Falling for Kindred Claus Read online

  “For the sands overtook the surface of our world many hundreds of cycles ago,” Natillus explained, as he led the way through the broad, well-lighted tunnel.

  “And sandstorms here can last for days—even months,” Lambada added. “So we thought it best to move below the ground, where we would be untroubled by the elements.”

  “If you’ll forgive me asking, how do you survive if your upper world is a desert?” Asher asked. He was walking beside and a little behind Lisa, as though he was guarding her back—which was kind of nice, she thought. She certainly felt safer with the big Kindred nearby.

  “Oh, we have many sources of underground water,” Natillus explained. “Vast lakes with sunless shores so deep no one had ever plumbed their depths.”

  “Indeed, Thufar has blessed us with an abundance of water,” Lambada agreed and exchanged a tranquil smile with her mate.

  The graceful alien woman and her husband certainly seemed to be in perfect harmony, Lisa thought. But just then the tunnel came to a forking of ways with one part continuing on straight and the other leading off to the right. Here, as if by some silent agreement, Natillus and Lambada both stopped.

  “Here is the entrance to the temple and the baths of purification,” Lambada remarked to her husband, pointing to the tunnel that led off to the right. Over the entrance was a carving of a three-eyed god covered in what appeared to be real gold with precious gems for eyes. Perched on his (or her? Lisa wasn’t sure) head was a tiny chewchie carved in silver. The god’s face was serene but the chewchie’s mouth was open in a silent howl, as though it was upset about something.

  “Yes, this is indeed the entrance to the Temple of Thufar,” Natillus agreed. “And yet, I wonder if maybe it wouldn’t be better to first introduce our guests to the head priest who is to perform the coronation?”

  “Before they are purified? I fear that would be an inauspicious idea, my dearest mate,” Lambada objected in a calm tone. On her head, her little chewchie sat up and began to squeak and chatter.

  “Actually, I think it would be better for the head priest to see them first—he can approve what level of purification they require,” Natillus replied mildly. On top of his head, his own chewchie started howling and screeching.

  The sound was like a monkey fighting with a cat, Lisa thought, wincing. She wondered why the two Chorkays didn’t control their animals better. Neither of them was even trying to quiet their chewchies even though the sound they made was echoing around the tunnel loudly.

  “But should they not be purified at least on the basic level before they even meet the head priest—so as not to defile him with their unclean presence?” Lambada enquired, in a very mild tone, as though she was simply asking an innocent question.

  “I think not, my dear—he specifically told me he wished to see them as soon as they reached the planet’s surface,” Natillus answered courteously.

  As he spoke, his chewchie jumped from the top of his head to Lambada’s and began to fight with her own chewchie, the two of them hissing and wrestling like crazy in her flowing green hair.

  Lisa tried not to stare but it was a very strange sight and the strangest thing, in her opinion, was that Lambada didn’t seem to be in the least bothered to have what amounted to a miniature monkey-cat fight going on atop her head. At last Natillus’s chewchie pinned hers down and hissed in its face—clearly it was the victor of the strange match.

  Lambada still didn’t seem to notice anything strange going on. When she replied, the alien woman also spoke in a calm, measured tone, never once raising her voice.

  “Well, I suppose you make a good point, my dear,” she said. “Very well, let us bring them to the priest first.”

  As she spoke, the two chewchies straightened up. Natillus’s animal took a moment to groom Lambada’s thoroughly with a long black tongue, then it hopped back onto his head and sat there as though it had never left.

  “Very well,” Natillus said, smiling at Lisa and Asher. “Since we have reached an agreement, let us continue down to the private offices of the head priest of Thufar so that he may interview the two of you before you undergo the purification rituals.”

  They all walked on down the echoing tunnel, with its bare, sandy floor but Lisa was still staring at the chewchies. She had an idea something significant had just happened, but she wasn’t quite sure what it was…

  Eighteen

  “Well, well. Kindred visitors, is it?” The head priest was a portly older male with silver creeping into his moss-green hair. His skin was the exact same color of Lisa’s dress, Asher noticed. And he was wearing a kind of kilt made of shiny material in the same shade. It draped around his hips but he wore no shirt. Instead, a wide golden breastplate set with many precious gems spread across his chest and came down to cover his rounded belly. He also had a chewchie sitting on his head, although it had its long, feathery tail curled around itself and seemed to be asleep.

  The priest’s offices were rather small and cramped, Asher thought, as they all crowded in, though certainly richly decorated. Hanging on the walls were many depictions of the three-eyed god which must be Thufar, whom the Chorkays worshipped. He was displayed with elaborate golden scrollwork all around him and was smiling placidly in almost every carving and statue.

  “Yes, your Eminence, this is the Kindred envoy, Commander Asher and his mate, Lady Lisa.” Natillus bowed low and so did Lambada. Taking the hint. Lisa and Asher bowed as well.

  “We have brought them before you, as you asked, that you might judge the level of purification needed before they can attend the coronation of our esteemed Potentate tomorrow,” Natillus continued.

  “Yes, yes, purification. Well now, well now,” the head priest rumbled. “Let me examine them, then,” he remarked and looked the two of them up and down. “But where are their chewchies?” he demanded. “I thought these Kindred were a civilized race who shared emotions and thoughts with their mates!”

  “Oh, they do, your Eminence,” Lambada said quickly. “By means of a ‘soul bond’ as Commander Asher explained to us.”

  “Apparently they keep their chewchies within themselves, instead of having one imprinted upon them at the appropriate age,” Natillus said.

  “They keep them inside you say?” the head priest demanded. “Most irregular!” Atop his head, his chewchie had woken up and was beginning to chatter.

  “We thought so as well but they certainly seem to communicate well,” Lambada said anxiously. She seemed worried that the head priest would not accept them at all and her own chewchie began to pace nervously back and forth on top of her head.

  “Let me examine them,” the head priest repeated and suddenly his chewchie jumped straight at Asher’s chest.

  It was only years of diplomatic training that kept Asher from reflexively batting the tiny creature away as it flew at him. He knew instinctively that such an action would be a grave insult to the Chorkay people in general and to their esteemed high priest in particular.

  Still, he couldn’t help tensing as the tiny creature landed on his uniform shirt, digging its tiny claws into the thick, satiny fabric and began to climb all over him as though he was a tree and it was a monkey in search of a banana.

  As it climbed, the high priest stared at him and nodded, occasionally saying, “Hmm,” in an interested voice.

  “Well,” he said at last when the chewchie had jumped back from Asher’s shoulder to his own head. “I’m afraid this one must undergo the full ritual of purification. There’s not a hint of Sacred Blue on him anywhere. And this whole business of keeping the chewchie inside, well…I just don’t know.” He shook his head.

  “I am happy to undergo your rituals of purification,” Asher said, hoping said rituals wouldn’t be too onerous.

  “But what of his mate, the Lady Lisa?” Lambada asked anxiously. “She is wearing Sacred Blue and if I am not much mistaken, her eyes are the holy color as well.”

  The priest’s own three eyes widened.

  “Sa