Enemy Known

by Butler, J. M.

  40

  An Evening at Home

  Amelia bolted back. Colliding with WroOth, she fell to the ground and scrambled away. The puma hissed and darted farther under the table, growling.

  "Get that thing away from me!" Amelia shrieked. She grabbed one of the serving forks from the table and flung it at the spider. It spun through the air and stabbed it in the face. The candied dates fell from its pinchered mouth.

  Her skin crawling, she grabbed a carving knife and threw it. This one was slightly off its mark, striking the spider in the leg. The carapace cracked and sagged, releasing a scent like bitter oil, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

  "Amelia," Naatos said, reaching for her. "Amelia, come back. It's fine. It's dead. I had it candied for you."

  "You want me to eat it?" Amelia stared at him in shock, her knife hand still at the ready. "It's not a real spider? It's…candy?" Her stomach twisted. Dinner threatened to return.

  "No. It's sugar coated. Awdawms like sugar."

  Amelia grimaced. "Not with spiders!"

  "Amelia, it is not possible to be afraid of the things that you eat. That's why we eat besreds and cabizas. They are our natural predators. That's why WroOth eats camels. One tried to eat him when he was a child. That's why AaQar eats snakes. He has had many bad encounters with them."

  Amelia shuddered, her skin still crawling. She clutched the knife tighter. "No, no, no, no, no, no. No!" She shook her head fiercely, her eyes wide. If she closed her eyes, she saw the pit again. The spiders crawling around her. Attacking her. Darting at her. She clutched at her right arm, her fingers digging into the fabric and along the distorted scarring.

  Naatos looked genuinely perplexed. He picked up the knife and cut off part of the leg. He placed it on the plate and offered it to her. "I think you'll like it. Just try it."

  "No!" Amelia darted out of the room, still holding the knife.

  The wind rushed in and out of her lungs too fast. Everything blurred. Anything that came close to her, she lashed at until she positioned herself on the back of the couch with her back against the corner. A bit of movement above terrified her. She slammed her fist against the wall, jerking her head up. But it was only the top of the curtains blowing in the breeze. She remained there, struggling to slow her terror.

  "All right, it's gone." Naatos walked into the room behind her. The perplexed expression remained on his face. "Was it too large? I can have them prepare you a smaller spider if you prefer."

  "No! I don't want any spiders! I will never eat spider!" Amelia shuddered. Her entire body trembled, and she couldn't make it stop. The oppressive weight remained on her shoulders.

  "At least give me the knife then," Naatos said. "If you slip—"

  Amelia glared at him and pulled back farther, tightening her grip. The cold hilt did not offer her nearly enough assurance. She wished she had her gun but it was still in the drawer, and she had no desire to move off the back of the couch.

  A knock sounded on the door. Naatos turned. "It's the tailor," he said, lowering his voice. He walked up to her. She was only a head taller than him as she sat on the back of the couch. "Calm yourself." He took hold of her and lifted her down. For a moment, he held her. "I did not mean to terrify you."

  The intensity of the fear had passed, but now Amelia felt like a fool. Her cheeks burned, and the back of her neck remained tight. It had been a dead spider. She had only thought for the briefest of moments that it was alive. But worse than that was her own response. Obviously Naatos had intended the spider as a kind gesture. She didn't doubt that, but each time she remembered it, pinpricks and dagger wounds of fear stabbed through her. She had to get a grip on herself. Holding her head, she braced herself and then straightened before the new people entered.

  The tailor was an angular man with thick fingers and a well-trimmed mustache. He brought with him a few male attendants and a number of fabrics. Silk-sheened blues, vibrant gold yellows, pale-iced lavenders, glistening iridescent turquoise, and multi-hued jade. They set up the bolts of fabric on the far side of the room along with other supplies like pins, needles, and cloth measuring tape.

  Naatos shifted his hold to her hand, drawing her into the center of the room. "Tailor," he said. "This is my wife, Amelia. Treat her with all respect, or you will deal with me."

