“I’ll have to look at it, sometime, if it’s
allowed.”
“I’ll allow you anything, Pa Chette.”
She turned and looked about the room. Mark
sat in an upholstered chair with an expression of bliss on his
face. “Had some coffee?” Syn asked.
“This is the nectar of the Gods, give me the
secret so I can make some for myself. After the coffee on the ship,
I thought I was doomed to sludge for eternity. TeZaron try this,
you’ll like it.”
“I tried it on the ship, it tasted like
laptard piss.”
Syn’s face darkened.
“Better not offend your fem,” Juraens
smirked. “TaCynthia seems very proud of her coffee. She wants you
to taste it.”
“Where is yours?” snapped Bron.
“Just about to pour some; after you,
Bron.”
Bron poured some coffee. Syn encouraged him
with a kiss. “Let me make it up for you. She looked at him
carefully.” She took his cup, dropped in two sugar cubes and a
dollop of cream. She handed him his cup. “Try it,” she urged
softly.
Bron picked the cup up from the saucer and
brought it to his lips. His eyes widened and he hurried to take
another sip. Mark laughed out loud.
With aplomb, Syn fixed a cup, black for
Juraens and lastly, dark and sweet for Zaron. There was silence in
the room for about three minutes while the men guzzled their
coffee.
“Gentlemen, would anyone like another cup?”
Four cups rose up.
As Syn poured Bron his second cup, he turned
to Zaron. “We have to investigate this. Earth can use this as an
export to the galaxy. It is magnificent!”
Syn giggled, “Would you care for a
cookie?”
There was a timid knock on the door of the
study. “Poppie, Zadda can I come in?”
Both Warriors eyes turned to their fem. She
opened the door, “Of course Naffie, you can have some cookies and
milk.” A big smile broke out on his face. “Let’s give Duchess some
milk because she can’t have cookies. Tonight I’ll have Bron and
Zaron feed her tuna for her efforts today.”
“You’re in for it, gentleman. Tuna is the
bane of Tonas’ and Jonal’s existence,” Juraens said, laughing.
Naffie dutifully poured Duchess her milk and
passed around the plate of cookies to his Elders as he watched the
pile diminish. Syn bent over and whispered in his ear, ‘‘I have
plenty more, don’t you worry. Good boys get cookies.”
Zaron’s mouth exploded with the flavors of
chocolate, brown sugar and butter. The look on his face was
priceless. “I think our fem needs to give cooking classes to all of
our chefs.”
“I don’t think so; I bet there is a
professional chef among the women who would be happy to give
lessons covering far more than I know. Cooking for me is a hobby. A
professional chef can perform miracles at the table.”
“I’ll bet the professionals don’t prepare
meals with as much love as our fem.” Bron kissed her on the cheek.
‘‘Your reluctant Warriors were bowled over by your expertise.”
Syn looked around the room and made a
decision. “Naffie and I will find him another cookie and then I
will begin to prepare for this evening.”
“Don’t tax yourself. If you need help, we are
but a thought away.”
Syn left the coffee and tea and exited the
room with Nafer. Duchess stayed behind to monitor the
conversation.
* * * *
Since the chef was preparing the vegetables,
Syn busied herself with the stuffing for the turkey and the sauce
for the ham. The Sarran bread was whole grain, coarse with fiber
and seeds. It would make excellent stuffing. She made herself
another pot of coffee. “Would you gentlemen like to try some
coffee?”
She poured coffee for Broc and Tack, the
chefs, and sat down to make a list. She had linens but needed to
measure the size of the table. She had a set of twelve antique
linen napkins large enough to cover huge laps that she bought at a
flea market years ago. At the same flea market she bought twelve
sterling silver napkin rings. She had a silver service from her
grandmother which Jonesy demanded she receive once they proved she
wasn’t dead. She just hoped her guys had glasses for a large table.
She was chewing on the tip of her pen when Zaron breezed in and
surprised her with a kiss on top of her head.
“What is creating those lines on your brow,
Pa Chette? Anything your bonded can do to erase them?”
