The Space Merchants

by Wendie Nordgren

  The smell of coffee and the touch of claws walking across my back woke me. My face was planted in a pillow. I had torn the towel from my head while I slept. I hugged the covers to my chest as I rolled toward the smell. "Good morning, my lady," Stewart said as he picked the towel up from off of the floor. I made a whining noise at him. Stewart stood with a cup of coffee, waiting for me to sit up. Once I did he placed the cup in my hand. I sniffed it, blew on the contents, and took a tentative sip. It was just right. I yawned and had more. I scratched the side of my head. My hair felt tangled. I got up and took the cup with me into the bathroom. My hair looked like one of the webs after it had been collected. I picked up my brush and began working on the snarls. I wet my fingers and tried to tame it some more. I got the tangles out and braided it. I secured the end with a green tie, so I had to wear something that would match it. I found a white dress with green polka dots and a matching green sweater. "Lady Teagan, Thunderdrop has gone down to breakfast with Cass and ZeeZee."

  "Wow, really?"

  "Yes, Arachnean Silk spiders are social," he said with a pointed look.

  "Okay, I'm going down there." I slipped on some shoes. I took the coffee with me.

  Stepping from the lift, I heard a commotion at the main entrance. Peeping around, I saw men bringing in Thunderdrop's sculpture. I was happy Thunderdrop had picked out something so pretty for our quarters. Stewart saw the men out, but more commotion entered. Stewart bowed low at the waist as two older ladies entered the foyer. I ducked back behind a stone and wood pillar and almost sloshed my coffee. I took a quiet sip from it. "Good morning, Lady Montgomery, Lady Alaric," Stewart said. Simon rushed forward from the breakfast table.

  "Mother! What a surprise!" Eliot strode forward, kissing the other lady on the cheek.

  "Mother," Eliot said. I judged the distance between the pillar and the lift.

  "Word reached me that my son has a lovely house guest. Naturally, we came to meet her," Lady Montgomery said. "Why you did not bring her to meet me, I am unclear. Must your mother hear things from the community and not her own son?" Simon bowed over her hand.

  "Forgive me, mother. Mrs. Lee is a dear friend and is married to one of my best friends. She is here for a brief stay, and I thought to keep her to myself."

  Lady Montgomery said, "Yourself? Is that why your cousin Eliot is here?" Eliot bowed to Lady Montgomery as well. ZeeZee, Cass, and Thunderdrop entered from the kitchen. Thunderdrop crawled up to my shoulder. All eyes turned toward the massive ZeeZee and then, by default to me. I groaned. Lady Montgomery said, "What are you doing hiding over there? Please, come here, and let us see you." Stewart cleared his throat pointedly at my hesitation to comply, so I came out from behind the pillar and approached them cautiously.

  In as unobtrusive a voice as I could manage, I said, "Good morning. I didn't want to intrude."

  Lady Montgomery said, "Nonsense, it is you whom we have come to meet." Lady Alaric looked at Simon.

  "Dear, are you going to invite us in or have us stand here in the foyer all morning?" Simon's face turned a red that almost rivaled his hair.

  "Yes, Lady Alaric. Please, come in." Stewart led them to the breakfast table. I held back and sipped my coffee. Simon and Eliot held out chairs for their mothers. The ladies wore exquisite morning dresses of pale silk. Lady Montgomery's dress was yellow with large orange blooms. She wore a fitted white jacket over it. She wore her long strawberry blonde and grey hair down and curled at the ends. She was very beautiful. Lady Alaric's dress was cream, and she had a pale blue shawl draped across her shoulders. Her dark hair was done up in an elaborate braid. Strands of pearls fell around her collarbone. Her eyes fastened on me. I cringed. Thunderdrop chittered.

  "Simon, pull out her chair! Where are your manners this morning, boy?" Lady Montgomery asked. Simon jumped. I sat where he pulled out a chair. The chair was not as far down the table as I had hoped. Stewart poured coffee and the interrogation began.

  "Mrs. Lee is it?" Lady Alaric asked.

  "Yes, ma'am."

  "Where are you from, dear?" she asked.

  "I'm from Union Port City on Earth."

  Lady Montgomery asked, "What was your name prior to your marriage?"

