by Paul Kater
"Get me the floater down," he ordered, "I have to get back up there."
The two men frowned. "Sir, your invitation?"
"Come on, man," Daniel threw all courtesy overboard, "I was here earlier. The lady up there took my invitation. Don't you remember me?"
"Sir, over one hundred people came here this evening," one of them said, slightly apologising. "I do not recall having seen your... attire this evening. It would have stuck in my memory."
Daniel looked down. He was wearing his time-off clothes, not the blue suit. He pulled out the hydger and looked up the number for the Clelem. "Don't make me use this. Sir. I work on the Pricosine. I was here earlier, as I am the guy that got ripped apart during the pirate attack. And if you make me press this button, your boss will have your ass for breakfast."
Two pairs of eyes stared at him. "Sir. Please." They quickly conferred among each other and reached a verdict. A minute later the floater was down at the platform and Daniel hopped on board. The floater took him up, and as soon as it halted at the reception building, he was out and through the building in a matter of seconds. He dashed past people in the transparent tunnel, who were standing there, chatting and admiring the garden, and reached the hall which had become even more crowded.
Several of the guests stared at Daniel and started whispering. Around him, most of the talk fell silent as eyes peered at him, his appearance making quite the impression.
"Sir?" One of the servants approached him. "Oh, it is you. What happened to you, sir?"
"I got ambushed. I have to see the Seigner, can you take me to him?" Daniel did not feel like small talk.
"The Seigner is in a conversation, sir," the servant said.
"Then show me where he is, man. This is important."
The servant guided Daniel through the crowd, to a smaller room. It was the room where he had overheard the talk of Clelem with his family, concerning himself. Clelem sat a table with four other gentlemen.
"Seigner Dandra," the servant began, but Daniel pushed past him.
"I am very sorry to burst in on you like this, sir, truly I am, but I have to see you. Now. This is urgent."
Clelem looked up at Daniel. "You look very shaken up, Mr. Zacharias. And I recall it is very unlike you to interrupt people in this manner, so I assume there is indeed something pressing you have to tell me." He got up. "Please, come with me. Gentlemen, if you would please excuse my leave."
Clelem took Daniel to yet another room. It had windows that looked out over the bay. "Mr. Zacharias, talk to me."
Daniel told his story, about the call, the meeting in the park, the threat towards the Pricosine and how he had been stunned and left paralysed by the cloaked person.
Clelem nodded slowly. He got up, looked outside the room for a moment and closed the door. "Mr. Zacharias, I am in your debt for coming here and bringing this matter to my attention. Unfortunately this is not the first time I have been threatened. There were letters and messages. Anonymous of course, but they all were directed against either my person, my family or my ships. So far they have only been threats without any action being taken to turn them into serious affairs. But this..." Clelem shook his head. "Do you have any idea who this person was?"
"No, sir, I'm sorry. I would not know." Daniel had calmed down as Clelem was taking the time to listen to him, and he had relocated his more politely side again. "The shape of the person would give me reason to think of someone, but as I have no evidence of that, I would not feel safe in mentioning a name."
"Ah... one moment please..." Clelem walked to the door and talked to someone. He returned soon. "I have asked for some tea for you, Mr. Zacharias. You look like you can do with that."
"Thank you, Seigner. Have you mentioned the threats to the police?"
"I did, of course, but they are unable to provide me any services as long as no physical act has been committed. It is a sad truth, Mr. Zacharias, but it is so."
After a knock on the door, a servant came in with a cup of tea and two glasses of local cognac.
"Cheers, Mr. Zacharias."
The two men drank in silence. Then the door flew open.
"Father, Seigner Lastor has just told me-" Rayko stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at her father and Daniel. "I am sorry." Her eyes shot devastation at Daniel. "My apologies." She left the room.
"And mine, Mr. Zacharias. My daughter somehow learnt her manners from one of the sailors, I sometimes think."
Daniel waved it away. "That's fine, really. Miss Dandra ko Galem and I seem to be getting off on the wrong foot continually."
Clelem nodded. "Yes, so I've heard."
Daniel was not sure if there was a hidden chuckle in the man's words.
"Now, let us return to recent events. Mr. Zacharias, I would appreciate it if you were to keep up your efforts to inform me about strange things. Anything at all that attracts any kind of attention. You have my permissions to alert me or Mr. Slindris at any moment of the day or night, if you suspect it necessary."
"Thank you, Seigner. I will keep my eyes open." Daniel drank his tea before it would go cold. "Do you think that there is a chance that pirates have their hand in these threats?"
Clelem looked at him. "I have been thinking about that as well, Mr. Zacharias. At this point, I think, anything is possible..."
25. Soirée (3)
"Mr. Zacharias," Clelem said, "would you please honour me by staying a bit longer? Mr. Slindris told me that he saw you leave in quite a hurry after speaking with the senator. I hope the good man did not say anything to upset you?"