“I was thinking of how to set the table,
about flowers and linens…”
“Garlance and Stoker usually take care of
that…”
“I wanted it to have the feel of an Earthen
dinner party. I have the silver, tablecloths, napkins, and a silver
table service for twelve, but I don’t have wine and water glasses
or flowers— I forgot flowers!” Syn burst into tears. “I need a
cigarette.”
“Pa Chette, Pa Chette.” Her Warrior called
her name in a low comforting voice, lifting her up and taking her
onto his lap on the chair she had occupied. Syn sobbed quietly.
“My beautiful Cynthia, you don’t have to
worry your head about this. We have a staff to take care of such
things. Call for Garlance and Stoker, they are at your service, as
are the two chefs. All of them will understand you and help you to
prepare.”
Bron ran into the kitchen out of breath. “Pa
Syn, are you all right?”
“She is upset about the preparations.”
“I knew this was too much for her on her
first day. With the fire at the field and the bomb in our bed, how
could we possibly expect our poor bonded to serve eight
tonight?”
Syn sniffled a bit, but was regaining her
composure. “I’m so sorry. I wanted to prove to you both how I can
help you in your work. But there are so many unfamiliar things that
I panicked.”
“You have confronted much today with
intelligence and grace. We expect nothing of you but to be
yourself. You are perfect for us just as you are and we will keep
telling you this until you believe it.” Zaron pulled her closer
while Bron stroked her back.
“Garlance, Stoker. You are to stay with Her
Highness for the remainder of the day and provide her with any
assistance she requires,” Zaron said, lifting Syn from his arms and
into Bron’s.
“Come Pa Chette. Walk the gardens with us for
half a tine and pick the blooms you wish for the table.”
“You could also get a picture of what you
would like and the fabricator would make an exact copy.”
“Thank you both; but fresh would be
best.”
“Then fresh it shall be. Let me call for
Naffie, he would adore a stroll with his new
Mommie
in the
garden.”
* * * *
The found Duchess in the garden chasing what
looked very much like Monarch butterflies.
“The beauty is a real predator. We won’t have
to worry about banc anymore.” Bron took hold of her hand.
“What is a banc?” Syn grabbed Zaron’s hand on
her right.
“A banc is what you would call a rodent. They
are plentiful and are a pest. We do not exterminate pests here on
Sarran, we try to release them back into the wild. They really need
a natural predator.”
“I heard you say banc. Are there any here?
They are disgusting,” Naffie said with a sigh.
At that very moment a voice popped into Syn’s
head.
::Come around the path, I have a surprise for
you.::
The four of them quickly walked down the
path. There in front of them was a neat pile of dead banc. Duchess
was sitting by their side looking very pleased with herself as she
washed her paws.
::The flowers you want are further down the
path. I know you love lilies, there are some that closely resemble
the flowers from Earth.::
“Duchess, you are amazing,” cried Naffie,
picking her up. “I hate banc.”
“Zaron, it looks like we found our natural
predator and yet another item to use to trade with Earth—cats.”
Zaron replied succinctly, “Cats were at the
top of the list.”
Syn lit up a cigarette from the pack in her
pocket.
“What is that smoking stick,” Naffie asked,
“I was scared when I saw it. Breathing smoke can’t be good.”
“It’s called a cigarette and it is not good
for me but I use it to calm my nerves.”
Bron said, “Let me see?’’
Syn pulled out a new one from her pack.
“Don’t get started, Bron. I have no idea what it would do to a
Sarran.”
“No, Pa Syn. I just wanted to examine it to
see if I could make it safer for you. It’s a habit you enjoy,
yes?”
“Yes, it calms me. But they are smelly and
dirty and bad for my health.”
“Let me see if I can fix it.”
“If anyone can fix it Zadda can,” Naffie
said, running after the Duchess in the blue-green grass.”
“This smoking stick can take your life?”
“Yes, in some people.”
“I can help you with this, eliminate the
craving and substitute something more healthy,” Zaron said
coaxingly.
“You can?” Syn was incredulous.
“Yes I can. Do you like our Tierest juice?”
Zaron smiled.
“The juice you gave me this morning?” Syn
thought for a moment. “Is it fattening?”
“Fattening?” Zaron’s eyebrow went up.
“Yes, you know, does it make you gain
weight?” Syn asked with a bit of skepticism.
