And he did have hopes, as foolish as that might be.
So, when he entered the pool chamber and saw that splendid vai camiti—he saw nothing else, for a moment—relief swept through him so strongly that he was not able, completely, to keep it from his posture.
“I hoped,” she said throatily, deep-voiced, reading the posture instantly. “I hoped you would want it to be me.”
The rest of her came into focus, as much as he could see. Nath was in the pool already, standing waist deep, her lustrous russet nap already sleek with water.
“I did,” he said. “Though I should not have.”
Nath’s laughter was as throaty as her voice. “I cannot say I regret that I was never creched in Pluthrak, or any great kochan. As aggravating as it often was, being of minor clan status, at least I was spared that silly high-clan frippery.”
She spread her arms, running her fingers sensuously through the water, stirring up the salt-scents a trace more. The same scents which were already causing Aille to feel warm and full of life and—
—and—
“It is called desire,” Nath said, her little laugh seeming a bit choked. “I am so full of it I could burst. Come to me, husband.”
The Prince
Nervously, Jonathan Kinsey was ushered into the new command center the Bond of Ebezon had poured for itself on Terra. On the Oregon coast also, as it happened, not very far from where the new Jao taif’s kochan-house was nearing completion.
Kinsey was still a bit amazed at how rapidly the Jao could erect very large edifices. Yaut had given him a tour of the new kochan-house only yesterday—those portions of it which were not restricted exclusively to the use of the taif’s members, at least. They had only begun pouring it two weeks earlier, but the edifice was almost finished even though it was even larger than Oppuk’s palace had been.
Though much more tastefully designed, even to Kinsey’s eyes. Unlike Oppuk, the taif had kept the design almost entirely Jao throughout, instead of the former Governor’s mishmash. Of the two concessions to human design the elders had made, one had been more-or-less wrung out of them by the adamant demands of too many veterans. That was the addition, off to one side, of a Jao version of an auditorium, where those veterans who had developed the taste could enjoy the performances of human musicians. That was the only part of the kochan-house which was still not quite ready.
The other concession had been made willingly. That was the addition of human insignia and art work to the traditional Jao wall decorations. Indeed, one human insignia occupied honored space in the central public room of the kochan-house:
The Star of Terra, awarded by the United Nations, posthumously, to Llo krinnu Gava vau Narvo. Every member of Gava kochan resident on Terra had chosen to join the new taif, and they had insisted that Llo’s medal would go with them.
Narvo had not argued the point. Indeed, Kinsey thought they had been relieved to get the bizarre and unwanted human “honor” off their hands. In general, Narvo was arguing nothing, these days. If anything, they seemed to take an almost malicious glee in out-doing Pluthrak when it came to offering resources to help in the Earth’s reconstruction.
The Bond had begun pouring its own headquarters less than a week ago, after most of the Harrier fleet departed, leaving the Preceptor and his chosen pleniary-superior behind. She was named Tura, Kinsey knew. He still did not know the name of the Preceptor. Even in those few days, the structure was already complete. True, it was not as large as the kochan-house. The Bond favored austerity in all things, including their own quarters. But it was still impressive.
* * *
Kinsey did not know why he had been summoned. But, as soon as he was ushered into the Preceptor’s private quarters, at least one minor mystery was resolved.
“I am called Ronz,” were the Preceptor’s first words, spoken in English, as soon as the aide who had led Kinsey there passed back through the doorfield. He gestured toward a nearby divan, designed in the low Jao manner. “Please, Doctor Kinsey, have a seat. I apologize that I have not yet been able to acquire human furniture. But I think you will find that reasonably comfortable.”