  The warning hardly seemed necessary. Despite her distracted state, Amelia could feel the fear and apprehension coming off the tailor and his four assistants. They gave overzealous nods.

  The tailor cleared his throat and lifted up a small board with parchment fastened to it. "Of course, my lord. My lady, let us start first with the color of the gown. Do you prefer a single color or a multi-colored garment?"

  She had to be composed and calm now. Swallowing, she braced herself. "Single." Amelia glanced up as Naatos kissed the top of her head.

  "Excellent. Which one? Each fabric has its own strengths and weaknesses." The tailor motioned first to the vibrant gold yellow. "This one is one of the lightest. It's woven from—"

  "If it's woven from what I think, it's best not to mention it," Naatos said. He took a seat on the couch, his gaze fastened intently on the tailor. "Move to the next."

  The tailor hesitated, seeming to wonder whether he should ask what Naatos thought it was. He then motioned toward the lavender material. "Perhaps so. The bold color may not be the best color for the lady after all."

  Naatos's eyebrow arched. "My wife may wear whatever color she wishes. It is the fabric's composition that is at issue. If you prefer this color, Amelia, then they will find another material that has it." His eyes narrowed as he looked back at the tailor. "Do not disrespect my wife."

  Naatos's definition of disrespect was significantly more inclusive than any Amelia had anticipated. She shook her head at the tailor and smiled a little, trying to make him feel more at ease. She doubted any of them were there because they wanted to be. From the tailor's pale-olive toned skin and mahogany hair, she suspected he was actually from Nalthume.

  The tailor coughed nervously and then motioned to the next fabric. "This one was woven using a special Redan technique that transforms flowers into material. This one is woven from lavender, orchids, yisma, and mountain heather. When the fabric is warm, it carries a natural perfume. The more intense the heat, the greater the scent. This one here is a hand-dyed silk that has been dyed with ulgan carapaces to give it the iridescent quality." The tailor tapped the bolt of turquoise cloth. "But it is a very thin material, and it is quite delicate. We only have enough for a simpler dress." He went on to list the qualities and weaknesses of each fabric.

  The multi-hued jade proved to be the most interesting one, in Amelia's opinion. Not only did it change colors within a limited spectrum of jade, emerald, and black, but it was also a form of light chainmail. "The fabric is very old," the tailor said. "But it is exceptionally strong. It can only be cut in a certain fashion. Otherwise, it is resistant to certain blades and piercings. Spiral or slanted blades with small teeth and great force are most effective. But it is exceptionally light. A dress from this would have to be fairly simple as well and creative in its use as we do not have a tremendous amount. Do you know the design you want? I can show you some samples."

  "I don't know how long it would take, but I have a design in mind." Amelia knew she needed to reclaim her strength. She drew in a deep breath and forced a smile. It was time she started acting like she was in control. That was how she had started overcoming her fear of spiders and arachnids initially. Pretending she wasn't afraid, even if she was crying. She remembered how long it had taken to even look at a scorpion without shrieking and even longer before the cries on the inside stopped.

  "They have until the ceremony to complete it," Naatos said. "No more than that."

  "Perhaps we could postpone…" Amelia let her voice trail off. Naatos remained unmoved. He wasn't going to accept any delays. "It just seems unreasonable to make them complete a wedding dress in less than twenty-four hours."

  "We can do i
t, my lady," the tailor said swiftly. The attendants all nodded sharply. "We will work all hours and complete it."

  "Show them the dress you want. If it is not done in time for the ceremony, another one will be supplied, and you may have the dress you want for another celebration. In fact, I want all of these materials except for the gold yellow made into gowns for her."

  "What's the yellow made of?" Amelia asked. With the exotic components used for the other fabrics, she guessed that it must be equally strange. She ran her fingers along the side. She paused as soon as she touched the light material. "Oh…yes." Spider-web silk. She recognized the texture at once. She drew back, her skin crawling. "Thank you." At least he was trying.

  "Of course. We make the yellow go away entirely." The tailor snapped his fingers at the attendants. Two bolted for the material and carried it out. "Do you wish to see any other samples?"

