“Can I get up?” I asked.
“If you feel strong enough. I would advise you to take it easy though. Light meals only and plenty of fluids. No strenuous exercise for three days and…” he almost cracked a smile, “…avoid sexual activity for a while. I’ll return tomorrow.”
“Thanks, doctor,” I said.
He nodded and left. I looked at Taragis.
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid I’ve screwed up your schedule.”
He shrugged. “Schedules can be reorganised, appointments can be replaced. You can’t.”
“Why, Taragis, I didn’t know you cared.”
He looked embarrassed. “Actually, I do. I know you’ve caused a lot of upheaval and upset many beings but I’ve watched you at work and I’ve come to respect you. At first I thought, if you’ll forgive me, you were a mere barbarian who rode roughshod over everybody’s feelings to get your own way. But I’ve seen how you deal with people and I’ve been forced to revise my opinion.” He gave a wry grin. “To such an extent that I now agree with you about us. It’s as if…” he made a deprecating gesture and stopped as if embarrassed by his loquacity.
“Thank you, Taragis. I appreciate it. The feeling’s mutual, you know. I thought you were a typical stuffed shirt when we first met. Now I value you as a friend. By the way, why am I here and not in hospital?”
“We thought it better if knowledge of your, er, accident didn’t become public knowledge.”
“Accident! However, I’m grateful. Thanks.” I tried to cudgel my brain into action. “Who knows?”
“Other than the perpetrators, the doctors and nurses, Madam Pressicallita and I; your friends Hermes and Sir Beloved-of-God, Sir Devoted-Acolyte, Sir Sacred-Trust-in-God, Madam Brabicoso and one or two others. Officially you’re suffering from food poisoning.”
“Food poisoning? That’s a joke.” I sighed. “I suppose I’d better contact Honesty-in-Trust. He’s probably a bit concerned.”
Flerrionna gave a hollow laugh. “A bit concerned is an understatement. He called five minutes after the newscast and every half hour since. He was foaming at the mouth. I promised I’d call him back as soon as I had any news.”
“I’d better try to calm him down before he does anything foolish. Before I do, perhaps we should discuss the schedule.”
“You sure you’re up to it?” I nodded. “Well, as I said, the official word is that you’ve got food poisoning and will be incapacitated for at least three days. Naturally, all public engagements have been cancelled. We’re negotiating with those we can to re-arrange events. The breeding program will be deferred but, you may recall, we have ten days to play with so it won’t be badly interrupted. The Interpellators will want to talk to you tomorrow, if you feel up to it.” He chewed his lip. “I would advise you to hold nothing back. They can be… persistent and it might be worse in the long run if you try to hide anything.”
“But won’t that make things more difficult for you?”
“Probably. But I think things have gone beyond the sensitivities of some beings in the Commission. After all, a genuine attempt has been made on your life.” He paused again. “In truth, if we weren’t the Lottery Commission, the preliminary results from our internal inquiry panel would have already been passed to the Interpellators.”
“I’ll do as you advise. Anything else?”
“Only that we’ve been inundated with calls wishing you well and message capsules are coming in from all over the Galaxy. You seem to have made an impression on the public. We’ve had some crank ones to and the Interpellators have the details.”
“Message capsules?”
He grinned. “You can’t use a communicator between star systems.”
“Oh.” I hadn’t thought of that. “I just assumed you used… something like your communicators.”
“The being who solves that problem can write his own cheque. And finally, the girls are all worried about you.”
“The girls…” I stopped as the horrible realisation dawned on me. “Tansy! Is she all right? My God. What did I do to her?” I buried my face in my hands. “I behaved despicably. I called her a slut, I think. Very loudly, too. And after… Oh, dear. Oh, sweet Jesus. She must hate me.”
“I’m sure she understands,” Flerrionna said. “She knows you couldn’t help it. You were drugged.”
“That doesn’t make it any better. I must see her. I need to apologise… or try to, at least.”
