Chapter 334 (1/2)

The evening was warm, with a comfortable breeze that carried the scent of flowers across the lawn. Festivity lights were scattered about, providing decoration to the lawn. The fountain, which had borne silent witness to many plots, burbled as the water cascaded down, lit by different color lights to produce a pleasing effect.

The music was soft, tinkling, a comfortable counterpoint to the conversations, even though the majority of guests weren't used to music at all.

The guests mingled, many of them slowly overcoming their anxiety at the presence of the minority of guests. They trotted about the lawn, sipping at expensive wines and champagnes, nibbling on delicacies, the lawn comfortable beneath their hooves. Their sashes were ornamented, their vests expensive, their flank coverings lavish. The females wore jewelry that sparkled and glittered. The males wore their badges of rank and office.

Mingling through the crowd were the newcomers. Bipedal with only two arms, only two eyes, only facial hair adorning their flat faces. They were large, dense bone and muscle from evolving on a high gravity world, their two eyes forward facing and as intent as any predator's stare, made moreso by the intellect that shown in their eyes. Their mouths were full of meat tearing and plant grinding teeth, silent testimony that to them, anything that fit in their mouth was food. Their hands were strong, with firm, almost painful, grips. They were capable of grip strength to allow them to hold their entire body weight with their hands, and their arms were powerful enough to allow them to lift themselves up by their strong hands. Their legs were thick and muscled, power and endurance built into the muscle structure.

The majority, a four legged herbivore race, were very aware of the predators in their midst.

It was more than their physique. Their intellect was sharp, penetrating, and deductive. Many of the majority were surprised by the predator's ability to hold intelligent conversations on esoteric topics, from corporate profit margins to manufacturing techniques to military theory to philosophy and political thought.

The longer the party went on, the more nervous some became.

Not just because of the predators. They were enough to cause anxiety.

No, it was the host of the party, who stood with the primate predators, often laughing at their jokes, holding intricate conversations with them, and seemingly perfectly at ease with them.

They knew the System Most High was different.

Now they could see that he was not only different, he was their superior in every way.

From the way he treated the elderly party guests, to the way he paid attention to the children who he had insisted be allowed to attend, to the way he treated the primates. The party itself was lavish, an outward sign of his power even though he was in exile, but his attitude was less that of a conquered leader and more of a temporarily displaced noble.

The Lanaktallan at the party were in awe of their host.

Mana'aktoo slapped the Terran female on the back as he laughed at her joke. It was a dirty, profane joke, that had left several other Lanaktallan wide eyed with shock. The punchline of ”That's not my 256 pin superconductor connector!” had been expected but still amusing to Mana'aktoo as well as the four representatives from the two local xenospecies, all of whom enjoyed a good earthy joke.

Making his apologies, Mana'aktoo trotted away from the low ranking grav-striker mechanic and wound his way through the party-goers, slowly making his way toward Admiral Schmidt. He knew that many high ranking officials, politicians, and hanger-ons disliked his insistence that low ranking beings be invited to his parties and treated well, but the two species that made up the majority of the system's population largely worked in factories, mines, and industrial centers.

They also loved ironic juxtaposition and earthy jokes.

As far as Mana'aktoo was concerned, nearly every being at the party with any ranking could be used for reactor mass and it would only improve the function of the system.

The Admiral was laughing at the joke about the bliss seeking meditative and the out of control ore hauler that had just been told by the Maktanan mining union leader.

Mana'aktoo had heard the joke before and found the fact that, for all of the meditative's claims of being above the physical world and material objects, the out of control ore hauler had crushed the being to death, to be sensibly amusing.

A jocular way of reminding one another that we all live in the physical world despite our lofty claims, Mana'aktoo thought to himself.

”Ah, Most High,” the Maktanan said, bowing.

”Former Most High,” Mana'aktoo corrected gently.

”Bah, that is polite fiction, even the illustrious Admiral would acknowledge that fact,” the union boss chuckled, smoothing one ear. ”You are the leader that the Maktanan people desire. Even the Carikan have made their desire to allow you to continue your rule known to the Terrans.”

”I am honored and humbled,” Mana'aktoo said, pressing his four hands together.

”Well, on that note, if you two high ranking beings will excuse me,” the union boss said, making a motion toward a richly dressed female Maktanan. ”My wife wishes I attend to her wants and desires.”

”Of course,” the Admiral said, nodding.

”Give your wife my admiration regarding her exquisite jewelry,” Mana'aktoo said.

The union boss gave a pleased flick of his ears and hustled away.

”Your mother is looking well,” Admiral Schmidt said, nodding toward where Mana'aktoo's mother was obviously enjoying herself talking to several female Space Force officers. ”I am gladdened to hear of her full recovery.”

”I thank you,” Mana'aktoo answered.

His mother had developed a twisted intestine. While the Lanaktallan doctors wanted to do robotic assisted surgery the Terran Space Force had offered Mana'aktoo's mother the services of their own medical professionals.

The surgery had been entirely non-invasive. An injection of medical robots, all of them extremely tiny, two hours, and his mother had trotted out of the clinic exclaiming how she had hardly felt any discomfort.

”You mother choosing to use our medical facilities has eased a lot of anxiety toward our medical services,” Schmidt said.

”Many of my people fear that you will treat them how they would treat you should the situation be reversed,” Mana'aktoo said. ”Not the Maktanan or Carikan, they have much in common with your people.”

Schmidt made a non-committal noise, nodding slowly. The Admiral held up two fingers in a wait motion even though Mana'aktoo had recognized the expression on the Admiral's face. He knew it meant that the Admiral was processing a large amount of information through his implant.

Mana'aktoo felt a small shiver of concern but suppressed it, knowing that others were watching.

The Admiral blinked rapidly, turning to face Mana'aktoo, and again Mana'aktoo felt a slight bit of anxiety at the way the Terran's eyes glowed a soft amber.

They always had, but it had become more and more obvious even to the most unobservant over the last few months.

”Where is Most High Kulamu'u?” the Admiral asked.

”His father became confused a little while ago, mistaking this gala for his retirement ceremony,” Mana'aktoo said. ”Most High Kulamu'u took him home so he would be less agitated and confused.”