Worlds Apart (ThreeCon)

by Carmen Webster Buxton

  Was there just a hint of an old pain in those emerald eyes? And then he nodded, not admitting her allegations, but not denying them either. “But I had you. I knew there was still a little piece of—” he stopped, and then went on—“a little piece of Trahn still there, that could be nurtured and encouraged to flourish.”

  “A little piece of Delyth?”

  Parnochh ignored the question. If his expression held any pain, it was well hidden. “So, we’re agreed that you’ll marry and produce heirs. You’re correct that there’s no guarantee of ability. That’s why it’s good to have several children. It increases the chances. It would be wise to start soon.”

  “We’re agreed on no such thing,” Rishi said. “I’m not making any commitment to you. I’ll do my best to do a good job, but I will not sacrifice my personal life and happiness to the continuation of the House of Trahn. There are other Trahns if I die without an heir.”

  Parnochh snorted. “Useless wastrels!”

  Rishi hid a smile. Parnochh had no opinion of anyone who didn’t aspire to business as his life’s work. “Suleiman may have done little in the way of work, but Jenghis has a flourishing career in systems work.”

  “Jenghis, as you well know,” Parnochh said scathingly, “is extremely unlikely to produce an heir.”

  “There’s always genetic engineering. He and Karl might decide to become parents through an artificial womb.”

  “The charter is quite explicit about how children must be conceived.”

  “Then Suleiman’s children could inherit. Just because he’s been useless doesn’t mean his children would be, too.”

  “No, but it cuts down on the chances. Children learn from their parents.”

  “This is a pointless argument,” Rishi said, putting down her cup. “There’s nothing you can say to me that will make me agree to put Trahn first. If I marry, it will be to someone I love.”

  “Then marry the penniless security guard,” Parnochh said insistently.

  Rishi stood up. “Maybe I will some day. But I can’t say when that will be.”

  She said good night and went to her room.

  PRAX shivered. Even on the hill in the bright mid-afternoon sunshine it was cool enough to be uncomfortable. The jacket he wore could provide its own heat, but Prax didn’t quite trust the idea of a garment having a power source, so he hadn’t turned it on. He tried to ignore the cold and pay attention to the book reader in his hands. A further distraction appeared when a shadow blocked his light. Prax looked up and saw Parnochh standing there. The Shuratanian must walk very quietly.

  “So,” Parnochh said. “This is where you go to get away from civilization?”

  Prax started to rise, but the older man waved him to stay where he was and sat down gingerly on a nearby boulder. Watching him sit, Prax realized the small being had chosen that particular stone because it was the right size and shape to accommodate both his short height and his tail.

  “I’m not trying to get away entirely,” Prax said, holding up the reader so that Parnochh could read the book title. He felt a compulsion to defend himself against any suggestion that the Elliniká were mere primitives.

  “Ancient Terran Civilizations,” Parnochh read aloud. “Are you interested in history?”

  “Yes. On Celadon no one paid much attention to the rest of the universe, so it’s all very new to me.”

  Parnochh nodded. “Celadon sounds typical for a sleeper world.”

  Prax was unsure if he needed to defend his home world and painfully aware that he knew little of other sleeper worlds, so he made no reply.

  “You seemed to have adjusted to technology, however,” Parnochh went on. “You use some very sophisticated systems and equipment in your job.”

  Prax shook his head, unwilling to lie. “I use them, but I have no idea how they work.”

  Parnochh wriggled his behind as if to get comfortable. “I suspect most of the security staff are the same way. I know how to initiate a real-time transmission from here to Shuratan without having any idea how the com set operates or what’s involved in the actual transmission process.”

  Prax smiled, conscious that his psy talent gave him an advantage over the Shuratanian. “You’re being polite.”

  Parnochh laughed out loud. “I confess I was testing you. I wondered if you could spot a lie if it was only a partial untruth. That’s a very useful talent you have.”

  Prax thought about not being able to play poker with his friends. “Sometimes it is. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have it.”

  The Shuratanian’s green eyes gleamed in the sunlight like the jeweled eyes of the ancient idol in Prax’s book. “What are you going to do with your life?” he asked abruptly. “Will you stay here with Rishi or will you go back to Celadon and live with your own people?”

  Prax was taken aback by the directness of the question and didn’t answer.

  “I won’t be offended if you tell me it’s none of my business,” Parnochh said. “I happen to think that it is, but I know you might not agree.”

  Prax debated what to say. He was reluctant to be rude to Rishi’s old friend. Besides, Elliniká etiquette held that the elderly were owed respect, and so far as he knew, Parnochh was the oldest person he had ever met. “It isn’t only that I mind talking about it,” he finally said. “It’s that I don’t really know. I came here with Rishi because she asked me to come. We owed her a debt, and I have to stay until that debt is paid.”

  “But you wouldn’t marry her to pay a debt?”

  Prax froze at this question. How could he explain that he wasn’t free to marry without revealing his crime? He finally answered Parnochh’s query with another question. “I don’t think she’d want me to marry her for that reason. Do you?”

  Parnochh smiled sourly. “I’m quite sure she wouldn’t.” He stretched both feet out in front of him. “Have you ever read anything about the House of Trahn? Or about how the great trading houses were formed?”

