“Very good!” Chough said to him with a smile.
When the man opened the lift with a palm scan, four of my personal security team entered. Once Kaoti had received communication that the levels were safe, Neema and I were allowed to exit the transport and enter the lift. When we arrived on the third level, my guards took positions like points on a compass. Kaoti stayed within five feet of me at all times. Pierce had Neema secured in her stroller and occupied her by pushing her around the large platform. I thought it must be around two thousand square feet. Long flat cushioned benches were arranged around the center of the space along with small low tables covered in appetizers, small desserts, and various pitchers of beverages.
Spotting an impressive tray of more cheeses than I knew existed, I went for it. Before I could reach for one of the small plates, Quaid picked one up and began to fill it for me. After he had placed one of each type of cheese on the plate, he handed it to me and walked with me over to the plasti-glass wall. Looking out over the vast salt plain, I saw a solid white ground scattered with boulders varying in size from as large as a transport to as small as my floor bot on Tora.
I could see a few people on the lower two levels. A man with short shiny black hair and solid black eyes looked up at me. I smiled and waved when I realized it was Zeth. He gave me a small smile and then peered out over the field of salt and stone. “No one can hear what I communicate to you. The minds here pose no threats. Chorgh thinks to impress you with the peace and tranquility he provides for his family, and his virility. In winning your favor, he could secure protection for his people from Parvac,” Zeth said in my mind.
I hadn’t realized that they were afraid of us. That was stupid. I had been terrified of all things Parvac not so long ago. Of course, they were afraid, and here was the daughter of the Parvac Emperor. Chorgh must assume a word from me could protect his planet from my father’s wrath should it arise.
Zeth gave me a slight nod of his head. Kane and Nico were speaking with Ambassador Redmond. I nibbled at the cheeses on my plate. Thunderdrop nuzzled my chin. I could feel the ends of his claws through the silk of my dress. Thunderdrop sent me an image of a spider prepared to pounce. I noticed Izaac’s dove grey hair on the lowest platform. Knowing they were near relaxed me.
Chorgh had approached and stood to my right. I ate a piece of cheese that had a creamy texture and a smoky taste. “Quaid, taste this.” I placed a bite in his open mouth, and he chewed. “I want more of it. I’m thinking of a thick slab of it melted on top of a Naxan bison steak.” Quaid grinned at me.
“Princess, please allow me to send a few cheeses to your ship,” Chorgh offered.
“Thank you. That would be nice,” I said giving him a genuine smile.
The sky began to dim, and a thick fog began to roll in from the hills. With the visibility lowered, I thought we would be leaving. Quaid took my empty plate and set it on a table. The fog sank slowly to the ground making the boulders appear as though they were islands in an eerie lake. Then, the moisture was drawn into the surface, and the rocks began to move ever so slowly across the salt plain. The plain was vast. We were where it began, but I could not see its end.
“The salt plains end where the ocean begins. In this region it is used for bathing. Its salt content is too high for it to provide a suitable habitat for aquatic life. Aww, there.” Chorgh pointed.
It had grown dark enough that seeing the boulders had become a strain. As I watched, the salt began to glow a light purple in the dark. The boulder I watched was leaving a trail. Another boulder in the distance left a glowing pink path in its wake. Soon, short paths of light purple and pink were all that was visible on the ground beneath us. It looked as though a giant hand held a brush and dabbed it sporadically across a black canvas.
“What kind of rocks are those?” I asked quietly. I wondered if they were giant amethysts or rubies whose bottoms were scraped against the salt beneath them.
“They are ordinary stones of the same composition as the hills.” I looked at Chorgh in disbelief. He smiled at me. “There are organisms living under the rocks on the Salt Plains of Carmanor. They are called Halopetrams. They live off of the salt, but at night, they take in the water left by the fog from the hills and release excess salt from their systems. The moisture causes the boulders to slide along the surface. When they do, the Halopetrams’ excretions smear across the white salt causing the glows of color. The salt purifies itself by first light.”
“What do the Halopetrams look like?” Chorgh showed me a picture on his vid-screen of a bean-shaped thing with six tiny arms and a long tail.
“This picture is magnified. Halopetrams are too small to see without some magnification. Thousands of them live in colonies under their boulders.”
