The Mandala Maneuver

by Christine Pope

  The door chime sounded and he started, reaching instinctively for the heavy dark cloth. No one should be visiting here save another Zhore, but even so he was not on such intimate terms with any of the delegation staff that he could face them without the protection of his hooded cloak. As he pulled it on, he tapped a button on the security unit next to his door so he could access the camera feed and see who was visiting at such an odd hour.

  It was Alexa.

  Forgetting the hood, he tapped the button to open the door, and she pushed inside at once, her arms going around him, almost knocking him off balance even as he remembered enough of himself to shut the door again and give them some privacy. He barely managed to get out, “Alexa?” before she began to sob into his chest, her entire body heaving from her tortured breaths.

  Nothing else he could do but gather her up and carry her over to the sofa, then sit down as carefully as he could, holding her tightly against him. As much as he cared for her, thought he’d begun to know something of her mind and heart, still it shocked him to see her so upset, the steely strength he’d thought a permanent fixture of her character brittle and broken.

  Finally he asked, “What is it? What is wrong?”

  She lifted her head, her blue eyes reddened, her cosmetics leaving dark smudges on her cheeks. Even so, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. “They wanted me to lie about Mandala — lie about you — and I tried, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do it. Nelazhar — she knew I was lying. And I had to admit it, admit everything was wrong, and now I feel better, but I also feel terrible.” Her dark lashes were tangled with moisture, and she angrily blinked the tears away before continuing. “I don’t know where this leaves me, Lirzhan. As soon as they find out — as soon as Ambassador Castillo discovers what I’ve done, I’ll be dismissed at best, and possibly brought up on charges of treason. I didn’t know where to go.”

  “My love, it will be all right.” He brushed a damp strand of hair away from her face. It almost broke him as well to see her so tragic, so bereft of hope. “I am glad you came. I will not let anything bad happen to you.”

  Despite everything, she managed a watery smile. “I love you, Lirzhan, but I’m not sure what you think you can do to hold off the Consortium’s lawyers once they get a whiff of this.”

  It was the first time she’d ever told him that she loved him, and although his heart sang at the words, he knew he could not allow himself to be distracted. Not now, when her very safety depended on some quick and level thinking. “Can I ask you something, Alexa? Something important.”

  She went still then, her gaze sharpening as she stared up into his face. “Go ahead.”

  “Your coming here — was it only because this was the most convenient refuge you could think of, or was it because you have made a choice to leave your life with the Consortium behind?” Even as he asked he felt his heart beating more quickly, dreading what her answer might be, but he had to know. They were not playing a game.

  Her answer was immediate. “I left it behind the second I decided to tell Councilor Nelazhar the truth. The Consortium doesn’t appreciate those who don’t play by its rules. And I’m so tired of the games, the convenient lies. I didn’t even realize how tired of all of it I was until Nelazhar told me to listen to my heart. When I did that, everything became clear. I want to be with you, Lirzhan. Whether that’s here or on your home world or on a colony someplace where no one knows who we are, I don’t really care. We can figure that out later.”

  His heart swelled, and he pulled her closer, kissing her again, trying to let her know by his touch how much her words had moved him, how much the terrible decision she’d had to make tore at his heart. For she would be leaving everything she knew behind to go with him. From this choice, there could be no turning back.

  Her mouth opened to his, and she returned his kiss with a feverish intensity, her body pushing against his, and he could sense the need in her, the terrible aching want. He had to take her, and reassure her, and let her know that she had made the right decision.

  How light she felt in his arms as he carried her to his bedchamber, and how perfect her body as she tore off the severe suit and threw it on the carpeted floor. In that action he thought he saw more of her denial of her past, of the person the Consortium had wanted her to be. He pulled her close, feeling the silkiness of her flesh against his, lending her his warmth and his strength. In their joining, he wanted her to taste their future, and know it held only joy, not pain.

  It was the least he could do for her.

