
Wings
Amaryllis
by
Tricia McGill
A Wings ePress, Inc.
Science Fiction Romance
Wings ePress, Inc.
Edited by: Pat Casey
Copy Edited by: Gail Simmons
Senior Editor: Pat Casey
Managing Editor: Elizabeth Struble
Executive Editor: Lorraine Stephens
Cover Artist: Chrissie Poe
All rights reserved
Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Wings ePress Books
http://www.wings-press.com
Copyright © 2001 by Tricia McGill
ISBN 1-59088-019-6
Published In the United States Of America
November 2001
Wings ePress Inc.
P. O. Box 726
Lusk, WY. 82225
To my sisters, Vi and Doris,
who thought me mad to keep going through the pain of rejections,
but were so proud of me when my tenacity eventually paid off.
Thanks for your love and support.
What They Are Saying About
Amaryllis
If you're looking for a story full of excitement, intrigue and love then AMARYLLIS is the book for you. Tricia McGill has cleverly woven a story of two worlds of different cultures and beliefs¾ alien and separate, except for one thing¾ the undeniable love of an Amaryllisan man for an earth woman. AMARYLLIS is a must read from beginning to its final, shattering and most satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend this book.
¾ Elizabeth ForsythWriting for Heartline Books. UK.
http://www.heartlinebooks.com
One
Alone! Alone! Alone!
Like a bizarre chant the one word reverberated around in Melanie's brain.
Sorrow, like a great weight, pressed down on her, and made her heart feel as if it was being crushed.
"I can't say how sorry I am." Pete Marchant took her arm as together they walked along the stark corridor of the morgue--their footsteps echoing off the walls.
Melanie shuddered, almost tripping, as another wave of sickness overtook her and he tightened his hold on her. Shaking her head, she stared mutely up at the man at her side. Pete had been Chris's partner for the last three years.
This wasn't happening to her? It had to be a terrible nightmare. She would wake at any moment to find her life as it had been just a few hours ago. Comfortable, if not exciting.
But she had just seen her dead husband, so she wasn't in the midst of a dreadful dream.
"I... I have to sit down." Her legs threatened to give way and she wavered. Pete led her to a wooden bench. "Wh--what am I going to d--do?" she wailed, running her shaking fingers through her hair--hair she guessed was unkempt.
"I'll help all I can, Melanie. Chris was my best friend as well as my partner. You know that." Pete squeezed her hand. Melanie barely felt it. She was so benumbed.
"Yes, I know." Melanie tried for a smile, but her face felt like a piece of cardboard. She doubted she'd ever smile again.
"H...how did it happen? The Chief said he was fished out of the bay." Choking back another sob, she bit hard on her lower lip. It was as numb as the rest of her body. Except for her heart. That organ felt as if it was being cut in two. "My God!"
Although they'd done a good job of cleaning him up, Chris's handsome face had been a mess. Those bastards must have done him over well, before they dumped him.
"How will I sleep nights thinking how he must have suffered before he died?" Barely aware of Pete's arm about her shoulders, Melanie buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe this." She moaned on another shuddering sob.
"I know how you feel." His voice was threaded with bitterness. "They won't get away with it. You can depend on that."
From tear-heavy eyes Melanie lifted her face to stare at him. "Do you have any idea who it was?" She spoke in a whisper.
"Oh yes." His normally soft eyes took on a flinty coldness and his jaw was clenched so tight she could almost hear his teeth grinding. "We'd been working undercover for months on this case. I'll carry on though. Don't worry. We'll catch the monsters." He squeezed her hand again. "Chris won't have died in vain. Have no fear."
Fear in her heart Melanie stared at him. "Please be careful," she pleaded with trembling lips. She gripped his arm. "You have Lucy and the kids to think of. I don't want them to have to go through what I'm going through right now."
"I will." Pete glanced about as he made a face. "Look, I hate to leave you like this, but I have to go. Will you be all right now? One of the boys will give you a lift home. Ah, there's Jackson. He'll look after you." Pete signaled to the blank-faced policeman who stood just inside the double glass doors at the end of the corridor. "Make sure Mrs. Ross gets home safe and sound, won't you," he called. The policeman nodded.
"I'll come and see you tomorrow, all right? Try and get some sleep." Pete gave her a look packed with sorrow before handing her into Jackson's care.
\*
Muttering weakly, Irena put a hand to her head. She must move. But her limbs felt as if they had turned to the soft mud found on the shoreline at the foot of the mountains Tolus and Tepiri back on her home world of Amaryllis.
Moisture covered her body and she found it hard to draw breath--every intake of air sending pain through her upper body. This fever was slowly taking away her powers. Never in her life had she felt so weak. Every muscle was being pulled to its limits, and the pain in her head was unbearable. Nausea, strong and debilitating, racked her. The illness had attacked her so suddenly. One moment in fascination she had been studying Earth people, the next she had been struck down.
Touching her wristband, she tapped in the necessary code for recuperation; soon all would be well and she could go on with her investigative tasks.
But the minuscule screen flashed a negative response. How could it be? Growing frantic, she reset the code and tried again.
Negative again. This time it beeped a warning. By the great Bodka, what was happening here?
"Come in, ship zero five," a voice came clearly over her intercom unit. Frowning, with her finger trembling so much she had trouble keeping it on the button, Irena pressed the message return pad.
"Zero five responding," she answered. Her voice shook uncontrollably, along with her hands, as she waited for the Squadron leader to answer.
"Prepare for take-off, Irena. Instantly! This is my last order. We must leave immediately. I repeat, immediately. This virus that is virulent on Earth will annihilate you if you stay longer." His order brooked no argument.
Irena pressed a hand to her aching temple. Dizziness made her feel faint. "I fear I have already succumbed to this virus strain they call influenza, Shan. I have not the strength to recuperate." Her voice was thin.
"Fool of a woman!" He bit out his favorite curse, sighed deeply and then used a few more strong oaths to tell her succinctly what he thought of her stupidity. "I told you not to dally on Earth a moment longer than necessary. We must leave now. Farewell. You know what your duty is."
"Yes, I know, Shan." Irena's voice quivered, and much as she tried to remain stoic, her mouth began to tremble. She was more than a fool. "Farewell." His voice was abrupt.
Silence followed the disconnection. With a sob of despair Irena sank back onto her couch. Of course Reve had sensed disaster would befall her on this mission. With his powers of insight he'd known. Why had she foolishly disregarded his forecast? He'd wanted her to withdraw her application to be part of this expedition, and as commander in control of the Starship Victus, circling the home planet of Amaryllis, he possessed the right to prohibit her from going. But they had both known he would not assert his prerogative. Had both known she was far too obstinate to forego the chance to fulfill her dream.
Although he was her superior officer and more importantly, her mate, she would have not, for him, or all the stars in the universe, given up this chance.
She'd made her thoughts clear. "It's simply a reconnaissance of this young planet Earth. I want to go. I have worked long and hard for the chance to go to the far planets, and nothing will stop me now I have this chance," she had told him.
"But I have this uneasy feeling," Reve had argued.
Irena was far too strong-willed and ambitious. Certainly she had made no secret of her yearnings to be part of the discovery team. A yearning superseding all others, it had been with her since she'd graduated from training school.
"You are known for your uneasy feelings, Reve." With a toss of her head, she had proclaimed her disdain for his premonitions.
"Yes, and usually they prove well founded." Not usually, but definitely. Even this knowledge would not divert her from her path. A path leading to destruction.
"Perhaps. But, what can go wrong?" Her shoulders lifted in an indolent shrug. "We have explored far planets for many hundreds of megnums now. This is merely a routine trip."
Reve had sighed. Of course he'd known, hadn't he? That he stood little chance of directing her along another path than the one she'd chosen.
Now Irena felt a great sadness overcome the pain as she recalled his parting words.
"Be careful, my sweet one. That's all I ask. If you won't heed my warning, then go with my blessing." What thoughts had gone through his mind as he watched the squadron of fifty vessels taking off on this, one of the many missions undertaken to collect data from the far planets?
It was imperative they find a planet suitable for their habitation within the next twenty megnums. The water level rose on Amaryllis each year and soon the planet would be entirely beneath the oceans. The two mountains, Tolus and Tepiri, were the only land remaining above water. Soon they too would be below the seas. It was becoming a mammoth task to build and maintain retaining walls around the shafts to keep giving access to the mines beneath the mountains. Mines containing kota, the precious substance required for manufacturing the fuel to drive their air ships.
Even knowing Reve's premonitions were to be relied on, short of incarcerating her, he'd had little choice but to go along with her wishes. And now all he had dreaded had come to pass.
This strange planet of Earth had intrigued her so much. These people were so primitive with odd means of communication. Their many modes of transport were noisy, cumbersome, and all smelled vile. The thing that beguiled her more than anything was the endless stretches of land. Vast continents of such variety. What little ocean there was lapped against golden or rocky shores or crashed violently onto jutting headlands and cliffs. Earth's seas would surely not encroach any further on the landmasses for many megnums.
The cities were spread out over vast areas. Some houses clustered together in large blocks but most set out with natural gardens surrounding them. There were huge constructions that seemed to reach the sky. These had so many windows they appeared to be made of the transparent substance they called glass.
And the animal life! So many species, more than one could count in a life span. Creatures called giraffes, elephants and rhinoceros proved the most intriguing. And the small furry creatures that had been domesticated were even allowed into sleeping chambers by some Earth dwellers.
So many things drew her attention. Endless bizarre pastimes and occupations went on here. Tennis, bowling and a seemingly useless game called football, where an orb was kicked from one end of a field to the other, had baffled her. The watching crowds seemed to go into a kind of frenzy over these pastimes.
Using the power enabling her to conceal herself, she was able to look in on the lives of these alien people, some who labored each day over desks and workbenches, instead of leaving the heavy work to robots.
She was certain life here wouldn't suit her forever. There was little doubt she would miss the culture and strict discipline of Amaryllis. But, oh how she had desired to linger just a while longer.
This had been her downfall.
Her craft must be made ready for its return to Amaryllis. It must go without her. She could not carry the virus back to her planet--would not risk the lives of her people. Striving to pull her wits about her, she struggled up from her couch and stared out of the vision shield at the Earth below her--so colorful, so varied. How she had enjoyed this, her first and last mission to a far planet.
She sighed. At least her life-long vision had been accomplished. Of that she could be very proud. At three megnums she was young to be allowed to join such a squadron. Most did not gain such an honor until perhaps their fourth or fifth megnum.
No sense in wallowing in self-pity. She'd vied for the place and won. Now she was about to lose. With eyes shut she sank onto her reclining seat again. Desolation filled her. She must begin the process of making the ship ready for its long voyage, but her strength was dissipating with every breath.
Her mind, already losing some of its faculties, began to hallucinate and formulate an idea. What if she found someone to take her place? What if she sought an Earth woman to send back home? It would be easy enough to find a replacement. The difficulty would be finding a suitable one in the time available. At least by this action she might redeem herself in Reve's mind. To have an Earth specimen to study, as well as the data gathered, would perhaps compensate in some way for her stupidity.
Delving to the back of her failing mind, Irena recalled a story one of her group mothers had told her about a male brought from a far planet megnums ago, who had been successfully reprogrammed.
Whomever she sent back would be able to give her people much information about Earth.
Her mind made up, Irena found renewed strength. She pushed herself up and prepared to de-visualize herself for the transportation back down to Earth.
\*
Irena hovered above the structure where the Earth people laid out their dead. Her sensory powers had brought her to this place, Sydney, on the land mass called Australia. The woman she had chosen was quite plain by Amaryllis' standards; with a roundness to her figure Irena found endearing, though strange. No woman on her planet had any excess of fat on their bodies.
The Earth woman was short, with bright hair the same shade as the sand washing up on most of the shores of this planet. The woman was now alone in the world. Irena's telepathic powers had ascertained this fact easily.
A perfect specimen. With her partner now dead and no close kin to worry about, the woman would have nothing to keep her in this place. All Irena had to do now was convince her she would have everything to gain by returning to Amaryllis in Irena's place.
Another wave of sickness racked her and with a hand to her stomach she breathed in deeply as it passed over her in a deadly surge. She must make haste.
Two
Melanie let herself into her apartment and closed the door. With a stifled sob of despair, she leaned her head against the cool wood and looked about. The apartment seemed desolate and empty. Although she'd spent many hours here alone in the past without feeling lonely, now she felt as if she was the last survivor after a holocaust.
Pushing herself away from the door, she tossed her keys on the small table by the door and wandered listlessly over to the television. After she switched it on, a stiff-faced announcer told everybody about the death of a detective working undercover, one Christopher Ross, who had died in the course of performing his duty.
That was it. No explanations, no details, not a word about the awful job he had and why he'd met an untimely end. No word of his horrific injuries. They showed a black and white photo that made him look like an escapee from Alcatraz. Chris and she had laughed together over the stupid photograph when he'd taken it in as his identification picture.
He'd looked ghastly laid out beneath the sheet in that awful place and she shook anew with her grief and horror.
With an angry curse she switched the TV off and, kicking off her shoes, sank onto the sofa. She ran her hand over its soft upholstery. The previous night, he'd come in late, as usual, and she'd made him an omelet when he'd professed to not being very hungry. Then they'd made love right here before Chris had picked her up in his strong arms and carried her sleepy body to bed.
"Oh Chris!" she sobbed, picking the cushion up, burying her face in it and fancying she could smell the scent of his body on the fabric. How would she live without him?
She'd been alone in the world until she'd met Chris. An orphan, who had been on her own since she'd turned sixteen, after running away from the last of a string of foster homes. The father, a gross man who'd always smelt of onions, had taken too much of an interest in her budding figure. The last straw had come when he'd cornered her in the laundry. Bile still rose in her throat years later when she recalled the feel of his great sweaty palms on her body.
At twenty two Melanie now had to get used to being on her own again. The thought filled her with dread and fear.
The shrill ring of the phone made her jump. She could leave it unanswered. Who could be phoning her at this time of night? The officer in charge of the case had assured her she wouldn't be called on. Pete was the only one likely to be calling so late. Perhaps he wanted to make sure she had arrived home all right.
Sniffing, she picked up the receiver. "Hello," she said quietly.
"Mrs. Ross?" a strange voice inquired. There was something oddly frightening about the soft question.
She could put the phone down without answering, but then she shrugged. It could be one of Chris's officers calling to offer some form of condolence. "Yes, that's me."
"So sorry to hear about your husband." His voice held no hint of sorrow. In fact Melanie swore there was a touch of merriment in the sadist's tone. Definitely not a superior of Chris's.
"Who is this? Do I know you?" She began to tremble again, but this time with a fear she couldn't explain.
The man on the other end of the line laughed and her blood ran cold at the sound. "No, but you will, my pet, you will," he insisted.
"Who is this?" She strove to keep the fear from her voice. The innocuous statement was filled with menace.
"Let's just say I'm one of the many enemies your dear departed made. He had too much inquisitiveness for his own good, you know. See what happens when someone gets too nosy?" He chuckled again; a terrible sound.
"You killed him, didn't you?" Melanie cried, feeling violently sick. Dear God, what sort of sadist was this? "I'll see you put inside for the rest of your life, you bastard. Don't think you can get away with this. Don't worry, Chris knew who you were." Too late she bit her tongue. Pressing her fingers to her forehead, she groaned soundlessly.
There was a short silence on the other end of the line. "So, your dear husband told you my name did he?" her tormentor asked icily. "That was the silliest thing he ever did. And let me tell you he did some foolish things, my dear. Trying to expose me was one of the craziest." He let out a string of vile obscenities. "So now you'll have to go too. Have you told anyone of your suspicions yet?" His voice held sinister softness.
Melanie swallowed a sob. How stupid could she be? "No!" she bit out in a tormented whisper.
The line went dead.
She cursed as she almost threw the phone away from her and onto its cradle. What an absolute fool she was? Chris would never have left her so wide open to these killers by telling her what he was doing. Oh, she had known he worked undercover. He'd had to give her an explanation of his casual clothes that sometimes bordered on scruffy, but he'd always tried to make her believe there was little risk involved. Chris had tried to protect her, tried to convince her he was involved in unmasking petty criminals. But she knew differently. This world was not the pretty place Chris had tried to convince her it was. Now she had her own proof of that.
Rising unsteadily, Melanie went to the cupboard at the bottom of the dresser, and bent to open it. She stared at the shoebox Chris had put there only last week with an admonishment she never touch it, except in an emergency. Pulling it out she returned to the sofa and placed the box on her knee.
Well if this wasn't an emergency, she didn't know what was. Perhaps Chris had been trying to warn her something really bad was coming up. Had he known his life was in danger? Possibly.
Now that she had time to think about it, there had been a kind of desperation in his lovemaking last night. Could he have sensed it might be the last time they were together? At the time she'd thought it a little strange; Chris had never been over-emotional, had never been quite as wild and unrestrained in his loving. She had been baffled by his almost savage avowals of love. Never had he been so lavish with his affections. In fact he'd often left her feeling frustrated by his lack of emotion. Would the new heights attained have gone on? Now she would never know.
Sometimes she had suspected there was something wrong with her. Had wondered if she was perhaps frigid, for she'd always felt something was missing in their lives and had always suspected Chris was holding back.
Until last night.
Breaking down on another sob, Melanie pressed her face into her palms and wept as she repeated his name over and over. After a while she sniffed as the tears subsided, leaving her drained. Brushing at her wet eyes with a knuckle and then blowing her nose, she lifted the lid off the box. Chris hadn't needed to put things in a locked box for he'd known he had only to tell her to leave it be and she would. She'd always obeyed him to the letter--even down to wearing only the clothes he chose for her.
When they'd first met, a year ago, she'd been dressed in the plainest clothes she could find, convinced it was her fault she'd drawn the attention of the man who was supposed to be her guardian at the time. Chris had taken her shopping, chosen her clothes, selected her make-up, and even decided she should wear her blonde hair in a short bob framing the face she saw as nothing out of the ordinary.
Melanie sniffed again as she turned her attention to the contents of the box. The first thing she picked up was his passport. Unable to stem more tears, she pressed his photo to her breast as she cried. How he'd hated this blessed picture of himself. "Reminds me of an undertaker," he'd said of the stiff-jawed and solemn man who stared back at her.
"Oh Chris, I miss you already," she moaned, gazing around at the walls and shivering, although it wasn't the least bit cold.
Beneath the passport she found a few documents. One was a copy of his will. She knew he'd made it just a few months back. Another sign she should have taken notice of. Unable to bear looking at it she put it to one side and pulled out a long buff envelope. Melanie turned it over in her fingers.
On its front were the words: To be opened by my superior officer in the event of my untimely death. Chris had signed it in his almost indecipherable scrawl. A teardrop fell onto the signature, smudging it.
"You fool," she mumbled as she sat staring at it for ages, not sure what to do. Then, not quite knowing why, Melanie went to the drawer and took out a knife. Pausing briefly she ran the knife along the envelope, opening it.
Chris was gone and her duty was to follow his orders, but she'd be damned if she wouldn't see who had betrayed him. Surely proof of his murderers would be in here.
The letter contained, as she expected, the names of many suspects. The chief of operations was well known in Sydney society, so well known Melanie gasped at the knowledge. Surely Chris had told someone of his suspicions. Perhaps Pete knew everything. But why hadn't Chris taken this information to his boss? It was a mystery.
Pete had told her earlier he thought the guy they call the Baron must have found out they were closing in on his operation.
Justin Pederman!
His name jumped out at her from the paper. She gasped. He'd been at her and Chris's wedding. A fellow cop Melanie hated on sight. For some reason he made her flesh crawl and she hadn't been able to explain why. His eyes were horrible. They were what had alerted her first to him. Those eyes, like a snake's, had followed her every movement, and when Chris introduced her to him, Justin had clung to her hand much too long and stood far too close for good manners.
The phone rang and she jumped again as it jangled, her nerves at breaking point.
She lifted the receiver. The same voice spoke before she had a chance to open her mouth. "A little bird tells me you have proof of my identity, as well as a few of my associates. Sorry, but that clinches it; you're a gonna, slut!"
Melanie drew a breath to respond, but the line went dead. Dear God! How had he known about the list of names? What could she do now? Sobbing on a gasp of fear and dread she put the box aside and got up to pace the floor.
Pete. Yes, he'd help her. Chris and he had been partners. Pete would help her. He would tell her what to do.
The line was busy when she dialed his number. Frantically she chewed on her lip, waited a while and then dialed again.
"Hello."
Melanie sighed her relief. "Pete? It's Melanie. Sorry to trouble you."
"No trouble hon. What can I do for you?" His voice sounded so ordinary she fought the tears again.
"I've had a couple of calls from the man who killed Chris. He's threatened me." Her voice wobbled. "I found a letter too, Pete. It incriminates people. One of them is in the force."
Pete swore and then apologized profusely. "Sit tight! I'll organize a watch on your place. You'll be safe there. Don't move until I contact you in the morning. OK? As long as you stay put no harm can come to you. Now, get some sleep if you can. I know it's a big ask, but try. In the morning we'll get it all sorted out. Don't worry about the names. I know all of them."
"Oh Pete, are you sure I shouldn't tell the police I have this letter and have the name of Chris's killer?" Desperately she clutched at the receiver.
"No. Whatever you do, keep quiet. If they barge in now the whole thing will blow sky high and then we'll miss out on some of them. D'you hear me, Mel?" His voice had an edge that confused her.
But Chris had trusted him explicitly so now she had to. "All right, if you say so. But I feel so scared. Are you sure they'll be able to watch over me?"
"Quite certain." He paused, and she felt as if he was going to add something about the list. But then he said, "Go get some shuteye, if you can. Leave it to me."
"If you're sure, Pete." She ran her hand uncertainly through her hair.
"I'm positive. Please don't show the letter to a soul, Melanie. Otherwise Chris would have died in vain. Now be a good girl and go to bed. Goodnight, see you in the morning."
Melanie stared down at the phone clutched in her hand. A strange feeling trembled through her. Why had Pete been so insistent she not show the letter to anyone? If Chris had adamantly instructed she take it to his superior, why had Pete gone against those wishes? Could Pete be a traitor?
Pacing backwards and forwards on the carpet, she twisted her hands together. Terror, like nothing she'd experienced before, ate at her, making her shake all over until she felt as if she might faint with it.
Should she follow Pete's orders and keep quiet or should she go to their chief officer? Indecision worried at her. If Pete was telling the truth, and she would throw a spanner in the works by producing names at this stage, how would she forgive herself if he was to meet the same fate as Chris? Pete had a young family and a likable wife.
Exhaustion caught up with her. Stripping off her pantyhose, she tossed them to a chair, then went through to the bedroom and stretched out on the bed she had shared with Chris. For a while, wondering what life held for her, she stared up at the ceiling. Her eyes closed as she turned her face into the pillow--hot tears wetting the soft cotton.
Three
Irena gazed about her at the strange furnishings, in particular the peculiar seating arrangements. The rooms seemed to be cluttered and oppressive. These Earth people had the most interesting habits and homes. If only she had the time to spend here to discover more of their ways and behavioral patterns. The squadron had managed to collate many facts, but so many details remained a mystery.
The woman she had chosen was asleep--her face twisted as if in agony. Irena knew of her inner turmoil and terror, had watched and listened long enough to be assured she had picked the correct candidate for her plan.
"Melanie Ross." She called the name in her mind, not aloud. The woman would hear.
"Yes?" The word trembled on the pale lips.
"I know of your troubles, and your grief. I am sorry for all you have suffered at the hands of these vicious people who have destroyed your mate along with your peace of mind," Irena said.
"How do you know these things? Who are you?" Agitation clear in her whole manner even though her eyes remained shut, the woman shifted on the bed.
"I am called Irena. I come from the distant world of Amaryllis. My home is on the far side of your universe, a planet so far undetected by your scientists." It would never be detected either, so long as the shields were in place. These primitives would not discover such distant planets for hundreds of megnums at the pace they moved. "I have contacted the dreaded virus you call influenza and I am dying."
"Don't be silly. Few people die of the flu. You need some antibiotics and it will go away in a few days," Melanie Ross assured her with a lift of her light brows.
"Unfortunately it is not so simple." If only it was, and the antibiotics she referred to could cure her. "I am not immune to Earth's diseases. I have little time left. I know you are alone in the world and I ask a favor of you."
"Me? Why would you want a favor of me? I don't even know you." Her full-lipped mouth twisted in a small grimace.
"You could learn to know me. Perhaps as well as you know yourself, Melanie Ross," Irena insisted.
"I don't understand. This is some sort of trick. Who are you, and why are you here?" The fair brows puckered as she tossed in her sleep. Irena was fully aware of her bewilderment. These people had such a strange habit of resting in their garments. It must surely be uncomfortable.
She sat on the side of the bed. Every muscle in her body felt as if it would collapse at any moment. Every sinew was pulled so tight they were ready to snap. The pain in her head had grown steadily worse until she thought she would die before she had time to complete this mission.
"I have limited time, Melanie Ross." No more than minutes in Earth time. "I need your help. I know you have problems. I know your partner has been killed and your own life has been threatened. I can help you if you would be willing to help me."
"Help you? Don't be ridiculous. How can I possibly help you?" The frown on her pale forehead deepened.
"I need someone to return my craft to my home. Shan will warn my people that if they overstay their time on this planet they will succumb to Earth's viruses and diseases, but if you go, my ship and all its data will be saved from destruction." It was a lie, but if the Earth woman realized she was simply sending her back as a specimen for study she would surely refuse without question.
"Shan?"
"He is the leader of the squadron I came here with." Irena swayed. Time was running out. "We must hurry. Please make your decision."
"Why can't you communicate with them? Give them a call. If you're advanced enough to travel such a distance, why can't you contact them, and they can pick up your ship?" She sounded querulous.
Despite her sickness, Irena laughed weakly. "You have no idea of what you speak. My home planet is not within calling distance. It is many moons traveling time away from here. No, my ship must go back. I have chosen you to go with it."
"Go to hell! Send your ship back on its own, if you're so smart," she said defiantly.
"You wish to stay and be at the mercy of the man who wants you dead?" Irena winced as she stared down on the woman. "I think you have no idea the danger you face. Are you not aware you are going to die if you remain here?"
Her hands clenching to grip the sheet beneath her, the woman also flinched as if struck. In her throat, she made a sound of protest like a groan of misery. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Her pallid features creased with intense emotion as she fidgeted as if in agony.
"Mark my words well, Earth woman. You will be dead within two of your moons if you stay here. I have powers beyond anything you can imagine. I have been tracking you and know everything about your problem. Your partner could not stand against his enemies. How do you hope to do so when he failed?"
The fair head tossed restlessly on the pillow. "No," she moaned repeatedly in denial.
Irena had reached the end of her bargaining time. "I will make a pact with you," she said, pressing a hand to her temple where the pain throbbed, the almost unbearable ache making her falter momentarily. Time was almost up. She had to move fast. Convince this woman to go along with her wishes. "If you refuse me I must know soon. I need time to find another candidate." That was another lie, for she had no time.
"What's your bargain?" the woman asked hesitatingly, as if her curiosity was too hard to repress.
"If you return to my home, deliver my craft safely, I guarantee Reve will return to this planet with you to take revenge on your partner's killers. At least he can help you expose the traitors so they can receive their punishment. You must let me know your answer. Now."
\*
Melanie grimaced at the bitter taste in her mouth as she forced her eyes open. What a strange dream. Had it been a dream? It seemed so real. Although unable to recall what the woman named Irena looked like, she could remember her voice plainly, could remember her offer. She hadn't had such vivid dreams since she'd moved in with Chris.
Chris!
Remembrance came back in force and she let out a long groan of sadness and misery. How was she ever going to manage without him?
A noise made her jump with fear, and she turned startled eyes towards the direction it had come from. Someone was trying to open the balcony windows in the living room. Putting a fist over her mouth to suppress a scream, Melanie eased from the bed and made her way with faltering steps out of the bedroom and towards the sliding door. Turning the light off she peeped through the gap in the drapes. And swallowed a yelp of terror.
There was someone out there. And this someone was huge. For a moment she thought her fear may be causing her to hallucinate. But on second thoughts he was too solid to be conjured up by her imagination. It was definitely a he. No woman could be so big.
Should she run? Where would she escape to? If they'd managed to get as far as her balcony they would be watching the doors to the block of units for sure. Dear God! Where was the police guard she had been promised? Looking around frantically for a weapon, she saw the lamp on the coffee table. It was heavy and she needed two hands to lift it. She wasn't going down without a fight.
"Help me, dear God, please help me somebody," she silently prayed.
A touch as soft as a butterfly's wings brushed across her face. It was so light she barely felt it, but sensed more than anything she wasn't alone.
"I will help you. Put your life in my hands, and I will assist you," the voice from her dream said in her mind.
Was she going mad? Perhaps the events of this night had sent her over the edge. That was the only plausible explanation. "I'll do anything," she whispered. Sweat poured from every pore in her body, even while she felt frozen with fear. "Just help me if you can."
"You will go to my home? You will entrust me with your life?" the voice asked faintly. Despite the terror almost immobilizing her, Melanie realized it was growing dimmer and seemed to be coming to her as if muffled by a blanket.
As if to catch hold of the strange presence, she opened her arms and let the lamp fall to the carpet with a thud. "I will do anything you ask. Just get me away from here before they kill me," she pleaded as the door began to slowly glide open and the drapes moved.
Melanie heard her scream echoing around in her head even while she felt herself begin to fall. Only she wasn't collapsing to the floor, but floating down a long tunnel of light. A giggle that was the laugh of a hysterical woman on the brink of madness burst from her throat. Would she, like Alice, encounter a white rabbit at the end of her fall?
\*
Melanie had stopped falling. Moving stealthily, she found she was reclining on a luxuriant bed. Padding, as soft as swan's-down, surrounded her body. With a soft sigh she snuggled down, not wanting to come out of this dream that wasn't really a dream.
If she opened her eyes she would return to the horror of being stalked by a killer. Another moment and she knew she would have been dead. But here, wherever here was, was safe.
Warm, secure and safe.
Melanie swallowed, grimacing at the bitter taste in her mouth. A taste brought on by terror. She moved her head on the soft padding.
"You may open your eyes," the now familiar mild voice ordered. "You are secure now. Do not panic as you become aware of your surroundings, Melanie Ross. Nothing or no one can harm you here."
Melanie followed the instructions. The voice was so coaxing. Somehow she knew there was nothing to fear. As her eyelids slowly lifted, the first thing she saw was a blank gray wall. Steel perhaps. There was nothing but this blank wall to be seen and a feeling close to panic hit her.
"Where am I?" she croaked, moving her head to the right and seeing nothing over there but the same plain grey sheet of steel. "Am I in an elevator?"
Melanie hated the things. Had since, as a ten year old, she'd been trapped in one for hours with twelve sweaty, panicked people. Trying to lift her head a dizziness swept over her and she flopped back down again with a small groan. "Please, let me out. I hate it here." The sense of well-being and security fled like a puff of smoke blown away by the wind.
"How can you hate something you have no knowledge of?" the voice queried faintly. "I will give you a sedative soon. It will calm you down. But first we have to be sure you are still willing to accept the challenge and go back to my home. I have very little time. We must be quick."
"Where are you?" Melanie cried. "Why aren't you in here with me?" Once again she lifted onto her elbows and stared about. The chamber was about eight feet by ten feet and her mouth went dry. She began to tremble and fear over-rode all other emotions.
"You have no reason to be afraid, Melanie Ross. Relax," the coaxing voice urged.
"Easy for you to say." Melanie twisted to put her legs over the edge of the strange bed. She felt light-headed, but at least the dizziness had dissipated. "You might be used to being trapped in this coffin, but I hate it! Get me out!" Her voice screeched.
That same light touch drifted over her brow and suddenly all panic fled. A feeling of contentment began to fill her as she looked about. "Please. Show yourself."
"Ah, Melanie Ross, unfortunately I cannot do that. My powers are fading fast. If you do not agree to my proposal soon, we will be out of time and I will have to put you back on your planet, leave you to face the dangers awaiting you there." The voice was filled with sadness.
"No! No, please don't do that," Melanie pleaded, reaching her arms out as if she could touch the alien entity. "All right. I agree. What else can I do? But would you kindly explain where I am and what is going to happen to me."
Stretching her toes towards the floor on unsteady legs, she stood. As she moved away from the bed, the walls seemed to move with her and recede so the room seemed bigger. Or was her imagination playing strange tricks? Perhaps she was already dead and this was a stopping station on the way to the after-life.
"No, you are still very much alive," the voice assured her. "I convinced your mind the chamber is larger than it really is, just to temper your panic."
"How did you do that? How did you know what I was thinking?" Melanie demanded, uneasy. But at least the panic threatening to engulf her before was gone.
"My people have the power of what you call telepathy. I can understand all your feelings and read all your thoughts, after I convert them to my language. That is how I tuned into your fear on Earth and guessed you might willingly go along with my plan. Now, as to where you are. You are in the control capsule of my craft. I have programmed the robots to return the vessel to Amaryllis. By the time you dock there, you will be conversant with the knowledge needed to land and to acclimatize to our planet's ways.
"As to why you cannot see me, I am almost gone. The influenza virus has practically immobilized all of my faculties and I cannot waste energy on visualizing. The last of my strength will be used to put you in a state of nirvana for the journey to our planet."
"Your planet." Melanie was very nervous again.
"Yes, it is on the outer rim of the universe. While you are in a trance, you will be instructed in the ways of my people so you will not feel too disorientated when you arrive. You will also be given the vital instructions needed to land the capsule."
"Oh my God." This was all too much to take in. These things only happened in movies.
"You must warn them of the dangers inherent on Earth. Emphasize the warning Shan will already have delivered. Two of your days and nights is the longest period it is safe for us to stay. I dallied for a few hours more than I should have. This was my undoing."
"Were you the only female in this expedition?" Melanie asked, as she tried to come to terms with what this voice was telling her. This had to be a bad dream. There were people who believed in intergalactic travel and UFOs, and even some who claimed to have been taken into space ships by extra terrestrials, but she'd always pooh-poohed such nonsense.
Touching the soft couch she pulled back sharply. The fabric had the feel of leather and the look of suede, but was neither.
"No, the squadron consisted of equal males and females. It was the proudest day of my life when I was selected." Distress clouded the fading voice. "Now, Melanie Ross it is time. Please, you must return to the couch. Lie back, relax, and fear nothing. When next you awake, you will be in the outer orbit of Amaryllis and programmed to set the capsule down and then live as an Amaryllisan. Reve will be waiting for you."
"Reve?" Melanie asked as she lay back, her limbs shaking.
"Yes, Reve. He is the commander of our Starship, Victus. He will be the person you will report to."
This spirit, alien, or whatever she was must have put her under some sort of spell already, for suddenly Melanie felt light-headed, worry-free and quite prepared for whatever life held in store for her.
\*
The woman had succumbed to the trance. Irena fed the last set of instructions into the remote panel and then set a message on the screen for Reve's attention. By the time this Melanie Ross got to Amaryllis, she would be acquainted with the ways, customs and appropriate data to enable her to make the easy transition. She would be well able to exist on Amaryllis. The robot would set the capsule down when it reached its destination. This Earth woman would gain the knowledge needed to perform this task or any others should it be necessary.
Irena's work was done.
With one last look at the woman and a glance to ensure all was set in motion for her craft's return to Amaryllis, Irena prepared to dematerialize and return to Earth. She would die beneath the waters of the largest ocean and end her life in the environment where Amaryllisans felt most comfortable.
"Farewell, Earth woman," she said, as she left her craft for the last time.
Four
Melanie blinked her eyes and stretched her limbs.