  "No thank you. This is more than I need." Amelia knelt at the table. She picked up a piece of the parchment, dipped the quill in the walnut-brown ink, and began to sketch.

  Jacinda had always insisted that one day Amelia would get married, and when she did, Jacinda was going to design her wedding gown as part of her maid of honor duties. She'd never let Amelia see the sketches she came up with, but Amelia remembered a couple evening gown designs that Jacinda had been particularly proud of. On days when Amelia had had to stay with Jacinda's family because Uncle Joe was gone, Jacinda had made Amelia trace the patterns over and over so that she could feel the "magic of the design." The whole time she had chattered on about how she and Amelia would open the first vet clinic and fashion line after they turned eighteen. Amelia never had succeeded in feeling the same passion for design as Jacinda, but she had memorized the images. As this was likely to be her only wedding, it seemed fitting that Jacinda at least have some influence. "How much yardage is there?" she asked.

  The tailor examined the bolt and gave her an approximate estimate. Amelia began sketching at once. It was a simple evening gown in many respects with a fitted bodice and waist. The skirt was fastened to the bodice separately, coming up and connecting at the front of the waist in a simple flare in what Jacinda always referred to as a "mermaid V without the mermaid knees." The front of the skirt gathered up to just past the knees while the back fell down to the ankles in a scoop design. The neck was a halter, serving more as a decorative piece as the bodice was designed to be secure enough. When she finished the sketches, she gave it to the tailor. "The lady has an exceptional eye. Quite creative."

  "It was my friend's design. I doubt there's any way she could be here." Amelia looked at Naatos.

  "The Para bands only allow one to travel at a time. And though the Tue-Rah will be functional in short bursts after another five hours, we can only travel between Ecekom and Reltux." Naatos stood, taking the sketches from the tailor. His eyes widened briefly as he then nodded. "I approve," he said. He handed it back to the tailor. "You will have this done in twenty-four hours."

  "May I take the lady's measurements?" the tailor asked.

  Naatos nodded, but his expression remained stern. He continued to stand by the tailor, watching his every move.

  The tailor took Amelia's measurements as quickly as he could. His hands trembled. He called out the numbers to the nearest attendant. "We will need another session tomorrow. Perhaps several," the tailor said at last.

  "Very well," Naatos said. He gave the tailor additional instructions and then sent him away along with his attendants. Once they left, he looked back at her. "I assume you are pleased?"

  Amelia stifled the nervous laugh. "You're trying to woo me. I appreciate that."

  "I was not certain whether clothing would be more effective than—"

  "Just about anything is more effective than candied spiders." Amelia crossed her arms, smiling. Ah! Here it's happening again. She dropped her gaze back to the ground.

  "I still recommend that you eat a hook-fanged spider at some point," Naatos said. "It's extremely cathartic."

  "I'll bear that in mind."

  An awkward silence followed.

  Naatos's gaze drifted along her body. Amelia stepped back. She didn't have to be a mindreader to know where his thoughts were going. She tightened the fold of her arms.

  "Amelia." Naatos cleared his throat. "Two days is not much time. And times like this when I am relatively free of responsibility will not be frequent. I swear that I won't hurt you. Let me show you my love for you. It would be best if—" Something struck him across the back of the head.

  WroOth walked into the room, a few dark sticks in his hand. He broke one open like a crab leg and pulled out the brown meat. "Still not back to myself yet, Naatos."

  Naatos sighed. He gave WroOth an irritated glance. "And yet you're eating that."

  Was that part of the spider? Amelia shuddered.

  "It took me far too long to convince myself that I actually like spiders. Particularly with nutmeg and cinnamon."

  "He's spent the last half hour poking it with a firebrand," AaQar called from the other room. He walked under the doorway. "Naatos, QueQoa will be arriving in the morning. I need your help finalizing the preparations. If I know him, he'll be through as soon as the Tue-Rah permits it. Given his and WroOth's propensity for chaos, it seems best if everything is as final as possible."

