Thirty minutes later, when Lex came back through the door and stood for a moment letting her wonderful blue eyes adjust, I had my plan pretty much worked out. It was going to cost me a pretty penny to pull off, but if it worked, I just might get the best of both worlds, Lex"s and mine.
And if I got lucky, maybe I"d get Lex as well. As I said, I wanted everything.
Lex slid onto the stool beside me and Carl brought her a diet drink as well. I sipped mine, some sort of drink that tasted like lime only sweet.
After Carl moved down the bar, Lex pointed to my drink and smiled, looking into my eyes. "I see you"ve made a decision."
"I have," I said. "But hear me all the way out like you asked me to do for you. Okay?"
"Okay," Lex said, a puzzled look on her face.
"Your entire problem with finding people here on Earth to play out in the Consolidated Planets is time. Right?"
Lex nodded.
"And Carl said that my songs had been ahead of their time," I said.
"I think he was more than likely right," Lex said. "I listened to your first collection. It"s amazingly good."
"So here"s what I want to do," I said, plowing on and ignoring her wonderful compliment. "I want to take you up on your offer, but I want to postpone when I leave."
Lex really looked puzzled, but she didn"t say anything, letting me go on.
"I want to try to make a comeback right here, right now, first, before I leave. And I want you to be my manager and backer with the money you"ll pay me to leave to the future."
With that, Lex sort of rocked back and got a distant look for a moment.
So I just went right on talking. "In exchange for you helping me get going again, right now, doing a little bankrolling, I"ll help you recruit some top talent for your Planets tours. And if I don"t make a comeback here, I"ll take less than what you offered me now in a couple of years."
"And if you do make it big?" Lex asked.
"We both get rich and we"ll just fake my death when I get as far as I can here, and then head out to the Planets together to make some real money. But the key is time."
"A win-win situation for you," Lex said, staring at me, a slight smile creeping into the edge of her perfect lips.
"For both of us," I said. "Think about it. You get me cheaper if I don"t make it, we both make money if I do, and I get not one, but two chances to make a comeback. Now and in ninety years. All that is lost is a little time on this end."
Lex laughed and nodded. "You know, that sort of makes sense."
I looked her directly in the eyes and reached out and took her soft hand. "Eventually, my songs won"t be ahead of their time."
"Timing is everything," Lex said, nodding, squeezing my hand softly in hers. "You"ve got yourself a manager and a bankroll."
While keeping one hand in hers, I held up my gla.s.s with my other hand and offered a toast.
Lex picked her gla.s.s up, smiling at me.
"To time," I said, "the real solution to everything."
"To time," she agreed, tapping her gla.s.s against mine.
Then she put her gla.s.s down and with her free hand pulled me close and kissed me.
And for me, right at that moment, time just stopped. And I had no desire to restart it.
DANCE OF LIFE.
Jody Lynn Nye.
A clash of wrist cymbals made us all turn toward the door of the grand ballroom. I, Prince Ergal, waited within the sacred globe of light for the arrival of my brother, Prince Aiech.e.l.l, and his bride to be, beautiful Ndera, whom we had all known for two years, and loved since we first met.
I, especially. Alas.
Negotiation between our two ancient houses to agree on terms was cursory; no one would stand in the way of a genuine love match. Ah, would that I had been so fortunate, but once she had met Aiech.e.l.l, she never looked again at me. There had been so many other advantages to the marriage. I could not object, though my soul cried out to her every time we met. I did my best to keep my jealousy subdued. It would show in the color of my skin. I was truly happy for Aiech.e.l.l. If I could not have Ndera, then he was the only other choice in the galaxy I would make for her. I kept myself as green as possible to show happiness as the ceremony commenced.
A Terran dancer led the wedding procession into the room. Around and behind her floated an envelope of dark carmine red, a color of celebration on our world, the fabric cut to simulate the wide, soft wings of flesh of our bodies. The pale golden skin of her face, hands, and feet, and long, deep brown hair flowing from her scalp seemed to contrast oddly. All things about humans were odd. Their manipulative digits lay at the end of bony arms that looked too exposed without the spans of our wings, whereas we had sensors and digits at wingtip and on the front of our bodies concealed in a nest of silky blue hair ten or twelve centimeters long. Unlike us, their faces were on round, bony heads at the top of their frames instead of a third of the way down where it could be enfolded protectively in our sails in case of threat. That was the primitive reaction, naturally. We"ve had better protective devices for centuries. And Terrans" feet faced the wrong way, their ankles at the back instead of at the front. I wondered how she kept from falling over.
