Tetra, about 7:24
AM
She stood alone on
the highest peak of the Faldref Range. From here, she could see
the Northundran Sea in the distance, illuminated by a red sky
painted broadly by an unseen early morning sun still just below
the horizon. Far to her left, distant lightning flashed against
what remained of the night to mark the approach of a faraway
storm.
It would be dawn shortly
and Lillith stood watch. Her platinum uniform, what there was
of it, pleasantly followed every compound curve of her young
and powerful body; the cape gently moving to every whisper of
wind that shifted her beautiful hair just as subtly. She stood,
carved from the mountain, unwavering and anticipating the arrival
of the sun of a new day.
Behind her, a sound,
a foot on a twig perhaps, and she turned majestically toward
the visitor.
"Will'm,"
she said with the regal air of a queen. "I have been expecting
you."
"I could not stay
away," confessed the shirtless, muscular Terran, a Velorian
ceremonial broadsword clipped to his studded belt. "I am
drawn to you, darling, like a Chindi bug to a flame." His
breathless voice dropped to a whisper and he stopped, hesitant
to approach her.
"You love me?"
she needlessly asked, as if merely confirming the expectation
of a loyal subject willing to die for his beloved monarch.
"I adore you,"
he gasped, rushing to her. His right arm swept around her waist
to hold her close while his left hand rested with a flair on
the hilt of the sword. "I want you, darling, desperately."
"Will'm,"
she whispered tenderly, her elegant hand lightly caressing his
cheek. "I do love you so, oh, how I love you, but you must
find the strength to restrain, darling. You must..."
"No," he
interrupted firmly. "No, I must have you. I cannot wait,
Lillith. I am your mate and I live only to please you... Forever."
Just as the wind rose
in gusts, his powerful hands gripped her wrists, gently but insistently
drawing her arms behind her, trapping her in a lover's embrace.
"You are so strong,"
she gasped, her untamed hair flailing in the rising winds that
swept across them both. "I cannot resist you."
"Just as I cannot
resist you, my darling, my love... My passion."
"Will'm..."
She could barely speak and his lips pressing against hers only
saved her from trying. Their kiss grew more passionate with every
moment that it lasted. Brilliant lightning exploded around them
as a havoc of winds tore at their clothes. He released her arms
and she explored her lover's body, just as his hands explored
everything that she was. Her breathing grew more rapid, gasping
aloud when she felt his right hand encircle her breast and the
power of its sensuous, insistently undulating pressure. His fingers
played across her firming body, exciting her with his expert
touch that set her on fire. She was lost within the passion,
moaning with every breath she exhaled, each one growing louder.
She felt his manhood rise between her legs, pressing with unleashed
desire against her sex, driving her toward the ecstasy that she
so wanted, her hips moving faster and faster with the movement
of him that fired her deepest passions.
"T'aye, Will'm!
T'aye!" she shouted above the winds just as the apex of
the great sun exploded from the horizon. "Take me! TAKE
ALL OF..."
Three rapid taps on
her forehead made her stop in mid-thrust and open her eyes wide
to see the dull eyes of a rather fat Tetrite looking down at
her as she lay on her bed. Her left hand was on her own breast
and her right hand was conspicuously positioned between her legs.
"Phil wants to
know how much longer you're gonna be," he mumbled in a rather
disinterested baritone voice. "Everybody's waiting."
Lillith felt the blood
rush into her ears. She discreetly lowered her butt back to the
bed and moved her right hand to a less indiscreet spot.
"I... I'll...
Right out," she stammered.
"Okay," the
droll Tetrite responded as he turned and trundled lazily out
the habitat door.
Lillith bristled with
embarrassment as she closed her eyes and covered her forehead
with both hands.
"Aw, Skietra,"
she moaned before thumping herself in the face with a nearby
satin pillow over and over.