  "Don't worry. I'll take care of Amelia." WroOth flopped on the couch and picked out another piece of meat. "If worse comes to the worst, we'll braid each other's hair." He gave Naatos a big smile.

  Naatos shook his head. "You won't be back a minute too soon, brother." He left the room with AaQar.

  WroOth cracked the leg open wider. "You really should try this. It's quite delicious when cooked properly."

  Amelia waved him back. "I think I'll pass." She sat on the other couch and hugged her knees to her chest. "So…you like braiding?"

  "I thought you did." WroOth brushed the cinnamon sugar off his hand.

  "That was Jacinda."

  "Ah. She certainly had quite the impression on you."

  "She's my best friend," Amelia said. She stared at the pattern in the rugs, tracing the images of the phoenixes and dragons with her mind. "Even when I didn't always treat her like a friend, she always stuck by me."

  WroOth removed the puzzle box from his doublet and began to rotate the tines with one hand. "That was your son's," Amelia said softly.

  "Mara made it. She was very clever." WroOth held the puzzle box up. The soft torchlight made the wood look even richer.

  A heavy silence spread across the room. If WroOth was feeling confused about who he was and what he was supposed to do, Amelia sympathized. She felt the same. "You know," she said at last. "Camels aren't actually predators on Earth. They're herbivores."

  "No. They eat children. Particularly Vawtrian children. I have firsthand experience."

  "You know, I was afraid of camels for years because of you. Maybe we're not talking about the same animal." Amelia pulled out the tablet and brought up her encyclopedia. She pulled a photo of a Dromedary camel onto the screen and then showed it to WroOth. "Is this what you're talking about?"

  WroOth's eyes widened. "Clever scoundrels," he said, stroking his chin. "They've adapted. Again. They must have become herbivores when there weren't enough Vawtrian children to consume. Treacherous beasts. Look at how they've disguised their fangs. You can hardly even see them."

  "WroOth, I'm a vet. I've seen diagrams. Camels couldn't possibly eat children." Amelia tried not to laugh, but now it all seemed so ludicrous. "You've got to be talking about a different breed of camel."

  "Tell that to the ten-foot monster that dragged me off with my head in its mouth." WroOth cracked open another leg.

  "If I see it, I will." Amelia smiled. She rested her head on the arm of the couch. It was late already, and she needed WroOth to go. "How long will Naatos and AaQar be gone?" she asked.

  WroOth shrugged. "Hard to say." A grin twitched at his lips. "Are you actually missing Naatos? What a relief that wou
ld be for me!"

  "I'm just tired. I thought I should wait to fall asleep until after they're back."

  "No need. Do what you need to prepare for the night and sleep. There are blankets there, and I'm certain Naatos had night garments provided for you."

  Amelia shook her head. "I haven't slept in night garments since I was six, and I'm not going to start now."

  "Oh yes. Getting caught off guard. Captured while in your pajamas." WroOth leaned his head against the back of the couch, chuckling. "I suppose you'll be adjusting to a number of changes after the wedding ceremony."

  Amelia chose a red thick woven blanket, wrapped it around her shoulders, and curled back up on the couch. A hot bath or some other soothing nighttime ritual would have been nice, but she needed WroOth to go as soon as possible. "You can go on to bed now if you like."

  "I know." WroOth turned the puzzle box over in his hand. "I would let you take the other bedroom, but that's QueQoa's room. He may be here in a few hours, and he isn't always good about checking for things under the blankets. Not to mention he wouldn't be expecting anyone in his bed. And if he did think someone was in his bed, he'd probably assume it was a prank and then try to crush said person. So all in all, it's safest for you to be out here."

  "The couch is fine," Amelia said.

  WroOth smiled a little. "Go to sleep now, little sister." He propped his feet up on the table and stared into the fireplace.

  Amelia let her eyes close most of the way, and then she remained motionless. After several minutes of silence, she expected WroOth to get up and leave. But he remained there, remarkably calm and relaxed. He played with the puzzle box a bit longer. Then he picked up her tablet and began reading again.