  "It was Teagan Green, ma'am."

  Lady Montgomery said, "Green? Do you have family on Earth?" I looked at the rich dark color of the coffee filling my cup.

  "Just one I don't care to speak of, ma'am." I started to get pissed. I didn't owe these ladies any explanations. Thinking about my father gave me achy chills in my chest. Not looking up I asked, "You ladies mind if I eat?" Thunderdrop chittered and climbed down from me.

  "Of course, not," Lady Montgomery replied. Stewart began filling our plates with eggs, sausages, and potato wedges.

  "Mother, you look lovely this morning," Eliot said. She patted her hair.

  "Thank you, Eliot." I gave my plate all of my attention. I could sneak out to the transports in the back and be home to Tora in an hour or so. Cass chittered away at Simon. Simon shot Lady Montgomery a look. I was too full to eat any more. Thunderdrop chittered at me from the wall.

  Lady Montgomery smiled warmly at him and said, "What a handsome boy he is!" I gazed adoringly at Thunderdrop.

  "Yes, he is handsome and very smart," I agreed.

  "Have you been together long?" she asked. I thought about the Parvac soldier chasing me through the forest. Thunderdrop came to sit in my lap.

  "Mother," Simon said.

  Lady Montgomery blushed, "Oh, yes. Forgive me."

  Lady Alaric said, "Mrs. Lee, please allow us to entertain you today. A dear friend of ours has invited us to tea and for a stroll in her gardens." I felt a moment of panic and exchanged a look with Simon.

  "That is very kind of you to offer, but I don't want to impose."

  Lady Montgomery looked abashed, "Impose? Nonsense!"

  Lady Alaric said, "Come along, dear. Your dress is perfect for the occasion." I looked down at my dress. Thunderdrop blinked up at me. Simon and Eliot pulled out their mothers' chairs. Then, Eliot pulled mine out for me. Simon wouldn't meet my eyes or even attempt to rescue me. Lady Eliot entwined my arm with hers and escorted me to the doors. I couldn't go to tea with these ladies. I looked back to Simon, who looked at his shoes. Thunderdrop scampered up my skirt to my shoulder. I tried to catch Simon's eyes, but instead saw Lady Montgomery who smiled at me.

  She said, "Change your expression, dear. You have the look of a small mammal surrounded by a nest of Silk spiders." Stewart snickered from where he held the door open. I frowned at him. A driver waited by the ladies' transport. He opened the doors, and I was ushered inside. Then, we were off to I had no idea where.

  Eventually, we turned down a long drive that ended in front of a massive house. The front doors were constructed of plasti-glass and were twelve feet high. The roof came to a point several feet above the doors and then extended over the parking area. Huge log pillars braced the overhanging roof against the ground. As I stepped from the transport, I noticed more beams supporting the overhead structure and a giant web built amongst them. Two butlers opened the doors for us. I followed Lady Montgomery and Lady Alaric. I had never been more out of place in my life. Thunderdrop snuggled against my neck. An elegant woman, who was a little closer to my age, welcomed us. "Lady Alaric, Lady Montgomery, I am so pleased you have come. This must be the Lady Lee of whom we have heard so much. Please, come in," she said.

  Lady Alaric said, "Lady Glaucia, please allow me to introduce Lady Teagan Lee. Our sons have been hiding her away it seems." I extended my hand. Lady Glaucia shook hands with me.

  "It's nice to meet you, Lady Glaucia. You have a lovely home," I said.

  "It is nice to meet you, but I must insist that you call me Jae."

  "Please call me Teagan." Jae led us into a living room where two other ladies sat on a couch and another lady sat on a chair near them.

  "Teagan Lee, our friends are Lady Quinn, Lady Chan, and the esteemed Lady Alaric," Jae said.

&n
bsp; "Hello," I said as I touched Thunderdrop's leg for a bit of comfort.

  Lady Alaric said, "Teagan, Lady Alaric is my mother-in-law and the grandmother of my sons Eliot and Eric. Eric is the captain of the Hadrian." I nodded.