At the meeting place of the Council of Tetra
Three hundred and seventeen
Tetrites of various sizes were already gathered in and around
the circular meeting place when Lillith entered. All discussions
ended at her appearance and all faces looked her way.
"Sorry,"
she murmured, her eyes unable to look directly at anyone in particular.
"Overslept."
She cleared her throat
and looked up to see William sitting quietly about three rows
up. Her face immediately brightened, especially when she caught
his eye. Picking her way delicately through the sea of small,
fuzzy creatures, Lillith slipped in alongside him, wrapping her
arms around his as she sat down.
"E'ay, Will'm,"
she purred enthusiastically, her bright eyes active in high flirtation.
"Hello, beautiful,"
he replied softly, looking appreciatively into those bright eyes.
"I've missed..."
"Mistress? MISTRESS?"
called out Phil, interrupting their moment. "Mistress, I
do believe that we have already discussed that sufficiently."
Lillith's brow deepened
for only a moment of confusion before she reluctantly remembered.
Releasing William's arm, she folded her own arms across her chest,
sighed loudly, and glared straight at Phil, the picture of a
disgruntled female.
"Thank you, Mistress,"
chirped Phil in a most appreciative manner. "I am most appreciative."
"Hmph," grunted
Lillith in a most unappreciative manner.
"What's all this
about, Lillith?"
"I'm not suppose
to touch you," she grumbled sarcastically.
"Your information
is not quite valid, Mistress," corrected a nearby Tetrite.
"Indeed, Mistress,"
added another Tetrite with a weird sounding voice. "You
must simply not encircle any part of the William's body with
any part of your own. It is not quite accurate to say that you
cannot touch the William. Invalid information is never welcome."
"Indeed. That
is most valid," confirmed the first Tetrite.
"Why, thank you,"
replied the second Tetrite. "It is most kind of you to..."
"But, I wanna
encircle him," she pleaded, turning to William. "Wouldn't
you like me to encircle you?"
William's eyebrows
raised.
"Being encircled
by you would be wonderful, Lillith," William confirmed with
a smile. "I'd like that."
"You would?"
Lillith instantly fell into a cow-eyed, you're-so-sweet look
on her face.
"Uh-huh. And I
can do some pretty good encircling myself, ya know."
"Oo," she
cooed breathlessly. Moving closer to him, her hand slid around
his arm. "I'd love to..."
A loud series of taps
coming from the tip of Phil's leg made Lillith jump with an angry
squeak, retracting her arms immediately from their illegal positioning
around William's. She retreated to a sullen, slumped posture
displaying her complete unhappiness with the present arrangements.
"Mistress,"
lectured Phil, "if you please..."
Lillith stuck her tongue
out at Phil contemptuously.
"My goodness,"
responded a rather confused Phil, pulling back a bit.
William leaned over
to the first Tetrite.
"Why can't she
encircle me?" he asked.
"Incompatibilities
exist," informed the Tetrite in a hushed manner usually
reserved for discussing unfortunate abnormalities within the
family.
"Quite serious
incompatibilities," added the second Tetrite quite seriously.
"Blrrrrrt!" came the sound of Lillith's
tongue between her lips, her commentary registering with both
Tetrites and the Terran.
"Um," William
murmured as he returned to speaking with the Tetrites from staring
at the pouting female. "What sort of incompat..."
"If we are all
here now," Large Grey rumbled, "I would like to proceed
with the gathering."
Everyone became silent
and Large Grey stepped forward to begin.
"I welcome our
visitor, the William, to our midst. We gather here to share our
knowledge and enlighten, for the William is now among us and
a part of us."
All of the Tetrites
turned to smile approvingly at the Terran sitting next to the
sullen Velorian. William put his arm around her shoulders and
placed his lips close to her ear.
"If they're going
to adopt me," he whispered, "I wish they'd just call
me William. What's all this 'the' stuff?" The comment forced
a slight smile to erase Lillith's pout. With the beginnings of
a grin, her eyes narrowed to peer playfully sideways at him.
