“That’sprogrammed.”She grinned, assuming she must have mentioned the word to him at some time or other. “And no, it’s not a computer, or any other type of machine that you can turn off or on. Kystrals will change color for you because they know they’re beautiful and they love to show off. They’re alive, sweetcakes.”
His expression said, “Sure they are.” But he wasn’t going to call her any more of a liar than that look did, nor was he going to ask again how the color changing worked. Yet he really wanted to know, was really fascinated, and holding that curiosity in check was amusing to watch. She might try again later to convince him that she’d told it the way it was, but right now she let it pass into the realm of tall-Kystranitales-not-to-be-discused.
They hadn’t walked all that far from Challen’s room when he stopped before a door that was only a mere eight feet in height, which was small as barbarian doors went around here. This he indicated she should open herself, which she did, finding she didn’t have to shove against the wood to accomplish it. Inside, there was the familiar blue carpeting of the castle, the usual white walls with their gaali stone ledges. That was where familiar ended.
It was the smallest room she had yet seen in the castle, no more than a quarter the size of Challen’s chamber. Of course, that still made it a pretty large room by Kystrani standards. The soft carpeting ran from wall to wall. There were several couches in muted lavender that actually had backs on them. And there were chairs, also with backs, and looking really comfortable with thick padding.
In a corner stood something that could have passed for a musical instrument, though Tedra had never seen the like. The recently absentfembair,Sharm, lay stretched out on the floor in front of one of the couches. She was surprised to see him, but more surprised by the miniature copy of him curled up asleep on the end of the couch above him. In another corner was an apparatus like what she had seen in the women’s gathering room, which Jalla had called a cloth maker.
There were shelves on one wall filled with vases in varying sizes and shapes, a few appearing to be made of gold. On the floor beneath them was a long chest, left open, and stuffed with the materials to make flowers for those vases: colored stones, colored metals, colored jewels. There were more jewels in another smaller chest, with silver and gold mountings and chains, and the tools necessary to create jewelry. In still another chest were small bottles and vials, some filled, some empty, and it didn’t take much to assume everything was there for the making of perfumes.
“It’s a hobby room, right?” Tedra guessed as she finished with her examination of the last chest. “The only things lacking are a computer terminal and a collection of Ancients’ tapes, since history is my hobby.”
“Perhaps you can find another to amuse you, since the room is now yours.”
“Mine?”
“A place where you may come to be alone or not, as you like. You may also make use of what is here for the occupying of your time. Did you not tell me once that a place of privacy was important to you?”
“Yes.” She was surprised he remembered that, but more surprised by his thoughtfulness. “It’s a wonderful gift, Challen. And I’d been wondering what I was going to do to keep from going nuts without my work to keep me busy. But I have to tell you, I’ve never in my life made anything with my own hands. I wouldn’t even know how.”
He smiled. “You now have the opportunity to discover hidden talents. The women will show you how. But this was not my gift to you,chemar.This you need to keep you from mischief when I cannot be with you.”
“Is that so?” she snorted, aware he was only half teasing. “All right, I’ll bite. What can be better than all this?”
“Sharm’s son.”
“Sharm’s wha—?” It hit her before she got the question out, and her eyes flew to the couch where the littlefembairstill slept. “Ooooh.” The tears started, but she couldn’t help it. “A pet, you’re giving me a pet, a live pet. Oh, Challen,” she whispered softly.
She threw her arms around his neck, hid her face against his chest, and sobbed her eyes out. Challen’s arms came around her, but hesitantly. He was totally confused.
“This was to make you happy,chemar.”
“I am!”
“Then why do you cry?”
“I don’t know!” she wailed.
Now he understood. “Ah, a woman’s response. I had not expected to find the soft female inside you and set her free this soon.”
“I’m having a breakdown, so give me a break.” She pushed away from him to give him a reproachful look. “I’m a Sec 1. A Sec can’t be soft or womanish. The job doesn’t allow it.” She wiped the tears off her cheeks, then glared at the wetness on her fingers. “I don’t believe I did that.”
He was trying to keep from laughing. “Women often cry when they are happy. I must confess I assumed it would be otherwise with you.”
“That’s right, rub it into the ground,” she grouched. “One little slip …” She broke off with a gasp, having forgotten the reason for it in her upset with herself. “Oh, Challen, is he really mine, mine to keep?”
This time he did laugh. “Yes. He has just been weaned from his dam, but as you see, Sharm has developed a fondness for this cub of his. It will not be easy to separate them.”
She missed the implied meaning in that statement, too eager just then to examine her wonderful gift. “What shall I call him?” she asked, bending over the end of the couch to pick him up. This brought another gasp. “Stars, is this supposed to be a recently born animal?” The baby filled her arms and then some, and weighed at least thirty pounds.
“Does his size matter?” Challen frowned, not having considered that. “He will get bigger, much bigger.”
She glanced down at Sharm, who was watching her hold his son with a very attentive eye. “As big as that, huh? Well, I’ll make room for him. I do live in the country, you know.”
She would not have to make room for her pet if Challen had anything to do with it, for there was ample room right here, but he did not mention that. He watched her put her cheek to the babyfembair’shead, making weird little sounds of getting acquainted. The cat stood this abundance of affection only for a short while before squirming to get down.
Challen had to smile at Tedra’s reluctance to let the cub go. But then she was looking at him, and he caught his breath at the tender warmth in her eyes. Therewasa soft and womanly female hiding behind her gruff exterior. He understood this about her, and someday he would understand everything about her. Droda, how the woman fascinated him with the complexities of her nature. And how he wanted her to be the mother of his children, more than anything he had ever wanted before.
