Part 11 (1/2)
Jana was astonished. ”I'll bet she's furious with you. And with me, too. Nothing would make her angrier than to do something kind for me.”
”You could say she's miffed with me at this time,” he jested.
”I'm sure 'miffed' is a mild word for what she's feeling.”
”Something could be lost in the translation with our ear devices,” he joked again. ”The clever apparatus searches for the correct word in meaning and, if it doesn't locate one in its memory bank, it uses the closest one or leaves it in the user's language.”
User's language? On past occasions, untranslatable words had come out in ... That meant, Ryker was speaking to her in Maffeian, not his native Androasian. Since he lived here, she guessed that wasn't so odd, however. ”Why would you risk losing that valuable source of information to do this kind gesture for me? It can cost you a priceless spy and ally.”
”I did it to please you and win your affection. I suddenly find that you're more important to me than her stolen secrets. With our new truce, things have settled down, so I don't have to keep a close watch on their doings. Besides, Ca.s.s is so vain that she needs my boasting on her skills to stroke her enormous ego. And she needs certain products that I make.”
”This is so exciting, Andrea, here, safe, and ... happy of sorts.” She hugged him and thanked him several times, then kissed him.
To cool his ignited pa.s.sions, the disguised Varian laughed and changed the subject. ”We'll reach the boundary in two days, then be at Grandfather's two days later.”
Four days .. . The Androasian Empire . .. Kadim Maal ... Her father-in-law ... What, Jana fretted, would she see, feel, think, and experience in her second alien galaxy?
Part II.
Stardust And Shadows.
As the playful G.o.ds gather to watch mortals below, The helpless Fates warns sadly, for only they know: Casting out ”Stardust” demands love and life; Fleeing its ”Shadows” creates bitter strife ..
Chapter Eight.
”You were unusually quiet last night and this morning,” Varian observed the following afternoon. ”Is something troubling you, Jana?” After having been so warm and responsive, she was now distant and reserved. He worried over this new mood.
She glanced at him with a look of remorse. ”I can't get Andrea off my mind. She's so close and yet so far away. If I could just see her and talk with her for five minutes, I'd feel better. I've missed her. I'm sure she's scared after being kidnapped, hauled to another galaxy on a s.p.a.ces.h.i.+p, and placed on an alien colony. I know you said she was told the truth about me and the plight of Earth, but seeing each other would help both of us.”
He realized she was telling the truth, and he was relieved. ”That isn't possible at this time, and I can't promise it will be even possible later. If Project Starguard succeeds, the Earthlings may be returned home afterward. Hadn't you rather that happen than her to be relocated here?”
”Of course!” she replied in a rush. ”She has family there. I didn't,” she explained to soften the scornful tone of her voice. ”But knowing she's near makes me homesick and sad. It reminds me of all that was taken from me because of my capture. We're closer than most sisters, have been best friends since we were twelve years old. We shared everything. I want to see her, hug her, and talk with her, if only for five minutes.”
”I can only imagine how you're feeling and I'm sorry that news of Andrea has made you sad instead of happy.”
”I am relieved she's there. If Earth isn't saved ...”
He clasped her hands in his for comfort. ”I know. But don't worry, I'm sure it will be. After our return home, write your message to her and give it to me. I'll do my best to find a way to get it to her after Ca.s.s settles down and is willing to do me another favor.”
”That b.i.t.c.h would only read it, laugh, and tear it up! I don't trust her and I don't want her knowing anything about my feelings.”
”Are you suffering so much, Jana love? Are you so miserable with me? Your life here could be far worse. I'm doing my best to help you.”
Their troubled gazes fused. ”I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I meant loneliness for Andrea and my possessions, for my other friends, my horse, my home, my servants, the ranch hands, my job, all those things and people I lost. But you're wonderful. I wouldn't want to live anywhere or with anyone here except with you.”
The apparent honesty of her last two sentences tormented Varian. ”Your home and future are with me, Jana; I hope you believe that.”
”I do. Please forgive this sorry mood I'm in today.”