Large Grey was now
walking among his fellow Tetrites. His voice was filled with
pride in his species.
"As the William
has already discovered, we are Tetrites and the seeking of, the
possessing of, and the appreciation of information is our existence.
Within information, there is the basis of life for us. Within
information, there is meaning for us."
Large Grey moved one
of his giant legs to gently nudge a playful youngster back to
her mother.
"We require little
in the way of material possessions. The simple warmth of the
sun on a smooth rock is a delightful pleasure."
The other Tetrites
chittered with approval of that statement.
"Yet, technology
is not unheard of on Tetra. Technology is, here--as it is on
the William's planet--merely a means, a tool. We make use of
technology as we see the need for that use. We put away those
things that serve no need. We do not hunger, nor do we thirst,
except for information. We do simply what we do. We wonder."
Large Grey slowly turned
to step back a bit. When he did, William's eyes looked from Tetrite
to Tetrite, pondering each face while he continued to listen
to the giant.
"There is a devotion
within us, a necessity for the knowledge of mathematics, philosophy,
literature, science, so many aspects that are the essence of
this Universe just as they are within any of the infinite universes
that compose the whole of conscious existence."
Large Grey leaned forward,
lowering his voice to convey a gentle seriousness that was not
lost on William.
"We understand
the vastness of this universe. We also understand clearly that
its size has nothing to do with our place within it. There is
a need for us to be a part of this universe and so," Large
Grey raised a leg slowly as his tone brightened, "we exist;
just as the Mistress exists in this place and in this time and
there is a need for her; just as the William exists here and
now and there is a need for the William. It is all as it should
be. It is all... As it must be."
William wasn't quite
sure what all of that meant, but he was mesmerized with the speech.
Lillith rested her head on his shoulder.
"Among the species
of the William," Large Grey continued, "we would be
miners or harvesters, but not of silver or grain, but of information
and truth. We do not barter or sell what we know. We do not use
it against others. We simply gather and store, learn and grow.
"We live on this
planet in peace. We have the knowledge to travel to distant suns,
yet we remain here, among our own. For while there is a need
to learn, there is also a need to be with each other. The Universe
may be our passion, but our world, with each of us together,
is our home.
"We live a very
long time. We must, for with every question comes an answer which
yields more questions. We know that the quest for knowledge can
only result in the realization of our own ignorance, yet we continue
as we always have. It defines us as a species; it is what we
are.
"At your side
is our Protector, Mistress Lillith, the Mother of Us All. She
was sent here to prevent the Arion Empire and other predatory
species from destroying our species. To her, we owe a debt greater
than our lives; precisely the price that many must pay, for the
Arions are determined and there is much history in the future
between now and the end of us. We will face it with the Mistress
and she will protect us. And we will live to remember for the
others."
Lillith sighed, shifting
slightly on William's shoulder.
"At her first
encounter with the Arions," Large Grey continued, "we
lost the first of us: a young infant. The infant lost life, yet
was not alone in losing much from the encounter. It was with
great sadness that Mistress Lillith had to kill for the first
time in her own young life. Her sadness became ours and she has
gained much information from the encounter. As the William might
say, she learned from the experience.
"The William,
too, performed a great service to our species by restoring the
life of an infant. We are grateful and it will certainly not
be the only time that we will know gratitude for the William.
"So, it is within
this world that the William now finds himself. We welcome you
and hope that your life among us is..." Large Grey paused
to consider the best word. "Engaging."
William nodded with
a smile, feeling Lillith nuzzle his arm.
"One question,"
William said, "if you don't mind..."
"Tell him that
you require information," interrupted Lillith's whispering
voice.
"I require information,"
parroted William as if he was reading a cue card. Every Tetrite
instantly stood and turned toward him, enthusiastic to comply.
The mass movement startled William a bit. Evidently, that statement
carried quite a bit of weight on Tetra.
