ROMULUS (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 1) (11 page)

There was only one vehicle in the small lot as they exited and Cherry ran ahead to get a closer look.

"Damn! Would you look at this car!" She stroked the shiny red finish with her fingers as she circled the vehicle. It was long and lean, like a convertible Lamborghini, except it had no wheels. The body sat flush with the ground.

Romulus touched something behind the driver's seat and a section in the rear of the car slid open to reveal a small seat.

"Well, what d'ya know—a rumble seat!" Cherry climbed in, not waiting for him to open the door.

Romulus grinned at the young woman's exuberance as he held the door open for Aster then folded himself in behind the steering bar. The reports had noted that the two were very close and yet, their reactions to his world were nearly direct opposites. He was certain there was much more to discover about Aster than Cherry but it would take a lot more than a superficial mind-touch performed by an indifferent nurse. Such a discovery would take time and a more in-depth study, perhaps a hands-on approach.

He slammed the door on that thought.
What the drek was wrong with him?

With a whisper of air, the car rose off the ground and glided above the roadway. "This next cluster of buildings is the Cultural Center. Here you will find the museum, art gallery and, my personal favorite, the main library. Despite our technological advancements, most Noronians have a fondness for physical art, including books."

"Chief Romulus..." Aster began.

"Please, call me Romulus or better yet, Rom."

"And you call us Cherry and Aster," Cherry quickly countered and received a warning glare from Aster.

"All right... Romulus," Aster conceded, "you mentioned the library yesterday also. Would I find books like we have or just more manuals?"

He winced at her repeated sarcasm about his manuals. "We have a great number of novels and non-fiction works from both our worlds as well as many others."

On another street they passed a park filled with people of all ages and a sparkling blue-green lake on which several sailboats floated and around which three bicyclists raced.

Cherry leaned forward. "Why, it looks like Sausalito. If it wasn't for this car, I'd think we were still in California. Hey, kid, remember the first time we tried sailing and ended up in the Bay?" The two of them laughed out loud at the memory.

Rom's heart tripped at the harmonic sound of Aster's husky laughter combined with Cherry's little-girl giggle. The way his body responded to everything the silver-haired female did was putting him on edge.

"Not exactly Sausalito, Cherry," Aster corrected. "There's no trash in the streets and no smog in the air. In fact, it smells cleaner than a mountaintop in Colorado."

Rom smiled at her observation. "Everything here is recycled, so there is no trash and the air is continuously filtered."

"Filtered?" Aster asked. "Do you have a problem with pollution too?"

He shook his head with a laugh. "Hardly. The air is filtered for the dust. That's the commodity we provide to our home planet, Norona." He stopped himself from delivering another lecture.

"You collect dust?" Cherry giggled again. "Man, have I got a vacuum cleaner bag for you! Hey, ya know, we could sure use some of those filters back home. Aster could even provide the money to install them."

Aster saw her opening and grabbed it. "My Foundation endows funds to protect and clean up the environment but so much of it is guesswork. We could work miracles overnight if we brought back just a little of your knowledge. Planet Earth is—"

"No," Romulus interrupted firmly.

"No? Just like that?"

"No one may return to Outerworld and we are not permitted to interfere with the natural progression of your civilization."

"But it wouldn't be interfering. You'd be helping."

"There is nothing we can do."

His curt words were obviously meant to officially terminate her thoughts of his aiding her world. Aster had no such intention of course, but she knew when to quit pushing and to wait for another opportunity.

Cherry changed the subject. "Where's the mall, Rom? And the beauty salons and restaurants?"

"The Indulgence Center has every conceivable method of pampering or entertaining yourself, including a number of interesting restaurants based on cultures beyond this galaxy. I don't know what that other word is—a mall? I try to keep up with Outerworld news but I rarely have time to absorb much more than the highlights."

"A mall—you know,
stores
, places to buy things."

"Oh, I understand now. The Indulgence Center has some physical stores, but most ordinary shopping is done through your vidcom. Your caretaker can explain it to you."

"No more all-day mall trips hunting for the perfect pair of shoes? This is not paradise after all!" Cherry buried her head on her knees to dramatize her sorrow.

"Don't give up on us yet, Cherry. I think you'll enjoy the Indulgence Center."

As they passed through another residential area, Romulus noted, "These are an example of our more expensive, free-standing residences."

The construction here contrasted severely with the uniformity they had seen elsewhere. One house was made of the crystal prisms, next to it was a ranch-style. There was a gingerbread house and a structure that resembled a miniature Acropolis, even one that looked like a flying saucer.

Aster stared at the peculiar menagerie. "What a conglomeration! Oh, dear." Her eyes opened wide in concern. "Do you live in one of these?"

"Drek, no! This area is a zone where all design controls have been lifted. I do have a free-standing residence but it's on the other side of the province in a zone that maintains strict rules on appearance."

"Hey, ya' know, it's not my thing, but Aster's always been into architecture and design. Like, why dontcha show her your digs one of these days, Rom?"

"Of course, Aster, if that's one of your interests, I'd be proud to show you my home."