Taragis sighed. “I’ll see what I can do. I’d better get going. I’ll come back later.”
“Yes. Thanks, Taragis. I don’t know what I’d do without you. And you’ll speak to Tansy for me?”
He nodded and left. Flerrionna helped me rise and insisted on helping me shower and dress. I was sure I was quite capable of doing it myself but two steps from the bed persuaded me otherwise. I was as weak as a new-born kitten and my legs threatened to collapse beneath me. I let her have her way. Every boy enjoys a bit of mothering now and again. She took the doctor’s orders seriously, made me a light breakfast, instructed me in no uncertain terms I was to drink lots of liquid, then left. She was a working woman after all.
I contacted Honesty-in-Trust. He was spitting nails and wanted to sue the Commission immediately. It took me a while to calm him down and persuade him that our best interests lay in going along with the official line. Perhaps I was reading too much into Taragis’s comment about the internal investigation but I had a feeling that things might be starting to unravel, and if the Interpellators were now involved…
I also contacted Hermes and asked if he could come over and help with the spaceship design. I was physically drained but, surprisingly, didn’t feel ill. I had no idea what the long-term symptoms of a scratch overdose were so I assumed this was normal. Now I had some free time, I was suddenly anxious to get on with it. He agreed to stop by later. I was about to go and spend some time with the cats when Taragis called to say that Tansy had agreed to see me and a car would be there in half an hour. I was to wait and the driver would escort me to the car. I felt I should take something as a peace offering but knew a shopping expedition was out of the question. I ate a second breakfast and drank a gallon of water.
I fretted all the way to where the girls were staying, a collection of plain balls piled higgledy-piggledy on top of each other set in private grounds, without deciding what I should or could say to Tansy. Barbita met me at the entrance and assisted me to a small sitting room.
“I’m not sure this is wise,” she said. “Apart from the fact that you could be suffering from after-effects, I know, and Tansy intellectually accepts, that you were full of scratch and not responsible for your actions but…”
“I appreciate it. I assure you, Barbita, that if I didn’t feel I absolutely had to do this I wouldn’t. I have to see her. I have to… know.”
She nodded and left me pacing the small room. Tansy came in. She stood just inside the doorway, eyes downcast, looking tired and dishevelled. She had been crying recently. Even still, she was disturbingly sexy. I had to quell the little voice in my head that was chanting, ‘mine, mine, mine’. I took a tentative step towards her.
“Tansy, I…” I began.
Her head came up and she looked at me with eyes at once sad and angry and something else I couldn’t fathom.
“What did you do to me?” she said, her voice low and trembling.
“I don’t know. I can’t remember.”
“What did you do to me?” she said again. “Before, I was me. I knew who I was. Now…” she made a small, helpless gesture.
“I’m sorry.”
“You were an animal… an animal.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You just wouldn’t stop. I begged. I pleaded. You wouldn’t listen. You just kept on and on. Sometimes you pulled out and I thought you’d had enough but, no, all you did was flip me over into another position and start up all over again. If there had been a chandelier you’d’ve had me swinging from that. You were like an automat
on. You went on and on and on.”
I felt like a bug, a germ, something so small it was a wonder she didn’t crush me under her heel. I’d hurt her badly. I’d betrayed her.
“I… I… don’t know what to say. I know I was drugged but that’s no excuse.”
“You’ve changed me. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again.”
“I wish it had never happened… that I could turn the clock back. I wish there was something I could do.”
There was a strange light in her eyes.
“I don’t think I wish that,” she said in a strangled voice.
To my utter surprise, she crossed the distance between us, pulled me into her arms and pressed herself against me.
“No, I don’t think I want to turn the clock back. I should hate you. You took away my innocence. I did hate you in the morning. I wanted to kill you. I don’t, now.”
I was completely bewildered. “I don’t understand.”
“You say you wished there was something you could do.”
“Name it.”