"I... Um,"
stuttered William, looking around himself at all the eager faces,
"I was just going to ask why the Arions would come to Tetra."
"We possess a
knowledge," responded a female Tetrite.
"What knowledge?"
asked William.
"A knowledge the
Arions demand but do not require," replied a squeaky-voiced
male behind him.
"What is it?"
William asked, turning around.
"Forgive me for
saying so," replied Large Grey, "but your species does
not require that information either."
"Now wait a minute,"
insisted William, turning back to Large Grey, "you mean
to tell me..." Large Grey raised a leg to interrupt.
"Did the William
not see?"
"See?" asked
a perplexed William. "See what?"
"If the William
did not see," informed Large Grey calmly, "he will
see in time."
"What the hell
are you talking about?" William sounded a bit annoyed.
"That which one
begins," counseled Large Grey.
"That which one
begins," earnestly repeated a tiny-voiced female Tetrite.
"That which...
one begins?" muttered William.
"All must complete,"
boomed Large Grey.
"All must complete!"
repeated a chorus of every Tetrite present.
"All... Must..."
William turned quickly to Lillith. "Lillith, what's this
all about?"
"Beats me,"
she shrugged. "I just work here."
William broke into
a loud laugh, hugging her hard before kissing her head quickly.
Lillith had no idea what was so funny.
"Grey?" called
out William, still smiling from Lillith's 'joke'. "Grey,
I don't know what the hell you folks are talking about, but I
have a strange feeling that I will someday."
"Indeed,"
muttered Phil quietly. "You will indeed."
William couldn't hear
him, but Lillith did. She looked at Phil curiously, but said
nothing.
"How do you folks
get your information?" asked William, changing the subject.
"We 'hear',"
answered Large Grey.
"Hear? How do
you hear?"
"Thoughts,"
said Lillith. "They can hear thoughts."
"What, like telepathy?"
"The answer to
your query is no," replied Large Grey. "We are not
telepaths. Our minds merely resonate sympathetically to the natural
frequency of a being's thought. Each of us is 'tuned', as you
might say, a little differently, so one of us may 'hear' when
others cannot. What we experience is a reconstruction of the
thought within ourselves. It can be most enlightening."
"I'll bet,"
said William. "So, just how do the thoughts get here?"
"At this point
in the timeline, we do not know."
"At this point
in the... " mumbled William. "Just what the hell does
that mean?"
"You do not require
that information, sir," said Phil.
"I sure don't
require much these days, do I?" complained William. "Now,
why can't you tell me about that?"
"You simply do
not possess a requirement, sir," explained Phil. "If
you required the information, the information would be provided."
"And who decides
who needs information and who doesn't need information?"
William sounded a bit annoyed again.
"Why, we do, sir,"
Phil said proudly, obviously pleased with the responsibility.
"Uh-huh,"
grumbled William. "Well, alright. Will you guys tell me
more when the time comes?"
"With great pleasure,
sir."
William shook his head
and smiled at the obvious, sincere enthusiasm of Phil. Yes,
he thought, that Tetrite will certainly tell me everything
as soon as he can.
"Does the William
wish to ask any further questions?" queried Large Grey.
"No," replied
William, looking down at two blue eyes looking up at him from
his shoulder. "Not right at the moment." She winked
at him.
"Then," boomed
Large Grey, rising up on his towering legs, "may I wish
the William the warmest of good mornings."
Along the path
from the meeting place
The path wound as a
serpentine through the Tetrite village, avoiding the nests and
clusters of roundtop rocks that were such key elements of Tetrite
society. The activity level of the village was not high by Tetritian
standards--there was merely constant movement rather than frantic
movement. Tetrites carried on discussions, bartered for food,
and cleaned out nests. Infants tumbled and played as adolescents
learned the finer points of Tetrite life. All in all, a typical
day.