Peering around, she was still in the small chamber where she'd gone to sleep. How long ago was that? It seemed no more than moments. It was disconcerting, but she instantly knew by the information fed into her brain it had been months.
Putting her feet to the floor, she pressed a button at the side of the couch. With a faint whirring sound one entire wall slowly slipped back to reveal a scene that made her insides lurch. A world was growing larger by the second as the craft neared.
Amaryllis.
Irena's home. Her new home. If only temporarily. With a soft gasp she looked down at herself. Her outfit was made of soft leather-like material. The fabric hugged a figure any woman would be proud of. Melanie ran her fingers over a slender waistline. Not a smidgen of the plumpness of before remained. Her breasts were still as full, but now were up-tilted and firm. And her legs! She stared down at limbs at least a foot longer than they'd been. This space-traveling business had some good points. Threading her fingers through her hair she pulled a tress forward to see the most beautiful titian mane. It flowed in silky waves to her waist.
Could she have taken on Irena's physical features? Perhaps there were distinct advantages to temporarily being an Amaryllisan; her diminutive height and her far from glamorous appearance had been the bane of her life. And she'd wanted long hair for as far back as she could remember. Her numerous foster parents had persisted in cutting it to an unflattering crop. Even Chris had insisted she get it trimmed regularly.
Glancing about, she looked for the console that would have the switches needed to land the craft safely, and to open up the walls of the capsule to give her access to the rest of the craft. With little trouble she followed the procedure. Everything seemed so simple. Of course the robot did most of the work. She merely had to set it in motion with a few well-placed jabs.
Melanie looked again to the window and to the world she approached at a startlingly rapid rate. Amaryllis was practically covered by water. Although she'd known this, it still came as a shock to see no land. The high structures were the platforms housing the Amaryllisan population. She caught sight of one of the mountains--the only land left on the planet. From here it looked arid and colorless.
After she depressed a button near her hand, a screen appeared at eye level on the opposite wall to the window. Lettering came up on the screen and then a whining drone heralded the cut out of the engines. Slowly and with startling grace the ship drifted towards a gaping hole in the top of a massive vessel that was the star-ship Victus, largest and most important of the planet's ever-circling stations, where she would dock. Victus was about as big as ten aircraft carriers and looked nothing like any of the spacecraft she'd seen in the movies. Numerous arms stuck out like tentacles from the main body and gave it the appearance of some monster.
In a matter of moments the whine became a soft drone and with the barest thud her craft made connection with a platform in the central hangar of Victus. With a touch of her previous hesitation, Melanie watched as her ship was made secure. It hit her like a thump in the middle just what she'd done. Little Melanie Ross from Sydney, Australia, had actually traveled to the far side of the universe. It seemed inconceivable.
For a moment everything went dark and her insides flipped over as the craft was lowered deep into the bowels of the Starship. The activity on the landing platform came into view. It was all eerily familiar.
Another soft whine heralded the last thrust of the engines and then all was quiet.
Taking a deep breath, she walked on feet that moved of their own volition to the panel beside the small screen where she depressed one of the myriad buttons. The door slid back effortlessly and then she was on the ground beneath the ship. A slight touch of nausea attacked her. She had experienced her first go at self-transportation.
"Welcome to our planet, Earth woman." A man, at least a foot taller than she and with copper colored hair reaching his shoulder blades, held out his hand. Melanie hesitated a moment before some sense told her it was Shan, leader of the squadron that had left Irena back on Earth. His features were striking and he reminded her vaguely of a Herculean warrior she'd seen in a recent television mini-series.
"You managed to get Irena's craft back safely. Reve will be elated." He didn't look too overjoyed with this feat. In fact he appeared to be eyeing her with downright suspicion. But this was to be expected. Melanie was still coming to terms with the fact he was so handsome, not what she would have expected an alien to look like at all. In the first moments of consciousness, she had known a deep sense of panic as she'd visualized all sorts of weird creatures inhabiting Amaryllis. Every science fiction movie she'd seen in the past had flashed before her eyes. At least he resembled an Earthman and didn't have a pointed head, no ears and round piercing eyes.
"I presume you know the facts about me," Melanie said, taking his outstretched hand and touching palms with him in the Amaryllisan greeting.
He removed his hand hurriedly and bowed his head. He stood back a pace. "It is not for me to discuss this. Reve is most anxious to see you immediately." He had hesitated before speaking, as if pondering what words to use.
"Where will I find him?" She looked about, feeling nervous and just a little scared.
Everywhere there was activity. Ships of varying sizes were being loaded and unloaded, cargo being packed and stacked by robots over seven feet tall. These robots had no faces, but a flat surface on the front of the head like a TV screen. Melanie knew by the knowledge installed in her brain, these were scanners, picking up information and passing it on to the inner mind of the robots. Well, it was a computer. Obviously no mechanical object could have a brain.
Large machines, rather like front end loaders, were moving great containers. More craft than she could count were lined up, parked on piers. The noise was deafening, making it clear why Shan and all the other workers wore ear-pads.
"He's in the administrative office. Where else? Reve will be aware you have landed and be expecting you. I won't keep you. You know the way?"
"Yes."
Already he had his ear-pads on. With a small nod of his head, Shan left her and headed towards another craft.
She swallowed as the old Melanie resurfaced for a moment, but then the new persona she'd adopted pushed her aside. For now, to all intents and purposes, she was an inhabitant of Amaryllis and would act accordingly.
\*
Stretching out her hand, Melanie tentatively pressed her palm over the iridescent panel. Silently the doors slid open and she marched through into the quietness of the interior office. She passed banks of computerized control screens where robots worked diligently at their places. These robots were smaller and more compact than the ones in the loading bay and had two openings on their head, more like eyes. One or two of the six supervisors looked up and a distinctly wary expression passed over their faces, but other than that no one paid her much attention.
She'd noted with surprise that every male she'd seen so far had flowing hair of copper or gunmetal grey. Every female, and she'd seen only two in the loading dock, and three on the way here, had the same titian hair as her own. Another disquieting fact was they were all beautiful specimens. Not a disfigured, ugly, or even plain face amongst them.
As she stepped through the door opening, one of these copper-haired men turned from a screen he'd been studying. For just a moment, his face looked ravaged by despair--his eyes cold as they assessed her thoroughly.
With a small cry of distress Melanie put a hand to her throat.
"Chris!" Her dead husband's name burst from her lips.
This man she knew must be Reve, the commander of this Starship, resembled her late husband so much she must be going mad.
A small taut pause passed when the air seemed to crackle with tension. "No, I am Reve. You, of course, are the impostor returned from Earth in Irena's place." His imperious tone was laced with ice. Yet, at some abstract level Melanie registered the deep timbre of his voice did something weird and wonderful to her insides. It slid over her senses like warm chocolate.
"Impostor! You know who I am. Irena must surely have implanted information in the data banks of the craft that brought me here." She suffered a moment's fear beneath his scrutiny as he moved to within a foot of her and grasped one of her hands. She dragged it free. "You look just like my husband. At least your facial features are his." Fluttering began in her lower abdomen and soon spread to her extremities. "Do you know the details of how I came to be here in Irena's place?"
"Not minutely. I suggest you tell me in your own words." With a small shrug of impatience, or annoyance, he beckoned her to follow him through a door at the end of the room. After closing the door he pointed to a couch at one side of the chamber.
"Be seated," he commanded.
It was as deeply padded as the one on the craft had been, but as she sank onto it, its soft luxuriousness did little to suppress the uneasiness engulfing her.
His unnerving eyes still on her, he sat opposite her.
"First, could you kindly explain why you bear such a striking likeness to my dead husband? How can this be?" Melanie asked, knowing her nervousness came through in her voice, although she was trying her utmost to conceal it.
He shrugged massive shoulders. On closer inspection just his face resembled Chris's. His luxuriant hair of burnished copper flowed unrestrained to his waist, and every part of his body, from his broad shoulders to his solid chest was so much more powerful and impressive than Chris's had ever been. Following him into the room she'd not failed to notice his powerful legs and body, his trim and taut buttocks, clearly defined beneath the skintight breeches he wore. She found him intimidating. And his eyes, the color of chocolate, were coldly assessing her every movement and making her feel a bit like a bug under a scientist's microscope.
"I can only presume Irena saw fit to transplant your partner's image in your brain. Perhaps she surmised you may find the appearance of her people too alien for you to accept," he said tersely, making her wonder why he was being so aggressive, when he must know how she had come to be here.
"And how is it I have this amazing body?" She ran trembling hands down her shapely hips. "So far I don't know what my face looks like, for I haven't seen it. But I do know I'm a lot taller than I was on Earth. And my hair has changed color and length." Still slightly fascinated by the change in her appearance, Melanie fingered a long tress.
With innate grace he rose, moving to a panel with hundreds of buttons and knobs lined up on its face. Pressing one, he pointed a long finger to the wall opposite where she sat. "Your reflection."
Melanie drew in a shocked breath as she got to her feet. A ceiling to floor mirror showed her image. "I'm beautiful," she whispered, touching a finger to her mouth. A mouth that was now wide and full, and certainly sensual. An incredibly attractive woman with slanting eyes of a deep shade of green returned her look. High cheekbones and an elegantly tilted nose made up a face usually seen in glossy magazines. In fact it reminded her of a well-known model. Then it came to her, this young girl had recently featured on a news program. She'd been chosen from hundreds to advertise a new line of cosmetics. Turning sideways, Melanie assessed this new person she saw before her. How odd this all was. And scary!
Melanie Ross had disappeared. The woman who stared back at her was exquisite.
"The image is an illusion," he explained, frightening her more than ever. He nodded curtly, pressing the button again. The mirror disappeared. "You have nothing to fear."
"Kind of you to say so," she muttered. "I wish I could believe you."
"Why would you need to feel fear? Have you not disembarked safely?"
This was a fact in his favor. They could have exterminated her before she set foot on this planet. His mouth curved slightly in what she could only guess was his version of a smile.
"Now, it is time to tell me all that brought you here," he said.
Melanie gulped. She could no longer think of herself as the plain, blonde, slightly plump, frumpy, female she'd been on Earth. From now on she knew that person must be buried deep inside this new woman if she was to survive. She must learn to think of herself as Irena's replacement or the confusion could send her batty.
"I..." She chewed on her lower lip and he frowned as he watched the small movement. She found him very intimidating, frightening, yet admittedly fascinating. How could she ever think of this commanding man as being similar to her gentle and unassuming husband?
Swallowing hard, she pulled on her ear. "Irena appeared to me in what I presume was a dream."
He nodded abruptly.
"Or I was in a trance. I really have no idea," she explained.
"She would have reached into your mind," he said.
"I guess so. Whatever." Melanie shrugged, staring at her hands gripping each other in front of her. "I was in deep trouble, you see. These thugs had killed my husband." Melanie stifled the urge to cry, sniffing back a tear. He looked at her strangely in intimidating silence. "The boss of the consortium kept ringing me up--"
"Ringing up? What is this? And what is a husband?" he asked.
Melanie wished he would lighten up. These Amaryllisans all seemed to be such a solemn lot. Perhaps they didn't know how to laugh. And his eyes seemed to bore right through her. "Chris was my partner. The man I married. And ringing someone up means they speak on the phone. Like your Irena communicated by telepathy, we speak through an instrument. It's called a phone."
"Primitive." His lip curled in a sneer.
"Right." She gave him a dirty look. "Primitive. Yes, well we're still in our infancy on Earth compared to you from what I've seen so far. Look, do you want me to continue or not?" She was getting a mite fed up with his attitude.
"Please continue with your fascinating saga," he prompted, flicking his hand at her.
"Look mister, I detect a note of scorn in your tone," she snapped. "Like it or not, Irena decided I was a good candidate for sending back here with her spacecraft. The alternative was to blow it up, so I think you should be a little more grateful. She also stressed I should add to Shan's warning it's not safe for your people to spend more than two of our days and nights down there. She caught the flu--influenza. A virus that doesn't always kill us, but is fatal for your people it seems."
He nodded. "Shan has told me of this virus." He stared at his booted feet stretched out in front of him as he tapped his steepled fingers on his chin. " So, Irena chose you."
"That's so. Look, you have the ability to look into my thoughts, I know. You can see clearly what I say is the truth, so why do I sense you think I'm lying? Do you think I hijacked your blessed spaceship?"
"You're wrong. We do have the power to read each other's thoughts. To submit messages into another's brain. But for some reason I cannot read all your thought processes yet. It seems you have gained a lot of knowledge on the voyage, but are still lacking in some of our advanced skills."
Melanie poked her chin at him pugnaciously. "Oh. That accounts for me not knowing what's going on in your head."
"Yes, this is so. Continue with your explanation if you will." Those brown eyes bored into hers.
"Right." Melanie stared down at her hands again. Looking into his eyes was just too overwhelming. He seemed to have the power to see all her vulnerabilities and faults.
"I was in a real fix. Trouble with a capital Tee. Chris left a letter exposing one of his associates in the police force. Then the boss of this drug ring, a man apparently known as The Baron, rang me up, threatening me." With a shudder, she recalled that deadly voice. "Irena honed in on me just when I needed help most and made the offer I take her place. You obviously know how she had the ability to find me." She glanced up. He still watched her with the fixed stare that unnerved her. "In return for her aid, I would bring the craft back here. You know the rest. A mobster was on my balcony trying to get in. He would have killed me if Irena hadn't whisked me out of there when she did."
"What is a gang? And a mobster?" The insolence in his tone was setting her teeth on edge.
"A gang is a group of people who get together. In this instance to peddle drugs. Narcotics. Deadly drugs that muddle a person's brain and send most of the addicts to an early grave. Unfortunately it is one of the modern day curses on our planet. Do you have anything like this here?"
He shook his head slightly, and she shifted beneath his steady gaze. "We will get around to discussing Amaryllis later," he said. "Please continue with your explanation."
"Right. This guy, this mobster, was after me. That's a person who belongs to this gang. He was obviously sent to kill me." A deep shudder ran through her. All the encompassing terror was too fresh. Perhaps she would have died of fear before the killer even had the chance to do her in. "Irena reckoned I would be better off out of there. And to be honest, so did I after giving it some thought. It was either flee when I did or be killed."
"Have you no others who could help you on your planet?" he asked, and Melanie sensed a slight softening in his attitude. "Surely there was someone you could turn to for aid."
"I have no other relatives or close friends. There's Pete, who's Chris's friend on the force. They worked together on this and past undercover jobs. But I needed help immediately." That sense of aloneness filled her anew. Melanie frowned. "Pete said he would make sure I was protected... But this thug got onto my balcony."
"Perhaps this...Pete person was not to be relied on," he commented.
"No, not Pete." She sounded defensive but she was still deeply puzzled as to how the man had got onto her balcony. If she was being guarded as Pete had promised, the police would have been watching all entrances to her apartment.
He shrugged, and her eyes were drawn again to his broad shoulders. His body was altogether magnificent, graceful while being filled with a brawny intimidating power. She'd rarely seen its like, in the flesh, so to speak.
"You find my shape fascinating?" he said softly and Melanie's head went back.
"Fascinating? I guess you could say that," she admitted, with a selfconscious laugh. "On Earth someone as good looking as you would only be seen in movies or modeling. I have to tell you, this whole thing is really weird. Your face is Chris's, but your body most definitely is not."
"It's not so strange really. I find your face and body just as odd. Soon you will not find it so puzzling." His half smile was enigmatic.
"You do?" Melanie looked down at her magnificent shape and wondered why he found it odd. All the women she'd seen so far were just as shapely, and beautiful. That was certainly strange too. Perhaps all these Amaryllisans were perfect specimens. Or--a horrible thought hit her--perhaps they did away with anyone who didn't come up to scratch, beauty-wise.
His eyes were on her again, inscrutable. As if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Doubtless he did, with his extraordinary powers.
"So," he said. "Irena sent you as her replacement. Something tells me she did not have a lot of time to make her choice."
Melanie glared at him. "And something tells me you're being sarcastic, mister."
"My name is Reve, so why do you insist on calling me mister?" His eyes were as cold as Siberia in Winter.
"I'm being sarcastic, as you are. You don't seem awfully pleased to see me here." With a glance down, she took in her new form. "In this body. But it was Irena's choice, and as you say, she was running out of time. By the way, she left a message for you in the craft. I have no idea what she said, but I'm sure she was explicit. Can I go to my quarters now? Or do you have further questions to ask me?" Her shoulders went back stiffly. What a pain in the neck he was proving to be. Still, there was one consolation. He wasn't a repulsive alien. She had this to be grateful for. At least he was good to look at. After seeing some of the aliens in the Star Wars movies, what would their creators think of this very Earthly looking specimen?
"I have many questions. But for now we will leave them."
His expression was strange. Could he read everything in her mind? What a thought. She blushed.
"I will see what Irena had to say. I will summon you when you have had time to acclimatize more." His voice remained bland.
He held the flat of his hand over a fluorescent panel on his great wall of buttons and knobs and instantly a woman as tall as this new Melanie came through the door as it slid back. She was just as shapely and had the same flowing hair of titian. And wore exactly the same body-hugging clothes as Melanie. A clone? This idea seemed the likeliest, and most repulsive. Oh God! What if nothing but the brain remained of the old Melanie? While she still digested the ghastly idea, he made a small gesture towards her.
"Bettrys, see that our new comrade is made comfortable. Put her in Irena's quarters," he said.
Bettrys opened her mouth. She was about to say something, perhaps put up an argument. But she closed it again when Reve gave her a stern look from beneath those imposing brows. Melanie didn't blame her. She found him more than a tad scary too.
"Come," Bettrys said in a lilting voice. "Follow me."
Melanie gave the commander a brief glance. He still stared at her in a perturbing way. She went out with Bettrys. Melanie trailed her escort down the corridor and then drew in a shuddery breath when they entered an elevator. The instant the doors closed, strange letters on a screen proclaimed they were traveling past many levels, but she couldn't feel any movement, except for the butterflies cavorting about in her stomach.
"You were sent here by Irena," Bettrys said. "What name should we address you by?"
"My name's Melanie."
Bettrys nodded briefly. She hadn't smiled yet either--seemed morose, in fact. The big boss, Reve, hadn't cracked his face, but then he was highly suspicious. It was to be expected. Miserable lot.
The door slid open and with a sigh of relief Melanie followed Bettrys out.
Melanie's relief soon disappeared. Bettrys and she were in another small, enclosed lobby. Was everything windowless here? Her claustrophobia was making her feel quite ill.
The Amaryllisan tapped a code on a set of buttons and another door slid soundlessly back. "This is Irena's place of rest."
\*
They went into what could only be termed a cell. A windowless cell.
Bettrys pointed to another raised panel on a sort of bench, vaguely like a vanity unit. "If you need anything at all, hold the flat of your hand over here."
"This is Irena's room?" Melanie wiped her hands that had begun to perspire down the sides of her pants. "But surely there's somewhere else I can go. I can't stay here. It's almost as small as the elevator." Fear sounded in her voice. The walls seemed to be closing in on her. Breathless, she looked about but kept by the doorway in case she should be inadvertently trapped inside the confining space.
"You are not happy with your quarters?" Bettrys looked and sounded puzzled.
"Look, you people may be used to living in the equivalent of a sardine can, but I can't stand it. Please find me somewhere else to go," Melanie pleaded. There was a bunk set into one wall with barely a foot of breathing space above it, a screen set in the wall near the vanity unit, and nothing else. No way would she be able to rest comfortably in here. Just the thought of being shut in made her insides quake.
"I will see what Commander Reve has to suggest," Bettrys said slowly, staring at Melanie as if she was an escapee from a lunatic asylum. She held her palm over the panel she'd pointed out. Immediately it began to glow. Bettrys tapped out a code and in a second his handsome face came on the screen.
"What is it, Bettrys?" he asked impatiently.
She gave Melanie a brief look. It spoke volumes. "This woman wishes to be moved to other quarters, Commander Reve."
"Other quarters?" He appeared to be just as astonished. "We have no other place for her to go. Why do you wish to go elsewhere?" he bit out.
Melanie swallowed her apprehension and hated to admit to this man how scared she was. "I can't stand being shut up in this small space without a window. Please, can I go somewhere where I can see out? I hate to be a bother." She glanced quickly about. "I get claustrophobia." Heavens, she sounded neurotic.
"What exactly is this? Another of your strange diseases you have brought with you from Earth?" The small sound of disgust he made was probably an Amaryllisan curse.
Melanie squared her shoulders. "No, it's not a disease. It's more what you would call a phobia. If I get shut in this tin can I'll go bonkers." She tossed her head to push back the unfamiliar hair.
"Bonkers?"
"Nuts. Mad!" she enunciated.
"We cannot have you going nuts can we?"
For the first time Melanie thought she glimpsed a soft lightening of the glower that had darkened his eyes ever since she'd met him.
"Put our visitor in my quarters, Bettrys," he ordered brusquely, disappearing instantly from the screen.
Bettrys looked startled. "Come, I will take you to the Commander's chamber." Her voice held no emotion.
"But..." Melanie sucked in her lower lip. About to argue she had no wish to go anywhere near this Reve's chamber, she changed her mind when she glanced about. Anywhere was better than this cell. The big boss's room had to be bigger surely. Once the door was closed, without a doubt she would have gone straight into panic mode.
Five
Going up in the elevator again, Melanie and Bettrys went one level higher than where Melanie had first met Reve.
"Your chamber on Amaryllis is much larger than the chamber you hated up here, so I expect the Commander will have you sent there." Bettrys led Melanie out when the door slid soundlessly open. They went straight into a high ceilinged room, much more spacious than Irena's cell. A viewing window took up almost one wall. Although pitch black outside now, patches of light from the platforms where the Amaryllisan population lived was illuminated.
The outside temperature was freezing during these short hours of darkness, but inside their structures the people would be warm in the temperature controlled buildings. Rain beat against the window. It rained every night, which accounted for the high water level.
"You have recovered from your...phobia?"
Melanie jumped as if scalded as she turned to face Reve. The commander had entered as silently as a panther stalking his prey. Bettrys had gone.
She pressed a hand to her middle while she took a deep breath. "You startled me."
"I apologize," he said smoothly. "It was not my intention. Please be seated. Make yourself comfortable. I repeat. Have you recovered?"
Melanie looked about and then perched herself on the edge of one of two couches shaped like boomerangs. For the first time she took note of the rest of the room. It was certainly a lot more comfortable than the stifling room where she'd been taken. Wonder if Irena had shared it with him, or if she'd spent her nights in that horrible cell?
"I feel better, yes. Thank you for being so thoughtful. It's just that I can't abide being shut in enclosed spaces, if you know what I mean. It's something that's been with me since a child."
He gave a grave nod and sat opposite her on the other couch. Indolently, he stretched his long legs out in front of him. His fingers forming a steeple beneath his chin, he stared at her until Melanie began to feel uneasy again.
"There was some occurrence in your formative years to give you this phobia?" he asked then.
"I...well, yes. I was brought up in an orphanage, then foster homes. One of my foster-mothers thought when her charges were naughty that the ideal punishment was to lock them up in the cupboard." As the old fear resurfaced, Melanie looked down at her hands, folding and unfolding them on her lap. The fear of a ten year old, left for hours amid the smelly shoes and coats, without food or water, not knowing how long she would be left to suffer such purgatory.
"I am not sure what you mean by orphanage," he said in his deep voice that sent her insides into a roller-coaster spin.
She shrugged. "It's a home for children who have no parents. I guess you wouldn't understand. Your children automatically go into a communal house at five and stay there until they mature at ten, don't they? On Earth the young stay that way for longer. Some don't reach maturity until sixteen or older. You only have one child for each pair of parents, whereas on Earth there are sometimes as many as ten children in one family."
He nodded gravely. "So you were put with a mother who had no patience with children. Our idea is much better. The caretakers are well chosen for their affinity with young minds."
"Not all mothers are like that one. Most are kind and care for their children, no matter how many they have." She had the need to defend the countless parents who loved their offspring. She'd just been unlucky in the board's choices for her.
Shifting in the seat, he looked over his shoulder. "You must be hungry." Without waiting for a response, he rose, went to the panel and tapped a key. A list of strange figures scanned across the screen and he put a fingertip on several articles. He came and sat again. "I hope I'm not being presumptuous, but I ordered for you as you are not yet familiar with our diet." His voice was bland.
Melanie was about to tell him she wasn't really hungry when a small panel slid open above a bench and a tray appeared.
"That was quick work," she said as he got up to fetch it over to her.
She reached to take it from him, but with a small gesture, he stopped her. He touched the side of her couch with the toe of his soft boot. A small table appeared, sliding swiftly from out of the armrest. Placing the tray on it, he took a cover off an oval dish, put it aside and then handed her a long-handled spoon.
"It was already pre-packed." He returned to his chair and, making her feel jumpy again, watched her intently. Was he studying her moves? Or just plain interested in her, as one alien to another?
Melanie started to eat. "Mmm, it's delicious," she said around a mouthful. "What exactly am I eating?"
"I ordered the crum..." After a pause, he said, "Salad."
"Crum?" The elongated yellow fruit was the mainstay of their diet.
"Yes. I thought some of our other dishes might be too salty for your palate. You can try other delicacies as you get used to living here. Irena set the robots on the craft to program your mind well. You know much about us already."
"It seems so." She shrugged. The thought of robots fiddling about in her mind made her feel nervous again. The idea her brain might be the only part of the old Melanie remaining was enough to make her shudder. No point in asking this man though. He wouldn't answer her questions unless he was ready to. "I have no recollection of what happened on the ship coming here. I do know a lot about your people. I know you cultivate many kelps and sea plants and have others growing in hot-houses."
"Yes, we grow fruits like graws and milews. Both are in the food you now eat." With a small jerk of the hand, he indicated her nearly empty dish.
"It's really good." Melanie finished and put the dish back on the table.
"Drink," he ordered. "The cordial is made of crushed graws. It might be too potent for your taste, so I suggest you only sip."
Melanie sipped as recommended and licked her top lip as she put the glass aside. She shifted on the seat when she noticed how he stared at the small movement of her tongue. His eyes darkened until they were almost black. A very Earthman-like phenomenon that was eerie.
"It's strange," she said softly and then bit her lip, as his head went on one side.
"Strange? In what way? The drink is not right?" he said smoothly.
She had the distinct impression he knew darned well what she meant.
"No." Melanie shook her head and reached for the glass again. "You're so much like my husband to look at. At least your face is, to a point." Hesitatingly she out-stared him. "Yet so different in your mannerisms. Chris never sat so still, never did that thing with his hands you're now doing."
"What mannerism?"
"The steepled fingers beneath your chin."
"Ah." He shrugged, moving his hands downward to look at them intently, as if he hadn't even known where they were. "Unfortunately Irena had no way of copying your partner's body movements. She only had a thing called a photograph to follow. Something flat and lifeless."
"Oh, I see." Melanie didn't really understand at all. Chris's photo? Irena must have looked at the framed one on the buffet. It was the only one in the apartment--their wedding picture. But why had she given Reve Chris's features? It didn't make sense.
"Did she say such in her message?" she asked, uneasiness making her insides tighten with tension.
"Yes, and many other things."
"What else?" How she wished this enigmatic Amaryllisan would open up and tell her more facts to make her feel at ease.
His long fingers tapped a rhythm on the armrest of the chair and for a moment she thought he wasn't going to answer. He gave a small sigh. "She had not enough time to find a more appropriate replacement. You were her best choice."
"Thanks a lot. You make me sound as if I'm a poor runner up." Melanie turned her ring round on her finger, and for the first time realized it was still there. At least she had one remnant of her past life that hadn't changed. She stared at the band of gold. "I guess picking me was a last resort for her."
He neither agreed nor disagreed. "Look," she said then. "I've done what she wanted me to do. I've brought the craft safely back. You know the longest you must stay on Earth is two days and nights. The other members of the squadron all returned safely, so I don't see why you can't send me back now. You can drop me down in some other place, far away from my home."
Melanie couldn't contain a shudder because of the terror she'd felt when she knew for sure she was being stalked. "I'll get in touch with a friend of my husband's. He'll help me." The awful dread she'd felt when she'd suspected Pete made her cringe inside, but there was no need for Reve to know of her fear on this score.
"You misunderstand me... What must I call you? What name do you go by on your home planet?" he asked. When she told him he repeated, "Mel-aanie," with a soft drawl, the 'a' drawn out so he made it sound like a soft endearment flowing from his tongue.
"It's Melanie," she insisted.
"This is what I said." Those dark eyes probed hers again.
Melanie shifted, sipped at her juice and glanced away from his piercing scrutiny. "Was Irena your wife?" The question slipped out.
"Wife?"
"Yes, you know, were you married as Chris and I were?"
Again he shrugged. "We have no such thing on Amaryllis. Irena was my partner. We shared our lives, up to a certain point."
Had Irena shared his quarters or lived in that cramped space on the other deck while aboard the Starship?
"Few Amaryllisans stay together for life. Our women choose their mates and most change often. But no doubt you already know this from the data implanted in your brain."
"Implanted? Good grief! You make me sound like an automaton." The horrible thought persisted. Had she been turned into a robot? The idea made her skin crawl.
"Far from it. You are flesh and blood, sinew and muscle," he insisted, surely reading her fear.
"I hope so," she muttered, ignoring his scowl. "Anyway, we've got right away from the original subject of our conversation. How about sending me back home? I know it was awfully good of Irena to rescue me, and I'll be eternally grateful. But how about putting me in a coma, trance, or whatever, send someone with me to bring the capsule back safely and let me go home?"
"You would run away from us so soon?" The bland question came out smoothly. He had been acting reasonably well, so why was she so scared?
"It's not a case of running away. I belong on Earth." Was she a prisoner here? Yes, for as long as this man decided to keep her on his planet. The saliva in her mouth dried up and her stomach felt as if it had become knotted.
"As I see it you have little to go back for," he went on as if she hadn't spoken. "Your lifemate is dead. You were being threatened with your life, were in fact a moment away from being murdered by this...mobster. You have no other people of your own family." He got up, put the tray containing her empty dish and glass on the bench and waved his palm over a red light in the wall. The lot disappeared.
"This is all true." Melanie pushed her hair back and glanced at him where he stood, long legs astride, hands on hips. Totally at ease and arrogantly sure of himself. "But Irena promised you would take me back if I should want that."
"That's true also."
Melanie nibbled on her lower lip when he stared at her in that strange way that sent odd alarm bells off inside her. It looked as if he wasn't going to say any more on that subject. "What else did she say in her message?" she asked, for something to break the tension strumming between them.
"That you would make an excellent replacement for her in all ways." Turning his back on her he began to press buttons on a keyboard.
"Replacement?" Melanie gulped--her shoulders going back as she stared at him. What exactly did he have in mind by that statement? Her throat went as dry as a desert while she continued to gaze at the wide expanse of his back.
"Irena shared all things with me." The sentence was drawled. If she hadn't seen proof that he was as straight-faced as a poker player she would have sworn he was having a laugh at her expense. Those great shoulders shook slightly. But when he turned back to her his face bore that same calm look, devoid of expression. She must have been mistaken. This man didn't know how to joke.
"Our lines have crossed here somewhere, mister." Her voice was snappy.
"Lines? Crossed? I'm sorry, I fail to comprehend your strange phrases." With a nonchalant lifting of his shoulders he said, "Please do not forget that my brain has to take in your words, assimilate and then translate them. Only then can I understand you. But these odd phrases have no meaning for me. What have crossed lines to do with what I said?"
"All right." Melanie got up, faced him and then wished she hadn't. He was so large, so intimidating. Backing up she went to look out of the window. It was growing light. There were much fewer hours of darkness than on Earth. "Let me make it clear. I got the distinct impression you were hinting I should replace Irena in...your..." She couldn't go on. They slept but as far as their sex-life went, her training had obviously been pretty sketchy. She had no inkling of exactly how they mated. But if her senses had alerted her correctly, this hunk was implying she take Irena's place in his bed.
"Bed?" There was definitely a hint of a smile on those dangerous lips now as she glared hard at him. "Don't look so shocked. I caught the word running around in that unusual brain of yours."
These pieces of information made her feel a whole lot better. Now he was picking her brain.
"To set your mind at rest, we do mate much as you do on Earth. Women have the same rights as men in choosing their mate. Yes, I shared my body with Irena and if you would be willing I would share it with you."
Melanie held up both hands, as if to ward off a dangerous creature. Which he was. "Now just a minute! I have no intention of sharing anything with you. Most certainly I have no intention of...of ...sharing your b...bed."
His head went back, and there was the look of a predator in those dark eyes of his. A dangerous and deadly predator.
\*
Reve kept his gaze on this Earth woman. His scrutiny unsettled her. Color highlighted her cheekbones. Her eyes sent sparks, more brilliant than the many stars passed on the way to the other side of the Universe, in his direction. The strangeness about her fascinated him. In his many voyages he'd seen uncountable species, some had revolted him, some held his interest for a while, but this woman from Earth had an innocence, a glow about her that touched some part of him, hitherto buried deep inside. Some place in his core, previously untapped.
If he so desired he could easily control her mind. Could bend her will to suit his needs. Perhaps he would, when he tired of the freshness of her ideas. Irena had programmed the robot to instill data in her brain, but had not had enough time to completely transform her to an Amaryllisan. He was glad because, as she was, she held the power to excite his senses, ignite his more primal, baser desires. She was frightened of him, but had the courage to camouflage her fear well.
"Are all the Earth people the same as you?" The color darkened her skin even more. Skin with a sheen to it. Skin that begged his touch. Another detail that pleased him. And his senses told him she was softer by far than Irena--less driven by her ambition. It would be interesting to find out how many other ways she differed from Amaryllisan females. Her expressions changed constantly, were a mirror to her thoughts. If she knew how well he could read those thoughts, she would doubtless be very angry. Anger was an emotion unknown to his kind, and he was just learning from this woman how many forms it took.
She looked confused. "Earth people are very diverse in all ways."
Here was another strong emotion he had no conception of. She frowned often, as if everything about him and Amaryllis perplexed her.
Her shoulders lifted a fraction in a shrug. "I don't believe there's one other person there who is exactly the same as me. Perhaps one might have the same coloring or looks, but so many other things are different. Even twins, triplets or quads may look alike but have certain differences."
"Twins and triplets?" he had to ask when a description of these words flashed through her mind and he suffered a moment's disbelief. How could a female produce so many offspring in one birthing? It seemed an impossibility.
"Multiple births. Don't look so shocked. Some women have given birth to six babies in one go." She laughed, obviously because of his stunned expression. The way her mouth curved and her eyes shone when she was pleased delighted him. "Some women go through procedures to help them to conceive and these multiple births are often the result. We have many colors, creeds, religions, races, and languages on our planet. No two Earth people think alike. Perhaps that's why we always have a war going on there somewhere. Often different cultures clash and a fight ensues. You don't have wars here, do you?"
Motioning for her to also sit, Reve dropped down into the chair he'd vacated. With a kind of diffidence he found appealing, she did as he bade--her legs crossed severely at the ankles, her knees pressed together. Did she think he was about to demand she share her body with him this very moment? Her brain patterns suggested she found him intimidating still. Perhaps it was best to let her continue in this vein.
"We are too civilized to make war," he said with a shake of his head. "What is to be gained by such idiocy? We long ago fought our last intergalactic battle." Records showed the victors and vanquished lost something of their heritage in long drawn out conflicts.
"When was this?" she asked, looking intrigued.
"Many hundreds of megnums. Amaryllis was settled after the last great battle, in which whole planets were disintegrated."
She looked horror-stricken. "Whole planets?"
"Yes. We had little option but to choose this planet for what was left of our civilization."
"Good lord. That must have been some war."