“Thank you for showing us this incredible sight. It’s almost as if the boulders are moving on their own. It was also kind of you to welcome us to your home. The visit with your wives and children was most refreshing and peaceful after some of the stressful situations I have endured recently. Please let your beautiful children know that I will treasure the memory of their lovely song for years to come.”
Governor Chough bowed to me. “You are most gracious in your praise. We will anxiously await your next visit to Carmanor. There are other sights for you to enjoy.”
“Thank you. I would like to visit the ocean. Perhaps one day, you and your family would enjoy a visit to Thalassa.”
“Thank you for the invitation, your highness.”
I caught Nico winking at me in approval. Soon after our exchange, Governor Chorgh and Ambassador Redmond escorted us to our transports and rode with us to the land port. Then, an hour after our return to our ships, we were on our way to Arachne.
I hugged Yukihyo and pressed my face into his chest. “It’s over. No more acting like a princess. I can relax.”
Yukihyo chuckled. “Not quite.”
“Why?”
“Ambassador Jiri has planned a welcoming party for your arrival on Arachne.”
“But Arachne is home,” I whined. “I thought the Jiri family liked me.”
“They do. There will be a ball in your honor the evening of our arrival. It will be held at the Glaucia Estate.” I groaned. “The ruling families also wish to celebrate the successful trade ventures of Arachne with Parvac and Laconia. Simon will be introducing his new wife as well.”
I perked up at that. I couldn’t wait for Gina and Gram’s reactions to Isidora. “Okay.”
Smiling, Yukihyo took me to the couch, helped me to sit against the pillows, and lifted my feet up into his lap. Pierce had Neema stripped down to her diaper and in her dinner chair. She slapped her hands against her mashed carrot covered tray. A glob of carrot splattered Thunderdrop as he walked toward Sue’s tank. Thunderdrop flinched.
“Chitter! Chitter! Chitter! Chitter! Chitter!” He angrily told Neema as he tried to clear the mashed carrots from his cephalothorax. Neema and Nico laughed.
“Poor baby. Let Mommy help her spider baby,” I said as I put my feet to the floor, slowly stood, and went to Thunderdrop. I held my hands down to him. Thunderdrop crawled to my left hand while I protected him from additional carrots with my right. I helped him get comfortable on my stomach. “I’ll have you all fixed up in no time. Let’s go to the bathroom.” I walked into our room.
“Chitter chitter.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Neema is a baby. She is trying to learn to eat. It’s going to be messy.” Thunderdrop blinked up at me. I wiped a glob away from one of his eyes with my index finger. “Do you want a shower, or do you want for me to wipe you off with a damp wash cloth?”
“Chitter chirp.” He said no to the shower and yes to the wiping off. Turning on the water, I wet the cloth, squeezed out the excess, and gently wiped Thunderdrop clean.
“There you are my sweet baby. I’m sorry Neema splattered you. Are you okay now?”
“Chirp chitter chitter chirp chitter.” Thunderdrop was fine, but he was annoyed with Nico, Yukihyo
, and Eli for the gales of laughter that had begun once we had left the sitting room.
“Well, babies do silly things. She had carrots all over her face, in her hair, all over her chair and tray, and then on you. Just think how funny it will be when the same thing happens to ZeeZee with the new baby at the Alaric house.”
Thunderdrop blinked at me. Then, he shared an image of ZeeZee wearing carrots. “Chirp! Chirp!” I laughed with him.
“While we are in here. I’m changing.” I put my jewelry away. Thunderdrop climbed to the bed. I placed my dress on a chair for Lorca. He wanted to help with things. I put on a soft knee length dress in a bright blue shade. Then, I slipped my arms through the sleeves of a cream-colored cardigan. I left my feet bare hoping Yukihyo would rub them for me. I got my wish.
“Excellent job with Governor Chorgh, wife,” Nico said.
“Thank you, but Zeth helped me. The people of Carmanor are terrified of us. Yukihyo, has Tora left Carmanor?”
“No, not yet. Why?”
“Don’t I have a few paintings of Thalassa in Tora’s cargo hold that we were going to sell on Earth?”