The Tetrites working
along the western approach of the trail heard first and stopped
to lift themselves high on their legs to see where the sound
was coming from. Soon, the Tetrites behind them could hear too
and they also craned high on their legs out of curiosity. None
of them had to stand so high for very long, for the source of
the sound was coming closer and, within a few moments, all of
the Tetrites in and around the village not only heard, but saw
as well.
"... And the Faldref
gets really, really cold sometimes and the little mountain goats
come down closer to the valleys. You can see them wander through
some of the Tetrite nests up there and they really cause a lot
of trouble sometimes and..."
Lillith and William
were walking down the path as Lillith overflowed with an animated
monologue that had been going on for hours. Trundling along behind
them, acting as gateway, was Phil. He appeared to be a bit stressed
by having to gateway continuously for so long, but the leisurely
pace of the walk helped him cope with Lillith's enthusiasm.
"... And it's
so beautiful in the foothills in the Spring, except for the storms,
of course, nobody likes those, but, otherwise, it's a lot like
Terra, sort of, um, like, oh! Since you're a Terran, you MUST
know my sister, Kara."
"Well," muttered
William, "no, not personally. I..."
"You know,"
mused Lillith, caught up completely in the moment. "It's
been sooooo long since I've seen her. You can't imagine what
it's like not seeing your sister for so long. Do you have a sister?
Mine is a Protector on Earth, you know, Terrans. Such a wonderful
species. But, then, you already know that. Not that the Tetrites
aren't wonderful too, I mean, they're both wonderful, but each
in their own way, you know? Of course, you do. But my sister,
Kara, well, she's just so wonderful too, you know? You must know
her. Everybody on Terra knows her. How wonderful to talk with
you about her. You know, the last time I..."
William patiently listened
to it all. Lillith hadn't had someone to share everything with
for a long time and now she stopped neither for an answer nor
for breath as William heard in great detail about everything
the young woman had been dying to tell someone about for years.
William heard about
Lillith's sister, Kara, about Lillith's mission on Tetra, about
how the Tetrites had trained her to live comfortably and properly
among them. There was the situation with those terrible Arions
and how sad it was to have to kill them the other night. She
wondered to him about why the Kintzi insist on probing every
time their fleets pass nearby as well as why Northundran seaweed
tastes sweet. She talked on and on, endlessly. There was so much
to say and William, sensing that she needed to do so, did his
best to listen to every word, giving her his complete attention.
Lillith was certainly
not what he had expected of a Planetary Protector. In spite of
his expectations, this legendary creature was... Well... So human.
He became fascinated with the way she would become so excited
while telling her stories, her eyes growing to a size equivalent
to the magnitude of the associated statement as her hands flailed
in accompanying broad circles. Soon, he found himself enjoying
the mere sound of her voice, especially its emotional richness.
With Phil's help William understood every word, yet the quality
and character of her voice remained intact. William heard every
inflection, every nuance, every touch of wonder, and he loved
it.
The first thing William
learned about her was that what Lillith wanted, Lillith usually
got. Not because anyone set about to spoil her by fulfilling
all of her slightest desires--no one on Tetra was in a position
to do that, even if they wished to. No, Lillith generally got
what she wanted because Lillith did what she needed to do, on
her own. She was, he was learning, stubborn, resourceful, focused,
and determined. Take, for example, this whole notion of her taking
him for her mate.
It was one thing to
be friends, another thing to be lovers, but to declare him as
her mate was something William wasn't all that sure about.
First of all, being
declared a 'mate' sounded as if there were duties involved that,
so far, had not been spelled out to him. He had no idea just
what she expected of her 'mate'. For all he knew, he was expected
to take out the trash and rub her feet for the rest of his life.
Second, he really wasn't
sure just how the two of them would, well, mate--the one part
of the job description that he understood perfectly. He was a
standard-issue Terran and she was an indestructible Velorian
Protector and thousands of times stronger. One didn't have to
do the math to understand that sex would be quite a challenge.
