now anyway."
Herma flicked a glance at his groin where his morning erection tented the sheet. He gave in to the smile twitching the corners of his lips. Herma laughed as she put the cup on the nightstand and floated through the closed door into the living room.
No wonder Keely thought a locked drawer wouldn't hold the couple. No, his partner had known . She couldn't remember her real name, but she'd known about Herma-Frodie's unique ability to go through solid objects. And Keely seemed perfectly at ease with the pair--as if they were…long–time friends who happened to meet after losing touch for a long time. And how weird was that? That they'd link up again in the middle of the galaxy?
Geoff didn't believe in coincidence. Neither did he think it sheer serendipity that Herma-Frodie just happened to find Keely and him on Saturnalia. The hermaphrodite had had help. Geoff had a list of conspirators that grew longer by the minute, starting with cousin Connor's meddlesome grandparents–in–law and ending with Le Roi himself. Of those on Geoff's list of suspects, the former king of Mars rose to the top. Le Roi most likely knew where The Honey was and who had stolen her. He might have faked his own death, but that didn't mean he would keep his hands off his home world. Especially when T he Honey could give him supremacy over this part of the galaxy.
A soft tap announced a person incapable of intruding through solid doors. Sure enough, Keely poked her head around it, saying, "Hey slug-a-bed, you ever getting up?"
"Unless you want to join me." He patted the bed and waggled his eyebrows.
Laughing, she closed the door.
"I don't see any point in staying on Saturnalia," Keely told him as Geoff settled into a chair at the room service table. "Do you?"
Geoff cast a glower at Frodie who looked like mob–muscle on guard at the French doors to the beach. Herma hovered at Geoff's elbow to shake a napkin into his lap.
"Miss Keely has a good appetite," Herma observed. Today she wore a halter-top and shorts in neon orange. With Frodie garbed in funereal black, the pair reminded Geoff of Halloween. All they needed were a cauldron and a black cat.
"Well do you?" Keely asked, a pancake-laden fork halfway to her mouth.
"There are a few other casinos we could check out. But, given Le Roi's fondness for luxury, I doubt he'd hang out in any of them," Geoff admitted. "The problem is I've run out of places to look."
"We've been discussing that," Keely told him, smiling at Herma-Frodie.
Reconnected they look even more like something out of a demented storybook. Suspecting Keely would resent his denigrating her friends, Geoff kept the idea to himself.
"We need a little more information before we can determine where to look next."
Frodie's ability to talk comprehensively still startled Geoff. There was something about it that raised his hackles. Or maybe he was just paranoid.
"What kind of information?" He forked what looked like ham into his mouth. It tasted like ham, too, so he took another bite.
Keely's hand over his took his gaze to her face. Her eyes pleaded with him. "We need to know why recovering The Honey is so important."
"Other than my conviction for treason you mean?" Resentment laced his voice. It also left an acid taste in his mouth and had him shoving his breakfast aside.
"We…I think if only your freedom were at risk, you'd go back to Earth and fight to prove your innocence."
"Without The Honey that's impossible."
"So there must be something about your ship," Keely went on as if he hadn't spoken, "that makes her even more important."
"I've served on The Honey for almost fifteen years. I started as an engineering assistant and worked in damn near every department. I know how she sounds when her engines need attention. I know by how she quivers if she's ready to jump into hyper-warp."
"You love her," Keely murmured, her eyes brimming with tears.
Remembering what she'd said about love and respect and sappy stuff ,
Herma flicked a glance at his groin where his morning erection tented the sheet. He gave in to the smile twitching the corners of his lips. Herma laughed as she put the cup on the nightstand and floated through the closed door into the living room.
No wonder Keely thought a locked drawer wouldn't hold the couple. No, his partner had known . She couldn't remember her real name, but she'd known about Herma-Frodie's unique ability to go through solid objects. And Keely seemed perfectly at ease with the pair--as if they were…long–time friends who happened to meet after losing touch for a long time. And how weird was that? That they'd link up again in the middle of the galaxy?
Geoff didn't believe in coincidence. Neither did he think it sheer serendipity that Herma-Frodie just happened to find Keely and him on Saturnalia. The hermaphrodite had had help. Geoff had a list of conspirators that grew longer by the minute, starting with cousin Connor's meddlesome grandparents–in–law and ending with Le Roi himself. Of those on Geoff's list of suspects, the former king of Mars rose to the top. Le Roi most likely knew where The Honey was and who had stolen her. He might have faked his own death, but that didn't mean he would keep his hands off his home world. Especially when T he Honey could give him supremacy over this part of the galaxy.
A soft tap announced a person incapable of intruding through solid doors. Sure enough, Keely poked her head around it, saying, "Hey slug-a-bed, you ever getting up?"
"Unless you want to join me." He patted the bed and waggled his eyebrows.
Laughing, she closed the door.
"I don't see any point in staying on Saturnalia," Keely told him as Geoff settled into a chair at the room service table. "Do you?"
Geoff cast a glower at Frodie who looked like mob–muscle on guard at the French doors to the beach. Herma hovered at Geoff's elbow to shake a napkin into his lap.
"Miss Keely has a good appetite," Herma observed. Today she wore a halter-top and shorts in neon orange. With Frodie garbed in funereal black, the pair reminded Geoff of Halloween. All they needed were a cauldron and a black cat.
"Well do you?" Keely asked, a pancake-laden fork halfway to her mouth.
"There are a few other casinos we could check out. But, given Le Roi's fondness for luxury, I doubt he'd hang out in any of them," Geoff admitted. "The problem is I've run out of places to look."
"We've been discussing that," Keely told him, smiling at Herma-Frodie.
Reconnected they look even more like something out of a demented storybook. Suspecting Keely would resent his denigrating her friends, Geoff kept the idea to himself.
"We need a little more information before we can determine where to look next."
Frodie's ability to talk comprehensively still startled Geoff. There was something about it that raised his hackles. Or maybe he was just paranoid.
"What kind of information?" He forked what looked like ham into his mouth. It tasted like ham, too, so he took another bite.
Keely's hand over his took his gaze to her face. Her eyes pleaded with him. "We need to know why recovering The Honey is so important."
"Other than my conviction for treason you mean?" Resentment laced his voice. It also left an acid taste in his mouth and had him shoving his breakfast aside.
"We…I think if only your freedom were at risk, you'd go back to Earth and fight to prove your innocence."
"Without The Honey that's impossible."
"So there must be something about your ship," Keely went on as if he hadn't spoken, "that makes her even more important."
"I've served on The Honey for almost fifteen years. I started as an engineering assistant and worked in damn near every department. I know how she sounds when her engines need attention. I know by how she quivers if she's ready to jump into hyper-warp."
"You love her," Keely murmured, her eyes brimming with tears.
Remembering what she'd said about love and respect and sappy stuff ,
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