The Altian Plague by DM Arnold (best book club books for discussion .TXT) 📖

fingers. He kissed her lips and her face. She lifted her chin as he kissed her neck, her shoulders, between her breasts and her stomach. “Oh, Nykkyo,” she panted. “Do you really feel this way about me?”

“Can my hands tell a lie?” He smoothed his palms along her sides. “You really do need to put on some weight, Senta.”

“I know I do.”

“I can count your ribs.”

“It's always been difficult for me to gain weight.”

“Especially with the diet on this world,” he replied. “It's too healthy. I'll arrange to ship you some Earth junk food...”

“Junk food?”

“Yes -- chips, candy bars, soft drink... That'll fatten you up in no time.”

He caressed the inside of her thigh. She grasped his hand and led it higher and then directed his fingers. “I'd like some of this, now...”

“You always did know what you wanted.” He sat, cross-legged on the blanket and held her across his lap, his left arm supporting her as he stroked her with is right hand. Senta gazed into his face and caressed his cheek.

Her lips parted and she began panting slowly. Her eyelids drooped, her face rolled against his shoulder and he felt her body go limp. He watched her ribs move and could see her heart pounding through the skin on her chest. “Oh, Nyk,” she panted, “... that's it... Oh... Ohhhh...” She grasped his forearm and the muscles in her abdomen tensed as she gasped.

She touched the back of his hand. “Now,” she said. He eased her onto her back and she opened her arms and legs to him. Nyk lay atop her and she locked her legs with his. He held her shoulder blades, gazed into her eyes and pressed his hips against hers. “Oh, Nyk -- this feels better than I remember, too...”

His heart accelerated and his breathing deepened. Senta gripped his back and her nails dug into her skin. “Senta!” he gasped. “I love you.”

He panted to regain his breath. Senta relaxed her grasp and lay still, her eyes closed and tears streaming down both sides of her face. “Was that too strenuous?” he asked.

She shook her head, wiped aside tears and sniffled.

“Senta -- are you all right?” She nodded. “What's wrong?”

She drew his face to hers and peppered it with kisses. “Oh, Nykkyo,” she sobbed. “I know I'm not pretty ... I'm not a sleek beauty like Andra, or dark and exotic like Sukiko. I accept it. I've learned to compensate ... in other ways. Tonight was different.”

“Different? How?”

She brushed aside more tears. “I've had a lot of lovers...”

“You don't need to tell me that.”

“But tonight ... Nykkyo, tonight was the first time ANYONE has made me feel... Has made me feel desirable ... sexy ... beautiful. It felt like you really wanted me.”

“Of course I did.”

“I could feel it. I could really feel it. Why? Why, Nykkyo? Why couldn't we have this before? Why did we have to divorce first?”

“Because I do love you,” he replied. “I just can't be married to you.”

“I never stopped loving you. The whole time, I never stopped. You probably don't believe it, but it's the truth. And -- you're the only man I've ever truly loved. You probably don't believe that, either -- but it's the truth, too.”

“I do believe it. I might not have seen it at the time, but I believe it. Suki saw it.”

“Sukiko saw it?”

Nyk rolled onto his back and coaxed her against him. He gathered her red hair from her face and kissed her forehead. She reached across him. His gaze fell on a blue line running along the outside of her bicep. He touched it and stroked it away from her body to force it empty of blood; then lifted his finger and watched it refill. “Must you do that?” she asked.

“It's our little tradition.”

“Your tradition, perhaps... Oh, Nykkyo -- was I really so bad for you? I can see now how good Andra and Sukiko are. I can see how much you've changed.”

“I haven't changed. I've learned. You were good for me, and you still are as a good friend. You and I simply aren't compatible, Senta. It is possible for two incompatible people to love each other. Don't you think we proved it? We just can't live together.”

“I am sorry for how I behaved toward you. I understand now what it is you're doing, and how important it is. I want to apologize, Nyk. I was regarding your ExoAgency work only in terms of how it inconvenienced me. It was selfish of me and terribly unfair to you. Can you forgive me?”

“You've done nothing to forgive. Senta, I'm the one who needs forgiving. I hurt you. I realize it now, and I'm terribly sorry for it. I was doing what I had to do, and in doing so I hurt you. Please forgive me. You don't have to now -- not tonight. Some other time -- in the future.”

“I forgive you now, Nyk.”

“Then we're even, don't you think? Senta -- Suki, Andra and I have formed a love-family. We'd like you to join us.”

“Really?”

“Really, really. We've discussed it and we all agree.”

“I'm flattered.”

“Is that a yes?”

“It's a no. Please don't take it the wrong way. I see what it is the three of you have, and I long for the same. But -- since your first transit offworld I've become accustomed to my independence -- my freedom. I'd like to continue enjoying it.”

“Nothing would stop you... You don't have to live at the Residence -- you can keep your home in Sudal.”

“It's my answer Nyk.”

“It's an open offer. Should you change your mind...”

She glanced up at the sky. “I'll know where to find you.”

She lay gazing into his eyes. Nyk caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Then, he touched her eyelids and stroked them closed. With his gentlest touch he caressed them until her body relaxed and her breathing became regular. Then, he closed his eyes.

Floran's golden morning light waked Nyk. He opened his eyes and saw Senta sitting cross- legged and tying her hair into a ponytail. “Well?” he said.

“Well what?”

“This is the test, isn't it? It's the morning after. The hormone rush has worn off. You can look at your partner in the harsh light of reality and assess how big a mistake you made the night before. There's an Earth expression for the phenomenon. It's called taking off the beer goggles.”

“Beer goggles? I don't understand.”

“You'd need to spend some time there.”