Even the Tetrites understood the difficulties, instructing Lillith
not to 'encircle' him, whatever that was supposed to prevent.
So, in spite of the
impossibilities, Lillith declared William her mate and that was
good enough for her. She had made the decision and there was
an unspoken, yet understood finality to it, a finality based
less on her stubbornness than on the certainty of the love she
felt for him. She simply loved him... And that was that.
It was toward the end
of the day that Lillith finally ran out of conversation. As the
shadows grew longer, she grew content to listen, relinquishing
the conversation over to him. William sensed the change in her
mood and gave in to the notion of telling her a bit more about
himself, not merely because she had asked, but more so because
he wanted to, although he wasn't altogether clear on why he felt
he wanted to.
There were things that
he had never spoken about before that, for some reason, came
flowing out of him now. She focused on every word, her face reflecting
her thoughts and impressions of each thing he said, especially
when he mentioned that his first command was in the Neptune sector
of the Terran system.
"Oh! Oh!"
chirped Lillith excitedly, "Kara told me about a great battle
that happened around there, in the rings. It was a wonderful
story."
"No it wasn't,"
muttered William. "It was just another mess."
"Uh-uh,"
corrected Lillith, shaking her head. "It was a great victory
for the Terrans. Kara told me that four Terran fightercraft defeated
sixteen Arion spacecraft and turned back a big fleet."
"Yeah, well, it
was only ten and Arions don't like not knowing what's up ahead,"
shrugged William. "That's the only good thing that came
out of that mess."
"Will'm, it was
a great victory," corrected Lillith indignantly. "Kara
said so."
"Yeah?" grunted
William. "Some victory."
"Now, Will'm,"
Lillith demanded sternly with her hands on her hips, "unless
you know someone who was there, stop talking like that. The Terrans
made history that day and that's that."
"It only works
that way for the historians, honey, not for the folks who have
to be there.
"Oh, and I suppose
you know better?" quizzed Lillith, a little heatedly.
William turned away
and sat down on a nearby boulder. He sat quietly, looking down
at his fingers as they interlocked across his lap. When he spoke,
he didn't look up and his voice was a flat monotone.
"Casey saw 'em
first and called out four bandits. The rings masked our sensors
and, it turned out, that's all he saw through a space in the
ring fields. We should've checked, but we bounced 'em anyway.
They never saw us coming and we nailed two on the first pass.
The other two didn't break it off like we expected them to. They
turned into us and then we saw why. There were a dozen more that
we hadn't seen." William looked up into her eyes.
"We weren't bravely
attacking the Arions like the stories say, Lillith. We screwed
up and were trying to get our asses out of there. They were everywhere,
two or three on our tails at a time. I never fired so many rounds
in my life and I never flew so... I was scared to death, Lillith.
Fighting to shake 'em off me, fighting to get 'em off the other
guys, it was a helluva mess. We bagged eight more before they
finally broke it off."
"Only two of you
returned," she said in a low voice.
"Yeah, I lost
two," William mumbled sadly. "Casey's out of the service
now, working somewhere in Idaho, I think."
"And you,"
Lillith added.
"Yeah," grumbled
William, looking at the ground. "And me."
William stood to walk
a few paces away to be alone with his memories. Phil stepped
forward to complete the story for Lillith.
"Of the fourteen
Arion spacecraft, ten were destroyed and two were heavily damaged.
When the remaining Arion pilots returned to their fleet, they
saved face by reporting that hundreds of Terran fighters had
intercepted them, describing how bravely they had all fought
off the Terrans. The news of a powerful Terran force had such
an effect upon the Arion commanders that they aborted the planned
invasion of the outer planets of the Terran system. Millions
of lives were saved that day and the Arions never again threatened
the outer Terran system.
"Skietra,"
whispered Lillith, her eyes wide with amazement.