“You could do it again. Next week, perhaps, when I’ve recovered. I’m a bit sore just now.”
“But… but… I don’t understand. I treated you abominably. I was an animal. You said so yourself.”
She rubbed those breasts over my chest.
“You were. An absolute animal. You treated me abominably.” She looked up at me and said with utter sincerity. “Crawford, I’ve never been taken like that before. The gods know how many times I climaxed. At the end it just seemed to be one continuous climax. I’ve never, and I mean never, felt like that before. You were amazing.”
“But you kept telling me to stop. I vaguely remember that.”
“Because I didn’t think I could take any more. Because that’s what I always do… tell my partner to stop when it suits me. But you didn’t listen. You just kept on like a machine. And I found I could take more. And each one was better than the one before. If you want me, I’m yours.”
“Then you’re not angry?”
“Well I was. Very angry. At the time I was angry that you wouldn’t do what I told you. I can’t cope with that. I’m not used to that. I’m used to men doing exactly what I tell them. You ignored me. No-one’s done that before.” She paused and blushed. “Then I was angry because… because the strange thing about that night was that, the angrier I got, the more turned on I got. You got me all hot and bothered. Me… who’s always in control. You made me lose control. I was very angry at you for making me lose control.” Her voice was a sultry whisper. Her hand stole up and caressed my face. “Now, I… I’d like to lose control with you again. If you’ll have me.”
I was stunned, flabbergasted, gob-smacked. My mind was reeling. I didn’t know what to say to think.
“But… but I insulted you. I think I called you a slut.”
“You did. Loudly, too.”
“And I… took you mercilessly.”
“You did. You were implacable.”
“And you were very angry.”
“I was. Extremely.”
I looked to see if she was winding me up, letting me hang myself on my own confession, but her eyes were soft and there was a slight smile playing at the corner of her mouth. She certainly didn’t appear to be angry. A little light was beginning dawn.
“But everyone’s been tiptoeing around pulling disapproving faces.”
“Well, I did have the mother of all hissy fits. In fact I think I threw things.”
“I can believe that.” She was still pressed against me, subtly rubbing her breasts and belly against me. I put my arms round her and took a deep breath. “In a way I’m sorry it happened. But in a way I’m not. I couldn’t control myself and that's not a good thing. But there was a little part of my mind that sort of aware of what was happening. And that little part of my mind tells me that I enjoyed it… possibly a little too much. I enjoyed you trying to make me stop. I enjoyed ignoring you. I enjoyed making you lose control. You’re about the sexiest woman I’ve ever met and I’d like to lose control with you again.”
She shivered. “I don’t want you to lose control,” she husked. “I want you to make me lose control. Are you strong enough to do that?”
I didn’t really have any idea what I might be getting into but the caveman in me knew what to do. I put one hand on her back, clamped the other over one of her fabulous bottom cheeks, crushed her too me and kissed her hard.
“Does that answer your question?”
She sagged bonelessly against me. “Whenever and wherever you want me,” she whispered.
“If I wasn't so sore and so weak, that would be now,” I said, releasing her.
“If I wasn’t so sore, I’d let you.”
I caught her jaw in my hand and stared into her eyes. “I don’t recall giving you a choice.”
Her eyes widened then went dreamy. “You bastard.” She tried to bite my hand,
“Naughty,” I said and pretended to slap her cheek, turning it into a caress at the last minute. “Remember your promise.”
She gave me a feral grin. “Yes, but a girl’s got to put up a bit of a fight.”
I laughed, stepped, well staggered, back and winced.
“I’m going to take a cold bath.”
“Serves you right.”
I turned to leave. I really wasn't a hundred percent. It was taking all my reserves to walk steadily.
“Crawford.” Her voice halted me at the door and I turned back to her. She smiled sensually and patted her belly.
