Flight of the Golden Harpy (7 page)

The front doors flew open, and the old housekeeper rushed out. Maria ran as fast as her short, plump legs would carry her. “Miss Kari, Miss Kari,” she cried, throwing her thick arms around her. “I’m so happy you’re home.” Tears of joy ran down her round cheeks.

Kari hugged Maria, who was the closest person to a mother she had known. “And I’m happy to be home.”

Maria let go and stood back. “My word, you have blossomed like a beautiful flower.”

Kari looked up, and standing in the doorway was her father. Amazingly, he hadn’t changed that much. His thick blond curls hid any strains of gray and his chiseled face was slightly more weathered. His tall, well-built frame strolled toward her. She stared into his pale blue eyes as he lightly embraced her.

“It’s good to have you home, Kari,” he said quietly.

“I’m glad to be back.” Kari put her arms around his waist, but felt the tension between them.

He released her. “I hope you’re hungry. Maria’s been cooking all day.”

“I am,” she said politely, “but I’d like to wash up first. We camped last night.”

“Of course. Take your time,” he said, grabbing her bags as Charlie unloaded them.

Kari and her father walked into the foyer and Charlie followed. She took the smaller bag. “I won’t be long,” she said, and ascended the stairs to her old bedroom.

As she reached her room, she heard Charlie and her father’s low voices. She froze and listened.

“How is she?” John asked.

“Bitter, but you can’t blame her, John,” Charlie answered. “If you want her to stay, you had better open your heart and tell her all.”

“I will.” John hesitated. “Charlie, I know that look. What else is troubling you?”

Kari held her breath and prayed that Charlie would keep the secret of her dreams.

“She is like her mother. That is all I will say,” said Charlie. “I must unpack the vehicle now.”

“I understand. Thank you, Charlie.”

Kari heard the front doors close, and she crept into her bedroom. Time had stood still in the room. All her old things remained in place except for a large vase of fresh flowers sitting on a dresser, obviously the labors of Maria. Kari picked up a stuffed toy animal that rested against a bed pillow and held it, remembering how it had comforted her in the night. She walked to a dresser and picked up a picture of her mother. The woman was dressed in a long white gown, the jungle behind her. She was radiant, Kari thought. Long blond hair flowed down her shoulders and partially covered her petite body. Kari saw the similarity between herself and her dead mother. Is this what Charlie had meant? In all these years, she had never heard Charlie refer to her mother.

Kari returned the picture to the dresser. “No more unanswered questions,” she said firmly. “He’s going to tell me how she died.” She gathered a clean change of clothing and went into the bathroom. After a quick shower, she dressed, came downstairs, and entered the dining room. Her father poured a glass of wine, and Charlie sat at the table. Maria placed a steaming bowl of vegetables in front of them.

“It smells wonderful, Maria,” Kari said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“I hope you didn’t get spoiled on Earth and still like my cooking.” Maria smiled.

“Spoiled?” Kari said sarcastically. “That was hardly the case.” She seated herself in her old seat next to her father and across from Charlie.

“Did you enjoy Earth?” Maria asked.

Kari glanced at Charlie, who lowered his head. Her father nervously sipped his wine. “It was all right, but I prefer Dora.” She took a drink of water. The half-truth stuck in her throat and was hard to swallow. She quickly changed the subject. “So tell me about the swarms, Dad.”

John breathed deeply with relief. He obviously knew that an Earth discussion could create an outburst of anger or tears from his estranged daughter. “The swarms are very bad and will get worse if we don’t find a remedy soon. I’m expecting a new insecticide from Hampton that the government assures me will work.”

Through dinner, her father talked about the beetles, obsessed with the problem. She couldn’t blame him. When Kari, John, and Charlie finished, they went into the spacious living room, and Maria cleared the table.

“I am tired,” said Charlie, “and you two need to talk. I will help Maria clean up and see her home.”

“Okay, Charlie,” said John “Have the men start on the shipment of red in the morning.”

“Good night, Charlie,” Kari added, settling into a large stuffed chair.

John bent down and lit a small fire in the fireplace. “Was Earth really all right?” he asked, watching the growing flames.