"You know,"
William said, turning back to look at Lillith, "they gave
me a squadron after that. A squadron. Funny, isn't it? I lose
half my flight of four on a stupid mistake and they give me a
squadron. Shit." William turned away and began walking slowly
down the path to be alone with his thoughts.
"They gave him
a squadron, Mistress," Phil agreed quietly as they both
watched William walk away, "and the Medal of Honor."
Lillith looked down
at Phil, a look of deep pride in her eyes.
"My mate is very
brave," she pronounced.
"Yes, Mistress,
he is indeed brave," agreed Phil, watching Lillith's face,
waiting for more.
"He seems so troubled,"
murmured Lillith, deep in thought while she watched William walk
slowly down the path.
"He is indeed,
Mistress," prompted Phil, still waiting.
"I bet he thinks
he didn't do things right," sighed Lillith. "I know
that feeling."
"Indeed, you do,
Mistress. Yet, you also understand the deeper truth, do you not?"
"T'aye,"
mumbled Lillith, "I understand."
"Yes, Mistress,
you understand, just as the William could understand your concerns
and your regrets. You both share much more than merely a place
upon this planet."
Lillith's eyes widen
at the realization.
"Ohhh," crowed
Lillith excitedly, "He needs to know. I have to talk to
him. He mustn't feel that way."
"Now would be
an opportune time, Mistress."
Bounding down the path,
calling his name, Lillith caught up with William quickly. Phil
watched with pride as she spoke rapidly to William, telling him,
explaining to him, making him realize. William nodded and smiled,
visibly moved by not only what she was saying, but simply because
she was saying it. They finally embraced, holding each other,
confirming the bond that now existed between them.
Phil was quite upset,
however, trundling toward them with purpose.
"Mistress! Please,
do not encircle! You are encircling, Mistress! Mistress, if you
please!"
The Tetrite Village,
later that evening
"It's so bright
out at night with so many moons in the sky," wondered William
aloud as he looked at the night sky above them.
Three small moons were
scattered in the night sky. Two were full while one was waning.
On the other side of the planet, four more moons circulated around
the planet. The largest of the seven moons, Thebe, had made William's
acquaintance when he had first arrived.
"Is it?"
murmured Lillith contentedly. "I don't think I remember
anywhere else but here." Lillith stared up at the largest
of the moons and the light made her eyes sparkle.
"How is it here
for you, Lillith?" William asked after hearing her sigh.
"I was so scared
when they sent me here," began Lillith, still looking up
at the moons. "I was expecting all kinds of terrible things
to happen as soon as I set foot on the planet, but it's really
been alright. A few things happened, but otherwise it's quiet."
She smiled at William, pleased with his company. "We had
a comet last year, that was really fun. It was going to hit one
of the moons, so I had to sort of nudge it away a little."
Only a Protector
could have fun with a comet,
thought William. "Sounds like fun alright."
A few moments of comfortable
silence fell between them. In the distance, a faint sound, as
if someone were playing a melancholy tune on a cello. Lillith
raised an eyebrow and her eyes turned to the side as she listened.
"Listen. Hear
him?" She was whispering as if she didn't want to disturb
anything.
William turned his
head to listen and soon heard the rising song.
"Yes," he
whispered. "What is it?"
"It's them. They
do that sometimes. Especially at night when it's quiet like this.
One will start singing and then others will... There. Hear them?
There's two more."
From the darkness all
around them, the haunting sounds of the Tetrites droned on. It
sounded almost sad, but not quite so. Their voices formed intricate
chords that didn't abruptly change, but drifted smoothly one
to the other, giving the song a tender, soothing quality. William
noticed that Phil was slowly swaying to it with his eyes closed
and silently pointed to him. Lillith suppressed a giggle as she
watched Phil fall under the spell of the song.
"Why do they sing,
Lillith?"
"I'm not sure.
I think one will just feel like singing and it makes the others
feel like it too."
"That which one
begins," William murmured, "all must complete."
He was beginning to understand the Tetrites.