She kept her eyes on the road ahead but she felt him looking at her a bit too intensely for the matter at hand. Aster's thoughts leapt at the possibilities his invitation suggested. She needed to spend time with him to work on her plan but she also needed to keep it on a strictly business level. "Oh, I don't know. I gather I'll be kept pretty busy for a while." She expected him to have a follow-up comment to that, especially since he was the one in charge of everything that would be keeping her busy, but he let it drop. The level of disappointment she felt was incomprehensible.

Rom slowed the commuter in front of a magnificent palatial estate that seemed to go on forever. "That's the Indulgence Center and the stone castle next to it is the Arena. If you recall your history about the Middle Ages, you might find the Arena games interesting."

Aster, the perpetual student, came alert. "Middle Ages? You mean knights and jousting and fair maidens?"

"Exactly! As a matter of fact, the other night I had my best match ever. I defeated the Black Knight, which..."

As they drove on, he went on about the games but Aster found it nearly impossible to concentrate on his words. His hazel eyes had changed to a sparkling green and combined with the deepening of his dimple when he smiled, the effect was devastating to her senses. Perhaps her plan wouldn't be so difficult after all. She just had to bide her time.

She asked him several inane questions just to keep him talking and discovered his laughter was a wonderful rumbling sound that she felt as much as heard.

"There's the last thing I'd like to show you today." Romulus pointed to a huge red barn. "Car-Tem Province is made up of four cities which are laid out very much like what you've seen today. However, only here in Car-Tem One will you find the Administration Building and that—our Dance Hall."

"Your what?" Cherry asked incredulously.

"Dance Hall," he replied with a broad grin. "We adopted the name and structure from your culture. It's the largest social gathering anywhere in the Province, every Saturday night. People even come in from some of the far provinces."

"I don't believe this," Cherry mumbled with a groan. "First no mall and now I find out the biggest excitement in this world is a Saturday-night dance. I'm going to wither up and die here."

A short while later, he brought the car to a stop in front of a building similar to the Administration Building, only a fraction of the size. "This is where you'll both be staying. I see Oona and Perd are already here. Good. Make sure they explain the transport system."

Aster swallowed her dismay. Their time with him was over and she hadn't made any progress with her plan. She supposed it was just as well. She had started to enjoy herself and that certainly would never do.

She surveyed her new neighborhood. Trees with red flowers that looked similar to roses lined the street, and the buildings were all made of the same glistening prisms she had noticed last night.

By the time Romulus came around to the passenger side, Aster and Cherry had both stepped out of the commuter on their own.

Cherry held out her hand. "Thank you for the tour, Rom."

"Cherry, my reward was getting to know you a little better. You are a delightful young woman. I'll be anxious to hear from you after you've visited the Indulgence Center."

"Okay, but only if you promise to let us know the next time you'll be playing that game of yours."

Rom congratulated himself on piquing the interest of at least one of his guests. Hoping for a similar response from the other, he turned to Aster and offered his hand. "Aster, it's been—" As their hands touched, a coil of white heat swirled up his arm. When her midnight-blue eyes met his, the desire to pull her closer was overpowering, but the bewilderment he saw there restrained him. She swiftly lowered her gaze, but at least she didn't try to escape his touch this time. For as long as he could protract his sentence he held on to her hand. "...a pleasure."

Aster mumbled something that didn't sound anything like thank you. Pulling her hand away from his, she hurried to catch up with Cherry.

Romulus watched her disappear from view then slowly got back into his vehicle. He still wasn't clear why he had felt such a need to see her again this morning. It was illogical and impulsive. Any relationship with a new arrival was discouraged and destined for disaster. Yet he had been unable to resist.

It was not in Rom's nature to be dishonest, particularly with himself, and he readily admitted this was no simple infatuation. He was inextricably drawn to this woman, logic and ethics be drekked.

His mating time was not due for at least another ten years and just because his father's mating time had come early did not mean his would also. He needed every day of the next ten years to secure his political future before giving in to the distraction and responsibilities of a mate. The premature burning inside him was unexpected and annoying. The fact that the cause of the fever appeared to be an Outerworlder—an alien to be precise—made his response to her entirely improper as well.

Perhaps it was only a false alarm, too much work and not enough play. The asteroid threat alone was causing him enough stress to play havoc with his nervous system. He had heard of such things happening. But there was only one way to find out. Couple with the woman as soon as possible. If the desperate yearning did not go away afterward... Well, there was no need to worry about that ahead of time.

Some people would find fault with him for fraternizing with an Outerworlder for one night but he had to believe his reputation was solid enough to withstand a little gossip.

The immediate problem was the woman herself. Most of the time she seemed to be repelled by him, but he had seen a few glimpses of interest. He could tell she had felt the coil of heat when they'd touched, yet she hadn't seemed to understand what it meant. Surely male-female relationships weren't
that
different for Terrans.

Faced with an unknown, Rom set out to do what any intelligent Noronian would do—research the sexual customs of Terran females.

Chapter 6

Aster and Cherry followed their caretakers into the apartment building. Inside, the pleasing design brought a smile back to Aster's face. A fountain bubbled in the center of a lushly landscaped courtyard and the reflective crystalline walls gave the illusion of an enormous park. An indented doorway could be discerned on each of the four sides of the garden on the first floor. On the upper floors, silver latticework-trimmed balconies extended out in front of each of the doors. Nothing about it suggested an alien world but Aster felt quite sure that was completely intentional.