“It provides you with all the nutrition you
need, but did you notice any Sarrans with excess weight?” Bron
smiled.
“Truthfully, I didn’t.”
“That is because they drink Tierest juice
which helps to balance the amount of calories you take in with the
amount of calories you need,” Zaron answered.
“Then yes, stop me from smoking. I loved that
juice you gave me this morning. This means I can eat everything I
like and not gain weight, seriously?” Syn looked both Zaron and
Bron up and down. “You’re telling me the truth?”
“Ah Pa Chette, we would never lie to you. How
could we when you are in our minds and hearts.”
Syn grabbed both of her would-be lovers into
her arms. “This is wonderful. Be sure to pass this bit of
information along to all of the Earthen fem. But the juice didn’t
eliminate my cigarette craving,” Syn said, looking at Zaron
expectantly.
“Either Bron or I could do that instantly if
you give us permission to enter your mind.”
“Enter away…like I said, I hate the way they
make me smell.” Syn straightened her back as if she were facing an
ordeal.
“Are you ready?” Bron asked.
“Yes,” Syn answered. “Go for it…”
Zaron pressed his forehead to hers. She felt
a slight push and then it was over.
“That’s it!” Her face screwed up in
surprise.
“That’s it.” Zaron smiled. She looked at her
watch.
“Oh shit, we stayed in the garden too long. I
have to get back to the kitchen and now I’ll have no flowers.”
“Send me a picture of the blooms you’d like
and I’ll pick them for you Mommie, as close to the picture ones as
we have.”
“Leave the stems long so I can arrange
them.”
Naffie took off to the other end of the
garden. “Will he be able to do this?” Syn asked
surreptitiously.
“Nafer is quite capable. You will have your
flowers. Now let’s work on these glasses you need…” Zaron and Bron
walked her back to the kitchen door.
* * * *
“I was hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty,
and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in.”
—Matthew 25:35
At five tines the chefs
removed the turkey, stuffing, and ham from the ovens. The turkey
was roasted to a turn, ready to carve, and the oven had a setting
that cooked the ham to perfection, leaving it juicy.
By five and a half tines the table was set
for eight. Bron produced the most remarkable glasses she had ever
seen.
He’d accessed a huge storage unit as big as
the great room in a large house. She rightly assumed it functioned
as a butler’s pantry. “Look at these, Pa Syn. Are they
acceptable?”
“The glasses are gorgeous.” She picked up
what looked like a water glass, then glasses for both red wine and
white plus cordial glasses and brandy snifters. They were pale
lavender trimmed in silver and etched with the likeness of a
Tierest tree with the cloud stylized over the pattern of the
tree.
She looked around the room, her grandmother’s
linens in her arms. She worried that they might not be long enough
to fit the table in the informal dining area.
“Here are the linens for the downstairs
floors.” Syn, shocked that was able to read the labels said, “I
think we’ll use your linens tonight. They match the plates and the
glasses.”
“The ones in your arms are lovely. They have
a fine weave and a unique pattern.”
Bron’s remark made Syn feel a lot better
about her offerings. “Oh, you put grandma’s silver in here.”
“Yes, Garlance took care of that this
morning. I saw it and thought it would be perfect for this
evening.”
“Oh, all of my things are in here!” Syn
walked through the shelves. She spotted her grandmother’s Revere
bowl and the candelabras she thought were left behind in her
storage unit.
She began to sob. Zaron came barreling into
the room. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m so happy to see my things here. They are
the only things left from my grandmother. I thought I’d lost them
forever. She was the one who didn’t turn against me after
the
incident
as my mother referred to my abuse by my father and his
cronies.” Her face was grim.
Bron pulled her into a hug.
“Of course you have your things. We and Tonas
and Jonal make absolutely sure that all of the fem had the things
they cherished.”
“Do you think we can use grandma’s silver and
her bowl?”
“Of course, we want you to begin to believe
this is your home and whatever you chose is fine with us.”
* * * *
All three of her men dogged her steps in the
kitchen once the odors of the roast permeated the house. “Stop
that,” she playfully smacked Zaron’s fingers as he tried to
surreptitiously sneak a small piece of turkey from under the
roast.