  Eighteen

  Alexa opened her eyes and stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling, painted in a soft cloudscape that echoed the serene greens and blues around her. Above the gentle trickle of the fountain in the corner of the room she heard the light, sussurant sound of water flowing behind the wall, and guessed Lirzhan had quietly stolen out of bed so he could take a shower before she awoke.

  It should have felt odd to be here, to have fallen asleep in his arms, but it didn’t. For the first time in so long she couldn’t even remember, she could take a full, deep breath and simply enjoy the moment, the soothing colors around her, the quiet flow of the fountain over its river rocks, the faintest whisper of an herbal scent that might have been coming from the plants or the sheets or simply the air the Zhore had circulating in their section of the space station.

  Or maybe she’d never felt this way, had never been able to relax her whole life. She wouldn’t bother to reflect on the irony of only being truly relaxed when in alien surroundings, after an alien had made love to her.

  No, not an alien. Lirzhan. Because if he was alien, then so were her heart, and her mind, and her very soul.

  He came out of the bathroom then, one pale blue towel wrapped around his waist, another in his hand as he used it to blot his long wet hair. Once again she was struck by his beauty, by the fine bones of his face, the long, lean muscles of his arms and legs. And if anyone had ever asked, she would have said that she didn’t much care for men with long hair, that it was very unprofessional, but she loved those long black locks of his.

  Or maybe she just really loved the way that hair felt as it brushed against the insides of her thighs.

  Heat awoke in her core, and she had to keep herself from sitting up and reaching over so she could pull him back into bed beside her. But he’d just gotten out of the shower, and so that wouldn’t be quite fair. Besides, she had to get herself ready as well.

  Ready for what, she wasn’t quite sure. All she did know was that she wouldn’t have to face it alone.

  “I didn’t wake you, did I?” he asked, giving his hair one last squeeze with the towel before he folded the length of pale blue cloth, then draped it over the arm of a chair that was placed up against the wall by the bathroom door.

  “No. I did that on my own.” She pushed herself upright and held the covers against her bare breasts. Not that she minded if he saw her, of course, but since she’d already made the decision not to initiate that kind of activity, she thought it would be better if she were more or less circumspect. From her new position, she could see her discarded clothing on the floor, and her mouth twisted in distaste. It had felt so good to rid herself of the confining suit jacket and tight skirt. The thought of having to climb back into it after such a night of freedom was more than a little distasteful.

  Apparently noting her expression, Lirzhan said, “I can have someone go to your apartment to fetch you some fresh clothing.”

  And wouldn’t that be obvious? She might as well hang a sign that said I spent the night with Ambassador Lirzhan around her neck. “No, I should probably just go back and shower and change there.”

  “And I will come with you.”

  “You really don’t have to — ”

  His brows lowered. “I wish to. I want to be there, in case — well, in case anyone is waiting for you.”

  Would they be that obvious? Quite possibly. She hadn’t dared to check her handheld to see what sorts of messages it co
ntained. At least no one had come to fetch her here. Well, that she knew of. She was safe in the Zhoraani section of Targus Station, after all. The Gaians could bluster all they wanted, but the Zhore security team would not let anyone in unless given the command, and she guessed that Nelazhar had quietly passed along word that Ambassador Lirzhan was not to be disturbed.

  “All right,” she conceded. “I’ll admit that I’d rather you were there. Just — just in case.”

  “Good.” He went to the wardrobe on the opposite wall and opened it. Inside were multiple identical high-necked black tunics and narrow black pants, as well as three sets of the hooded robes. He drew out one of the tunics and pulled a pair of those oddly wrapped underpants from the top shelf, then proceeded to get dressed.

  As much as she enjoyed watching this process, Alexa knew she had to get her own clothes on as well. Nose wrinkling a little, she pulled on her underwear and bra and camisole, then shrugged into her jacket and slid on the skirt. Her boots were last. Such a waste of time when she was only going to climb back out of all of it when she got to her apartment, but it wasn’t as if she could go wandering around the station’s corridors naked.