"It was. And this is why we must now go to the far planets to find one suitable for settlement. Our long-term aim now is to seek out another world we can inhabit, before our own is completely covered by the waters. As you know we have two mountains giving up the substance vital to us. Without kota we have no fuel to drive our ships. The sluns who inhabit the mines are our only enemies. Not because they voluntarily wish us harm, but because the microcosm they carry can paralyze a person if it penetrates the skin."
Her eyes went wide again, this time with fear. "And do they kill many people?"
"The workers must wear protective clothing while mining the fuel. We have not lost a miner for many megnums." Reve stood. "Now, I suggest you sleep. I have duties I must attend to. When you have rested, I will accompany you to Amaryllis. At least you must see how we live." He watched the indecision hover over her features. "Before you decide whether to return to your planet straight away or not."
She looked about. "Where...where shall I sleep?"
Reve went to the wall and released his sleeping couch from its recess. "You may sleep here. You have no need to worry. I will not be interfering in your slumber."
"I didn't think for a moment you would be," she retorted.
This was a lie. She was very unsure of his motives. Thankful he could easily conceal his thoughts, and true feelings, he showed her a stern face. Unlike she, whose face was so open and clear to read, along with what went on in her brain.
He decided to taunt her. "What made you presume that? You know not what I am like, except for the few details programmed into your brain by Irena." His comment had confused and upset her. With an agitated movement, she glanced down at the couch. "Take my word for it. You may rest here. Do you feel more comfortable now you are able to see from the scanning window? Your pulses aren't racing any more and you seem to have recovered from the attack of the panics."
Her ready smile, as his statement seemed to reassure her, made something deep inside him spring to life. By the Great Bodka, he had an excitement buried too long.
"Yes thank you, I feel a hundred per cent better now that I'm not cramped into that small space. Are you positive I'm not putting you out?" Her glance scanned his quarters and she took her bottom lip into her mouth, small even white teeth worrying it. An action she did when she felt less than comfortable with anything.
"I am the commander here." He drew his shoulders back. "Have no fear, I would not be coerced into doing anything that was not my wish." Most certainly would not be forced into vacating his chamber if it was not his choice. "Now, I really do have many tasks needing my immediate attention."
Her frown returned and she pushed her hair back uncertainly. Her brain waves said she was still frightened of his manner. He would have to be more temperate when he dealt with her and try not to make her so nervous. Something in her behavior was almost immature. It was a strange trait.
"I have to check on the data you brought back in Irena's craft." Modifying his speech he lowered his voice. "By now it will have been tabled and made ready for my perusal. Rest. We will talk again later." He gestured to the supplies panel. "Please make use of our commodities bank for anything you require. It will be sent, as the food was. Come, I will show you how to operate it."
She quickly picked up the required codes for food, clothing and any other needs.
As he went to the door, she stood looking after him and chewing on her mouth again. Perhaps it was a common trait on Earth to mutilate one's facial features.
He stared at her for a moment until she glanced away and then he slid the barrier into place, closing her in.
Six
Reve went to his administration room. Irena's ship had been fumigated, stripped of any disease carrying items. The influenza virus would have been exterminated well before the craft left Earth's galaxy. What would the Earth woman have to say if she were to learn that the craft could have returned to Amaryllis without her aid? He was certain she would not be pleased if she found out she had been sent here as a specimen for the scientists to study.
A small pile of items lay on his desk and, picking up each piece and turning it over, he inspected them closely. The Earth woman's attire. How interesting.
These small delicate pieces of white seemed to have no use. Their scientists would enjoy studying the structure of the cloth. It was obvious where the thing with two cups and an attached band was meant to go. By why in Bodka's name would a female want to confine her breast glands in such a garment? And this other small piece like a minuscule pair of breeches would barely cover her buttocks or female mound. Obviously the other two garments were worn over these pieces. One was a tubular concoction that must cover the top of the lower limbs, and the other one fastened at the front, clearly to cover the top half of the body,
Suddenly gripped by avid curiosity Reve went to his viewing screen and tapped into his quarters.
Brow creased again, Mel-aanie was staring down at the supplies screen. Then she paced about between the couches and nibbled on one of her fingertips as if in a quandary. With a muttered word he couldn't recognize she shrugged, then, as if making up her mind, she began to strip.
His mouth lost all moisture. An urgent need to see her in her earthly clothes assailed him. What would she look like dressed in these strange garments?
His conscience warned him she would not be pleased to have her privacy invaded. But, as he had informed her, he was the commander of this vessel. On board Victus he was in complete control.
Not waiting for his conscience to argue further, he de-visualized, transported himself to his quarters and then watched as she stretched out on his bed, now naked. As if unused to sleeping this way, she pulled the soft top covering over herself, tucked it beneath her chin and then sighed as she closed her eyes.
Reve watched her--found he liked watching her more than was normal for an Amaryllisan. That was no doubt brought about by her differences. The texture of her skin fascinated him, and the way it changed color often was a delight to his senses. Her facial expressions were many and varied, mirroring her thoughts clearly.
If she saw him as he truly was, he had no doubts she would be terrified. The images Irena had transplanted in Mel-aanie's brain were of the most perfectly formed inhabitants on Earth. And showed him to her as her deceased partner. At least, as she had said, he had the man's face. But apparently he did not have this Chris's body. Reve glanced down at himself, and frowned. The body she saw obviously satisfied her, for she seemed to be as fascinated by it as he was by her.
Through his eyes, the false image Irena had given her was stripped away. She was nicely rounded, her curves pleasant to look on. Without preamble he transferred just the two small pieces of underclothing to her body and stared down at the breasts, now cradled in the strange Earth garment. So full and luscious. Just the right size for his hands.
And what hair she had. The color of sand. Irena had made special mention of her hair, so obviously the color had pleased her too. Unable to resist, Reve stooped and ran his fingers through it. So soft, it ran over his hand like a living thing. Almost transfixed he held a strand between two digits and rubbed. Never had he felt anything so fine before. Perhaps the scientists could create a material of this exquisite texture. Without further thought, he took out his cutting implement and snipped a few hairs, which he safely secured in the compartment beneath his wristband.
She stirred. "Chris," she murmured in her sleep when he knelt at her side.
"No, it is Reve," he assured her, amazed when a smile curved her generous lips.
How innocent she looked. Such innocence was a phenomenon to him. All females on Amaryllis were sexually aware and proficient in sharing the delights of their bodies long before they reached their second megnum. Without searching her mind further, Reve knew she had never been truly awakened to the pleasures of the flesh.
His fingers traced a path over those bountiful breasts and skimmed the plump curves peeping over the fabric. Following a path down the curve of her hip, then lower, he felt a tremor run over her flesh as he touched a spot at the inner part of her thigh. If she was a perfect specimen of an Earth woman, she certainly pleased him. His body was already fully aroused.
"Mel-aanie," he said softly, watching carefully as her eyelids flickered. What was to stop him being the first male to awaken those sleeping senses?
Nothing.
If she perhaps felt the need to berate him when she awoke, there was nothing to stop him declaring she had merely been dreaming. He repeated her name--his passions more aroused when she squirmed beneath his perusal of her body.
Warm fingertips, as soft as a light breeze, brushed over Melanie's body. Flushed, her limbs heavy, it seemed that her whole being was filled with a strange languorous heaviness. She shifted and twisted on the bed as she opened her eyes a slit.
Why was she unsurprised to see the commander standing over her? And how strange. As she ran a calming hand down her body, she realized she wore her undies.
"What?" she mumbled. She could have sworn she was naked when she'd lain on this bed. Naked, and selfconscious of the state. Perhaps she had walked in her sleep. But then how had she managed to get into her own clothes?
"Do not worry," he said in a lazy drawl that made her skin break out in goosebumps. Suddenly she wasn't worried. His voice acted like a soothing drug.
How like Chris he was. Perhaps this was a dream. And what had happened to Chris, then to her, might have been a nightmare of the worst kind. She would wake up to find things the same as they had been. Would find this had all been a fantasy. Yes, this was the only explanation. Or she had gone mad, had tripped over the edge into a state of limbo.
"Are you Chris, or Reve?" she whispered and then watched through slit eyes as his hands came to rest on her stomach. They were hot on her flesh. So very hot and yet smooth. And extremely gentle. Somehow she had not expected gentleness from this dream man.
"I will be whoever you wish me to be," he said, sitting beside her. He wore no clothes. When had he stripped?
"You have a beautiful body," she found herself saying.
He smiled. It altered his face, made him look less austere, much more like the Chris she knew and loved. A small whimper tore from her throat when remembrance interfered with her dream. "Chris is dead," she cried on a moan of despair.
"Hush. Do not torture yourself with these unwelcome thoughts." Reve stroked his finger down her cheek and then along her shoulder. "Relax, Mel-aanie. Let your body rule your mind."
He brought both knees at her side onto the bed. It seemed as if she was floating mindlessly above the couch. Her body filled with such lightness she was sure she was flying. Slowly and with exquisite gentleness he began once again to caress her, his clever fingers going in long, smooth sweeps from her shoulders to her buttocks and lower to her thighs, her calves then the soles of her feet.
Never had she felt so calm, so completely relaxed, yet so sure of her femininity. How could she allow herself to be caressed by a man she knew was an alien--and a virtual stranger? But she had not the strength to ask him to stop. Besides, what he was doing to her was too pleasurable, filling her with sensations she'd never felt or thought to feel.
Anyhow, it was just a dream, wasn't it? Why not let it run its course and see where it led? His hard thighs pressed against hers as he straddled her to release the clasp on her bra. In a moment it had been discarded along with her panties. It was a sweet relief to be naked again, to allow him access to her skin--skin he was bringing to a fiery awareness with each sweep of his fingers.
A drawn out sigh turned to a small squeak of surprise when she found herself turned onto her stomach. He continued his exploration along each curve of her back, his fingertips working their tender exquisite way over each vertebra in her spine and then over each cheek of her buttock. On his knees he slid down until he held her calves captured between his powerful thighs.
Melanie heard a soft moan. It had come from her mouth. The man administering such erotic pleasure murmured soft words of encouragement. Words she could not fully understand. Yet without a doubt what they conveyed was that he wanted her, desired her, was on fire for her as she burned for him.
Suddenly he pushed her legs apart--his fingers sure yet gentle--and then his mouth followed the path his fingers had taken. His tongue, its surface sending jolts of pleasure surging through her from her toes to her scalp, was rough, yet so incredibly filled with a tenderness that stunned her.
"Please," she begged, unsure of what she was asking. But he knew. Bending to caress her nape with his exquisite tongue, his fingertips found the center of her womanhood. Melanie writhed, lifting herself, allowing him easier access to the part of her on fire for him. Silently she begged with her body for him to end this torment, to fill her, to take her to the place she knew only he was capable of transporting her.
"I want you inside me...please," she whimpered and he emitted a sound at her ear like a small growl of pleasure.
"Soon."
In one swift easy movement he turned her again, and her eyes widened when she saw the look in his eyes. It was feral, primitive, alien. For a moment fear filled her, but it was soon dispelled when his marvelous mouth began another journey of exploration.
"Do not fear me," he whispered. And she didn't. "What perfect breasts you have, what delicious curves. Skin so soft. You were made to accept a man's attentions." He paid homage to her body with his mouth as he praised it with words. On fire for him, Melanie lifted her body, invited, begged, and silently implored him to end this torment, even while she wished it would never end.
"Please," she pleaded, and his small laugh was filled with male satisfaction.
His mouth continued to torment as it lingered on the soft flesh of her inner thigh, his breath like a flame, his teeth an agony, yet an ecstasy as his mouth hovered, enticed, then finally ended its journey when it reached its goal.
Melanie exploded in a burst of sensation. For a moment she thought perhaps she had died as she hovered on a plateau and colors cascaded behind her closed eyelids, a loud buzzing filled her ears. Never had she known such satisfaction; never in her wildest dreams had she thought anything could feel like this. Tremors racked her body as she floated in a wondrous place for what seemed like eons.
But it wasn't over yet. For even as she descended from the level of erotic pleasure where he had taken her, he was whispering endearments, as he filled her in one wild ecstatic plunge. Melanie welcomed him, lifted to accommodate him, wrapped him within her limbs, and joined with him in the rhythm he set.
His whispered words made her body sing. The way he touched her brought her to fever pitch. Arching to meet his every thrust, she cried out in abandon, sobbing words of ecstasy, caring not who heard. His groans were smothered as he buried his mouth in the juncture of her neck, his teeth a kind of torture, yet a welcomed one as he sucked hard.
When they reached the pinnacle of perfection, she left her body, floated on a cloud of endless delight while he said her name, hoarsely, in what sounded to her, a stunned voice.
When she lay replete, so satiated she felt boneless, she sighed his name, and with a jolt of shock realized she had murmured, "Reve." Her eyes flew open. To find she was alone, naked, and covered by the soft blanket.
Her body thrummed, her pulses beat a heavy tattoo. She ran her hand over her stomach, covered in a layer of perspiration. Melanie sat up, staring about her in consternation. Could it have been a dream? No way in the world would she have let a man who was a stranger, and an alien to boot, make such erotic love to her.
It was a dream; it had to be.
But it had seemed so real. Never had she experienced such a climax. Except for the last night with Chris, she had barely known what it was to have an orgasm. Much as she loved him, Chris had always left her feeling as if something was missing. Now she knew it most definitely had been.
Sweet heavens, that was what it was all about. No wonder women who were satisfied sexually went on about it. She'd presumed they had vivid imaginations.
Flopping back with a soft grunt, Melanie closed her eyes. It must have been because she was sleeping in Reve's bed. Knowing his body slept here where she now lay had more than likely made her brain concoct such unbelievable scenes.
Or could they have some sort of erotic sex machine built into their headboards here? Guaranteed to give you satisfaction every time. A small giggle burst forth at this idea. Wow, if she slept in his bed every night, she would soon be worn down to a frazzle. Then another thought hit her. If he could be such a lover in her dreams, what would he be like in reality? Heavens above, supposing he could read this in her mind. How could she face him? Groaning, Melanie buried her face in the swan's-down soft pillow.
"Have you rested?"
His voice, deep and sexy, came through a small vent near her ear. Melanie sat up smartly, pulling the cover over her breasts. She went hot all over--could feel the color running up her throat and racing over her face.
"Yes. How...how long was I asleep?"
"A short time. But long enough to regain your energy." Reve's tone was as bland as ever.
Melanie shook herself; her dreams were her affair. He had no idea how he'd figured in her dreams. Dear lord, she hoped he didn't.
Long enough to regain her energy? What a joke. She'd been using more energy than she'd used in a lifetime in the past few minutes. Or was it hours? With a shake of the head, she wrapped the soft blanket about her, securing it under her armpits as she put her feet to the floor. "I'll just refresh," she muttered.
"You know how to operate the cleansing chamber?"
She was sure his voice held a husky note. Or could he be on the brink of laughter?
"I think so." She went to a panel alongside the vanity bench. "This is it, isn't it?" She touched the glowing light just about shoulder level.
The panel slid back to reveal a cubicle. It wasn't much different to her en-suite back home. Except the walls were of what looked like stainless steel, and there were no taps, soap dishes, or towel rails.
"Yes. You need my help with the adjustments?"
Now she knew he was being provocative. "Just tell me what color to press for water and which for drying," she snapped.
"Let me see." He paused as if thinking. "I have no idea what you would call the color on your...left," he said then.
"It's sort of yellow." She touched a finger to it.
"Ah, yellow. This one is for water. It contains cleansing lotions. The other is for drying."
Melanie looked down at the knee-high bowl shaped similar to a bidet. "I take it this is the toilet."
"Correct." He sounded amused again. "You seem to have it all under control. Enjoy your bathing, Mel-aanie."
Melanie was beneath the warm spray when it occurred to her he'd answered her question about the loo, and the water outlet, when she'd merely pointed. How the hell had he known what she meant?
Looking about, she shivered as she instinctively covered her breasts and the curls at the juncture of her thighs as best she could with her hands and arms. "Reve?" she called in a shaky voice, "Can you see me?"
Silence, except for the gentle rush of water.
Melanie shrugged. If he wanted to be a peeping Tom, so be it. She let her hands trace over the places her dream lover had wandered, over each breast, then lower to her stomach, then down her hips and across to her bottom. The cleansing lotions, whatever they were, made her skin feel like satin beneath her splayed fingers. Her body felt sensitized, alive as never before. With a shocked gasp she dropped her wandering hands to her sides. Good lord! Perhaps she'd become a nymphomaniac.
This planet was having an extraordinary effect on her. The sooner she returned to Earth the better.
Suddenly that prospect didn't hold as much charm as it had a few hours ago. To leave Amaryllis and never see Reve again, never feel the sensuous touch of those eyes, so dark and searing, on her. The thought sent a shiver of dread through her. How could she have become so attracted to him in such a short time? It was impossible.
Melanie grimaced and pressed the button to stop the flow of water. She'd become attracted to the man who had taken over her body in her dream...not the real thing.
Reve was an alien, for God's sake. He might have the power to seduce her in her sleep; there was no way he could ever do the same while she had her wits about her. No sir!
Seven
"I see you have found your way around the commodities supplier."
Melanie swallowed a mouthful of graw juice and nearly choked on it. It was scary how the man moved as silently as a panther on the prowl.
"I didn't hear you come in." She glanced at him then quickly away. "Yes. Was it all right? I thought I'd give the capir meat a try. It tastes a lot like our chicken." Her voice sounded breathy and forced, and she gave herself a sharp silent reprimand as she waved the small pie she held in her fingers. It was a sort of doughy green cake with meat inside it.
Her cheeks flamed as she returned her gaze back to her plate. Was it her imagination or had there been a glint of something hot and elemental in Reve's eyes as he'd gazed down on her?
"We breed the capirs, as you probably learned on the way here," he said, as cool and controlled as ever. "They are the only source of the didigens needed in our diet. The case is fashioned out of kelp; highly digestible, and very good for you."
"Oh." She peered at the cake. "I wouldn't have dreamed of eating something containing kelp back home. I have to admit your cooks make this highly edible. I was thinking. Just how did I get my nutrition while I was in a trance on the spacecraft coming here?" Melanie tried to ignore his intense scrutiny as she nibbled on the cake. Tried, and failed. His eyes seemed to bore holes in her, to see her every thought and feeling.
"Through injections," he said. "Periodically the robots force-fed you, and extracted the waste from your body, of course."
Melanie felt extremely hot. The way he was looking at her was odd, as if he knew every one of her deepest secrets. No matter how she tried, she couldn't seem to keep her eyes from returning to his body. Although still intimidating, she now found him enthralling--every limb and muscle somehow familiar.
Without a single doubt she knew he had filled her dreams, brought her fantasies to life. His very sensuous mouth curved in a way that sent shivers of awareness to the tips of her toes and caused them to curl in her boots. Had it been a dream? Or some sort of weird hypnotic state he'd put her in so he could have his way with her?
The idea would not go away. The lover of her dream had not kissed her once on the mouth. Oh, his devilish tongue had explored, tasted, and discovered every other inch of her, but not once had it gone anywhere near her face, or more explicitly, her mouth. He hadn't kissed her.
If some aspects of her lovemaking with Chris had not transported her to heaven, his kisses had always thrilled her. Yes, if she had been dreaming of Chris she would, most definitely, not have left out his kisses.
"Kiss?" he questioned softly, making her jump and making her jerk her head up to meet his gaze full on.
Melanie gaped at him. "I ...I beg your pardon?" she spluttered.
"No, it is I who must beg your pardon, Mel-aanie," he said, his voice as smooth as melted chocolate. "I have the power to now read your mind clearly. I have no wish to intrude." He shrugged those immense shoulders as he sat opposite her. With a reflexive gesture she pressed her knees together.
A half smile curved his lips. "You will gain your revenge soon enough by being able to access my thoughts. When your mind is better acclimatized to our ways, of course. I cannot help it. The word kiss is uppermost in your thoughts. This intrigues me." Leaning slightly towards her, he put his hands on his knees and stared hard at her as if getting a string of thoughts straight out of her head. Which doubtless he was. She groaned. "I have a replica of what it means by connecting it with your thought waves, but cannot imagine why you should be so curious about what my mouth would feel like on yours."
"Oh my!" Melanie put the glass and half finished pie down and pressed her palms to her cheeks. They felt as if she'd been sitting out in the sun for an hour. She moaned. "I wish you couldn't do that!"
His shoulders lifted again, minutely. "I apologize. But it's inescapable. Now tell me, what is a kiss? And in what way does it come into the everyday pattern of your lives on Earth?" Obviously he wasn't the least bit apologetic, or he wouldn't keep on at the subject.
Good grief. Melanie took a deep breath. "I can't discuss this topic." Standing abruptly she went to the bench and got rid of her plate and glass and then pressing her hands on the shiny surface, she faced him. His brows were lifted haughtily.
"Then I will simply delve into your mind and find the answer."
"No!" Arrogant swine. She backed away when he got up, advancing on her.
"No? You seem to forget I am in command of this vessel. My word is law." There was no arguing. He had the bearing of a man in full command. "You realize with the touch of a finger I could render you comatose. Then I could extract any amount of information from your brain and you would be unable to inhibit me."
Melanie shuddered, still backing up. Slowly she made her way around the outer edges of the chamber as he advanced, inexorably. Filled with sudden terror, she looked from side to side and bit her lip. Was he about to change into a vampire or something as horrid? Perhaps she was about the learn what he truly looked like.
"Do not mutilate your mouth so. I would like to try this kissing, to experience the strange effect it seems to have on your sensory perceivers." He took hold of one of her hands and Melanie froze although his touch was gentle.
"You're frightening me," she cried, and his features softened.
"No, I'm not, I'm merely making you nervous. There is a great difference."
"Believe me, mister, I'm terrified," she insisted, shaking like a jelly on a plate.
"Come, demonstrate this kissing then, and you will be free," he ordered, giving her a slow, lethally potent smile.
Melanie stared at the devastating grin.
"You thought I could not do this small thing with my lips. This smile, hmm?" he added, and she felt like screaming.
"Oh my God! Am I not to have one single thought to call my own?"
He shrugged. "Unfortunately no."
She tried to free herself, but he obviously did not intend to release her. His hold was like a velvet manacle as he deliberately brought her into contact with his powerful body until she felt every part of him, from knees to chest. With an explicitly sensual movement he undulated his lower half.
Melanie sucked her bottom lip in again, and instantly his mouth pressed on hers, stilling the movement of her tongue and teeth. In stunned surprise she let out a soft squeal.
Raising his head a fraction, with one brow quirked, he peered down his nose at her. "It seems the only way I can stop you chewing on your mouth is by covering it with mine. So, now what happens?"
"Nothing happens. We just let our mouths touch, that's it," she lied, squirming and then wishing she hadn't when she felt the hardening of his body, felt the strength of his arousal pressed against her.
"You lie," he murmured, covering her slightly parted lips again. "Teach me."
Melanie had no defense against the whispered plea. Sweet heavens, his mouth was like the most delicious wine. Tasted like honey and chocolate, nectar and champagne. The taste, feel, scent of him filled her, intoxicated her. Then his tongue, sensuously teasing, erotically playful, met hers.
She groaned and then pressed herself harder against him and exulted in his instant response. With slow, mind-blowing caresses, his tongue stroked across hers, explored each warm corner and secret part of her mouth until she was a trembling mass of acquiescent womanhood. Never in her entire life had she felt so wanton, so ready to be molded to someone's will.
"Reve," she murmured dreamily when his mouth lifted, so they could drag in needed air.
"I am here," he said softly before sealing their mouths again.
Oh what that tongue of his did to her. It's slightly rough, yet exquisitely seductive surface, seemed to send shivers darting to every nerve ending, until she was a shivering mindless receptacle. His to do with as he desired. He sucked in her bottom lip, nibbled and then explored again. Never, if she lived for an eternity, would she experience such exquisite torture. Her mind went to mush. There was just the feel of him, the taste. Reve became the center of her universe.
To her shock, then dismay, Melanie quivered to a stunning orgasm in his arms.
Still wrapped in the sensual spell he had woven about her, her body still pulsing in waves of erotic pleasure, it took a moment for her to realize he had released her and was gently lowering her onto the couch. Through the haze still surrounding her, he looked about as stunned as she felt. She had a smidgen of satisfaction. She hadn't been the only one knocked for six.
"So." Uttering the one word, he paced away a bit, then came back to stand over her and with his hands pushed the long copper hair back from his face, which was wreathed in sweat.
"So." Melanie shrugged. Trying for a show of composure, she failed completely. "There, now you know."
"Indeed I do, Mel-aanie." He paced about again. "And is this form of invoking the senses to full perception indulged on Earth freely?" He returned to tower above her.
"Good grief. Where did you learn all those long words? Not from my brain." Her embarrassment at the way she had allowed him to take over her body, to render her mindless, was engulfing her. Never had she felt so humiliated. She'd actually...actually... Even in her mind she couldn't bring herself to openly admit what she'd done...what had happened to her.
"Why are you nervous again?" he drawled
She could throw something at him. His grin said he read her intent clearly.
"You did not enjoy what happened to you?" There was a glint of a predator on the hunt in his eyes again. "I enjoyed it immensely. This is one of your planet's diversions we will indulge in often. I have never..."
Melanie jumped up and, vaguely registering his chest felt like a sheet of steel, prodded him in the chest with her finger. "That's what you think, mister."
"Back to calling me this sarcastic name again. You are strange, Earth woman." He scowled darkly, the grin disappearing in an instant.
"Not as strange as some," she mumbled.
"No matter how you try to camouflage it, you found a pleasurable release while we did this kissing."
Melanie groaned, her hand to her head as she swallowed. He had ignored her remark and it didn't help that she could still taste him on her tongue.
"And even while I did not reach a climax of my own," he said. "I have to admit I found great pleasure in you reaching your exquisite pinnacle."
"Shut up!" Melanie marched about, waving her arms, pushing back her hair she suddenly found a nuisance. "On Earth we do not dissect every sexual experience as if it's a matter to be talked about over the dinner table. My God, you are embarrassing me. Do you know what the word means?" Her voice climbed higher with each sentence.
"Do not raise your voice. It hurts my ears," he said quietly, and she stared at him in astonishment.
"It does?"
"Yes. And I know exactly what that word means. We will have to kiss often. Then you will grow so accustomed to your reaction you will not get embarrassed by it at all."
Melanie groaned a very unladylike sound and one of his brows lifted again.
"Come" He extended his hand. "I have ordered a landing craft to be made ready for us. We will go to Amaryllis, and I will introduce you to my parents." Pointedly Melanie ignored his hand.
"Your parents?" With a shake of her head, she placed her hands on her hips.
"Do not look so surprised. We give birth much the same as you do on your planet, and are not hatched from eggs." He wore a small indulgent smile.
"You don't say."
"I do say." This alien was beginning to sound remarkably like an Earthman. It was awesome how quickly he had picked up on her speech patterns.
After the panel slid back, he placed his warm palm at her back and ushered her through the door. He said not a word as they walked side by side along the corridor.
Melanie had been wrong. What a fool to assume him incapable of seducing her while she had her wits about her. With one kiss he had rendered her completely witless, putty in his hands. A quivering wanton, a prey to passions previously un-conceived.
A pang of dismay clutched at her insides; Chris had never made her feel this way. Even though she had thought herself deeply in love with him, he'd never managed to take her to such heights of ecstasy. It hit her forcibly. Beside this overpowering male at her side, Chris had been a mere shadow of a man.
Poor Chris. Never to have experienced the rush of all-encompassing passion she'd shared with Reve. Oh, he'd been attentive; she couldn't deny it. Despite being a tender lover, he'd never seemed to realize she'd been unfulfilled. Had he really cared about her true feelings? A man who loved a woman deeply should surely have questioned, at least at the beginning of their relationship, if she'd felt satisfied. Now she came to think about it, not once had he asked if she'd reached a climax. Reve hadn't needed to ask; he knew.
"Do not go into panic mode," he said softly at her side.
His touch on her arm jolted her out of her reverie. They were entering an elevator.
"Oh," she gasped, looking about. God, she hoped he hadn't been reading her thoughts. His expression gave nothing away. But then it never did.
"Here, hold onto me," he said, as the doors closed, trapping them in the small space. "Perhaps I can instill you with some of my confidence." He pressed her hand onto his arm and enclosed her fingers with his own, while he watched her face, perhaps for signs of panic. "Never in all of my four megnums have I known one of these to malfunction." No doubt, he could read the rapid tattoo her heart was beating out. "You will have to get accustomed to being enclosed. The shuttle is smaller than the craft which brought you here."
"Oh God!" Melanie nodded. "You're forty?" She asked the question to distract herself from the feel of his warm solid arm beneath her fingers more than anything else. A tremor raced through her as he tightened his fingers over hers. With him holding her, she had to admit the fears did recede.
"Yes, I am almost to full maturity." His chuckle gave a false impression of youthfulness.
Was this something he'd picked up from her? He hadn't cracked a smile at first meeting. Could he be trying to lull her into a false sense of security?
His enigmatic glance told her he knew just what was going through her mind. But he chose to ignore it apparently, for he went on, "As you know we all live longer here than you do on Earth. Our life expectancy is about ten megnums. A hundred of your years."
"Why can't we just transfer from the ship to the smaller craft? Or straight to your planet?" Irena had just zapped her up. "Then I wouldn't have to go through this, would I?"
He gave her a reproving glance. "Only in rare emergencies do we zap ourselves around." Amusement was clear in his tone.
Melanie glared at him. Yes, he knew every word rattling around in her brain.
"I have a good idea how to take your mind off the terror of traveling in enclosed spaces," he drawled, gazing at her unblinkingly.
Melanie refused to rise to the bait.
As the doors slid open he ushered her out, his hand once more searing through the cloth on her back. They walked along a wide, hanger-type building. The small landing crafts used for travel back and forth to the home planet were lined up along the sides. The robots worked diligently refueling and servicing some of them. One or two Amaryllisans called a greeting to Reve and gave Melanie curious looks. Reve did not introduce her to anyone.
"Do they all know about how I came to be here?" she asked as they reached the end of the building and Reve nodded to a robot standing by a commuter vessel with its door open.
Reve led her up a slope and inside the capsule. When she stood undecided by the door, he guided her gently onto a sloping couch. "They do now. It is common knowledge how Irena sent you back in her craft. They are curious to learn all about Earth and its inhabitants. Another squadron is going soon; armed with the knowledge they cannot dally long." He spoke with what seemed to be cautious indifference.
"Soon?" Her face lit up at this news, she knew it did. "So, I can go with them, can I?"
He glowered at her as he took the other couch beside her, stretching his long frame out with the graceful ease she had come to admire. "You are in a great hurry to go back to face the...what was it you called them? The thugs, and mobsters?"
In truth Melanie was in no hurry to return to Earth. Not now. That thought brought her up short. No way in the world could she stay here forever. This man may set her alight with his kisses and send her reeling in her dreams, but he was an alien.
Ignoring his probing gaze she said, "Of course I wish to go home." She wagged her finger in front of him. "Don't forget Irena pledged your help. She said you would willingly return with me. To see those evil men brought to justice."
"I will keep the pledge, fear not." His scowl was fierce. "But I will keep it in my own time."
"Don't leave it too long. Months have gone by already and by the time we get back to earth, lord above knows how much time will have passed. How many others would have been killed while these people carry on with their evil trade?" She shuddered at the thought.
"You are setting down rules again, Mel-aanie. Do not push me too far--or you will know the full extent of my wrath."
Melanie gasped in dismay. All humor had fled, the lover who brought her to rapture was gone. He was back to being the autocratic and dictatorial commander. She clasped her hands together and stared ahead. Only a fool would forget he was a cold, probably heartless freak. Likely he was a robot too. Tears clogged her throat.
A very soft whining sound indicated they were airborne, and the tears remained locked inside her as her knuckles went white when she clenched her fingers.
"Relax, Mel-aanie, there is nothing to fear."
His soft touch on her knee and the real concern in his tone helped her to obey, helped her to quell the insane desire to bawl like a baby.
"We will be docking sooner that it takes you to think about all the dangers involved."
Relaxing with a sigh, she gave him a sidelong look.
His stern countenance had softened minimally. "Enjoy your stay on Amaryllis and think of all the memories you will be able to take back to your home planet."
Melanie nodded dismally. Memories of a man who kissed like a god. Who looked like Adonis, and knew more about pleasing a woman than the average man on Earth learned in a lifespan.
Of course he was right about his planet. She would be a fool not to see as much as she could while here. After all, it was the trip of a lifetime. She gave a small laugh. "Trouble is, I won't be able to share my experiences with anyone back on Earth."
"You will not? But why? Would not your people be glad to hear about lifestyles on other planets?" he asked, obviously puzzled. He gestured to the viewing window. Melanie could see they had already docked. "There, did not I say we would be here in no time at all."
"Yes, you did." She sat forward, preparing to rise. "As for the people on Earth welcoming news of Amaryllis, they would put me in a straight-jacket and send me to a lunatic asylum if I told them I'd visited another planet. Earth people view those who make claims of meeting extra-terrestrials as cranks."
"They would disbelieve you?" His warm hand enclosed her elbow as he led her out of the craft.
"No doubt about it. I will have to keep my experiences to myself."
"What a very strange, immature attitude," he commented.
Melanie shrugged. "We've already concluded Earth dwellers are light years behind you."
She looked about. The terminal was as huge as a football field, and as high as a ten-story block of apartments. People, more good-looking types, walked sedately about, going about their business in a mannerly, serious order. The ceiling, far above them, was transparent, and the walls made of the same plain gray stuff, which looked like steel.
Rows of benches, lined up about five feet apart, stretched for at least a hundred feet along the center of the building. Some were occupied by people sitting with soldier-like precision, small boxes on their laps or at their feet. Some used a panel of commodity supply buttons to get food, which they took to the benches to eat. Everyone looked so similar it was eerie. Nobody laughed, there was no music, and not much in the way of conversation going on. Still, what was the need of speech when you could read your neighbor's mind?
Melanie had seen nothing exchanged in payment. "What do you use for money here?"
"Money?" Reve looked at her for a moment. He was probing her mind. Something as impersonal as cash didn't worry her though. Only when her thoughts veered to his body or sexual prowess did she get indignant.
His lips quirked and she shot him a furious glance. He'd picked up on her small idea in an instant.
"I apologize," he murmured. "As for money, we discarded such archaic methods of trade megnums ago. The greed and thirst for power such a commodity brings in its wake is something we would find abhorrent on Amaryllis."
"You could be right," she agreed readily. "Money, and the desire to accumulate it, brings more strife to so many lives than anything else on Earth. If not for the greed of some men, Chris would still be alive."
Melanie shuddered, and Reve touched her arm and ran his finger up and down it until the hairs stood on end. "And we would never have met." There was a light in his eyes, and she had no idea what it meant. Perhaps he was as taken with her as she was by him.
Melanie had to admit that perhaps it had been worth going through all the horror she'd endured, just for the pleasure she'd experienced in his arms during that incredible dream.
He nodded, but said nothing, although he must have seen all her thoughts. With a start she realized she was getting used to the strangeness of this phenomenon. If only she could learn to read him so easily.
Eight
Melanie returned her gaze to the people around her. It was weird how all the young men had the same copper-hued hair as Reve. The hair of the older men seemed to be gray. Young women, who all seemed to be titian haired, outnumbered the older females, who possessed silver tresses.
Everyone was tall, slim and well built--their facial features nigh on perfect. Not only was it more than peculiar. It was downright scary. No entire population could be so attractive, so fit looking and well proportioned.
"Don't you have any malformed or ugly Amaryllisans?" she turned to ask Reve, who watched her with a similar guarded expression.
"We found cures for all the sicknesses causing deformity megnums ago," he said haughtily. "There is no depravity, no disease of the mind."
