Brianna (10 page)

Meri pushed the blue button. “The screen is voice activated.

All you have to do is register your voice pattern, and the computer will run whichever program you select. This screen is like the one in my quarters, so I should be able to program your voice into it. There,” she said, “all you have to do is identify yourself to the computer.”

“How do I do that?”

“State your name and position.”

“What exactly is my position?”

Meri stared at Brianna for a moment and then smiled.

“You’re the ambassadorial liaison from a newly discovered planet.”

A slow smile slide across Brianna’s lips. “Do planetary ambassadors in your Federation of Planets have diplomatic immunity?”

Meri’s grin was conspiratorial. “Of course they do.”

Brianna stepped to the computer terminal next to the video screen. “Brianna Claire O’Shea, Ambassadorial Liaison from the planet Earth to the Federation of Planets.”

“So witnessed and accepted as such by Lillalistross dem al’

Merilinlalissa, Princess Hardan, Ambassador at large for the planet Mediria.”

“Acknowledged and recorded,” affirmed the computer’s disembodied voice.

“That will put a definite kink into Bakom’s plans,” Meri commented smugly.

Brianna settled cross-legged on the edge of the bed. “Why does everybody hate this Bakom so much? Aside from the fact that I’m his next experiment, that is?”

Meri shivered. “Bakom’s evil, Brianna. He’ll stop at nothing to gain power first over his own planet and then over all others in the Federation. Three years ago, he kidnapped an Aradab girl from my planet. When confronted, he explained his actions away with his Tests of Humanity.”

“I thought the five known planets’ inhabitants were automatically classified as human.”

Meri belly-flopped onto the bed. “They are. I’m sure you noticed Kahn and I do not look very much alike.

After Brianna nodded, she continued, “Unlike Drakan, which has only one race of people, we have three major races on Mediria. My planet is almost 90 percent water with only one large landmass and numerous islands of varying sizes. Kahn’s people have lived only on land for generations and have lost some of their ability to breathe underwater. My race is the most populous of the three. We’re comfortable on both land and in water and are able to breathe in either environment. The members of the third race live almost exclusively in the water.”

“Are they green too?”

“Yes, but it’s such a dark green, they’re almost black. Other than their color, the Nessians, as they are called, look like my people.”

Brianna stared at Meri. “You can breathe underwater?”

Meri motioned Brianna closer as she pulled her hair back behind her head. “Every person on my planet has gills. Even the Aradab, Kahn’s people, have residual gills. Anyway, since the Aradab don’t look like my people and the Nessians, Bakom decided to test one of them. He kidnapped a nine-year-old girl, Kahn’s sister.”

“What happened?”

“Char’s family found out what Bakom was up to and rescued Paala. Char had Ademis bring her back to my father’s court.

That was when I first met Ademis, by the way.”

“I imagine Kahn’s family was relieved.”

“My brother Davlalardrac took Paala home and returned with Kahn, Kahn’s youngest brother, and twenty cousins. They pledged themselves to my family’s service for all eternity,” Meri answered with a wry grimace. “You can’t believe how tiresome that can be. My father couldn’t convince them to go home. One of Kahn’s cousins has also accompanied me on this trip. They decided that it would be impossible for only one of them to stay awake the entire time I was off planet.”

“Was Bakom punished?”

“The Academy was censured on Mediria. Its members, with a few exceptions like Lorilana and her husband, are only allowed in certain sections of our capital city, and no member of the Academy is permitted anywhere near our planet without official clearance and an Aradab escort.”

“That doesn’t seem to be a very harsh punishment.”

“There wasn’t much else we could do without bringing public shame on Paala, but Kahn’s family exacted a much more subtle revenge.”

“Oh?”

Meri grinned. “They decided that Bakom would have his subject for the Tests.”

“What happened?”

“Kahn’s aunt volunteered to take the tests as long as they were videotaped for the benefit of the scientific community, were witnessed by scientists from both planets, and were personally administered by Bakom.”

