Candidate (Selected Book 4) (27 page)

Forty-seven women arrived from North America. Europe and Asia provided seventeen more, and we had our full sixty-four. Of them, I was concerned with only four, although I would help with the others.

As I had been, the women from North America had no idea what was happening to them. They went to sleep in a chair, and they would wake here, but not for some time. Their chairs were wheeled, just like they were, aboard small jumpers and from there, they were all collected together for the trip to Africa, arriving aboard a single large transport.

A few hours before they were due to arrive, Jasmine summoned me to her office. She had locked me in my cell earlier, but I'd actually won my challenge the day before, and so not only did I have undies and a camisole in my cell, but a robe as well. In such a short time, I had become completely meek regarding my situation, but I appreciated the robe.

The visor led me first to the changing room and then to Jasmine's office. When I arrived, she and Clover were both waiting. We took chairs, and then they gazed at me carefully. I waited for them to speak.

And waited.

And then grew impatient. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No. You do not know the path from your cell to the landing field door. I have not let you walk it."

"And?"

"Nor have I let you roam outside unless it was during an event."

"And?"

"And we have a flight arriving in two hours and fifteen minutes."

"And you are wondering what role I will play in the arrival."

"Yes."

"Whatever I'm told to do, I suppose. But that's not the concern. You're worried either that I'll try to escape or learn something that would help me escape later."

"You could not escape, Andromeda."

"No, but you're worried I'll try."

"And if you do, everything I'm trying to do with you is ruined."

"Tell me something. Could I escape if I had enough information?"

"No."

"Are you absolutely, completely sure?"

"Of course I am."

"Then if I try to escape, you'll catch me, and an hour later you'll throw me in the arena with eight Implacs."

"Do you think that's what I want to see happen?"

"Do you think I'm so stupid to risk it?" I smiled. "You already know I'd let Dark Skies have me, if that could end well. And she's not the only one I'd consider. I've been here a week, and I can say that. I'm not going anywhere unless you send me away, Jasmine." I smiled again. "Besides, I think I could be really good at this job."

"Don't get too used to it," she said. "You're a temp."

I laughed. "Maybe whoever becomes my mate will want to move here. Who can tell?"

"Who can tell," she agreed. She glanced at Clover and then back to me. "We all help with this next step. If we left it to the guards, it would take well into the evening."

Jasmine then laid out the process, spending several minutes to do so. When she was done, I said simply, "I understand."

She turned to Clover. "What do you think?"

"I think she'll be fine, Jasmine. You can partner her with one of us if you're worried, but I don't think you need to."

"Do you use any of the other aliens that are here?" I asked.

"No. Did you have a request?"

"I'm not sure I want to be partnered with someone who comes to my cell and shackles my ankles."

They snorted.

"But you know, that just makes me a problem child. Just tell me what you want and I'll do it."

"She's after more privileges," Clover said. "I swear she is."

I turned to her. "I want a rematch with you. I still want that blanket."

They both laughed. "But what will you offer me?" Clover asked.

I sighed. "No rematch?"

"We'll see," she said.

"Normally I coordinate at the transport," Jasmine said. "Clover, would you like that instead? I can partner with Andromeda."

"All right."

"Now, about those human interest interviews," Jasmine said.

"Yes?"

"How would you like to perform them with your four women? We can see how it goes. I think it would be too much to do with all the women, but maybe for special cases."

"All right. If you like it and there are others you want me to do, I can."

"We'll keep that in mind. Do you remember that party I offered?"

"For women of a certain, um. Attitude?"

"Yes," she said with a snort. "You may offer it."

"Thank you."

"It will be tomorrow evening."

"Before the arena events on Wednesday."

"Right."

I paused. "They're supposed to decide that fast?"

"I will give them one cycle -- two weeks or so. They may date in a fashion similar to you, but without your extra freedoms. If they do not make a decision, then we'll make it for them, and it will be in the arena with the next batch."

"So a male."

"Probably."

I shook my head.

"I know," she said. "I'd rather not do it that way. I don't even like doing it how I'm doing it with you."

"Let's hope this works," I said. "Anything else?"

"There's a price for the party."

"With you, there is always a price," I said. "What is it?"

"First, you will attend the party dressed as a mating candidate."

"You're not going to let them wear dresses, are you?"

"You know what they're going to be wearing, Andromeda."

"They'll show better in dresses."

"They'll feel vulnerable and more readily compliant if they dress to impress."

"I will have you know I can impress quite well in this fetching little black dress back in my closet at home."

"And second, some of the aliens want to see a human female."

I considered carefully. "I think you are leaving something unsaid."

"They haven't seen one of you naked in person."

"There is online porn for that, Jasmine. It's there for a reason."

"Solve this problem for me, Andromeda," she said.

"Is the list limited to females, or are we talking males, too? Because I am not going to strut my stuff for a bunch of males. And I don't think you're stupid enough to ask me to."

"Females only."

"And I suppose it has to happen by tomorrow night."