A horrible thought returned. "You don't do away with babies born imperfect, do you?" Her voice shook slightly. What if they killed them off the minute they saw there was something wrong with them?
A small shake of the head showed he'd read her thoughts and was amazed she should think such a thing. "I cannot recall the last recorded birth where the child was not a perfect specimen. It must have been many megnums ago, and lost in the archives, if there ever was such an occurrence."
Melanie made a small sound of disgust. "There you go again. A baby isn't a specimen, it's a miracle."
"Miracle? I cannot perceive the meaning of this word."
"No, I guess you wouldn't." Melanie sighed. He seemed to have grown bored by the conversation.
A bank of screens showed what she presumed was times of departure and arrival of commuter craft. "What do all those figures mean?" She pointed as the numbers scrolled over.
"They are the flight patterns of the ships continually circling the planet," he explained. "Ships smaller than the Starship Victus I command." He took her by the arm. "Come, we will take the watercraft to my base home. Then I will give you a tour and introduce you to my parents and others."
They went down a gentle incline. Sloping windows along each side let in the light. The sky was free of clouds, but gray in color, murky. "Doesn't it ever rain during the day?" she asked.
"No." He reaffirmed what she had learnt on the journey. "The atmospheric temperature controls the clouds so they only discharge their liquid after dark. Then it grows unbearably cold outside. We stay in our temperature-controlled constructions after nightfall. I advise you to do the same."
"Oh, I'm sure I will. I have no desire to freeze to death. I come from a country on Earth where the climate is warmer than some other places."
A slight breeze blew across the water, sent ripples over its verdant surface and reminded her vaguely of a spring day on Sydney Harbor. A twang of homesickness pulled at her again.
"On Amaryllis the daytime temperature never varies," Reve said as he tapped in a code on a keyboard and they passed through a door that slid open.
Three women and a man walked behind them down another slight slope and with them into the hovercraft, which reminded her of a large bubble, since it was all see-through. The other passengers ignored them and sat silently at the opposite end of the craft on the well-padded seats running along its sides, which were covered in the bland fabric which seemed to be the only furnishing material used here.
Melanie smiled at the nearest women, but her expression remained impassive, although Melanie kept the smile on her face for a while in the hope it would invite some reaction.
"They are being polite, and trying not to show too much interest," Reve remarked as he settled beside her.
"Oh." She felt silly. Of course they wouldn't stare at her openly. "It wouldn't hurt them to smile now and then though."
"It is not in their character." His mouth curved slightly.
"Then why are you laughing at me?"
"I thought you liked this thing I do with my mouth," he murmured.
She fidgeted on the seat. He was far too perceptive for his own good.
"How long will it take to reach your home?" she asked, changing the subject. His ego was already too large. She peered out of the transparent side.
"A short time. These craft move very fast. There's not a lot to see."
"You're dead right." The tower of the building they had just left loomed behind them--its blank walls rising up from the water like some discarded tin can floating there.
Homesickness hit her in force then. How she missed the high buildings of Sydney, pined for the Opera house and Harbor Bridge, the beauty of the Harbor, and the green parklands near her home. Tourists and natives of Sydney admired the fabulous waterfront mansions overlooking the harbor. Never one to spend days just shopping, she nevertheless couldn't conceive living in a world with no supermarkets or stores, boutiques or takeaways.
Boring, that's what it was here.
"We have our mountains. I will take you there," he said quietly.
Melanie shrugged. "Seeing as you're intruding on my thoughts again you can see how I miss my home."
He lifted his hand to brush a strand of her hair back. The tender touch of his fingers made her tingle. "I cannot help it, I'm afraid. I can understand your feelings of longing for your home." He gave a gesture which encompassed the view. "Unfortunately we cannot alter the fact that with so much water there is not a lot of variety in the vista."
"Was there ever any scenery to look at?" she asked. "Have your elders stories to tell of the days when there was more land and it was not covered by water?"
"Oh yes, we have visual reminders in our archives of the days when only half the planet was beneath water. We will view them."
"It's sad really isn't it?" Melanie felt sorry for people who, like King Canute, could do nothing to hold back the tide. Especially such an advanced culture which had obviously mastered so many other things. "Earth might be in the same predicament one day. We have global warming to worry about. Our icecaps are melting and the water levels are rising each year."
"But you will doubtless have more than twenty megnums before the planet is covered by water." He looked pensive.
"Oh yes. Surely one of your scientists could come up with a way to evaporate some of it. Your people should be able to think of a way to soak up some of this liquid."
Reve smiled. "How do you suggest we do this? Ah, I see you have an idea. Sponges." He actually chuckled and Melanie gave him an indignant glare. But then she had to grin too.
"All right, so it was a dumb idea, but it was the first thing springing to mind. If all your brainiest people got together I'm sure they should be able to come up with something. I know, what about building a giant water-carrying spacecraft to transport water to the other side of the universe?"
"What an ingenious idea, Mel-aanie. Perhaps we could take it to a waterless planet. It is worth thinking about."
"You're having a laugh at my expense, aren't you," she muttered.
"Of course not," he argued, but the smile was still on his face.
"Well, there's always our moon," she suggested. "You couldn't get much drier than that."
"Hmm, we have dry planets nearer than Earth's moon. But I cannot begin to imagine how many craft would be required. As fast as we transport it, the rain would replace the water in the oceans."
"Good point." Melanie made a face at him. "Here's another great idea. What about trying to evaporate some of it?"
"Evaporate?" His look said he thought her barmy. "Come, we have arrived. We will discuss your admirable ideas later." Gracefully he rose, gesturing for her to precede him.
The male passenger went before them. His hair was sparser than the other men's, and there was what looked like a steel plate in the back of his head.
"What's that?" she whispered, as he walked ahead of them up the ramp.
"What is what?" Reve asked, and she gave him a slight shove.
"Lost your ability to see what I'm thinking all of a sudden?"
Reve's mouth tightened, and she thought he wasn't going to answer. "He has had an operation. The shield is to protect his skull."
They emerged into a reception lounge and she lost interest in the man as she looked about. This one was definitely more inviting than the main foyer where they'd boarded. Large shrubs, reminding her of tobacco plants, were clustered about in pots. Many colored flowers drooped from containers ranged in tiers high on the walls. Some had trumpet shaped blossoms; some were smooth and shiny. A faint tinkling noise drew her and Melanie looked up to where thousands of shards of some metallic stuff hung, like giant door chimes, above them. It was the closest she'd heard to music since arriving here.
"Music?" Reve glanced at her.
She was determined to try and not get riled by his thought-reading abilities. "Yes, I haven't heard any form of music. Don't you have instruments to play?"
"We do not have these . . .instruments." He shook his head and stared hard at her. She could almost feel him probing her thought waves, and she turned away.
People, still all very similar to each other, skimmed along on what looked like miniature surfboards. They moved at a rattling pace on the motorized skis, which weren't much longer than the length of a foot and just wide enough to take both feet comfortably.
"How do they manage to go so fast?" she turned to Reve to ask.
"The excrement from the capirs is processed to provide fuel to drive these as well as other things," he said, smiling when she grimaced. "We waste nothing. Everything is re-used."
She guessed he meant the Amaryllisans' body waste was recycled too, but wasn't up to going into that right now. Something else that struck her as mighty peculiar. She hadn't seen any children yet.
"Don't the children come into these reception areas?" she queried.
"Our minors stay in the communal houses from the age of what you would call five years until they reach one megnum. They are then mature and are sent to instruction houses for advanced training in whatever skill they choose. Only then do they mix freely with the rest of the population," he explained.
"Well I never." In stunned disbelief she stared at him. "Do you mean there are no kids running around or enjoying the ordinary things in life until they graduate from these instruction houses?"
"This is so. Surely you must have similar training establishments. Do not your young people have to train?"
"Of course, but they aren't shut up the whole time. We have holidays and term breaks on Earth. And the children only stay in school for a set amount of hours a day, then they mix with the community."
"How strange!"
"Strange? You think this strange? Let me tell you I think you're way is much stranger. Don't your kids get to enjoy their freedom at all? What about playing? Every child has to spend some time playing and using their imagination to invent things."
"Our minors enjoy life in their communal homes." His haughtiness came back in force as he gave her a glare meant to intimidate. "My childhood was very happy. My mother taught me many things before I went to the communal house, then I was given a mentor of my own. Gargus brought me to the level of intelligence I have now."
Melanie shook her head. "What a funny way of going on."
"Funny? You find this amusing?"
"No, funny in as peculiar. Still, I guess what you don't know, you can't miss."
"Put your transporter on," he ordered, obviously tiring of her observations. "Let us be on our way." He took down two of the skiboards lined up in slots on the wall and put one on the floor by her feet. Kneeling before her he placed first one then the other of her feet firmly in the foot-sized grooves running along the middle. The sides of the board were sloped up to encase her boots.
"Don't I need to fasten it on?" she asked, looking down at the top of his head. The long hair had fallen forward, hiding his face. His hands were warm and firm on her ankles, sending a shaft of pleasure up her legs to pool in her lower body.
"They need no clasps," he drawled, glancing up, the enigmatic glint back in his eyes. As if he knew exactly what his touch did to her. "A magnetic system seals the transporter to your footwear."
"I see." She didn't really, but the sooner she got his hands off her the better. Biting her lip she stared down at her feet while he stepped onto his ski.
"Let your body relax and you will find it easy enough to control," he advised.
"If you say so. I never was much good on skates as a kid."
"Take my hand." Without waiting for her to obey, he linked his fingers with hers, his grip giving her confidence.
"How do we get them to move?" Before the words were out she shot forward. "Oh my God!" she squealed as she wobbled.
"Relax," he said again, gripping her fingers. "The motion of your body propels you forward. Small sensors in the board pick up the body's intentions."
"Wow." Breathlessly she lifted her head and concentrated on going in a straight line.
"You have it," he said, a smile in his voice.
"They're so easy to control. I feel as if I've used this thing all my life," she said with a grin. "I always wanted to learn to ski."
"So now you can. Lean slightly forward," Reve ordered. Soon they were speeding across the reception hall. "Put just a bit more pressure on the ball of your foot."
"Oh my!" Melanie was enjoying herself. For the first time since arriving here she felt totally in control of herself. "You're right. They are easy to use."
"Didn't I tell you so?" His grin was as wide as hers.
Leaving the hall they made their way along various corridors, all much the same as each other--the walls stark and gray. The ceilings were all transparent, the temperature moderate.
"I can understand the need for these skis," she said. "There wouldn't be enough room inside your buildings for any larger form of transport."
He nodded, his hand still gripping hers.
"What are those places?" she asked when they sped past closed doors, which looked like elevators, with lighted panels set in the wall by the side of them.
"Mostly private residences. Some are offices or places of business." Reve nodded to some of the people who passed on skis and they acknowledged him in the same way, their eyes skittering away from Melanie. Trying to be polite, she surmised. She couldn't imagine the people on Earth acting the same way. Already the army, navy and air force would be out watching, not to mention the scientists ready to pounce for experimental purposes.
"What about shops and tradesmen?" She tried to keep her mind away from this subject. For all she knew he might have them watching her every move at this moment. Glancing his way she saw him shake his head. He appeared to be exasperated. "Don't you have any sort of private enterprises?" It was strange not to see anybody strolling or children playing in groups.
"No, there is no need for such in our society."
Could she ever get used to such a sterile world, where there were no shopping malls, hairdressers, cinemas, markets, schools, playing fields, or child-minding centers?
"There are compensations in everything," he said quietly, and she glanced quickly at him.
"Such as?"
"Our people are seldom dissatisfied with their choice of employment. If they decide after training that they wish to change, there are re-training programs they can participate in. No one is forced to spend their life in an occupation they find undesirable."
"Oh." She bit her lip. This wasn't the compensation she thought he meant. Her thoughts veered along the path towards spending her days with a hunk whose body sent her senses spinning. A man whose kisses left her mindless.
Reve made a small sound in his throat. It could be taken for a grunt or a chuckle. She glared at him, her cheeks flaming.
"My home is just a bit further along this...mall," he said, his face as straight as a priest's giving a sermon.
Melanie felt more and more disorientated as she went along. It was so strange to have all the streets and thoroughfares enclosed like this. Now she knew how goldfish felt in a bowl. Any moment she expected to look up and see a giant face peering in on them.
"Aren't there any homes built outside in the fresh air?"
"No, not any more." Reve looked at her. "The temperature drops so low after dark outside it would be far too unpleasant. It is much more comfortable inside our controlled environment, so why would we want it otherwise? Many megnums ago our habitats were built along the rims of the mountains, much as yours on Earth, I suppose. But it is better all round if the population stays within the comfort of the enclosures."
"But don't you ever go outside, except in the hovercraft?
"Of course we do. Lean back on your heels. That is right." Reve gestured for her to stop, pulling gently on her hand.
When they had parked their skis beside numerous others in the slots along the wall he pressed in a code on a panel beside a door. As it slid open he ushered her inside, his hand flat on her middle back.
"I will take you to the shores around our mountains. You must see the work being done to build protective walls around the entrances to our mines to keep out the encroaching waters."
"Ah, so you do have some projects under way for when the waters rise." Melanie smiled in pleased surprise as she glanced about.
"Of course. In the event of us not being able to find another planet where we can relocate, we will have to keep making the walls higher and deeper." He shrugged. "That, or build deeper shafts. Numerous projects are in the planning process."
They had entered a high domed area. The glass, or whatever substance the ceiling was made of, was like a kaleidoscope, changing color constantly, prisms and diamonds of light expanding and altering shape. A myriad of plants grew in profusion in layered tiers up the walls. Some were like those trumpet shaped ones in the reception hall, some like giant poppies, others as dainty as violets; all in variegated shades from the deepest red to the palest of lavenders.
A waterfall splashed amid them and dropped its crystalline water from a spout shaped like a lip into a round pool to one side. The sapphire water invited, seduced--the droplets rising from its surface catching the light so it looked as if shards of crystal danced over it.
A spiral staircase with a simple balustrade led to a balcony high above them. The walls were also a myriad of colors, shifting intermittently. Melanie was entranced as if she'd walked into a fairy cave, a place of mystery and enchantment.
"It's beautiful, Reve," she said in a hushed voice. Raising her head she slowly turned about, looking to the ceiling, then the walls. "I've never seen anything quite like this in all my life. It reminds me of a special dream place I had as a child. A place I wanted to escape to. A place where I would be a princess in my own castle."
"I'm glad you like my home." He took her by the elbow and led her to the stairs. "It resembles a home on Earth?"
"Good heavens, no. The only resemblance to any real place I've ever seen might be the staircase and the colored glass roof. No home I've ever seen had a pool inside. And I've never seen one with such an abundance of plants. We certainly have indoor plants, but just a few in pots. What's the wall made of?" Melanie rested a palm on the shimmering surface. It felt warm and almost alive beneath her fingers, making them tingle. It's ever-changing patterns and colors fascinated her. "It's so unusual."
"It was manufactured to my specifications. It is unique." There was pride in his voice. They had reached the top of the staircase. Three archways led off the balcony. "This is my resting room." Melanie caught sight of a very large bed smack in the center of his room as he led her past it to one of the other arches. "You may have either of these."
Melanie went under the arch and looked about with pleasure. "This will do me fine, Reve." The bed in this room sat on a low platform and was not as large as his. It looked sumptuous--its covering a shimmering gold in color. A floor to ceiling mirror filled a large part of one wall and Melanie caught a strangely diffident expression on his features as she looked into it.
She turned to face him. "What is it?"
The stern countenance was back as he shook his head. "I am glad you like it."
"I love it. I was beginning to think you had no color in your world. Everything so far has been so stark, except for the flowers. And now you've surprised me with your ceiling and walls. And this spread." Melanie ran a hand over the coverlet. It felt smooth and shiny. "Just what do you make your fabrics out of?"
He shrugged. "Ships go to nearby planets to collect certain substances used in the manufacture of our fabrics. Then we use the sand found at the bottom of the ocean in the making of the buildings and machinery. It is a very complex procedure, evolved over many generations."
"So you do have habitable planets nearby. Why don't you move some of your people there?" It seemed a logical solution to the problem.
"If only it were so simple. So far we have not been able to find anything to match the kota we mine. We bring substances from the nearest planets. These planets are dry and inhospitable--the exact opposite to Amaryllis. They are useless to us, except for the elements produced there. We have teams of miners on two minor worlds."
"And have you tried taking water there as I suggested and trying to built dams to hold it."
"Greater minds than yours have spent megnums on this problem, Mel-aanie. The water evaporates before it is used. It is put in chambers for the use of the teams living there. Have you thought of the logistics of carrying so much water?"
Melanie nibbled on her lip. "I guess not. What a shame you can't live on Earth. You could give us so much."
"That is not to be, unless of course our medical teams can find a cure for your viruses. And then we would not be readily accepted if what you say is true and they are petrified of what they do not understand."
"It's a fact. They would hound you like poor old ET."
"ET?"
"Extra Terrestrial," she explained, smiling. "It was just a movie, someone's idea of what would happen if an alien got left behind on Earth."
"Ah, I see." She wasn't sure he did see, but he shook his head. "The cleansing chamber is here."
He opened a door by pressing a button alongside it. The bathroom contained the same fittings, with a toilet pedestal and a shower recess, as the one on the Starship.
"You will get all your requirements by using the commodities supplier, a change of garments, food, drink. Anything you require in fact." Raising his hand, he gestured about. "But I would be honored if you would join me for a meal downstairs."
"Then I'd be pleased to join you." Melanie glanced down at herself. There wasn't a rumple in her outfit, the top and tight pants still pristine. "I would like a change of clothes. I feel as if I've had the same things on for ages."
"Of course. I will wait until your order has been submitted." She shot him a brief look. "In case you need help."
"Right." Melanie pressed the appropriate key. A buzzing was followed by a few beeps. "What's happening?" she turned to ask Reve when the motifs on the screen went berserk and began to scroll really fast.
"It is assessing your shape."
This surprised her, for everyone looked the same. She would have thought one size fit all.
"There, your order has arrived," he said as a neat package, wrapped in what looked like cellophane, came out of the chute. It contained an exact copy of the skintight pants and form hugging sleeveless shirt she already wore.
Melanie wrinkled her nose as she looked down at the small pile of clothing with disappointment. "Don't we get a choice of colors or styles? Your tailors don't seem to have a lot of imagination."
"The clothes suit our lifestyle perfectly," he said with a touch of defiance that amused Melanie.
"But the men and women all dress alike. It wouldn't hurt to add a bit of variety to your outfits," she argued.
He shrugged dismissively. "Why would we need variety? Body coverings are merely to protect our skins."
"Protect them from what?" she asked, puzzled.
"From the drying effects of the temperature controlling units for one thing. The harsh rays sent out by them would dry our pelts out in no time."
"Pelts?" Good God! What a funny thing to call skin. She gaped at him. "I think you have your translation wrong. Only animals have pelts on Earth."
"Ah, quite so," he said, turning away. "I'll leave you to change."
He left, and Melanie puzzled over his statement. Up until now he hadn't made one mistake in translating from her brain patterns. She felt a little uneasy again, not sure why.
Nine
Melanie shrugged off the feeling as she looked around the sparsely furnished chamber. Apart from the bed there was the small vanity unit with the commodities supply panel above it, and nothing else. A plain brush with soft bristles sat on its top. Picking up the brush she stroked it through her hair a few times and then replaced it on the dull surface.
There was no perfume, no trinket dish, no jars of cream or powder. She'd never been one for having lots of bits and pieces on her dresser, but this lack of anything frivolous was a bit extreme.
"They sure don't go in for fripperies," she muttered, running a finger over the top of the vanity. Everything was Spartan and spotlessly clean. Not a speck of dust settled on her finger. Wonder if Reve had servants to do his housework? Perhaps dust was unknown up here.
Stripping, she turned to look at herself in the huge mirror and doubted she'd ever get used to this luscious shape. She pulled out the fresh outfit. She was becoming narcissistic, admiring her figure in this manner. After ascertaining there was no underwear, she quickly dragged on the pants. The fabric was so soft and light against her skin and she understood why they had no need for undergarments. The bodice molded to her bust and did away with the need for a bra. There was no doubting their clothing was something else. What it lacked in originality, it made up for in comfort. Once changed, Melanie gave herself another once-over in the mirror. She couldn't help it. Then, after shaking her head, she went out and down the stairs.
\*
Reve was swimming in the pool. As she leaned over the railing at the side of the spiral staircase, he surfaced briefly, took a deep breath and then dived beneath the blue water.
She continued down and at the side of the pool sat on a deeply cushioned couch fashioned out of some iridescent synthetic material with a marbled look.
This part of Reve's home really was beautiful. Rather like a picture of a luxurious hotel in the tropics, she'd once seen in a glossy magazine--only more splendid. Something like an ancient Roman palace. A scene from Cleopatra's barge. But no, it bore no actual resemblance to anything she'd seen on Earth.
The ever-changing wall was something she would never expect to see back home. Goodness, down there she could make a fortune if she came up with a similar idea.
Reve sure had been beneath the water a long time. Melanie sucked in her lower lip. Good heavens, the man must be part fish.
She went to kneel at the side of the pool. The water was so clear she could see his shape twisting and turning far below its surface, so far down he looked half his size. At least he wasn't drowning, or he wouldn't be moving the way he was. It was poetry in motion to watch him; the nearest thing she could think of to equal it a dolphin she'd once seen following the Sydney Harbor ferry for a while. Or at the zoo where the seals cavorted and playfully showcased diving skills.
She had no way of knowing the time. Another strange thing. There were no clocks anywhere. Reve wore his wristband, but as far as she could tell it contained only buttons to perform select duties, and certainly no watch face.
Worried now, she splashed on the surface with a palm. He looked up and then with a few quick turns and spins began to swim upwards. As he broke through the surface, he was breathing normally, not gasping for breath, as she'd fully expected him to be after spending so long down there.
"I thought you were drowning," she said, then felt foolish when he smiled and tossed the long hair back, splashing it behind him. And sent a few droplets her way. With her finger she wiped them from her cheeks.
"Amaryllisans never drown," he stated arrogantly. "We are taught to swim as soon as we are born."
"Have you got gills or something?" she asked and then gaped as he began to swim lazily towards her.
Good God! He was stark naked!
In a hurry to get away she rose too fast and almost lost her balance. She just stopped herself from tumbling in to join him by hopping back an ungainly pace.
"On a planet almost entirely covered by water wouldn't you say an ability to swim should be a necessity?" he asked, reaching the side and pressing his palms on the edge.
Feeling like a voyeur, but unable to resist, she stared, as with a mighty surge he pushed himself out of the water.
As if unashamed he stood before her in all his naked glory. Melanie blinked and pressed her palms to her flaming cheeks. But she couldn't seem to take her eyes off his magnificent body. Sleek with water, his skin covered a perfectly proportioned form, every muscle and sinew a work of art. The last time she'd seen anything to match it was in a magazine article showing the attributes of the world's ten most photographed hunks.
Totally unconcerned, his gait unhurried and graceful, he walked to a small alcove beneath one of the jutting plant holders. The back view was just as stunning as the front--his behind tight and nicely shaped, his calves firm, his shoulders as wide as a house.
When he stood there, shaking the long hair out behind him, rubbing those perfect fingers up and down his arms in slow rhythmic strokes that mesmerized, Melanie realised he was under a dryer. It took less than a minute for him to be satisfied he was dry. All the while she watched him. And his eyes never left hers.
"You like this body of mine?" The slowly drawled query did outrageous things to her insides, and she nearly collapsed.
At last Melanie managed to break eye contact and turned away with a small huff. "You are just about the most conceited male I've ever come across. Heavens! What an ego."
"Ego." He said the word slowly as if he had no idea what she meant. "I just speak the truth. You seem to be mesmerized by my body. What is it about it that attracts you?" He could have been discussing the weather. As he spoke he glanced matter-of-factly down at himself and then shrugged.
"Look, it's not so much that, as...as. I was just shocked. Men on Earth don't flaunt themselves as you do."
"Flaunt? This is an odd word. Do not your men take their garments off?"
Melanie swore beneath her breath. "Of course they do. But not in front of people, especially women, whom they have only just met." Her hands waved about and then feeling foolish, she put them behind her back. "Can we change the subject? Have you put some clothes on yet?" She peeked over her shoulder.
He was fully clothed again and she breathed a sigh of relief. Dressed, he was more man than she could cope with, naked just too much to handle. Chris hadn't been the type to wander about the flat naked, and she'd always felt the need to keep her body covered. The only times they'd been completely unclothed had been in bed, in the dark. Except for the last time. And even then he'd turned the lights off, leaving them just the glimmer of the streetlight to see each other by.
With a start Melanie realized she hadn't thought of Chris once all day. Was he to fade out of her mind so quickly? Surely not! Still, who could blame her, with this specimen of perfect manhood hanging around? It seemed Reve had taken over her mind and body.
"Does this please you, Mel-aanie?" he drawled, in his silky voice that hinted at amusement.
"Much better. I would be grateful if you wouldn't swim in the nude while I'm staying here." She primly crossed her arms across her chest. With a jerk she uncrossed them. Her arms had pushed her breasts up, emphasizing the jut of her nipples against the slinky bodice.
He hadn't missed her reaction and the give-away movement, and his eyes shone with wicked amusement. "What am I to swim in?" he drawled. "Do you suggest I swim in my garments?"
"Don't you posses a swimsuit?"
His head slowly went from side to side. "A suit for swimming? What nonsense!"
"Yes, well, we don't swim in our birthday suits in the company of people we hardly know." She felt like a maiden aunt lecturing a naughty nephew.
"Birthday suits?"
"It means nude." With her hands on hips she took a deep breath. "Look, let's just forget it, all right? You're an exceptionally good swimmer though, and you went down an awfully long way. Have you got gills?"
Enjoying her confusion, Reve smiled. If only she knew how close to the truth she had come. "We have the ability to stay beneath the water for great lengths of time. Let me see." He calculated swiftly. "About an hour in your time."
"What, without having to come up for air?" Clearly she was amazed.
"Right." He walked to the supply panel. "Now let us eat. Shall I order for you?"
"I guess you'd better." Her eyes were still wide, as if she saw him in a different way than before. Ah, she now thought him half fish. Perhaps it was a good idea. That way at least when, or if, she saw him as he really was, without the illusion vision implanted in her mind, it might not come as such a shock to her.
Punching in the codes, Reve ordered his favorite foods and hoped she would enjoy the same. It seemed, for a reason he could not fathom, he wanted to please this Earth woman. The items he ordered came through and he took them to where she now sat on one of the couches. She was peering at the armrest and searching with her fingers, without result, for the table.
"Here, I will get it for you." He released the catch with his toe and then bent to show her how to find the lever. "You simply activate the mechanism with a slight tap here. You see."
"Right, thank you. You have very little furniture cluttering up your home," she said as he placed the platter beside her.
"Why would you need articles other than a place to sit, to lie and to put your food?"
"Good point, but we have bits and pieces scattered about, just to make the house look cozier, I guess. On the subject, do you have a cleaning lady?" Her glance flicked about the space.
"Cleaning lady?" he asked, amused. "I see. A person to do the housework." He ignored her scowl. "We have no dust particles on Amaryllis, no dirt, as you call it."
"Wow! Imagine. You mean to say no one ever goes around with a vacuum cleaner or duster?"
Reading her thought patterns, he laughed when he saw the various machines and tools she spoke of. "The robots come in periodically to inspect for signs of deterioration. My parents have a greater problem, as they keep birds within their home. The robots fumigate and remove waste from these creatures."
"My word! I wouldn't mind taking one of those robots home with me," she said.
At her reminder this was to be a short visit, a strange feeling he took to be disappointment touched him.
"You would not have the facilities for reprogramming that has to be carried out on them. What you would call re-charging. Now eat."
"Mmm, it looks nice." She touched her finger to the dish made of capir meat and crum.
"It's similar to what you had before, but I think you will find this tastier. The red fruit is milews. Ah, they remind you of a strawberry, I see." Releasing his own table he saw she wasn't too pleased with him reading her thoughts again.
Reve shrugged. "I cannot keep apologizing."
"I guess not," she said.
"In time you will get so acquainted with it and you will treat it as naturally as we do." As he said the words he wondered if she would be here long enough to get so acquainted with their ways. The thought she might not sent another strange shaft of dismay through him. He shook his head.
"This pie is delicious."
Something deep inside him tightened as she bit into the capir pie with her very white and straight teeth. Desire. And something else most strange. More and more he was experiencing sensations unknown to him. Could it be some of this woman's alien ways and emotions were being transmitted to him? Or perhaps along with her husband's image he had acquired a small touch of the Earthman's emotions.
"Tell me about your partner, this Chris I resemble," he urged as they ate.
Her eyes grew troubled as she reached for her glass of graw juice. "Chris was a hard worker, a diligent cop. That's a law enforcement officer, in case you don't know what the word means. He was working undercover. It means he was pretending to be something other than a police officer. He and Pete were onto this drug baron."
"I know all this. You explained as much before. Tell me more of the man himself. I wish to know personal details. What was he like to live with?" Changing feelings ran across her face. This was so unique. No Amaryllisan ever allowed their innermost emotions to show. Perhaps because they could read each other's thought patterns so easily, the ability had been erased from their characters long ago.
She began to nibble on her bottom lip again and then she licked it. His body reacted instantly, and he quelled the rampant desire to reach across and repeat the kissing experiment. Crossing his legs he concealed his aroused state from her soft eyes as she put her glass down and gazed across the space separating them with a look he could swear matched the heat searing him.
"Chris wanted to protect me from all the bad things in life." Her shoulders hunched, as her eyes grew sad. "Which was really silly. It was impossible. He thought by wrapping me in cotton wool, I would be safe."
"Cotton wool?"
"Mmm, this means coddling. Sort of putting a protective shield about me," she explained. "I was alone in the world when I met him. Had been out there on my own since running away from the last foster home. You remember I told you about the awful man who wanted to interfere with me."
Reve nodded, not interrupting her flow of speech now she had begun to tell him all the facts.
"Now I come to think about it, although I feel like a traitor for saying it, I married Chris more to escape the loneliness in my life than anything else. Not that I didn't think him a wonderful person. Now I'm alone again." Tears collected at the corners of her eyes and she wiped them away with her fingers.
"You are not alone. You have me," he said quietly and the look she sent him was filled with a kind of sadness he couldn't define. It was as if she wanted something with desperation, but knew it was just out of her reach.
"That's kind of you to say so, Reve, but when I return home, I'll be alone again."
Her words sounded so final and a feeling he had no recollection of experiencing before attacked him. For a moment he considered telling her he had no intention of allowing her to return to Earth any time in the near future. But he quelled the idea.
Picking up the plate of food, she began to eat. She hesitated for a while. "Chris was gentle and kind, and I miss him terribly. He's the only person I ever loved."
"This love plays an important part in life on Earth, does it not?" Reve felt a distinct pang of something he didn't fully recognize. Something he didn't like at all. For an instant he felt murderous towards a man who was dead. Immature!
"Tell me what this emotion is exactly."
"Explain love? You have to be joking." Her head went to one side and he saw the tears had dried.
"I do not joke. It is out of my scope of understanding. I can desire a woman, want her as my partner in life, even impregnate her with the one child I am allowed to give her in my lifetime, but this emotion you speak of is out of my comprehension."
"One child in a lifetime?" She ignored the rest of his speech and focused on the one item that seemed to intrigue her.
"Yes. If we had many children as you obviously do on Earth our planet would be seriously over populated within a megnum. We can choose the sex of the child, but we must have a balance. If too many males are born within any one set period of what you would call a year, then the female must accept a female child."
"My goodness! How do you manage to pick whether you have a boy or a girl?" Her voice elevated with interest.
"It is a simple matter of injecting a substance called...let me see. I'm sorry I cannot translate this in any shape you would understand. Suffice it to say, this is put into the womb a few hours after conception."
"Oh my, and how do you know for sure the woman has conceived?"
"We are an advanced society. We know." He didn't wish to go into details of how the tips of the woman's breast glands changed color and became larger.
He could see she yearned to inquire further, but her mind told her to retreat as they were getting into what she considered dangerous territory. He stifled a smile.
"Have you had your allowed one?" she asked instead.
"No, Irena did not wish for a child yet." Turning to put his glass down, he hid his small grimace from her. It was doubtful if Irena would have ever been ready to breed. She was altogether too ambitious, too intent on furthering her career as an intergalactic observer. And look where that had landed her. Dead in her prime. There was no reason why she couldn't have borne a child and then returned to her career. He sighed; Irena had wanted nothing to stand in the way of her ambitions.
The sudden thought that he would like to impregnate this woman before him with a child startled him. "I presume you have not given birth to this Chris's child yet?"
Tears misted her eyes again as she shook her head. "We weren't married very long. He wanted to wait a while. I would have loved a baby though. Now it's too late." A shuddery sigh trembled through her.
"I will give you this baby you desire."
Reve cursed to the Great Bodka. Where had this foolish statement sprung from?
Her cheeks were flushed again. "What sort of baby would we have together? I wonder. You're an alien." The thought seemed to amuse her. Her statement angered him.
"You are right. I am an alien. But you are no less so in my eyes." Of course she was right. It was unthinkable. Even so, he would delve into the archives and see if the Earth person who had come to Amaryllis megnums ago had bred successfully." He rose. "Come, we will go to meet my parents."
"Do they live far away?" she asked as he dealt with the empty plates and glasses.
"No, they live and work in this city. Gawayn, my father, is commander in charge of training pilots, and Althea is head of the training establishment for the final year students." Reve ushered her through the door, and slipped his feet onto the skiboard. Then he placed hers down for her. "Can you manage?"
"I'm fine." She proved it by placing her feet perfectly. "Won't they be at work at this time of the day?"
"They are both at home."
"How do you know? I noticed you have no clocks. How do you know what time of the day it is?"
"We have no need of time measurers. I can reach my mother simply by speaking to her by what you would call thought transference. They are expecting us."
"Oh my. I don't think I'll ever get used to this telepathy business, Reve." She shook her head and then they propelled the skis into motion.
\*
"Most things become normal if you practice them often enough," Reve was saying about telepathy as they traveled along to his parents' housing.
Melanie guessed he was right. Hadn't she become used to him and his home in a remarkably short space of time? If someone had told her a week ago she would soon be on a far planet and having erotic dreams about a handsome alien, she would have laughed in their face.
They traveled along wider corridors now, more like motorways with a median strip down the middle. All the buildings seemed the same. Symmetrical and about two or three stories high. There were no windows, except in the vaulted roof. Beside each door, alongside the panel of buttons used to operate the doors, was a small plaque.
"Yes, they tell the name and business of the inhabitant," he said.
Did he have to keep doing that? His small shrug told her it was something she would have to get used to. Telepathy was a fact of life up here. What was the point of getting all in a flap about something she couldn't change?
"Exactly," he agreed. Her expression made him smile. At least she amused him, which was something. While he was laughing at her, he wasn't so stern and enigmatic.
Here and there giant artificial shrubs sat on the median strip. Some were like spidery ferns, a few like strips of silver paper. They weren't needed for shade, so must have been there to break the monotony of the austere scenery. Not that they did a lot to liven up the avenues. The uncluttered look took some getting used to.
"Our routes seem strange to you?" he asked. "Ah, they are so different to your traveling corridors."
"That's the biggest understatement ever. You should see our main roads and freeways in the rush hour."
"Rush hour?"
"When everyone is out driving, either going home from their jobs or going out for the evening. The roads become congested and tempers sometimes become frayed." Another understatement. "Road rage is rampant. I saw a guy a few weeks back actually break someone's windscreen with a bat, simply because this other guy had cut in on him at the traffic lights."
