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by Robin Jeffrey

  “You’re more than welcome.” I proffered my hand. “I’m Chance Hale, at your service.”

  She shook with surprising firmness. “Cadence Turing, taking full advantage of you.”

  My brows danced over my eyes. “Not yet.”

  2

  Chapter 2

  The hired Professional Transport, or PT, jolted out of the transport bay and soared up into the skyways, merging with the growing afternoon traffic heading north. Cadence had worked her way to the far side of the PT’s dim interior and now sat mute on the other side of the cab, eyes fixed on the sky and clouds passing outside.

  I watched her for a few minutes, crossing my legs and squirming against the plush seats. I had hoped to be good acquaintances by now, chatting about the mundane details of our personal lives. I made it a rule to avoid taking complete strangers to bed if I could help it, but the more I observed my new acquaintance, the more I wanted her. Cadence hadn’t spoken a word since she accepted my offer, seeming to prefer to stare up into the heavens rather than get to know me one iota better.

  I anchored my wandering hands over my knees and leaned towards her. “Are you familiar with Arrhidaeus at all, Miss Turing?”

  “Call me Cadence.”

  I smiled at this abandonment of formality. Cadence was too engrossed in the scenery to notice, continuing: “I am familiar in the sense that I have read much about the planet. The city Römer stretches across the middle section and is bordered by countryside at the poles, correct?”

  “Cayeux, to the south of us, is the main agricultural hub, yes. Zahia, where I live, is where Arrhidaeus’ most prominent citizens make their home.”

  She pressed her cheek against the window, squinting as she attempted to look at something just above the PT. When she pulled back, frowning, she noticed the skylight in the center of the cab. Crab walking her way under the window, she squeezed my thigh as she twisted around to stare up into the atmosphere. Her hand made my skin thrum as it shifted up my leg but not to where I wanted her touch the most. I licked my lips and brushed the tips of my fingers against the back of her hand.

  “You know, Zahia’s very different from the city; country manors, forests, and fields as far as the eye can see.”

  “Your sky is absolutely beautiful.” Her lips parted, and her eyes were hungry and bright. She lifted her hand to point out of the skylight. “The clouds; there are so many! And all different! I didn’t realize they’d all be different.” Cadence smiled down at me. “That one looks like a loaf of bread, don’t you think?”

  “Quite!” I laughed. “Are clouds so boring on Paraesepe?”

  “Hmm?” She thumped back into her seat, blinking wildly. “Oh. No. No, I suppose they aren’t.”

  “I haven’t asked, what brought you from off-planet anyway?”

  “Change of situation.” An adequate and polite response, in that it answered the question while offering no actual information. “Why do you live here?”

  I laughed. “Well, I suppose it’s because my family has lived here for generations, longer than I can count, honestly. You’ve heard of Halcyon Enterprises, of course.”

  Cadence’s eyes met mine with the speed of a lightning strike; her frame stiffened, her lips firmed into a thin line. “I’ve heard quite a lot about them. Halcyon Enterprises is the leader in so called ‘smart’ tech and most AI derivatives thereof. They’re at the forefront of the tech market on more than half of the planets in the system. They used to manufacture animanecrons, until such androids were unilaterally banned a few centuries ago.” She edged closer to me, tucking a strand of hair behind her sculpted ear. “I have strong interests in such technology.”

  “How charming!” I scooted closer to her, smile widening, my arm stretched over the back of the seats. “You see, Halcyon Enterprises is what you might call the family business. Over the four hundred years it’s been in operation, there’s always been a Hale at the head of it.”

  “My goodness. What’s it like to run such a prestigious corporation?”

  “Oh god, no, I’m not running it! Not yet, anyway. No, I leave all that to the old man; my father, Felix Hale, he’s the current head of the company. You’ll get to meet him at the house.”

  “How wonderful.” Cadence mimicked my stance to a tee, her arm falling over mine, her hand resting snug on top of my shoulder. “Does your father know a lot about computers and machines and things like that?”

