by Diana Palmer
“Yet in your society, Clan is life itself,” Dupont said gently.
Mekashe smiled. “Yes. We consider that Clan is more important than any personal consideration. We live and die to bring it honor, to spare it from shame.”
“It’s a difficult concept, for humans.”
“I understand. You have family, which is akin to Clan. However, our complex social makeup will be difficult for you to comprehend. A tutor may be required. It is dangerous to say or do anything that gives offense to any Clan, but most especially to the Royal Clan. Even a criticism spoken out of turn may give offense, and there are grave consequences.”
“I’ll adjust, I’m sure. It’s just...I worry about Jasmine.” He smiled apologetically. “She’s impulsive, as you already know, and she often speaks out of turn.”
“I cannot imagine that such a kind and gentle person could ever offend in any way,” he replied. “She has grace and beauty, but it is her empathy and compassion which make her so remarkable. I have seen the combination very rarely in my life.”
“Thank you. I’ve done my best with her. So did her mother, who loved her greatly. Martha, however, was frequently absent, due to the rigors of her profession. She discouraged Jasmine from following in her footsteps, even disparaging medical work around her. She said that Jasmine was too fragile and far too squeamish to ever fit in a surgical ward. I have to agree.”
“Sometimes our strengths only appear under provocation,” Mekashe remarked. “Often it is turmoil rather than calm which heralds them.”
“Truly spoken. Are you certain that you want to move that pawn?” he added with pursed lips and twinkling eyes. “It might have consequences.”
Mekashe, who’d been listening rather than concentrating, saw immediately what the older man meant and chuckled. He moved his hand to a bishop instead. “You very nearly had me there. If only you hadn’t spoken,” he added drily. “Checkmate, I believe.”
“I believe in fairness, and I’m hopelessly honest,” Dupont replied with a sigh. “I fear it may involve me in controversy one day. I don’t prevaricate well. I’m told that this is almost a requirement in diplomatic work, of which I have no practical experience.”
“Honesty is a hallmark of our culture,” Mekashe replied. “It will stand you in good stead with the emperor, I assure you. He values nothing more.”
“What is he like?” Dupont asked. “I mean, is he fair? Is he even-tempered?”
“He is kind until circumstances provoke him to be otherwise” was the reply. “I have found him to be of a rather mild temperament on most occasions.”
Dupont was silent, contemplating his next move. “I think that you might be involved somehow in your government, Mekashe.”
The alien’s eyes twinkled green. “You know that I can neither confirm nor deny that suspicion.”
Dupont chuckled. “Yes. I know.” He sat back, shaking his head. “Well, that’s another match lost. I don’t seem to improve, do I?”
“You attack without contemplation,” Mekashe said, and not unkindly.
“It’s said that one of my ancestors knew only one form of combat—charging straight at the enemy. Perhaps I’m like that, as well.”
“It can be an effective strategy. Unless your opponent is equally minded.”
“Noted.” He moved his captured pieces back onto the board. “Do you have time for another game?”
“One more,” he replied. “Then it will be time to escort Jasmine to the holoroom. I thought perhaps she might enjoy the fauna and flora on Eridanus Six,” he added. “It has exotic wildlife, as well.”
“Oh dear,” the other man began.
Mekashe chuckled. “I’m quite familiar with the tech used in Tri-D reproductions,” he said. “In fact, I know the engineer on board who programs these. He is a Rojok, and a friend of long acquaintance. The wildlife will not be dangerous. There are protocols written into the biological software to prevent any injury. Nevertheless, I promise you that I will let nothing harm her.”
“You know, even humans are familiar with the Holconcom and its reputation for fearlessness,” Dupont replied. “I assume that most Cehn-Tahr males are equally competent at self-defense. Even diplomats.” His eyebrows rose.
He was insinuating that Mekashe was involved in diplomatic service. It was amusing that he mentioned the Holconcom, to which Mekashe had belonged before his appointment as captain of the emperor’s Imperial Guard. The human could have no idea of that, of course, because the roster of Cehn-Tahr military units was never disclosed. It was an odd sort of coincidence, just the same.
“I can assure you that I have no fear of native wildlife on any planet, and that I would defend Jasmine with my life.”
The ambassador seemed to relax as he rearranged his chess pieces.
* * *
JASMINE WAS ALMOST dancing with joy as they entered the holoroom. “I can’t wait!” she exclaimed. “It’s truly a reproduction of a real alien planet, with alien life-forms?” she asked.
Mekashe chuckled. “It truly is.”
She hesitated. “No cats?” she asked worriedly.
His heart skipped a beat. “Why do you ask?”
She grimaced. “It’s just, well, a friend of Daddy’s kept big cats as pets on Terravega.” She didn’t notice Mekashe’s expression of concern, quickly concealed. “One of them scratched me rather badly. I’ve been afraid of them ever since.”
He paused and turned toward her, his eyes a solemn blue. “I can assure you that most felines are friendly. Few ever attack humans.”
“Well, galots do, don’t they?”
His eyebrows arched.
She laughed self-consciously. “I’ve been reading about them, on the Nexus. I couldn’t find any vid captures... Why are you laughing?” she added curiously.