"Solve this problem or I will," she said. "My solution will be to make all of you undress as you step into the party."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh please," she said. "You know I would."

"I think you're bluffing," I declared.

She folded her arms, leaned onto the table, and looked at me intently. "Do you intend to call my bluff?"

I stared at her for several seconds before lowering my gaze. "You swear. Females only."

"Females only."

"You'll turn off the cameras."

She paused.

"And you won't lie about it," I added. "I'll solve this, but you will promise me. No cameras, no males."

She nodded. "No cameras and no males."

"Fine. After breakfast tomorrow I'll go swimming without the suit. You'll clear the pool of all humans and all males. I won't display myself, but I won't go out of my way to hide. They can see whatever they get a chance to see."

She paused. "And again tomorrow afternoon. I want you in the pool area for at least an hour each time."

"And if anyone doesn't feel she got a good enough look, I'll even do it again Wednesday morning, but only if you want to clear the pool again."

"We can decide that tomorrow evening," she said. "I accept your offer."

"Are you going to be there?"

She smiled. "And miss the chance to exhibit my voyeuristic tendencies? Of course I'm going to be there."

"If you look smug, Jasmine, I will probably lose it. You can ogle, but please do not look smug. And if I ever find out you broke your promise about males or cameras, I will never trust you again."

"I'm not sure I know how to look smug," she said.

"Yeah, you're looking pretty damned smug right now." I smiled. "If I'm showing mine, I want you to show yours. No Catseye in the room unless her tentacles are out."

"You change the arrangement already?"

"Do you have a problem with it?"

Clover snuffled.

"Do you wish to further modify our agreement?" Jasmine asked.

"Yeah. If anyone touches me inappropriately, I'm going to slug her. And I'm also going to invite a certain Wookie to attend, so it'll be an enraged human and a protective Wookie to face."

They both snuffled at that.

"Was there a third price?" I asked.

"No, just the two."

I turned to Clover. "Is she always like this?"

"Only with her favorites," Clover said. "She loves to spar with her favorites."

"Does she?" I asked. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You could be replaced as my favorite," Jasmine said. "It could happen in a heartbeat."

"I'm not worried," I said. "If you toss me over, I'll offer myself to Clover and Peony as their Third."

They both stared for a moment then began their Catseye laughter. "Catseye don't do that," Clover said. "But for you, and to annoy Jasmine, we'd probably consider it."

"Catseye do take, well, you might call it a vassal," Jasmine said. "But it doesn't have the same implication as what a Tutor does, and it wouldn't protect you from the arena."

"Well, we have work to do," I said. "Or was there more?"

"Right. Work. To do. And all that."

* * * *

Well, they had work. I didn't, not really. But I used the time to put together some challenge grids. I started with some Jasmine had done but made my own adjustments. I knew there would be more once I saw how things unfolded. But it helped me to grow more familiar with the available choices.

If Jasmine let me get away with it, I was going to make the challenges be tough on the challengers. But she had repeatedly warned me how important it was to keep the mating candidates off balance. I wasn't quite sure how that would end up working out.

And with that thought, I wondered if the whole strut my stuff bullshit was part of her plan for me. I thought it was, but I also thought if I had called her on her bluff, she'd have carried through on it. I thought it was unlikely I'd win a single thing against her.

But then she signaled me. "The transport is fifteen minutes out."

I stepped into her office, and we made the walk together.

"Jasmine, with all your technology, why isn't more of this automated? Can't you just beam the women into their cells?"

"That doesn't work."

"You beam my meals into that little nook."

"No we don't. We have robots that bring it to you from the kitchen."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"All right. Then why don't you have robots that deliver the women into their cells?"

"Because they deserve personal attention."

"Wait. You could automate it, but you don't, because you're being kind?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"You yank them from their lives, force them to go through all this, marry them off to someone, who might be truly a horrible individual, but you don't let robots handle them, even when they're unconscious?"

"Andromeda, if it were my decision, we would only take volunteers. We wouldn't yank anyone unwilling from her life. Out of your billions, do you think over a decade or two we couldn't get a half million."

"A half million? You need a half million?"

"Yes, roughly."

I thought about it. "You could get a half million from one city with the right incentives."

"Exactly, and do you think I can provide the right incentives? Such as, oh, I don't know, a several-hundred-year expected lifespan?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Yes, I think you can find the right incentives."

"I'm working on this, Andromeda. You're a step in that process. You're not the first step. Those humans I told you that have hugged me? They came before you. And there will be more steps after you."

I had nothing to say to that, and a moment later we stepped into the daylight. The visor acted like sunglasses, and I didn't even need to shade my eyes.

"I could get used to these," I said, tapping them.

"You haven't had them off in three days," she said. "I think you're already used to them."

"You said these were an entry level model. When do I get the upgrade?"

"When your new mate gives them to you."

"Oh, come on. You're dying to give me a new gift that doesn't cover any more of my skin than it has to."