“I’m not sure that I approve of you two scoundrels showing her your evil ways,” Bel Lissa commented as they waited together at the lifts. “It’s bad enough that you two are going to cheat the Luxar Lines out of its hard-earned money.”
“Pah!” Zara exclaimed. “Hard-earned, indeed! That casino of won its credits the same as us, through straight-up cheating or my name’s Molla n’Dayr. Everyone knows that the house stacks the cards in their favor. This is just leveling the odds up a bit.”
“And if she is to be a proper sailor,” Sarah added, “Maya needs to learn a few social skills, even if she hasn’t a taste for gambling.”
Bel Lissa shook her head in mock disgust. “‘Skills,’ indeed! You too are just looking for another accomplice to help you with your wicked plans. Ah wells, at least we know Luxar will earn it all back from the other passengers.”
“Exactly,” Sarah agreed. “So no harm really done.”
Bel Lissa dismissed her crewmates with a wave of her hand. “I’ll meet you three bandits back here for supper.”
“Of course, Captain,” Sarah answered with a mischievous half-smile.
***
The Aphrodite’s casino took up half of a deck just aft and above the formal dining room. It was filled with every kind of game imaginable; from venerable slot machines (which Zara had called “one armed bandits” for some reason Maya could not fathom), to more contemporary games from every corner of the Sisterhood and beyond. Maya found herself quickly overwhelmed by the lights and the noise of the place, but her companions seemed perfectly at home in the carnival-like confusion.
“Well,” Zara announced over the sound of a jackpot being won, “I’m off for a good old fashioned game of Hriss Thre’vash or maybe some Stars. I know that Sarah here has a taste for wagering on Bat-Bat. You’d probably like that, Maya.”
“Yes,” Maya agreed, having only the faintest idea what Thre’vash or Stars were. Not that she was interested in anything that the Hriss might have to offer, even if it were merely for entertainment.
“Best of luck,” Sarah replied with a wink, “though I doubt you’ll need it, Zara.”
She took Maya’s hand and guided her through the crowds to the center of the casino. When Zara had mentioned wagering on Bat-Bat, Maya had assumed it would take the form of placing bets by holoviewer. The very last thing she expected to encounter was a full size Bat-Bat field, enclosed by a plastiglass viewing area and real live teams.
Bat-Bat was the game for the citizens of the Sisterhood, and even Maya had played a rough version of it in the streets of Ashkele. Eight players composed a team, with one player acting as a guard for each side. All of the players were equipped with body armor, a plastic shield and a flat bat roughly the length of a woman’s arm, with the goal-guard possessing a slightly larger shield and bat.
The batlyball, which was the object of both team’s attentions, was a small thing; roughly a quarter of the size of an average woman’s head, and made of pleather. Once it was in play, players could only strike it with their bats or their shields. If a player struck the batlyball with a body part, a penalty was awarded to her team, and it would be re-served in favor of the opposition.
The object of Bat-Bat was simple; to drive the batlyball into the friendly goal area, with a point being gained for each goal until ten rounds had been played. The winner was the team with the highest amount of points.
What made the game challenging was that while the rules forbade contact with the batlyball with anything but shield and bat, anything else was fair game, even other players. Bat-Bat tournaments were famous, or infamous, depending on whom a woman asked, for the number of players knocked into unconsciousness, or badly injured, by a shield strike, or a hit from an opponents bat. And full-scale melees between rival teams were not uncommon.
For this reason, the Supreme Circle had debated outlawing Bat-Bat on and off for years, but with little popular support. Just as the Roman Empire had discovered with its famed circuses, the Senatrixs had learned that the women of the Sisterhood craved the aggressive outlet that Bat-Bat provided.
Maya read the holodisplays. The teams playing that day were the Zommerlaandar Aegliles and the Thermadonian Tigarri, and the odds strongly favored the Aegiles. Looking down at the rectangular playing field, she could see why. Dressed in menacing black and red armor, the Zommerlaanders were gigantic. They looked as if they would simply roll over their smaller opposition without even breaking a sweat.
