The Days of the Golden Moons (The Two Moons of Rehnor, Book 5) (24 page)

Chapter 32

Shelly

Katie,
I mean the Empress, was wearing a black cocktail dress with a strand of pearls,
diamond earrings, and of course those gold cuff bracelets.  The rest of us were
dressed for a ball.  She did say it was in a ballroom.  Oh well.  The men were
all in tuxedos except for the Rehnorian men who were in their robes of state, which
they wore over their tuxedos.  A few military men were in their uniforms.  The
Emperor was not here.  Katie was laughing and smiling and drinking wine, but
when I went to chat with her, I saw the fire behind her eyes.

“He's
not coming?” I asked, holding her gloved hand for a moment.

“I
don't know.  I don't care,” she said with a toss of her head.  “He does what he
wants.”  She smiled broadly and went off to greet some dignitaries who bowed
low and kissed her gloved hand.

“That's
too bad,” I remarked to Tim.  We were supposed to head home tomorrow.  I was
trying to convince Tim to stay.  Gina desperately wanted to stay, but Thad said
HIM specifically asked him to stay on in Kalika-hahr while the companies were
restructured.  After that, he and Gina would decide what to do.

Katie
returned to our table, and this time on her arm was a tall, dark, handsome and
obviously Karupta man with salt and pepper grey hair.  He was gazing down at
her with his dark brown eyes and a smitten look upon his face.

“I
would like to present some of our dearest and oldest friends,” Katie said, waving
her hand at us and calling out our names.  “This is my father-in-law, His Royal
Highness Prince Sorkan of Karupatani.”

“A
pleasure to meet you all,” he bowed.  I must have been staring unabashedly at
him because Katie noticed.

“Watch
out, Sorkan,” she cautioned.  “Shelly has her Ph.d. in Ancient Rozarian
studies.  She's probably desperate to pick your brain to pieces.”  The prince
looked me over with a debonair smile.  Tim cleared his throat loudly and put
his arm on the back of my chair.

 “Go
on and greet your other guests, love.”  The prince told Katie and taking her
face in his hands, kissed her cheeks.  “I will entertain your friends with
sordid tales of your juvenile delinquent husband and his propensity to break
things and kill people.”  Janet, Gina and I bolted from our seats, pushing each
other around to stand next to the prince.

Katie
went off to greet another tall, dark and handsome Karupta man who was obviously
related though much younger.  He too kissed and hugged her, though she frowned
and pushed him away.

“My
nephew, Prince Rekah.”  Sorkan paused in his story about a fire, a knife and a
fight between himself and his then fourteen year old son to nod at the other
man.  “What is it about that little Human that she bewitches all the de Kudisha
princes?” 

Several
drinks later, dinner was called and we seated ourselves again at the table. 
Prince Sorkan left us to sit with Katie, while Luci and Caroline went off to
another table with empty seats for their husbands. 

“That
guy looks like a pilot we had aboard the Discovery.”  Jerry pointed at a
Talasian man sitting with a Human woman at Caroline and Luci's table.

Dinner
was fabulous of course and the music and evening sky with the two golden moons
was positively intoxicating.  The younger couples got up to dance, but Tim
refused to budge from his chair.  Prince Sorkan came back over and asked me to
dance, so I happily did a few rounds with him.

Coffee
was served and desserts.  The sky had turned deep blue and was scattered with
millions of stars.  The two moons reflected off the white sand of the beach as
they set upon the horizon.  Katie was going from table to table chatting with
the guests.

“I
can't believe we have to go home tomorrow,” I moaned.

“Me
too,” Gina practically cried.

“You
can come back again, Shelly,” Katie said, putting her arms around me.  “We'll
still be here.  Our door, actually our many doors are always open to all of
you.”

“I
can't believe we came all this way, and we didn't even get to see Ron for a
minute,” Gina simpered.

“You're
hardly a dignitary, Gina,” Tim snapped.  “Only Lord Thad rates at this table. 
Being a retired Admiral certainly isn't enough.”

I
stared at Tim aghast.  “You wanted to see HIM?”

