Part 18 (2/2)
Chapter 13.
Artilia Settled in the s.p.a.cious guesthouse in the capitol city of Katasa~ri, the first thing Leith did was take a bubble bath and wash her hair with shampoo. After soaking until the water cooled, she dressed in a white robe of cloth as soft as well-washed Terran cotton. She carried a tea tray and handheld viewer outside through the double doors where delicate lacey wickerwork chairs and table furnished the terrace. A light breeze blew over her damp skin and began to dry her hair. She sat and poured a cup of steaming tea.
They had arrived in the middle of the deep purple Artilian night and were carried to the medical facility. She and J'Qhir were taken to different areas, and she hadn't seen him since. After a thorough examination and treatment, she was allowed to sleep the remainder of the night.
When she awoke, the b.u.mp on her head had all but disappeared. She and Drew, who had slept in a comfortable chair in her room, were escorted to a guesthouse in the visitor section of the city. Drew told her that J'Qhir had been released during the night and he and Rohm'dh were in this guesthouse as well. Drew also informed her that Corru had left Artilia already and sent her his regards.
The thin sunlight of Artilia reminded her of Paradise, and she closed her eyes. She wanted to go back, just for a few days, so she and J'Qhir could have the opportunity to sort through their options and make a decision before being thrown back into civilization.
Leith opened her eyes and sipped the sweet tea as she logged onto LinkNet. The link took awhile, but after the initial connection, transmission was instantaneous.
”Leith, sweetheart, how are you?”
”Hi, Mom.” She spent ten minutes rea.s.suring Catherine McClure that she was fine. ”How's Dad?”
”He's right here and recovering splendidly. He's tired of staying in bed, but it's what the doctor ordered. He wants to talk to you.”
The picture jiggled, showing ceiling then floor, as Catherine handed over the viewer. Leith spent another ten minutes convincing Cameron McClure she was unharmed.
”Warrior J'Qhir took very good care of me.” She found it strange to speak his name so calmly.
”I never doubted he had,” Cameron said confidently. ”As soon as we heard that you were with the Commander-”
”Warrior,” Leith corrected.
Cameron grinned. ”So he told you about that, eh.”
”Yes. J'Qhir explained everything.”
”J'Qhir?”
Warmth crept into her face at the slip. The blush might show up on the viewer, but Leith met her father's eyes. ”We were the only two people on the entire planet. We thought we would be there for the rest of our lives. We became friends and dropped the formality.”
One of Cameron's eyebrows arched, then he smiled. ”I can understand that.”
The raised eyebrow conveyed he had never, ever considered the possibility...but the smile told her more than a thousand words ever could-he approved. Leith relaxed a little. If her father wasn't concerned then maybe she had no reason to be anxious.
The view on the screen bounced wildly. Leith heard furtive whisperings, but couldn't catch what either of them said. Suddenly, Catherine's worried face reappeared.
”Leith? Are you all right?”
Her mother didn't miss a nuance. ”Yes, Mother.”
”You don't call me Mother unless you're upset.”
”I've just returned to civilization from being stranded on a deserted planet and was almost blown to stardust by someone whom I once considered a harmless dorgian. I would say upset doesn't quite cover it.”
”Hmmm...” Catherine expressed her skepticism, but Leith wasn't going to discuss everything right then.
Cameron s.n.a.t.c.hed the viewer back. ”We're sorry about Steve. We had no idea-”
”Neither did I. I'm sorry, too, because I wasn't there for you and you had to depend on Steve.”
Cameron shook his head and waved away her apology. ”We've always understood that McClure s.h.i.+pping didn't interest you. We wanted it to be different, but we knew you had to follow your own course. We felt you might come around some day and if you didn't, that was all right too.”
Leith had to change the subject. ”I'l be glad when all this is over. The media has jumped all over it and has laid siege to Artilia.”
”That's good, Leith. The truth has finally come out. Commander-excuse me, Warrior J'Qhir never said much about the situation with Crux, but I always felt there was more to it than the Crucians were telling.” He frowned. ”I tried talking to some of the members of the Board, but no one wanted to listen since Zi always flatly refused any offer of Alliance a.s.sistance. And I couldn't hara.s.s anyone face-to-face since I've been sentenced to bed.”
”Since everything has come out into the open, I think they'l listen and accept.” Leith shook her head. ”I just hope the media focuses on Zi as a whole and not J'Qhir. He will be extremely uncomfortable with the attention.”
”Leith, you know they will. You're a target as well. The message you sent has made every major newspaper and news program on Earth. It has spread to every major planet, too.”
Leith groaned. ”I never wanted that. I would come home right now, but I won't abandon J'Qhir to face the media alone. I'l catch the first Earth-bound s.h.i.+p as soon as the media conference is over.”
Catherine's face appeared beside Cameron's. ”You're coming home?”
”Of course.” Leith blinked. ”Where else would I go?”
Cameron poked Catherine. ”Your mother is afraid you might have been starkissed.”
Leith laughed. She had been starkissed, but not the way her parents meant. ”No chance of that. I've had enough interstellar travel to last the rest of my life. I can't wait to see you again. Dad, you need to rest and so do I. I'l talk to you again tomorrow. I love you both!”
Leith closed the connection. She started to call the house steward to find out which room J'Qhir occupied but hesitated. This wasn't Paradise and they weren't alone anymore. She wasn't sure how he would react to the intrusion. She'd wait. Let him come to her. Let him construct some semblance of a proper Zi courts.h.i.+p...if that was what he wanted.
She left the terrace doors open, the warm breeze stirring the gauzy curtains. She stretched across the bed and slept until a knock on the door woke her hours later.
The air had grown chilly, and the evening sun slanted at a low angle across the terrace. The knocking sounded again. Leith jumped from the bed, ran her hands through her hair, and straightened her robe. She opened the door...and her heart fell into the pit of her belly.
”You're not dressed?” Drew greeted her. ”It's time for dinner and I'm starved.”
”I-I was asleep. Come on in.”
In the dressing room stocked with a variety of clothes, Leith chose a floor-length cream-colored dress that gathered at the shoulders and formed angel-wing sleeves. A wide bronze belt fastened at her waist, bronze sandals to match. She left her hair long and loose. She thought she looked pale and touched her face with only a little of the cosmetics from the well-stocked dressing room.
”I'm ready.”
”You're not like other women.” Drew laughed. ”I expected to wait for hours.”
She punched him lightly on the shoulder.
As they walked down the hall, she asked, ”Do you know which room J'Qhir is in? Maybe he and Rohm'dh haven't gone down yet.”
”He's gone, Leith.”
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