  Once they were both dressed, Lirzhan asked, “Are you ready?”

  She wanted to say that she wasn’t, but she couldn’t hide here in Lirzhan’s apartment forever. “Sure,” she said in casual tones that wouldn’t have fooled anyone, let alone an empathic Zhore.

  But he only nodded and went out of the bedroom, pulling on his hooded robe as he did so. She ran her fingers through her hair and followed him, forcing herself not to bite her lip as he opened the door to the hallway. What she’d expected to see out there, she wasn’t sure — a pair of Consortium security guards waiting to take her to the brig? — but the corridor was empty. It was still a little early; the delegation offices wouldn’t have their staff arriving for almost an hour, and that probably explained the distinct lack of activity.

  This time they didn’t bother with the service lifts but took the main elevators. Whether that was a statement on Lirzhan’s part that they didn’t need to be hiding anymore, she didn’t know, but going the direct route was certainly a lot faster.

  Then again, maybe getting there more quickly wasn’t as attractive a proposition as she’d thought it was. They rounded the corner to the hall where her apartment was located and saw two guards standing in front of her door. So she hadn’t been too far off the mark — they’d simply come here to wait for her instead of attempting to accost her on Zhore territory.

  As soon as they saw her, one of the guards spoke into the microphone embedded in his jacket collar. “She’s here, sir.”

  And who had posted the guards? Castillo? Stolz? She supposed it really didn’t matter, as their presence was a clear enough signal that she had become persona non grata to the Consortium government.

  “Stop there,” said the other guard, and Lirzhan paused, looking back at her.

  She shook her head slightly and stepped forward, staring down the guard. “I would like access to my quarters.”

  “Sorry, ma’am, but my orders are that you are not to be allowed entry.”

  “Whose orders?”

  “Ambassador Castillo’s orders, ma’am. Further, pursuant to Section 57, Paragraph 93, of the Consortium code of conduct, you are hereby put under arrest for treason and conspiring with enemy forces.”

  “‘Enemy forces’?” Lirzhan cut in, his normally smooth voice rough with anger. “Is the Consortium now at war with the Zhoraani Assembly?”

  The guard’s mouth thinned in distaste. “I was not speaking to you, sir.”

  Alexa’s mind churned. Obviously Castillo and his crony Melinda Ono were playing hardball. She didn’t have many options now. Only one desperate card she could still play, and there would be no going back from it.

  “Ambassador Lirzhan,” she said, turning toward him, her tone deliberately formal.

  Being Lirzhan, he picked up on her change in tone at once. “Ambassador Craig.”

  “I am hereby formally requesting asylum from the Zhoraani government. As a representative of that government’s diplomatic arm, you are legally able to provide this asylum. Do I have it?”

  “You do,” he replied quickly, as the guards appeared to at last understand what she was up to, and surged forward.

  “You can’t do that — ” began the one who had contacted Castillo through his uniform mic.

  “Yes, she can,” Lirzhan broke in. “And she has. And now that she is formally under the protection of the Zhoraani government, you have no legal jurisdiction. Any attempt to stop her now would be considered an act of aggression against the Zhore. Do you understand?”

  Clearly, they did. After shooting a disgusted look in her direction, they backed up toward the door to her apartment and resumed their positions. “Understood,” said the first guard. “But you have no place here now. Go back where you came from, and take that hooded freak with you.”

  Anger flared in her then, and she opened her mouth to protest, but Lirzhan’s gentle touch on her arm told her that to argue with them was useless. She subsided, and followed him back around the corner, retracing their steps.

  And that, it appeared, was that.

  The anger had not subsided during their walk back to his apartments, nor after she yanked off her crumpled business suit and shoved it into the trash bin in his bedroom. “I’m having a shower,” she said, and disappeared into the bathroom.

  He understood her anger. What he found far more intriguing was her complete lack of surprise, as if she had more or less expected something like this to happen.