“Of all felines, those are by far the most dangerous. There are no vid captures because researchers are terrified to go near Eridanus Three.”
“Why?”
“Galots eat them.”
Her face paled. “Really? They really eat people?”
He grimaced. “Only those who trespass,” he amended. “I know one who is quite fond of humans. He frequently visits the emperor’s son and his bonded mate.”
“I see.” She wasn’t smiling. In fact, she wrapped her arms around her slender body and hesitated. “There aren’t any galots in there...?” she asked, indicating the glorious tropical forest that lay ahead of them on a stone walkway.
He turned to her. “Jasmine, I would never let anything harm you. Anything!”
She looked up at him with her heart in her eyes. He was already dear to her. “I’m sorry. I’m behaving like a child, I know. It’s just...I’ve never seen alien creatures. There were holozoos on Terravega, but I never liked the idea of seeing creatures in cages, not even virtual ones.”
He smiled. “Nor I.”
“It’s only cats,” she added, wondering silently why he seemed so perturbed at her fear of felines. “I don’t mind other animals. Well, I’m scared of snakes, too.” She hesitated. “Lots of people are nervous around cats,” she added. She shivered. “I overheard Daddy talking to another professor, several years ago, about your government’s commando force, the Hol...Hol...” She searched for the word.
“Holconcom,” he finished for her.
“Yes. That. Anyway, the professor said that they had a terrifying reputation. That your emperor once led them, and that they conquered other species by—” she swallowed, hard “—eating their enemies.”
He seemed to pale, just a little. Her revulsion was truly unexpected, as was her fear of cats. Both could have grave consequences, down the road.
“I’m sorry,” she said, noticing his consternation. “I don’t mean to give offense. I’m just repeating what I heard.” She hesitated. “Is it true?”
He managed
a stiff smile. “Jasmine, I’m not permitted to discuss intimate characteristics of my people with outworlders. Even charming outworlders.”
“Oh.” She flushed. “I’m sorry. I just open my mouth and blurt out things. You aren’t angry?” she added worriedly.
Angry, no. Uneasy, yes. He saw his dreams of a future with her going up in smoke, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Her fear of cats was going to cause problems, especially if and when she learned the truth about the shape-shifting Cehn-Tahr and their true form.
“I’m not angry,” he assured her.
“But I’ve made you sad,” she said, frowning. She winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil the afternoon...!”
“You haven’t,” he said convincingly. He studied her beautiful face and the sadness passed. There would be obstacles, certainly. But she could overcome her fear. She’d get to know him, get to care for him, and the differences wouldn’t matter. He was certain of it.
She went close. One small hand touched the center of his chest and lingered there. “You must tell me if I give offense,” she said softly, her pale blue eyes probing his. “I wouldn’t hurt you for anything in the world.”
“Nor would I hurt you,” he said huskily.
She reached up and touched his hard mouth curiously. “I’ve never met anyone like you,” she whispered. “You’re so different. And yet I feel as if I’ve known you all my life.”
He framed her face in his big hands. “I feel exactly the same.”
They stood staring at each other and he thanked providence, once again, for Hahnson’s drug that permitted him to touch her without triggering the mating cycle. It even permitted him to kiss her, which he did, softly, slowly, with exquisite pleasure.
She smiled under his hard mouth. “I love to read romantic books,” she whispered. “But I didn’t know what they were talking about, before, when they said that kissing was sweet. It truly is.”
He chuckled softly. “You hadn’t been kissed before.”
“Never.” She nuzzled her nose against his. “I like it very much.”
“So do I.” He lifted her by both elbows and his mouth ground into hers hungrily, until she protested softly. “Forgive me,” he whispered, easing the pressure. “You are far more fragile than you appear.”
“Only a bit,” she said, recalling suddenly the broken bones in her hand when he’d closed his around it too firmly.
He’d forgotten to turn the white noise ball back on when he put it inside his pocket. He was shocked speechless when he read that thought in her mind, and relived the incident from her point of view.
He put her back down very carefully. His eyes held horror. “I hurt your hand, before...”
“It was only bruised.” She smiled as she gave him the lie. He read in her mind that she couldn’t bear to let him know he’d harmed her. It touched his heart. He read also, with delight, the depth of her growing affection for him. It matched what he felt for her.
But it was dangerous to leave the white ball untriggered, and he turned it on unobtrusively. The emperor had been quite firm about its use. They couldn’t risk having an enemy telepath learn who Mekashe really was, not when he was vulnerable and apart from his command.
True, there was a handful of other Cehn-Tahr below, officers returning from a mission who were also allowed R & R on this vessel. One of them was his cousin Tresar, also a member of the Royal Clan. Tresar and the others would be leaving the following week, while Mekashe had almost a month left to enjoy Jasmine’s company and entice her to share his life. He thought that it might not require much enticing. She was hungry for him, as he was for her.
“We should move ahead,” he said with a laugh. “Our time here is, sadly, limited.”
“It’s so exotic,” she said almost in a whisper as she clung to his big hand and followed where he led. “The flowers are bigger than my head!”
