SMTG--Iso-bel Aya Shermac

by Barbara G. Tarn

Iso-bel smiled and retreated quietly. She went to knock on Jes-syd's door. He opened with a worried look on his face.

  "Ran-ald is not here..."

  "He's over there with Emma-lin," she said, pushing him inside the room. "I think we can share the room for the rest of the trip – or at least tonight!"

  Jes-syd brightened and put the "do not disturb" sign on the door.

  They had already had sex during the three years they'd been together, but doing it in an underwater room opening on an aquarium made all the difference.

  Iso-bel nestled against Jes-syd and dozed off, happy.

  ***

  The wakeup call meant that Iso-bel crossed Ran-ald in the corridor before going back to her room. The boy avoided her gaze and Emma-lin's usually pale complexion was as red as her hair when Iso-bel got in the room.

  "I don't know what possessed us, it was those dolphins!" She whined, quickly repacking while Iso-bel put on a clean shirt after a trip to the bathroom.

  "The dolphins made you have sex with Ran-ald?" she asked, amused.

  "I... yes! Well, they sent us those soothing messages and their dance outside the window was so mesmerizing and..."

  Iso-bel chuckled. "And now you regret it? Or have you changed your mind about Ran-ald?"

  Emma-lin scowled. "I bet you were happy to spend the night with Jes-syd."

  "Don't change subject, Emma-lin. Was it a good time?"

  "Um... yes..." Emma-lin looked away as she muttered something else. But her mind was shielded, and Iso-bel assumed she didn't want to talk about it. She shook her head and finished packing.

  They headed for breakfast in the upper disk and saw the Carians at another table.

  "We won't fly off again," Haopia assured. "See you at the shuttle."

  Emma-lin and Ran-ald avoided each other's stare and Jes-syd raised his eyebrow, skeptical.

  What did he tell you? Iso-bel transmitted.

  The dolphins made them do it. Jes-syd rolled his eyes.

  Why not? She smiled. They are the other intelligent species on this world... They can't communicate with the locals, but with Sire telepaths? Piece of cake!

  Jes-syd grinned. I guess you're right, honey. They'll have to get over it. I think they quite enjoyed each other's company anyway.

  Gaia's magic... Iso-bel thought about what awaited them, the next stop where Kol-ian Vaurabi had spent years and her father merely days. I think Delhi will make them fall into each other's arms. And they won't be able to blame the dolphins! Or whales!

  After breakfast, they grabbed their backpacks and took the ferry. Henry waited for them on the pier and they were the last onboard, since the Carians had flown ahead of the ferry. But they were perfectly on time to start their next leg of the trip. New Delhi was only a couple of hours away, it would be one of the shortest traveling time of their journey around Earth.

  "Delhi used to be the capital of the country called India," Jon said. "It's a city that bridges past and present – great historical past and even greater present. Once upon a time part of that empire I mentioned in London, it is now a free city with interstellar spaceport and all the facilities you could wish for. The metropolis has expanded through the centuries, and it has been built and destroyed many times. You will see the difference between Old Delhi and New Delhi with your own eyes."

  Iso-bel was very excited at the thought of walking the same streets her father and his uncle had walked so many years before. She'd have to send copies of the pictures to Kol-ian, the other half of her grandfather Ker-ris who still called him "my wicked brother-in-law" after thirty-five years since his wife's death and thirty-four of undying love and mind link.

  They all had rooms at the Taj Mahal Hotel New Delhi in the heart of Lutyen, featuring modern Indian-style decor and luxurious rooms with a view. Since they wouldn't visit the real thing, they may as well sleep in a place called like the ivory-white marble mausoleum commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

  "I bet Hian and Haopia will fly there, since it's such a monument to conjugal love," Emma-lin said. Again she shared the room with Iso-bel, but hopefully after another couple of nights she'd finally agree to sleep with Ran-ald.

  "One should spend years exploring here," Iso-bel replied, looking out of the window. "I mean on this planet."

  "We're not all Kol-ian Vaurabi, who was on the run anyway." Emma-lin shrugged.

  "Let's go, we have only one night here, since it's so close to Dubai!"

