by Robin Roseau
She shifted her gaze and smiled. “Hello, Maddalyn.” Her voice was weak.
“Farratain, find Fandorid and Luradinine,” Darratine said. “Run. How do you feel, Mistalarn?”
“Weak,” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“That is along story,” Darratine replied. “Do you know where you are?”
“Did they make me young?”
“Oh,” Darratine said. “They certainly did.”
“Did they make me pretty?”
“Yes, they did.”
“Could I see?”
“Of course.”
“Wait,” I said. “Mistalarn, we want you to get the best first look. I’m going to sit you up. You don’t have to do a thing. Ready?” She nodded, and I worked the controls on the bed. Her eyes widened, but she accepted. Soon she was half sitting up. Then I stepped over to the dresser. We had things waiting. I grabbed the brush and stepped back to the bed. “You have bed hair. We’re going to spruce you up a bit.”
I got about four brush strokes in before Darratine said, “Maybe let me.”
I was happy to relinquish the task. And so Darratine brushed Mistalarn’s hair. It took the moment a minute or two before she realized…
“It’s not grey.” She reached up and collected some of the hair, looking at it. “It’s long. I never had hair this long.” Then she saw her hand. She froze, then she turned her hand this way and that. She looked up at me. “This is real. I’m not dreaming?”
“No, Mistalarn. You aren’t dreaming.”
Darratine went back to her task. She finished with Mistalarn’s hair, arranging it about her shoulders. Then she asked, “We have makeup?”
“Maybe just a little,” Mistalarn said.
“Just a little,” Darratine agreed. She went to work and was still at it when Fandorid and Luradinine stepped in, followed by nearly everyone else from Beacon Hill, including my wife. They clustered about the bed, staring at the woman.
“So many people,” she said.
“Some of them don’t believe you’re you,” I said. “I think even your vendart doubts me.”
“I don’t doubt you, Maddalyn,” said Luradinine. But she leaned closer. “But it is difficult to believe.”
“You see, Mistalarn? She doubts me. But before we convince them, let’s show you.”
We had mirrors here, big mirrors, but not so big I couldn’t hold it. I collected it then moved back to the bed, edging between the Beacon Hill villagers. I moved the mirror in place, and on the opposite site of the bed, Luradinine grabbed that side and helped me to steady it.
Mistalarn’s eyes grew wide, and then her fingers lifted to her cheek. She stared at her reflection while touching her face. “They made me pretty,” she whispered.
“They didn’t just make you pretty, Mistalarn, they made you absolutely gorgeous.”
The woman poked at her face, but then Minotarn said, “It’s not really her. It’s a trick.”
I pulled the mirror away. Mistalarn turned to look at the other woman. “I can see perfectly,” she said, a whisper. “I can hear perfectly.” She turned to find me. “What happened to Maddalyn?”
“I’m here. Just putting the mirror back.” I hung it back on the wall then moved to the bed.
“I can see you.”
I smiled. “We told you they would fix everything. Did you think they’d forget your eyes?”
She turned back to Minotarn. “You. Come here.” She crooked a finger. The others made room for the woman, and then Mistalarn reached up and weakly pulled the woman’s ear down to her lips.
I don’t know what she whispered, but then Minotarn said, “Who told you?” There was more whispering before she pulled partially away before looking into Mistalarn’s eyes. “They’re the exact same color.”
“The doctors fixed her eyesight but didn’t actually change her eyes.”
Minotarn straightened. “Mistalarn.”
But the patient’s eyes closed again, and she slept.
“Mistalarn?”
“This is how it will be for a few more days. She’ll wake, have a spurt of energy, and then sleep again.”
“And this is why Maddalyn asked so many more people to be here,” said Luradinine. “Beacon Hill will ensure there are always at least two people awake in this room. If she wakes and is ready to talk, one will talk to her while the rest summon others. For those villages that cannot see to this same duty, we will help.”
“Yes, Vendart,” her village members said.
Luradinine looked over at me. “Thank you.”
“I did almost nothing,” I said. “But you’re welcome.”
“We know you have other duties,” she said.
“I wanted to be here for the first time,” I said. “And she’s going to have so many questions. When your runner finds the rest of you, I hope someone will continue to include me.”
“You heard her,” Luradinine said.