Yukihyo checked Tora’s manifest. “Yes,” he said and showed me which ones.
“What about this one of the sunrise? It has orange, pink, and red in it which kind of reminds me of the Chorgh ladies’ attire. Would that be an appropriate thank you gift?” I asked turning to Nico.
“Yes, I think that would be a sweet gesture.”
“Will you ask Hiroshi if he has time to deliver it for me?”
Yukihyo called Hiroshi who from the financially satisfied sparkle in his eyes appeared to be in a good mood. “My baby sister appears almost as excited as I am to return to Arachne.”
Phillip peered at us from over Hiroshi’s shoulder. “Your excited part has been clearly evident for weeks. Hiroshi here is missing his wife. Simon’s connubial bliss is making it even harder for poor Hiroshi,” Phillip said with a waggle of his eyebrows on the word “harder.”
“If you had a wife as magnificent as Ling, you would be eager to return to her as well. Kaoti must wish to see Violet.”
Phillip said, “Hey. I’m plenty eager to visit several ladies on Arachne.”
“I don’t know that I would call them ladies,” Hiroshi quipped.
Phillip winked at Hiroshi. “After a good romp, I’ll call them whatever they want.”
I rolled my eyes. “Brother, will you please do me a favor before you leave Carmanor?” I asked.
Hiroshi’s brown eyes became more serious but not by much. “Yes, what is it you require?” I explained to him about the painting and how I wanted to give it as a gift to the Chorgh family.
“Will you make it look all proper and stuff? Maybe you could put a white bow around it and stick a card on it or something.” Yukihyo turned his head and raised an eyebrow at me. “What?”
Hiroshi grinned and asked, “What should the card say?”
I thought with my eyes squinted closed. “Um, To the Chorgh Family. Thank you for the lovely visit to your beautiful planet. We hope one day to reciprocate. Yours truly, Princess Teagan of House Probus of Parvac. How’s that?” I asked Yukihyo and Nico.
“Perfect,” Yukihyo said. Nico nodded. I sighed.
“Yukihyo, will you please call or leave a message for Governor Chorgh that our brother, Captain Hiroshi Lee, is delivering a gift from me? I don’t want any problems for Hiroshi with security.” Yukihyo nodded.
“A visit to the governor’s mansion can only improve my reputation with the local businessmen,” Hiroshi said half in speculation and half to himself. “Lee, out.” The screen went blank.
Sitting closely beside me, Yukihyo put in a call from my vid-screen to Governor Chorgh. He sat at a desk in his office at his home. I smiled, but Yukihyo spoke to him for me. “Greetings, Governor Chorgh. My lady wife is so overcome with gratitude at the kindness of you and your family that she wishes to present you with a small token of her esteem. Might it be acceptable for our brother, Captain Lee of the Tora, to present her gift to you before his departure?”
Chorgh looked stunned. “Yes, thank you. The Princess is most kind.” They exchanged pleasantries before ending the transmission.
“You’re good at that, Yukihyo.”
“What?”
“Speaking to fancy people.”
“You are much fancier than he.”
I snorted. “Those people grew up fancy, but so did you. You called a castle home. Are you a prince?” Yukihyo simply smiled and kissed my nose.
Neema yelled, “Coco!” and held out her clean hands to Nico. Pierce had bathed her, put her in a clean diaper, and dressed her in pink pajamas. I could feel Nico’s love and pride for Neema through our stronger bond.
“Your Coco would like to show you off around the ship. Would you like to go for a walk?” Neema gave Nico a wet kiss on his jaw and smiled at him with sparkling jade eyes. “Let’s visit the bridge first,” Nico said to Neema as he carried her from our quarters.
Yukihyo pulled my feet back into his lap. His warm strong hands began massaging my ankles. “Oh, Yukihyo.” Our stronger bond had made my every thought and feeling as clear to him as plasti-glass.
“Princess, you should hear this,” Eli said.
I forced my eyes open. Eli had a frighteningly cold look in his eyes. Izaac and Kaoti had entered with him and stood at attention to either side of the door. Izaac wore a uniform identical to Kaoti’s. Eli activated the large vid-screen. From Izaac, I sensed remote traces of fear, sadness, hopelessness, and betrayal. On the screen, a man with a lined face, eyes like dark empty holes, and black silver streaked hair appeared. He began to speak. “This message is for Princess Teagan Probus and will only play once her palm scan registers.” The video message paused.