The dancer circled the chamber again and again, clinking her wrist instruments in a hypnotic rhythm. Ndera"s honor attendants, both male and female, swept in behind and took their places around the globe. In spite of the gravity, which was heavier than on Soteial, they moved with grace. They were happy. Their skins glowed brilliant emerald, turquoise, and teal. Aiech.e.l.l"s contingent, who greatly outnumbered them, followed, emitting slightly more somber hues. In their wake came Aiech.e.l.l. His face was solemn but his brown eyes were wide with astonished pleasure. I had never seen him so happy.
He took his place beside me and b.u.mped me with his left wing. I b.u.mped back. In spite of the envy I felt, I loved him and wished him well. Our eyes fixed upon the door.
As if weightless, Ndera floated into the room. The soft barbels on the top of her wings flowed backward like streamers. She had dusted her skin with powdered crystal and gold. When she pa.s.sed through the walls of the sphere of light, the whorls and curlicues glittered. She was dazzling. Aiech.e.l.l let out a breath that deflated his body and moved to stand at her side. Our mother, Queen Denoa, spread out her wings in greeting, and began the traditional ceremony of marriage.
Outside two quarter-arcs of the translucent walls of the enormous chamber, beings of several species stood gazing in. They were not invited, but as they were pa.s.sengers on board this intersystem liner, they were curious about our joining ceremony, which had taken up most of the time and attention of the event planner and his staff for over a month, Terran-reckoning. Vondyk had asked permission to allow them to watch, in the name of interstellar cooperation. We were as curious about many of these races as they were about us, so Aiech.e.l.l had given his word. It was the first royal Soteian ceremony to take place off-planet. In a cultural exchange that would benefit our system as well, visuals of the event would be beamed to many worlds.
We were here because Ndera had expressed a wish for what the Terrans called a "destination wedding." Aiech.e.l.l denied her nothing; besides, it sounded like fun. The gravity was higher aboard the Terran-flagged luxury liner, but beyond that, we lacked no comfort. Even though the trip would be three months long, a significant part of our lifespans, it was worth it to secure the marriage. Ndera"s family tended to live almost five years longer than my family"s span of thirty or so years. It was not only her beauty and charm that made her attractive to our very choosy parents. The interchange of cells between her and Aiech.e.l.l would add vigor to their descendants, increasing the length of the lives of the royal line, including Aiech.e.l.l himself, while correspondingly shortening hers.
We Soteians breed easily and freely among ourselves. I already had three offspring, two extant and one in the womb, with females from approved families. Both my sons and my incipient daughter would have attractive traits, though unless something terrible happened to Aiech.e.l.l, my line would not be needed to carry on the dynasty. I loved my brother, and I truly did not want to occupy the Pearl Globe and rule our continent. That throne was his, and that of his eldest child he would one day have with Ndera. I only hoped to find a lady to be my permanent mate, for what time I had in this sphere of life. Our species is not long-lived, which was never a concern until we discovered s.p.a.ce travel, only thirty-two years ago. All of our long-range ships are generation ships. The thirty years, forty years if we are lucky, that we live seems sadly inadequate when the vastness of s.p.a.ce is surveyed. We were never dissatisfied before.
Now came the moment of life-sharing. Aiech.e.l.l and Ndera opened their wings forward and pressed together, face to face, along every centimeter of their bodies. I heard Aiech.e.l.l"s deep baritone voice murmur within the folds of flesh. What a bride and groom said to one another within that intimate embrace I did not yet know. We life-share only once. During that moment a chemical exchange occurs that averages out our immune and endocrine systems. Barring accident or illness, it means that each of them would now live exactly the same length of time as the other, so neither would be left alone in this world after the departure of the first. I had read harrowing stories of long widowhood, and they always left me woeful with sympathy.
Soon, Ndera"s turquoise skin and Aiech.e.l.l"s dignified green shifted until they were precisely the same shade of aqua. They had become one life. Ndera"s lifespan was shortened, but Aiech.e.l.l"s was lengthened to precisely the same extent. They would be together now for all their days. I began the traditional chant, wishing them well and healthy and fruitful through the days of their marriage. The rest of the wedding party added their voices until the glad sound rang off the ceiling of the chamber. The human dancer c.h.i.n.ked her cymbals and twirled at the perimeter of the circle like a joyful satellite.