  They barely dropped their backpacks before joining the rest of the group for their city tour with Jon in what felt like scorching heat to Iso-bel. Again sunglasses protected her eyes from the bright sun.

  She took off her shoes and walked on the red bricks of Shah Jahan's mosque, then enjoyed a rickshaw ride through the alleys around it. She took off her shoes again to walk through a Sikh temple and on the warm marble of its artificial lake. In the mosque she had to cover her body, in the temple her hair.

  Locals constantly asked for pictures with her and her friends, which was kind of fun. Her pale skin, but mostly Emma-lin's hair were truly exotic, especially for the children. She declined men's requests, but couldn't say not to youngsters.

  She stared at the top of the Qutub Minar – the tallest brick minaret in the world – trying to imagine a young Kol-ian Vaurabi with retractile wings brooding up there. It wasn't easy in plain daylight.

  She took as many pictures as she could, and her feet hurt that night when she finally made it to bed, but she was happy. She had seen everything she wanted to see on Earth, now she could relax until the end of the trip.

  Emma-lin was unusually quiet, so they switched off the light barely saying good-night to each other. Iso-bel hoped her friend was considering switching rooms, and then she fell asleep, dreaming of spending the rest of the journey in Jes-syd's bed.

  ***

  Flying to Tokyo took five hours and a half after a final morning spent in Delhi. They left after an early lunch and landed in Tokyo for dinner, which they had at the hotel's restaurant. Jon and Henry sat at a nearby table and they could hear their conversation or pretend to ignore it.

  "Are we on Xi-kong?" Jyrki asked, noticing how the locals looked different from the rest of the world.

  "China and Japan have people like the Xi-kongians," Iso-bel told him. "And the continent called Africa would make you think you've just landed on Ulba'wis – although in centuries past they've been taken everywhere as slaves, so now you find them also in Europe and North America."

  "You are well-versed in Earth's history," Jon said, staring admiringly at her.

  "My father likes illuminated manuscripts and calligraphy and he has transmitted his love for history to me," she answered with a shrug.

  "Not to mention that he's the nephew of Kol-ian Vaurabi," Jes-syd added with a chuckle.

  "Would you like to become a guide?" John suggested. "The company I work for is always looking for guides willing to show the planet..."

  "You must love a place to guide people through it," Iso-bel replied. "And I'm barely starting to know Earth."

  "Well, you know more of Earth than I will ever know of Marc'harid." Jon shrugged.

  "Would you like me to tell you some stories of our planet?" Emma-lin suggested with an impish smile.

  Ran-ald glared at her, but she ignored him.

  That guy is old, Jes-syd transmitted. I sure hope she's not going to have sex with him only to spite Ran-ald!

  Maybe she's actually trying to force Ran-ald to do the next move, Iso-bel transmitted back as Jon muttered and excuse and looked away. He was probably aware of the age difference and didn't want to mix work and pleasure, especially not with a young telepath.

  Emma-lin shrugged and looked at the three single travelers at their table. "Are you guys married?"

  "No," Jyrki answered. "I don't have time for a relationship."

  "I have a betrothed," Fikri added. "But she didn't want to visit this backward plan
et – although it's less backward than expected, so I'll make sure to come back with her."

  "It looks like a great place for a honeymoon," Iso-bel said, staring eagerly at the Carian couple who nodded.

  "It is indeed very romantic," Haopia said.

  "K'uryss?" Emma-lin continued her inquiry. "Married, divorced, in a relationship?"

  "It'ss complicated," the Draconian answered grinning with all his teeth out. "You warm-blooded beingss wouldn't be able to undersstand."

  "Thank you for putting up with us, then," Ran-ald retorted.

  "You are nice company," K'uryss replied with a nod.

  "I'm afraid Ran-ald doesn't get your wicked humor," Jes-syd said, amused. "I'm curious to hear why a Reptilian is visiting a Humanoid planet, though."

  "Because it's a former Ssaurian colony." K'uryss shrugged. "Not that we had any Humanoid colonies, sso I was curious to ssee what our cousins had done here."

  "It's been cleaned out by now," Iso-bel said. "You should have come thirty or forty years ago."

  "Unfortunately, I wasn't born back then," K'uryss replied.

  "Wait, how old are you?" Ran-ald demanded.