“Who is he?” I asked Eli.
Taking a step forward, Izaac communicated, “He is Dr. Crispus, my creator.”
“Dr. Crispus created you and the others. I see.” Slowly, I stood and walked to the vid-screen. My palms had grown damp. I turned to look at Yukihyo. His brow was furrowed. “Eli, please call Nico and Kane. Do they know of this? Does Papa?”
“No, Princess. I reported to you immediately.” Eli used the intercom to call Kane. Soon, the two men entered together, but Neema was now snuggled in Kane’s arms. Their faces showed that they had felt my trepidation.
“Eli has brought a message to my attention from Dr. Crispus, the scientist who created my new Ponidi brothers. I thought we should listen to it together. Eli, can you replay the introduction?”
Stepping to my side, Eli replayed the recording. “This message is for Princess Teagan Probus and will only play once her palm scan registers.”
Cold fury emanated from Nico. Turning to face Eli squarely, he said, “Have you attempted to break through the encryption?”
“Yes, General Cassian. My preliminary attempts proved futile. I can do it. However, it may take weeks.”
“What have you discovered about him?” Nico asked.
“Stanley Crispus was born in 2335 on Aurilius to wealthy Eriopis parents. He was educated at the Medical and Research University of Zagreus. In 2360, he married Nora Cale, an Enyo studying to become a nurse. Nora Crispus was admitted to hospital in 2362 and again in 2364 where she miscarried. She committed suicide in 2364. Dr. Stanley Crispus left the university and began working for a private biotech research facility. A year later, he disappeared,” Eli reported.
I rubbed at the chills on my arms and walked to the kitchen. Chef handed me a cup of coffee before I could ask. I brought the cup to my mouth and held it to my lips letting its warmth seep into me through my bottom lip before taking a sip. I heard Neema begin to cry and fuss.
“Pierce, please take Neema,” I said. He hurried to comply. From Yukihyo, I felt distress and panic.
“I do not believe that I could survive your loss,” he said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind. I felt his strong chest against my back.
“I won’t ever lea
ve you by my own choice,” I promised.
“Losing a wife has been known to lead to madness in Eriopis males,” Yukihyo cautioned. Yukihyo released me, and we returned to the others. I sat on the couch, took another sip, and placed my cup on a table. My cup made a louder sound on the table’s surface than I had intended.
“Izaac, can you inform Zeth and the others of this communication?” He nodded. “Please, do so.” I took a breath, stood, and went to the vid-screen. I wiped my sweaty palm against the skirt of my dress before pressing it to the screen, and Dr. Crispus reanimated.
“Teagan, I am glad you survived your infancy. I assisted in your delivery. For a few years, I worked as a physician at a distant mining colony. Nathan Green brought your mother, who was in labor, to my office. She told me that he had abducted her and that she feared for your life and her own. She begged me for help. After your birth, I stalled for time. I told him you both needed treatment for a life-threatening infection. Unfortunately, Nathan Green never once left my office, nor did he sleep.
Even though you were perfectly healthy, I placed you into an incubator. I used the time to modify your supramarginal gyrus. It is the area of the brain responsible for empathy and telepathy. I planned to rescue you and your mother. You each had enough Laconian blood to make you viable research specimens. My own attempts at creating a female child were never successful. My sons needed an anchor. The daughter of a desperate female of Laconian heritage was exactly what I needed. Unfortunately, Nathan Green attacked me as I attempted to neutralize him. He took you and your mother and disappeared.
Having recently learned of your fate from various news broadcasts, I planted the seed in Arlo Dano’s mind that he had to have you. My sons thought they had hidden themselves from me, but a good father can always find his children. I arranged for Arlo to stumble across the mercenaries for hire. However, now three of them have been destroyed. That disappoints me. Oh, Teagan. All you needed to do was remain patient. I was coming for you and my boys. You took it upon yourself to leave. I will not tolerate such behavior, young lady.”
The Parvac Emperor's Daughter (The Space Merchants Book 3) Page 38