The music was pulsing and harmonizing in sweet strains as Ian and I climbed the dais. There, at the center of the stage, a huge man with the same light coloring as Ian dominated the conversation in a group of well-dressed people. The way everyone gave him a wide berth proved he was of some sort of planetary importance. The man looked up as we crested the stairs and when his eyes met mine I felt a little thrill rush down my spine. For a moment I was frozen in place.
Now there’s a man! I couldn’t keep my thought out of the channel.
Now there’s a predator. Roman responded.
Predator? My eyes were still locked with the sharp blue eyes of the man opposite me. He had a strong magnetism to him. He dominated everything, even from meters away. Maybe he was a predator. He made me think of those vampire romance novels Denise loved to read. He exuded a sense of danger and dominance, but at the very same time the look in his eyes was seductive. I immediately saw his resemblance to his son. His chiseled face and huge frame were more mature versions of Ian’s and his magnetism was like Ian’s, only intensified with age. It poured out of his physical frame and reached out to me.
You look like a doe in a searchlight, Vera. Wake up.
Thanks Aldrin, I needed that. With a start, I moved on, glancing at Ian to see if he had noticed my reaction to his father. Apparently he had. He was wearing a speculative look.
“Ambassador Matsumoto, let me present you to my father, the Overseer of Capricornia. Father, this is Ambassador Vera Matsumoto of the Blackwatch Empire.”
I gave the traditional Blackwatch half-bow and my gesture was returned by a graceful nod in return.
The Planetary Overseer moved in close to me with an almost intimate posture, smiling as he drew close enough that I could feel the warmth of his body nearby. He took my elbow in his hand as he spoke.
“Ms. Matsumoto, let me extend my welcome and my great delight at our meeting. It is not often that we have so rare a gem grace our planet.”
I felt Roman shifting uncomfortably behind me. He flashed a warning through the channel, but I ignored him. The Overseer clearly got whatever he wanted and never doubted for a moment that I wouldn’t find his closeness appealing. It was, actually. But he couldn’t possibly mean anything by it. I was still in my teens and he was old enough to be my father.
“Thank you, Overseer. I assure you that the honor is mine. This party is truly extravagant.”
“Please, Ambassador, it is the least that I can do. Now, let me introduce you to our guests.” He guided me to the edge of the stage and then signaled the technicians. They turned on the amplification system and then gave him the signal.
“My fellow Capricornians, welcome.” The noise died immediately as the people turned to their leader. He had the same effect on them that he had on me. “It is with great pride that I present to you our guest of honor. As you know, our planet attracts the best and the brightest from every sector of the universe. Our guest is no exception. Let me present to you the Ambassador of the Blackwatch Empire and cousin to their Emperor, Vera Matsumoto. Please join me in welcoming her.”
The crowd burst into applause and I bowed in acknowledgement, feeling a moment of déjà vu as I felt the crowd’s approval.
Oh he’s a slick one, that McIsaac. Roman said.
Let me have this moment. It’s a relief to be around people who aren’t out for my blood.
Seriously? Are you stupid? There is too much going on here for you to bask in their momentary favor.
Maybe if I ignored Roman long enough he’d cut it out.
“Please, enjoy my hospitality to the fullest. Show our guest a good time. Good night and long life to Capricornia.” The last statement sounded like the usual government platitude, but there was an ironic twist to his mouth as he said it that gave me a funny feeling. Overseer McIsaac was a puzzle.
You may be right, Roman.
The satisfaction coming through the channel was almost too much.
The Overseer lifted one hand in farewell, and at his motion the fireworks started in earnest. It was a well-designed and grand show. The politician in me approved. He turned to me and pitched his voice for my hearing alone.
“I hope your trip here is successful, Ambassador.”
“About that, Overseer. I would like to begin my investigation into my cousin’s disappearance as soon as possible.”
“My son, Ian, will handle all that. Speak to him about whatever you need.”