Daniel did not believe his ears. "No, no, the senator had no part in my leaving. Excuse me, sir, but my appearance..."
Clelem smiled. "We'll fix that for you. Just allow me a moment." He got up and left the room.
Minutes passed, and Daniel wondered if he had been forgotten. Then the door opened and Gaguran came in, carrying things. The man did not look amused.
"Mr. Zacharias," he said, "we have collected some items for you to try on. If you would be so kind."
Had Daniel's life depended on the vibrance in Gaguran's voice, he would have keeled over then and there. He got up and looked at the 'items'. There were two suits in the collection that would be sort of okay, so he tried one of them on. It was dark red lined with silver thread and the least obnoxious of the two.
"We could not locate a decent shirt in your size so quickly, so this will have to do," Gaguran said. He picked up a sort of scarf and held it up. It was earth brown and had a strange, maze-like pattern in it.
Daniel had to sit down, so Gaguran could wrap it around his neck. How the mouse did it, he had no idea, but when he was finished it actually looked very good. Daniel checked himself in the mirroring windows.
"This will do, sir," said Gaguran. "Alas. Your footwear... " he sighed.
Daniel's yellow sneakers did indeed scream out a bit. "We'll say it is the latest cry, Mr. Slindris, if someone asks."
"Cry, Mr. Zacharias?"
"I am sorry. It is an Earth expression."
"I see. Well, please remember that you are not on... Earth... here."
Daniel tasted the disgust in the man's words. "Of course, Mr. Slindris. You are right."
Gaguran opened the door and waited for Daniel to leave. His displeasure was evident.
Daniel walked out of the room and into a surprise. The large room where Clelem had spoken with the other gentlemen was now nearly empty. Only Clelem, Gaguran and he were there. And Rayko, whose face conveyed a total lack of joy.
"Mr. Zacharias," Clelem said, "I have asked my daughter to keep you company for the remainder of the evening."
Rayko glared at her father with murder on her mind. Nothing less. "I am not going to do it," she hissed.
"Mr. Zacharias," Clelem ignored her, "the music will start soon. I assume you dance?"
Daniel was lost. He knew some dances, but wondered if any of them were even allowed on this planet. "A bit, sir."
Clelem lightly pushed R
ayko in the back. Just enough to make her stagger towards Daniel, who caught her.
She looked up at him as if she wanted to bite him. "I am going to step on your toes," she promised. "And I am not going to like this."
Clelem and Gaguran walked out of the room.
"I am sorry, Miss Dandra ko Galem, I did not intend this."
Rayko stepped back and folded her arms over her chest. "You'd better not. I don't like you and you don't like me. Let's at least agree on that."
"Wholeheartedly," Daniel stated.
She nodded. "Good." Then the change in her stumped Daniel. She suddenly had the sweetest smile on her face. "Shall we, then?" For a moment she looked herself again. "Don't get any wrong ideas, Mr. Zacharias." The smile returned and she held up her arm, for him to take.
Arm in arm they entered the main hall, where musicians were taking their place. Rayko's appearance seemed to be magnetic: within moments there was quite a crowd around her and Daniel. Rayko seemed in her element, being the centre of attention. As soon as she noticed that this was not Daniel's game, she seemed to be aiming at directing most of it towards him.
Most of the guests had no idea who Daniel was. Rayko was quick to tell everyone what a wonderful hero Daniel was. The guests then tossed all kinds of questions at him, many that he had absolutely no answer to. Rayko, Daniel was certain, was enjoying this to no end.
A few times, Daniel noticed Gaguran walk by. The man's face showed bad weather, and that seemed to get worse at each passing. Daniel was not happy about that, the man and he were not the best of friends already, and it was painfully clear to him that he was where Gaguran wanted to be. If only the man knew how much Daniel would like to trade places.
The first notes of music drifted over the crowds. Heads turned, people moved to the side to clear a part of the hall, and the first couples stepped on the suddenly available dance floor. The music also took away the attention of many people around him and Rayko, so he had some time to look at what was happening on the floor.
A punch on the arm brought his attention back to the daughter of his employer. "Miss?"
"You are supposed to be paying attention to me," Rayko hissed, "not ignore me like this." To make her point, she stepped on his toes. Then, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Oh, I would love to dance. Will you dance with me, Mr. Zacharias?"
Daniel felt doom crawling up on him. But he'd go down fighting. "Of course, Miss Dandra ko Galem. I'd be delighted."
The guests opened up a corridor for them, as they walked to the dance floor. One of the people that saw them go had murder on his mind.
The last few steps to the dance floor suddenly brought a grin to Daniel's face. The music had changed, and he actually knew (well, remembered) a dance that could work here. As long as his dance partner would cooperate. And that, he knew, would be the hard part.
