Authors: Imogene Nix
“They are coming out!” The woman reporter called in the silence, quite unnecessarily, Jessa thought.
“Holy Mother of God,” one of the police behind her called out. She turned, observing the rotund man crossing himself.
“We are here to meet with the one called Seth.” The voice boomed through the air. A strangled sound which wasn’t quite a gasp emerged from Seth, sitting on her left.
“Isn’t going to happen, sunshine,” the Inspector intoned.
She nearly laughed at the bemused expression on his face, while the woman on the television continued her inane babble.
“Our dealings with Seth have led us to believe that he and the one called Jessa will be appropriate go-betweens. We refuse to deal with anyone else.”
The phone rang, it had been doing that since the police had arrived.
A policewoman picked it up and held it out to the Inspector. “Sir? It’s um… It’s the Prime Minister, sir.”
Jessa kept her gaze on the scene unfolding in front of her. The aliens had stepped forward, the tall one who had spoken stood in the middle, while the others seemed to be flanking him. They looked around. With a few quick, inaudible words they started towards the building. The view on the television panned showing their movements.
“They are heading towards the facility itself.” This time the female reporter’s voice was little more than an excited squeak.
Jessa’s fingers automatically moved as if to tidy her hair, the tug of the cuffs stopping her and she swore in her mind. The Det. Inspector had moved away, his voice low as he kept flicking looks to the screen.
“Do you think they are looking for us?” Seth’s voice broke her concentration.
She shrugged. “I would say that’s a fair bet, Seth. Depends on what you’ve promised.” Her gaze was now firmly on him.
He shrugged sheepishly. “I just told them that we were astronomers seeking an extraterrestrial experience.” His voice trailed away.
Detective Inspector Chalmers thrust the receiver back at the female and turned. “Let them in when they arrive.” He turned back, glowering. “I’ve been told you two are supposed to talk them into meeting with the government officials. Nothing more. Then once the military have arrived, you will cease to have anything to do with this.”
The slow burn of anger coursed through Jessa’s veins. Now that she had come this far, she refused to be shut out.
Chapter Two
Galan strode forward, watching as the people in blue scurried out of his way. Funny, he was a peaceful Hesparian, yet these people acted as if they feared him. He filed that away for future reference, in case it meant they were a warring race. A glassed entry stood in front of him and he watched as Joras’ people moved around him, pushing at the barrier which didn’t open. They conferred momentarily before putting their hand to what looked like a handle and then stepping back as it opened in silence. They moved around the door, waiting for him to venture within. The small building was small and flat with an old fashioned bowl thing on the roof. Truly amazing how technologically backward they seemed to be.
More people milled around, looking at him with their mouths open and fearful eyes. This could become a serious problem, he conceded edgily.
“I am Galan, and these here are my men. Where will I find the ones called Jessa and Seth?” He watched as another barrier, this to the side, opened for him. With a nod, several of his people entered quickly and he waited for the confirmation that they were within. After a short walk they came back to the door, motioning him forward. Several steps brought him to the threshold where a big man stood watching him with an angry look on his face.
“I’m Seth.” He heard the voice and glanced over the shoulder of the man in the doorway. He saw two people, one man and a woman, both sitting in what looked to be a most uncomfortable manner, with their arms stretched out behind them. The woman’s dainty features captured his attention. Her hair as red as the Farbian Pearls that were cultivated on his uncle’s farm, and her skin fine and pale in the harsh lighting.
“You are Seth, and this is Jessa?” Galan indicated them and the one called Seth bobbed his head madly. Jessa, the woman, sat still, though she also inclined her head. He moved forward.
The big man stepped into his path. “They are prisoners. You will only talk to them from here.”
He listened to the words feeling confusion.
Prisoners?
“Forgive me. They have broken a law or regulation?” If they were dangerous prisoners, then he would need to cease negotiating with them—that was an unwritten rule of diplomatic negotiations. The guidelines of acceptable missions were clearly delineated. But a feeling or knowledge deep within him told him there was an inconsistency with this situation.
“They were not supposed to contact you. Especially her.” The angry man pointed to the beautiful woman, who sat straight and still in the chair. Strain lines appeared at the side of her perfectly formed mouth. For the first time in many
jahr
, emotions within him swirled to life when he glanced upon her face. A situation he wasn’t altogether comfortable with, Galan acknowledged privately.
“Why her?” His interest was roused.
“Because she has been involved in trickery and illegal behaviour before.”
He settled his gaze once more on the woman, a turbulent look filled her eyes and he stepped forward. She said nothing, just lifted her chin a little higher, as if daring him to turn away from her. He smiled at the action. She had sass going for her, but he could swear there was a hint of vulnerability in her eyes too. He decided to take a chance.
“We are here to negotiate. She… They will do nothing wrong. You may go now.”
His dismissal obviously was not warmly received as the guard grimaced and extended a hand, attempting to stop him, no doubt. Galan sidestepped it easily as his security team shifted behind him. He stilled them with a quick motion.
“Now, see here…” Galan turned, slowly. He narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth, then made a deep growling sound in his throat. The large man swallowed and stepped back. Galan didn’t move.
Galan thought he finally must have decided that the menacing action would be followed through and he backed away. Galan released a breath, thankful to finally be alone with his people and the two he planned to negotiate with. He advanced, noting that neither of them rose.
“You do not fear me?” Irritation flashed through him as the woman watched him in silence.
The man called Seth shook his head. “We can’t exactly get up and run away. We’re cuffed here.” He jingled something at his back.
Galan knew a minute of icy rage, before stepping forward to the chairs and extracting a small device from his pocket. He scanned the metal bracelets, calling forth one of the specialists who looked over his shoulder.