He left with what appeared to be his usual flair.
I turned to Roman, hoping to judge his reaction to the Overseer, but unlike his thoughts, his expression was neutral as he scanned the crowds for threats.
“Would you like to dance, Ambassador?” Ian was already at my side, his intimate smile a ghost of his father’s.
“I’d be honored,” I said with a smile. After all, I needed to get into my liaison’s good graces.
We joined the dancers at the nearest floor. Roman looked uncomfortable. He didn’t like being physically separated from me, but this party was hardly high risk. We’d already been assured that every guest was vetted before coming tonight. Besides, dancing was right up there with passing the cucumber sandwiches in the world of diplomacy: a definite must. I’ve always been a competent dancer, though I’m unlikely to win a talent contest for the vids. Ian, however, surprised me.
“You dance like you mean it,” I said.
“I do mean it,” he said, with a smile. “Swing dancing is a passion of mine.”
“Do you have other passions?”
“Many. Politics, for one.”
“Politics? If I understood correctly the job of Overseer is not hereditary.”
“True.” He seemed to consider for a moment before he continued with a twinkle in his eye, “Of course it can’t hurt me to be seen dancing with foreign royalty.”
I laughed before I realized it.
“It’s a pity my father couldn’t stay.” His eyes said that he meant the exact opposite.
“He did seem to be in a rush. I’ve never heard an official speech that was so short.” I really hadn’t and I’ve been attending these boring events for half my life.
“Oh that!” Ian chuckled and a glimmer of boyishness appeared on his face. “We in Capricornia don’t care much for speeches. We are people of action and endeavor, not words. He probably scored five points in the polls with a speech like that and a party like this.” He waved a hand at the party surrounding us.
Several acts had started up as soon as the speech had ended, and although we were closest to the old time swing band, there were stages all along the beach with a wide variety of live music and dramatic shows going on. I recognized the ambiance, it was all the rage these days to do things fully ‘authentic’ without digital aid or holographic effects. The live shows were making up for the lack of modern effects with light and color shows. Some of them had large dance crews as part of their acts, too. If I was going to be shown all of them it would be a long night.
“Would you like to see the rest of the acts?” Ian asked. I really wouldn’t, but as a diplomat I knew it was my duty, so I nodded pleasantly.
Have some mercy on me and avoid the fire displays, Roman chimed in. He was shadowing us from the edge of the crowd with a constipated look on his face. Oddly enough he seemed to be the only one who did. Usually at these events there were dozens of security personnel.
Feeling the pinch, Roman?
He ignored me.
“I don’t see many security people, Ian.”
“Capricornia is a safe planet, Ambassador. Don’t worry, we have carefully vetted everyone here.”
“I would have thought that someone of your stature would have his own detail,” I said.
He shrugged disarmingly. “I don’t need one. We have people monitoring the party. We are aware of your importance and have taken appropriate measures.”
His words were perfectly fine, but there was something about his tone that bothered me. I felt edginess from Roman, who was o
bviously listening in over the channel. He didn’t like the idea of such low security any more than I did.
At least they seem to be normal people, not charging green aliens or anything, I said to him.
Green aliens would be better, at least we would know where we stand. Humans are trickier. They could be up to anything.
I could see his point. For a second my mind flashed back to Ian’s father and Roman’s gut reflex. Predator.
Ian seemed to be reading my mind.
“I saw that my father was quite taken with you. You’ve found a true friend in our Planetary Overseer,” he said, smiling. He had to speak loudly. Now that we were closer to some of the heavier bands and bigger shows, the beach was practically booming with sound.
It was a strange comment-almost jealous -and it made me uneasy, so I tried to smooth it over as well as I could.
“I’m grateful for the hospitality your planet has shown me already, Ian. I’m fortunate to be so well received and even to have my own liaison.” I looked around at the Capricornians around us, dancing with an intense fervor I’d rarely seen on any Blackwatch planet. “Your people seem very exuberant.”
