Part 35 (2/2)
Lunzie fastened on her favourite necklace, a simple copper-and-gold choker that complemented the colour of her dress and picked up becoming highlights in her hair and eyes.
Coromell arrived for her at 1945, looking correct and somewhat uncomfortable in his dark blue dress uniform. He gave Lunzie an approving once-over as he presented her with a corsage of white camellias. ”Earth flowers. One of our botanists grows them as a hobby. How very pretty you look. Most becoming, that s.h.i.+mmery blue thing. I've never seen that style before,” he said as he escorted her out to his chauffeured groundcar, ”Is it the latest fas.h.i.+on?”
Lunzie chuckled. ”I'll tell you a secret: it's a ten-year-old frock from halfway across the galaxy. It's surely the latest vogue somewhere.”
The party had not yet begun when they arrived at the Ryxi Emba.s.sy, one of an identical row of three-story stone buildings set aside for the diplomatic corps of each major race in the FSP. Lunzie was amused to observe the resemblance between the emba.s.sies and the BOQ barracks on the Fleet bases. A flock of the excitable two-meter-tall avians stood at the entrance greeting their guests, flanked by a host of silent Ryxi wearing the crossed sashes of honour guards.
”Great ones for standing on their dignities, the Ryxi,” Coromell said in an aside as they waited in turn to pa.s.s inside. ”Excited they forget everything, and I shouldn't like to tangle with an enraged birdling.”
A storklike Ryxi stepped forward to bow jerkily to Coromell. ”Admirrral, a pleasurre,” he trilled. The Ryxi normally spoke very fast. They expected others to comprehend them but occasionally, as on this festive evening, they slowed their speech to gracious comprehensibility.
Coromell bowed. ”How nice to see you, Amba.s.sador Chrrr. May I present my companion. Dr. Lunzie?”
Chrrr bowed like a gla.s.s barometer. ”Welcome among the flock, Doctorrrr. Please make yourrrself frrreee of the Emba.s.sy of the Rrryxi.”
”You're very kind,” Lunzie nodded, beating back a temptation to roll the one r like a Scotsman.
With their stiff legs, Ryxi preferred to stand unless sitting was absolutely necessary. For the convenience of humans, Seti, Weft, and the dozen or so other species represented that night, their great hall had been provided with plenty of varied seats for their comrades of inferior race.
”That's what they consider us,” Coromell murmured as they moved into the hall, ”or any race that hasn't a flight capability.”
”Where do they rank Thek?”
”They ignore them whenever possible.” Coromell chuckled. ”The Ryxi don't think it's worth the time it takes to listen.”
An elderly Seti, who was the personal amba.s.sador from the Seti of Fomalhaut, held court from the U-shaped backless chair which accommodated his reptilian tail. He made a pleasant face at her as she was introduced to him.
”Sso, you were graduated from Astriss Alexandria,” he hissed. ”As was I. Cla.s.ss of 2784.”
”Ah, you were four years behind me,” Lunzie calculated. ”Do you remember Chancellor Graystone?”
”I do. A fine administrator, for a Human. How curious, elder one, that you do not appear of such advanced years as your knowledge suggests,” the Seti remarked politely. Seti were very private individuals. In Lunzie's experience, this was the closest that one had ever come to asking a personal question.
”Why, thank you, honoured Amba.s.sador. How kind of you to notice,” Lunzie said, bowing away as Coromell swept her on to the next introduction.
”I'm surprised there aren't any Thek here,” Lunzie commented as they acknowledged other acquaintances of Coromell's.
He cleared his throat. ”The Thek aren't very popular right now among some members of the FSP. Even though the ordinary Ryxi never seem to care what anyone else thinks, the diplomatic corps are sensitive to public feeling.”
”That makes them unusual?” Lunzie asked.
”You have no idea,” Coromell said dryly.
”Why, Admiral, how nice to see you. And who is your charming companion?”
Lunzie turned to smile politely at the speaker and took an abrupt step back. A dark-haired female heavyworlder with overhanging brow ridges was glaring down at her. But she had not spoken. Seated in front of the huge female in an elegant padded arm-chair was a slight human male with large, glowing black eyes. He was apparently quite used to having the ma.s.sive woman hovering protectively behind him. Lunzie recovered herself and nodded courteously to the man in the chair.
”lenois, this is Lunzie,” Coromell said. ”Lunzie, lenois is the head of the well-known Parchandri merchant family whose trade is most important to Tau Ceti.”
”This humble soul is overwhelmed by such compliments from the n.o.ble Admiral.” The little man inclined his head politely. ”And delighted to meet you.”
”The pleasure is mine,” Lunzie responded as composedly as she could. It would never do to display her distrust and surprise. She knew the reputation of the Parchandris. Something about lenois made her dislike him on the spot. Not to mention his taste in companions.
lenois indicated the heavyworlder woman behind him. ”My diplomatic aide, Quinada.” She bowed and straightened up again without ever taking her eyes off Lunzie. ”We haven't had the pleasure of seeing you before, Lunzie. Are you a resident of Tau Ceti?”