“Did he agree?”

“If he hadn’t, my father was going to declare him outlaw and kidnapper on Mediria. Under our laws, any Medirian anywhere in the galaxy would have had the right to execute him. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.”

“What happened to Kahn’s aunt?”

Meri’s grin stretched from ear to ear. “You should ask what happened to Bakom. In most cases, any given drug will enhance an Aradab’s natural abilities in whatever physiological or psychological manner the drug is to affect them. Giving an aphrodisiac as powerful as mithrin to Kahn’s aunt was a huge mistake. She wore Bakom’s tail bloody!” Meri gloated. “It was six months before he healed.”

“And Kahn’s aunt?”

Meri rolled onto her back, a wide grin on her face. “After she’d finished with Bakom, she asked for a real man. No one had the courage to try.”

Laughing, Brianna fell back against the pillows.

After they both stopped laughing, Meri asked, “What do you want to know about Drakan?”

Propped against the pillows, Brianna asked, “How did they become hermaphroditic?”

“You can get the full story from the computer’s archives.

Basically, however, about two thousand years ago, a plague swept across Drakan, killing almost three quarters of the total population. Very few of the survivors were male. Even back then, there was an Academy of Science. Its scientists convinced most of the population that the only chance for their species’

survival was if everyone became hermaphroditic. About three-quarters of the survivors agreed. Everyone who so chose underwent a series of operations when he or she reached consensual age. Those who chose not to do so remained either male or female. Hence, three sexes on Drakan.”

“Are children born hermaphroditic, or are the operations still required?”

Meri rolled back onto her stomach. “That’s the strangest thing about Drakians. They’re never quite sure what their children will be. Of course, a child with parents whose ancestors had never undergone the operations will be either male or female. It’s when the hermaphroditic and unaltered genes mingle that interesting things happen.”

Brianna sat up and propped her right elbow on her knee and rested her chin in her hand. “What do you mean?”

“A female with unaltered genes will always have a single-sexed child no matter who or what the father was. Children born to two hermaphrodites can be male, female, or hermaphroditic.”

Brianna’s eyebrows rose. “Two hermaphrodites could have a single-sexed child?”

Meri angled her head to and grinned at Brianna. “Yes, and it drives their geneticists crazy. The scientists on my planet feel that nature is reasserting herself. The Drakians are the only known human race to have three sexes. Among animals, if there is a third sex to any species, it’s always neuter. The Drakians meddled with natural biology. Every year, more single-sexed babies are born to them, and many which are still hermaphroditic display more female or male characteristics than their parents.”

“What do they do with them?”

“They raise them, of course. Except for a small group of purists, Drakians are the most tolerant of all the human races.

Most don’t even understand the concept of racial intolerance.

They view every human being as a potential sexual partner.”

“What about Kahn’s sister? I mean, she was just a child.”

“Drakians love children. Even if Char’s family hadn’t stepped in, the Academy would never have allowed Bakom to experiment on her. He probably intended to keep her hidden away until she came of age. That’s why he’s such an evil man. Up until now, he’s been content to wait to bring his plans to fruition.”

Brianna leaned back against the wall, closed her eyes, and swallowed. She’d been enjoying her time with Meri, but the reminders of Bakom’s evilness brought his plans for her back to the forefront of her mind. She hadn’t realized how long she’d been quiet until Meri was sitting next to her, rubbing her hands vigorously.

“What is it? Should I call for Lorilana?”

Shaking her head, Brianna pulled her hands from Meri’s. “I’m all right,” she lied. “I guess I’m still a little tired.”

Lips puckered, Meri stared levelly at her. “Posh!’ she finally snorted. “You’re worrying about Bakom and his plans for you.”

Brianna turned her face away.

Meri tsked, rose, and walked out of the room. In a few minutes, she returned with a glass full of an amber-colored liquid. “Here, drink this.”