“We live in the moment,” he answered, but he seemed distracted as he looked around at the crowd.
They really did seem to be living in the moment. Every Capricornian around me was at one with the music at the nearby stage. On the stage a man in an artistically deconstructed tux was leading his group in an almost tribal neo-tech R&B number, and with every throbbing pulse of music the crowd spasmed in response. The fire effects across the stage were impressive. I saw Roman’s frown from across the crowd when a particularly bright green flame fountained into the starry sky. The tempo was speeding up and around me the crowd grew more frantic in its almost religious intensity.
I sensed rather than saw Roman moving towards me, a quiet flicker of red coming over the channel, like he thought there was danger but wasn’t really sure. It seemed like nothing to me. After all, everyone enjoyed music, and this was obviously a popular group. I turned to Ian to comment on it, but the look on his face caught me by surprise. He seemed wary and worried all in one. My eyes ran over the crowd, scanning for the threat, but it was only when I started to notice individuals that I realized what was going on.
The music had changed to something dark and it was resonating with the crowd. A woman next to me had a bloodlust in her eye that hadn’t been there a moment before. One man nudged another and they both turned to stare at me. It was so strange. The words of the song weren’t about death or destruction, but were along the lines of the hope for society as it passes from one generation to another.
Confusing as it was, it was definitely provoking a deep reaction. Hands groped out of the dark, and the crowd changed from a group of harmonious dancers to a nervous herd of cattle. People jostled me at unexpected moments, and as I moved to avoid them I was swept in an unexpected direction. This wasn’t right.
Ian seemed to come to the same conclusion. His arm reached out behind me, not quite touching me, in a protective gesture.
“Let’s get out of here. I can hardly hear myself think.” His tone was light, but his eyes were sober, and I followed his lead.
THE EX-PACIFIST: 21
A FEW STEPS INTO OUR retreat, Roman materialized out of nowhere and led us through the crowd. The look in his eyes was all that was needed to clear a path for us. Roman was that kind of person. If you met him on a dark night you’d try to hide in the shadows. If he looked like he did right now on a sunny day in the middle of a parade ground full of the Imperial Guard, you’d still feel an urge to run. Predator. I guess that’s why he saw that in Ian’s father. It takes one to know one.
We were out of the crowd and heading up the beach before anyone spoke.
“I have a yacht not far up the beach. Perhaps a look at the ocean would be a better choice?” Ian was all gentleman and flowing charm again, as if the previous events had never occurred. I spared a cool glance back towards the gathered crowd.
“You must excuse my people, Ambassador. We’re very much in the moment. Carpe diem and all that. No one means anything by it,” he said, and with a slight laugh he dismissed the entire event.
“What can we see on the ocean at night, Mr. Mc Isaac?” I asked, gracefully moving to a new subject. If he wanted to dismiss his people so easily then I would let him – for now. After all, hadn’t Denise been at a party like this? But she’d checked in once, so she hadn’t gone missing the first night.
“Actually, the island of Alouise is best seen at night. It is covered in lichen native to our planet and when the moon is up it glows.”
“That I would like to see,” I said with a smile, shelving my concerns for the time being.
“And I will be glad to show you. Please, follow me… your man, too, of course,” he said including Roman with a gracious nod.
Roman said nothing. I didn’t even want to know what he thought about being called my ‘man.’ We both fell in with Ian and it wasn’t far before we reached a small marina. Ian spoke briefly with the guard on duty and we were promptly buzzed in and began winding our way through the quays to where Ian’s yacht was docked.
She was beautiful with lines that looked like the latest in engineering. What was with this guy and his toys? Ian paused for a moment to admire the boat, as if it were someone else’s and not his own, and then he reached for my hand to help me in. I paused, mid-step, and turned to Roman.
“My bodyguard will need to inspect the craft before I can enter.”
