Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:7349 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!netcomsv!decwrl!spool.mu.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!news.duke.edu!eff!news.kei.com!ssd.intel.com!chnews!ornews.intel.com!ibeam!hutch From: hutch@ibeam.intel.com (Steve Hutchison) Subject: [PARTY][BDAY] Late Morning Arrival Message-ID: Organization: Intel Corp., Hillsboro, Oregon Date: Tue, 7 Jun 1994 07:23:36 GMT Lines: 313 [ADMIN] All characters are property of their respective authors, and this story is copyrighted (1994) by Stephen Hutchison. Permission is granted for the distribution of this story on the usual alt-net channels and for archival but all other rights, including repost, are reserved to the author. Thanks to the Dreamer and to Penny Hutchison for their help. ======= There was a wall around the pleasantly ugly little beehive-shaped lighthouse, just tall enough that two men standing one on the others' shoulders still couldn't reach the top. An unpleasantly square sort of box, a little taller than the wall, grew out of the south face of the wall, and in the south face of the box was a door, painted red, where the path from down the ridge ended. The door was closed, in the light of the midmorning sun. A few minutes earlier there had been a lot of noise, thumping and loud raucus laughter from the courtyard inside the wall, but now there was quiet. But it didn't last. A series of explosive sneezes, followed by bell-like laughter, punctuated the air. Moments later the door opened, and the breeze tried to blow inside but it was turned back by a medium-tall woman, with red-brown hair, wearing a purple and green and gold sarong, and a huge pile of floral lei's -- far too many of them. She was the one laughing. Behind her came what appeared at first glance to be a man in his mid-twenties, blonde and sun-bronzed, but when he came out into the sunlight the fur and the long lions' tail were suddenly more obvious, along with the feline, digitigrade feet showing under the sarong _he_ wore. He was carrying a basket filled with even more flowers, and a panpipe. "Hey," he said as she stopped short in front of the door. "Hey yourself," she replied. "Look, there's a clear Way over to Shadehaven! Race you there!" She took a step and vanished in a blur of colored light. "Wait, let me close the ... door," the lion-man replied. "Oh bugger." He slammed the door, which locked itself, and then sank into the ground like a rock sinking into water. The gate at ShadeHaven was open. In the street just in front of it, the woman stood, talking to the shadow of a large black dog. There wasn't a dog associated with it, though, and it had red eyes. The stone cobbles rippled and the lion-man rose out of them like a rock sinking into water but played in reverse. "You cheat," he growled at the woman. "Your feet are just too big," she smiled. "Look, Luthor has guards this time. Do you suppose they're Dasham's?" "I think Erik asked Kardia about Sceadu, a few days back. These guys sure look a lot like him, don't they?" He reached out a hand and let the shadow sniff at it. "Amazingly similar, but I don't think these ones are constructs." "Wow," he said. "Raye, do you see Luthor in there anywhere?" "I think he's nearby." She touched a bare foot inside the gate where the stones changed color, and apparently by coincidence, Luthor stepped out from an archway in the garden. "Welcome," the BLACK-cloaked half-elf said, a smile lighting his face. "I haven't seen you for a long time, 'Raf. ar'Elya, what a lot of flowers!" "Aren't they just?" she replied wryly. She lifted a double strand from around her neck and draped them around his shoulders. The deep gold matched the shade of his skin, but was offset by the black in the middle of each floral trumpet-bell, almost as dark as the BLACK cloak Luthor wore. He lifted one closer to his face and inhaled gently. "Lovely aroma. Like apple blossoms." "They're supposed to be edible," 'Raf said doubtfully, "but I prefer not to eat the sex organs of plants." Luthor quirked an eyebrow. "Grapes excepted," 'Raf continued. "Where's Mista?" "Over here," came a woman's voice, from the arbor where Luthor had been sitting before they arrived. The woman was tallish, a little too thin to fit Generican fashion, and wore a flowing dress cut in a compromise style, partly the attire she had brought from the Misty Islands, but partly Elvish. "Serene!" 'Raf said happily. "Hey, you haven't been coming to lessons like you promised." "Talk shop later," ar'Elya chided him, and they went into the arbor. "I think these are your colors," she said, taking off a lei that was the pale white, gold, and red of the mists as the sunrise reflected from them. "Thank you," Serene smiled. "Mista, don't eat the flower." The year-old baby girl smiled part-toothily and made one of those gurgling shrieks of ecstasy year-old babies make. 'Raf's ears went flat. "It's harmless," ar'Elya reassured her. "It might even be nutritious, though I wouldn't make a meal of them." She took a smaller flower out of the basket 'Raf had carried in. It was the shape of a tulip, or maybe a lotus, as it was solid-seeming all the way around, and it was about the size of a large orange. It had dark green sepals around the base, and gold and red petals, and it made a chiming noise as it moved. Mista looked at it with huge eyes and grabbed. "She'll love it," ar'Elya promised. "It's very durable, but it will wilt if it stays out too long. Just put it in a dish of water every day or so." "Where is it from?" Serene asked. Luthor was trying to see where the chiming sound came from. "Believe it or not, I got it here in town, from my friend Errol." "Not your Errol, the other Errol, right?" 'Raf asked. "Yes, the one who came to our party." "I'm sorry I wasn't able to stay very long," Serene said. "We'll have to visit here then," ar'Elya smilingly replied. 