Alien Interludes (30 page)

“Other clans, ones with standing that won’t be harmed by your bloodline, wil be glad to accept you. Mine, for example.” Diltan squeezed her shoulder again. “We would be honored to have you as our Matara. In fact, if you wil join my clan, I wil guarantee funding for Bacoj’s clan’s projects whether or not Acadi opts in.” Lindsey could only gape at him. She was speechless.

Diltan smiled as if they’d reached an agreement. He bowed and took up two of the platters. “You have much to consider, Matara Lindsey. I wil leave you to your thoughts, and when you’ve made your decision you can contact me.”

He swept out of the room, leaving her horrified and rooted to the spot.

Lindsey was no fool. She knew exactly what Diltan was saying. Join his clan to gain his investment in Bacoj, Vax, and Japohn. And if she didn’t, he would turn her clan down. Squash their hopes.

My clan would never accept trading me for their professional careers.
She knew that as assuredly as she drew breath. But to be the reason they once again missed their chances to succeed…

Tears of frustration and anger stung her eyes. She blinked them back just as Vax came into the room.

He was so excited he could barely stay stil. “Here you are! I think they’re going to go for it, Lindsey! Al three projects! I – what’s wrong?” Her Imdiko was usualy tuned into her with an exquisiteness that often left Lindsey wondering if he could read her mind. Seeing his boyish enthusiasm disappearing into wary concern hurt.

He’ll be devastated to hear Diltan’s conditions. And Japohn might kill Diltan if he learns what he proposed
.

Might? Turn that into a definite murder. And the resulting scandal would be huge, plus put Japohn in prison.

Lindsey forced her sunniest smile onto her lips. “I’ve just been worrying, turning everything over in my head. Do you realy think they’l fund al of you?” Despite knowing her so wel, Vax was too exuberantly hopeful to catch any pretense in her act. He puled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. “I’m so happy, Lindsey! This is the second … no, third best day of my life. Behind meeting and then clanning you.”

Lindsey let him celebrate, pretending to do so herself. Al the while she thought,
what am I going to do?

* * * *

Lindsey was stil fretting the next day, though she managed to hide it from her clan. The men were energized with hopes for the future, too keyed up to stay in their quarters to wait for the decision from Acadi and Diltan. Bacoj left early that morning to consult with an old trusted mentor. Vax departed soon afterward to scout locations for his restaurant. After a series of cals, Japohn took off to interview retired Nobeks he thought would benefit and be benefitted by his school.

Left alone, Lindsey paced the floor, her mind racing the maze Diltan had put before her.

Leave Bacoj’s clan and join his? Impossible.

Tel her clan why he would refuse to finance them? Doubly impossible.

Watch her men’s dreams be dashed aside for reasons that had nothing to do with their abilities?

“It’s not fair!” she yeled to the empty sleeping room.

Maybe Acadi would find another to help him finance the endeavors. There was that hope. But what if Lindsey was faced with another dilemma like this one? How many times would she have to watch her clan be denied because of others’ greed?

“I don’t know what to do,” she muttered miserably. She hated the position she’d been put in. She needed someone to talk to.

Jessica … wel, the thought was tempting. Jessica had become used to political wheelings and dealings since becoming empress, and Lindsey had no doubt her sister had plenty of insight when it came to nefarious schemes. But she also knew Jessica’s temper, especialy where family was concerned. No doubt Lindsey’s little sister would storm straight to Diltan, demanding apologies and reparations and who knew what else. Jessica would probably insist he finance the clan’s operations. And it would get out that Bacoj’s clan was using their connections to the Imperial Family to open doors. The backlash could do more harm than good.

No going to Jessica then.

Tara … Lindsey’s mother was always a good sounding board, but she was far removed from dealing with indecent proposals. She would be sympathetic, even angry on Lindsey’s behalf, but Tara wouldn’t realy have anything constructive to offer. Lindsey didn’t want to burden her mom with something she couldn’t help with.

But thinking about her mother gave Lindsey an idea of who she could talk to. Feeling hopeful for the first time since her conversation with Diltan, Lindsey hurried to the com. She made three cals. An hour later, she was leaving the quarters herself.