"Don't you find this much more pleasing? Amaryllisans are calm and orderly."
Too damn orderly. It wasn't natural to be so sedate and unruffled. "Doesn't anyone ever feel like throwing a punch?" He shook his head, his sidelong glance telling her how uncivilized such a thing would be.
These civilized Amaryllisans went about their pursuits, very serious and intent on the business at hand, and ignored Melanie and Reve. It still puzzled her how they all looked so alike.
Reve halted her with a hand on her arm. They came to a stop in front of one of the doors.
"Reve," she said as they removed the skis and put them in the slots.
"Yes, what is it, Mel-aanie? Something is bothering you? Ah, I see."
"You really have no need for speech up here, do you? You just go about reading each other's heads. It's a wonder you aren't all dumb."
His massive shoulders lifted indolently. "I cannot help it if we are an advanced culture and Earth is light years behind in intelligence, now can I?"
"Now just a minute, mister." Melanie prodded his chest. "Don't you go denigrating me just because we haven't mastered thought transference yet on Earth. We aren't a bunch of idiots, you know."
"I did not infer you were."
"Oh no, you harp on about us being way behind you in everything."
"It is a fact, one that cannot be changed." He tapped out a code on the panel and the door slid back. "As for your interest in our appearance, I will explain it to you later. Let us go in now." With his firm hand on her back, he ushered her inside.
Ten
Melanie gasped as she looked about his parents' home. "This is splendid." She bent close to whisper near his ear. "Outside, your buildings might be plain and stark, but inside you certainly go in for extravagant landscaping and decorating."
Instead of the tiered flower boxes in Reve's place, this great hall had an aviary going from the floor to the ceiling. Exotic and unusual birds of many shapes and sizes flew about or rested on brightly colored plants. Some were dainty and more like large butterflies. Some reminded her of peacocks, with iridescent plumes. The whole scene was a treat for the eyes.
"You are pleased with the bird house."
"Oh yes, it's wonderful." She moved nearer to inspect the creatures. Up close their feathers were more like soft pelts--colors changing as they moved, deepening or lightening as they caught the shafts of light coming in from the roof. "We call this an aviary."
"We have no land animals on Amaryllis, Mel-aanie, except the birds, as you've probably realized. The capir are ugly and are bred for food only, but my parents have a pair of all the breeds of flying creatures here." His waved hand encompassed the aviary. "My father likes to experiment with breeding new strains. I will take you beneath the water soon and then you will get to see our many types of magnificent sea creatures too."
"They're beautiful," she agreed. "Even our most exotic birds on Earth don't match up to these for color."
"Do not put your finger near the cage," he ordered suddenly as Melanie went to press her hand on the mesh. "They could carry a virus that might prove fatal to you. It is best not to take chances. Most are harmless, but we have one or two in there not fully studied yet." He turned away, but enfolded her hand in his, warm and strong around hers, which felt small cradled there.
A silver-haired woman emerged from beneath an archway at the rear of the hall.
"Ah, here you are, mother." He let Melanie's hand go and went to touch palms with his mother. "Mel-aanie, this is Althea. We will speak in Mel-aanie's tongue." He nodded at his mother. "Althea, Mel-aanie, as you know, came back from Earth in Irena's intergalactic craft."
Melanie had begun to smile at the woman, but her smile faltered and her breath stuck somewhere half way up her throat. With her hand over her mouth, she gasped, staring in disbelief.
"What is it, Mel-aanie? Ah, perhaps I should have explained earlier." Reve curved his fingers around her arm and led her to a couch. Not in time, for she had been ready to collapse. "Althea, fetch Gawayn." He gently pushed Melanie onto it. "We will get this over and done with."
Melanie knew her face had paled. She could almost feel the color draining from her cheeks to her throat. Goosebumps rose on suddenly chill skin. "Sh...she's." She cleared her throat and tried again. "I don't believe this! My God! What's going on here?"
She was spluttering like a fool. When a man with hair the color of gunmetal walked from the direction Reve's mother had emerged, she thought she would likely faint. He put a hand on his wife's shoulder and the pair looked slightly ashamed as they looked at each other then back to her.
"This is unreal. They're Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman look-alikes. If it weren't for the long hair, they'd be the spitting image of them. What the hell is happening? Am I going out of my mind, Reve? Or perhaps I already have, and this has all been a figment of my imagination." Melanie turned a stunned gaze on him and he took hold of one of her hands again, smoothing his fingers over it. For a moment a look matching his parents' flashed across his eyes. Melanie trembled uncontrollably as she gripped him like a lifeline.
The couple sat, both regarding her gravely.
"You have had a shock," the woman exclaimed. "Reve, you should have explained long before now. Imagine what this must be doing to her."
Stunned speechless Melanie couldn't take her gaze from her. Apart from the hair Althea was a replica of the star as she'd appeared on a recent TV program.
"You must have had suspicions, Mel-aanie, when you saw our people all look very much alike." Reve continued to stroke her wrist.
"Of course I did. I questioned you about it. Why didn't you tell me sooner? I think I'm going mad." Melanie shook free and pressed her fingers to her temples. This was how it felt to lose ones' mind. God, when would she wake up? She had the eeriest feeling she never would. This was really happening to her. Looking down at her hands as she clenched them in front of her, she cried shakily, "I still don't understand how they look like the movie stars. It doesn't make sense."
Reve gave a look which was probably meant to be reassuring. It would take more to ease her over this weird shock.
"Irena's message to me contained the information she had implanted images in your brain," he explained in a gentler voice than he'd ever used. "I'm certain, had you been confronted with us in our true state, you would have been scared witless, as you would put it."
His touch was comforting, at the moment the only normal thing in this bizarre scene. Without it she would be in a dead faint.
"Implanted images? Images of movie stars?" Melanie squeaked, knowing she was carrying on like a moron. "I'm sorry, I still don't get this."
"Let me explain." He took hold of her hands again, refusing to release them when she struggled in his grasp. She forced herself to become calm.
"Irena informed me in her message she had little time in which to work," he said. "While you slept she watched the images on what you call a television screen. There was also a...magazine? ...on a table. The people displayed were built as you see us. Delving into your brain, she knew you liked long tresses, so surmised you would be happy to see us all with this long hair." With a careless toss he pushed the sleek copper mane back over his shoulder.
"She copied movie and TV stars?" Melanie whispered hoarsely. She was more than just a little frightened. "What do you really look like if Irena felt the need to alter you all so drastically?"
"Not so different to you," he said, stroking her wrists with his thumbs. "Trust me. We are not monsters."
"Huh! Your idea of monsters and mine might differ," she cried. They had to be weird or Irena wouldn't have felt the need to do this. Melanie groaned. More than ever she wanted to go home. "I thought a lot of those people we passed along the way were vaguely familiar. Another thought struck her. "What about the shape? Everybody seems to be tall, athletic, and built like models."
"The shape of the bodies too." Gravely he nodded. "And apparently your older people's hair changes color to gray and silver, as has Althea's and Gawayn's. I have seen you watching me with appreciative eyes, so am certain this shape pleases you."
"Pleases me!" Melanie jumped up, and conscious of three pairs of eyes following her with interest, prowled about the room. What sort of creature was he under this handsome disguise?
His mouth curved in a slight smile. "Believe me, not the abominable shape you are picturing in your mind now."
"I don't believe this. It's no laughing matter," she admonished. Instantly he straightened his face, returning his features to the bland expression she had grown accustomed to. "So, when do I get to see you in the flesh, so to speak?"
"When you are ready." He watched her intently.
"Ready?" she murmured.
"If you will ever be. I find I rather like you looking at me with pleasure. I do not relish you finding me distasteful." His dark eyes searing her, Reve came to stand in front of her. Melanie had the feeling not only could he read her thoughts, but could also see into her heart and soul.
Oh, how she'd reacted to his magnificent body in her dream and how she'd enjoyed sharing a kiss with him. His eyes softened, and she could drown in them, such was the intensity of his gaze. "So, it's all a sham. I'm frightened, Reve," she whispered, her voice shaking as she nibbled on the inside of her lower lip.
He wrapped her fingers in his large hands and pressed them on his chest. The solid thump of his heart was reassuring. At least he had one and not a computer chip.
"Yes," he said, "I have the same organs as you, more or less, only ours have been refined and adapted to suit our way of life. Once our heart stops beating, we die the same as Earthmen and women do. You have nothing to fear, Mel-aanie. What you do not understand can be very vexing at times, but believe me. It was for the best. Irena was very wise in her thinking."
"Are you so very unpleasant to look at then?" The thought itself was awful. It hit Melanie with a shock that she was half way to falling in love with this alien. What if she was about to fall for a reptile or a fly-shaped creature with four eyes?
"There is the word love again," he said quietly near her ear.
Melanie jumped as if she'd been scalded.
"And you are too nosy. Keep yourself out of my head. Can't a woman have any privacy at all?" After dragging her hands free, she went to stare at the birds.
He moved to stand behind her. "Have no fear I have two eyes, two ears and one mouth the same as you."
"What a relief." But it still didn't make her feel a whole lot better. "And how many heads have you got?" Good God! What had she got herself into?
"Come and be seated, young woman," Althea said gently and Melanie obeyed, twisting her fingers together on her lap as she faced this make-believe person. "We are interested to hear all about Earth."
Melanie just bet she did! If it wasn't for the flu virus no doubt they would all be down there now, invisibly taking over the planet. With a shuddery sigh, she glared at Reve.
"We would not harm your people," he said.
"No, just use our planet as...as a..." She wound down. She didn't have a clue just how they would have inhabited Earth had they been able to withstand the flu.
Reve lifted a hand as if to placate her. "There is a strong likelihood your Earth would not be suitable for our habitation anyway. From what Irena told me the seas are polluted, the land is barely able to grow enough produce to keep your population in food."
"That's a fact," she was forced to agree.
Althea looked to her son then back to Melanie. "As Reve has probably told you, I am head of the final year trainees establishment," she said.
Her tone was about the friendliest Melanie had heard from one of these people since she'd landed. "What exactly would you like to know?" she asked grudgingly. What harm would it do to share some of the facts? They couldn't do much about it anyway.
"My students would like to hear all you would be willing to share of your life on Earth," Althea suggested. "Perhaps one day when we find a cure for this virulent strain of virus that took Irena's life, we may be able to settle, if only temporarily, amongst your people."
"And just how would you manage it? Would you wear these camouflages and disguises?" Melanie felt more disorientated now than when she'd first arrived as she glanced to the Paul Newman look-alike and grimaced faintly. This was like a bad dream. Where would the shocks to her system end?
"We have the ability to devisualise." Reve's father, Gawayn, who had been silently watching and listening, said. Melanie's mouth dropped open. Good grief, the alien even sounded like the film star, his drawl sounding incongruous in this setting.
She gasped. "Of course, Irena was invisible to me, wasn't she? I forgot. And she zapped me up to the space craft." Melanie sighed. Suddenly she was very tired. Her insides felt mangled. "This image I see when I look in the mirror, the one Irena conjured up for me, isn't what you see when you look at me. Is it? Just how do you see me?" Her voice held a distinct quaver.
Reve slowly shook his head. "We see you as you really are, in your Earth guise. There is little point in us seeing the image she manufactured for you, although we can do so if we choose. I personally like the way you look. Very much. Your short golden hair is unusual, and your shape is like nothing I have encountered before."
Melanie felt hot when he stared at her as if he could see every inch of her, naked. She folded her arms across her chest and his mouth curved in the knowing little smile that melted her insides. "But I prefer this new me."
"Of course you do," he agreed. "By reading your mind, Irena saw you had always wanted a shape such as the one she gave you, with longer legs than your own and hair as you see yours."
No wonder she'd been so thrilled when she first saw her reflection; she looked exactly as she'd always longed to be in the days when she saw herself as too short, too fat, and plain.
"As I said, I much prefer your Earth shape, size, and hair coloring."
Melanie eyed Reve thoughtfully. "That's only because I'm different."
"Part of it," he agreed.
"And I stand out up here because of this. Down on Earth I melt into the crowds and you wouldn't give me a second look, I can assure you."
"That is doubtful."
His parents were giving him odd inquisitive glances. In fascination she watched as his cheeks turned a dull red. How was it an alien could blush? With a short word, probably a curse, his eyes darted to meet hers, and his color returned to normal, while his mouth took on a tough straight line.
"Serves you right for poking your nose in my head," she retorted. His head went from side to side as if he was exasperated. "I really wish I could see you all as you are. This is very weird, I have to tell you."
"All in good time," Gawayn said. "Tell us, what do you think of our planet so far? Mind you. You have much to see yet. Reve must take you to the mountains and to see our communal houses and our laboratories." Reve's father had suddenly found his tongue, and wanted to chat, it seemed. "Fetch us graw juice," he turned to order Reve. "I wish to hear about your home, Mel-aanie."
"It's hard to know where to start. There's a lot going on I wouldn't even begin to understand."
"Start by explaining how they feed so many people. The squadron Irena went with managed to obtain data on the animals and crops grown specifically for nutritional purposes. But a vast number of Earth's inhabitants don't seem to share in this produce."
"It's a fact. I think there must be more starve than are fed." Melanie ran her hand across her nape. This was a fact she'd never thought seriously about before. "You seem to cope better. Nobody starves to death here, do they?"
"As I explained, we control our breeding for this purpose," Reve interceded.
"Mmm, I can see how you'd have grave problems if you allowed everyone to have babies whenever they felt like it."
"Why are your minors allowed to wander the streets after nightfall?" Althea asked. This question brought forth some serious discussion on morals and ethics.
Melanie lost track of time as she exhausted her limited supply of knowledge about Earth. They soaked up every snippet like sponges and took notes on what she presumed was some sort of voice recorder.
Reve rose as he and Melanie prepared to leave.
Melanie rose too. "You must realize I'm really not a fit person to tell you about Earth. I mean, you should ask a professor or a scientist. I only know what affects my small niche in the scheme of things. Irena should have chosen more wisely, I'm afraid."
"Do not denigrate yourself. Your information is invaluable," Althea assured her. "We have our data from the craft and your input tells us about life on Earth seen through your eyes."
"Right, well it's been nice meeting you." Strange, but interesting. They both touched palms with her, assuring her she'd be welcome in their home whenever she chose to visit.
\*
"Thank you for being so generous with your time," Reve said as he and Melanie stepped into their skis. "My parents will now pass on the information gained to the council of education and further instruction. Along with the data on Irena's craft and what the squadron brought back we will be able to form a broader picture of life on your planet."
"No problems. I could hardly refuse to talk about home, could I? Anyway, I have to admit I enjoyed talking to them."
Even though she'd found herself staring often in bemusement, it hadn't seemed to faze them though.
"They find you just as fascinating," he said, reading her thoughts clearly.
"I guess." Melanie shrugged. "But, they see me as I really am, whereas I found myself talking to a couple of icons from the movie world!"
When they were skimming along, she asked a question bothering her. "Who is actually the head of your planet, Reve? You haven't mentioned a king, president or suchlike. There doesn't seem to be anything remotely like a police force in evidence, or some sort of controlling body. Who is the big boss around here?"
"Big boss?" He smiled. Melanie realized he was doing it a lot more than when she'd first met him, and she liked it, tremendously. Catching his eye, she saw the smile widen.
He made no comment on the thought he'd picked up. "We have no need of what you call a controlling force. There are no armies as we do not make war, no police for we do not have crime, as such. No male or female is superior in leadership as you know it. There are commanders of each city and section, for someone must keep the records. I control the Starship Victus, as you know. Victus is our largest craft. It circles our planet endlessly."
"But you don't live up there all the time, I take it?"
"No, my ah...deputy takes over when I come to my home."
"There, you do have some sort of hierarchy." Melanie's tone was firm. "You, for instance run the Starship, so you're the boss of that. And then there's Shan who led the squadron to Earth. So you do have some sort of controlling body."
"Of course there are graduated leaders, depending on their level of education and intelligence. But we do not have the scale of leadership you have on Earth. From what I can understand, having kings, presidents and others in power has done nothing to further the advancement of your planet."
"True. The people in charge spend so much time fighting other leaders, or their own minions, to stay where they are at the top of the tree, they don't spend enough time putting the world to rights."
Reve nodded in apparent agreement. "The rules we live by are made by the council which convenes when there are matters to be discussed requiring the knowledge of them all. These meetings take place periodically."
"But what if someone breaks the rules?" she insisted. "It's not natural to have such a race of goody-goodies. There has to be at least one person now and then who tries to kick over the traces. Otherwise you'd be no better than your robots. Nice perfect specimens who haven't a nasty bone in their body." This was a chilling thought, bringing back her early idea. Perhaps they were more robot than human.
His scowl told her she had upset him again but she was undaunted. "You must have some way to keep the people in line. No race can be all perfect. Anarchy would rule on Earth if we didn't have people in power to make the laws and then make sure they're adhered to after a fashion. As it is the rules are broken often. This is why the jails and houses of correction are full to brimming. And the courts are overflowing with cases waiting to be heard." It was hard to comprehend a society with no judicial system. So hard to imagine she was certain there was a catch somewhere.
\*
They had reached Reve's home, and as he slipped out of his skis and waited while she did the same, he said curtly, "I was telling you this before. You were quick to assure me it was not so." His shoulders straightened imperiously and she could imagine him as a king, or a ruler of some sort, he was so majestic. "We are far advanced when compared to your planet. Long ago we realized nothing was gained by making war and being aggressive."
She snorted ungraciously. "You mean to tell me no one ever flouts your rules. Pull the other leg."
"Why would I wish to do this?" he asked, his eyes shooting down to the lovely long legs she now had firmly planted apart.
"It means, tell me another tall story. I find it hard to believe. You mean to say there's not a single person who goes against this council of yours. Nobody who tries to make some sort of trouble."
A shutter seemed to come down over his eyes. As he turned to enter the code to open the door, he said, "Correct."
"I repeat, I find that so hard to believe," she argued. "I mean. It's against all the laws of mankind. No civilization can be so perfect."
"Ah, but they can." Walking away from her, he went to the supplier and came back with two containers of juice.
Melanie took the offered drink and sat on a couch. "Much as I wish the people on Earth weren't so aggressive, didn't break the laws of the land, and didn't commit crimes, the alternative seems a bit...well, too bland, and bloody boring to be precise." She eyed him over the rim as she took a sip of the delicious liquid.
For a moment Reve looked undecided and then frowned as if coming to a decision. "All right, perhaps one or two may go against the council's edicts."
"Aha!" Pointing a finger at him, she said with satisfaction, "I knew it."
"These few," he hesitated a fraction of a second before going on, "are punished accordingly."
"Accordingly. How so?" Visions of atrocious tortures flashed across her mind. Perhaps they were savages beneath their disguises.
A small sound left his mouth. It sounded like a snort.
"OK, so you don't boil them in oil or pull out their nails with pliers. So how do you do it? And is this punishment according to the depth of their crime, or according to the council's idea of how they should be punished for daring to step out of line?"
"It is no concern of yours, Mel-aanie," he said, with a touch of what she thought was annoyance.
But having got this far, she wasn't about to let him get away with not telling her the whole truth. Lord, what if she happened to do something this blessed council didn't think was the right and proper thing to do? What might they do to punish her? The idea was more than scary. It was terrifying. This mob of aliens might be capable of dishing out all sorts of horrendous punishments. Her fear must have radiated off her in waves.
"You have nothing to fear, Mel-aanie," he drawled, watching her over his own drinking vessel. "You will be perfectly safe from harm while you do not plot to go against the council. You aren't likely to embark on any schemes that may prove to be the downfall of our planet, are you?"
"Not wittingly, but who knows what I might do without realizing I'm going against your laws?" Especially since she had no idea what those rules were.
"I will always advise you. Have no fear." His level tone and positive manner instilled her with confidence. She did trust him. Entirely. And she was glad she had him on her side.
"Good." He nodded, and she shook her head, looking upwards with a sigh.
"I'd still like to know how you punish your few lawbreakers though. It would make me feel better knowing they don't get marooned in space or chucked into a pit of fire, or suchlike."
"Nothing so primitive." His grin was almost rakish as he enlightened her, "We have no fire. Didn't you notice? Have not had fire on our planet since there was vegetation growing on the land." He swallowed his drink and put the container aside.
"Is that a fact? Then how do you heat things? Oh, I guess you use laser beams or suchlike."
"Something of the sort. You will see our furnaces when you visit the manufacturing plants."
"I can't wait. And we're getting away from the subject of punishment. So, tell me, what do you do? It would be hard to drown one of your lot, I guess."
"All right." His sigh was long-suffering. "I will explain, for I see you aren't going to let the subject drop."
"Too right. I think you've kept enough from me already. I told your parents anything they asked, didn't I? I think I have a right to know some of your customs and way of going on." Deep down she knew he didn't have to tell her a thing if he didn't want to.
His long legs shifted and he looked uncomfortable. It was so oddly out of character, she stared at him. He looked as if it was being dragged from him. "An implant is put into the offender's brain during a minor medical procedure. All thoughts of rebellion are stemmed without violence and the offender is no wiser."
"No wiser? My God! And you reckon we're primitive." Melanie was forced to wonder how many Amaryllisans walked around with their true natures stolen from them in this way.
"Very few," he said tightly, and she glowered at him.
"Oh, all right then. It's only a few so it makes no difference their heads have been messed with. It's totally barbaric. You meddle with a person's brain? And what else is stemmed? Do you take away their reproductive organs if they don't look as if they'll have a normal baby? Do you operate if their ideas don't come up to the council's expectations of what good little Amaryllisans should behave like?" She was more shocked than she cared to admit. Until this bit of news she had really believed him about there being no crime. This was the worst crime against humanity of all.
"Fancy taking away a person's right to freedom of speech," she spluttered. Somehow she felt betrayed, as if suddenly he was a complete stranger to her. Which he was, of course. She'd been kidding herself they were getting close. It was a good thing she'd learnt this now, before she convinced herself she was falling for him.
For a long moment he watched her, no doubt reading every little thought going through her confused brain.
"You have the completely wrong idea about this," he eventually said. "Very few people commit misdemeanors calling for such strict measures."
"So, what would be your idea of a dire crime calling for such an abominable punishment?" she asked belligerently.
He sighed. "The male you saw with the head plate for instance, had taken another's life."
"He's a murderer, you mean? I thought you had none of that sort of thing here."
"Normally we don't. But as you said earlier, no civilization is perfect. Every now and then, perhaps once a megnum a... I'm not sure what you would call it, malfunction is the nearest I can find to explain, happens."
"You mean they have a glitch in their brain. Like they're a screw loose?"
"I cannot imagine what you mean by this, but suppose you mean they are not as intelligent as the rest of us. Yes. Most have the operation because they do something to endanger the lives of the population."
"And who did that man kill? His lover, or his child?"
"He took the life of a boy. Normally he would have been exterminated, but because of this...glitch, as you call it, he was allowed to live. After the operation life goes on normally for these offenders, except the aggressive and adverse instincts are removed from the person's brain. They can live normal lives."
"Normal, as in like robots?" she queried tartly. Exterminated! Good God, this was becoming more like a sci-fi movie every minute.
Obviously tired of the conversation, he got up, leaving her there, chewing on a nail, while he mounted the spiral staircase. At the top he stopped to glance down on her and then he disappeared into his room.
Nothing he'd said had allayed her fears. If anything she was now more frightened than before. Here she was stuck on this godforsaken planet with no means of getting home without Reve's help. Supposing he got the idea into his head to do away with her. There was every chance once he'd picked her brain, found out everything he wanted to know of Earth, he would exterminate her.
With a small wail, she put her head in her hands. Why in hell had she decided to go along with this charade?
"Because the alternative was being murdered by a mobster," he said in a calm level voice, as clearly as if he was standing beside her.
Melanie jumped up, staring about her. He wasn't in sight. "How did you do that?" she yelled.
"No need to raise your voice, Mel-aanie, don't forget it hurts my ears," he chided. "I can hear you even if you do not voice your anxieties. Face up to it, I know your every thought, can read your mind."
"Well, I wish to blazes you'd get your nose out of my head right now." With her hands pressed to her ears she looked up to the balcony.
"I'm afraid it's impossible. Soon you will be able to read my thoughts just as well." There was a short silence. "Give it a try now. Let us see if you have yet gained your insight."
Melanie shivered. This was so weird. The man was out of sight and talking to her as if they were side by side.
"Never!" she shouted.
"You are hurting my ears again by speaking in such a high volume," he muttered.
"What did you say?" she asked quietly.
Then it hit her. He hadn't muttered it at all, yet the thought had clearly gone through her mind.
"I said I wish you did not have to shout, Earth woman. My ears cannot take it."
She whispered, "I've no desire to learn the thoughts of an alien."
"It cannot be changed." She thought she heard a soft chuckle. "From now on I will have to watch what I think. My days of peace and tranquility are numbered."
"You can say that again, mister." Melanie prowled about as she tried to take in this new development. Something told her she had a long way to go before she could read any thoughts he wished to conceal from her. "Perhaps you might see fit to send me back to Earth now, if you're so worried about me picking your mind."
"Soon we will go. Come now, get refreshed and I will continue with your tour. How would you like to see the glass houses where we cultivate our crops? Then we might fit in a visit to one of the communal houses so you can assure yourself our children are not being brought up like robots."
"I'd like that." Melanie couldn't suppress a giggle. Frightening it might be, and a trifle bewildering, but this thought transference business sure had a lot going for it. Now he came to mention it, the idea of knowing just a few of his thoughts made her tingle with expectation. Her heart lightened again.
She was sure she heard him groan loudly, and mutter something about nosy women. Inside her head.
Eleven
Melanie stripped and then stretched out beneath the light blanket. Why hadn't she tried this nude stuff before? More to the point, why hadn't Chris suggested it? It had never occurred to her to wonder why he always pulled on his pajama pants and she'd automatically slipped into a nightgown after sex. So many changes in her life. This was just a very minor one, but a pertinent one nonetheless.
She wiggled her toes and yawned. No sense in trying to work it out now. She closed her eyes and placed her hand beneath her head. As tired as she was, sleep wouldn't come easily. So many new experiences and exciting things had happened to her this day. Far too many to digest.
Reve had taken her to see the training establishments as promised. One for the five to ten year olds, and one for the over ten students. The kids all seemed happy enough, if one could term their rather sedate and serious attitude as happiness. They were so intense, and obviously didn't know what it meant to play. Life was all lessons and practice. They were all dressed in similar outfits to the adults--the only concession to their immaturity being bare feet. She hadn't known what to expect, in fact had feared she would see clones of some current child star. But they all looked like the average child one saw on the street. Too much like an average kid from the Sydney streets. Melanie guessed Irena must have implanted an image of some kid she'd seen in the park or somewhere. Their stares were inquisitive as she was introduced as the visitor from Earth.
Melanie had chuckled. She could imagine a group of Australian children just staring in curiosity if an extra terrestrial had been brought into a classroom. Pandemonium would break out. It was also reassuring in a way. If they weren't terrified of her then she couldn't look so different to them.
Once they turned ten, they went into instruction houses. These were similar places to the universities on Earth, but the subjects taught here were far more diverse and the training intense. The young Amaryllisans were trained to be instructors, pilots, food and water analysts, among many other highly skilled tasks. Once finished they were ready to go straight into their chosen fields. No extra curricular lessons. They certainly didn't have a student's union and wouldn't think of going on a march in defiance of authority.
The introduction here brought forth a different response. These older students were inquisitive, but in a more serious vein. Their questions were intense and probing. It brought home to Melanie just how true Reve's words were. These Amaryllisans were so far ahead of her in the brains department it was humiliating. Most of the instruction was done through video type lessons or with a personal trainer.
"Can I see one of your hospitals?" she'd asked Reve when they emerged, her head whirling from the training establishment.
"Hospital?" He'd stared hard at her. "There are no such places here. We have no sicknesses to keep a patient in bed. Any wounds sustained are treated with what you call laser surgery. Any infections are instantly halted." He pointed to his wristband. "Our compu-bands are programmed to repair minor wounds or illnesses."
"Can I see where you perform the laser surgery then?" she asked, and he'd taken her to a transparent dome reminding her of a huge humicrib. There were portholes in the side where the doctor, or whatever they called him, put his arms to operate the knobs controlling the laser.
"Come, I will show you our store," he'd said then, and she'd expected to be taken to his idea of a shop. This misapprehension had soon been shattered. When he slid back the door, they were in what must be a refrigerated building for it was freezing inside.
"We have parts for all the body's main organs kept here," he said proudly.
"My God, you have body parts stored here?" she'd squeaked, earning a peculiar glance from the Amaryllisan in charge. "It's like the story of Frankenstein." Melanie shuddered at the thought, imagining what some freaks at home would do with this technology.
"Frankenstein?" Reve questioned, giving her a funny look as he read her thoughts.
"I assure you the organs and limbs are taken from deceased Amaryllisans," he said gravely. "Then, only the perfect parts are kept and re-used."
She'd seen a man on the news before she left home who'd had an operation to give him a dead man's arms. "Well, I guess we'll be doing exactly the same thing in the not too distant future. Already we use organs, and limbs, but only when the person has just died. We don't store parts like this." Another shudder ran through her as she glanced to the many-labeled compartments, some tiny, some fairly large.
"Ah, so you are not so far behind us after all, perhaps only a few centuries."
"I guess not. And we do store embryos and have sperm banks, now I come to think about it. What about the women when they give birth? If there are no hospitals, and hence no maternity wards, where do they have their babies?"
"A skilled medico delivers all infants in the familiar surroundings of the females' home," he explained. "The baby is born within a few moments of the mother getting her first signs of the impending delivery."
Melanie stared at him in amazement. "All of them?"
"Of course. Our women gave up enduring the pains of childbirth many megnums ago. Why would they suffer when it can be performed painlessly?"
"Why indeed? And how come the medico is there when the woman only has such short notice?"
He glanced at her as if her query was idiotic. "The birth is timed to the exact moment, of course."
"Of course." No messing around with wrong diagnosis dates and mixed up days of when you conceived here.
Now Melanie yawned again and turned onto her side as her eyelids drooped.
\*
Reve walked over to stand by the sleeping couch. For a while he watched Mel-aanie as she slept. Every now and then she made a small snuffling noise at the back of her throat which reminded him of a child engrossed in dreams. Although an intriguing creature, she had the innocence of a babe.
But she was most certainly no minor. How she had questioned and probed during their whirlwind tour. No, her mind was alert, her senses sharp, and her reflexes astonishingly quick.
He hadn't known what to expect these Earth people to be like from the reports brought back. He'd expected a lower form of life. This woman was definitely a surprise, and a pleasant one. And undeniably a revelation. Doubtless, from what she'd said, many other Earthmen and women differed in uncountable ways. Irena had chosen well. His parents had been equally enamored too. Their thought patterns had shown how they shared his view. Here was a person who was quick-witted and complex.
"Mel-aanie." He said her name in her head and she rolled her shoulders and muttered indistinctly in her sleep. It sounded like his name, which pleased him inordinately.
Nothing on Amaryllis would prevent him sharing his body with her this night. His senses had been heightened and his awareness of her attributes strengthened with each passing moment.
"Reve." There was no doubt it was his name now uttered on a breathless sigh.
Taking her small sigh and the soft curve of her mouth as a sign of her acceptance, Reve bent to remove the covering from her body and eased it down so his eyes could feast on every delectable part of her slowly. Stretching every limb with a sensuous invitation, she made no move to conceal herself but held out an arm in welcome.
With a sigh of his own, Reve sank onto the couch beside her and his fingers smoothed over her curves as he tangled his legs with hers. With a mumbled word of acceptance, she put her small hand on his chest and stroked until his breath caught somewhere inside his chest cavity.
"I wish to try this kissing again," he told her, his mouth hovering above the pink lips that pouted and beguiled.
"Oh yes." The pout changed to a sultry smile of invitation.
His mouth covered hers. Who was doing the seducing here? With a sigh of contentment she opened for him, and he tasted again the wondrous delights she offered, while their limbs tangled and their hands continued to roam over every accessible part of each other's skin. The passion rose in him and his whole being began to throb and hum.
"Again," she prompted, when he pulled back a fraction to test her awareness.
"Yes, of course," he agreed with a small chuckle, soon changed to a groan when her lively fingers massaged the curve of his back before ending up on the mound of his seat. "To satisfy your every wish is all I live for."
Her answering smile drove him on, and with his tongue he delved deep, savoring, learning her shape, her taste. With each thrust of his tongue, she writhed beneath him and emitted small sounds that threatened to drive him to a savagery he knew he must contain.
Reve had known more than a few females in his time--willing Amaryllisan women who knew every facet of passion from an early age. Knew instinctively how to please the male they were with at that particular time. Pleasure could be gained on many levels using sensory perception. But this Earth woman brought forth feelings in him he had never experienced before. While she satisfied his lust, she also satisfied some deep-seated hunger, which until now he hadn't even thought of.
With a deep stroke of his tongue, he took her over the edge; but this time he went with her and found a stunning release that took the breath from his body.
By the Great Bodka, she was like a spirit from the fabled gods, luring him on, bewitching him. Taking a moment to regain his regular breathing and to recapture some of his equanimity, he watched her as she trembled in the aftermath of her release, while small panting sounds came from her exquisite mouth.
Murmuring words of reassurance, he turned her onto her stomach in one easy movement then began to lick his way down her spinal column. "So tasty, so delectable." He delighted in her immediate response as she hunched her shoulders and moved about restlessly, while letting out more of those soft purring sounds.
"Reve."
"Yes, my sweet one?" He had reached the top curve of her bottom and while he stroked her legs with his hands, he continued on his journey with his tongue.
"That's so nice," she whispered, a note in her voice assuring him she was as highly charged as he. "It drives me crazy."
"It does?" he said, feeling more intensely aroused at her declaration than he could ever recall feeling. "I'm so glad you like it, Mel-aanie. For I intend to taste every small indentation, every tiny mound, and every curve. And also each and every delicious one of these fine hairs covering a skin as soft as the petals of the meuri flower." With his nose he caressed her back and traced each small indentation as he had with his tongue. The aroused sound of pleasure she made had his own pelt standing on end.
A ripple ran through him, similar to a soft breeze sweeping over water. But this was full of sensual delight, firing his passion to greater heights. If he wasn't careful with her he could easily frighten her by this savage hunger engulfing him.
"I wish to touch you too," she murmured in such a beguiling way it stirred his blood until it ran like a fiery heat through his veins.
Drawing a deep breath he said against her shoulder, "Then you must have your wish." Reve turned her with one of his hands on her hip and the other on her shoulder. "Give me your hand and I will show you where I wish you to begin your exploration."
"Aahh!" With a drawn out sigh of gratification, she wrapped her slender fingers around the length of his shaft. Reve groaned and arched his back as she began to stroke, caress and squeeze him. Exquisite torture! Her hands had the power to drive him to insanity.
With a shout of pleasure, he covered her mouth again and his fingers sought out the moist warmth between her legs. With an acquiescent moan, she allowed him access, spreading her legs for him, even while she continued to torment him with her touch, now soft as the wings of a manti bird, now as fierce as a fabled dragon.
"I would be inside you now," he growled, matching action to words and sinking into her damp welcoming heat with one sure drive. His blood throbbed through his veins--surging until he thought he might die of the experience. Something he would likely do if this lust within him reached higher proportions.
She accepted him--did not shrink from the power of his thrusts, did not draw back from the strength he did nothing to conceal now. With his hands he continued to stroke her heated flesh, while with her body, she engulfed him, her legs wrapped about his middle, her hands about his shoulders. With a cry she dug her nails into his back and he reveled in the sharp pain.