  K'uryss grinned again. "Twenty."

  "Son of a bitch, you made it sound as if you were our parent's age!" Ran-ald protested.

  "Your friend is right, you don't understand my humor," K'uryss replied. "Like you, I'm exsploring the galaxsy and the Sstar Nations while I decide what to do with my future. And unlike you, I'm not limiting myself to Reptilian planets."

  "It's unsafe for Humanoids to travel to Reptilian planets," Fikri replied. "You guys are not the most welcoming race of the galaxy, not even with us."

  "Besides, you don't know if we plan on visiting Seress after we're done here," Jes-syd added.

  Iso-bel shivered at the simple thought, knowing what the last Saurian governor of Earth had done to her grandfather and his partner, but she knew Jes-syd was kidding.

  And K'uryss took it with the same humor he had showed until now. Definitely a young Reptilian who liked to joke and have fun, even though Ran-ald never got it. I'm the one who should be wary of Reptilians, Iso-bel thought, amused. Her father had mentioned a Reptoid – half Humanoid and half Reptilian – who must have been a lot like K'uryss. She wondered if he still lived on Earth, where he'd been born, and how old he was.

  Turned out Jyrki was the oldest of the group, followed by Henry, Jon, then Fikri, the Carians, K'uryss and the four Sire. Jyrki would soon retire and hopefully enjoy the fruits of his busy life. Fikri was late in getting married, but he hoped to tie the knot soon. The Carians were quite young themselves and very shy.

  "Tomorrow be ready at nine for our tour of the city," Jon said as they all headed out of the restaurant and to the elevators for the rooms.

  "Tell me you're not really thinking of doing anything with Jon or K'uryss," Iso-bel told Emma-lin as they prepared for bed. "Just give Ran-ald another chance. He seems very eager to have it!"

  Emma-lin shrugged. "I'll think about it."

  "I'll stay out late tomorrow night, I want to see the Rainbow Bridge and the Ferris wheel in the bay," Iso-bel said. "Must be nice under the moon."

  "Mm... we finish with a cruise on the river to the bay... maybe we'll come with you..."

  Iso-bel nodded. "I think I'll wash my hair now. If you want to go to sleep, I won't wake you up."

  "Go on, I've got some reading to do and messages to check..."

  ***

  "Doesn't this look like the Eiffel Tower?" Jes-syd asked at the top of the Tokyo Tower while Iso-bel stared down at the tiny houses and lower skyscrapers at their feet.

  "Except for the color... And that temple," she said pointing at a complex with pagoda roofs that made for a change in the otherwise not very original landscape.

  After the climb and the sightseeing from the top, they went to the Imperial Palace where another only-nominal ruler lived. Much like the House of Windsor in England, Japan seemed to love its imperial family, since the emperor was still considered "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people."

  The Imperial House of Japan was the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world, although the Star Nations requirements had gotten rid of all the local governments to have just one unified planet. Unlike George Windsor, who hadn't been crowned king, the latest heir of the Imperial House was still called Emperor. Hisahito was the same age as Jon and they caught a glimpse of him as he left the Imperial Palace in a flying carriage.

  The building was closed to the public but still impressive to behold. Then they headed for the complex of Asakusa, where among the temples and shops there was the five-story pagoda built in 1608, the oldest building in Tokyo. Iso-bel was impressed by the wooden constructions throughout the compound and had a delicious lunch of crab skewers and other street food.

  Jon took them to see a geisha show then led them to the Sumida river shore for their cruise. By the time they reached their destination under dozens of colorful bridges, the sun had set and the bright neon lights of the Ferris wheel seemed to call them.

  Henry waited for them at the arrival pier and took them on the Rainbow Bridge and to Odaiba, a popular shopping and sightseeing destination. After dinner, Henry took back to the hotel whoever was tired, but the couples decided to stay there and go back on their own.

  The Carians could fly, of course, but Iso-bel and Jes-syd asked Jon how to get back by public transport. Luckily the metro stations had intergalactic writing as well as the local writing, even though it lasted only a few seconds.

  Thus both couples went on the Daikanransha that, when it had opened in 1999, was the world's tallest Ferris wheel, but then lost to the London Eye which opened to the public in March 2000. Iso-bel and Jes-syd had gone on the London Eye during the day, and sitting in the Daikanransha at night was a different experience.