  “Not a bit of it. He’s dreadfully old fashioned actually.” I chuckled. “He has people to do the real innovating; he’s mostly a paper-pusher, a businessman.”

  “Hmm.” Cadence pulled away and relaxed back into her seat, taking in a deep breath as she focused her sight somewhere on the horizon. “That sounds like a very important job.”

  “If you like that sort of thing I suppose.” I looked her over once again, my tongue prodding the side of my mouth. “I prefer the life of leisure. Fewer deadlines and more opportunities to meet fascinating people like you.”

  Cadence’s face brightened and she tapped out a quick trill on the back of her hand, the beat arrhythmic and foreign.

  The rest of the trip passed in silence, my companion too entranced by the scenery passing by outside to make much conversation. I found her silence oddly comforting, and the upturned tilt of her chin combined with the sunlight coming through the window served to display the curve of her neck and chest to a most astounding effect. But all good things must end and, sooner than I had expected, the PT coasted to a stop in front of Hale Manor.

  Hale Manor commanded magnificence by its sheer sprawl. The house was hard to take in in one glance; even staring at it for several minutes, people often felt there were pieces of it they couldn’t quite see. The windows dotting the front and back stretched from ceiling to floor and the brash white plaster that surrounded them clashed with the brown and red stones of the structure itself. To me it had always been more of a mausoleum than a home. Though it had sheltered generations of Hales, I took little pride in the whole several hundred-acre mess except in moments like these, when it could impress potential admirers.

  I hopped out of the PT and held the door for Cadence. She slid across the seat, dragging her bag along behind her, and shuffled out into the sun.

  “Well? What do you think?”

  Cadence dropped her knapsack and stared at the great edifice. Her head fell to one side. “What do you use it for?”

  “It’s a house, my dear,” I walked past her, scooping her bag up into my arms. “I live in it. Well, the family does.”

  “Oh!” She strolled behind me, her head craning ever upward as we drew nearer to the expansive front steps. “You must have a very large family.”

  “Not really.” I mounted the stairs two at a time, throwing her sack over my shoulder. “It’s just me and Father now; and the servants of course.” I dragged my hand over the corrugated handle and the door popped open.

  Turning, I found Cadence standing frozen several steps below me, looking first to me and then back at the house, and then to me again in a never-ending loop of confusion. I swept my hand through the open doorway. “Would you like to come inside?”

  She shook her head and climbed the last few steps. “Your world is very strange.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh as she strode into the house. “Strange and wonderful, dearest.”

  Stepping into the entryway was like stepping back in time. Tall bushes in decorated ceramic pots flanked either side of the large front doors. The ceiling was high and vaulted, made up of burnished cherry wood and oak. The main staircase stretched out before us, a dramatic affair with gleaming wood banisters and red-carpeted steps. Many of the main rooms of the house, and some of the guest suites, branched off on two long hallways that curled behind the steps.

  For all the entryway’s archaic touches, it was here that the first modern comforts became apparent. Pausing inside the threshold gave a chance for the caterpillar-like FASCs to crawl from their wall hutch to do their work. I ignore
d them, shrugging off my suit jacket and placing it over the waiting claw of the automatic coat cleaner jutting out next to me, the weight signaling the machine to take the jacket back to its place behind the wall.

  Cadence, on the other hand, watched the FASCs with child-like fascination, holding her bangs up out of her eyes to get a better view of them. The little creatures purred over her feet and, when they at last released her, her shoes were left sparkling clean and scented with oils. The FASCs went whirring back to their home at the base of the door. Cadence followed their progress with her alert gaze and, just before they disappeared entirely, made a strange symbol with her hands, shook them at the FASCs, and clicked in a sharp language I did not recognize.

  “What was that all about?”

  She looked back up at me as the wooden door snapped shut, a vacuous expression replacing her intense focus. “Huh?”

  “All the…” I mimicked her movement with my hands, botching it enough to make her laugh. Even when edged in exhaustion, it was a pleasant laugh.

  “Oh, I was just saying thank you.”

  I snorted, shaking my head as I forced cufflinks free from my sleeves. “I didn’t know it was a custom on Paraesepe to thank inanimate objects.”

