Atlantium Trilogy I: Bride of Atlantis by Madelaine Montague Page A

make
something so radical sound so reasonable. Finally, she shrugged.
She supposed it was reasonable—to him. Nakedness wasn’t something
she had any desire to get used to. Besides, where would be the fun,
and excitement, in seeing someone naked for the first time? If you
got used to it, it didn’t seem like there’d be much of a
thrill.
    Thor grinned.
    Alexis glared at him admonishingly.
“Stop it!”
    He looked contrite.
    It was an act. He wasn’t contrite in
the least. She could tell by the unholy gleam in his eyes. She
steered the subject in a more comfortable direction. “What did you
mean when you said ‘shift’? Aurora mentioned that too.”
    “ Molecular acceleration. We
have found that we can change ourselves physically to suit our
needs, and sometimes only for amusement.”
    Alexis looked down at Thor. “Are you
saying you aren’t actually wearing anything?”
    “ Clothing is required in
council, but it would restrict my ability to change if I found it
necessary so I … shift. I appear to be clothed.”
    Alexis studied him thoughtfully for
several moments and finally turned and began walking once more,
wondering why he made himself appear to be wearing clothing, now,
if he was comfortable without it. On the other hand, she had to
admit she was more comfortable talking to him when he at least
appeared to be wearing something. And she supposed, after some
thought, although she’d never considered such a thing before, that
the danglies between his legs might make life a little difficult if
you were an action hero and had to worry about swinging in the
breeze. They would definitely get in the way, especially his
danglies.
    She glanced in that direction
thoughtfully before she considered whether he might notice her
perusal, then, self-consciously, looked quickly at his face. She
couldn’t help but notice he was looking a little flushed—apparently
he had noticed.
    Feeling a blush rise in her own
cheeks, she decided just to pretend she hadn’t noticed and picked
up the conversation again. “It sounds logical when you say it that
way, the shifting thing, but—people can’t do that. How could you
accelerate your molecules?”
    Thor smiled wryly. “We simply do, much
as you move without thinking, blink, breathe, reach for
something.”
    “ Sounds like
magic.”
    “ Magic is either sleight of
hand—not real—or something not fully understood. When man first
discovered fire, he thought it was magic.”
    “ I suppose you have a point,
except this shifting thing isn’t something humans can do, not
ordinary humans anyway. They don’t have telepathy
either.”
    “ Not now—not in your time,
no.”
    “ The time walking thing
again. We can’t do that either.”
    “ Only Atlanteans
can.”
    “ No one else? Not even
people in the future?--Because I’m assuming by your other comment
that you mean people, someday, will be able to speak
telepathically.”
    “ To my knowledge none save
us time walk—but, yes, in the distant future, in the distant past.
It is something man had, lost, but will find again.”
    “ And you actually know
this?”
    “ Yes. I know
this.”
    “ This really gives me a
headache.”
    A look of concern crossed Thor’s
features. “More likely it is the mind talk. Unfortunately, you will
not be allowed a band until the council rules upon it.”
    “ That thing Adonis put on
his head?”
    Thor nodded.
    “ I thought it was something
to make him appear to be wearing clothes!”
    Thor chuckled. “No! Do not offer
violence. The band is to protect us from others, to give our
thoughts privacy. We can filter this talk out at will, but it can
be tiring. The band protects us without the effort.”
    “ But I can’t have
one?”
    “ Not until it is decided
whether you will go or stay. Until then, the only time you will
have any privacy is when you are alone inside a building, or house.
Few have the ability to penetrate the walls.”
    Alexis sighed. She was obliged to
admit it was