When they parted at last, Ndera"s huge brown eyes were bright. She looked more beautiful than ever. Within moments the matching hues faded back to their normal colors. The wedding party joined them in a circle, the flesh of our wings pressed up against loved ones on either side. The bride and groom glowed with happiness, their eyes fixed upon one another. My mother sang her joy. I was bereft. I slid out of the group embrace as swiftly as I could.
"Thank you all for witnessing our marriage," Aiech.e.l.l boomed out. "Enjoy refreshments and entertainment!" He gathered Ndera in his large wings. She nestled to him as though they were truly one flesh. They whispered softly to one another. I could not distinguish their words, but they were not meant for me anyhow. I turned away and floated toward the blackened far wall, away from the strange onlookers to either side. I craved privacy.
At the perimeter, I gazed at nothingness, or so I believed, until a dot of light flared and died. I flinched with surprise, and let my eyes focus on what lay beyond the ship. Arches and veils of light stretched across a full sixth of the sky. The spans were twisted into fanciful shapes. If I let my fancy reign, I could distinguish animals or plants, as if I was looking at clouds. Bright dots of white, some mere pinpoints, spangled the clouds of light like jewels. I saw colors I never dreamed existed, reds, blues, golds, in eternal dances of light and darkness woven together. The view filled my soul with wonder. Suddenly, the three months of my thirty-year lifespan that the journey required was worthwhile. I drank it in, feeling it nourish my soul. A soft voice at my side startled me again.
"That"s the Centaur Nebula, my lord. It"s about twelve light years away."
I turned to behold a pair of large brown eyes, but these belonged to no Soteian. It was the Terran dancer.
"It"s wonderful, isn"t it?" she asked. Her voice was slow and deliberate. Her command of our language was stilted, but the movements of her hands echoed the sway of our wings perfectly. "Any closer and it would consume us in a firestorm of radiation, but in a way I wouldn"t mind, to be part of the stars" birthplace. Don"t you love it?"
I fluttered my wingtips in agreement. "It is magical."
We stood together as she pointed out features of the shifting curtain of light. I absorbed it all, the brilliance and the soft voice speaking into my ears. She showed me clouds of glowing dust out of which nascent star systems were bursting. I could almost see them grow as they consumed the raw matter around them.
"I"ve seen it three times, and it never gets old," she said.
We had been in transit over six weeks to reach the cruiser, and another two weeks to reach this point. I had celebrated a birthday along the way. I was shocked. "Three times! How old are you?"
"Twenty-nine," she said. "How old are you?"
"Twelve."
She tilted her head. I read it as an expression of curiosity. "Really? Is that young or old for your people?"
"Neither," I said. I blew through my lips. "It is . . . old to be unmarried."
"I thought so," she said.
"Why?"
I must have delivered my question too forcefully, because she backed up half a meter. Her mouth drooped into a downward crescent.
"I hope I didn"t offend you. I was watching you during the ceremony."
"What were you thinking?"
"I felt sorry for you," she said softly. "You wanted her for yourself."
Very true. I did not want her sympathy. I turned half away. "Alas, I did. Could you tell?"
"Everyone could tell," she said, softly. "She is very beautiful."
I met her gaze sternly. "Why do you think so? She is not of your species."
She tilted her head. I realized her eyes and mouth were on the same level with my own. For a Terran, her mouth was pretty, too, with curved pink lips and funny little square teeth. "I can tell beauty. That nebula is beautiful, even though it"s not my species, either. Come with me." She led me across the room to the other wall that was opaque to the curious public. I focused to see through the strong spotlights that beamed at all angles around it. To my eyes it seemed to be filled with star cl.u.s.ters, but more vividly colored. As I came closer, I realized it was a tank of water, filled with small images of we Soteians, floating and dancing and interacting, head barbs and backward-turned feet wiggling gently as they went. "They are beautiful, too."
I halted and glared at the dancer.
"Is that meant to be an insult?"
Her warm eyes a.s.sumed an expression of worry. "No, it"s a compliment. They are Terran animals. The event manager thought you would like them because they resemble Soteians. They are called "angelfish". They are lovely, aren"t they? Don"t be judgmental; leave yourself open to the experience."
She was so kind I found it impossible to be angry. In her warm eyes I saw sympathy, but also a fellow seeker of new experiences. I leaned close to the tank until my eyes nearly touched the gla.s.s. The outline of each fish was roughly triangular, with translucent feathery fins. They did resemble Soteians in profile, since we walk with our faces thrust forward and wings trailing behind us, though somewhat exaggerated, their eyes and mouths taking up a disproportionate area of their bodies.