  "Yes, ma'am. I met Eric once on Scipio." She looked surprised. "It was amazing to meet him, a real Galaxic Militia captain. You must be very proud," I said. Lady Alaric beamed at me and took my hand, sitting with me on a small couch. The grandmother Alaric had the same light blue eyes as her grandsons. Lady Chan shared the same pale blue eyes as well.

  "Well, I suggest we dispense with the titles and use our names. We should be able to relax when we are free from our societal constraints," said the grandmother Alaric.

  Jae laughed, "Agreed."

  "Teagan, I've grown accustomed to answering to Gram, so use that."

  I nodded, "Thank you, Gram."

  Lady Alaric said, "Call me Sydney."

  "I'm Gerda," Lady Quinn said.

  "Ling," said Lady Chan.

  "Gina," Lady Montgomery said.

  "Would you all care to walk through the gardens? We have some fragrant new blooms," Jae asked.

  The gardens consisted of paths along which well-maintained beds of flowers bloomed in a wide array of colors. A few small wooden bridges took us over a stream that meandered through the hilly property. Thunderdrop ran through the flower beds. He stopped every now and then to see that I still followed. If I were too far behind, he blinked and waited. "You have quite the friend there," Ling said.

  "He's become more than a friend. He's family now."

  "My father enjoys such a bond with an Arachnean spider. Her name is Piter."

  "That's an interesting name," I said.

  Ling chuckled, "Father and Piter bonded when he was a very small boy. He thought he was saying spider, but the name stayed even after he was old enough to pronounce the consonants. How did you come up with Thunderdrop?" I smiled.

  "I was on pain medication. He looked like a big raindrop, and it stormed that day. I did give him some choices. He picked his name." We continued to walk.

  "The two of you are unique. Our spiders do not bond often. When they do, it has only ever been with those of us with mixed Laconian heritage. You must belong to one of the families represented here today." I stopped walking. Thunderdrop pounced on something. "This frightens you. Why?" Ling asked. I shook my head.

  "It just doesn't make any sense." Ling took my hand in hers.

  "Are you brave enough to discover the truth?" Thunderdrop approached me slowly on his eight legs. In his jaw he carried a bundle of silk. He placed it at my feet.

  "What's this?" I asked.

  "It seems your brave hunter has provided you with his kill." I looked at the bundle and then at Thunderdrop's expectant look. Oh, ick.

  "Thunderdrop, thank you very much. Yukihyo, Hiroshi, and Phillip are going to be so proud of you for taking such good care of me!"

  "Chirp chirp chirp!" Thunderdrop agreed before scampering back underneath the flowers. I looked up at Ling and then at Gram who had joined us.

  "What do I do with this?" I asked.

  Gram said, "You'll have to carry it back to the house or risk hurting his feelings. You can hand it off to a butler when we get back. Either one of them knows from experience how to deal with it." I picked it up. The silk made it stick to my palm. "Do not allow yourself to feel disgust or revulsion, or he will sense it," Gram told me. We walked toward Sydney and Jae.

  "Someone caught his mistress dinner," Sydney said.

  "Yes, what do you think it is?" I asked looking at Gram and forcing myself to smile.

  "From the size of it, I would guess a mouse. You should see what ZeeZee brings home for Eliot."

  Ling said, "Piter has brought father deer."

  We exited the garden and walked toward the house. One of Jae's butlers opened the door. Thunderdrop sat proudly on top of my head. Sydney waved him over. He looked at my palm. "My lady, it seems you managed to hunt while in the gardens."

  "Please see that cook gets this," Sydney told him. He carefully took the cocooned mouse from my palm and bowed. I rubbed Thunderdrop's leg.

  "Good, boy!" I said, so relieved that was over.

  "Chirp chirp!"

  Sydney showed me to one of the bathrooms. After washing my hands, I found all of the ladies back in the living room. A large chandelier sparkled above the seating area. Gram focused her light blue eyes on me. "Teagan, my sister was stolen from us many years ago when I was just a girl. If you are her granddaughter, or the granddaughter of one of my other lost friends, I need to know. Whoever your grandmother was, she would want you protected and home. Consent to a test." Ling held up a device.

  "It will take seconds," Ling said. Panic began to grip me. Gram held her arms out to me. A deep furrow had set between my brows.

