Laura Jo Phillips (5 page)

“I am honored to meet you as well, Miss Aisling,” Elder Vulpiran replied, not hesitating a moment over the lack of a last name.  “May I add that we are most grateful that you have agreed to help us with translations.  We have run every linguistic decryption protocol we have on the Xanti language, but nothing has worked.”

“I’m happy to help in any way that I can in the battle against the Xanti, Elder Vulpiran.” Aisling replied. 

“Elder Vulpiran, this is Karma
Baraka,” Olaf added after a moment to be sure they were finished speaking.  “Aisling’s friend and companion.”

“I am pleased to meet you as well, Miss Baraka,” Elder Vulpiran said.  “I am grateful that you are accompanying Miss Aisling.  We will do our utmost to make both of you as comfortable as possible while you are here.  However, please note that we do not have any females who work with us in the Council Complex, so we would ask that you feel free to let us know if there is anything you need or want.”

“No females?” Karma asked curiously as Elder Vulpiran turned and politely gestured for the women to walk beside him as he started down a long hall.

“Unfortunately, no,” Elder Vulpiran replied.  “Only Clan Jasani may sit on the Council of Scientists.  As we have only four female Clan Jasani, all of whom are busy with more pressing responsibilities, we have been deprived of their company for some time now.  Our studies suffer greatly for the lack, I am certain.  Arima Katre has been here a few times, but she does not stay for long.  It is our greatest hope that we will soon have as many females here as we have males.  That will truly be a wonderful day for Clan Jasan.”

“Why do you say your studies lack?” Aisling asked.

“Good question,” Elder Vulpiran said, looking at Aisling thoughtfully.  “I believe that all of us within the Thousand Worlds are connected.  All of our worlds have similar atmospheres and ecosystems, and all of the people, no matter how different they may look from one another on the outside, share many fundamental genetic, biochemical, and physiological similarities.  I also believe that everything has a balance, and a counter-balance.  An equal, and an opposite.  If you have only one half of an equation, then how can you complete it?”

“That’s a bit over my head,” Karma said with a grin and a half shrug.  “What about you, Aisling?”

“I think he’s correct,” Aisling replied.  “I’ve often thought the same thing myself, in fact.”

“We do our best,” Elder Vulpiran continued, smiling companionably at Aisling.  “But without the feminine viewpoint, our best is never as good as it should be.”

“Now that a few Arimas have been found, do you think that will change?” Aisling asked.

“I fervently hope so,” Elder Vulpiran replied as he stopped and opened a door.  He stepped aside to allow the women to enter first, then followed them in when Rudy took the door from him. 

The room was mostly bare, and had no windows, which Aisling preferred.  There were workers bustling around unrolling rugs and assembling desks as they entered.

“We are setting up this room for you to work in,” Elder Vulpiran said as he led them to a corner out of the way.  “It will be ready for you by morning.  We are adding two vid terminals so that Miss Baraka will have something to occupy her while you are translating.  If there is anything specific that you would like us to include, please do not hesitate to ask.”

“I’m sure that whatever you do will be sufficient,” Aisling said politely.

“A coffee maker would be nice,” Karma put in.  Aisling shot her a sideways glance and Karma shrugged.  “Well, it would be nice,” she repeated.

“It is already planned for,” Elder Vulpiran said.  “As well as a small chiller stocked with refreshments.”

“What would be the best time for us to arrive tomorrow?” Aisling asked.

“This room will be ready first thing in the morning,” Elder Vulpiran said, shooting a glance at the workers.  “You may come in whenever you please.  I will make myself available to you when you arrive.”

“We will see you in the morning then,” Aisling said. 

She would have preferred to give Elder Vulpiran a specific time for her arrival, but she had no idea how she would get there, or even where she would be staying, so she couldn’t do that. 

“We will be sure to have the ladies here by nine, if that is acceptable,” Olaf said, much to Aisling’s relief.