"You are truly my mate," he purred near her ear as he grew and pulsed within the heated heart of her womanhood. Pushing onto his elbows, he drove into her again and again and watched the ecstasy lighting her face. An ecstasy she did nothing to conceal. This he liked about her more than any other trait. This Earth woman matched him in every way that was important.
"Reve!" His name was torn from her throat on a groan of fulfillment to match his shout, as he sent them both to their peak of ecstasy, to the place bequeathed to lovers by the great fabled gods of pleasure.
Was it moments or eons of time later their breathing slowed to normal and the pounding of his blood returned to a gentle flow?
Reve placed a soft touch on her closed eyelids with his mouth as he withdrew, rolling to pull her into his side. He let his hands trace a path from her breast to her hip. Another new phenomenon. Amaryllisan women did not enjoy being fondled after the act had been completed.
But this Earth woman did not like being separated from him, in fact mumbled her displeasure at his leaving her. With her head on his chest and her arms about his middle, she tried to climb onto him as she sighed, and then sank into oblivion.
\*
Melanie awoke slowly, surfacing from a lovely languid haven.
Something was tickling her toes. Kicking out lazily she let out a giggle as she pulled her foot away from the offender. "Go away," she muttered.
"You are awake?" Reve's voice, deep and full of something sounding like amusement, came from nearby.
"No, I'm still asleep," she assured him, opening her eyes. He was fully clothed and standing at the end of her bed.
A blush rushed up her neck to flood her face as she recalled her wanton behavior all through the night. How many times had he brought her fulfillment? She'd lost count after four or five. He was insatiable.
Peeking up at him she saw his eyebrows were quirked.
"Egomaniac!" she muttered, and his grin showed he had read every thought.
No use now trying to pretend it had all been a dream. No more than the first time. Sometime during the blissful night she had reached the conclusion that on that occasion their lovemaking had definitely not been a figment of her imagination.
Each time he'd awakened her with the promise this time there would be no doubt who was possessing her. Or if it really was happening.
"Come," he ordered, wagging a finger at her imperiously. "I will take you to our mountains now. I must return later to Victus, I am afraid. My duties call. So, this first part of the day I will spare for you."
"How magnanimous of you," she said pertly, pulling the cover beneath her armpits as she put her feet to the floor.
"Why do you do this?" he asked, his lids drooping sexily as he eyed the way she clutched the blanket.
"Do what?" Melanie gave him a feigned look of innocence as the blanket was held more closely against her highly sensitized, hot skin.
He shook his head. "I have seen and tasted every curve and mound, every hair and hidden secret of your desirable body. My tongue explored each of its tasty entrances."
Her skin grew even hotter at this announcement.
"I now know it as well as I know my own, probably better, yet you proceed to show this modesty. I find it very puzzling. Do not your people ever show their skins to their mates in daylight?" He frowned as he bent to tug the blanket from her fingers.
After a brief tussle, Melanie let it drop, biting at her lower lip. While trying not to let her embarrassment show she shrugged as she looked away from his penetrating eyes.
"Of course we do. It's just, well...just..." With a tiny yelp she jumped back when he ran a fingertip across her stomach and up to just beneath her breasts and made her quiver with remembered delight.
"I have seen and lavished attention on your Earth form, and if I so desire can see you in the false image you admire, which Irena manufactured for you. You have not the smallest secret I do not know about, so it is futile to try and hide behind a piece of fabric." He made a soft sound like a growl in his throat. "Come." Holding out his hand, he waited until she placed her fingers on his palm, and then led her over to the full-length mirror on the wall.
"I know you like the body of mine you see, and also you are happy with the body Irena gave you. So tell me, what have you to be ashamed of in admiring yourself?" He skimmed his fingertips down her sides, then up again, barely touching her, but lighting fires within her nevertheless.
Melanie shivered, watching the journey of his hands as they went from the top of her arms, across her breasts, which were heavy and aching and then back to her navel. His eyes also followed the trail of his fingers as they dipped lower, curling over each hipbone and then skimmed down to spread across the top of her thighs.
"You are a fine specimen of womanhood," he whispered at her ear as he pushed her back until they melded together from knees to shoulders.
With a jolt Melanie tore herself free, away from the sensual web he had spun about her. It was all too easy for him to drag her under, deeper and deeper into his inviting trap. "You make me sound like something you've just made up in the laboratory," she said breathlessly, aiming for a tart response, but failing, for her voice was husky and laced with desire. With a huff she retreated to the shower cubicle. His soft chuckle followed her.
It was good to hear him laugh, something he'd done rarely at first. But she noted with a touch of smugness, he was doing it a lot. She intended making him laugh more often.
"Hurry, or I will join you in there and we will never get to see the mountains," he called, a throb of desire making his voice sound even deeper than usual. "I will order you a change of garments to save time."
Within a moment he was standing by her and had a clean pair of pants and a shirt held out for her to take.
"I would like to see where your clothes are manufactured, Reve," she said with a touch of disdain as she pulled the garments on. Thankful he had retreated to the other side of the room, while she dressed. "They could do with a bit of advice on adding to their range."
"Do I take this to mean you have intentions of staying around long enough to visit the factories?" he asked, watching her closely.
Melanie shrugged. "Let's face it. I'm stuck here until you see fit to take me home, aren't I?"
"Yes, Mel-aanie, this is a fact." Moving in on her he put one of his hands on each shoulder and gave her a look that could only be called sultry. "I find I like your company, even taking into account your strange habits."
Reve dodged the punch she aimed at his chest. Sparring playfully, verbally or physically, with another person was something he was not used to, and he found it brought him immense pleasure. He would certainly not be rushing to escort her back to Earth. And she was right in saying it all hinged on his willingness to take her. Just the thought of letting her go, never seeing her again, brought a sharp sensation to his mid section. Another phenomenon, for it had the ferocity of a wound pain, the intensity of a feeling never encountered.
Twelve
"Oh goodness, I see what you mean. Your mountain is a sight to behold," Melanie gasped as the hovercraft neared Tepiri. With a shiver she stared at the imposing sight.
"This is the larger of our two remaining land masses," he said.
"It in no way resembles anything on Earth," Melanie said. "But it certainly has a beauty of its own that is magnificent." Not so much beauty, but an awe-inspiring presence, if a touch frightening.
Sheer cliffs as high as a twenty-story building dropped straight into the dark waters lapping their sides. "What substance is that?" Several colors ranging from a dull green to a vivid orange seemed to glitter and shimmer as the rays of the sun played over them and turned them mellow one moment, iridescent the next.
Reve thought for a moment. "It has no name I can translate into your language. It is just a mountain. "
"They're a bit like the wall in your home, but not as magnificent."
He smiled. "I'm glad you like my home, as I've already said. The craft will traverse the cliffs and come in from the other side where there is a landing platform. At certain times of the day, depending where the light shines on them, the cliffs change their hues even more. Soon the colors will deepen and as the light begins to disappear for the day they become as black as the night sky."
Melanie shivered visibly. "I don't think I would like to be out here after dark. In fact I'm sure I wouldn't. I reckon it would be scary." Although awesome, there was a starkness and barrenness about the mountain that was downright eerie.
"Eerie?" He watched her while he read her thoughts. "Certainly it is cold at night, and bleak, but we do not have monsters who rise from the ocean floor to inhabit the mountain. No ghouls or ghosts." His laugh proclaimed her a dope for entertaining such fanciful notions.
"All right, smarty pants, so you don't have goblins and the rest, but you can't blame me for imagining such things. This place would give anyone the creeps after dark."
"Agreed. But nobody with any sense would linger here after sundown, unless they had special tasks to perform, and so were properly attired. The mountain is illuminated after sundown anyway."
Extending his hand he enfolded her fingers in his as the hovercraft neared a huge covered jetty. Once ashore, he kept his other palm pressed to her back as they walked up the slope, leading to a huge see-through enclosure, rather like a massive conservatory.
"Wait here." He went to a panel of buttons and tapped in what was obviously a code.
"What was that for?" Melanie asked, when he rejoined her.
"I was simply asking permission to land," he told her. "And also I informed the mining authority we are here for pleasure not business. Come, we will take the elevator to the top and then perhaps you would care to swim. The water of the lagoon abounds with sea creatures. It is safe to swim there."
"Safe? Isn't it so in the ocean then?"
"I meant it was safer for you to swim in the lagoon," he drawled. "The oceans are what you would call fathoms deep and there are many underwater caves and obstacles waiting to trap the unwary diver. We have the ability to swim with the sea creatures for long periods of time, but as you are not so adept at staying beneath the waters, I thought it would be more pleasurable for you to swim in an enclosed area."
Melanie smiled. "You're right, I'd probably splutter and flounder like a wounded whale."
They had entered the elevator. When he'd closed the door he said, "See, already you grow accustomed to being enclosed." Wrapping his arm about her waist he pulled her to his side.
Melanie was past the point of thinking of much else when he was this close with his eyes searing hers as he watched her intently. "I guess I'm getting brave," she said huskily. "After all, I've come across the universe. It'd really be a bit silly to be scared of a lift, wouldn't it?"
"As you say." With his finger he traced a path from her brow, down the bridge of her nose and then let the fingertip linger on the soft inner flesh of her lower lip. A smile curved his mouth when her lips trembled beneath the soft but sensuous touch.
"Have you any monsters in the deep? You said there are many creatures beneath the sea, but didn't say if they are all friendly."
"What is a shark?" he asked instead of answering her question.
"Why do you ask?" She gave him a sidelong glance as they left the elevator. He kept his hand at her back as he led her along a corridor whose transparent sides gave a view of the mountaintop. It was breathtaking. For a moment Melanie forgot their conversation as she stopped to stare at the vista. Rocky outcrops dotted a treeless plain stretching for miles. "I had no idea it would be so huge." Her voice was soft.
"Ten of your land measures."
She gave him a dirty look. "How come you can read every thought in my head, but I can't see now what's going on in yours?"
"It's as natural to me as breathing. Soon you will be adept at it." He nodded when she gave him a skeptical look. "You thought of a creature called a shark when talking of danger beneath the water. I see it is a large sea monster with vicious teeth, and has a habit of biting humans who venture into its habitat."
"Well, seeing as you know the answer to your question, I won't waste my time explaining," she snapped huffily, turning her attention to a tower pointing skywards a couple of miles in the distance. "Is the high contraption the mine-head?"
Various buildings were dotted about on this plateau. There was no foliage as far as she could tell, just rocks, and rough terrain, and here and there small pools, which had probably been left by last night's downpour. On the outer rim of the mesa she could see what was obviously the beginning of the retaining wall. Many people worked industriously around this wall. It was hard to tell their sex as they all wore overalls covering them from top to toe.
The large robots doing the manual labor were operating huge machinery, toting great slabs of the substance that looked like steel, but was like nothing on Earth, into position. They made this metal, or whatever it was, from sand brought up from the bottom of the ocean and combined with a lot of other Amaryllisan inventions beyond her scope of understanding. Reve had explained, or tried to, the calculations and procedures involved, but she'd lost track after he got to the part where the sand was put into a vat and heated to about a thousand times the temperature a mortal could withstand.
"I see you have already worked out that the wall is under construction there," he interrupted her thoughts to say.
"The cliffs were so high, Reve, I find it hard to believe it will only be two hundred years before this is all under water."
"Take me at my word, Mel-aanie. Statisticians with brains far more advanced than yours have worked it out. Come, let us go on. As I told you, my time is limited." He stroked his hand over her back and let it stray to her bottom, where it lingered.
"You're getting fresh, mister." Melanie gave him a haughty look over a shoulder as she walked ahead of him.
"Fresh? What is this? Ah, I take liberties with your person," he said with a nod. "You didn't complain through the night, so why do so now? What a strange mixture of contradictions you are, Mel-aanie Ross."
"There's a time and place for everything," she told him primly. He laughed roguishly and said something highly provocative inside her head. She couldn't help blushing.
They rode to the lagoon in a sort of buggy that floated over the terrain, like a small hovercraft.
"This is the only land transport on our planet," he told her, as it whizzed across the rocky ground at a rapid pace. Reve was in charge of the controls and she was sure he was showing off as he swerved around jutting rocks and just missed crevices.
"My God! Where did you get your license?" she demanded just as he stopped it, with a soft whirring noise, beside another, smaller, glass dome.
"License?" he queried, looking innocent as he helped her out.
"No, I guess you wouldn't have need for those when you flit between planet and planet with the speed of light." Then they entered a door set in the dome. "Oh Reve, it's beautiful."
Nothing she'd seen before on Amaryllis prepared her for this. The pool before them had water of the deepest green; so clear she could see fish of exquisite colors swimming near the surface. These water creatures dipped and dived like nymphs, their colors changing as the light reflected on their backs. They didn't appear to have fins of any sort, but moved as if guided by an inner motor.
Flowers of every shade and size had been planted around its edges, some similar to those in Reve's home, but most more exotic looking with long stems and layers of petals in every hue imaginable. This certainly made up for the bland corridors and lackluster scenery of the mountaintop they'd seen so far.
Birds, no bigger than butterflies, flew over and around them, and Melanie ducked her head when a few came close enough that she could feel the breeze caused by their flapping wings.
"The small birds will not harm you. They are without bacteria, specifically bred to fly here," he said.
She sighed. "It's wonderful."
"I'm glad you like our lagoon." With a flick of his hand he gestured about them. "This is the largest of four equipped for swimming. I brought you here as I guessed it would be more secluded at this time of day. I see I was right. We are alone. Come, disrobe and we will go in. You will find it comfortably warm."
"Disrobe?" Melanie swallowed and glanced about. There wasn't a soul in sight. But it didn't mean someone wouldn't appear at any moment. "I've never swum in the nude before." Her voice was a whisper and he laughed, which made her indignant.
"You have never gone across the universe in a space craft before either. You have never made love to what you consider an alien, have you?" His tone held a touch of indulgence. "There is a first time for everything in this life, Mel-aanie. I'm sure you will enjoy the experience."
Before she could say another word, he had stripped and was preparing to dive in from a flat rock a few feet away. His magnificent body drew her gaze like a magnet.
For a moment she stood undecided and then with a swift glance about to ensure the coast was clear, she quickly stripped. Goosebumps rose on her skin, even though it wasn't the least bit cold. He was right. She was doing a whole bundle of things completely out of character. With a nervous giggle she bent to test the water with her toe. This new Melanie Ross was going to enjoy herself while she could. So, he was an alien, albeit a very attractive one, but he fancied her like mad. When would she ever get the chance to throw caution to the winds and treat life like an erotic fantasy again?
Reve burst from the water a foot from her and she let out a small squeal. Tossing the long hair behind him, he grinned, and the mischievous light in his eyes proclaimed he could read her thoughts, even below the water.
His hand extended, he coaxed, "Come, Mel-aanie. I will not let you drown."
"I didn't expect you would." She lowered herself gingerly into the water and moved forward to practically fall into his arms.
"So eager," he taunted. He lay on his back and, with his arms about her waist kicked off, using his body as a surfboard for her to lie on.
About fifty feet from the edge he dropped his feet, trod water and turned her until she faced him. With his arms still secure about her waist, Melanie experimentally moved her own legs while she gripped his biceps. The flexing of the muscles beneath her fingers made her insides flutter. Remembrance flooded her and his eyes grew sultry, showing her he recalled every minute they'd spent in each other's arms in explicit detail.
"I feel very buoyant," she said, her voice husky as she realized their combined thoughts were having a telling effect on their naked bodies. "It's probably impossible to sink below the surface." Her muttering was inane and she floated out effortlessly away from the drugging effects caused by his nearness.
"Impossible," he agreed. "Let us swim." Releasing her from the spell of his eyes and his hold, he kicked out to put a space of a body's length between them "If you show signs of sinking, I will be here to ensure you are not about to drown."
Melanie had never been a strong swimmer, in fact she had always kept clear of water and hated the sense of panic she suffered entering it. But she felt safe with him nearby as she set out in her adaptation of a crawl. This new woman who inhabited her body was game to try anything. What next? After traveling inter planetary, tasting the delights offered by an alien, and changing her whole outlook along with her body shape, there couldn't be a lot more to surprise her, surely?
Reve dived and rolled far beneath her and did those amazing somersaults and twists, which enthralled her. He had to be a fish of some sort, or similar to a seal . He moved with such grace and speed in the water, agile and expert. He was a joy to watch. It struck her then, without experiencing the usual feeling of panic attacking her, she was holding her eyes open beneath the water. Her giggle drifted over the water, and the many fish swimming alongside her skittered and took off with flashes of color and action darting through the green.
Relaxing onto her back she idly floated, her legs barely moving as she drifted peacefully near the far side to where they had entered the water.
At this rate, and with the speed in which she had acclimatized to the water, she would probably learn to stay under longer in no time.
"I will teach you if you stay with me," he said, and Melanie turned about to search the nearby water. Reve was nowhere in sight, and with a start she realized he was inside her head again.
"I can't stay, Reve," she said aloud. "I don't belong here. And you promised to take me back to Earth." Not that the thought of returning to her old life brought her any cheer. The prospect, in fact, depressed her.
Suddenly like a great dolphin, he was beside her when he surged to the surface. Grasping her around the waist, he brought her into contact with his body. A body she soon realized was fully aroused. Melanie gasped as he molded his body to hers, so close almost every inch touched from their toes to their noses. Too stunned to think straight, she grasped him about the neck. He uttered a guttural cry and then covered her mouth with his--that treacherous tongue of his delving deep, driving her half wild with longing.
On a soft growl, he drew back long enough to suggest between heated kisses, "Perhaps I can convince you that you have more to live for on Amaryllis than you would ever have on Earth."
Then, his hands on her bottom, he drove into her and she wrapped her legs about his sleek, taut body. She gasped, unable to think straight, only to feel. "Reve."
"Mel-aanie," he whispered and then with his mouth, he brought her to a shattering climax. While she was still floating in a haze, he drove them both over the edge into a whirling sea of ecstasy.
Too sated to move Melanie allowed him to tow her slowly back to shore.
Once on land he carried her a few feet to what Melanie realized was a drying alcove. There beneath a warm draught of air, he made love to her again, slowly, drawing out each moment of exquisite ecstasy, until she was a quivering mass of feeling. Lying limp in his arms, she allowed him to set her down on one of the two couches.
"My God, you'll kill me," she whispered.
Touching a finger to her kiss-swollen lips, Reve chuckled. "Do Earth people actually die from indulging in sexual pleasure?"
"It's a figure of speech." Melanie watched as he sauntered off to fetch their clothes. He moved with such unselfconscious ease. A man in control of his senses, a man capable of giving her more satisfaction, than she'd ever thought to attain in this life. How bland her life had been before. Poor Chris. He could never match up to this Amaryllisan, in any way.
She'd told Reve she had no place here on his planet. But could she really consider returning home, never to see him again? Could she face a life that would be empty and arid without him?
Silently he returned, and the expression in his eyes puzzled her as he gazed down without touching her.
"What?" she asked.
"We have no need to speak of what is in our minds." He handed over her clothes, and she put her feet to the floor. "We must go now. We will come back another day."
Could he also be desolate at the thought of their parting?
Thirteen
Back in his austere alien mode, Reve stood by the door. "Bettrys will take you wherever you want to go in my absence." Since he'd let Bettrys in, he'd been his usual efficient self, hiding his thoughts behind a bland expression so Melanie felt strangely bereft. Obviously reading her well, he came back to where she stood and gave her a small smile. "I will see you before the sun goes down."
With a small nod of his head, he went, leaving Melanie feeling like a lost lamb in a big, big, paddock.
"What would you like to do?" Bettrys asked.
Melanie got the distinct impression the woman wasn't enamored of the idea of being her watchdog.
"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps we could go to the training establishments again." She'd like to see more of the young Amaryllisans. To see if, by chance, they did spend some of their time in activities more to do with playtime than studying.
As Bettrys was about to answer, a flashing beam above the entrance door signaled someone wished to enter.
"I will see who it is." Bettrys went to press the appropriate button.
As the door slid back, a woman strolled in. Taller than Melanie by a few inches, she bore a striking resemblance to a mid-day TV soapie star.
Melanie stared at this imitation person.
"I have spoken to Reve," the newcomer said. "I see, Bettrys. You have been given the task of attending the Earth woman." She eyed Melanie with what could only be termed disdain. "We are to use her speech patterns, I have been told."
Well, excuse me. Melanie felt like telling the woman not to bother. She wasn't particularly worried if she didn't talk to her at all. The raised eyebrows and scornful twist to her mouth shocked her to the core. Why would this Amaryllisan view her with such an emotion? Most of the others here looked on her with interest or curiosity, never dislike as this one was doing. Some had appeared indifferent, but none were filled with an animosity that reached her in waves.
"I'm Melanie Ross. Who have I the pleasure of meeting?" Melanie offered her hand. It was ignored. Some pleasure. Feeling foolish, she rubbed it down her side. "It is kind of you to take the bother to translate my speech patterns. Sarcasm clipped her voice.
"I am called Alexia." The cold voice was certainly filled with the same feelings the eyes had conveyed.
"May I offer you some refreshment?" Melanie straightened her spine, not about to let this nasty piece of work get the better of her. She watched the look of dislike flicker over eyes somehow lacking in depth or color. The woman had a permanent air of disdain about her that unnerved Melanie. What had she done to deserve such contempt, for goodness' sake? She'd never set eyes on the woman before.
How she missed Reve.
"Bettrys, fetch me a graw juice," Alexia ordered, as if Melanie hadn't spoken. Strolling to a couch she sat, turning frosty eyes on Melanie.
Perhaps she was having trouble translating her speech. Prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt, Melanie smiled, though somewhat stiffly.
"Perhaps I can show you some of our planet in Reve's absence," she suggested, eyes still empty of real emotion.
"Thank you kindly, but Bettrys was about to do the honors." Melanie took the offered glass from Bettrys, offering her companion a smile. Bettrys conveyed no sense of like or dislike for the visitor as she sat too.
Melanie watched Alexia over the rim of her drinking vessel. She couldn't take to this particular Amaryllisan at all.
"Bettrys can accompany us, as Reve left her in charge of the task," Alexia said, making Melanie feel like a schoolgirl who'd been left with a nanny. "Have you seen our mountains?"
"Reve took me to the largest pool on Tepiri this morning." Melanie went scarlet as she recalled what had happened in the pool and later.
Alexia's eyes were narrow slits and for once there was a glimmer of emotion in their depths. An emotion sending a shiver up Melanie's spine. Could she read her mind as easily as Reve and his parents could?
"Reve will be my partner, once he has tired of the uniqueness of you, Earth woman," she told Melanie curtly, proving she was adept at telepathy. There was no doubt about it now. Venom filled those strange eyes.
"I don't doubt Reve will choose another partner to take Irena's place," Melanie said sharply. The thought of leaving him to another woman when she returned to Earth brought such a pain of sadness, she pressed a hand to the region of her heart.
"You don't seem too sure about your intentions of going back to your home planet." The nastiness in her tone added to Melanie's unease. "Surely you would not wish to stay indefinitely with people who are alien to you."
"Reve will accompany me back to Earth--then return." Melanie's fingers tightened on her glass. If only he was able to stay with her longer. There was a slim chance he might have liked living on Earth. That only brought immense sadness to her.
"I suppose you've heard it isn't safe for your people to dally down there."
"I heard. Irena was always foolhardy and rash." She almost spat Irena's name.
This was the most emotion any Amaryllisan, apart from Reve, had shown. Were any of the others concealing similar feelings of dislike behind their polite mask?
"I will make a better partner for Reve." Alexia sounded very sure of herself. "I have not the great ambitions of Irena. My aim is to please my partner. And the one I choose is Reve."
"I haven't known Reve long, but I rather think he will do his own choosing, Alexia." With a shrug Melanie gave her empty glass to Bettrys, who had risen and hovered nearby, still showing no hint of her feelings toward their visitor.
Alexia got up, stretching like a cat as she also gave up her empty glass. "Would you care to meet Irena's parents? Her mother Lilius is in charge of our dietary supplies and Aylmer, her father, is chief cultivation consultant."
"Yes, I'd like this," Melanie agreed. Might as well go along with her. Perhaps Melanie had mistaken the animosity in the woman's expression. After all, they were a serious lot up here. Alexia might be more sullen than the others. Who was she kidding? The woman hated her guts. So, obviously jealousy was one emotion they shared with Earth dwellers.
Melanie harbored enough jealousy of her own. Could this woman really be next in line as Reve's mate? Just thinking of the possibility made her feel sick.
\*
Once outside, they all donned skis, and soon were skimming along the avenues. Melanie was beginning to know her way around. "How many cities such as this are there on Amaryllis?" she asked.
She had meant to put this question to Reve, but when they were together too many other things were on her mind. Things like the magnificence of his body, the way he kissed and caressed her until she was a writhing mass of desire. She was growing to love so many things about him. Or was it just infatuation? Would she feel the same for any man who showed her the true depth of her sexual appetites?
Alexia glared at her as they slowed beside a triple storied building. Melanie bent to remove her ski. She couldn't help it if her every thought could be monitored. This skill they had of reading minds was intimidating, but what was the use of worrying about it?
Alexia frowned. "There are thousands of cities. I'm surprised Reve has not explained all this to you."
For a moment Melanie had forgotten her question.
"You must forgive me if it takes me longer than Reve to translate your speech patterns," Alexia went on. "I am not as highly intelligent as he." She jabbed at the button above the nameplate.
The door slid back, and a woman, beautiful and tall of course, let them in. Her eyes slid over Melanie, but didn't contain any hostility. Melanie was thankful. It was a horrible sensation to be disliked so much. To her knowledge, she'd never roused jealousy or envy in another before.
Alexia led them through a stark foyer into a hall where the smaller type robots worked before about twenty screens lined up along the right hand wall. On the left were more doors with flickering lights over them. Nothing else, no benches, no desks, no copiers or faxes. Nothing to brighten the working environment. Still, she guessed robots didn't notice such things.
"Lilius will see us," Alexia said after talking quietly to the woman who had let them in. "As to your question, each city has its own facilities for cultivating food, producing wearing apparel, performing laser surgery. In fact each city can survive alone if needs be. This is the main controlling city. All the others, although independent, report here regularly."
"What's the name of this city, by the way? I never got round to asking Reve that either."
"We have no names. This is Prime City. The others go by numbers. It makes for easier checking." Alexia's eyes were penetrating as they went into an elevator and Melanie tried to conceal her fear. The last thing she wanted was for this woman to know about her weakness.
With relief Melanie stepped out of the confined space. They walked into another large area with banks of computers lined up with row after row of data flickering across their screens. Amaryllisans operated these machines, all standing. They glanced Melanie's way with subdued interest before continuing with their work, some tapping out script, others obviously checking input.
"Don't they get to sit?" Melanie queried as she watched them with interest.
"No, they have regular breaks. They swim then. It is not natural to sit for long periods." Alexia turned away at the sound of a female voice.
"Ah, Alexia, I see you have brought our visitor along. Please come into my work area." A tall woman who looked a bit like a talk show host who had an afternoon time slot on TV held out her hand in welcome. As Melanie touched palms with her, Melanie was pleased to note that, although far from overjoyed, this one was less hostile towards her.
"This is Melanie Ross," Alexia introduced her and they all went through another door, followed by Bettrys.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I call you Melanie?" The silver-haired Amaryllisan sat down on a long couch and patted the cushion at her side. "Please be seated."
"Yes, please do call me that, and what should I call you?" Melanie asked, sitting beside her.
The office, if office it was, faced the water, and was sparsely furnished with just two couches and a commodities supplier above a vanity bench. More computer screens flickered constantly in here.
"I am known as Lilius." Irena's mother stared hard at her. "You met my daughter?"
"Not exactly." Melanie dropped her gaze. "Irena appeared to me in a sort of dream. I never saw her, so it couldn't be said she appeared. She transferred her thoughts. She was already very sick by the time she came to me with her proposition. Then when she took me up to her craft, I barely had time to get to know her before she was putting me in a trance in preparation for the journey here."
"I cannot believe she would be so foolish. You are certain she did not survive?" There was a definite note of suspicion in her tone.
Perhaps she suspected her of doing away with her daughter so she could take her place.
"I can assure you Irena was fading fast when she first spoke to me in a dream. There was no way she could have survived, even had she wanted, for whatever reason, to stay on Earth. The virus of influenza, which killed her, had already taken a firm hold, so she told me, before she sent me on my way. And I can assure you. I wouldn't have come here by choice. I'm the last person who would have volunteered for an interplanetary expedition." Melanie laughed shortly. It was a fact.
"Perhaps you would like to see how our establishment is run while you are here." Lilius changed the subject, leaving Melanie wondering at her suspicions.
"Thank you. I'd like that."
First up she met Aylmer, Irena's father. What a peculiar man. It soon became apparent he refused to believe his daughter was dead. His suspicions were more forthright. He kept hinting she'd taken over Irena's body or mind or something. It was eerie. He looked too much like the President of the United States too, which made it even weirder.
"I can assure you our technology on Earth hasn't reached the stage yet where we can transform ourselves into another," she had to tell him in the end, not sure if he really believed her or not. Never had she been so glad to get out of someone's company.
Lilius watched her closely too, as if waiting for her to make a slip and expose herself. Still, when compared to what a reception Amaryllisans would get on Earth, she had to admit they had grounds for suspicions. If the positions were reversed, Melanie had no doubt by now the aliens would be subjected to all sorts of tests and examinations. But of course they would be invisible on Earth, so it didn't come into calculations. Earth scientists wouldn't be able to examine what they couldn't see. How many alien craft had landed on Earth over the centuries and been undetected?
\*
"Thank you for taking me," Melanie said, when the tour was over. "It was really interesting to see how your crops are cultivated and your food and rations are allocated." It had been more than interesting. It had been a revelation. "No one starves or goes short of food here, do they?" What an incredible state of affairs. Everyone was of equal status and with no money or likewise to barter with the need for competition was ruled out.
"What would be the point? Do your people lack proper sustenance on Earth?" Lilius asked as if in amazement.
"Some do, yes." Melanie wasn't about to disclose just how many people on Earth went without a decent meal sometimes for weeks on end. Or how some died of malnutrition and starvation.
These people were certainly very civilized and had it all worked out. If only they didn't seem to be sanitized and without too much emotion, except for Aylmer, who was odd, and Alexia, who was certainly jealous of Melanie. It was clear the woman saw herself as next in line in Reve's life, and on more than once occasion Melanie had caught her looking at her with undisguised loathing.
\*
Glad to see the back of Alexia, Melanie breathed a sigh when Alexia and Bettrys left. With a glass of juice in her hand, she sat in Reve's home and contemplated her future. What would happen when she returned to Earth? How would she get on, living in a world without friends, without Chris?
Without Reve? It didn't bear thinking about.
"You do not have to endure a life without me," her lover's voice drawled. "You can stay here and make a life for yourself with my people."
Melanie shot out of her seat and placed the glass aside when she threatened to drop it. Reve stood just inside the door, his stance wary.
"My God! I wish you wouldn't do that." Melanie pushed her hair back as her face heated. "Are you sure you aren't half cat as well as part fish? I've never known anyone who could move so soundlessly. And you're poking your nose into my head again."
"I rather thought I was reading your thoughts, not using my sense of smell at all." He strolled over and put his hand on her shoulder and smiled as he rubbed noses with her until her eyes crossed. Melanie gulped, loving the playful action. How he'd changed within such a short space of time. It was almost incredible to believe someone could alter to such an extent. God! Could this be an act?
"I am what you see," he said, as if that cleared it all up satisfactorily.
"I doubt it, Reve. We've already established you are totally different to the image I see when I look at you. I wish I could see the real you beneath the camouflage."
"All in good time. And I was talking of character, not looks. How did you enjoy your trip to dietary planning office?" With his hands on her waist he gave her a little shake. "And what of your meeting with Lilius and Aylmer? It went well?"
"I'm surprised you need to ask," she said tartly. "Just probe my mind and all will reveal itself." Rather than look into his probing eyes, she glanced over his shoulder. "And as for staying here, I couldn't possibly. Anyway." She shrugged. "If I did, Alexia would probably do me in. She sees herself as Irena's successor you know, Reve."
"I care not what she sees for herself." He lifted his huge shoulders in an indolent movement that spoke volumes. "The woman has too much arrogance and not enough charm. Besides, do you really think her opinion would sway me? I care not for women who like to manipulate."
"She manipulates all right." Melanie caught the inside of her lip in her teeth. "The woman hates the sight of me."
Reve sat on the couch and pulled her down beside him, so close their thighs touched. "It is because she sees how I desire you." He ran his thumb over her knuckle and caused her skin to quiver with awareness. His eyes grew dark and molten.
"You only desire me because I'm unusual. You're like most men back on Earth. It seems males are the same the universe over. They like what is unique. You'll grow tired of me once the novelty wears off, believe me." What a gross thought. He'd become like a drug, one she could perish without if she didn't get her daily dose.
"You think so? You do not have a high opinion of my integrity, Mel-aanie." Getting up, he went to the staircase and halfway up, he turned. "I wish to refresh myself. How would you like to join me in the cleansing chamber? Perhaps I can convince you I will not soon tire of you, Mel-aanie Ross."
The wicked smile he was learning to cultivate curved his mouth and she was lost. She followed him up the stairs like a lamb off to play with the wolf.
Fourteen
Melanie was getting to like it on Amaryllis far too much. After four days spent here she was getting too used to having an attractive, attentive lover, attuned to her every need.
Of course, Melanie wasn't so stupid she didn't realize the chief attraction was a man who satisfied her every desire, sated her every sensuous need, and left her feeling as if she'd never lived until she'd come into his orbit.
But was it all a fantasy? Some surreal world created by an ingenuous mind to keep her trapped in the web of ecstasy he continually wrapped her in?
Melanie sighed. No use worrying over it. Once she got back to Earth--not an attractive prospect when put side by side with this dreamlike existence she was living at the moment--all this would have to be put into perspective. At times she felt as if she was living in a cocoon, where pleasure ruled.
A small beep signaled someone was outside wishing to enter. Melanie got rid of the plate and glass she'd been using through the commodities supplier and walked over to press the button to open the door.
Alexia stood there. Melanie fixed a smile on her face, which the other woman must have known was false. Alexia was the only Amaryllisan she couldn't abide. Was the only one, in fact, who showed her blatant hostility. Most still showed mild curiosity, some even nodded to her now when she was with Reve.
"What can I do for you, Alexia?" Melanie did nothing to disguise her animosity. It would be pointless, when the woman could read almost every thought in her head. If only she could learn to do the same. Reve was the only one whose thoughts she was beginning to decipher, but still only when he gave her access to his convoluted mind. There were still times, almost always in fact, when she met a blank wall if she tried to find out what he thought.
"I am here to take you to Reve," Alexia said.
Melanie frowned. "I beg your pardon?"
Alexia wandered about the room like a sniffer dog and glanced in every direction, as if expecting to find something that shouldn't be there. "He is involved with one of the inspectors at the main mine site," she said, as she came back to stand in front of Melanie.
"Reve asked you...? Melanie eyed her with suspicion. "Why would he ask you? He only has to get onto the intercommunicater." She looked at the screen, which was blank. Reve had appeared there once or twice when he'd been unable to get back as soon as he'd promised. "I don't understand."
Alexia stared at her blankly. "Ask him when you see him." Once again she wandered off. Alexia was also the only Amaryllisan who came close to being a fidget. All the others were so sedate and calm. "He said you do not like traveling in confined spaces, so asked if I would be good enough to accompany you. This is all I know."
Melanie looked hard at the woman. "But why does he want me to join him?" It seemed fishy. He hadn't mentioned he might expect this when he'd left her earlier. But then he always seemed to have other things on his mind when they were together. Her cheeks heated at the thought of those other things. "This is most puzzling."