  Cadence stepped back, brows high on her wrinkled forehead. “You find it strange?”

  “A little, yes, but in a perfectly charming way.”

  “They performed a service for you.” She lifted her bag from the floor, massaging her shoulder as she stared at me. “I believe it is customary in most societies to show thankfulness and respect to someone who has done that.”

  “FASCs aren’t exactly a ‘someone’ though,” I shoved the cufflinks into my trouser pocket, shrugging. “It’s not as though they have feelings to hurt.”

  Her nose crinkled, frown deepening. “FASCs? That’s their names?”

  “Feet and Shoe Cleaners; it’s an acronym.”

  Her gaze dropped to the floor, moving along the path that the machines had taken to return to their little home inside the wall. Chin falling to her chest, she began shifting her weight from foot to foot. “Well, I’ve always found it safest to assume that everything is intelligent until proven otherwise. It’s only polite after all.”

  I shot her a crooked smile. “You are exceedingly and delightfully queer. Has anyone ever told you that?”

  She thought a moment before shaking her head. “You would be the first.”

  Taking a step closer to her, I brushed the corner of her mouth with the tips of my fingers. “How about how incredibly beautiful you are? Has anyone ever–”

  “Chance!”

  I flinched and turned to meet the oncoming storm. As my father descended the stairs, I was struck by how imposing the old bat could be when he wanted. He was a barrel-chested man, as fit as ever even at the age of sixty-eight. The grey wisps of hair that fell across his temple accentuated the piercing nature of his dark auburn eyes, and with hands like uncooked hams and the bearing of a king, he had never struggled to impose his will on all those within his domain.

  I, on the other hand, took after my mother; my messy crop of blond hair was hers, as were my grass-colored eyes. Tall for her sex, I was short for mine, and no matter how much time I devoted to sport, my frame remained lean, rather than bulging with muscles.

  “Hello, father!” I embraced him with filial affection; the falseness of which I knew would pluck at his nerves. “You’re looking well!”

  His eyes bulged at my companion, color rising into his cheeks. I brought my new amour forward with a flourish. “Do forgive me; let me introduce Miss Cadence Turing. I met her on the train in Römer. She’s just arrived from Paraesepe and, naturally, I had to offer her some of our Arrhidaean hospitality.”

  “It’s very kind of you to open your home to me, sir.” Cadence stretched out her hand, eyes lowered in deference. “We don’t have any such customs on Paraesepe. That I know of. It’s quite unique.”

  There was a moment when I thought the man’s anger might finally get the better of him. He looked down at Cadence’s hand as if considering how quickly he could devour it, jaw clenched so tight I could hear his teeth grinding from where I stood. But the moment passed, and he wrenched his gaze up to her face, a perfunctory “Yes”, falling from his lips. My father’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed with all the desperation of a half-drowned man gulping down air. He shook her hand, inclining his head towards her. “Felix Hale, good to meet you, Miss Turing.” His lip curled back into something not very much like a smile when he spied the dusty bag slung over her shoulder. “Are these your things? I’ll have them brought up to Chance’s room. I’m sure he doesn’t mind moving into his mother’s room for a night; do you, son?”

  I forced a wide smile over my lips. “Of course not, why should I?” I wrapped my arm around Cadence’s waist, my eyes never leaving my father’s face. “Why don’t you head up as well, Cadence? I’m sure you’d like to clean up a bit; unpack?”

  Cadence looked between us and, after a moment’s consideration, nodded. My father pressed the call button on his ring and a servant appeared to take Cadence’s bag. She glanced once more at my father before following the male servant upstairs without a word.

  The two of us stood there at the foot of the stairs, teeth bared, until the door to my room clicked shut above us. My father’s façade vanished like a smoke screen in a strong breeze, and I saw a firm frown under his graying beard. “Chance.”

  I granted him a bored glance.

  His hand curled into a fist. “What do you think you are doing? Bringing strange women into our house – and a foreigner!” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest and demanding, “How long is she staying?”

  “As long as it takes her to get adjusted, that’s all.”

