delicate throat. Her parents will delight in their daughter's good fortune, and he will escort his stunned young lady out to us," Simon conjectured. "Are you guessing all of that, or do you know it?"

  Simon just gave me a small smile and pointed. The driver opened the door. Eliot walked Auria toward us. Her hand was pulled through his arm, gold and diamonds glittered at her throat, and her parents stood in shocked happiness in their doorway. Eliot helped Auria into the transport and then took the seat next to her. The driver closed the door and then pulled us away from Auria's house. She wore a simple blue dress much like my own with her hair straight down her back. Auria's cheeks were pink and her eyes darted shy glances at Eliot, who hadn't taken his eyes off of her. My heart felt all mushy. Simon said, "Lady Auria, it is a pleasure to see you again.” She looked up and blushed at the proffered title.

  "Indeed it is. The hours passed by much too slowly, since I saw you last," Eliot said.

  Auria looked into Eliot's eyes. "I often feel that way about you. It isn't often that I see you in town. I become afraid that I will forget what you look like."

  She blushed and looked down at her hands. Eliot reached over and took her small hand into his. My eyes began to swell, and Simon hurried to hand me a silk square. "Lady Teagan, what is wrong?" Auria asked in alarm. I shook my head and dabbed at new tears.

  "Our cousin cries when she is happy, and at the moment the two of us are very happy to be accompanying the two of you to dinner," Simon explained.

  I nodded and sniffed. Then, my stomach growled, and Simon laughed at me. I heard Auria whisper to Eliot, and he whispered back to her. I saw the way Eliot looked at her, and my eyes leaked some more.

  "I know just what to get Yukihyo," Simon said.

  "What?" I asked.

  "I am going to give your husband a box of silk squares upon his return," he said.

  "Oh, Simon. I'm not that bad." My stomach growled again. "Don't look at me like that Simon. I didn't have lunch."

  We finally arrived at the restaurant. After we were seated in a reserved area, Simon said, "It was at another restaurant where you broke my heart cousin."

  "What did I do?"

  Simon said, "It was at the Pavilion where I saw you for the second time with my friends from Tora. I realized you were in love with Yukihyo." I pouted at him.

  "Poor, Simon. Maybe you should travel off world with us and allow all of the other women in the Galaxic Expanse the opportunity to fan you with their lashes." I winked at him.

  Waiters began to bring food to our table much to my relief. Simon and I ate most of the food. Eliot and Auria spent the evening conversing with their eyes and few words. Auria's eyes were shy, but Eliot's had taken on the heat I often saw in Yukihyo's. Simon coughed, and Eliot managed to eat some of his dinner.

  "I must excuse myself for a moment," I said. I left the table and went toward the restroom. On my way back out again, Thunderdrop chittered at someone from my shoulder. I noticed Mr. Dade Sonners as he approached me. He bowed low, while holding his gaze to my eyes.

  "Lady Alaric Montgomery Lee, you are even more stunning this evening than you were this morning when I had the great pleasure of making your acquaintance," he said.

  "Good evening, Mr. Sonners. How are you?" I asked, after I had curtsied to him in return.

  "Now that I have seen you, I could not be better." He offered me his arm. "Would you allow me the honor of seeing you to your table, my lady?" I tilted my head at him.

  "Thank you, Mr. Sonners. That is very nice of you, but I remember where it is."

  "Chirp."

  Mr. Sonners laughed and said, "You are delightful!" He closed the distance between us, and I allowed him to place my hand on his arm. As we neared the table, I thought I heard Cass grinding his mouth parts together. Simon and Eliot rose.

  "Mr. Sonners, thank you for returning our cousin to us," Simon said as he took my other hand and returned me to my seat. I placed a piece of meat on a plate for Thunderdrop.

  "Please allow me to introduce Mr. Dade Sonners," Eliot said to Auria. "Mr. Sonners, this is Miss Auria Jones." Auria curtsied to Mr. Sonners, who bowed to her. He seemed flabbergasted when he realized from where he knew her.

  "You have the loveliest dinner companions on Arachne this evening, my lords. Good evening," Mr. Sonners bowed again and excused himself. I saw one of my guards at a table with his back to the wall enjoying dinner. He winked at me. After dessert the driver took us to a pavilion near a lake.

  Lights floated on the surface of the calm water. In the pavilion large silk cushions had been place on the wooden floor. Thunderdrop and Cass soon climbed the pavilion's pillars to the roof. The water lapped softly against the shore, and stars filled the night sky. ZeeZee walked along the water's edge. Eliot led Auria to the far side of the pavilion to sit and gaze out at the lights floating on its surface. Simon and I tried to give them as much privacy as we could.

  "Simon, where are we?"

  "We are on the outskirts of the Alaric estate."

  "Why haven't we ever been out here before?" A fish jumped and created a splash in the water. When I looked in the direction of the noise, I saw Eliot as he placed his hands to the sides of Auria's face and kissed her. Hurriedly, I looked away, but soon I began to feel the arousal that Yukihyo often stirred within me. Shocked, I blushed. Simon stood and drew me to my feet.

  He whispered, "Perhaps we should go find ZeeZee." I felt ashamed of myself. Once we had walked enough to not be overheard, Simon stopped. "I know you are alarmed, and I think I know why," he said. ZeeZee returned to us from the darkness.

  I said, "I hope you don't."

  "Eliot is not managing to shield his emotions very well at the moment. I also experienced his feelings. Don't worry. They are not your own."


  "So, we just felt his feelings for Auria? Did we feel her feelings, too?"

  "No, we may feel things from her eventually, but his feelings are overpowering at the moment. Eliot, Ethan, Gram, and Yukihyo all feel emotions from others much more strongly than either you or I do."

  "I don't usually feel much at all."

  "You picked up Auria's emotions today. Eliot and I have learned to shut out the attentions of simpering females. It damages a man's feelings when he is viewed as someone to be seduced and used." I gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

  "Don't worry Simon. Keep protecting your delicate man feelings. When I notice women who are madly in love with you, I promise to point them out to you."

  "Thank you, sweet cousin."

  "In the meantime, I'm sure Hiroshi and Phillip would be happy to explain courtesans and brothels to you." Simon drew in a breath and let loose a deep rumbling laugh that made ZeeZee hop. "Phillip and Hiroshi will probably visit Ms. Laura's tomorrow."

  "Though not Yukihyo?" Simon asked.

  "He could try, but he would be denied service. The ladies and I have an agreement."

  "Remind me never to anger you, Teagan." I laughed, and we continued to walk along the water's edge. The clean air, calm water, and sounds of frogs and crickets soothed me.

  "Simon, is there any water on the land you all gave me?"

  "Yes, I believe so."

  "Can we go look at it before the rains come when you aren't too busy?"

  "How about in the morning? I'll come pick you up."

  "Great! Do me a favor. Call me and wake me up an hour before you come over. The bed in my room makes it impossible to wake up." Simon took my hand.

  "I will. I think it is safe for us to return," he said. We slowly began to walk back to the pavilion. Simon coughed discretely. Immediately, I noticed Eliot had not regained his usual composure when desire slammed through me. My knees weakened, and Simon caught me with an arm around my back. My cheeks flamed.

  Simon called out, "Our cousin grows weary. With your leave I shall take her to the transport." In a gruff voice, Eliot replied that they would meet us there. I sat with my spine straight, and my legs firmly crossed. I feared I would die with embarrassment. Thunderdrop and Cass jumped into the transport, followed by ZeeZee. Auria climbed in next followed by Eliot. Auria's lips had been thoroughly kissed, and her cheeks appeared pink from Eliot's stubble. Eliot had not calmed down much at all.