* * * *

“Where are you off to?” Bacoj asked the next afternoon when he saw Lindsey dressed in a lovely purple dress, her hair swept up in a becoming style.

He sounded a little snappish, but she wasn’t affronted. Al three men were on edge, having not heard yet from Acadi or Diltan. Lindsey felt a stab of compassion for them. They were starting to realize their projects were not assured after al.

Ignoring her drumming heart, Lindsey smiled brightly at her mates, al gathered in the clan’s study. “I told you, sweetie. I’m meeting your mothers for lunch. On Earth, we’d cal it a hen party.”

“You’re eating chicken?” Vax brightened a little. “You’l have to tel me how it’s prepared. Where are you going for it?” Lindsey chuckled. “It’s just a turn of phrase, Vax. Hens, as in females. But I’l be in a private room at the Wekpu. This is ladies only, now. No men alowed.” She waggled a finger at them in warning, hoping they wouldn’t insist on checking up on her. They wouldn’t like what they’d find.

She turned, caling back as she walked out of the room. “Cal me if you hear from Acadi or Diltan, okay? I want to hear the news the moment you know.” Of course, she’d know the outcome before they did. She could only pray it would be positive.

* * * *

Lindsey looked out the window of the smal private room Diltan had arranged for their meeting at the Wekpu. The seaside view, with the pink-sanded beach and emerald green ocean, would have been pleasant at any other time, but she was too nervous to appreciate it right now. A lot hinged on the next few minutes.

The room was very much meant for trysting, that much was for certain. The majority of the Wekpu was a large dining establishment, and a very high-end one from what Lindsey could tel. But there were also private rooms for intimate gatherings, rooms like this one with the eating space taking up only one corner. The rest had an upholstered lounge large enough for an entire clan to lie upon. Lindsey supposed it was meant to be a romantic retreat, with the soft lighting, the heavy drapes that could be puled around the lounge for concealment, and the light strains of music that floated through the air, but considering the reason she was here it came off as lurid.

She realy wanted to run out. But she couldn’t face her clan’s disappointment when they were turned down for funding because of her. She just couldn’t. The worry on their faces as she’d left them had convinced her of that.

“It’s good to see you, Matara Lindsey.”

She slowly turned from the window to confront Diltan. He was as silent as a Nobek, having come into the room without her hearing him.

His expression was as serious as ever, but the avid look in his eyes warned her of his hope. Desire made his catlike pupils large, nearly swalowing the blue-purple irises. Lindsey was a little shaken by it.

She’d thought Diltan was only after her for the prestige of clanning a member of the Imperial Family. It hadn’t occurred to her that he might actualy find her that attractive.

Swalowing hard, Lindsey replied, “I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to settle this matter.” The formality in her tone made him blink, and Diltan lost some of the assuredness in his stance. “Wel, I have a great interest in seeing our deal through.”

“That would depend on the deal.”

Diltan whirled with a gasp. Just as Lindsey hadn’t heard his entrance, he had missed that of the three stern-faced Mataras who now stood behind him.

“What is this?” he asked Lindsey with great confusion and not a little anger.

She smiled brightly, taking no smal amount of pleasure in having shocked him. “May I present the mothers of my clanmates. Matara Udi, mother of Vax, Matara Felac, mother of Bacoj, and Matara Nenap, mother of Japohn.”

“He knows me,” Felac said, her lips tight with disapproval. She was as put together as ever, not a hair out of place. Prim and proper, with al the formal disapproval of a judge handing down a guilty verdict. “I was friends with his mother, Grissa. And may I say, Diltan, she would be most disappointed with you now.” Diltan had gone an alarming shade of red.