  The sixteen-minute ride under the colored neons programmed to display multiple patterns in over a hundred colors left both the Carians and the young Sire pleasantly surprised. Then they split and the Carians flew off as Iso-bel and Jes-syd went looking for the nearest metro station.

  They made it safely back to the hotel, and this time they checked before kissing good-night and going separate ways. Luckily moans and pants coming from the boys' room made then retire to the girls' room to make love and get some sleep.

  ***

  It was Emma-lin's turn to rush back to her things, wrapped in a bed sheet, dislodging still asleep Jes-syd.

  "I think we can switch for the rest of the journey, what do you think?" Iso-bel asked, amused, as her friend huffed and gathered clothes to go to the bathroom.

  "Yeah, yeah..." Emma-lin muttered, frowning. She locked herself in the bathroom and Iso-bel chuckled.

  She hugged her pillow again, waiting for her friend to vacate the bathroom. She liked how the trip was going. She wondered if she should keep traveling, like her parents had done before meeting and settling together.

  But then, her father had started traveling after completing his studies and she doubted he'd let her wander the galaxy without that university degree. She'd go to Sylvania to get their warrior-like education and learn their martial arts, since the Xi-kongian schools never accepted women.

  And then she could finish on Ypsilanti, again a matriarchal planet, where she could hook up with Jes-syd again. He was starting his courses on Serenaide, but could complete them on Ypsilanti. Or they could both finish on Marc'harid.

  Kim-ash was coming to Sylvania too, but Emma-lin preferred staying on Marc'harid. So this would also be her last time with her best friend, then they'd be apart for a few years. Iso-bel sighed. Growing up was bad. It meant losing friends to different life choices.

  Emma-lin emerged dressed with her hair still wet. "Your turn," she said a little less sour.

  Iso-bel quickly washed and dressed, and they joined the boys for breakfast.

  The flight to Hawaii was five hours and a half, and it was more a technical stop than a tourist stop because their
shuttle couldn't cross the Pacific in one go. It had to refuel midway and Honolulu was a good place to stop. They had only one night there and could relax on the beaches while Henry took care of the shuttle.

  Emma-lin and Ran-ald seemed unable to keep their hands off each other which made Iso-bel and Jes-syd smile and K'uriss chuckle quite often until he found company. There were some Reptilians basking in the sun and he chatted them up to spend the night with company. The Felines stayed away from water, but enjoyed the stop too. The Carians flew off exploring on their own.

  The next morning the shuttle took them to the American west coast in three hours. They visited the Yosemite National Park and its giant sequoias, and then they slept in San Francisco after a cheerful "last dinner" all together at Fisherman's Wharf.

  "We didn't really talk to any elder," Iso-bel mused as she slipped under the bed sheets. "But it was an interesting trip."

  "We'll come back," Jes-syd promised, holding her tight. "This was just a taste."

  On the flight back to Chicago, Jon said he hoped they had enjoyed his planet and would tell their friends to come over. Jes-syd had gathered a tip for him and the driver and gave it to him when they got off the flying van divided in two envelopes with local cash. Jon thanked him and wished him and his friends a bright future.

  The four Sire teens said good-bye to their traveling companions and went back to the hotel where they'd slept upon arrival. They were surprised to find Kim-ash and Dan-sam waiting for them. The couple had cleared their differences – and Kim-ash had gone back to her natural black hair – and they were ready to continue the trip with them.

  "How did you find this planet?" Kim-ash asked.

  "It's nice," Emma-lin answered. "The dolphins and whales are very friendly."

  "We should come back," Jes-syd added. "Maybe stay the whole summer next year."

  "I'd love that," Iso-bel mused. "We could meet here and tell each other how the first year of university went..."

  She hadn't been very impressed with Xi-kong, but Gaia was definitely in her heart.

  "Hey, we haven't seen Mirabilis yet!" Emma-lin said, excited. "Now, I look forward to that!"

  Iso-bel smiled. She doubted she'd like Mirabilis as much as Gaia. Although there was the Library of Cosmic Wisdom where her parents had first met twenty-three years earlier...