Sarah had another opinion however. “Do not let appearances deceive you,” she cautioned. “The Tigarri may not by favored, but their speed and dexterity may yet win over the larger Aegliles team. That and certain, let us say, tricks, played on them by fortune.”
She addressed the holodisplay; “I’ll take 1,000 credits on the Tigarri to win, please.”
“Do you also wish to bet on a winning score?” the AI asked her. “The odds are much higher, but so is the pay out.”
“Yes, please,” Sarah replied, “I will bet that the final score will be 8 Tigarri, 2 Aegliles.”
“Your wager has been recorded, jantildam. Enjoy the game.”
Maya understood enough about Sarah’s talents to realize that the outcome would be exactly as she had wagered, however implausible it might have seemed. Sarah smiled, clearly aware of the girl’s thoughts, and then nodded to a group across the field.
“It seems that the Lady Felecia n’Calysher and her companions are also attending the game today. Perhaps after the match we can pay our respects to the gentlelady.”
Maya blushed, but couldn’t resist seeking the young woman out with her eyes. Once she caught sight of her, Maya’s pulse started to race out of control and her breath caught in her throat. Heady memories of holding Felecia in her arms came back to her so strongly that she almost missed the beginning of the match.
“Welcome to this special All Worlds Bat-Bat League game, hosted by Luxar Lines aboard their five-star flagship, the Aphrodite, where elegance and travel meet,” an announcer said. “The Zommerlaandar Aegiles are facing off against the Thermadonian Tigrarri to determine who will become this year’s League Champions. This promises to be an exciting match between a veteran team with an unbroken winning streak and an ambitious challenger hoping to take the title for themselves.”
Then, “The referee has given the signal, and the ball is now in play.”
Immediately, the Aegliles charged across the field, swinging savagely with their bats and shields as they captured the batlyball and drove the Tigarri back. But just when it seemed that their path to the goal was clear, a Tigarri dashed in and attempted to steal the ball away by diving to the ground and swatting at it with her shield.
The nearest Aegliles player did her best to block the interloper with her own shield, but she was just a hair too slow. This enabled the Tigarri to complete her maneuver and serve the ball to a fellow team member, who rushed it down the field.
Already committed to their headlong charge, the Aegliles took a moment to compensate, and although they attempted to intercept the supporting Tigarri players with some vicious shield blows, nothing could stop the ball from making it to the goal. The Tigarris had scored their first point.
Undaunted, the Aegliles were determined to regain the upper hand and counterattacked viciously. Time and time again though, their players were outmaneuvered by the faster, cleverer Tigarris. Although they finally managed to score two points, these were widely spaced and dearly bought; two of their team members suffered injuries that took them out of the game and reserve players had to come onto the field to replace them.
Not that the Tigarris emerged wholly unscathed. In one play, as a Tigarri player was attempting to come to the aid of her sisters, she suffered a vicious blow under her chin from an Aegliles bat. It sent her flying backwards and knocked her unconscious.
But despite this, and other equally ferocious exchanges, the outcome, in the end, was without question. The Tigarris, who had been the underdogs, had won soundly over
the Aegliles, scoring eight points to two.
“Shall we go and collect our winnings and then console the Lady n’Calysher?” Sarah asked. “I believe that she wagered on the Aegliles, as most of the audience did, and I am sure that she could use some cheer.”
She took Maya over to the cashier and after collecting a neat 10,000 credits, maneuvered them around the gallery to the Lady n’Calysher’s party. Mellissy and Chandel scowled at them as they walked up, but Maya ignored this.
“Lady n’Calysher?” Sarah asked, “Did you enjoy the game?”
“No,” she replied sadly, “I am afraid that I bet against the Tigarris when my heart had suggested otherwise. I suppose I should have listened. I might have been a few credits richer for it.”
“Our condolences, gentlelady,” Sarah offered. “Perhaps you might allow us to treat you to lunch as a way of helping to soothe your loss?”