“Indeed,” Udi agreed. There was no trace of her usual bright smile. She was as frosty as a winter’s day, and Lindsey was glad the mild Matara’s cold gaze wasn’t on her. “What kind of man tries to lure the Matara of another clan away? Not a very ethical one, in my opinion. And you, an elected councilman, supposedly with a higher moral bent.” Nenap fairly crackled with fury, but she weighed in with a lot more control than Lindsey had credited her with having. “Shameful. Utterly shameful. And on top of it al, you made Lindsey cry. She is like my very own daughter, and to watch her weep made me want to send my Nobek after you. How dare you use her love for her clan to harm her!” Diltan backed slowly away, as if he thought the three women would begin physicaly pounding on him at any second. “I had no idea. I would not cause Matara Lindsey any pain, not knowingly. I swear, Mataras, my intentions were quite the opposite. I was only thinking with her rank she deserved a clan that was established and accomplished—” Felac’s eyes flashed. “My son is very accomplished, Dramok. His whole clan is worthy of the honor of having Lindsey for Matara. They saved the Imperial Mother and Sister. They saved dozens of lives, Earther and Kalquorian alike, when Tragooms attacked. Bacoj developed the searcher drone that has brought so many more to safety, the very thing that you wil invest in and make a great profit from, undeserving as you are.”

Udi gave him a disappointed expression that would have made Lindsey cringe had it been directed at her. “And my child, who freely admits his greatest joy is his Matara, his second to create foods for other Earther Mataras so that they wil not be so homesick for al they’ve lost. You put a price on such things, Dramok? You would deny al those poor refugee Earther women who have suffered so much?”

“And Japohn spoke so highly of you,” Nenap scowled. “My son is not one to be easily impressed with anyone. Yet in you he saw a man of worth, of vision, of substance. How disappointed he wil be to discover you are no more than a slimy lusgo worm, damaging al in its path just to benefit itself.”

Lindsey stood back quietly, watching as the mothers berated Diltan. The embattled man seemed to shrink smaler and smaler in his own skin. She actualy began to feel sorry for the hapless Dramok in the face of such censure.

Kalquorian moms were tough.

At last he held his hands up for silence. “Please, Mataras. Please!”

They quieted, the expressions on their faces teling him they only did so out of magnanimity, not because they felt he deserved any respect.

Diltan’s head hung down. “I have committed a great disservice to the clan of Bacoj. I see that now. I have offended and am most heartily sorry for doing so. I retract my il-advised offer to Matara Lindsey.”

“And the funding?” Nenap folded her muscular arms across her chest, her eyes blazing a warning.

“Acadi is most enthusiastic to pursue investment in the projects. They are indeed with great merit, so I too shal extend my financial support. The contracts wil be sent to Bacoj’s clan this afternoon.” Only now did Diltan dare to look at Lindsey. “Wil you please accept my apologies for the insult I gave to you and your clan, Imperial Sister?” Lindsey was doing cartwheels in her heart to know her clan would get their chance. Somehow, she managed to keep her elation to herself. “Yes, Dramok Diltan. We’l chalk it up to a misunderstanding.”

“I have no right to make this request, but do you think we can keep the details of this to ourselves?” This to al four women, his eyes darting from one to another.

The mothers exchanged looks, their lips pursed as if unconvinced. Diltan began to fidget like the naughty schoolboy they’d reduced him to, and Lindsey decided it was time to let him off the hook.

“For the sake of my clan and the Imperial Family, I think it would be best if this discussion was kept secret. We wil behave as if it never happened.” Diltan bowed deeply, relief suffusing his features. “You are indeed a generous woman, Matara Lindsey. I am indebted to you for alowing me to save face.” With that, the meeting was over. The Dramok escaped, his shoulders hunched. After the door closed behind him and several seconds had passed for him to get far enough out of hearing, Lindsey and her in-laws burst into merry laughter.

“How can I ever thank you?” she asked the elder women.

The usualy remote Felac surprised her by stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Lindsey in a gentle embrace. “It is you I feel deserves gratitude. You trusted us to help you with this matter, making sure our sons were not denied the opportunities they deserve.” She stepped back and smiled at Lindsey. “I had thought Bacoj’s need for his mother was wel past. I am glad to know I can stil contribute to my child’s life.”

Lindsey’s grin stretched fit to make her jaws ache. “He is a lucky man to have you in his corner.”

“A mother never ceases wanting to care for her children,” Udi agreed.

“And speaking of motherhood,” Nenap said, her brow arching at her daughter-in-law, “when do you plan to begin your family?”
Uh oh
, Lindsey thought.

* * * *

After a delicious lunch with the elder Mataras, Lindsey returned to her clan’s quarters. She no sooner walked in the door when Bacoj swept her up off the ground and twirled her in the air.

“They offered us funding! Acadi and Diltan are investing in our projects!”