never overreacted, never showed much emotion beyond an occasional comment; he was my steady and I’d come to rely on that more than I’d anticipated.
Fransín touched my chin, pressing it closed. “Manners, Darling.”
I rolled my eyes then looked at M. “Do not hail him. Get me on the station. I’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on and if he thinks this is a convenient service station to fix his ship, I’ll tell him to take his rusted bucket of bolts elsewhere for repairs.”
“Extend my invitation for him to dock it here. I am pleased to assist. I have all the tools and—” He clamped his lips and looked away, the light pulses quieting to a low flutter. “Apologies.”
“Dock… The… Ship.” I bit out the words through clenched teeth. Dirk was an unneeded complication and I was barely keeping my emotions in check as it was. All I’d wanted was a simple presentation with a lovely Samarian. My nerves were shot.
“You are the pearl.” He said it angrily, upset I didn’t share his enthusiasm for the celebrity mechanic. Yes, as the pearl it was my duty and obligation to treat all beings as equals, but Dirk had chosen to be different beyond species related uniqueness. He’d gone out of his way to thumb his nose at all the beauty of knowledge and millennia of propriety. There weren’t two beings more different than we were and the sooner I got rid of him, the sooner I could get on to things that really mattered.
“Ready?” Fransín asked, slipping her fingers around her elbow and tugging me away from the monitor and picture of Dirk’s offending ship.
I drew a calming breath and turned my thoughts inward. They’d been so scattered today and I needed to pull myself together. Pearl I might be, but I needed to conduct my own stellar performance tonight. The last presentation was a huge celebration, almost bigger than the union that would seal me to the Hemperklu and join us as rulers forever more. All eyes would be on both events, but this one held a buzzing expectation. Around the universe, work of all kinds was suspended so no one missed it.
Maybe that was what had me such a mess, but deep down I knew there was more to my emotional wreckage. Thankfully, I’d have the Samarian as backup when they arrived to help me with Dirk if things got complicated.
Fransín held her arms out, directing me onto the dark red disk that would jettison me inside the space station. “Remember, for all his faults, Dirk is one of your subjects, one of the many you’ve vowed to protect, to care for, to lift to new heights and expectations.”
She was right and the vehemence I’d had toward him had been both unnerving and uncalled for. At least this was abnormal and not my usual reaction to unexpected change and visitors—I’d make the worst pearl in the history of the UN if this was my norm. For all I knew, I’d read but a brief history on Dirk, only finding the worst of him. Surely there was as much, if not more, atolling his virtues. I tried to shake the vast array of emotions, but they clung to me like Zixxbys.
She reached over and squeezed my fingers. “He’ll be gone before you know it and he won’t ruin tonight for you. Nothing could ruin tonight. Stay calm, be the pearl.”
I nodded my thanks, my throat too tight and constricted for much more. Stepping onto the dais, my stomach roiled and bubbled with nervousness. At least my anger at Dirk had given me a focus beyond the day’s emotions. For that I could thank him, but she’d been right, whoever he was, whatever he’d done, he was one of mine and maybe I could look at him as a fragile Tipper instead of the unschooled mechanic I thought I knew.
Fransín fluffed and straightened the train on my j ū nihitoe, fussing with nonexistent details. “You look stunning.”
“Thanks to you.” We leaned close and kissed the air beside our cheeks, careful not to smudge her hours of work. “Happy thoughts,” I whispered, more to myself than to
Fransín touched my chin, pressing it closed. “Manners, Darling.”
I rolled my eyes then looked at M. “Do not hail him. Get me on the station. I’ll get to the bottom of what’s going on and if he thinks this is a convenient service station to fix his ship, I’ll tell him to take his rusted bucket of bolts elsewhere for repairs.”
“Extend my invitation for him to dock it here. I am pleased to assist. I have all the tools and—” He clamped his lips and looked away, the light pulses quieting to a low flutter. “Apologies.”
“Dock… The… Ship.” I bit out the words through clenched teeth. Dirk was an unneeded complication and I was barely keeping my emotions in check as it was. All I’d wanted was a simple presentation with a lovely Samarian. My nerves were shot.
“You are the pearl.” He said it angrily, upset I didn’t share his enthusiasm for the celebrity mechanic. Yes, as the pearl it was my duty and obligation to treat all beings as equals, but Dirk had chosen to be different beyond species related uniqueness. He’d gone out of his way to thumb his nose at all the beauty of knowledge and millennia of propriety. There weren’t two beings more different than we were and the sooner I got rid of him, the sooner I could get on to things that really mattered.
“Ready?” Fransín asked, slipping her fingers around her elbow and tugging me away from the monitor and picture of Dirk’s offending ship.
I drew a calming breath and turned my thoughts inward. They’d been so scattered today and I needed to pull myself together. Pearl I might be, but I needed to conduct my own stellar performance tonight. The last presentation was a huge celebration, almost bigger than the union that would seal me to the Hemperklu and join us as rulers forever more. All eyes would be on both events, but this one held a buzzing expectation. Around the universe, work of all kinds was suspended so no one missed it.
Maybe that was what had me such a mess, but deep down I knew there was more to my emotional wreckage. Thankfully, I’d have the Samarian as backup when they arrived to help me with Dirk if things got complicated.
Fransín held her arms out, directing me onto the dark red disk that would jettison me inside the space station. “Remember, for all his faults, Dirk is one of your subjects, one of the many you’ve vowed to protect, to care for, to lift to new heights and expectations.”
She was right and the vehemence I’d had toward him had been both unnerving and uncalled for. At least this was abnormal and not my usual reaction to unexpected change and visitors—I’d make the worst pearl in the history of the UN if this was my norm. For all I knew, I’d read but a brief history on Dirk, only finding the worst of him. Surely there was as much, if not more, atolling his virtues. I tried to shake the vast array of emotions, but they clung to me like Zixxbys.
She reached over and squeezed my fingers. “He’ll be gone before you know it and he won’t ruin tonight for you. Nothing could ruin tonight. Stay calm, be the pearl.”
I nodded my thanks, my throat too tight and constricted for much more. Stepping onto the dais, my stomach roiled and bubbled with nervousness. At least my anger at Dirk had given me a focus beyond the day’s emotions. For that I could thank him, but she’d been right, whoever he was, whatever he’d done, he was one of mine and maybe I could look at him as a fragile Tipper instead of the unschooled mechanic I thought I knew.
Fransín fluffed and straightened the train on my j ū nihitoe, fussing with nonexistent details. “You look stunning.”
“Thanks to you.” We leaned close and kissed the air beside our cheeks, careful not to smudge her hours of work. “Happy thoughts,” I whispered, more to myself than to
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