“Of course,” Ian said with a smile, stepping aside as Roman climbed aboard and disappeared into the belly of the watercraft.
All clear.
Do you feel comfortable with going on this yacht?
Since when have you asked my opinion? It’s safer here than you were back there. Feel free to tell your new best friend that your ‘man’ approves.
So the comment had stung.
You’ll have to say something or I’ll look like I’m hearing voices.
You are hearing a voice, and it’s smarter than yours, so pay attention.
If I ever returned to my former status I was going to have to ask one of my relatives what you did if you ended up with a bodyguard like this.
“All clear,” Roman called from below.
“Thank you for waiting,” I turned to Ian, accepting his hand up onto the yacht. “Do you pilot it yourself?”
“Of course I do. I’m a man of many talents.”
“I see that.”
Obviously talking to the ladies isn’t one of them.
Thanks, Roman. Your comments are oh so helpful.
It’s my pleasure. I could feel his smugness.
I’m sure. The wryness left an aftertaste in my mouth.
“Do you do much boating at home?” Ian asked.
“A little,” I said, watching him gently maneuver the boat through the marina and out onto the waves. “Enough to know that this is a beautiful watercraft.”
“I had her custom built. I’m afraid this will be your only chance to ride on her. Our itinerary is planned to the second, but I’ll make sure it’s worth your time.”
“You don’t need to go so far out of your way to make me welcome,” I said, warmed by his kindness. He gestured to the seat beside his and I slipped into it. The seats were small and close to save room on the vessel and I found myself squeezed hip to knee against him.
“Nonsense. It’s not only my duty, it’s my delight,” he shot me a glance from under thick eyelashes that smoldered in the moonlight. I felt my heart kick up a notch. Despite the adrenaline and nerves I’d been running on for the past days, that one look seemed to matter to me for some reason.
This guy sounds like a cheap romance novel.
Would you knock it off, Roman? Your tender thoughts are not exactly conducive to helping me build a working relationship here.
They’re not only my duty, they’re my delight.
Shut up and keep your eyes peel
ed for trouble.
Out here on a lone boat, with two against one odds?
One against one. Remember, I can’t fight.
Won’t make a difference. If Ian makes a wrong move I’ll be there before you ever need to worry about that little law.
He sounded dangerous.
Our captain, despite Roman’s firm belief in his deficiencies, found Alouise quickly and easily. I had to admit it was worth seeing. The glowing lichen danced like the aurora borealis of New Greenland and then the glow was taken up by the waves below in a thousand tiny reflections. I lifted my face into the sea breeze, breathing in the fresh scent and enjoying the wind stroking through my hair. It was like an enchanted wonderland, and in this moment I forgot about Haverman and Edward, and Denise and even the Emperor and it was just me and Ian and the beautiful dancing light.
Ian was watching carefully for my response and I think he was pleased to see my initial delight.
“It’s beautiful, Ian, well worth the trip,” I smiled warmly at him as I spoke.
He took my hand, pulled me up and led me to the prow.He put a hand on each of my shoulders, guiding me towards the brightest point of the island. “The lichen only grows on Capricornia, a little bioengineering present from our founders.”
“Does it glow like that all year round?” I asked, distractedly. His hands hadn’t left my shoulders and I was very conscious of their warmth.
“Sure. I come here often to watch it at night and think.”
He pulled me against him, looking over my right shoulder.
“It seems so peaceful compared to the shore party.” I nodded back towards the beaches. The revelry could still be heard even from this far out.
“Everyone finds a different way to fill their desperation.”
“Philosophical.”
“It’s true.”
“How do you fill your desperation, Ian?” I asked, flippantly. The last thing I wanted was to think about desperation. It hit way too close to the mark. If I was anything right now it was desperate. Desperate to make this last chance work. Desperate to find a way to come to terms with Edward’s death. Desperate to make sense of a world that had changed so suddenly.
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