Tim
shrugged.  “Actually, I wanted to see one of his big ass starships.  Purely for
my own curiosity, of course.”

“Of
course,” I nodded.

“I
think that can be arranged, Admiral,” Katie said, and her eyes lit up.  “Would
you like to go tomorrow?  We usually have at least one in this system at all
times.  I'd love to show it to you.  In fact, you and I might be able to sit
the com for a few minutes.  If we've got a second one in orbit here, we can
take one out for a little spin.  You should feel what light +10 in 20 seconds
is like!”

“We
can do that?”  Tim asked.

“We?”
I gasped.

“Oh
Admiral.”  Katie sat down next to Tim.  “These ships are absolutely engineering
marvels.  I'll show you the propulsion systems.  You wouldn't believe what we
can produce, and they are virtually emission free.  We use a fusion process
that combusts, reforms and then combusts again into the energy source.  I'll
ring Shika tonight and see if he can come with us.  He loves to be in space. 
Would you believe he wants to be a starship captain?”

“I
wonder where he got that idea?” Jerry remarked as there was a commotion on the
steps leading up from the beach.  The band stopped playing.  Everyone stopped
talking, rising to their feet and then not.  We were the only ones standing. 

HIM
had come up the beach steps to the terrace flanked by two elaborately robed
men, one being Taner and the other Berkan.   The Emperor wasn’t wearing a
tuxedo or even a fancy robe, but rather a loose open necked black silk blouse
with gold embroidered placket and cuffs, black trousers and a gold sash around
his waist that draped to his knee.  He had no socks or shoes on.  Around his
wrists were two heavy gold cuffs similar to Katie’s.  His hair was long, past
his shoulders but pinned back with a diamond clip and strangely streaked with a
band of silver.  He had a close cropped beard that was sprinkled with the same
silver.  He didn't have his glasses on and his eyes were nearly as bright as
the moons.  He limped as he walked and leaned heavily on a fancy cane.

Janet
and Gina both made a sort of moaning noise.  Heck, I probably would have made
the same noise too if my heart wasn’t stuck in my throat.

Taner
and Berkan peeled off to join their wives as HIM continued forward to our table
where Katie was now kneeling.  He stopped right before her and held out his
hand.

“You
weren't going to do that anymore,” he said.

“Not
unless you deserve it,” she replied, taking his hand and rising.

“So
I am not in the doghouse today?” he asked.

“Nope,”
she kissed him on the lips.  “You came to my party.  Bonus points for you.  Did
you eat dinner yet?  And I mean a real dinner with food, not cigarettes and
alcohol.”

“No
dinner yet.”

“Good. 
Let's sit down and have something.  Where would you like to go?”  She scanned
the terrace.

“Back
to our flat?”

“No. 
Let's go sit in that alcove.”  Katie led him to an extended deck area raised a
few steps above the main terrace.  Servants rushed to set a small table there
as HIM and Katie sat down together.  He leaned back in his chair, his left leg
stretched out in front of him while a servant brought a small foot stool for
him to prop it on.  He smoked a cigarette while Katie chatted with the servants
and waved for everyone to rise and resume their dancing and eating.

“Gosh,
I guess he really is the Emperor,” Jerry remarked, his eyes wide behind his big
glasses.

“He
still doesn't wear socks and shoes,” I said.  “And I bet he still puts his
dirty feet up on the furniture.”

“He
does, Mom,” Thad nodded.  “Still leaves his clothes all over everywhere, chain
smokes, drinks excessively, swears like a spaceman and occasionally zaps me in
the butt with his finger.”

“Can
we go talk to him?” Janet asked no one in particular.

Caroline
and Lord Taner came over to our table.

“When
HIM is ready to speak with you, I will come get you,” Taner instructed.  “Do
not speak unless spoken to.  Refer to him only as Sir or YIM and do not sit
unless you are invited to do so.  Absolutely, do not make an attempt to touch
him.  You do not need to make obeisance, but it would be considered respectful
if you did so.”