”No. I've only just arrived from Alpha Centauri,” she answered politely. Coromell had a.s.sured her there was no reason to hide her origins beyond the dictates of simple good taste.
”Alpha Centauri? How interesting,” intoned the Parchandri.
”My daughter's family lives in Shaygo,” Lunzie replied civilly. ”I had never met them and they invited me to a family reunion.”
”Ah! How irreplaceable is family. In our business, we trust family first and others a most regrettably distant second. Fortunately, ours is a very large family. Alpha Centauri is a marvellously large world with so many amenities and wonders. You must have found it hard to leave.”
”Not very,” Lunzie returned drily, ”since the atmosphere's so polluted it's not fit to breathe.”
”Not fit to breathe? Not fit?” The Parchandri bent forward in an unexpected fit of laughter. ”That's very good. But, Lunzie,” and he had suddenly sobered, ”surely the air of a planet is more breathable than that of a s.h.i.+p?”
Lunzie remembered suddenly the engineer Perkin's warning about the owners of the Destiny Cruise Lines. They were a Parchandri merchant family called Paraden. She didn't know if lenois was a Paraden but preferred not to provoke him or arouse his curiosity. What if he was one of the defendants in the case against Destiny Cruise Lines? Coromell might need this man's good will.
”Lunzie was s.h.i.+pwrecked on her way to Alpha Centauri,” Coromell said, completely surprising Lunzie with this remark delivered in the manner of keeping a conversation going.
”I see. How dreadful.” The Parchandri's large eyes gleamed as if it were not dreadful to him at all and, in some twisted way, she became more interesting to him. That was a weird perversion. ”Were you long in that state?” the Parchandri pressed her. ”Or were your engineers able to make repairs to your vessel? It is quite a frightening thing to be at the mercy of your machines in deep s.p.a.ce. You appear to have survived the calamity without trauma. Commendable fort.i.tude. Do tell this lowly one all!” His eyes glittered with antic.i.p.ation.
Lunzie shrugged, not at all willing to gratify this strange man. Coromell would not have placed her in jeopardy if this lenois was a Paraden and possibly one of the defendants in the case against Destiny Cruise Lines.
”There's not much to tell, really. We were towed in by a military s.h.i.+p who happened to pa.s.s by the site of the wreck.”
”How fortuitous a rescue.” lenois's eyes glittered. His . . . minder - no matter if he called her a diplomatic aide, she was a bodyguard if ever Lunzie had seen one - never wavered in the stare she favoured Lunzie. ”Stranded in s.p.a.ce, landed on Alpha Centauri and now you're here. How brave you are.”
”Not at all,” Lunzie said, wis.h.i.+ng they could move away from this vile man and his glowering ”aide” but Coromell's hand on her elbow imperceptibly restrained her. Strange that he failed to notice that she had given no details about her s.h.i.+p. Did lenois already ”know”? ”Travel is a fact of life these days. s.h.i.+ps and rumours traverse the galaxy with equal speed.”
lenois ignored her flippancy. ”Admiral,” he turned to Coromell, ”have you tried the refreshments yet? I do believe that the Ryxi have brought in a genuine Terran wine for our pleasure. From Frans, I am told.”
”France,” Coromell corrected him with a bow. ”A province in the northern hemisphere of Earth.”
”Ah, yes. This is one world to which I have not yet been. The Ryxi have truly provided a splendid repast for their guests. Raw nuts and seeds are not much to my liking, but there are sweet cream delicacies that would serve to delight those far above my humble station. And the cheeses! Pure ambrosia.” The Parchandri kissed the back of his hand.
In spite of her s.h.i.+eld of will, Lunzie flinched involuntarily. Ambrosia. It was a coincidence that the Parchandri should use that word. Having carried and cherished it like an unborn child for the better part of three months, Lunzie was sensitive to its use. She caught both men looking at her. Coromell hadn't reacted. He knew the significance of the word, but what of the merchant? lenois was studying her curiously.
”Is the temperature not comfortable for you. Doctor?” lenois asked in a sympathetic tone. ”In my opinion, the Ryxi keep the room very warm, but I am accustomed to my home which is in a mountainous region. Much cooler than here.” He beckoned upward to his gigantic bodyguard. They whispered together shortly, then Quinada left the room. lenois shrugged. ”I require a lighter jacket or I will stifle before I am able to give my greetings to my hosts.”
lenois drew the conversation on to subjects of common interest on which he held forth charmingly, but Lunzie was sure that he was watching her. There was a secretive air about the little merchant which had nothing to do with pleasant surprises. She found him sinister as well as perverted and wished she and Coromell could leave. Lunzie was made uncomfortable by lenois's scrutiny, and tried not to meet his eyes.
Finally, Coromell seemed to notice Lunzie's signals to move on. ”Forgive me, lenois. The Weftian amba.s.sador from Parok is here. I must speak to him. Will you excuse us?”
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