Kari felt her animosity rise, the betrayal churning in her gut. “No, it wasn’t,” she bit out. “In fact it was so bad I don’t care to discuss it.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, rising from the fireplace. “I know you’re still angry and probably hate me for sending you away. I just hope you’ll give me a chance to explain. I did it to protect you. There are things about Dora—”

“Dad, I’m tired,” she interrupted. “Can we talk later?” She was ill prepared and too agitated for this conversation, feeling the urge to scream, curse, or cry.

“Of course,” he said. “We’ll talk in the morning if you’re up to it.”

Kari saw her father was trying to mend their relationship. “In the morning, then.” She rose to leave the room. At the threshold, she stopped and glanced back at him. The once strong, determined man appeared frail, his gaze dejected. “I don’t hate you, Dad. I just hate what you did to me.”

4

Kari entered her bedroom and opened the balcony doors. A cool breeze blew the curtains into the air. She stepped out on the terrace and stared toward the jungle. Squawks and screeches of creatures rang out from the dark. Beyond the trees was the small hidden lake, the lake where she had met him, the golden harpy, years before. A longing crept over her to go to it and find him. She then remembered Charlie’s warnings. Stepping back inside, she closed the doors, and locked them. She surrounded herself with the numerous pillows and drifted to sleep.

The dream overtook her, and she was wandering through the jungle. Pushing the colossal ferns aside, she searched for the golden. A dense fog covered the fantasy jungle, and she couldn’t see far ahead. “Shail, where are you?” she called, drifting through the trees. In a small clearing, she saw him. He was curled up beneath a tree, and his wings were slightly extended, covering his body. She walked up and knelt beside him, pushing his hair from his sleeping face. He sadly gazed at her. His large eyes had lost all their fire and passion.

“You found me,” he related.

“We must talk. I was told you hold a spell over me.”

He reached up and gently caressed the side of her face. “Do not fear,” he said with his soft male voice. “The spell shall soon be broken. Only know, my love has always been yours.” He shivered and breathed hard. Kari saw panic and pain fill his eyes. She tried to embrace him, but the mist covered him, and he was gone.

She screamed his name, but the forest was empty. She raced through the trees, frantically searching for Shail. Detecting his pain, she was petrified, and her dream had become a nightmare. She trembled and continued calling; a terrible feeling crept into her mind that she would never see him again.

“Kari, Kari!” she heard a voice in the dream, but it wasn’t Shail’s low silky voice. It was the deep voice of her father. She opened her eyes to the bright bedroom lights, her father’s hand shaking her to awareness. “Kari, are you all right?” he asked.

She tried to catch her breath and compose herself. “It was a dream,” she said with relief, wiping the perspiration from her forehead.

“Sounded like a bad dream,” John said.

Kari rubbed her eyes, tried to focus and think. “It was bad. I’m sorry I woke you, Dad. I’m fine now.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No!” She bit her lip. “No, I’m all right.”

“Okay. I’ll go back to bed.” He left her bedside.

“Dad, is old Doc still in Westend?”

“He’s still there, but somewhat retired. Why?”

“I’ll go see him tomorrow. Maybe he has something so I can sleep through the night.”

“I’m sure he can take care of that. See you in the morning,” he said, turning off the lights and shutting the door.

Kari curled up in the pillows and stared into the shadowy room. Shail had admitted there was a spell, but it soon would be broken. What did that mean? Was he releasing her or was he coming for her? He had said that his love was always hers. She smiled. The moment she saw him, she also loved him. Now she agonized over his pain and fear. Why was he so scared? It was uncharacteristic of the bold golden. In previous dreams, she had detected his devotion and passion. Why was this dream so different and horrible? “My imagination is getting the better of me,” she said. “They’re only dreams.”

*   *   *

The morning light spilled from the balcony and illuminated the floor. Kari slowly opened her eyes and smelled baking bread. The household was up and already at work. Throwing on a robe, she ambled down to the kitchen. Maria was slicing the bread.

“Hello, Maria,” Kari said, walking into the expansive kitchen.

“Good morning, Miss Kari. What would you like for breakfast?”

“Some juice.”

“That’s not much of a breakfast,” Maria grumbled while she poured juice into a glass. “Your father is in his den. He wants to see you when you’re finished eating.”

Kari took a sip. “I’ll see him now.” Leaving her drink, she walked to the den door and knocked.