We
all nodded enthusiastically even though we were all watching the alcove where a
legion of waiters were bringing things that HIM was waving away.  In fact, just
about everyone on the terrace was watching the alcove except for Prince Sorkan
who was chatting up someone and loudly laughing. 

The
orchestra started again, and hesitantly people got up to dance.  Alone or in
pairs, people were brought up to HIM while he ate dinner.  He cocked his head
and listened to them and I could practically see the wheels turning inside his
brain.  I had a déjà vu moment remembering how he used to listen to me in the
same way and strangely, tears came to my eyes.  He finished his meal and smoked
another cigarette and we all waited until it was our turn.  Janet and Jerry got
called up first.

“Here
are Jerry and Janet,” Katie said.  A waiter poured HIM a cup of coffee.  “Did
you know they got married?  Isn't that wonderful?”

“I
knew they would.”

“You
did?” Katie gasped.  “When?”

“Years
ago.”

“Really?”

“Of
course, I did.  Congratulations, Dr. Moonbeam.  Your clinic shall be very
successful.  Perhaps you would like to offer an outpatient service at the SdK
hospital not far from your town?”

Jerry
and Janet stood dumbly.  “Uh, sure,” Jerry stuttered after a time.  “That'd be
great, Ron..Sir..YIM.”  Jerry blushed deep red.

HIM
drank his coffee while Katie laughed and thanked Jerry and Janet for coming.

“Shika
said he is going to try and come visit you there sometime, Jerry,” Katie added. 
“He said to tell you that he knows a great place where you can get waffles with
purpleberry ice cream on them.  You're going to have to buy about four of them
to fill up that boy now though.”  Jerry smiled and looked stunned as he and
Janet walked away.

Someone
tapped on my shoulder and indicated that Tim and I should follow.

“Shelly
and Admiral Tim,” Katie announced us.  “The Admiral and I want to take one of
the starships through some paces tomorrow.  Have we got one in the system we
can borrow for a few minutes?”

HIM's
silver eyes pan our faces for a moment.  Taner appeared next to me.

“My
wife wishes to take Admiral Mattson for a ride in a starship tomorrow.  Who do
we have in this sector?”

Taner
consulted his cell.  “The KdK is patrolling the sector.  The Queen of Talas is
in spacedock but will be leaving tomorrow, and the Queen of Altaris will be
docking for a retrofit.  All the others are at least eighteen hours away.”

“You
may board your namesake and show the Admiral what she can do.”  HIM turned to
Katie.  “Thank you, Taner.”  Taner returned to his table and his dinner.

Katie
winked at Tim.  “Sounds like fun, Admiral.”

“You
are well, Shelly?” HIM turned to me, and his eyes were nearly closed now, so
only a thin stream of silver light was visible.  “Please pass my regards to Kenak
and Donak.  Let them know they must not hesitate to ask us if they require
anything.”

“Thank
you for what you have done for Thad,” I said.  “You have completely changed his
life for the better.”

He
shook his head.  “I have not changed anything.  He has done only what was his
destiny to do.”

“Are
you okay, honey?”  I moved closer.  “I worry about you all the time.”

He
reached over and took Katie's hand.

“I
am very good, Shelly,” he said slowly.  “You do not need to worry about me
anymore.”

I
laughed.  “You should see the pink rose bush and apple tree we have growing at
our house now.  They are enormous and always covered in flowers and apples.”

“Really?”
Katie asked.  “What kind are they?”

HIM
smiled.  “Shoelace.”

“Shoelace
Roses or Shoelace Apples?  I’ve never heard of either of that kind.”

“Both,”
he replied.  “They are a new genus created just for Shelly.”

“That's
great?”  Katie asked as he waved at us to leave.

“Let's
go now.”  He started to rise.

“Why?”
Katie protested.  “It's still early.”

“I
want to leave.”  He stood up, and everyone stood still.  “Don't mind me.  Play
some music.”  He waved at the orchestra.  The orchestra started a nice dance
number as Tim guided me back to our table.  Berkan and Luci, Taner and Caroline,
Jerry and Janet were out dancing.  Only Thad and Gina were sitting at the table,
and Gina was pouting because HIM didn't call them up.