“I don’t belong to anyone. Must you make it sound like slavery?” And then the thought struck her. “Isthere slavery there?”
“Yes, in a few of the more distant countries. But before you go getting bent out of shape over that, kindly remember that there’s still slavery in some of the far corners of your own world, and it was widely accepted just a couple of hundred years ago in your own country.”
Brittany thumped her head mentally for even asking. Barbaric in the eyes of “most of the universe” would of course include things like slavery. A logical deduction. And much easier to convince the nonbeliever if the tall tale followed a logical path.
But Brittany proved just how single-minded humans were by repeating, “Directions? Or is there some reason I must stay here?”
“Out the door and right to the lift at the end of the hall. It’s voice activated—or controlled by me.” And then a chuckle. “Dalden doesn’t even know that. He just assumes it’s always going to take him exactly where he wants to go in the ship, because I always know where he wants to go and control it for him.”
“Why not just tell him?”
“Weren’t you listening when I mentioned that he doesn’t like spaceships? The less he has to personally deal with the ship, the better.”
“Will I get to explore this ship?”
“Sure, why not?”
Brittany could have thought of one major reason why not. If their ship was as big as it was being represented by them, then the size of the studio that had created this illusion would have to be mammoth to show her all of it. It would be much easier to restrict her to just a few rooms. Of course, when she got around to asking for that tour, they would probably come up with excuses to not allow it.
“Alone?”
Martha chuckled at that addition. “Doll, there’s no such thing as being alone on a ship controlled by me. There are visual monitors in every single room that can’t be turned off if I don’t want them turned off.”
“What about broken? Smashed? Demolished?”
“Are we getting hot under the collar? You could try, but they’re made of unbreakable material. And why does that upset you?”
“Maybe I’m used to the concept of privacy?” Brittany growled. “Maybe I don’t like the fact that there willalways be eyes on me.”
“I’m not intrusive, Brittany. I view when I need to view, I don’t view just for the hell of it.”
“I’m not impressed by that hurt-feelings tone. If you’re a computer, you don’t have feelings.”
Another chuckle. “’Course not, butyoudon’t think I’m a computer, remember?”
Before Brittany’s blush got really bright, the door to the lift slid silently open. Dalden turned toward her immediately. So did Jorran. It was a circular room in the middle of which was another circular room enclosed by see-through walls. Those curved, seamless walls extended from floor to ceiling. As Martha had mentioned, there were no doors, no openings of any kind. There had to be a trapdoor in the floor, though, that she just couldn’t see, because their only way in or out, called Transfer, was stretching the limits of even their imagination, much less hers.
“Why is she here?” Dalden wanted to know.
“Shanelle took her to the Rec Room, where she thought you’d be, then abandoned her there when she got emotional again over what she assumed happened to Tedra on her return home. Nothing we haven’t seen her do a dozen times since parting from Tedra, but you know how your sister is, and how poorly she deals withthatsubject.”
“Why is she here?” Dalden repeated, showing that barbarians could be single-minded, too.
“Didn’t care for my subtle warning about whatyoucan expect to be grilled about later? Forgetting that the Rec Room is where your good buddies prefer to hang out? Brittany got intimidated.”
The blush that Brittany had gotten under control immediately returned. And Dalden’s expression softened now as he put an arm around her and said, “You need have no fear of Kan-is-tran warriors.”
“I wasn’t afraid,” she insisted. “Martha embellishes. I was merely uncomfortable. And she said you were playing the ambassador here. I wanted to see how one plays at being an ambassador.”
He made a face now. “As you say, she embellishes. I have not the diplomacy needed for such a role. But I am capable of turning down Jorran’s demands and making sure he understands why.”
“Satisfaction in saying no?”
“Indeed.”
“I suppose he’s demanding that you let him go?” Brittany guessed.
Dalden shook his head. “He understands we are returning him to Century III and that he will be contained here for the journey. He has no difficulty accepting that as the consequence of losing the fight with me. But he remembers that a meditech fully healed him after his fight with my sister’s lifemate, Falon. He demands that we heal him.”