“Rimonia,” he named them. “They’re used in medicines that the Rojok employ in surgery.”
“So beautiful,” she said on a sigh. “They smell wonderful.”
“Those are divulga.” He indicated a small purple flower that grew on an odd, fat vine. “An herb used in certain meat dishes.”
She made a face. “I don’t eat meat,” she said.
“I had heard this about Terravegans.”
“It doesn’t apply to all of them. Daddy still likes his steak,” she said with distaste. “I’ve tried and failed to get him on a vegan diet.”
It was another difference between their cultures that he hoped would not present a problem.
She glanced up at him. “You like meat, too, I suppose?”
He chuckled. “Sadly, yes.”
She sighed. “Well, I don’t think any of us has the right to dictate food choices to other people,” she said after a minute. “I eat what I like and I let other people do the same. Except for Daddy. I worry about him.”
“He seems quite healthy.”
“He is, now. But he had a rare virus that caused some serious problems last year. He’s still not quite over it. It’s not contagious or anything, but he’s supposed to be careful what he eats, and his protein is limited. He hates fruits and vegetables.”
So did Mekashe, but he didn’t mention it.
“What a beautiful planet,” Jasmine said as they moved along the path. “Does it really look like this?”
“Yes,” he assured her. “At least, the prime continent does. There are others which present very different flora and fauna.” He frowned. “Odd,” he murmured, looking around. “The plants seem overgrown here.”
“They do?”
He nodded. “In a holo, space is limited, so species are regulated as to growth. It indicates a glitch in the matrix. I must remember to report it to the program manager.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing important,” she said. “Oh goodness!” she exclaimed as they arrived in a clearing. “You had it set up already!”
And he had. There was a cloth spread on the grass, along with a hamper of foods designed to appeal to a human palate. There were fruits and edible flowers, even a form of nectar that was beloved by Terravegans.
He chuckled. “I asked your father about your food preferences before I approached the programmer.”
“How sweet of you!” She plopped down on the grass and poured a glass of nectar. But when she sampled it, there was a sting to the liquid. She made a face. “It’s supposed to be sweet, but this has a sour note.”
“Another glitch. I’ll make a note of it.”
“You don’t have to do that. It’s not really important,” she said, smiling as he dropped down on the cloth beside her. “Do you eat fruits?” she added, offering him one.
He forced himself to take it, but he only stared at it.
She sighed. “Don’t tell me. You’re like Daddy. You like protein.”
He chuckled. “Am I so obvious?”
“Yes. But it doesn’t matter,” she said softly, searching his eyes. “I like fruits and you like meat. The world won’t end.”
He cocked his head, uncertain of her meaning.
“I mean that it makes no difference.”
“I see.” He smiled, but he put down the fruit.
She was watching him while she ate her fruit. “It’s why you won’t dine with us, isn’t it?” she asked suddenly. “You don’t want to offend me by eating meat at the table.”
It was far more complicated than that, but he couldn’t admit it. “It might be one reason,” he said.
She finished her fruit. “Funny, it tastes like bananas, but it looks like a pear,” she said. She sipped the nectar. It really did taste terrible, but she wasn’t going to spoil the picnic by mentioning it. She wanted to be with him, and the food didn’t matter.
He scowled. The programming was bad. He wondered if there were other glitches,
perhaps more dangerous ones. He’d have to be careful. He couldn’t risk having something happen to her.
“Can we explore some more?” she asked excitedly. “It’s so different from what I’m used to!”
He chuckled, offering a hand to pull her up. Fortunately, Hahnson’s dravelzium was of long duration. It felt good, touching her. “Certainly.”
They strolled down a tree-lined lane. Jasmine was fascinated with the flora. “These trees look like something called weeping willows. They were prevalent on old Earth. There are holovids of them. Aren’t they beautiful?”
“We have a similar tree on Memcache,” he said. “In fact, I have some on my own lands.”
She paused and looked up at him. “Do you have a house? Are houses on your planet like the ones on Terravega?”
He smiled. “I have a villa. It might suggest ancient stone cities to you, remnants of your own past. We build with the environment in mind. We decry the slaughter of trees to construct dwellings, so we build with stone.”
“Is it a big villa?”
“Big enough to house a dozen people,” he said easily. And it did, considering how many workers were required to maintain it. He lived as an aristocrat, as much because of his Clan status as his family’s wealth. Not that wealth was measured as humans measured it.
“I would love to see your villa,” she said shyly.
He smiled. “And you will, soon enough,” he assured her. He searched her face with warm, covetous eyes. “It is a beautiful place to raise a family.”
She caught her breath as she looked at him. “It’s lonely, being an only child.”
“Yes,” he agreed, because he knew what that was like, just as she did.
“I’d like to have several children,” she said dreamily. “Boys and girls. Mixed.” She laughed self-consciously.
“As would I.” He could picture her so easily, surrounded by children, having picnics like this with them, and him. “My life has been a solitary one.”
“So has mine. I mean, I have Daddy, but it’s not the same as having a big family.” She stopped. “Do your people have holidays? I mean, like Christmas and New Year’s and Terravegan Independence Day...?”