The limo interior came back. I felt in utter shock! So many bad things happened to us in my Diplomatic Service life, and before that, when I got accepted to Sigan Mas, a planet that’s a school, in a galaxy of education planets--
I looked up and I hugged him. “Oh, I shouldn’t do this--”
Farley shuddered. “I nae saw this! Wh-what shall I do, if I can nae work? And, my w-work harmed you, my Ella, O, I can nae do this!”
That fella leapt from the passenger side and landed on Farley’s other side. Put both his hands on Farley’s head. He’s purple—a Thordes. His dearest friend Ley Patfar, who always swore they were secretly brothers because of their names. Their joke. He died on Riyhupur III. Oh, names, faces, how they died, you get used to constant death in Diplomatic Service, ‘cause the work’s so dangerous. We all went to school together, far away in the 14th Galaxy. Farley posed as a student. I was in the first group chosen for school there on a scholarship program and almost made diplomat. “Farley, you have to be calm. Want some bis tia?”
He cried, loudly! “I want healing, for my maiden!”
I put my arms around both of ‘em. Thumping in Patfar's neck startled me. “Doctor, see my friend, Ley Patfar, he is Thordes!” A red, faceted ball rose from Ley’s pocket and shot a dot on his neck. He was darker purple before Farley got upset!
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Doors sprang open and white-robed healers ran for all three of us! “Eja fe ne, what happened to these men?”
“Healer, they got too upset--”
“Healer, save my maiden! Ejis faea naea!” Farley hugged us both against him. I felt his mind too close in mine. No telepathy to block him, as I’d done so many times. I just opened up and let him link. I can hurt both of us if I fight.
But, I enjoyed the gentle touch. Then, felt how his head pounded, how dim his sight was, how his body ached with each triple beat of his heart!
“Young son, release the maiden! I need help, here!”
I held the wrinkled hand. “Healer, it’s too late! We’re linked! I saw our future, and I’m ready to get married to him, right now! I love Farley.” Am I brave enough to go to Ronsara with him?
Another man came, and pushed his twin-fingered hands through the tangle of healers. Grabbed Ley’s head, first. “Ley Patfar, my son, I release you from diplomatic work. Keep your team near you. I release all of you tonight. Patamir, take him, my son. Let him sleep. This excitement! Tell him I am very pleased with his work.” He stroked his blond curls, lighter than Farley’s.
“Minister, I will!” His brother carried him to a bed near us, right in the main room of this giant ship. They looked almost like twins, but his brother’s a lot younger. Red-violet. Not Molly’s—but there’s no Rainbow Unwell Colony yet, is there?