“Come,” was the answer behind the door. Kari went in and her father looked up from behind his desk com. “Just fix it,” he ranted to the person on the com screen. He pushed the disconnect key, and the screen dissolved into the desk. “Sorry—business,” he said to Kari “Have a seat. I’m glad you’re here.” He stood up and paced the room. “Did you sleep all right?”

“Yes, I don’t remember any more dreams.”

“Old Doc can help, but be warned, he’s still cantankerous as ever,” he said with a nervous laugh. He walked to a window and stared out. “What I must tell you is very hard. It has to do with your mother. Because of her, I sent you to Earth. Do you know anything about her?”

“Not really. Grandpa said she was killed in some freak accident,” Kari said.

John pushed the hair from his forehead and sighed. “She’s been gone twenty years, and I still miss her,” he said. “You’re very much like her. When I saw you yesterday, I thought I was seeing a ghost. She was strong and beautiful and loved the jungle like you.” He put his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. “We were very happy together. I want you to know that. And when you were born, I thought my life was complete. I had the two most beautiful girls on the planet under my roof.” He smiled. He turned away from the window and stared at Kari. “A lousy golden harpy took all that away from me.”

He returned to his office chair and slumped into it. “The harpy swooped down and grabbed your mother. I pulled out my laser gun and fired at it,” he said, breathing deeply. “I missed and the blast hit your mother. She died instantly, but my second blast killed that damn beast. It was the first time I killed a harpy. I was foolish back then, believing harpies deserved to live in peace on my land. After your mother died, I invited every hunter to come to the estate and exterminate them. When I heard the dogs barking and saw you in the arms of another golden, it was like reliving the past. I wanted to protect you, Kari, but you were so crazy about these winged devils, and too young to understand the danger. Before long that blond male would return, and you’d go to him, no matter what I said or did.”

Kari knew he was right. “Dad, I wish you had told me this earlier.”

“How could I possibly tell my young daughter that I had killed her mother?” he asked. “I planned on telling you when you were a teenager, but that mogel incident escalated things. I couldn’t protect you on Dora. I’m sorry I sent you to Earth and for the pain it caused you, but I couldn’t risk losing my daughter to another harpy. The harpies’ numbers have declined, but they’re still a danger to women.”

“I was very miserable on Earth, but it was compounded by the fact that I thought you didn’t care about me.”

“Kari, I love you very much.” He got up and wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t know if I was right or wrong, but I was only concerned about your welfare. I hope we can start fresh and you’ll give me the chance to make things up.”

She embraced him. “Dad, I’m so tired of being unhappy. I just want some peace now. Telling me about Mom has helped me understand your motives. I do want us to at least be friends.” She pulled away and looked up at him. “I know you hate the harpies, but Charlie told me you banned hunting on the estate.”

“Yes, I stopped the killing. You asked me to protect that young golden—wanted me to promise. For a year, that gnawed at me, and every time I thought about the mogel pulling you under, it scared the hell out of me. Despite what he is, I owed the golden for saving my little girl. Some of the men spotted him last year, so he’s still alive.”

“Thank you, Dad, for protecting him but I know you also did it for my sake.”

“Yes.” He nodded. “It was the least I could do after what I put you through. Well, the golden has been a mature male for some time and probably has paired with a female, so I no longer consider him the threat he once was. But enough talk of harpies. I have something for you, a coming-home present.”

Kari followed him through the house and outside. A new terrain vehicle was parked in the drive. “It’s beautiful.”

“It has everything. In the compartment is a new laser gun,” he said. “Please keep it with you when you leave the house. I need to get to the mill, but I’ll see you at dinner. Kari, this is a lot to take in. If you wish, we could discuss it further tonight.”

“That would be fine.”

He kissed her on the cheek and strolled to his small hovercraft. “I’ll be home around five,” he called, hopping in the hover. In minutes the hover was airborne and disappearing beyond the first hill.

Kari slowly walked back to the house, reflecting on her mother’s death and the golden harpy that had tried to take her. Charlie had said that she was like her mother, and Kari now knew it had nothing to do with looks. It was the correlation that goldens sought her and her mother and understood Charlie’s and her father’s fears. But could Shail be evil? He loved her in her dreams. Maybe Charlie is right, she thought. Shail obviously hasn’t found a mate and is seducing me to leave. In real life, maybe he is dangerous. She thought about the brown harpy on the road. If Charlie hadn’t come, would the brown have taken her?