  Prax shook his head.

  Parnochh gave a little sigh and leaned back as if he were a teacher giving a lecture. “It’s interesting, if you like to read history. History, after all, is the study of people. To examine the Terran trading houses, you have to start with Terra. Several hundred years ago, the Second Confederation discovered Terra. At that time, the Second Confederation consisted of most of the sapient species known today, with the exception of Tryffs, Wakanreans, the Xuxa, and, of course, Terrans. We had known about Terrans for quite a while because we kept tripping over their colony worlds. Terra sent out more colony ships by far than any other homeworld. However, in spite of this, it took us a while to determine the exact location of their world. Once we did, we decided to contact them.”

  “I know this part,” Prax interrupted. “I’ve read about it.”

  Parnochh ignored him and went on. “Once the Third Confederation was formed, the Terrans began to realize their potential for business. My people have embraced many economic systems over the course of our history, but we had to admit the Terrans had a real talent for buying and selling. About a century after the Third Confederation was finalized, the first of the Terran trading houses was established. They varied as to business focus and territory, but all followed similar rules of ownership. All were family-based. At times, suitable talent would be adopted or acquired by marriage, but always it was brought into the family.”

  He waited expectantly, as if he thought Prax should ask a question, but Prax stayed silent. It seemed to him that Parnochh was telling him this history for a reason, but he didn’t trust the Shuratanian’s motives.

  “The House of Trahn was no exception,” Parnochh continued. “Only a Trahn can control the company. Some years ago, the House had fallen on bad times. Rishi’s great-grandmother had made some bad decisions. She decided to opt out and turn control over to her only child, her son Alexander, Rishi’s grandfather. Al
exander had no head for business, but he knew his duty. He found a woman to run his House, and he married her. He was still addressed as Master Trahn, but everyone knew Delyth was the real head of the company.”

  He paused again, but Prax didn’t think it was because he was waiting for a question. Instead, the Shuratanian seemed to be remembering.

  After a moment, Parnochh sat up and shook himself. “Delyth was what Trahn needed at the time. Good, solid management. She rebuilt everything that had been lost and more. She gave her son Ilya a lot to work with, and she knew when to step aside and let him have control. Ilya made the most of it. If he hadn’t, the House never would have survived the destruction of Prashat. Fortunately, most of the company’s resources were elsewhere.”

  “Except the family,” Prax said.

  Parnochh blinked and nodded. “Yes. They were all killed except for Rishi and some second cousins. I had left to start my own business, but I lost many friends when Prashat was destroyed.”

  Prax shifted his weight. “Why are you telling me this?”

  Parnochh turned his jewel-like eyes toward him. “Because I want to be sure you know Rishi’s circumstances. If you care for her, you should understand her obligation to her House.”

  Prax said nothing at first. He wasn’t willing to discuss his feelings for Rishi with this stranger, no matter how old a friend of hers he was. After thinking over the Shuratanian’s words, he said, “You’re assuming that caring for Rishi is the same as caring about her House.”

  Parnochh stood up abruptly. “You need to remember that Rishi is also Mistress Trahn. Many people have worked very hard to make sure the House of Trahn survived the loss of so many of its members. I, for one, don’t intend to let our hard work go to waste.”

  He turned and marched down the hill toward the house. Prax watched his small form until it was out of sight, not certain whether he had been threatened or not.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Prax moved his arms in an effort to keep warm. It didn’t work, so he started walking more briskly.

  “Slow down!” Chio protested. “You’re supposed to walk on patrol, not run.

  It was true. They were supposed to pay attention to what was going on around them, even patrolling in the dark. Prax dropped back to a walk and waited for Chio to catch up.

  “Turn on the heat controls on the damn jacket, will you!” Chio said. “It won’t hurt you.”

  Prax couldn’t see his friend’s face well because Chio wore a night scope, but he knew he was grinning.

  Prax slipped one gloved hand inside his jacket and thumbed the control. Within seconds, a warm glow suffused him.

  “That’s better,” Chio said. “You are one stubborn bastard, Prax.”

  Prax ignored the insult. “It’s not natural for clothes to make their own heat.”

  “If it comes to that, it’s not natural for us to be on any world but Terra, but here we are.”

  There was truth in that. The Elliniká tended to forget it sometimes, but it was true, nonetheless. “How is it going with you and Lidiya?” Prax asked, to change the subject. It felt strange to ask such a personal question.

  Chio didn’t seem to find it overly inquisitive. “It’s going great.” He kicked a stone from his path. “It’s weird, though. It’s been over a month since I found out how Lidiya felt about me. I’d be embarrassed to tell any of the others—I know there’s a bet on about when I’ll spend the night with her—but even though we spend a lot of time together, we haven’t gotten beyond the kissing and hugging stage. Lidiya’s pretty shy, and I don’t want her to feel pressured.”

  Prax could empathize. “That’s nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t let anyone else tell you what you should do or when. That’s up to you and Lidiya.”

  “The funny thing is,” Chio said reflectively, “it’s not that she stops me when we get going—it’s me stopping us. I feel like I have something fragile in my hands, and I don’t want to break it.”