Cloaked in the glow
of the Tetra moons and caressed by the song around them, William
drew her to him within his arms.
"Will'm,"
whispered Lillith, her eyes searching his, "do you care
for me?"
"I want to make
love to..."
"Yes," she
murmured gently, touching his lips with her finger. "But
do you care for me?"
Her crystal eyes searched
his and he struggled not to look away. He had no answer for her.
He had no answer for himself.
Oh, she was beautiful,
fun to be with, and she was becoming very special to him. He
missed her when she wasn't with him and, when she was, he felt
a marvelous comfort that he hadn't experienced before. But, love
was the one emotion William had convincingly learned to avoid
through the hard won lessons of life. The mention of it, the
suggestion of it, even the mere thought of it could take a perfectly
good relationship and turn it into a perfectly lousy challenge
of sanity and patience. If there were deadly sins, then there
was at least one deadly virtue and William had learned to leave
it alone.
The unfortunate byproduct
of his ability to avoid love now became amazingly clear to him.
Here, now, in her arms and looking into her eyes, William had
no deeper understanding of his own emotions. As important as
William had always felt love was, he had forever been in the
habit of turning away from it and now he wasn't sure what it
looked like. William searched within himself and only found his
hesitation.
If Lillith knew his
worries, she would have immediately identified the whole problem
as a Terran thing. After all, everyone within ten sectors knew
that Terrans always kept all of their old relationships with
them, making the next accommodate the accumulated regrets and
unfulfilled expectations of the former.
Not all species functioned
on such a challenging level. Many did not have a lifespan long
enough to allow it. The Binlintau, for example, were fortunate
to even learn each other's favorite colors before succumbing
to natural forces at the ripe old age of seven tersis.
By far, most intelligent
species preferred to leave the slate clean for each subsequent
lover. It was, most would tell you, the most equitable and least
problematic fashion of finding ones mate. It is quite unwise,
they would add, to collect emotional debts to be paid in full
at the next opportunity. Quite sad how Terrans do that, they
would end with a sigh, quite sad.
And so William hesitated,
convincing himself not to say the wrong thing to her by not saying
anything. After all, he wasn't a starry-eyed school kid, eager
to express undying love at the first sign of sexual flirtation.
Love was real and its importance was not lost upon him. She thrilled
him, she excited him, but he just couldn't say the words. He
just couldn't.
"Lillith,"
he finally whispered, caressing her hair tenderly, "I can
say anything at all right now and it wouldn't mean a thing. You
would know; your heart would know. There are no words that can
say anything better than what you already sense yourself. When
I do say those words to you, you'll already know for sure, but
not now, not tonight."
Lillith was slowly
shaking her head, looking pointedly into his sincere eyes.
"Terrans,"
she muttered, silently resolving to take care of a few things
that needed taking care of.
"Ooooooooo-ooooooooo,"
soared Phil's baritone voice, now totally caught up in the chorus
of Tetrites. He continued to sway with his eyes closed as he
sang. Lillith put her finger to her lips, signaling William to
remain silent. Smiling deviously as if up to a wonderful practical
joke, she swept William up in her arms and silently rose into
the night sky.
The Tetritian song
continued for a few moments before it finally drifted away, blending
back into the silence of the night. Phil sighed contentedly--it
had been a wonderful song. He let his eyes open a bit before
turning toward where the William and the Mistress had been standing.
His dark bead eyes immediately snapped wide open.
"Mistress? Sir?"
He spun around in place, searching for the couple whom he had
been charged with escorting, no matter the circumstances.
"My goodness!
This will simply not do!" he exclaimed before looking briefly
under a small, nearby shrub. "Oh, my goodness!" he
repeated. The frightening realization that the William and the
Mistress were now somewhere out in the night and alone made Phil
frantic. Without hesitation, he immediately spun around to scamper
wildly down the path in search of help.
The William was in
great danger. |