'Raf felt a pair of small hands tugging on his pipes. "Hey," he said, and sank down cross-legged to the ground. Mista watched, spellbound, as he blew gently into the pipes, and tried to put her fingers into the soundholes. "Before I forget," ar'Elya said, "Greetings to your House," and she bowed gracefully. The branches of the giant Elven tree swayed a reply in the windless air. Luthor saw another guest coming, and went to be hostly. "Excuse me folks. I seem to be in great demand tonight", he smiled. ar'Elya slipped a lei into his hand as he passed her, and turned to Serene, who was watching Mista grab for 'Raf's tail as 'Raf played pop-goes-the-weasel on the pipes. He grinned and pulled his tail back and forth, just out of her reach, until he finally relented and she caught it, and immediately tried to bite it. "No, honey, you don't know where it's been," he chided, and took it away from her. "Gotta go," he said to Serene, and holding his nose, he flipped backwards into the ground, vanishing like a diver into the ocean. Mista swatted at the grass where he had vanished a few times then went over to her mother and tried to convince her to go after him. Serene gave her a hug and looked at ar'Elya. "Does he do that often?" "No, but I think Luthor was just now wondering where he was. That cloak Luthor wears resounds into Earth very loudly. If he was wanting 'Raelf, then 'Raf would hear him." "I see." Serene shifted Mista on her hip. "I was wondering," ar'Elya asked, "where Luthor found those dogs he has guarding the door." "He told me he found them in the Shadows," Serene replied. "They're something he found after we went to your place. I think they are related to Kardia's dog. He seems to be finding a lot of things these days." "Hm. As long as Kev didn't bring them," ar'Elya said pensively. "Oh no. But he did do something very odd this morning." She pointed across the arbor to where a small meadow was visible. There was a caravan-wagon parked there, and seemingly vast numbers of children playing around an encampment. To one side, the log drum and intruments that Rhythm Song had brought were stacked alongside a collection of other instruments: guitars, the odd brass horn, and a portable keyboard instrument of some kind. "What is it ... Oh." The caravan was parked against the wall, and on the far side of it, almost blocked from sight, was a chalk drawing in an almost-childish scrawl. Just visible, a bright yellow patch of sunlight showed where the Gate opened on the stretch of beach just below the lighthouse. "Iradeth had the strangest expression on her face while he was drawing that -- whatever it is. She said it made her itch." "It's a gateway," ar'Elya replied. "And a bunch of grafitti off of a subway car." She sat pensively for a moment. "You should know that Kev isn't really a child." "Oh?" Serene smiled. "I would never have guessed." "It is rather obvious, isn't it? Please don't tell Little Rat. She doesn't know yet, it would confuse her." "I won't -- but it explains why Kev asked Iradeth the same thing. Poor dear Rat. She hasn't really figured you all out yet." "Perhaps. She knows so little about families, and 'kani families aren't much like Generican families. And ours is stranger than most. But she's been with us almost a year, she's done remarkably in that time." Serene nodded. "She's certainly grown. Almost three inches." "Yes, she's starting to catch up." ar'Elya rose to her feet. "Speak of the devils," she said, looking towards the encampment. Kev and Little Rat were racing to the arbor, making more noise than two kids could possibly make. Mista started half-running and squealing in response, but Serene caught her by the halter of her sundress before she could get far. Before ar'Elya could say anything, they stopped making any noise at all, acting as if they were well-behaved little angels. Except Little Rat would giggle every time she looked at Kev, because he was making his eyes all big and dewy and Acting Innocent. She made them wait almost a minute before she acknowledged their presence, gushing and cooing over Mista instead. Serene watched with amusement, but she also cooperated in the ruse. "What can I do for you two?" ar'Elya asked, when it looked like Little Rat was going to explode with waiting. "Could we please take some flowers to da other kids, please?" Kev said, with exaggerated politeness. "Certainly," ar'Elya replied. "Take the basket, here." They took the flowers solemnly, and as soon as they left the shade of the arbor, Kev started skipping along singing. Little Rat broke up laughing and ran ahead of him. "Well, that was interesting," Serene said. "Kev's got a new game," ar'Elya said grimly. "Manners. I hope it doesn't last much longer. Little Rat is getting some strange ideas about what they're for." Serene laughed. "Excuse me," a voice said behind them. "You three babes know where I can find my -- oh, hey, it's you, Raye. Didn't know you under all that foliage." 'Raelf strolled forward, a pony keg on one shoulder, balanced without apparent effort. "You really do look alike," Serene commented. "Huh?" ar'Elya laughed. "You and 'Raf, dummy." "Oh. Yeah, well." "More than you and Lex," Serene continued. "Huh? How do you figure?" 'Raelf set the pony keg down and lifted Mista up on top of it before she could climb it herself. "He always looks so serious," Serene said. "Yeah, well. Raye, this is for you." She frowned at the keg. "That wouldn't be Catamount Porter?" "Yeah. Hey, you're still kind of faded from making the kid, you put a lot of yourself into him. You need the energy." Serene cocked her head. "You just had a child? When can we see him? Do your people do congratulations?" "Yes, he's back at home and won't be able to leave for several years, and thank you," she replied. "I don't understand -- you're not there caring for him?" 'Raelf shook his head. "We don't care for our own children, we entrust them to the best person we can find to raise them. My own son is being raised by my grandfather." "Your own son?" Serene puzzled. "Isn't her child your son?" 'Raelf sighed. "Raye, you might want to drink your porter. I'll explain to Serene." "And she'll be twice as confused as when you started." "Is that a slam?" He huffed belligerently. "You slammin' me?" "Like a door, man," she huffed back. She lifted Mista off the pony keg, hugged her, and handed her to Serene, then without any more effort than 'Raelf had expended, she lifted the keg up onto her shoulder and walked off towards the caravan.