  “And how long might that be? Does she know anyone here? Have any kind of marketable skill? Is she looking for service work?”

  “Father,” I flicked a piece of dirt off my trousers, “I didn’t interrogate her.”

  “Well by god you should have!” My father’s thick-soled shoe smacked against the wood, making the floor vibrate under us. “Chance, she could be anyone! A con artist or a fugitive! Have you forgotten about the party tonight?”

  “As if I could.” I started searching for my nix case, knowing that smoking was the only thing I could do to annoy him further.

  “Do you really expect me to introduce this girl to all of our oldest friends? Think of our reputation; think of your reputation! When you are the head of Halcyon Enterprises, you will be constantly in the public eye.” My father pinched the bridge of his nose, hissing as if I was causing him mortal pain. “You have to learn to control yourself, you–”

  “Felix?” The sound of tiptoed footsteps echoed around the far corner. “The maids don’t seem to – oh.” Desdemona froze by the edge of the staircase, crouching over as if she were afraid she would offend someone by existing.

  If you breathed too hard on Desdemona Eydis she would burst into ashes and scatter like a charred piece of paper. Her baby-blue eyes were large compared to the rest of her features, overshadowing her petite nose and mouth with ease, leaving her whole head looking unbalanced. However, Father was blind to the woman’s less flattering qualities, and there seemed little to be done about his embarrassing infatuation with her except to ride it out until it came to its inevitable end.

  The servant returned downstairs, startled Desdemona from her mooring, and forced her into the entryway. She scurried to my father, her frail hands clasped together. “The guests haven’t started arriving already, have they?”

  “Don’t worry yourself, my dear.” My father wrapped his arm around her shoulders, enveloping her tiny frame under his own. “They won’t be arriving for another few hours at least.”

  “Oh, good.” Her pale eyes darted across my face like a frightened animal. “It’s nice to have you home again, Chance. How was the city?”

  “Very dull.” Leaning up against the opposite ba
nister, I tried not to sneer as I inclined my head towards her, digging my nix case out of my pocket. “And how did you spend your week, Miss Eydis?”

  Desdemona’s gaze fell away from my face like a dead leaf from a tree, drifting to the floor. “Preparing for the party mostly. There are so many things to arrange.”

  “I’m sure you’re doing a fine job.” I twisted my nix to life and took a long drag, letting the smoke out slowly. “Really acting like the lady of the house now, aren’t we?”

  “Desdemona.”

  Her head jerked up as if on a string. My father, the puppet master, smiled down at her with more tenderness than his sharp tone had suggested. “Dear, why don’t you go down to the kitchen and see how the cooking is coming along? I’m sure they’d value your input.”

  She nodded, giving me a last glance before crossing to the hallway behind me.

  “Oh, and tell them to make sure they’re making enough for nine people rather than seven,” said my father.

  Desdemona skittered to a halt, wobbling around with hands at her mouth. “More guests?”

  “Yes, my sweet, but I’m taking care of it. Chance,” my name squeezed its way through his clenched teeth, “has brought a friend for the evening. And Dr. Merton just called to say he’ll be able to make it tonight after all.”

  Desdemona started back down the hall with a wave. “Yes, I’ll make sure they know.”

  When the door to the kitchen clicked shut, my father returned to me, fury etched into the lines of his face. “Chance Tobias Hale, you will treat Desdemona with respect, do you understand me?”

  He didn’t even wait for my response, too eager to stomp down the hallway after his precious mistress. I bit into my cheek, silently fuming as my mind whirled with all the things I wished I could say to him, but never would.

  The whole situation galled me so that I had quite forgotten about the beauty I had tucked away upstairs until the roaring sound of water and the weak whining of pipes reached my ears. I straightened, closed my eyes, and evoked the image of the soft curve of her neck, the paleness of her skin; how she must look now, with gentle pulses of water running down her body. I fell back against the railing with a groan. I should be up there right now. Breaking through her reserve had been more difficult than I had predicted, and I doubted things would get much easier once the party was in full swing. What was I going to do?