“Your offer is very gracious,” Felecia replied, “but I’m not sure if my companions—”
“Yes, indeed!” Mellissy sneered. “Gracious enough, but we already have a pressing engagement elsewhere, an important engagement with women of substance.”
“How disappointing,” Sarah replied, disregarding Mellissy’s incivility. “We were so hoping for the pleasure of your company, Lady n’Calysher. I know that Maya here certainly was.”
Maya wanted to strike Sarah for saying this, but she was also relieved. The woman had just expressed her innermost wishes.
“My apologies,” Felecia replied with genuine regret, “but unfortunately my companion is correct. We are scheduled for another meeting. Perhaps we can arrange it for another time. I would like that very much.”
Sarah inclined her head in acknowledgement. “Of course, gentlelady. We will await your pleasure.” With that, Lady n’Calysher and her friends departed.
The moment that they were gone, she turned to Maya. “You can breathe now,” she said. Then, “Tell me, are you interested in another wager perhaps?”
“Maybe” Maya replied carefully, “What are the stakes?”
“I will wager with you that we will be hearing from the good Lady in short order. Say--a credit or two?”
“Done,” Maya said. It was wager that she desperately wanted to lose.
***
A gilded invitation, printed on real paper, arrived just as Maya was eating her breakfast. Sarah walked into the dining room with it.
“It seems that the Lady Felecia has requested the honor of your presence this afternoon at tea,” she announced.
“She has?” Maya replied, pleased and a little startled at the same time.
“Yes, and only you, Maya,” Sarah said with a knowing smile. “Offhand, it would appear that I have won our little wager.” She handed the card over to Maya to read for herself.
“What should I wear for this?” the girl asked. “I’ve never been to a formal tea before.”
“Unless I am vastly mistaken,” Sarah answered, “I think that the best attire would be your flight suit and leather jacket. I believe that of all the items you could wear, that the Lady Felecia would find those garments to be the most appealing ensemble.”
“But how should I act?” Maya wondered.”What do I do at a tea?”
“Just be who you are,” her crewmate suggested. “As for the tea, I think that it will take care of itself.”
***
A servant in a simple, but well-tailored comerci met Maya at the front door of Senatrix n’Calysher’s suite.
“Ms. N’Kaaryn?” the woman asked, “The Lady Felecia has been expecting you. If you will follow me.”
The servant led her through the suite, which was just as opulent as her own. Felecia was waiting for her in the dining area, accompanied by a dour, older woman who stood off to one side. As Maya entered the room, the woman scrutinized her with a cold, professional stare.
But Felecia smiled at her, dispelling the chill that emanated from her companion. “Maya, I am so glad that you came!” she exclaimed, “I was worried that business matters or something else might have detained you. This is Sharra,” she said indicating the hard-faced figure. “She is my bodyguard.”
Maya vaguely recalled seeing her at dinner the night before, but hadn’t paid her much attention. Now Sharra’s frank inspection suddenly made perfect sense and she was tempted to tell Felecia that protecting her was also her assignment, but stopped herself.
Bel Lissa had never mentioned whether or not the girl was aware of what was going on, and she didn’t want to jeopardize their mission. Besides which, with Sharra on duty, and neither of them the wiser, she could relax and enjoy her time with Felecia.
“Why would you need a bodyguard?” she asked instead.
Felecia sighed tiredly. “Oh, my mother insists on it. Being a Senatrix means that you sometimes make enemies.”
Maya raised her eyebrows in feigned surprise. “I had no idea that your lives were like that.”
“Yes, it is all a terrible nuisance,” Felecia said dismissively. She gestured to a nearby couch and not to the formal place setting at the table. “Shall we sit? We can enjoy our tea here. I think it would be much more comfortable.”
The servant who had shown her in, brought an elegant Kaddasian silver tray laden with a small teapot and some delicious looking cakes, which she put down on the small table in front of the couch. But instead of waiting on them as Maya had expected, she hurriedly departed.
“Isn’t anyone else joining us?” Maya asked, desperately hoping that Felecia’s answer would be negative.
