Six Months Later

Lady Radhya Kirbyson woke well before dawn; her body tuned to the long nights and early mornings of the last six months. She slipped into her baggy black exercise clothes and headed to the gym. Guests would be arriving by noon today, so she had to be at the track to greet them. She basked in the quiet of the house, gathering her inner resources for the hectic day ahead. So many strange people challenged her. Will was already pulling weights as she entered the room.

“Can’t sleep either?” he inquired.

“I think my body is used to rising at this time and it’s getting up whether my mind wants to or not,” Radhya laughed back.

She began her circuit running on the treadmill. As she did the rounds of the equipment, first Max, then Padr came in to work out.

“Don’t forget you all turn back into slaves and bodyguards today. The bodyguard part is no sinecure, both my parents died in an explosion at a ball; this is for real,” she told them.

“That’s going to be hard milady,” said Padr trying out the title again. “We have worked so closely these last few months; I feel like we are friends.”

“Why Padr,” exclaimed Radhya with a smile, “that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

She patted his straining bicep on the way out.

“Don’t forget bodyguard uniforms, and meet me at 10:30,” she called from the doorway.

Returning to her suite to shower, Radhya called Aninya to order fruit and cheese for breakfast in her room. She had just stepped out of the bathing room when the cook knocked at the door.

“Enter; just set it down on the glass table over there please,” Radhya instructed. “Now, Aninya, I am having extra help sent from the farm. I hope the royals all stay at the hotel at the track, after all the suites are quite sumptuous; however, I fear some may insist on coming here. So have four bedrooms on the second floor prepared. Have Jemelina clean them, the dining room and parlor particularly well. Also, get some spare clothes and possessions to make the slave quarters look lived in. Move Will’s, Max’s and Padr’s things into them if I tell you we have guests. Don’t forget to use the back hallways if anyone is around. As far as meals go, I want gourmet fare, breakfast, lunch, and supper if we end up with these unwanted visitors. Make sure the farms know to send some of their extra here. I need you to oversee the kitchens at the visitor’s center as well. Add a little more meat to Singha’s diet and that of the two kits. Maybe she will go into heat and drive everyone mad with her yowling. That would be sure to keep unwanted guests away, and it’s about time for it anyway. By the way, what is your opinion, should I wear house colors, my usual, or something different?”

Aninya looked carefully at her mistress. “You have a room full of beautiful clothes, and you should wear them. I would like to see you in that shimmering purple-blue, or whatever color robe Jemediah just sent you. And for the ball tonight, you should wear the black-green ball gown you have in your dressing room. It is close enough to your house colors that it would satisfy the most rule-bound. And wear your hair up, with the emerald choker, bracelet, and tiara.”

Eyes large, Radhya looked at her with new respect.

“This is wonderful. I could never stand a body servant, so I just wore black. Sometimes Rory would pick out something for me. The clothing room was just to keep Jemediah going. I never wore any of it. I have no sense for clothes at all. Aninya you are a marvel.”

Aninya murmured “Thank you,” and left.

Radhya tossed her towel aside and ate slowly. Dressing in the chef’s choice of pants and long tunic of glimmering royal blue with lavender where the lights touched it, she slipped on a floor-length sleeveless robe of royal midnight with dancing purple highlights in it, and stamped black leather boots on her feet.

Leaving her room, she clattered down the stairs to the main floor.

“Wow!” exclaimed Max, waiting at the foot of the stairs. “You look sensational. I’ve never seen you wear anything but black.”

“I had an image to uphold. Now it’s time to change it. I don’t think my own brother or sister would recognize me. I’ve never worn anything but black for the last fifteen years. This feels very strange,” she replied.

Will descended the stairs behind her. “How wonderful you look milady,” he practiced. “A beautiful color for a beautiful face.”

Radhya blushed and looked at Padr who followed behind Will.

“Doesn’t Radhya look wonderful?” Max asked him pointedly.

“Yes lovely,” he answered without looking at her.

A brief look of disappointment crossed her face. She spun on her heel and entered the kitchen. Singha and her six-month-old kits, Ringha and Kung, were just finishing large bowls of meat. Radhya called Kung, the male, to her. As she stroked his whiskers, she made the gesture telling Singha and Ringha to patrol. The two females were inseparable since the other kits left for their new homes. Then she left with Kung padding behind her.