“You're right, Nyk. I've been sitting here and watching you sleep ... and, thinking.”

“So -- how big a mistake did we make?”

“How big do you think?”

“Senta -- must you answer every one of my questions with another question?”

“Do I do that?”

“You tell me -- I asked first.”

“I'm proud of you, Nyk. I'm proud of the work you do for the ExoAgency, and I'm proud of what you did during the virus crisis. I'm pleased you want my friendship. I'm not sure I deserve yours. No -- I don't think we made a mistake. I know I didn't at least.”

“Neither did I...” Senta covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. “What's funny?”

“Andra told me you tried to break down that wall with your shoulder.”

“That was an adrenaline rush.”

“Whatever you call it, it was sweet.” She stood. Nyk got up and handed Senta her tunic.

“I'm not going to bother,” she said. “I'll shower and put on a fresh one.” She picked up a corner of the blanket. Nyk grasped the other end and she helped him shake it free of sand and fold it.

He draped the blanket and both tunics over his forearm, took Senta's hand and walked with her into the house. They climbed the staircase to the middle level. Suki and Andra were sipping cups of tea.

“It was a beautiful sunrise,” Andra said. “Did you see it?”

“I slept through it,” Nyk said.

“I saw it,” Senta replied. “It was beautiful.” She approached Suki and embraced her. “Thank you,” she said and kissed her cheeks.

The packet docked with the relay station. Nyk stood and gestured toward the tunnel door. “After you.” Dyppa stepped through the tunnel and Nyk followed her into the workroom. “Let's get changed.”

She turned and faced him. “I'm still reeling from it all.” Nyk opened his arms and held her, caressing her hair. “It may take me a while to get back into my routine. I still see Lom when I close my eyes. It's as if his face is burned into the insides of my eyelids.”

“If you find you can't deal with it,” Nyk said, “give Grynnya a call. Don't be shy about it. She's there to help. We need you, Dyppa -- more than ever, now that our Scottsdale office is closed.”

“What will we do about that?”

“Seymor tells me we'll keep it shut. It means a heavier load for you, Dyppa. It's another reason we need you happy and healthy in Wisconsin.” He kissed her forehead. “Let's get changed.”

Dyppa waved as she stepped into her shuttelcar. Nyk climbed into the cockpit of the bubble shuttle. The bay depressurized, the spacedoor opened and Nyk eased the shuttle into space behind Dyppa. He watched hers vanish in the flash of its subjump; then he set coordinates and triggered the coil.

When transparency returned to the bubble he looked down on Earth. He could see the Indian subcontinent in sunlight. His orbit took him around to the dark side and he began his reentry, activating countermeasures to cloak the shuttle from Earth radar.

The navigation computer computed a course leading to the roof of Seymor's apartment building. The bubble decelerated as it descended, punched through some clouds and he looked down on the island of Manhattan with its reticule of streetlights and the outlines of the TriBorough and George Washington bridges looking like glowing strings of pearls.

Nyk fastened the tethers to hold the bubble onto the roof of Seymor's penthouse. His boss awaited him behind the sliding glass door leading to the rooftop garden. “We'll need to find a new home for the bubble,” Seymor said. “The building management doesn't want a rooftop helipad any more.”

“We knew we'd face that sooner or later,” Nyk replied. “I don't suppose we can keep it in the back yard of the house in Queens. It might arouse the neighbors' curiosity.”

“I suppose not. Let me look at you, lad...” Seymor stood back and shook his head. “Chancellor's Medallion. You're the first ExoAgent to receive one.”

“I can't believe that.”

“First to receive one during his offworld tour. I know that for a fact. I've never seen one.”

“I'll have Suki send a photoimage, since I don't dare bring it here. So, Seymor -- what's my next plum assignment?”

“Your next assignment is to take some time to be with that family of yours.”

Nyk nodded. “Seymor -- whatever happened to that Altian cell in Tulsa?”

“Kronta sent a squad of enforcers. We located them all with their wrist chips. Then -- it was a waiting game, until the attack on Lexal. We didn't want to tip our hands and queer it for you.”

“Illya thinks we've rooted them all, this time. Time will tell, won't it?”

“When Marxo died and Grynnya took his shuttle to the relay station -- it left that Altian bunch stranded here. They were more than happy to turn themselves over to enforcement.”

“Well -- I'll go catch a cab to Queens.”

“No you won't -- I'll drive you. Welcome home, lad.”

Nyk awakened to the smell of coffee. He arose and descended the stairs to the kitchen. “Good morning, Yasuko.”

“Nick -- I thought I heard you come in last night.”

“Six weeks... I'm so sorry, Yasuko.” He held her and kissed the top of her head.

“You do what you need to do, Nick. Nicky and I are fine.”

“Where is he?”

“Playing in the living room.”

Nyk stepped to the living room. “Hey, Nick!”

Nicky looked up and grinned. He stood and ran over. Nyk held out his palm and Nicky slapped it, laughing. He picked up the boy, hugged him, kissed his cheek and hugged him again. “I missed you so.” He looked at his mother-in- law. “Yasuko -- my office is giving me a couple weeks of comp time in exchange for the project I just finished. Maybe we should pack some bags and drive out on the Island to the beach house. Would you like that?”

“Nick -- it's March.”

“We'll have the beach to ourselves.”

“We'll have the whole town to ourselves...” She smiled. “Yes, I'd like that. I think a change of scenery would do me some good.”

“I think it will do us all some good.”

“Things are returning to normal here,” Suki said to Nyk through the vidphone window on his laptop computer.

“Has Senta's home been repaired?”

“Yes -- but she seems in no hurry to move out. She and Andra have returned to working on their research project. I