I left the room feeling ten feet tall and, at the same time, utterly bewildered. What the hell was I getting into? Had she just offered what I thought she’d offered? Did I really want to get involved? With everything else that was going on, could I afford to get involved? One thing was for certain; Tansy Mnorganit was high maintenance. She wouldn’t be satisfied with occasional attention. But the man who was prepared to put in the effort required would find himself amply rewarded.
“What happened?” Barbita said, seeing the smug smile on my face.
“We sorted it out.”
She stared at me for a moment. “Wait here.”
She went rushing off to return several minutes later looking cross.
“Tansy won’t say either. What happened in there?”
“That’s up to Tansy.”
“I’m asking you.”
I took her hands in mine. “Barbita, it’s up to Tansy. We talked about what happened and how we felt about it. If Tansy wants to tell you more, she will.”
She pulled her hands away. “I can see you’re going to be stubborn about it.”
I grinned. “I am.”
“Oh, well. Promise me you didn’t do anything to her.”
“Barbita, how could you? Haven’t I done enough already?”
“Promise.”
“I promise. We talked, that was all.”
“I suppose I’ll have to be satisfied with that.”
Chapter 15
I went back to bed the moment I returned to my suite, waking only to eat and drink. In the early hours I awoke with a start and sat bolt upright. My heart was pounding, I was panting for breath and drenched in sweat. I started to shake. I had nearly died! Someone had tried to kill me! And I would be dead if it hadn't been for Taragis’s quick thinking. Why? Who? Who could hate me so much they wanted me dead?
I got out of bed and paced up and down. I couldn’t get it out of my head. Someone had tried to kill me. The voice… it had been the voice. I tried to put a face to the voice but it was all a blur. That voice… that confident, insistent, insidious voice telling me over again to claim my ‘slut’. I could hear it still. I didn’t think I’d ever forget it. Why? Why had it been putting these ideas in my head? Who had it been? I tried to remember the sequence of events but couldn’t. I remembered the swirling group of people. I remembered being propositioned. I remembered drinking. After that… a blur. Only the voice.
I stopped my pacing in mid-step. Wait
a minute. If the voice had wanted me dead, why had it been trying so hard to convince me to fight five men for Tansy? If it wanted to kill me, why go to all that trouble. Surely all it needed to do was make sure I’d taken enough of the drug then let nature take its course. It didn’t need to persuade me to behave like a caveman. But it had. It had been very persuasive. If it hadn’t been for Taragis I’d probably have done it. And then what? I’d have marched up and tried to take Tansy away from her admirers… assuming there had been any in the first place. I’d have lashed out and called her a slut and a whore and probably worse in front of the cream of Bartimarm society. I’d have behaved like the barbarian some believed me to be. I’d have been humiliated and embarrassed. The media would, of course, get hold of the story and my career as a Lottery Winner and representative of the Commission would be over. What a coup for the anti-Lottery brigade. A coup? Maybe that was why I’d been drugged; to humiliate me and discredit the Lottery, not to kill me. I poured a generous measure of scotch, adding a large measure of water as a sop to my condition, and sat on the settee. The more I thought about it the more convinced I became it was the right answer. It would explain the use of scratch and the brain-washing by the voice. Yes, I was sure I was right. The intention hadn’t been to kill me but hypnotise me into behaving like a brute.
The shaking had stopped and my breathing had returned to normal. In some strange way the idea that it hadn’t been a deliberate attempt to kill me was reassuring. I went back to bed and slept dreamlessly.
I felt much better in the morning. My head had stopped hurting and the general aches and pains were gone. Only my tender genitals were left to remind me of my ordeal.
I was discussing the situation with Taragis when the Interpellators arrived. There were two of them and they might as well have had the word ‘policeman’ stamped on their foreheads despite their fashionable clothes. Taragis discreetly disappeared. I got them seated with refreshments in front of them. Senior Interlocutor Favoured-Son Respectful-Veneration, the more senior of the two, placed his communicator on the table.
“Do I need my lawyer?” I asked.
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