Alexia gave her a probing look as she came back to stand near her again, and Melanie tried to clear her mind of the erotic pictures blooming there. "You are very suspicious, Earth woman. What is it you fear? I am only taking you to meet Reve. He asked me. If you do not wish to go..."
"No, it's not that..." Melanie rubbed her hands together. What was there to fear? Alexia was right. She was being silly. It was just that she'd seldom gone out in the past few days, and only with Bettrys if not Reve. She was growing far too dependent on him. Making up her mind, she walked to the door. "Come on then. Let's go."
Alexia allowed a small cat-like smile to curve her mouth. Melanie shook her head. The woman looked so much like a drama queen who'd been on TV recently. Would she ever get used to seeing soapie and movie star look-alikes? And would Reve ever let her see these people and him as they really were?
By now she was so enamored of him she doubted he could repulse her, even if she found he had three eyes, no nose, and an extra mouth.
Now there was something to ponder. She chuckled as she followed Alexia out. His one mouth was enough for any woman to cope with.
\*
Where the hell was she? Melanie grimaced, swallowing an awful taste. Her mouth felt as if she'd taken a drink of sour milk. She pressed her fingers to her closed eyelids as she tried to work out in her fuzzy brain just what had happened.
Then a vague memory surfaced. Right, she'd been in a hovercraft skimming across towards Tepiri. Alexia had assured her Reve was waiting there, which had puzzled her more than him sending Alexia to fetch her.
Alexia! Where was the woman?
Melanie slowly opened her eyes. They felt as if someone had thrown sand at her face and she blinked a few times to clear them. Then a scream bubbled up from her throat. It was as black as hell.
God! She was blind!
No. Be sensible, Melanie, she chided, trying to keep a level head when what she really wanted was let the panic free. Breathing deeply a few times, she tried to work out where she was.
This must be a darkened room. How the hell had she got here though? Right, Alexia had brought her. The realization hit her as surely as the fear engulfing her when she reached out her hand and touched a slimy surface. Pulling back sharply, she stifled another scream. What had possessed her to trust that creature?
"Alexia!" Her shout echoed about inside her head, and about the walls, and proved she was in a large space, a cavern. This thought only bought a smidgen of respite from the panic, for she hated the dark almost as much as she hated to be enclosed and confined in small areas. The two combined made her feel faint with terror.
Why hadn't she used a bit of common sense and gone along with her instincts? She'd distrusted the bitch from the first. The Amaryllisan tramp had dropped her down a hole. Or locked her up in this pitch-black prison.
"Reve," she whispered, her hand at her throat. At least she wasn't bound or trussed up in any way, a small bonus.
Fighting to quell the nausea threatening to overwhelm her, Melanie tried to remember what had happened after she'd got into the watercraft. They'd been the only two on the craft. Alexia pointed to a sea creature swimming nearby. It resembled a giant turtle with stripes across its broad back. In fascination Melanie put her nose to the window.
Something had then pressed on her nape as if a cold compress had been placed there. Some sort of drug. Whatever it was it must have knocked her out cold. But how would Alexia have moved her off the craft? If she'd been a dead weight, Alexia would have had to carry Melanie and surely this would have evoked someone's suspicions. But would they offer help? No one up here trusted her enough to involve themselves in her problems.
God! Surely Reve would look for her. Deep down he had no conception of love. Knew only about desire and the senses. But he would not let her just vanish without a trace. No, he would find her. She had to believe this or go mad. She was well on the way to going crazy anyway by just being in this cold dark hole.
A strange slithery noise made her jump. She sat up straight with a jerk. Wherever she was it was probable she was locked in. But where?
A small scream burst from her when a throbbing, like the thump of a distant pile driver, began. It seemed to be coming from below, from beneath the ground. Melanie whimpered, as the air about her seemed to vibrate with the continual thump, thump, sending those vibrations right through her. Some sort of heavy machinery was drilling.
The mine. It hit her like a sledgehammer in the gut. She was down the mine. No! Alexia must have thrown her down a mineshaft. But why? The question soon answered itself. Alexia wanted Melanie out of the way so she could get her hands on Reve. So, the Amaryllisans, or at least one of them, shared the Earth people's emotion of jealousy.
A greater fear now wound itself about her innards, far outweighing her terror of the dark and enclosed space.
The sluns.
Reve had told her the miners were forced to wear protective clothing as the bug the sluns carried could penetrate the skin. It was fatal to Amaryllisans, so what would it do to an Earth person?
"Help me. Reve, please help me," she moaned, now too terrified to move for fear of coming up against one of the creatures. She had no idea of their size, or whether they walked, slithered, or hopped--had not felt the need to know when Reve told her about them. If only she'd gone into it more and asked what they actually did. At least then she'd know what she was up against.
God, how was she to escape from something she didn't even know how to evade? If she started to inch her way in any direction it was likely she would come up against one of the things. With a sob of hopelessness she sat with her legs bent, her hands clasped about them, her face pressed on her knees. Please don't let it end this way. She moaned the prayer, over and over.
\*
"Mel-aanie?" Reve entered his home and knew instantly it was empty. Not only empty, but bereft.
The woman who filled his every waking thought and most of his sleeping ones too, was not here. He searched with his mind and knew Mel-aanie was nowhere nearby.
Where could she have gone? After going to the screen, he pressed the code for Bettrys' quarters.
"Yes, commander?" she answered immediately.
"Where is Mel-aanie? Have you been escorting her this day?" he barked. Her face on the screen showed her surprise.
"No. I have not been asked to attend on her."
"Then where is she, and who is she with?" Melanie would not venture out alone. She was not comfortable enough with her surroundings yet to dare to do so.
Bettrys looked confused. "The Earth woman was seen with Alexia, commander, boarding a craft. The robot at the port asked their destination and was told they were going to Mount Tolus. I was informed, but presumed you ordered it, so took no further notice."
"Tolus? Why would they be going there?" Reve punched his fist into his other palm.
"I have no idea, commander. Alexia has authority over me, I have no right to query her actions." Reve could hear the dislike for Alexia in her tone. "The Earth woman seemed to be with her of her own free will."
"By the great Bodka!" Reve muttered a few curses. "What is Alexia up to?"
Without another word he disconnected and strode to the door. Why would Alexia take Mel-aanie to the mountain? He had picked up her intense dislike and jealousy of the Earth woman instantly. The hatred in her thoughts had been blatant. She reckoned on becoming his partner when Irena failed to return. But he had never held any regard or desire for her, and made his intentions and feelings clear.
And since knowing Mel-aanie he had not the slightest urge to seek out any other mate.
It hit him with the force of a blow to his mid section. The feelings he held for the woman from Earth bordered on obsession. Could this be the emotion she was always thinking about when they were together? Love. A totally unknown emotion to Amaryllisans. Until now.
His fear drove him on. Fear, and anger at Alexia. With haste he boarded a craft and made his way to Tolus. Why had she chosen the smaller mountain? Obviously because it was less populated than Tepiri.
"Mel-aanie?" He began to call, to search out her whereabouts with his senses. Alexia must be going insane to think he would just leave his woman to perish.
A faint sound came into his mind. Mel-aanie called for him. Reve heaved a sigh. "Soon I will be with you," he assured her. "I am on my way. Are you all right?" He got no answering response, so kept repeating her name.
\*
It seemed to take an eternity to reach the mountain's docking platform, but was in fact no time at all. "Did an Amaryllisan female come through the terminal with the Earth woman?" he asked the robot on duty.
"Yes, the Earth person was under a demoralizing trance. She gave no response to my query as to her duties on Tolus. The Amaryllisan said they were going to await you at the mine-head. I questioned the Earth woman's intentions with main control and was told she had no inhibitors placed on her, so allowed her access."
Reve was already striding away. Jumping aboard a ski, he set it to full speed and in a short time reached the mine-head. The second period workers, all wearing their protective suits, were just going on duty as he entered the building. The robots waited alongside for the elevator to take them to the lower level.
"Wait." Reve boarded the elevator with the first batch and they began the descent. "Who is the supervisor of this group?" As the elevator traveled, Reve pulled on one of the two protective suits he'd picked up.
"I am, Commander Reve," one of the females answered.
"The Earth woman who has been staying with me has been taken against her will from my home and brought here. I fear she has been left down the mine without protective clothing."
The female gasped her shock. "Who would do such a thing?"
"An Amaryllisan female has shamed us with her actions," he spat out. "Where could someone be put so they wouldn't be noticed until it was too late?"
"How did they get past the robot on duty? No one would be allowed in without a suit."
"This one was. We will worry about who is to be punished later, but for now I must find the woman--immediately." Reve held up a hand to silence her. "She is not too far away. I am picking up a faint call for help. I swear to the Great Bodka Alexia will die for this act."
"Alexia?" The female supervisor was obviously shocked.
"Yes. Whether the Earth woman lives or perishes, Alexia will be exterminated." He tried to put the thought of Mel-aanie perishing out of his mind. She must live.
"The only place someone could be left down here where she would be unlikely to be found straight away is down there." The supervisor pointed as they emerged from the elevator. Everyone lingered, all showing their shock that an Amaryllisan could commit such a deed. "The tunnel has been left idle for a period." She looked away. "The sluns were cultivating the fungus they use in their nourishment."
With a nod, Reve picked up a light beamer from the supplies left at the side of the elevator. They went about their tasks as he walked into the blackness. He could hear the slithering of the sluns as they moved. Great Bodka!
"Mel-aanie. Can you answer me? I know you are ahead--let me know where you are so I can move in the right direction." His thoughts reached out to her.
Then he heard her whimper, "Reve!" and he swallowed the taste of fear in his throat. "Oh, Reve, I'm here. Please come and get me out of this blackness. I hate it."
"Yes, my love, keep talking," he coaxed. "It doesn't matter what it is as long as you say something so I can trace you."
"I'm so frightened, Reve. What's that noise? Is it the sluns? Will I die?" Each question was uttered with such anguish Reve felt the pain she suffered right through him until he shuddered with it.
"No, Mel-aanie. Now, listen. They cannot harm you as long as you don't come into contact with them. Hear me? I am very near. They are off to my right and far enough away that I will not even touch them." He hoped sincerely he hadn't lied.
"I shouldn't have listened to Alexia," she moaned. "I knew she hated me, and should have guessed what she had in mind. I've grown so used to everyone accepting me it never entered my head she would go to such lengths to get rid of me." He heard a sob and knew she was shedding many tears.
\*
Then Reve was standing above her. Reaching out, he pulled her up and into his embrace.
"Reve, it is you?" Pressing her face to his chest, she clung to him. Her sobs tore at his innards. "I can't feel you through all this gear," she mumbled as her hands roamed over his shoulders and down his arms.
"It's all right. You're safe now. I will not let anyone harm you, ever again," Reve promised, longing to kiss her but unable to because of his helmet. He satisfied himself with holding her as tightly as she held him.
After a moment he released her. "Now, you must put this suit of clothing on." Bending, he picked up one of her feet. "Put your hands on my shoulders and I will help you." When she obeyed he pulled the booted leg over one foot, then the other. After pulling the suit up her body, he then put her arms into the openings, which had hand covers attached. Like a minor she stood and allowed him to secure the fastenings, then the helmet. He made sure all of her was covered safely. He laced her hands on his back and began retracing his steps along the tunnel.
"Will I die, Reve? Can I pick up the bug just by being near the sluns?" she asked in a choked voice.
"Did you feel any numbness in your limbs?" he asked.
"I...don't think so. I was numb with fear, but I think my limbs are all in working order."
"Good. Did you at any time see a glow in the dark?" Reve dreaded her answer. There would be no hope for her if she had touched a slun accidentally.
"A glow? No, I was in pitch-blackness all the time."
He heard her fear.
"Unless they came near while I was unconscious. Oh Reve, Alexia put me in some sort of trance, and when I came to I couldn't see a thing. It was horrible. I hate the dark as much as I hate elevators. I was so cold and shivery..."
"We will have you checked out straight away," he assured her. The medicos would go over her with exact precision. He would demand it. They had been asking for access to her for tests and experiments, which he had so far denied. But now they would have their chance, and in the process would establish that she had not been infected. "As you explain it I think we can say you are very lucky, Mel-aanie. The sluns usually keep their distance from work parties, but I feared they may have stumbled upon you while they were harvesting their sustenance."
Reve groaned inwardly. They would not know for sure if she had been infected until she was tested.
"You think I've been infected, don't you?" she asked quietly when they reached the elevator station.
After placing the beamer back in its place, he faced her. "I didn't say that." He led her into the elevator with his hand on her elbow.
"I picked up your thoughts," she said.
He helped her take off the helmet, and then bent to assist her out of the protective suit.
He groaned as he tossed her suit aside. What a time for her to start reading his mind! "You are getting to be too clever." With a soft laugh he peeled his own clothing off, tossing it to the ground.
"I have a good teacher," she whispered.
He pulled her into his arms. In the next moment he kissed her until his sensors told him she wasn't thinking straight. "I will make you forget the terror of the time down there in the darkness," he assured her as he moved his mouth over hers. "By Bodka, Mel-aanie, do not scare me like that again--ever, do you hear me?"
"I hear you," she said on a sigh as their mouths met again.
Fifteen
"All clear!" Melanie let out a whoop of joy. Reve picked her up, one of his arms beneath her knees and the other around her middle, and then he whirled them around his main living area.
"Yes, the tests all proved negative, Mel-aanie." His eyes grew dark as he gazed at her.
"Are they sure?" She hated to distrust the medicos, who were doubtless so much more advanced than she could comprehend.
"There was never any doubt in the mind of the tester," he reassured her. "You showed no signs of having any contact with a slun and it was only at my insistence they did the extensive testing." Reve lowered her to the floor and kissed her on the nose. "So, what shall we do to celebrate, Mel-aanie?" The question came across in a low sexy drawl.
"Well." She pretended to ponder. "What do you suggest?" Cooped up for two days, she had missed Reve like crazy. The tests were carried out in a sterile antechamber adjoining the building where the laser surgery was performed. It was the nearest thing to a clinic on Amaryllis. Reve had been called to the Starship this morning on urgent business and she had arrived home to an empty house.
Home. It suddenly dawned on her she'd referred to his house as home. It seemed very natural.
"Yes, home," he agreed, grinning at her small scowl, as she poked him in the chest. "You can read my mind now, so we are even."
"Only the things you want me to read, Reve. You still keep a lot locked away." She wasn't about to tell him how it hurt that he kept a part of himself private. What was the use? He knew her thoughts anyway.
"Soon, we will be as one, and then nothing I think will be a secret from you, my little Earth woman," he said enigmatically.
"As one? In what way?" Melanie stared intently at him. Her brow furrowed as she tried to read his mind. But he had closed her off from his innermost thoughts. "See." Her voice was tart and he put space between them.
"Patience," was all he said.
"What happened to Alexia?" she asked. Nothing had been said regarding the bitch since Melanie's rescue.
"She has been exterminated."
Melanie gasped at the cold-blooded term. "Exterminated! Great saints, in what way?" He could still say and do things to shock her to the core.
"Why should this upset you, Mel-aanie?" His brows went up as she sucked in her lower lip. "You think she deserved to live after the fate she served you? I find this puzzling. Let me assure you her death was much less painful and swift than yours would have been had you succumbed to the virus the sluns carry."
"I guess so...but..."
"She could not live. A person with such a streak of vindictiveness is not wanted on our planet," he said bluntly, slicing his hand through the air.
"Good Lord!" Melanie pulled a face. "If they did away with everyone on Earth who was vindictive or malicious we'd hardly have any people left." Melanie turned away to pace about the room. Would she ever get used to their seemingly emotionless way of looking at things?
"In time you will grow to see our way of life is far superior to yours on Earth, Mel-aanie."
"I wonder," she mused, as he stood in front of her.
"Come," he said softly. "Enough of such uninteresting topics. Let us go to my bed."
"Bed, huh?" She glanced down at his hand held out in invitation.
"Yes, bed. I wish to express my pleasure in a way that is satisfactory to both of us that you are fully recovered from your ordeal."
Melanie took his hand and he curved his fingers about hers. How could she resist him?
He gave her one of his rare grins, one wholly masculine and full of conceit. He knew exactly what effect he had on her.
"Have no fear, you do the same to me."
"Is this the truth, Reve?" she whispered just before he stroked his finger lightly down her cheek and made her skin quiver under the tender caress.
"Entirely so. You light up every sense, my Mel-aanie. Bring me alive as no one ever has before." Lifting her, he effortlessly carried her up the stairs to his room--those treacherously sweet lips already seducing her.
\*
Hours later, satiated and sleepy, Melanie, her cheek pressed against the warm skin of his chest, shifted in his arms.
Instantly awake, he put his lips to her temple. "You wish to return to your planet." It was a statement rather than a question.
"It's very disconcerting, you know, when you read things I haven't even had a proper chance to toss over in my mind." She went onto her elbows and peered down at him.
Reve brought her head down for a long, lingering kiss. When their lips parted, he gazed into her eyes steadily. "It is something you must grow used to. This worries you, this longing to return to Earth. You are confused."
"I'll say."
"I will admit to feeling the same emotion."
Melanie pushed her hair back behind her ears. "I can't honestly say I can really think of you as being confused, Reve."
"You think not? We are from two different cultures, but something indefinable has drawn us together. Some link I find just as complicated to describe as you do. In some way I have become more like you than you will ever realize, and there is a part of you desiring to stay with me. We have a dilemma, Mel-aanie."
With his finger he traced a path down her face and then around her mouth.
"What an understatement, Reve." Melanie brushed her lips over his. Everything he said was the truth.
"Of course. I would never lie to you," he muttered.
"No, but you lie by omission. You keep many things from me. What you truly look like for instance." Melanie moved her fingertip around his desirable mouth and he nipped the tip of it. Her insides turned to jelly and a smile twitched those lips.
"I will make a bargain with you, Earth woman," he said, running his hands over her back until they rested on her bottom.
"Yes?"
His eyes had turned very serious, the playfulness gone completely. "We will go back to your planet. Irena made a promise on my behalf. I must keep this vow. We will see the killers of your husband brought to justice."
He seemed to hesitate and Melanie watched him silently for a moment.
"Then what?"
"Then." His hands kneaded her bottom and she shivered, desire rising in her at his erotic touch. "I will make myself known to you. Then you will decide whether you wish to spend your life with an alien or stay with your own kind."
Melanie stared at him. Stay with her own kind? Without Reve? The thought brought anguish.
"You must make the choice, for I cannot stay on Earth," he said, his eyes bleak.
Meaning she must make the biggest decision of her life. Of course she'd known all along how it would have to be. But stated bluntly, it was too much for her to think about right now. With a small moan she kissed him with all the passion in her. Surprisingly his answering desire was tinged with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes. They made love until exhaustion drove them into a deep slumber.
\*
"When was the last time you went to the far planets?" Melanie asked as she settled back on the couch. Strange how the confined space of the capsule didn't upset her any more. Not while Reve was with her.
Once put into motion the plans for their return journey to Earth had gone along at a rapid pace. Melanie had wanted to halt the proceedings, to plead for more time. But what was the use in delaying the inevitable? They both knew she must go back. The longer she stayed on Amaryllis the harder it would become to leave. Though her reasons for going home now seemed to be blurred round the edges.
Of course Reve was intent on fulfilling Irena's promise. She watched him making adjustments on the panel before him and his fingers worked adroitly.
He turned to give her a smile. The first since they had boarded the craft what must have been an hour ago. "One megnum. And it seems like two."
"Ten years? I didn't realize it was so long. Are you a bit rusty?"
"Rusty?" His smile widened into a grin. "Sometimes you knock me sideways with your quaint sayings."
Melanie choked on a laugh. "And sometimes you astound me when you come out with sentences strictly ours. Are you sure you know what you're talking about, mister?" How he had changed. Chuckling, he stopped his finger movements and turned to her. Gone was the taciturn and serious Amaryllisan she had feared at their first meeting, to be replaced by this man she loved.
His expression showed clearly he'd read her thoughts as he came to sit on the side of the other couch and faced her. Melanie blushed. But there was nothing to be done about revealing her every thought and feeling. It was something she had to learn to live with.
"Exactly," he said, taking her hand and stroking his thumb over her knuckle. His eyes grew grave as he bent close to her. "You can still change your mind, you know. We don't have to do this if you would prefer not to. The decision is yours. Has always been yours."
"But what about all the preparations? What would your fellow officers think if you decide to abort at this late stage, Reve?" Deep down there was no choice really. Her path was set. She belonged on Earth.
His sigh vibrated through her fingertips as he squeezed her hand lightly. "I can do anything I wish." The haughty commander was back as he squared his shoulders. "No one would question my orders. It's up to you."
Melanie looked him in the eye and chewed on her inner lip. "I must go, Reve."
With a curt nod he released her, and for one moment she considered changing her mind. He read her hesitation and then her decision.
"As you wish," he murmured, and tears pricked her eyes. "Close your eyes and let me help you to relax." As soon as she obeyed, his lips were on hers, kissing her deeply and satisfyingly.
"This is the best means of relaxation I've ever come across," she said on a sigh.
Like sinking into a bottomless void, she drifted, down, down. Then with a start she opened her eyes to blink at the panel before her. The lights were flashing and the viewing window was open.
His back straight as he worked, Reve was up, performing an operation at the panel.
"Shouldn't you be lying down," she said drowsily. How long was he going to be fiddling about? "Aren't you coming to join me? I would sooner get back to relaxing."
He turned and she almost cried out at the grave look shadowing his eyes.
"Come," he said quietly. "It is time to rise."
"To rise? I don't understand. I've only just closed my eyes. Aren't we going after all?" She sat up, feeling slightly woozy. With her hand on her head, she stood and went to his side. "Oh!" She gasped as she looked out of the viewing window at the familiar shape, growing larger by the second, below them. "Unless I'm mistaken that's Australia below us." Her voice was an awed whisper.
"Your home." He turned his attention back to the control panel.
"My God, I only just went to sleep. Your kiss sure is potent, mister." Melanie was stunned. "You mean I've just slept through months as if they were mere moments."
"This time you had no need of tuition throughout your journey, so you just slept." He gestured to the panel in front of him. "Your energy level is excellent--so your sustenance intake was good. How do you feel?"
After taking a deep breath, she realized she felt fine.
"Good." He adjusted a reading and they seemed to slow down a fraction.
"Is there any chance of the craft being spotted, Reve? We don't want an air force bomber coming up here after us." Melanie pushed her hair back. "There are people on the watch down there for unidentified flying objects, and this vessel would sure qualify for one of those."
"Have no fear, I have the shields in place. Nothing they have on Earth would be capable of seeing us. How do you think the squadron Irena was part of came here and left unnoticed?"
"I wondered, but forgot to ask before. I guessed you would have some sort of protective shield. And you're positive they can't pick up sound waves or whatever?"
"They have no way of seeing or hearing this vessel. Not with their primitive detectors." Obviously finished with his adjustments he faced her. "We are stationary. Would you like to go down yet?"
Melanie noticed a touch of diffidence in the question. "What time is it in Australia, I wonder? It would be best to go down while it's dark. Wouldn't you say?" Now the time had arrived she felt a distinct reluctance to return. She peered at her homeland, feeling disorientated. How many times had she seen that shape on maps and thought nothing of it. From here the continent seemed so large when compared to the other landmasses.
He must have read her reluctance, but made no comment. "The darkness is just creeping over the horizon, you see." She nodded. Like a shroud the night approached. "By the time you don your strange Earth clothing and we 'zap' us down there, it will be almost night."
She smiled at his use of her slang. "We don't want to arrive in the middle of the night though, as I have to look up Pete Marchant. I can't arrive at his front door too late. I haven't got a key to my apartment." She had nothing from her old life. No bankcard, any other clothes than what she had come in. No toiletries. As she pulled her skirt and blouse on she realized she had no shoes.
"I'll have to go to my place to pick up the things I need first." Then it dawned on her. The old Melanie stood there, with short blonde hair and chubby figure. She groaned. The party was definitely over.
"Keep your footwear on, Mel-aanie. They will not think it too strange, will they?" he asked and then went to the screen before she could answer. "Here is a map of your city. You must show me where we must set down, and I will work out the logistics."
Melanie studied the map. Reve had honed in on Sydney and showed her how to pinpoint the area where her apartment was, then the street, and the exact location of her apartment. "Can we get inside, Reve?" He adjusted the reading.
"Of course." He took her hands to say gravely, "I will not be visible to you or anyone, Mel-aanie, while we are on your planet. But I will be with you all the time."
"All the time, Reve? Promise me you'll not leave me alone for a moment." A tremor raced through her. Now that the time had come, she was scared to her toes. Petrified of finding out what had happened since her abrupt departure. It was too late to turn around now though. They had come this far. They must see it through to the bitter end. "I will remain with you until you tell me to leave. And do not forget, we must get your mission completed within a night and a day, Mel-aanie."
"Of course I wouldn't forget something so important. I would not endanger your life. You know that." She inhaled deeply. A night and a day. So little time with him.
"It was your choice," he reminded her solemnly.
So it was. No use having second thoughts at this late stage. She drew herself up tall. "Right, let's do it, partner." Her tone was stoic.
"But first I must have a kiss--perhaps the last one we will share." Before she had a chance to take in his words his mouth was on hers, transporting her to the special place where only the two of them could ever go--the place as close to ecstasy she would ever know.
\*
"Open your eyes, Mel-aanie," Reve whispered, and she knew he had spoken the words in her head.
As she obeyed, she gasped, for she was inside an apartment bearing a similarity to hers on Earth, but one furnished differently.
"This is the wrong one," she told him, also silently, glancing about. Reve gave her the address she'd told him earlier. "I don't know, Reve. Somehow we've zapped down into another apartment. Perhaps it's similar in plan to my old one, this is why we've got it mixed up."
"No. It is the address you gave me in the craft, Mel-aanie. There is no mistake. Look closely."
She looked about. As she peered up she saw the crack in the light fitting over her head. Reve was right. They were definitely in the bedroom she had shared with Chris. The agent had refused point blank to replace the fitting. Chris had grown annoyed and despite her arguments, refused to buy a new one.
Music and talking came through the thin walls from the room next door. The TV was obviously on and two people were discussing the merits of the musician who played.
"Come, we will go outside. Then you can make inquiries as to why someone else is occupying your former home." Before she could answer she found he had transported her to the hallway outside the front door of the apartment. Would she ever get used to this dematerializing business?
"One gets used to almost everything in time," he said.
Melanie scowled about her. "I guess so," she agreed. Its flooring scuffed and worn, the hallway looked so dingy and cluttered. How had she ever thought it was a nice place to live? "I have to tell you this is weird, Reve. I wish I could see you."
"You can feel me, can you not?" He kissed her neck and she stifled a laugh as she swatted at him. Yes, she could feel him. He caught her hand and pressed his lips to it.
Peering at the name above the bell, she saw that a Mr. and Mrs. Sharp now lived here. Melanie rang the bell. After a lengthy pause when she thought she was going to be ignored, a middle-aged man answered her summons.
"Yes?" He gave her a look filled with suspicion and his eyes slitted as he let them rove over her insolently.
"Um, I was wondering if you could tell me anything about the woman who lived her before you," she said, feeling very odd, and somewhat selfconscious.
In his right hand he toted a half-full bottle of beer. With his other hand he scratched at his potbelly. He had no shirt on, and his navy blue singlet was torn down one side. The shorts he wore looked as if he'd slept in them for a week.
"You mean that Melanie Ross person?" His bloodshot eyes roved up and down her body again, making Melanie feel naked. She stifled a rude retort as she stepped back a pace, and came up against Reve's solid, though silent presence.
"He seems to think he has met you before," Reve said.
She nodded. "Yes, Melanie Ross."
"Hmm." He glanced about furtively. "She disappeared. Her husband got his-self killed, then soon after she just vanished without a trace, so they say. Just like that." He snapped his fingers. He had spoken in a low voice with the air of a man divulging information of the highest importance. "We only came up from Victoria after all the hullabaloo died down, but that's what the people next door told us. Perhaps they can give you some more info. I'd say she got herself bumped off just like her hubby." Licking his thick lips, he seemed to relish the idea.
"Thank you. Sorry to have troubled you." Melanie frowned as he shut the door. She heard his rough report as he explained what she'd wanted to his wife inside.
"Are you going to inquire of your neighbors?" Reve asked.
Melanie hesitated. She'd never had a lot to do with any of the other inhabitants of the block of apartments. What would happen if the elderly woman who lived next door had a heart attack at the sight of her turning up after all these months. No, it wouldn't be wise. And she doubted the neighbors could tell her a lot.
"No, I think I'll go and see Pete, Chris's partner," she decided. "He'll be able to tell me a lot more than anyone else. I feel very strange, Reve." She ran a hand across her nape. She was perspiring freely, although it was quite cool in the hallway.
"Strange as in sick? Or strange because you are returning to your home to find it all changed and occupied by strangers?" he asked. There was a note of sympathy in his voice.
"A bit of both, I think. I feel dizzy, and a little disorientated. As if I'm not really here, but living a dream." She gave herself a mental shake. "How will we get to Pete's home? I have no money for a taxi."
"Foolish question. Concentrate on the address and location and I will do my best to 'zap' us there, Mel-aanie," he said with a soft chuckle. It vibrated down to her toes.
Although she couldn't see him, she was intensely aware of him. It felt almost as if he was inside her.
"Not so, but I would like to be," he whispered, feathering a kiss over her lips.
"Behave," she admonished as she closed her eyes, picturing Pete's house and where it stood, about a twenty minutes walk away from here.
\*
When she opened her eyes, she wasn't surprised to find she stood on the porch of Pete's Victorian-style home. Light filtered through the lead glass panels in the top half of the entrance door.
"You never cease to amaze me," she said, and he chuckled again, his breath a warm caress on her ear.
"I know many other tricks that would amaze you more, my sweet one. Come back to Amaryllis with me, and I will never stop teaching you."
"I think there's little else I could learn from you," she said breathily. He had already taught her more than she thought it possible to know about the senses, and the wondrous pleasures to be found in sharing one's body with another intimately.
"We have only scratched the surface," he growled.
"You have a one track mind, Reve," she told him tartly, feeling a tingle up and down her spine as his fingers traced an erotic path from her shoulder to her hip.
"Someone is coming," he interrupted her heated thoughts, brushing a hand over her nape.
Pete's wife must have pressed her face to the spy-hole in the wooden panel of the door, for Melanie could just make out her shape on the other side.
Shock clearly registered on Lucy's face when she slid back the bolt and pulled the door wide. "Melanie! My God, we thought you were dead too. Where have you been? Come in."
With her hand on Melanie's arm, Lucy almost dragged her across the threshold. After glancing up and down the deserted street, Lucy closed the door and then bolted it. "They said you'd disappeared without a trace."
"They?"
"The police. We all thought you were at the bottom of the bay. It's so good to see you." With a small sob she dragged Melanie close, hugging her so tightly she could barely breath.
Melanie was more than surprised. In fact Lucy shocked her by this display of affection. They hadn't been the closest of friends by any means, and had only mixed in the same circles because of their husbands being partners in the force. They'd gone to barbecues with the same crowd and had the occasional dinner in a group. Lucy was behaving as if Melanie was a long lost friend.
"It's a long story, Lucy, one I don't have time at the moment to relate," she said. "I did disappear, after a fashion. They were out to kill me, and I thought it best to clear out for a while. I could tell you a thing or two but it would shock you too much, and you would probably find it hard to swallow."
"I don't understand." Lucy looked as puzzled as she sounded.
"Where's Pete? Can I talk to him?" Pain distorted Lucy's face. "No!" she cried. Not Pete too!
"Yes." Lucy nodded, her lips trembling. "Come inside." With a hand on Melanie's arm she led them into the living room. It was comfortably furnished and gave off a false impression of welcome homeliness. Once it had been a place filled with happiness and contentment. Not any more.
"Mummy, who's the lady?" Sammy, their six-year-old son asked, pouting as he gave Melanie a suspicious look.
Lucy gestured for Melanie to sit on the couch. "It's a friend, Sam. Be a good boy and run along and play with Stephie for a while so we can have a chat, all right?" With her hand on his small back she propelled him from the room. He went with a reluctant look over his shoulder.
"What happened?" Melanie asked as soon as they were alone. Dread coiled along her spine. She felt Reve's soft reassuring touch on her hand.
"Melanie, it was the worst time of my life I can tell you." Lucy gave a shuddery sigh. "After you disappeared without a trace, so it seemed, Pete went to your apartment with the other cops. He managed to get hold of the letter Chris wrote." She visibly shuddered and wiped her hand over her eyes. "How I wish he hadn't. If he'd left things alone, it might have all come out in the open. Instead..." Her voice lowered. "Pederman and two of his henchmen came here the next night." She let out a sob, and then took a few deep breaths in an effort to control herself. There was a tremor in her voice as she continued, "He threatened Pete, said the kids and me would suffer if he didn't keep his mouth shut. Poor Pete was in such a quandary. We talked and talked for hours. He thought they'd taken you. How could he let these morons carry on killing people and ruining the lives of so many young people with their drugs?" She wiped at her damp eyes with a screwed up hankie.
"So, what did he end up doing, Lucy?" Melanie put her hand over one of Lucy's, and she attempted a smile.
"He ended up getting himself killed, same as Chris--the bloody idiot," she wailed. "He wouldn't show the letter to his superiors. He told me he couldn't risk the kid's lives, or mine. But they killed him anyway. The bastards!"
"Oh Lucy!" Melanie got up and paced about. "Look, I'll get even. Pederman and his lot will pay, don't worry."
As Melanie sat down again, Lucy looked as if Melanie had gone insane. Who could blame Lucy?
"You? What on earth can you do? The police couldn't bring him to justice, couldn't pin one thing on him, so what do you expect to do? A woman alone."
"I'm not exactly alone, Lucy."
"You're not? But who...?"
"I have a powerful ally, believe me." Melanie gave her hand a reassuring pat. "This is part of the story I can't tell you. But one thing I can tell you, Pederman, his cronies and any accomplices he has will be destroyed. And that's a promise."
Lucy's head went back and forth, her mouth agape. "I don't see..."
"Trust me," Melanie urged, asking, "How are you and the kids for money?"
"We get by." Lucy shrugged and sniffed. "Pete's pension covers most of our bills. Where are you living now, Mel? You can stay here with us, you know, if you have nowhere else to go."
"Thanks. I may take you up on the offer. At the moment I haven't decided on my future." Melanie felt a rush of Reve's displeasure wash over her. "What happened to all my stuff by the way? Where's my furniture, household goods, and clothes?"
"As far as I know it's all still in storage. Your apartment was re-let a little while ago, and the police are holding your personal effects, such as money, bank account etc. You had Chris's pension, so you won't be short of cash. Are you going to let them know you've come back?" Lucy looked terrified again.
Melanie shook her head. "Not yet." She rose. "I have to go now. But whatever you do, don't worry. Everything will be sorted out. You can be sure of that. And Lucy, I'm so dreadfully sorry about Pete." Should she tell her she'd doubted him for a while? No, some things are best left unsaid. It was obvious Pederman had made sure Pete didn't get help to her in time.
"I'll be in touch...to let you know what I'm doing with my future." Melanie grasped Lucy's hand. The woman looked so forlorn Melanie had an urge to comfort her. But what could she do? Apart from taking revenge for Pete and Chris's deaths.
"Take care," Lucy said in a sad little voice.
"I will. Is Pederman still around?" Melanie shuddered just at the mention of the monster's name.
"Of course." Lucy's gentle mouth curled in a sneer. "The evil people of this world seem to flourish. Good men like ours always suffer." She hesitated. "How are you managing without Chris?"