"See?" she said. "Even your little feet look like their ventral fins. At first when I saw you, I thought you must be able to fly like these fish."
"In truth, I wish we could," I told her. "Gravity on our world is lighter than yours, but not light enough to carry us as effortlessly." From macrocosm to microcosm, I let my attention be drawn into the wall-sized tank. The morsels of color danced through the water, almost hypnotizing me. I realized that the Terran girl was watching me. I smiled at her, appreciating her kindness in taking my mind off my sorrow.
"What is your name?" I asked.
"Estela. What may I call you, lord?"
"Ergal. How is it that you speak our language so well?"
She pointed to the base of her throat. A crystal pinpoint glittered there. "I have an implanted translator. When you act/speak language, it tells me what you said. I formulate my reply, and it gives me the sounds to say and the movements to make. I tried to learn some of your language before you came, but I"m glad I have a cheat-sheet." She laughed, a husky gurgle that I found oddly appealing.
"Well, you are very graceful," I said.
She smiled. "I am a dancer, not a linguist. I am glad that you can understand me. Do you want me to dance for you?"
"Yes." I wanted to see her body sway as it had when she danced around the sphere of light, then I thought of Ndera again. "I mean, no. Come and watch the stars with me again. I enjoy your company. Do you mind?"
"Not at all," she said, automatically. "If it is your pleasure, I will. I love to look at the stars."
"Do you have other duties that I am keeping you from doing?" I asked.
"Well, no. I . . . my contract requires me to do anything that I am asked by your party. I mean, apart from self-destruction or mutilation. Any of you. At the moment, you are the one asking."
I was horrified, but I kept my color neutral. "Quite a contract."
Estela twisted her pretty mouth. "I wish I had read it more carefully before I signed it," she said, with a deep exhalation of breath. "Ten years of my life. But it has not been all bad."
Something in her expression said that some of it had. I was about to ask more when a soft, ringing chime sounded through the room.
Estela beamed, showing her flat teeth. "Come on! They are turning off the gravity at this end of the ship. You"ll have your chance!"
"To do what?"
"To fly!"
She touched my wing. I felt a warm force emit from her hand and rush through my entire body like a wind-storm. With a gasp she jerked her fingers away, her face suffusing almost to the color of her carmine drape. "I am so sorry."
I wanted to ask her what she had felt. But I did not want to add to her humiliation. She was required to do whatever we asked, to the point of self-degradation. One with her dignity and charm should not have to exist under such intrusive strictures. Her pretty mouth formed into a crescent open at the top.
"Come on, angelfish!" she said. "Fly with me!"
I felt the shining floor drop out from under me.
There were legends among my people that we were once free of the fetters of gravity. I had experienced weightlessness briefly as our ship lifted off from Soteial, but we had been strapped in tightly. By the time the crew let us move around again, artificial gravity had been established and was never turned off. But here, Terrans in black, close-fitting garments came from the service tunnel and kicked off from the floor. They zipped into the air like flying lizards. With outstretched hands they encouraged my family to join them.
Ndera let out a squeal of delight as Aiech.e.l.l pulled her upward. They sailed together like a pair of leaves, twirling and tumbling end over end. They looked so happy.
Estela coaxed Raciel, an aged aunt of my mother, upward, and twirled her through the room, skillfully avoiding other people and the furniture, which was held in place by magnetic bolts. Estela whispered to her as they rose.
"That"s it," she told my aunt. "This is fun! Let yourself relax. It is perfectly safe. Small children do it all the time."
The fear on the old female"s face gave way to pleasure, and she let out a bubbling laugh. I was delighted. Aunt Raciel could be dour and obstinate, but Estela had the skills to coax her into a good mood. And me. When the two of them pa.s.sed me, Estela took hold of my wingtip fingers and pulled me along. The tingle raced through my body again. In wonderment, I almost forgot the sensation of weightlessness. Aunt Raciel let go to flutter on her own wrinkled wings. I stayed with Estela.
Estela flew around the enormous chamber, coaxing my brother"s guests to let go of the walls or floor and soar freely. Soon, the room was full of Soteians boosting off, tumbling, wings spread, their eyes glistening and mouths open with joy. She led us all like a mother teaching winged lizards to fly. I stayed close to her, not wanting to miss a moment. She was right; I could see beauty in strangeness, especially her strangeness. I even liked the deep red flush blooming on her cheeks.