She led the way, sparkling in the sunlight, with three bodyguards and Kung behind her in perfect formation. The jewel-bright flying lizards were chirping in the trees, and tiny brown birds with red cheeks sang joyously as they walked past. They walked quickly down the fungus path to Dave, waiting at the gatehouse. Passing through, they locked the gates so no one but Dave or Radhya could open them.

It was a lovely, serene walk on a glorious golden day. Coming around the final bend, they heard the whining sound of a generator approaching.

“Somebody always has to be early,” snarled Radhya with great irritation. “If I were a betting woman, I’d put my money on Noel. That man is a born pest. The problem is he is intelligent, and suspicious. Everybody stay in character now.”

Radhya strode to the track gate as the large horse van pulled up. One of the track slaves was driving as usual. Noel Barone slithered from the passenger’s side slapping his whip against his boot.

“I just bet my slaves you’d be the early guest,” Lady Kirbyson called.

“And what did you win?” the smirking man inquired.

“Their suppers,” she answered with a haughty lift of the lips.

Noel looked at the four men towering behind her and laughed.

“Of my training?” he asked.

“Yes, indeed,” she replied, “and a very fine job you did too.”

“And you, my dear, look magnificent. I’ve never seen you in anything but black. You positively take my breath away.”

Without warning, Lord Barone slashed at her face with the whip. Quick as thought, Dave dragged Radhya back while Max and Padr blocked the blow with their arms. Will grabbed Lord Barone’s arm to restrain him. Faster than them all, was a blur of golden fur and a vicious growl. Noel screamed a bloodcurdling howl of pain. Kung had both sets of claws embedded on either side of his leg, very near the crotch. The lynxcat’s teeth were sunk to the jawbone in the fleshy part of the thigh. Noel sank to the ground, writhing in pain, but Kung did not release his grip.

“In the name of mercy do something Radhya,” he howled, “I was only testing the bodyguard’s reflexes, to see how the training held up.”

“Kung, to me,” called Radhya in a firm voice.

Kung at once released his hold on the royal and bounded to her side.

“What a good boy,” she cooed as she stroked and fondled him.

“Good boy?” yelled Barone apoplectically, “He’s made hamburger of my leg.”

Blood stained the red pants he wore and was beginning to puddle on the ground beneath his leg. He gripped above the injury tightly, his face a shocky white.

“Will,” she nodded.

Will knelt beside the injured Barone while Dave used his wrist comp. An emergency hover approached on the other side of the track gate. Radhya opened the barrier. Dave scooped up the wounded Lord, then accompanied by Will they got in the hover.

“I’ll meet you at the infirmary,” called Lady Kirbyson. To the horse van driver, she said, “Take Lord Barone’s racers to the stables. See to it that Li oversees getting them settled until Lord Barone can do it. I assume he brought his own stable crew.”

“Yes, milady” answered the driver.

At her wave, he drove the vehicle away. Radhya, Padr, and Max with Kung padding behind panting, walked swiftly to the infirmary in the visitor’s center. The building was magnificent. The facade was translucent stone that fractured the light into dancing prisms. Many, large windows decorated the structure that soared six stories into the cerulean sky. It stood on the bluff overlooking the tranquil turquoise ocean. A large fungus courtyard fronted the building, equipped with seven fountains and deep beds of unusual plants. The aroma from the plants was both sweet and spicy. Seven crystal benches nestled in strategic spots, so visitors could sit in a rainbow. The view from the front doors of carved and polished zebrawood was of the track and the grandstands, over-capped by the mountain behind. They entered the enormous foyer and headed to the infirmary, located behind the entry on the main floor.

The large room was gleaming spotless white. Stainless steel appliances and tools were steri-wrapped on stainless trays and shelves. There were four violet steri-lights that covered every corner of the room. Barone lay on an examination table against the far wall.

“Radhya,” Noel snapped as soon as she appeared, “I don’t want your bodyguard looking after this. Get me a doctor!”

“My dear Lord Barone, Will is a fully qualified doctor. In fact, he is my personal physician. I am doing you a favor in allowing him to treat you. The other closest doctor is at the port, at least half an hour from here. He has only treated slaves, but if you want to wait...”

Noel looked slightly mollified. “I should sue you for this.”

“How dare you threaten me?” Radhya snarled in a hard voice. “You attacked me! You might expect restraint from human slaves when a Lord is involved, but Kung is a half-grown kitten who has not even started his formal training yet. Be glad Singha wasn’t with me. She would have torn your throat out before I could say a word. Don’t you ever attack me again! I should boot your arrogant ass right off my planet.”