Brianna took the glass and sniffed its contents. “What is it?”

“Don’t smell it! Just drink it!”

Brianna took a sip. A delicately sweet flavor caressed her tongue. “Hmmm! This is good.” She followed the sip with a swallow, then another and another until the wine was gone. She had just set the glass on the nightstand next to the bed when she felt a rush of warmth centered in her stomach rapidly spread throughout the rest of her body. Shivers raced up and down her back. “What is that?” she gasped.
It feels like a mini orgasm!

Meri chuckled lightly. “Medirian argoth brandy.”

“You could make a fortune selling this!” Brianna was glad she was sitting down because her legs probably wouldn’t have held her.

“Brianna, my friend, we already do. Now, I know just what you need. We have to get you out of these rooms.”

“But it’s not safe. If Bakom spotted me, he could demand that I be given to him!”

Meri snorted. “As if he can issue commands to a Medirian princess. Besides, you have diplomatic immunity, remember?

Anyway, we’re only going just down the corridor to my quarters.

With Kahn outside, Bakom isn’t going to come anywhere near here. You need something to wear tonight. After all, you are dining with a princess. I’ll just send a message to Control so Char doesn’t tear the ship apart when he comes back and finds you gone.”

Meri tapped a message into the console next to the viewing screen. When she finished, she grabbed Brianna’s hand and pulled her from the bed. “Come on,” she said with a mischievous grin. “I put it on a thirty second delay. We want to be out of here before he gets the message and decides not to let you out of his quarters.”

Brianna didn’t hesitate. She had not been looking forward to being alone with the intriguing alien captain. If he decided to kiss her again, she didn’t think she’d have the willpower to stop him —or herself.

Meri palmed the outer door open and Kahn turned to face them. “Brianna is my friend, Kahn. I want you to protect her as you would me. Bakom wants her.”

His eyes widened and then narrowed. He nodded once and sketched a bow.

Hauling Brianna along behind her, Meri hurried up the corridor. They hadn’t gone very far when she stopped at another door.

It glided open silently, and she pulled her new friend inside.

*

Char leaned back in his chair, contemplating all that he’d heard. He hadn’t planned on listening to their conversation, but when Meri opened a direct channel for him to record Brianna’s declaration of ambassadorial status, he’d kept the channel open. Meri had been fully aware of this, for she could have severed the link any time she wanted. Her decision to take Brianna to her quarters had been her signal to him that any further conversation would be private. As it was, he was very thankful for the close ties his family had with the Hardan royal family. Meri’s conversation with Brianna had relaxed her and family. Meri’s conversation with Brianna had relaxed her and she’d talked freely. He was beginning to understand her.

“There really isn’t much difference between these quarters and Char’s,” Meri said as she walked across the room. “The basic proportions are the same, but I redecorated.”

The door slid open and what could only be a relative of Kahn’s walked out. Somewhat shorter and less massive in bulk, she was obviously female. Her brow ridges were less pronounced and a topknot of black hair flowed down her back.

“This is Beti, Kahn’s cousin. Beti, this is Brianna. Bakom wants her.”

A fierce look entered Beti’s black eyes. She nodded once and said, “Celene is no longer content with her sugar tit. It’s good that you have returned.”

Meri chuckled and headed for another room. “Just like her father, concerned with instant gratification. Come along, Brianna, and meet the joy of my heart.”

Obviously the equivalent of the room where Brianna had been staying, this one was furnished for a child. Meri bent and lifted a fussing baby from its crib. Her cries stopped when Meri opened the loose tunic she wore and presented her breast.

Soon contented sucking noises filled the room.

Sitting herself in a comfortable chair, Meri looked up at Brianna. “This is my daughter, Celene. Isn’t she absolutely adorable?”

Brianna moved closer, curious to see what a half Drakian, half Medirian baby would look like. It was warm in the room, so the baby wasn’t wearing much more than a diaper. “She’s not green!”