  Gram said, "Come sit by me. I'll hold your hand, and it will be over before you know it." I took a small step forward. Gina strode forth, took me by the arm, and placed me by Gram.

  "How about some coffee, Jae? Teagan adores coffee. Isn't that right?" Gina asked. I nodded.

  "That's a great idea," Jae jumped up distracting me from Ling who pressed her device against my arm. I felt a sharp sting. Then, she pulled away and began tapping away at the device's menu options.

  Jae returned with the two butlers. One carried a tray with coffee and cups. The other carried a tray with cookies and little cakes. They served us. I wrapped my ice cold hands around the cup. Ling looked up. "Lady Alaric, will you permit a scan?"

  "Yes, of course." Gram held out her arm. Thunderdrop curled on my shoulder. Everyone watched Ling. Ling looked up.

  "Lady Alaric, Teagan is from your genetic line." The ladies made noises. Gram clutched my knee. Gina took my cup away as Gram put her arms around me and squeezed me close. I patted her awkwardly in return.

  "I don't understand," I said.

  Ling said, "My scans confirm that you are the granddaughter of Ettie Montgomery who was abducted during the Parvac Wars. She must have had a daughter, your mother."

  "But, Gram's name is Alaric...." Gram kissed my temple.

  "My name was Emma Montgomery before I married Lord Alaric. I had a sister named Ettie, who was older, and a brother named Ethan. Gina married my brother's son, my nephew Sherman. You know their boy, Simon. Sydney married my son, Ethan. You've met my grandsons, Eliot and Eric."

  Sydney said, "I believe my sons are your cousins, as is Simon." Gram looked at me with wet eyes.

  "Now, you can either call me Gram or Great-Aunt Emma."

  Trembling, I said, "Growing up I just had a father who hated me. Now, you're telling me I have you, three cousins, and Yukihyo, Hiroshi, and Phillip?" Gina added coffee to my cup and handed it back.

  Then, she said, "Actually, we are saying you belong to clan Montgomery." Gram shot her a look.

  Sydney said, "Lord Ethan Alaric will insist upon Teagan belonging to clan Alaric." Gina shook her head.

  "My dearest Sydney, Lord Sherman Montgomery will insist that Teagan belongs to clan Montgomery. Her grandmother was still a Montgomery when she was stolen. As the head of the Montgomery family, he will insist that it is his honor to care for Teagan."

  "Care for? I'm married, and I have a brother and an uncle-in-law." Gram took my coffee cup and put it on the table. Then, she patted me and pulled me to her bosom where she trapped me and patted my hair.

  "Well, we will just see," Gina said as she went over to the vid-screen to contact Lord Sherman Montgomery. Gram let me up.

  "Sydney, let's take Teagan home to Ethan and Eliot."

  Sydney said, "Eliot is at Simon's estate."

  "Well, let's go to Simon's then. Call my boy and tell him to meet us there." Gram got up, pulled me with her from the room, and took me outside to a transport. Thunderdrop chirped on top of my head. Ling followed us. She hugged me.

  "I had hoped to have you as a member of my family. I will settle for having you as a friend."

  "Thank y
ou. I'd like that," I said. I waved to Jae and Gerda.

  "Come on," Gram said. Gram's driver opened our doors. Gram sat in the back with me, and Sydney sat in the front.

  Sydney said, "Take us to Simon Montgomery's place." He drove. I saw Gina getting into the front seat with her driver, who followed us. "Are you alright?" Sydney asked.

  "I don't know. This is a lot to process." Gram didn't take her hands from me.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Stewart opened the door for us back at Simon's house. I escaped into the lift and up to my room. I washed my face in the sink with cold water. I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Maybe Ling had made a mistake. "I don't look anything like either Simon or Eliot. Do I?"

  "Chitter." I sat on the bed and picked up Thunderdrop's wand. I watched as he touched each of the streamers.

  "This entire situation is just bizarre. If it weren't for those Parvac soldiers, none of this would be happening." Someone knocked on the door. "Come in." Simon stepped in with both of his red eyebrows raised.

  "You just had to send me off with Lady Montgomery." Simon sat beside me.

  "You've met her. What choice did I have?"

  "When is Yukihyo coming back?" I asked.

  "In a few days. You've only been here one night."