Lord Barone stared, gaping at her as she shook her finger in the startled man’s face, twirled and left the room. Padr, Max, Dave, and Kung followed her.

“Well, I guess she put me in my place. I didn’t think she had it in her, always been an ice cube her,” said a chagrined Noel to Will, “I suppose I deserve that. Can you repair this?”

“Yes, milord. Milady has developed a series of healing bacteria for her own use. Would their use be acceptable to you?”

“This is her own creation?”

“Yes, milord.”

“She uses them on herself?”

“Yes, milord.”

“Will it cause any harm to me?”

“I don’t believe so milord. If you’re reluctant to try them, I can clean and bandage your wounds and let nature take its course.”

“How long nature’s way?”

“Probably about two weeks, depending on how fast you heal milord.”

“And how long your mistress’s way?”

“An hour or less, milord.”

“Very well. Give me Radhya’s treatment. If it is safe why isn’t it on the market?”

“I believe milady said she had enough products now and she wants to save this one for a dry spell.”

“Ho! The day that woman has a dry spell is the day I give training for free.”

Will finished cleaning Lord Barone’s leg. Then he poured a blue gel onto the wounds. It immediately began to fizz. Carefully timing it, Will poured a clear liquid over the bubbling blue. It became transparent. Noel watched in amazement as the flesh regrew and the new skin covered the puncture wounds. A single drop of clean blood remained at the site of each hole. Will wiped them away with gauze. Noel inspected his leg, which was now totally uninjured, without even a scar.”

“Tell my personal servant, 72, to fetch me another pair of pants,” commanded Lord Barone. “He should be with my animals.”

Radhya stormed through the guest foyer, her heels pounding back and forth on the travertine. The feathery shuhan trees growing out of it swayed in the wind of her passing. The tiny scarlet meeps that lived and sang in the trees hid silently among the branches. She wove around the carved blackwood furniture and pounded on the white marble check-in counter. The gorgeous view from the glass front held no interest to her. Her eyes snapped lightning, and her brows were black thunderclouds. Kung nervously followed her. Finally, he began to growl. Radhya subsided into an armchair and took Kung on her lap.

“Poor baby,” she soothed him, “you are so special. You pick up my anger? Poor, poor baby. I’ll cool it down. It’s all right.”

She cuddled the kitten against her. Will hurried into the room.

“Lord Barone asked 72 to bring him his pants,” he said.

Dave whispered into his wrist comp, and then listened. “72 will bring them right over.”

“I used the treatment on Lord Barone,” informed Will. “His leg is as good as new.”

Radhya hung her head in her hands.

“Oh no,” she groaned, “no one was supposed to know about that yet. Why didn’t I think to tell you to treat him conventionally?”

“I’m sorry milady. I figured you would have wanted him healed as fast as possible,” Will apologized.

“Actually, a crippled Lord Barone would have been such a blessing. Pour Kung got that nasty taste in his mouth, all for nothing.” Lord Barone strode into the room. His tunic covered him to the bottom of his hips. He was bare between there and his boots.

“Where are my pants?” he demanded. “Hey you,” he waved at Will, “did I not send you to get my pants? What are you standing around here for?”

Radhya rose from her chair spilling Kung from her lap. The lynxcat bristled and growled low in his throat.

“I’ll thank you not to speak to my slaves like that. If I want them sent on errands, I’ll send them. They take orders from me, not you. I can’t see you tolerating it if I sent your guards on errands. Moreover, your pants have been sent for. It’s only the speed of your own slave that holds them up.” Barone blushed a furious scarlet. He tried vainly to pull the short garment down.

“Milady, I am sorry. I didn’t see you there. I thought the slaves were alone.”

“Yes and I see everything else,” she teased.

Barone blushed more violently and tried vainly to tug his tunic down again.

“You once accused me of not wanting to look, is there now a problem with being looked at milord?” Radhya asked with a tiny smile.

“I only wished to surprise you when we finally set a contract day,” replied Barone with all the dignity he could muster.

“Small enough surprise,” she answered, much to Barone’s mortification. “Come,” she called to her bodyguards, “I must greet my other guests. ”

The five people and the lynxcat swept from the room, leaving a furious and embarrassed Lord Barone sputtering behind.

“I’m going to pay for that one;” Radhya giggled when they were outside. The men returned her grin.