Part 5 (2/2)
”And you find inspiration in daydreams about Jor-El?”
Lara flushed. ”Please don't distract me. This is important work.”
”Of course it is.” Lara didn't acknowledge her mother's amus.e.m.e.nt, nor did she admit how long she had been thinking about Jor-El.
CHAPTER 13.
From atop the Council temple the holographic image of Rao blazed through the darkness. Zod could see it from the balcony of his private penthouse, and he stared at the hovering solar image until his eyes hurt. As the city lights began to sparkle, he scanned the other magnificent buildings on the skyline, all of them brightly illuminated. The people of Kandor liked to laugh at the darkness, and Zod often laughed at them. the holographic image of Rao blazed through the darkness. Zod could see it from the balcony of his private penthouse, and he stared at the hovering solar image until his eyes hurt. As the city lights began to sparkle, he scanned the other magnificent buildings on the skyline, all of them brightly illuminated. The people of Kandor liked to laugh at the darkness, and Zod often laughed at them.
Outwardly, he waited with calm patience, but inside he felt great antic.i.p.ation. He wondered if Aethyr-Ka would arrive early to show her eagerness to meet him...or late, to toy with his emotions...or if she would show up at all. He had no guarantees, and that was what made it so intriguing. He sensed a kindred spirit in this brash, independent woman.
After she had caught his attention at the chariot races, Zod had immediately sent a few spies to make quiet inquiries about her while he dealt with the bothersome fallout of Bur-Al's death. He easily learned that most of Vor-On's dismissive comments and a.s.sessments reflected the general opinion. Aethyr enjoyed breaking the rules, and she relished provoking strong reactions, much to her family's dismay. She didn't live her life in the same tedious, washed-out manner that most Kryptonians did.
Deciding that he wanted to meet her as soon as possible, Zod had recorded a message crystal. With his most sincere and meaningful smile (he had been practicing that), he requested that she join him for a fine private dinner. At first, to impress her, he had listed his formal credentials; then, not wanting to sound pompous, he deleted them all. Aethyr would scoff at such pretension.
But Zod's a.s.sistants had a difficult time actually tracking her down. Aethyr had no stable address. Her family did not know (and claimed no interest in) her whereabouts. One of his spies finally found her poring over crumbling maps in an archives center and museum.
When they delivered the Commissioner's message to her, Aethyr had held the rose-colored crystal in the palm of her hand, warming it with her personal heat. The image of Zod's face wafted upward and congealed so that he seemed to be speaking directly to her. She listened to his invitation, then fl.u.s.tered Zod's men by declining to give an answer. Any answer at all. She simply went back to her maps, digging out records of ancient historical sites....
Now, as he waited on the balcony on the evening after his meeting with Jor-El, Zod was sure Aethyr must at least be curious. He had planned carefully for the a.s.signation, choosing exactly the right bottle of wine from the Sedra region of the coastal highlands. His servants set out a selection of chilled seafood caught by nomadic fishermen, fresh fruits drenched in nectar, and a braised fillet of gurn held in a thermal field to keep it warm. Everything was perfectly calculated and staged.
Aethyr arrived four minutes early-another surprise. Not early enough to imply antic.i.p.ation, not stiffly punctilious, and not arrogantly late. When he opened the door, he was caught by her large dark eyes, like a robber bird trapped in the fine mesh covering an orchard. As before, Aethyr wore none of the ridiculously formal costumes other n.o.bles loved to flaunt; instead, her clothes absolutely suited her, showing off her lean figure. She wore no jewelry, and her short, dark hair was unadorned.
”Welcome, Aethyr. Thank you for coming.” He gestured her inside, but she remained at the threshold of his penthouse.
”I came so that I could decline your invitation in person, Commissioner.”
She obviously expected him to reel, to protest, to react with indignation. Instead he smiled and answered in a neutral voice, ”And why is that?”
”Because I don't play political games, and this seems like one. Too many unanswered questions.”
”Such as?”
Aethyr arched her eyebrows. ”What could the great Commissioner Zod possibly want from me? You gain no political clout with my family through making my acquaintance.”