“Thank you,” I said. “Vendart, there is another issue I would like to discuss with you some time. It isn’t urgent, and you may have already heard from other sources. But I think you’re needed here.”
“They’ll wait two minutes,” she said. She gestured, and we both headed for the door.
Once we were in the hall, I turned to her. “I’ve been promoted.”
“That I’ve heard, with details.”
“Okay, good. I hope it was from my wife or the governor herself.”
“Kalorain,” she confirmed.
“I want you to think about something. If we bring more star people to Talmon, what is the best way to make them good Talmon men and women?” Then I paused. “Probably mostly women, but there might be some men.”
“I think you have something in mind, Maddalyn. Am I to guess?”
“Your household speaks English.”
“Ah,” she said. “So I did guess. My household will do what is best for Talmon. If helping star people become good Talmon women is best, that is what we will do.”
“Thank you. So, I could send people to you?”
“All you want.”
“I think perhaps we should define that.”
“Do you anticipate a thousand? If it is a thousand, I could not house them all with me, but all of Beacon Hill would open its doors. If it were that many, we may ask for help with beds and the other needs.”
“It wouldn’t be anything like that. It might be no more than five.”
“Five is nothing, Maddalyn. Assume that, at least until the number reaches one thousand, Beacon Hill will take whomever you send us. But they will call me Vendart.”
I smiled. “I would have it no other way. You will teach them.”
“We will teach them everything,” she said.
“You’ll teach them to work? You’ll teach them duty? I do not want this to be a burden.”
“Then send us only those who are willing to learn to work,” she said. “A few is not a burden. A thousand that expect to live an indulgent lifestyle may be a different matter.”
“I don’t want anyone on my planet who expects an indulgent lifestyle.” And we both grinned at that.
“Why are you asking me rather than Sudden or Indartha?”
“Indartha may get a few, but we don’t want to scare them away after one winter.” She laughed at that. “And I’d actually rather get them away from Sudden. There are too many distractions, and we need to spread further.”
“Good. That is good.”
“If we get more than five, then I might ask you to help me spread further than Beacon Hill, Luradinine.”
She thought about it then nodded. “I’ll do what I can, but I do not know many other vendarti, not that well.”
“Then perhaps we’ll do something about that before it becomes necessary, but that’s a question for another day.”
“Another day.”
* * * *
Mistalarn was the only patient I oversaw directly. We had all been necessary because they were the first patients,
and because it was all at once.
But I was there when she first saw her full image, although not when she first gave herself a rather thorough self-examination. I was there when she took her first hesitant walks. I was there to help answer questions.
I wasn’t there when she ran.
But it was I who was her first dance partner. She hadn’t reached her full grace of the new body, but she was joyous and laughed in my ear. “I am a girl again,” she said.
“You are,” I agreed.
We finished our dance, and she said, “I would like to speak with you for a minute.” I let her pull me to the side of the room. “I owe the rejuvenation center two years.”
“You do.”
“I want to learn English. I don’t know whom to ask.”
“You just asked me,” I said. I smiled. Then I took her hand and led her across the room and straight to Ginger. Both of them smiled at each other.
“Ginger,” I said. “You remember Mistalarn.”
“I do,” she said. She stepped closer. Mistalarn held still while Ginger caressed her face. “I love when a patient lets me pick. Thank you, Mistalarn.”
“You made me beautiful.”
“I’m glad you’re pleased.”
“Ginger,” I said in English. “Mistalarn now owes the rejuvenation center two years of service. She’ll go home to Beacon Hill for a while to finish recovery and to let the entire village see what has happened. When she returns, she is no longer your patient. And she will live in staff housing.”
“It will be good to have the extra help,” Ginger said.
“She wishes to learn English. Are you interested in teaching her, or should I make different arrangements?”
“Does she know what you’re asking me?”
“Probably.”
Ginger looked at Mistalarn then slowly turned to look at me. “This is a beautiful planet.”
“It is.”
“I have a five-year employment contract.”
“I know.”
“I might extend it,” she said. “I’ll decide in a few years. I might not. Tell her that, and then tell her if she wants English lessons from me, I’ll give her the first right now.”
I switched languages and repeated that. Mistalarn smiled and said in English. “Yes. Ginger.”