“That would be fine,” Elder Vulpiran replied with a short bow.  A few minutes later they were back in the ground car, Rand flying overhead once again. 

Chapter
4

As Rudy drove through a set of ornate security gates set into a high rock wall, Olaf pointed toward a house at the top of a broad hill.  The narrow lane that curved up and around the hill toward the top was lined with flowering trees and bushes that were alive with birds, squirrels, bees and butterflies.  The blue grass and lavender skies in the background made Aisling feel as though she had stepped into one of the exquisitely detailed paintings from a fantasy book her father had read to her when she was a little girl.  It was breathtakingly beautiful, and at the same time, surreal.

The house was circular, set on top of the hill like a crown, with the center open to the sky.  A huge garden filled the open area, complete with a fish pond, waterfall, pavilion, and a tinted glass ceiling that could be slid open or closed at the touch of a button, depending on the weather.  The circular design of the house allowed nearly every room to open onto the garden.

Aisling was as amazed by the interior of the house as she was by the exterior.  It was neither overtly masculine, nor fussy.  The furniture was large and comfortable looking, the hardwood floors gleamed softly in the late afternoon sunlight, and each room had its own stone fireplace.  The overall feel was airy, warm and inviting. 

After giving the women a brief tour of the house, Olaf showed them to a pair of guestrooms situated next to each other.  Each guest room had a fireplace, double doors onto the garden, a private sitting area, and its own luxurious bathroom.  After Rand deposited Aisling’s small bag on a bench at the foot of the bed, they left her alone, closing the door behind them. 

As soon as she was alone Aisling raised her arms over her head and stretched her shoulders until the muscles popped.  Then she rolled her head from side to side, stretching her neck.  Walking around hunched over like a shrinking violet all of the time was a lot harder than she’d imagined possible.  She’d been doing it long enough that it was easier than it had once been, but it was still difficult.  Especially when she got angry. 

She opened her bag and carried her few toiletries into the bathroom, wishing she had purchased more when she’d been in town last.  She’d thought she’d be relocating with the Bearens to the Dracons’ ranch, so she’d decided to hold off on making purchases that would just have to be moved anyway. 

At least she now had access to her own money.  Some of it, anyway.  She had set up a secret account for herself back on Earth long ago so that she could gain access to funds without giving away her location, just in case.  In her line of work, such a precaution was practically a requirement.

Clark Bearen had taken her and Karma into Berria a few days earlier so that she could visit the bank and arrange for a new pay-card.  She had memorized all of the necessary account numbers and access codes, so there had been no difficulty in accessing the account. 

The first item she had purchased, and the most important to her, was a hand terminal.  Thinking of it reminded her to check it.  She set the toiletries down on the long counter in the bathroom and pulled the hand terminal from her pocket.  She switched it on and scrolled through the menus, looking for incoming messages.  After a moment she switched it off and returned it to her pocket.  Perhaps tomorrow, she thought.

She went back into the bedroom and unpacked the few clothes she had, then put the bag in the closet.  She smiled to herself at how quickly she’d been able to unpack.  Less than three minutes from start to finish.  Her mother would never have believed such a thing possible.

A painful lump rose in her throat at the thought of her mother.  She blinked away the sharp sting in her eyes and crossed the room toward the garden doors, throwing them open and stepping outside in an effort to escape her memories.  She took a long, deep breath of fresh air, putting her mother firmly from her mind.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Karma asked from her doorway a few yards away.

“Yes, it is,” Aisling replied.  “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The sound of doors opening on the other side of the garden caught their attention and they both looked up to see Olaf stepping out into the garden opposite them.  They watched as he walked toward them, stopping when he reached a large circular pavilion in the center of the garden. There were a lot of flowering bushes and shrubs between them, but they were all carefully pruned and clipped so that they had no trouble seeing each other.

 “I know that we have only just arrived, but if you ladies have no objection, dinner is ready,” he said. 