The first minute of dancing was absolute disaster, which he had expected. But Rayko had been truthful when she'd said she would love to dance: she really did. Daniel noticed that suddenly her resistance dropped, and his toes were not attacked anymore - at least not on purpose. Daniel and Rayko were turning and turning, and she genuinely laughed at his surprised face as suddenly the music was gone.
Her smile disappeared for a moment as he grinned also. "I warned you about getting the wrong ideas," she reminded him with a sweet voice. "And I want something to drink."
"Of course, Miss Dandra ko Galem. Allow me..." He held up his arm this time.
"I hate you," she whispered with a smile, as she took his arm and let him guide her off the floor and to a servant who carried beverages of all kinds and colours.
Soon there was a swarm of people around them again, all hungry for Rayko's attention. Daniel was spared a lot of questions this time and he listened to the people. He noticed that many of them were sucking up to Rayko, probably hoping that she would put in a good word for them with her father or something equal. He also noticed that Rayko was clearly skilled in this game and dodged the requests by commenting on garments, jewellery or things she knew about the people that addressed her.
The musicians, six of them in light brown suits, using instruments Daniel never had seen, started playing again. "Miss Dandra ko Galem, would you like another dance?" Daniel asked in a lull of the conversations.
"Oh yes, please." She flashed him a smile and off they were, to the dance floor. That seemed to be the place where most hostility would cease. She even apologised, once, as she stepped on Daniel's toes.
After the dance they stayed on the dance floor, as the musicians announced another piece of music, which they immediately started into.
Rayko flushed. "Oh no, not this."
"What's the matter, miss?" Daniel said.
"I can't dance this one. Take me off the floor. Now."
"Too late," Daniel decided. Many people were revolving and rotating around them, it would mean breaking through them. "Hold on."
"What?"
Daniel lifted her off her feet and started turning them around to the music in a rather ad lib fashion, but somehow it worked with the music and the other dancers.
"Put me down! You are making me dizzy! Watch out, there are- whaa... Stop this!" Her stream of whispers became more frantic and also louder. "Don't drop me, you big lug!"
"Be silent, will you?" Daniel said. "I am not going to drop you, and if you talk any louder the whole hall will hear you. Play along the way I did."
"I hate you," Rayko stated, and put in a few attempts to kick his shins, but stopped that soon after finding out that it hurt her toes more than him. Her volume had gone down again, though.
After the music ended, he gently put Rayko down again and offered her his arm. She was fuming, and it took her all her willpower and then some to keep smiling as he escorted her off the floor again.
The comment that came after them, "Such a handsome couple," did not improve her mood. Daniel was not sure what he should do with it, so he ignored it. They arrived at a table with expensive-looking glassware filled with exotic liqueurs and small saucers that held all kinds of snacks.
Daniel stared at it all, as Rayko grabbed a saucer and a glass and pushed them into his hands. "Here. Look as if you enjoy it."
"Thank you, miss," he stammered.
"No need. At least that way you keep your hands off me," she grumbled as she picked up a glass for herself.
"You looked so nice, out there," a lady's voice said. It was Clelem's wife, Ugidra, who was suddenly standing next to them, her hand resting on the arm of Warlem who looked far too smug.
Rayko pretended to be very busy picking out a snack.
"Thank you, Mrs. Dandra ko Galem," Daniel did his best. "Your daughter is very easy to dance with."
"Oh, she is," Warlem pitched, "sometimes it is as if she's swept off her feet in a dance." His face did not lose its smile as his sister cast the glare of death onto him.
The music started again.
"Maybe you would like to dance with someone else, dear sister?" Warlem said. "I see Mr. Slindris is all alone at the moment."
"I'd rather die," Rayko shared, "or dance with the lug again for that matter."
Warlem smiled and nodded. Her mother frowned. "Mr. Slindris is a respected man, Rayko, you could be more friendly towards him."
"Never," Rayko was determined. Daniel wondered if he should share that he agreed with her sentiments, but decided against it. This was not the place, the time nor the company for that.
The evening went on, and at a certain point the first guests started to leave. Daniel and Rayko had found a middle ground where they could maintain a truce. Most of that was located on the dance floor, but after the musicians had stopped playing, they had taken to mingling and walking around. Clelem, they knew, was watching them. Or rather: her.
They found themselves sitting on a couch, not too close together. From where he was sitting, Daniel saw the senator in his green robe, lying on a couch, sound asleep.
Rayko was rubbing a foot that hurt.
"Did someone step on it?" Daniel asked.
"Hrmf," she replied. "No. Your shins are too hard."
"Do you want me to-" He stopped mid-sentence.
"No. Not in your lifetime," she snapped. After a moment, she looked at him. "What were you going to suggest?"
"Rub your foot for you."
"I can rub my own foot, thank you very much," she snorted. She slipped her foot in her shoe again. "And you should stop seeking every opportunity to touch me."