”Maybe I have no interest in your family. Maybe I find you beautiful. Maybe I think you're intriguing.”
”Maybe I think you're used to getting what you want. I'm not a bauble in the marketplace to be had because you toss a few coins in my direction.”
He gestured inside again, slightly more insistent. ”Why don't you at least share a gla.s.s of wine with me while you explain yourself. Tell me what you have against me.”
She chuckled. ”I'd be happy to drink your wine. I a.s.sume you've brought out a rare and expensive vintage in an attempt to impress me?”
”Absolutely.” Despite what Aethyr said, Zod could tell she was enjoying herself, pleased with the discomfiture she had inflicted. He poured her a gla.s.s of the ruby-red wine. She took a large sip without going through the motions of staring at its color in the light, sniffing its aroma, or swirling it around in the gla.s.s. He waited for her to make a comment, but she didn't. ”Do you like it?” he finally pressed.
”It's wine.” She shrugged, then changed the subject. ”I understand you've been busy, Commissioner. The funeral for your a.s.sistant?”
Zod frowned. He never wanted to think about that idiot again. ”Poor Bur-Al is gone, and the vicious hrakkas have been destroyed. We have other things to discuss.”
”Do we?”
He was finding this quite amusing. ”Most women in Kandor would leap backward off a cliff for the chance to have dinner with me.”
”I'm not most women.”
”I know. That's why I asked you you here.” here.”
She looked down at the meal extravagantly spread out on the private little table. ”I don't like seafood.” She walked to the balcony and looked at the skyline. ”I have no interest in the stuffy leaders of Kandor or the clumsy establishment. They always want to change me.”
Zod came to stand next to her. ”How do you know I'm not different?”
She finished off her wine in a single gulp. ”Since you haven't proved otherwise, I can only a.s.sume that the great Commissioner has much invested in maintaining our stagnant status quo.”
”You might be surprised.” Zod's eyes were gleaming. ”If modern society is so distasteful to you, tell me what you would change. What do you want to do with your life?”
”I do whatever I like. I'm about to go off into the wasteland to study a large set of ruins. I think I've found ancient Xan City.”
”Where Jax-Ur made his capital long ago? No one goes there.”
”Exactly. That's why I have to.”
Zod delicately sipped his wine. ”When you come back, return here. Have dinner with me and tell me your adventures.”
”I doubt there would be any point.” She walked back to the door of his penthouse. ”You can finish the rest of the wine by yourself. As you said, it's an expensive vintage. Don't let it go to waste.”
And then Aethyr was gone. Zod stared after her, and a slow smile curled his lips. The fact that she had so easily dismissed him made her that much more intriguing.
CHAPTER 14.
Jor-El arrived back at the estate long after the artists and their crew had retired to their guest quarters for the night. He realized he had hoped to encounter Lara, but then decided he didn't want to tell her how Commissioner Zod had taken the Phantom Zone from him. He still stewed over this, but he had other important work to do, and he was anxious to dive into it. estate long after the artists and their crew had retired to their guest quarters for the night. He realized he had hoped to encounter Lara, but then decided he didn't want to tell her how Commissioner Zod had taken the Phantom Zone from him. He still stewed over this, but he had other important work to do, and he was anxious to dive into it.
He slipped into his private study and worked for many hours drawing up plans and calculating trajectories for the following morning's solar probe launch. He didn't even notice when the sleepy chef delivered a quick meal for him, and he ate without looking up from his blueprints.
But he often found himself distracted by thoughts of Lara. Normally, Jor-El resented distractions, but now he didn't mind. That had never happened before. He was curious to note these unusual feelings.
Forgetting about his equations, he a.n.a.lyzed his growing attraction for Lara as if it were an experiment, but he couldn't fit his emotions into a suitable framework. And it had happened so quickly! He had a perfectly clear memory of everything she had said during their evening together, each time she had laughed. Not only was Lara beautiful and talented, she was also interesting. interesting.
He finally went to bed, but sleep was a long time coming.
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