“No,” Felecia replied, gracefully pouring out a cup of tea for each of them. “Mellissy and Chandel are out shopping, and my mother is attending some kind of dreary meeting. She was going to hold it here in our staterooms, but I convinced her to take her guests to lunch at La Floresé instead. It had something to do with terraforming and mineral rights on some planet or another… and was far, far too tiresome for my tastes.”
Maya recalled that the La Floresé was one of the many restaurants aboard the Aphrodite. It was an expensive place, but also very private and probably more suited to a business luncheon than the staterooms would have been. It also gave her time alone with Felecia, even if her bodyguard still hovered in the background.
“Knowing the way that such affairs go, no one will be back for hours,” Felecia said. “Which reminds me…” She looked over her shoulder at the bodyguard. “Sharra? I have just realized that I have a few things that need to be picked up from the dressmaker and the jewelers. Could you be a dear and take care of those errands for me before they close?”
“Lady Felecia,” the bodyguard answered reproachfully, “you know that your mother wants me to attend you personally.”
“Oh yes,” Felecia replied, waving her objection away, “I know. You have your silly little orders. Really, I’ll be quite safe here with Maya, and I promise that we won’t leave these rooms until you return. Please, I’m sure that my mother would understand, just this once.”
Sharra’s expression became set. “I’m sorry, my Lady but I cannot do that. The Senatrix’s instructions were very explicit. I’ll send someone from the household staff to take care of the matter.”
“Very well,” Felecia sighed. “But surely, you can protect me from outside? In the corridor? There is no one in here except us, and it is the only entrance.”
“My Lady, I already have one of my staff members posted there,” Sharra advised, “and someone needs to remain inside the suite.”
“Yes, I understand; ‘defense in depth’.” Felecia acknowledged tiredly. “But can’t you defend me from the foyer just as easily? That is inside, isn’t it?”
Sharra nodded, clearly uncomfortable with the idea, but unable to compose a counter-argument.
“And could you ask whoever that you send on my errands to take some extra time to shop for my mother’s birthday gift?” Felecia added, “It is only a few days off, and I would so hate to disappoint her.”
“Of course, my Lady,” S
harra said, finally grasping her mistress’ full intent. “We certainly can’t rush things when it comes to the Senatrix’s birthday. I’ll be in the foyer if you need me. Enjoy your tea together.” She left them with a knowing gleam in her eye.
Felecia watched her leave, and as soon as the door had closed, she visibly relaxed. “I thought we’d never have a moment alone! Honestly, Maya, you can’t imagine how stifling it can be sometimes. There’s always someone with you wherever you are. You’re lucky to have as much privacy as you do.”
Maya had never given this much thought, but she had to agree. “Yes, I guess there are some drawbacks to being a Senatrix’s daughter after all,” she said, partly distracted by Felecia’s perfume. It had a subtle, haunting fragrance that she could not identify and she felt herself becoming aroused. A clinical part of her wondered if there were pheromones in its ingredients, but then she decided that she didn’t really care after all.
“Yes,” Felecia replied. “One of the biggest problems is meeting someone special, and finding the time and the place to spend with them. Alone.” She moved a bit closer to Maya on the couch and took her hand. “I am glad you came today, Maya.”
“I’m glad that I could be here,” Maya said, cautiously placing her free hand over Felecia’s.
The girl returned her gesture with a gentle, reassuring squeeze and looked up at her through her long dark lashes. “You can kiss me if you like,” she said quietly.
Maya didn’t need to be asked twice, and leaned in to meet Felecia’s eager lips. Their tongues met in a hot electric embrace, and Felecia brought Maya’s hand up to her breast with a soft moan.
Maya responded with enthusiasm, grabbing its softness in her hand and squeezing it gently. And as she explored Felecia’s neck with her mouth, she discovered that the young woman’s elegant coif was only held in place by a trio of large golden pins. She pulled them free, and Felecia’s soft scented tresses spilled out over the couch as Maya eased her down.
Sisterhood of Suns: Pallas Athena Page 45