Ginger smiled and held out her hand. “Would you like to dance?” She gestured to the dance floor.
“Yes,” Mistalarn said, offering her own hand.
* * * *
Since that night, I don’t know if they’ve become lovers. Mistalarn didn’t move into the local staff housing; she moved into Ginger’s private bungalow. But there are two bedrooms, and I haven’t asked.
Deep Dark
There were many things I wouldn’t know until Urban Green would arrive. But I’d set things in motion, and Cecilia didn’t know about all of them.
But eventually Urban Green did, indeed, arrive in system. This placed her outside the orbit of the furthest gas giant, a distance of nearly five light hours. And so on Talmon, we couldn’t possibly know of her arrival for those five hours. At the time she dropped from hyperspace, it was still the dark of the night, and sufficiently large telescopes at Sudden could have seen the arrival, if not for the lag of the speed of light.
By the time a telescope on Sudden could have known, it was daytime. And thus, any signal that could have been sent wouldn’t have been seen; the bulk of the planet would have blocked it. And that also meant that the satellite in the skies visible from Sudden also couldn’t see.
And so, Urban Green waited. At 20:00 hours local time in Sudden, Urban Green sent a burst of communications traffic. This traffic arrived at the satellite five hours later, and from the satellite, it was immediately forwarded to the computers at the embassy.
Those computers acknowledged receipt, which Urban Green would receive five hours later. Immediately after, the computers forwarded the communications to those configured to receive them.
I was one of those people, and I woke, sitting up in bed. I didn’t receive simple notice Urban Green had arrived. I received everything Cecilia would receive, except her personal mail. I skimmed it as organized by my implant. I smiled at one piece of news, but I wouldn’t have all the details until Urban Green was much, much closer.
And then I stared.
I got out of bed, waking Kalorain.
“Maddalyn?”
I reached across and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her after me. I dragged her behind me, heading for Cecilia’s room. We were halfway there before she and Sartine stepped from their room as well.
“Maddalyn,” Cecilia said. “Urban Green is here.”
I began sobbing. Kalorain immediately pulled me to her. As Cecilia and Sartine hurried forward, Kalorain asked frantically, “What’s wrong? What happened? Maddalyn, what happened?”
“We’re going to have guests,” Cecilia said.
“Mama came!” I said. “My mama is here!”
About the Author
A writer by avocation, Robin has a renaissance interest in many areas. A bit of a gypsy, Robin has called a few places home and has traveled widely. A love of the outdoors, animals in general and experimenting with world cuisines, Robin and partner share their home with a menagerie of pets and guests, although sometimes it is difficult to discern who is whom.
Robin can be reached via email as [email protected]. Robin's web site is http://www.robin-roseau.com.
Works by Robin Roseau
The Madison Wolves Series
Fox Run
Fox Play
Fox Mate
Fox Afield
Fox Revenge
Fox Dish
Fox Lost
Wolf Watch
Wolf Ways
Wolf Women
Fox Fate
Jaguar
Omega Born
Omega Life (Coming Soon)
Fox Short Stories
Hunting Pups
Fox in the Water
Fox Rematch (set after Fox Mate and Fox Afield)
Fox Opponent
A Foxy Valentine
Other Books in the Madison Wolves Universe
Familiar
Kitty Cat
Poor Little Witch Girl
Seer
Seer: Thrall
Seer: Guardian
The Selected Series
Collected
Taken
Volunteer
Candidate
Recruited
Galatea
Beginnings
The Games People Play Series
Stories that ask a simple question: do you want to play a game?
Do You Want to Play a Game?
My Soul to Play
The Five Kingdoms
Privateer
Searching the High Seas
Other Novels and Novellas
Anonymous Bidder
Blood Slave
A Charming Brew
Emergency Claus
Fitting In
Fluid
Free to Love
Galatzi Trade
Galatzi World
Galatzi Joy
In Custody
Lost in the Words
Outside The Box
Stark's Dell
Submission
Surprise
The Interrogation
Tresjolie
Trust
White
The Ski Bindings Shorts
Short stories of love and lust amongst the slopes.
Snow Fox
Short Stories
Cooking for Love
Southern Night
Captured by the Raptor (writing as Rosetta Robins)
Galatzi Joy
Copyright 2017 by Robin Roseau
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This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
* * *
License Notes
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