“Crude and unusual, Captain.” He pulled a small sonic device from the kit he carried and dealt with the restraints. Seth sighed with relief, rubbing his wrists, but the woman only moaned, slightly pulling away from him. Galan dragged forward one of the wooden chairs and sat down opposite the woman who watched him warily.
Trussed up like a prisoner wasn’t her idea of how to meet the first extraterrestrial. And this one was hot. He was smoking really, if she could discount the dazzling array of colours that danced over his skin in quite a disconcerting manner.
“Are you… Umm… Is that your natural colouring?”
Good old Seth. You can always count on him to come out with the questions you really shouldn’t ask.
“What?” He seemed startled for a moment then let out a chuckle. “No. It’s part of the camouflage we use when travelling to a planet for the first time.” The man dipped a hand into a pocket and his skin stopped glowing. His people did the same and finally she could see them in their true colour, a deep berry brown. “We find most cultures and planets think it off putting, not knowing what we are. Is that your normal colour?” He lifted a hand towards them.
Seth winced.
“Yes. This is our natural colour. You will find a range here on earth.” Jessa kept her voice even and calm as she answered his query.
The man turned to look at her again with the piercing gaze that had made her feel warm all over. “Truly?” His grin grew and she found herself fascinated as the big alien lounged indolently against a wall. His vibrant blue eyes and white-blond hair shone under the harsh lighting of the office. Instinct told her that she probably could trust him, but right now, she was feeling quite gun-shy. Being arrested again had been torture, and to find out she and Seth were to be charged with crimes against humanity had been enough to leave her reeling. Seth of course, had treated it like a huge joke, but she knew…after last time, there would be no quarter given.
“Why are you here?” Better to get these negotiations out of the way and hope it would give her some leverage to have them drop the charges.
“Our planet has lost an essential natural resource. Many
jahr
ago…”
“Jahr?” The unfamiliar and guttural word made no sense.
“Long periods of time. Used to denote the crop rotations passing.”
Long time? Crop rotations passing?
She searched through her head for a human alternative. “Umm…when the weather patterns change? Period of heat, then cool, then cold?”
Maybe it’s a season?
But he shook his head. “No. More than one set of weather patterns. Fiery sun, then cooler sun, then cool sun, then cold night, before it becomes warm once more.”
Jessa cast her mind around.
Year? Could that be what he meant?
“Uh year? We have four seasons. One hot, one warm, then cold and back to warm? Then it starts again?”
He nodded.
Okay, that was a year or some similar rotation of time.
That was handy to know, but maybe they needed a primer. “Seth, grab a notebook and we can write these words down with our translation.”
* * * *
Over the next several hours…or
horanas
as Galan informed her, a glossary of terms emerged, allowing them to understand each other with more clarity. Galan also engaged in a lightning quick exchange. He turned back to her. “I have informed my people to use your language where possible.”
She smiled wanly. Holy hell. It was really happening. She was here in the middle of negotiations with…
an alien
!
From time to time, Chalmers checked in, bringing food and other items. At one stage, even a senior military officer ducked his head around the door. As he had every other time, Galan refused to deal with him, leaving the authorities frustrated, she was sure. She noted each time she noted the angry glances were cast her way.
She wanted to say something, but her brain told her to control her mouth. At least for now, anyway.
They obviously think it’s my entire fault.
Not that it was, but there didn’t seem much she could say to correct the matter that they would believe. And she’d be damned if she tried. No one had believed her last time, and she was sure they wouldn’t this time either.
From time to time, Galan would look her way and her body’s response was always the same. The long, slow curl of interest, her mouth dried and her eyes searched his inscrutable face.
The woman who remained seated looked as if she were trying for anonymity. But each time he cast a look at her, he had an innate reaction, one he couldn’t control. His fingers itched to trail over her fine skin.
So pale.
Her eyes were large in her face, and shining beacons to him. Her lips called to him on a primal level and he wondered if they were as soft and tender as they looked. He wanted to close his own over them, to taste and feast upon her. Each time he gave in to the need to look at her, his body quickened with need, his groin tightened and his blood pumped through his veins faster. Not since the passing through the realms of his partner, Gospah, had he felt such a need to connect with another living being. To be with them on every level, and that thought alone disturbed his equilibrium.
But he was flagging and so were the humans who sat opposite him.
Horanas
had passed while they associated words, hoping to ease communications between them, even though his team had been informed to use the native language. He thanked his men for the preparations they had taken before making contact with the people of this planet, particularly monitoring and decoding their languages. His personal guard caught his eye and with a nod, Galan stood.
“I will retire for now, but it would be the greatest honour to have you join us this rest cycle.” He watched intently as her face tightened further. Something deep inside him told Galan that he must take this human to his ship and offer her his protection. He had always trusted his instincts before and right now they screamed that if he left her behind, he may never see her again. That the anger of the ones who guarded them would boil over.
The one called Seth stood up, knocking over his chair in his excitement. “Yeah, of course we will!”
Galan likened him to an overeager pet. He had to work hard to contain his amusement at the clumsy behaviour, but he wasn’t the one that Galan was concerned about. The woman watched him in silence as she had for
horanas.
She struck him as an intensely reserved creature, only sharing her thoughts when pushed hard. She seemed like someone who kept her counsel and emotions buried deep within her, but from time to time he caught glimpses of the vibrant nature she buried beneath the reserved façade.
Right now, her eyes glowed with interest and she slowly inclined her head. The movement unconsciously regal, capturing his breath.
In a manner befitting a future consort of the king. Just as Gospah had always done. Do not bring Gospah into it,
he told himself, but he couldn’t stem the thoughts. They had already captured him.
“It would be my pleasure.” Her voice, now husky with tiredness he assumed, stripped him emotionally. Galan knew then, that he would protect this human.
This woman.