”I understand, so there is no need to apologize or make yourself feel worse.” He could make her feel worse if he told her that Tristan, Martella, and Nigel had been a.s.signed to Anais now because of the outbreak of a disease and a secret attack by men from a neighboring galaxy. The story he had told her about one of her inoculations not taking had happened to the Earthlings on the colony. A medical technician had failed to include one of the serums during decontamination and inoculation processes. Illness had spread rapidly among the unprotected aliens. Fortunately, none had died and all were almost well now, thanks to Dr. Tristan Zarcoff's skills. In addition, there was that military security problem with a s.h.i.+p of Zenufian slavers who had gotten wind of their presence, no doubt from Canissia Garthon. The criminals, thanks to Nigel, had been thwarted and captured. An elite security team was enroute to the colony to safeguard it after Nigel, Tris, and Martella left on the mission to the Milky Way Galaxy. Nigel was to serve as commander and Tris as doctor on one of the other stars.h.i.+ps, with Martella in charge of security on the Wanderl.u.s.t. It was obvious from his best friend's words that Nigel wanted to remain on Anais for as long as possible, getting to know Andrea McKay. Varian wished he could tell Jana that new friends.h.i.+p- and possibly romance-was why Andrea was so happy in her strange surroundings.
”Do you mind if I ask?” Jana inquired when he did not respond.
”Ask what?” he replied when she caught his strayed attention.
”What happened during that week I can't remember?”
Varian came to alert and thought quickly. ”We played laius several times, once for your ring, swam, took a tour of Darkar and the research complex, rode esprees twice, talked about our pasts and a great many other things of interest, made plans for our future, spoke of eventually having children, and ...”
”And what? Why did you halt? Please continue. I need to know.”
”We agreed to take our relations.h.i.+p slowly while we got to know each other. We decided it would help if we didn't rush things. Since your illness and recovery, we've gotten carried away because we both needed affection, rea.s.surance, and hope. It might be wise to slow down again so we'll have a better chance of getting closer without the pressure of intimacy. Besides, we don't have to make love every time we hug or kiss. We need to be friends first, Jana.”
She warmed to his kindness and patience. She smiled. ”The old strategy of appreciating and wanting something more if one has to wait and work hard for it?”
”That's an excellent description and a good theory. It probably works.”
She laughed and suggested, ”By all means, Ryker, let's try it as an experiment. Think of the new experiences and fun we'll have pursuing each other.”
Varian a.s.sumed she was behaving this lighthearted way because she was relieved to have any s.e.xual pressure taken off her. He warmed and relaxed, too. ”So, I have a stimulating adventuress for a wife.”
Jana fluffed his blond hair and grinned. ”Why not? Before coming here, most of my time was spent in cla.s.ses, on long hours of studying to become the best researcher possible, and working in labs with specimens, usually alone. All that solitary time got me into a bad habit of talking to the animals and to myself. Perhaps I did it to hear a human voice in so much silence or to impress facts into my head. I remember one of my grammar school teachers telling us that saying things aloud helped us learn faster and better than just reading silently. Many friends and co-workers have teased me about that weird habit. I have another bad flaw, which is a.n.a.lyzing things to death. I think I'd be better off if I accepted things and people at face value rather than delving too deeply into the whys and wherefores of everything.”
”Those aren't flaws, Jana; they're results of having a scientific and probing mind. I do the same, but we aren't crazy or ... weird, wasn't it?”
They shared laughter as each recalled how many times she had been overheard on the Wanderl.u.s.t monitor in her captive's quarters while talking to herself. Jana even remembered telling Mon Spectre, as she called the security control officer, that she must break the habit. And she had done so, except during stressful situations when the weakness resurfaced. ”I got us off our subject with idle chatter. Where was I? Oh, yes. It's past time for me to get out and taste life, to pick a few forbidden fruits and sample them. I haven't taken many risks or faced awesome challenges.”
”I didn't mean for us to live life on the edge of a slippery cliff.”
”If I fall, I'll have you there to pick me up, dust me off, and put me on the precipice again. You wouldn't let me get hurt. What force or person would dare threaten the wife of Prince Ryker Triloni?”
”I'm only a man, Jana, one man.”
”You are far more than 'only a man,' my modest husband, far more.”
”I'm not invincible or immortal. There will always be someone who's fool enough to challenge any power and rank, even mine.”
”Only Varian Saar is that big of a fool, and you have a truce with him. No matter how brave he acted, he always feared you. He envied you, too. When he realized he could never defeat you, he came up with the scheme to make you believe he was giving you his most prized treasure for peace.”
Varian winced inside. ”You are my most prized treasure.”
”That's the best part of his failure.”
”His failure?”