“Sounds good to me,” Karma said, turning to close the doors to her room.  Aisling did the same and they joined Olaf in the pavilion near a large table with chairs set all the way around it. 

“I would offer to have dinner served out here, but it is a bit chilly for that now,” Olaf said as he watched Aisling run her fingers over the back of one of the chairs. 

Aisling pulled her hand back as though caught doing something wrong, and Olaf bit back a sigh.  The woman raised all of his protective instincts, and he had no idea why.  It was a mystery, and, like all gryphons, he believed that mysteries are meant to be solved.

He turned and led the way back to the house, passing by the living room doors he had come through, entering another set of wide glass doors instead.  Aisling paused in the dining room doorway, taking in the big round table loaded with steaming dishes, the fire crackling in the stone fireplace, the soft light of the setting sun shining through the glass giving the room a warm glow. 

“Come,” Rand urged her, waving her toward a seat at the table.  Aisling smiled at him, unable to help herself.  The room was so warm and welcoming that she felt herself relax and let her guard down, just a little, almost against her will. 

Rand’s breath caught in his throat at the first smile any of them had ever seen on Aisling’s face.  He had thought she was pretty, what little of her he had seen.  She always wore baggy clothes and kept her head down, her hair hiding her eyes and face so much that none of them were really certain what she looked like other than the color of her hair and eyes.  Now, he saw that her eyes were not just olive green, but that there was a thin ring of gold around the iris that shone like soft sunlight when she smiled.

Her face was oval, her features delicate, her pale skin clear and smooth with an undertone of warm peach.  Her full lips were a deeper shade of peach and Rand couldn’t help but wonder if they would taste as sweet as the fruit they reminded him of. 

It wasn’t until Aisling’s smile faded that Rand realized he’d been staring at her.  He could have kicked himself for his bad manners.

“I apologize for staring, Miss Aisling,” he said with a short bow. 

“It’s all right,” she said, though he couldn’t help but notice that the wariness was back in her eyes.  He glanced up at Olaf and knew by the expression on his face that his elder brother had seen Aisling’s smile too, and had been just as enchanted by it. 

“The food smells wonderful,” Karma said, breaking the awkward silence.  “Did you guys cook?”  

“No, though we enjoy cooking, we rarely have the time for it,” Olaf said, grateful to Karma for the distraction.  He took his seat in between Aisling and Karma as Rand and Rudy took their seats on the opposite side of the table. 

“A Terien woman named Krista cooks for us,” Rand said.  “She has been with us for many years now, and is as family to us. 

“Does she have a family?” Karma asked as she accepted a dish of what she thought was a vegetable from Olaf.  She sniffed it experimentally, then shrugged and put a serving of it on her plate before passing it along to Rand. 

“Yes, two adult daughters who now have their own families,” Rand said, accepting the dish from Karma with a smile. 

 “Would you like wine or juice?” Olaf asked Aisling once everyone had served themselves.

“Juice, please,” Aisling said. 

 Olaf filled her glass from an iced pitcher, then asked Karma the same question.  While he filled Karma’s glass, Aisling took an experimental sip of hers and was surprised to discover that the reddish orange liquid tasted like grape juice.

“Do you like it?” Rudy asked.

“Yes, I do,” Aisling replied.  “It’s very good.  What’s it called?”

“No idea,” he said with a grin.  “A couple of years ago we had an over abundance of fruits and vegetables from our garden, so I did some experimenting.  This combination seemed to be one that everyone liked, so I make it when we have the ingredients, usually late summer, or early fall.  I think this will be the last of it for this season though.  Winter is just ahead.”

“Does it get very cold in winter?” Karma asked.

“Here it does, yes,” Olaf said.  “We usually get quite a bit of snow, but it’s the wind storms, what we call howlers, that cause the most trouble.  That’s why our buildings are made of stone and brick.  The winters are much milder on the other side of Jasan, where the Dracons live.  They get less snow, and no winter howlers.”