  First things first. Since it was clear that they were not going to allow her back into her apartment to fetch any of her personal belongings, he had to procure some new clothing for her, and quickly. It was a simple enough matter to log into the PX’s intra-web storefront and choose a few outfits, selecting items like the fitted tunic and pants she had worn to the reception several days ago. A quick look at the tag on the inside of the suit she’d discarded told him her size, as did the bra and underwear she’d dropped on the bedroom floor.

  He paid for everything and put a rush on the order so it would be brought directly to his apartment rather than being kept waiting for him down at the PX. No doubt eyebrows would go up at such a request, but the thing was, for all intents and purposes, out in the open now. What Ambassador Trazhar might think of the situation, he had no idea. On the other hand, Nelazhar had more or less given her blessing to his and Alexa’s union, so he had to hope that Trazhar would understand as well.

  They obviously didn’t get many rush orders at the PX, as a young woman in the dark blue uniform of the station’s support staff delivered the bundle before Alexa was even out of the shower. Lirzhan thanked the woman — little more than a girl, really, probably no more than twenty standard — and went back into the bedchamber just as Alexa emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her torso and another one twisted turban-like around her wet hair.

  “What’s that?” she asked, glancing down at the bundle he’d deposited on the bed.

  “A new wardrobe. It seems you were being denied access to yours. I hope you don’t mind — ”

  Apparently she didn’t mind at all, for she came to him at once and kissed him thoroughly, so thoroughly that he was of half a mind to pull the towel off her damp body and push her down on the bed. But, pleasant as that notion sounded, he knew now was not the time. Instead, he kissed her back, then pulled away.

  “You should get ready,” he told her. “I have a feeling — ”

  “That the shit’s really about to hit the fan.”

  Curious expression, although the resulting mental visual did seem to be an accurate description of the situation they were currently facing. “Yes, something like that. I — ” His handheld chimed, and Alexa shot him a rueful glance.

  “There’s some timing for you.” She turned to the parcel on the bed and undid the pressure tabs holding it closed, then b
egan to lift the various garments he’d ordered out of it. Her expression shifted from wary to pleased as she held up a midnight blue tunic and nodded her approval at him.

  He could only nod in reply, as he’d already lifted the handheld to his ear. “Ambassador Lirzhan.”

  Trazhar’s strained tones came over the tiny speaker. “Lirzhan, I have Ambassador Castillo and Councilor Stolz here in my office. They are demanding to see you at once — something about diplomatic immunity and obstruction of justice — ”

  “We’ll be there in” — he glanced over at Alexa — “fifteen standard?” He ended on a rising inflection, trying to see if that timeframe met her approval. She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom to finish getting ready.

  “‘We’?” repeated Ambassador Trazhar. “That is to say — is Ambassador Craig there with you?”

  “Yes, she is. We are in this together, and we will both hear what Ambassador Castillo and Councilor Stolz have to say. Did Councilor Nelazhar say nothing to you on this subject?”

  “She did, but not in any great detail.” A pause. “Lirzhan, are you sure?”

  “More sure than I have been of anything else in my life.”

  “Then Irzhaan bless you, and your path. I will see you shortly.”

  She ended the transmission, and Lirzhan tucked his handheld away in an inner pocket of his tunic. That would be all she said on the subject, he knew, for once a declaration of sayara had been made, no one — not family, not friends, not one’s superior — could gainsay it. The bond of sayara took precedence over all else.

  A few minutes later Alexa came out of the bathroom, hair dried and lying loose and shimmering over her shoulders instead of bound in the tight little knot she seemed to prefer for work. The dark blue of the tunic and pants seemed to darken the blue of her eyes, and he thought she had never looked so beautiful.

  “If I’d known you were calling down for some clothes, I would have put in an order for some mascara and lipstick while you were at it,” she said with a smile. “But in the meantime I stole some of the lip balm you had in your cupboard.”