  Prax nodded encouragement, and Chio went on. “Lidiya is so much younger than I am. I should have more experience at this than she does. And yet, I realize I’ve never felt this way before.” Chio ducked his head ruefully as if he were confessing an indiscretion. “I don’t think I’ve ever really been in love—not like this, anyway. Before, when I thought I was in love—even when I was married—I still cared more about me than her. It’s different with Lidiya. I don’t want to do anything that might hurt her. It doesn’t matter what’s best for me; it only matters what’s best for Lidiya.”

  “I guess that’s a pretty good definition of love.”

  “Maybe it is,” Chio said. “Because I get more out of just being with Lidiya than I ever got out of being in the sack with anyone else.”

  Prax thought about what Chio had said later that night when he went to Rishi’s room. He didn’t expect her to be awake, since he had worked so late, but when he undressed and slid under the bedclothes, Rishi rolled over and put one arm around his neck.

  “Did I wake you?” Prax asked.

  “No,” she said, “I waited up for you. I’m taking tomorrow morning off, so I thought I’d stay up tonight.”

  “Did your friend’s departure go well?” Prax asked.

  “Fine.” She stroked his hair. “Did you like Parnochh?”

  Prax tried to answer honestly without revealing too much of what Parnochh had said to him. “It’s difficult to like someone who seems always to be judging you in some way.”

  She made a face. “I know. I’m sorry he was so obvious. He means well, but he’s not very tolerant of anyone’s point of view but his own.”

  “Don’t worry about it. He’s gone now. You might not see him again for years.”

  She chuckled. “That’s what I thought, but he told me he plans to come back through Subidar next year. He’s looking for a new mate, you know. He told me if he finds someone he’ll bring her to meet me.”

  Prax wondered if that were the real reason the Shuratanian planned to visit again so soon. “Then you have a friend’s return to look forward to, lady.”

  She ran one hand down his chest. “We’re not going to talk about Parnochh all night are we?”

  Prax pushed her gently back against the pillows and kissed her, a long, penetrating, passionate kiss. When he finished, she was a little short of breath.

  “Umm,” she said, “what was that for?”

  “That was for waiting up for me.”

  Rishi snuggled closer. “I waited rather a long time. Is one kiss all I get?”

  Prax bent down and kissed her again. She pulled him on top of her and he discovered she had absolutely nothing on. Within a few minutes, he had lost all interest in making conversation. Rishi didn’t seem to mind, and they were occupied with each other for quite some time.

  Eventually, they finished and lay side by side on the bed. Prax was almost asleep. Rishi ran one hand down his side and then traced the scar left by the bodi horn years before.

  “Praxiteles?” she said.

  Prax was almost asleep. He pulled himself back to consciousness enough to answer. “Yes, lady?”

  “You know about what I used to do, don’t you? About how I would go to bars when I felt a need for sex. I would look for a man just to go to bed with me. A man I had never met before.”

  Prax came awake abruptly. “Why are you telling me this?”

  “I want to make sure you know about it. I don’t want you to think that night we first made love was the only time I did that. I did it many times.”

  Her persistence alarmed him. It seemed odd that she would place so much emphasis on her past behavior. He propped himself up beside her. “But why do I need to know?”

  She held his face in her hands. “Because you have a tendency to put me on a pedestal—as if I were a saint, or perfect, or something. It’s nice, but it’s scary, too. It’s very hi
gh up on a pedestal. You can hurt yourself when you fall off.”

  Prax was silent for a moment, remembering how he had watched her flyter rise over the house, knowing that she was on her way to search for a stranger. “I knew you went out,” he said finally. “And I knew what you were doing. I didn’t like it. It didn’t change the way I felt about you, but it made me angry.”

  “At me?”

  “No, at them. I didn’t want anyone else to touch you.”

  Rishi smiled. “Good.” She continued to stroke him gently. This time she traced the long scar made by the anonymous assailant with the knife.

  She seemed to have something she wanted to say, so Prax waited, stretched out beside her, his head propped on one hand.

  “How did you learn to make love so beautifully?” she asked after a few seconds. “I’m in a position to compare how men perform in bed, and you don’t make love like someone who’s only experience was years ago, with another teenager. I can’t believe one night with Danitra would be enough to teach you what you seem to know so well.”

  Prax sighed. He had wondered if she would ever ask this question.

  “I’ll be quiet if you don’t want to talk about it,” Rishi said.

  “It’s all right,” Prax said. After all, she had been frank about her own experience. “I don’t mind.”

  “It wasn’t Zoë, was it?”

  Prax shook his head. “Zoë was like me. She had never been with a man before me—I could tell that the first time. We learned a little from each other, but it wasn’t the same thing.”

  “Then who?”

  “There were two women, one in Agnios and one in Pireaus. When I went there to trade in their shops, they asked me to go upstairs with them.”

  Rishi smiled at him. “Did you ever say no to either of these women?”

  “No,” Prax said. “Never.”

  When Rishi laughed, Prax felt compelled to offer an explanation. “It was a long time between trips to the city. They were willing enough. I didn’t think it would hurt anyone.”