Melanie thought of telling Lucy she'd found someone who'd pushed all thoughts of her dead husband from her mind, but Reve's ego was already large enough. His presence was all around her and he'd picked up her thoughts. For a brief moment she felt guilty; it was indecent to be feeling this way. But so much had come between her time with Chris and the woman she was now. He had drifted to a deep corner of her mind and heart. Replaced by the Amaryllisan who at this moment was touching that mind, reassuring her it was right to feel this way. Chris belonged to the past, and the past could not be resurrected.
"I manage. I'll say goodbye now. If you don't hear from me, Lucy, don't worry. It means I've decided to take up the other option open to me."
They embraced, and Melanie left Lucy standing on her step, watching her as she walked away.
Sixteen
"We'll have to find Pederman," Melanie said as soon as she turned the corner. "The only way I can think to draw him out is to present myself at the local station, identify myself to the police and come up with a feasible story to explain my long absence."
"You could say you were taken to a lonely spot and left to fend for yourself," Reve suggested. "You lost your memory and were taken in by people who nursed you back to health."
"Not bad. Are you sure you haven't been watching late night TV?" She gave a small laugh as he nudged her. "But your story has holes so big they would never take it in. If I was taken to a lonely spot, I'd have been murdered and they know it."
A couple of scruffily dressed men sauntered by, hands in their pockets. They eyed Melanie as they hesitated. She hurried on and then looked over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't being followed. The last thing she needed was to be attacked.
"Those deviates thought you were offering your body," Reve said in a disgusted tone and she laughed.
"What about if I say Pederman's muggers took me out to the bush to do me in, but I escaped and was taken in by a group of Aborigines." She sighed. "Oh God, the cops are going to find any story hard to swallow, how about I tell them the truth. I was taken to another planet to escape people who were set on killing me."
"I was taught to always speak the truth." There was a smile in his voice.
"Yeah." Melanie jabbed him lightly with an elbow and hit solid muscle. "Come on, let's get to the station and show myself. I'll think of something on the way."
\*
It was surprisingly easy, Melanie thought, as she walked from the station, the personal possessions she could carry safely tucked in her handbag.
The officer in charge had recognized her instantly. His shock had been apparent, his eyes bulging. Intent on keeping her reappearance as quiet as possible, an idea she agreed with wholeheartedly, he had shuffled her into an interview room. The last thing she needed was having the press following her about for a story on what she'd been doing the past months.
"Do you have somewhere to stay?" he asked, his eyes darting from her to the door.
"Yes, don't worry I'll be fine," she assured him. He seemed concerned for her welfare. But agitated.
"But where can we get in touch with you should we need to know your whereabouts," he asked, and off the top of her head Melanie reeled off the name of a nearby motel she'd passed on the walk here. Its flashing neon sign had a couple of letters unlit. It had caught her attention.
\*
"Now what?" Reve asked as she headed to it along the main street. Traffic trundled by, the fumes from the exhaust pipes making her feel slightly sick. Or was it nervous tension?
"I have no idea. All I can think of is, I go there and wait. Pederman must have strong links inside the force to have survived so long. He'll soon find out where I am, and come after me. Then it's up to you to kill him for me. But whatever you do, Reve, don't make it look as if I've murdered him, for then I'll be in big trouble."
"You can leave it to me."
Melanie knew that for certain. How would he accomplish it though?
"Have no fear, Mel-aanie, one thing I promise you This evil man will perish." There was a thread of steel in the vow.
They had reached the office of the motel. The door set off a bell as they entered the dingy foyer. Wiping her hands on a tea towel, the receptionist came from the rear.
"I'd like a double room," Melanie said, and the woman nodded, giving her a form to sign. She didn't seem to think it odd she'd arrived alone at this late hour with no luggage. The woman obviously presumed she had a male friend joining her. Melanie paid with her bankcard and was handed a key.
"Room seven." With another nod she watched Melanie walk out.
There were only eight units in the block set around a small car parking area. "This is very primitive," Reve remarked as they entered number seven. He wasn't kidding. It was a dump. But at least the bed coverings looked clean.
"You think this is primitive, you should see some of the third rate rooms and apartments around. This is quite luxurious." Melanie heard his snort of disbelief as she sat on the edge of the king size bed and tossed off her boots. Crossing her leg over her knee, she rubbed her toes and felt Reve's presence beside her on the bed.
"Let me," he offered, taking over the task. She sighed as he massaged one foot, then the other. His fingers were like magic, easing away all the aches.
"We haven't time for this," she said, not really meaning it, when his lips caressed the side of her neck. His hot breath was like a wisp of silk brushing her skin.
"There is always time for pleasure." His tongue sought out the sensitive point behind her ear, then his teeth nibbled on the lobe and made her catch her breath. "If you decide to stay on this noisy, smelly, dirty, planet you call home, we may never get the chance to taste such delights again." His voice came as a whisper.
Melanie let out a long sigh. The thought of never sharing passion with him ever again made her feel hollow inside, desolate.
"Oh Reve," she murmured.
"Come, close your eyes, and let me help you relax," he coaxed.
Before she knew she had moved she found herself naked and wanting, face down on the bed.
"Don't worry, it is all in the mind," he whispered at her ear as she allowed him to pull her deeper into his sensual trap.
\*
Melanie woke with a start. The room was in darkness except for the flickering shadows dancing across the floor from the neon sign at the entrance to the motel.
"What was that?" she whispered. As she pushed herself onto her elbows, she saw she was fully clothed again. The garments felt restricting.
A quiver of fear rippled over her when she couldn't feel Reve's presence.
"Reve," she hissed, but got no answer. God, surely he hadn't deserted her. Perhaps his lovemaking had been his way of saying goodbye. No! He'd promised to help her, and vowed to keep his promise. Was this the moment of truth?
"Reve!" Her voice quivered with the fear of her abandonment.
Silence.
Where could he have gone? Not back to the craft, surely. Barely had the thought entered her mind than the door slowly opened and she realized a noise outside had awakened her.
It couldn't be Reve. No way would he have materialized. He'd warned her not to expect to see him in any shape or form while they were down here.
A dark figure loomed over the bed like a great bat, and a scream stuck in her throat when the light from a flashlight was aimed at her face.
"Mrs. Ross, I presume," the guy, who was built like a battleship, queried in a soft voice she knew was deceptive.
When he lowered the flashlight, she could just make out his features in the dim light, and there was nothing soft about him. His face looked like a lump of battered modeling clay--a lump bashed around a lot. He had come for her. To take her to Pederman.
"What...what do you want?" she asked in a quivering voice. What a stupid question. "Reve!" she called in her head, as loud and persistent as she could. When she still didn't hear a response she shouted, "Reve!" this time aloud.
No answer!
She yelled again.
The brute turned his head, as if expecting to see someone coming up behind him. Melanie thought of making a run for it, which would be silly. Hadn't she wanted Pederman to come after her? But she'd not expected to face him alone.
When the man saw her shout hadn't brought someone to her aid, he smiled. The twist of his mouth was a grim caricature of a grin. "Up you get, little lady. We're going on a short trip. The boss is very interested in you, you know. He wants to find out just where you've been all these months. Who's been hiding you then, eh?"
Suddenly he had her arm in a grip like a steel trap. Melanie forced herself to stay calm. Reve was somewhere nearby. She knew it. Why she had such faith in the alien she didn't know. But it was the only thought stopping her from melting into a pool of insanity.
All the fear she'd felt when Chris had died returned in force. Perspiration ran down between her breasts but she shivered. The monster dragged her from the bed.
"Them your boots?"
She nodded.
"Best put them on. Don't want to raise anyone's suspicions, do we?" After she'd pulled them on he dragged her up again, then outside.
A two-tone Holden sedan was parked alongside the unit--its back door open. Roughly he pushed her into the rear of it and didn't care when she bumped her head as she fell onto the seat. In the car there were two men, the driver and one on the back seat beside her. This one grinned evilly as he clutched at her arm and dragged her in. Her captor slammed the door and got in the front passenger seat.
"Let go of me!" she ordered as levelly as she could. But he just widened his grin, and tightened his hold.
"Not likely. The boss would skin me alive and throw me to the sharks if we let you go again. Be still and perhaps we'll treat you nice." He guffawed and Melanie squealed in terror.
I am here, Mel-aanie, Reve said in her head, and she nearly passed out with relief.
Where the bloody hell did you go? she transmitted back, too annoyed with him to soften her tone, even inside her head. This moron came into the room.
I went back to the craft while you slept. She wondered exactly where he was fitted into the cramped space of the car. I have not taken on any shape, he enlightened her, and his powers once again awed her. I had to bring the report up to date. There were many things to note about this primitive planet. Distaste colored his voice. It is so noisy. Can you ask the idiot steering this collection of junk to please do something about the disgusting din coming from his control panel? What is it, in the name of the Great Bodka?
It's rock and roll, she informed him tartly, still thoroughly annoyed with him for leaving her at the mercy of the great oaf up front. And you might have let me know you were flitting off. I nearly died when I woke up and this goon was coming in the unit.
I am sorry, Mel-aanie. He sounded genuinely upset. The racket, please! Even his groan transmitted to her.
"Do you have to have your radio so loud," she said to the driver. "It's making my head hurt."
He laughed, an ugly sound. "Poor little girl. Hear that fellas. Her head hurts," he taunted and then swore viciously as the radio began to crackle. Then it went off. Silence reigned. "Bloody hell!" he cursed again as he fiddled with the knobs. Nothing happened.
"What's up, Snotty? Lost your music?" the man holding her captive asked sarcastically. "The tart's right. It was a racket. This is better. Nice and quiet so I can sit and appreciate our little parcel here in peace." He ran his finger up her thigh and Melanie squealed again as she cringed into a corner.
Then, as if in slow motion, the offending finger was bent back to its limit. The man howled. "You bitch! How'd you do that?" He stared at his hand as if it had changed into a toad. Releasing her, he bit out a string of caustic curses as he rubbed at his now straightened finger.
"Leave her alone," the one called Snotty ordered menacingly. "The boss said undamaged, and you know how annoyed he gets when his orders are ignored."
"I wasn't damaging, just having a touch." Her tormentor sounded like a small boy deprived of a toy.
"Well, keep your filthy mitts to yourself. We're here anyway. Get her out, and for Christ sake keep her quiet." The car came to a stop.
They were near the sea. A jetty had numerous motorboats lined up along its sides. She didn't recognize the place, but knew by the Harbor Bridge in the background they hadn't gone far from the city.
Her captor put a sweaty palm over her mouth as he held her tightly to his side with the other hand. She gagged, then bit the meaty side of his hand and relished the sound when he let out a low squeal.
He growled. "Do that again bitch, and I'll swipe you one, whether the boss wants you undamaged or not." With his strong arm about her waist, he guided her down a few steps. He almost lifted her off the ground so her toes dragged along the boards of the jetty. They boarded one of the motorboats.
Before they'd barely set their feet on the deck, the boat was heading across the harbor. Melanie was pressed down onto one of the seats along the sides of the craft. They were making for the heads. The waves became choppier and she wasn't sure if it was the motion of the boat, or fear making her queasy. Which was stupid considering she'd traveled to the other side of the universe and back again. A small sob caught in her throat.
A soft touch on her forehead seemed to dissipate the queasy feeling. You have nothing to fear, Reve assured her while his feather light touch soothed.
As long as you don't leave me again, she wailed, shivering.
Never. His sure tone gave her strength.
The boat made for a huge ocean going yacht riding at anchor, and in no time at all it seemed they were tied up alongside it. The brute who had taken her from the motel pushed her up the narrow steps and paid no heed when she stumbled, but roughly manhandled her as they boarded the yacht.
"So, we meet again."
Melanie didn't recognize the bulky man who stood on the deck straight away, but she would know his voice anywhere. It made her skin crawl, her insides lurch.
"Justin Pederman," Melanie said, her chin high.
She saw the snake's eyes and recognition returned in full. His hair was shorter, and a different color. His jowls had grown lax. Likely too much living on the wrong side of the law, mixing with seedy types and flouting authority had given him the thoroughly jaded air.
"The one and only."
Pederman was a man with no scruples, a man who would try his hand at anything where money and power were involved, as long as he was the one wielding the power. There was a reptilian look to him she couldn't remember being there before, as if his rotten ways had made him take on a slimy cast. Evil clung to him like chewing gum to a boot.
He smirked, an awful caricature of a smile. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I must admit I thought you'd gone off in a puff of smoke, little lady, when Badger here said you was there one moment and gone the next." His eyes drifted over her as he snapped a finger and thumb. "The poor sod thought you'd gone down a black hole. Like a sort of magical trick. You did him out of his fun. Never mind, we'll make it up to him." He turned to the man whose finger Reve had twisted in the car "Told you there's no such thing as magic, didn't I Badger old boy?"
Melanie tried to stop her mouth from trembling. Even the nervousness she'd encountered on first arriving on Amaryllis, or the moment when she'd seen this thug on the balcony of her apartment, didn't compare to this fear.
But she had to believe Reve would look after her.
"I knew all along someone from the force had double-crossed Chris. It was you, wasn't it?" Melanie glared at him. Then he sauntered over to stand near enough to touch. "How could you let your fellow officers die like that?" She had to automatically move back. His sickly after-shave tickled her nostrils, revolting her.
He shrugged carelessly. The shoulders on him were a mile wide. "Needs must, and all the rest." He looked behind him to where another man stood, unsmiling, a cigar held between his fingers. His dinner suit was immaculate, and the white shirt beneath glowed as if fluorescent and made him look incongruous on this vessel.
Without being told she knew she was about to meet The Baron.
"So, you thought to forgo us the pleasure of seeing you die, eh?" the boss of this bunch of thugs said in a voice edged with steel. "Let's get this over with." He looked bored as he snapped his fingers and looked to where another member of the party held something. When he flapped it about, Melanie saw it was a large plastic sack. "Tie her up." Melanie knew instantly what they meant to do and she began to struggle. "Knock her out if she gives you any trouble." The Baron strode across the deck and disappeared through a nearby doorway without a backward glance.
"You'll not get away with this," she shrieked.
"We already have, slut! You're a dead woman." Pederman grinned, showing yellowing teeth. "The cop at the station who saw you won't tell a soul you turned up."
She gasped. "He's in your pay too?
"Not exactly, but the poor sucker has a nice little wife and three kids. He wouldn't want anything nasty to happen to his family, now would he?" His expression said he would very much like something nasty to happen to them.
Melanie shook her head. "My God, you have no conscience whatsoever, do you?"
"None." He turned to gesture to the three men from the car. "You know what to do. Now, get on with it." He showed his back as he went to the rail and put his hands on it.
One of them held her down while the other two tied her hands and feet with cord. Her struggles were useless.
"What about my bankbook and credit card? They're back at the motel." She said the first thing popping into her head. "Someone will get suspicious when they're found and I don't turn up."
"Don't worry your pretty little head about such trifles," the one called Badger said with an ugly laugh.
"Reve!" she screamed. "Do something."
Have no fear, just let them do what they intend, Mel-aanie. The soft words uttered in her head were reassuring and she breathed a soft sigh of relief.
"There isn't a soul who can help you now, so there's no point in carrying on like this," Badger said, as if reprimanding a child. They began to force her legs into what she realized was a body bag, and her struggles grew fierce. Then when one began to zip it up her, screams tore from her throat.
"No, please," she begged, panic making her weak. "Reve, do something," she yelled. "This has gone far enough. I can't bear this."
Relax. His voice seemed to come through a fog and then she knew nothing.
Seventeen
Reve watched the men toss her over the side. And they appeared to relish the task, each grunting as if Mel-aanie was a heavy bag of waste instead of a tiny female.
What sort of people are these Earthmen that they could do this to a fellow human? The worst punishment on Amaryllis was death, but even this was dealt with a measure of kindness. Alexia had known no pain for all that she had sentenced Mel-aanie to a horrendous fate. Death had come to her instantly. But these people were throwing what they thought a conscious human into the water to a sure death by drowning. And enjoying the gruesome job.
Uttering a few well-chosen curses, he dived after Mel-aanie and caught up with her before she hit the sandy bottom of the bay. The ocean floor was littered with all sorts of unrecognizable debris. What manner of a supposedly civilized culture let their planet get into such a despicable condition? If they went on in this fashion, it was likely they would become extinct within megnums. Perhaps by then the scientists on Amaryllis would have found an antidote to this influenza virus and there might still be a chance they could settle here. The Earth people obviously held their home in little regard.
Instantly he had the bag undone, the bonds untied. With his mouth over hers, he breathed for Mel-aanie as he swam away from the vessel at top speed. When they surfaced a good distance away, she opened her eyes.
Reve's heart lurched. "You are all right?" he asked huskily, lapping at the droplets cascading down her face and then grimacing at the vile taste of the water. It was a good thing she couldn't see his disgust.
"Oh Reve, I was so scared." She began to tread water. "I don't remember." With a hand to her temple she frowned as remembrance obviously returned. "Good God! How did I get out of the bag?"
"I told you I would not let you down, did I not Mel-aanie? You must learn the most important lesson in life. I will never desert you. I will always be here for you, for as long as you need me. Look." With pressure on her middle, circling her with his arms for support, he turned her to face the yacht.
Melanie wanted to see him, to reassure herself he was really here. The pressure of his arms about her was comforting, but she longed to make sure he wasn't a presence conjured up by her imagination.
"I am real," he assured her, pressing his mouth to her nape.
At that precise moment, there was an almighty explosion and Melanie wondered if it was the effect of his kiss sending fireworks off inside her head. But he chuckled and she opened eyes drifted shut in time to see the yacht going up in a ball of flames.
"Oh my!"
Bits of it shot a hundred feet into the air, before dropping into the water. Luckily they were well out of the way of the flying debris, and there had been no other craft nearby. A great cloud of black smoke drifted above where the yacht had been.
"My God, how did you do that?" she squeaked. There was no doubt in her mind he'd had a hand in exploding the boat.
"A little trick of mine," he divulged. "There will be no more trouble from those people again."
"You could say that's a certainty," she agreed, grinning as he lay back and pulled her with him so she felt as if stretched out on a surfboard--a very strong, virile and living surfboard.
"Now, shall we get back to the motel," he said, nibbling her ear. "You must dry out. I think I will zap us there. I am feeling lazy."
\*
Melanie opened her eyes. In the blink of an eye they had landed back in the motel room. And she was dripping water all over the carpet. She groaned, heading for the shower.
When the warm water was cascading over her, she felt a presence at her side. She smiled as Reve drawled, "This is one thing about Earth I find positively favorable."
"How is it I can't see you but I can feel you," she murmured as his arms encircled her and he began to soap her breasts with slow languorous caresses.
"Isn't it more pleasurable to be able to feel? Just let your senses take over and float on a sea of ecstasy," he urged, his hands moving lower to caress her thighs, to linger on the curls at their apex.
"Mmm," she murmured, already hazy with desire as his fingers delved between her legs and began to work their magic on her secret pleasure points. With a ragged sigh she leant into him and arched her back.
"Touch me, as I am touching you, Mel-aanie. I wish to feel your hands on me." He turned her, directing her fingers to the rock-hard length of him. Curving them about his shaft he guided them in a slow, sensuous, stroking until he was groaning out his need, and she was panting in her eagerness to be one with him.
Using his magical tongue, Reve laved, suckled and gently nipped her breasts until Melanie was moaning out her desire to feel him inside her. Lost in the depths of a desire she had no control over and had no wish to control, she spread her legs and allowed his access to her when he worked his way down her body with his tongue. A scream was wrenched from her lips when he reached his goal, his wonderfully erotic tongue penetrating her womanly folds and bringing her to a stunning climax.
Before she'd caught her breath, she found herself on the bed. Reve's hard body covered hers. In one sure movement he plunged deep inside her, withdrew, then plunged again, once, twice, until she was screaming, and he was murmuring a litany of endearments in his own tongue. Phrases she could not understand but had no trouble deciphering as declarations of love, or his interpretation of the emotion.
Together they reached a timeless place of ecstasy known to only a fortunate few, and for fathomless moments, they became as one, cleaved in body, mind, and soul.
\*
Reve stared down at the sleeping female in his arms. Soon he must go, with or without her. The hours were slipping past as rapidly as the night sped over his planet. How empty his life on Amaryllis would be without her. She had so many traits unknown to his fellow Amaryllisans. She had taught him how to laugh at life and himself. At first he had manufactured this thing she called a grin, just to attract her liking. Now it came as naturally to him as it did to her when happy.
Until she'd come into his life, he had not known such gentleness of spirit, such kindness or selflessness. The vast span of emotions within her psyche would always fascinate him. He was certain. True she had a tongue often as sharp as the teeth of a sea dragon--but even that bewitched him. No, he could never tire of one such as she.
Sighing, Reve blew in her ear and watched the smile curve her mouth as she hunched her shoulder. "Mel-aanie, you must rouse. It is growing near to the time for you to make your decision."
The smile disappeared, to be replaced by a slight puckering of her brow. "Already?" she murmured sleepily.
"I think your decision has already been made," he said, shifting away from her.
"Reve?" He felt her senses reach out to him, but he kept his distance.
Clothing himself, he stood looking out of the window. How they ever lived with this noise he could not understand. And the dirt and dust made him feel as if every pore in his skin was clogged, his body suffocating. A vehicle she called a truck rumbled by on the road outside. It was so close he could almost reach out and touch it from where he stood. A radio blared from the unit alongside theirs, and another noise, probably what she had told him was a TV, was screaming about some breakfast cereal. A siren whined insistently on a street a few blocks away. Reve shook his head.
"Mel-aanie." After moving back to the bed, he stood over her, watching as she stretched. His insides clenched. She was so entrancing. How would he live without her if she decided to stay here? She put her feet to the floor and sucked on her lower lip. "I must return to the craft now. Is this goodbye?"
"Do you realize what you ask of me, Reve?" she said in a sad low voice with a catch in it. Her sadness was reflected in her eyes.
Reve stifled a sigh. "There can be no life here on Earth for me, Mel-aanie. You knew that when I came here with you. So, if we wish to be together, you must return to Amaryllis with me." He lifted his chin. "I will not beg. But let me say, my life has changed irrevocably since you came into it." For a moment, he intently looked down on her. "You must now choose." Never had he expected to have such fierce feelings where a female was concerned. Her face was wet with her tears and he bent to kiss them away.
Melanie felt tears she hadn't known she'd shed on her cheeks and then felt the brush of his lips, lapping them up. As her mouth trembled, he covered it with his, gently, no hint of passion in the brief kiss. "I will miss this kissing you taught me if you decide to stay." His breath feathered over her face.
"And I will miss your brand of lovemaking if I decide not to return with you." Melanie choked back a sob. "But this is my home, Reve. Everything familiar to me is here. I don't know if I can abide living on a planet where you are forced to bear only one child, and then your child is taken away from you at five to be reared like a zombie in some school."
She heard his heavy sigh, felt it on her face as he brushed a finger over her damp cheek. "So many things are different on my planet, I agree. But what have you here on Earth? Tell me, who have you to watch out for you? Who will take care of you the next time some of these dreadful men decide to toss you in the sea?"
"Oh Reve, I thought I made it clear. This isn't the sort of thing happening all the time on Earth. It wouldn't have happened to me if I hadn't been married to Chris. And now you've done away with The Baron, Pederman, and his mob, I'll be able to live in peace." Or as close to peace as she could ever get with Reve out of her reach forever. Melanie put her fist to her mouth as she struggled against the sorrow threatening to engulf her.
He grunted impatiently. "Yes, you will be safe. Only until one of these muggers I have seen on this strange thing you call TV decides to bash you or rob you."
Melanie tried for a laugh, but it came out as a small choking sound. "You've been watching the late news I see."
"I watched while you slept and tried to understand the ways of your people. They are primitive, Mel-aanie. They give way to their baser instincts. Instincts and practices that died out many megnums ago on Amaryllis." The disgust was clear in his voice.
Melanie sighed, and knowing he followed her, got up to go into the shower. Like a cloak of security, his presence was all around her. How would she live without his possessive, sometimes aggressive, presence?
She fully expected him to join her beneath the spray, but he didn't.
Instead she only felt the soft touch of his mouth on her nape. It felt like a brush of a butterfly's wing. "I go now. If this is farewell, Mel-aanie, then I wish with every part of me that your life is full and happy from now on."
"Don't go yet," she cried.
But it was too late. She was already alone.
The loneliness closed round her like a shroud. Melanie shivered as she quickly washed and dried herself. In less time than it took to blink an eye he had gone. A deep sorrow weighed her down. Brushing now and then at the tears streaking her cheeks, she toweled her hair dry.
Of course she'd known their last passionate lovemaking had been his farewell. He was too proud to beg, and had left the decision to her. No bribes, no cajoling or insisting. The plain and simple truth was, if she chose to go with him back to Amaryllis it would be her decision and hers alone.
Then it hit Melanie. There really was no choice. It was so simple. If she decided to live here alone, with perhaps the chance of eventually marrying again, to a man who had no idea how to excite her, to bring her pleasure to take the breath away, it would be a sterile life.
Or she could take the opportunity to live an exciting adventure with Reve. A life that would no doubt be fraught with difficulties. But a life that would never be boring. Of this she could be certain.
Melanie smiled as she got up from the bed and tossed the towel aside. A laugh bubbled up from her throat as she quickly brushed her hair. She must do one or two things first. Such as a visit to an ATM.
All right, she would go back to Amaryllis, but Reve had promised she could always come back in the future, and it would be wise to have some cash handy in case this ever happened.
Melanie turned on the TV and watched the news while she dressed. Reve had thoughtfully put her clothes on hangers and they were nearly dry. The newsreader was solemnly imparting the facts about a yacht mysteriously exploding near The Heads. It was unknown yet what the cause was, but the TV station had apparently received an anonymous telephone call saying the members of a drug smuggling ring had been on board. The police suspected a rival gang of planting a bomb on the boat, which the caller had claimed was owned by Gareth Baron, a well-known figure in Sydney society. Also thought to be on board were men who apparently had been under surveillance for a long time, suspected of aiding and abetting Gareth Baron in importing drugs from Thailand and Indonesia. Also on board, the police had been informed, was Justin Pederman. As she flicked the switch to off, the newsreader was telling everyone he had been a member of the police force.
Chuckling, Melanie picked up her bankcards and left the unit. Paying the receptionist by cashcard, she then went to the automatic teller machine outside a nearby bank and drew out as much money as she could in one go. Hailing a cab she got the driver to take her to Lucy Marchant's home.
\*
Lucy was stunned when Melanie handed over both of her credit cards. "Draw it all out in the next few days, Lucy, here's my PINs." She wrote the two numbers on a piece of paper. "Then you can cut up the cards."
"But won't you need any money yourself?" Lucy stared at her.
"No, where I'm going and with whom I'm going I won't need a thing." Melanie gave Lucy another slip of paper. "And here's the receipt for my furniture and all other possessions. Sell what you don't need, or give it to charity." She shrugged. "Just get rid of it all. I'm starting out afresh."
The biggest understatement of the century.
"Are you sure about this?"
"As sure as I've ever been about anything," Melanie said as they hugged each other. "Goodbye, and take care."
There were tears in their eyes as Melanie smiled and then walked away.
\*
Melanie waited until she reached the corner to say, Zap me up, Reve.
A moment passed in which she wondered with a touch of dread if he had gone off and deserted her. "Reve?" Desperation came through in her cracked cry.
But then, after a moment's dizziness, she was once again in the spacecraft.
"God, I thought for a minute there you'd gone," she blurted as soon as she faced him across the confined space of the capsule.
"I wouldn't have gone without giving you one more chance to change your mind," he said with a wicked grin.
"Is that so?" Melanie moved nearer and circled his waist with her arms. She pressed her lips to his chin.
"I take it this means you have decided to come back to Amaryllis with me." His arms tightened about her and Melanie sighed as she felt the taut strength in his body welcoming hers.
"I think you guessed, Reve, that there's nothing down there for me anymore," she said softly as their eyes told each other of their feelings.
"And there is much on my planet for you?" His grin had vanished and he was more serious than she'd ever seen him, even counting their first encounter. For a moment Melanie recalled the first time she'd set eyes on him, and how severe and arrogant she had thought him.
"There's you, Reve, and the rest is unimportant. I know you can read my every thought so I wouldn't try to convince you otherwise. You're all I could ever want--all I could ever desire."
He breathed in deeply and his head went back as he let the air out of his lungs. "There is just one more vital detail we must think about now, Mel-aanie. I did promise you one thing. I said I would show myself as I truly am. I feel this must be done before you commit yourself further, dear heart." Diffidence clouded his beautiful eyes and she swallowed as she gazed up at him.
"I'm a little scared," she admitted. Then she recognized real uncertainty in his expression. "Not because I think I'll find you repulsive, but because I fear we may not really be compatible. You know you promised me a baby. Well, supposing we can't make one--supposing our genes and components just don't go together?"
"They do." A half smile curved his mouth. "You may rest assured, Mel-aanie. When you first arrived I had a specimen of your hair tested."
Outraged, she gasped.
"I was intrigued to see how the molecules and cells of your body compared to ours. Then when you had your tests, after being left down the mine, I asked the medico to run further intense investigations on you."
"Oh, you did, did you? Just why?" She brought her head back so she could give him a searching look.
"Don't get into one of your famous agitations. You must understand that the medicos wanted to learn about the structure of your body." The uncertain look came back.
"I guess I can understand that. If one of your kind was to stay on Earth they would have you dissected and inspected in no time. "
"For my part, it was more to ascertain if I was compatible with you than the other way round, my love." He bent to brush her lips with his. "The tests all proved positive. There should be no barrier to our producing offspring."
"Offspring?" Melanie cupped his jaw in a palm. "As in plural? I thought the rule was only one child per person."
"We'll change the rules, Mel-aanie." After a long kiss, he said sincerely, "When we find a new planet, we'll have room to grow, room to have four or five children if you so desire."
Melanie was stunned by his admission. "You'd change the rules for me?"
Gently he shook her. "Haven't you worked out yet that if I could I'd move the stars and Earth for you, Mel-aanie. Changing a few ideas and rules is nothing."
"Great." Melanie moved her arms up to circle his neck and played with the soft hair falling around his shoulders and relished the shudder that ran through his frame at her soft touch. "I don't know if I'm going to like all your rules. Such at giving up my child at five. I rather like the idea of birthing only taking five minutes, and reckoned I would rather fancy having a few children."
"We can overcome all obstacles, dear heart; as long as we are together," he promised, sealing the vow with another lengthy kiss." When they drew apart, he looked so somber. "Now, I can delay no longer. I must show myself, and pray you still wish to come with me, and share my life."
"What about me?" The thought had just occurred to her. "Will I still look like a movie star, or will I take on my true colors?"
"You can decide. It is up to you. If you don't like the real me you see, there is nothing to stop you seeing me as you see me now. It is time. Close your eyes and do not open them until I tell you." He took her hands and pressed them to her sides. Melanie felt him move away, heard his indrawn breath.
"You make it sound like a game we used to play as kids." Melanie tried to sound playful.
"This is no game, dear one. Our future depends on how you feel about the persona I am about to reveal to you."
Melanie swore his voice shook. Strangely she was not in the least afraid. She was sure she would still love him no matter what guise he wore. She had grown to love the man beneath the façade.
He nodded, as if clearly reading her thoughts. As she shut her eyes, he began to speak calming words to send her into a trance-like state. She lay back on the couch and felt his presence and knew he was infiltrating her mind.
"Open your eyes, beloved," he then said. And she obeyed.
"Oh, Reve," she breathed as she gazed up at him.
"You hate me," he said softly, distress clouding his voice.
"How can you say such a thing?" She pointed her finger to her temple. "Read my mind as you always do. There's nothing repulsive about you at all. Oh my, I knew you'd have some sort of gills, because of your skill beneath the water. You are not so different from me, except for your webbed fingers. Have you webbed toes too?"
He nodded. She got up, went to him and ran her hand over his face. He was covered in a fine sheen of hair, similar to a seal. It was light beige in color, not much different to her skin tone. "Your pelt?" she queried huskily and he smiled. With her finger she traced a path around the curve of his mouth.
Melanie then touched his nose. It was flatter than an Earthman's, the nostrils small. Their lobes dainty, his ears were also flat to the sides of his round head. Everything about him was different to the image she'd become used to, except his height, which was similar. Perhaps he was a tad taller if anything. But his eyes were still the same beautiful eyes of her lover. With a trembling finger, she traced his eyelids, where black lashes of indecent length curved.
She touched his mouth. His teeth were even and strong as he parted his lips for her inspection. "Your lips are so soft. Kiss me, Reve," she ordered huskily. "I wish to see if you still have the same skillful tongue, which seduced me many times."
"Mel-aanie," he whispered as he obeyed and pressed his mouth to hers, his devilish tongue darting to meet hers.
Much later she drew back to smile up at him. "Mmm. Much better. I thought you couldn't improve on perfect. But you've done it."
"You are pleased?" he asked, his grin restored as she nodded.
He was slimmer, his muscles beneath the soft shirt he wore still as well honed. The long hair had been replaced by shiny black waves, parted in the middle and sleeked smoothly back from a high brow. It felt like silk.
"Come, let's go home," she said, lifting a hand and pressing a kiss to his long fingers. They were almost the same as before, except a fine layer of skin joined them and he had no nails. "I am looking forward to this joining ceremony you promised me. I have a feeling I'm going to like it."
"Home?"
"Yes, home to Amaryllis, my love."
"You are sure of this Mel-aanie?" A trace of his diffidence lingered.
"Yes, home," she said decisively.
"Your wish is my command. And Mel-aanie." He brushed a kiss over her lips and winked. "I can promise you this. You will like the ceremony better than anything you have experienced so far on my planet." Reve stooped to lift her into his arms. He turned once, then deposited her on the couch and came down beside her.
"Wow, it has to be something special to top what's happened to me up 'til now, Reve."
"I guarantee it will be." He closed her eyes with a kiss. "Now sleep, dear one. In a moment only we will be home."
Meet Tricia McGill
My published works include a historical, a time-travel and a science-fiction/paranormal, so I guess you could easily say I enjoy writing across the genres. But one thing my stories have in common is that they are all romances. Love certainly makes my world go round.
I am a member of the Australian Chapter of the Romance Writers of America, The Romance Writers of Australia, The Melbourne Romance Writers Guild, EPPRO (The Electronically Published Professionals), The Historical Fiction Writers Group, and I regularly review for Sharpwriter.
Born in London, England, I have made my home in Australia for over 30 years. Writing is my great passion and I sincerely hope that my readers enjoy my stories as much as I love creating them.
Look For These Other Titles
From
Wings ePress, Inc.
Romance Novels
Amaryllis by Tricia McGill
Hanne's Farewell To Juarez by Sara V. Olds
Next Year's Promise by Karen Hudgins
Rachel's Journey by Mary McGuire
Roary O'Rourke; And The Quest For The Secret
Of Bramble Castle by Joanna Hollier
Shadows Of The Eclipse by Bonnie Napoli
Sinister Knight by Jayme Evans
The Fixer-Uppers by Cynthianna Appel
Coming In December
Baltimore Beauty by Sue Thornton
Flight Of Angels by Marilyn Gardiner
Phoenix Farm by Olga V. Button
Rory's Prince Charming by Patricia S. Otto
Scent Of Diamonds by Dorothy Skarles
Sex, Lies And Rodeo Games by Diana Kirk
The Prince In The Flower Bed by Roberta Olsen Major
Through All Time by Judi Phillips
General Fiction Novels
Return To Madrona by Marilyn Nichols Kapp
Be sure to visit us at http://www.wing-press.com
for a complete listing of our available and upcoming titles.

