[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
things she'd felt when he'd touched his face and body for her. Mengjai felt he
was somehow violating his sister by hearing such private things.
Still a chance, Yesui. Let's go.
Flash, but they entered real space too far out, and she had to do it again.
Her concentration was nearly gone, both from exhaustion and a growing sense of
loss.
So when Mengjai saw the flagship gleaming in Tengri-Nayon's reflected light,
he made the call to
Yesugen himself.
Yesugen, it's Mengjai. We've searched a lot of space, and found nothing. Have
you heard anything?
Where did you go off to?
said Yesugen angrily.
You left me right in the middle of a sentence! And yes, we've heard from our
ships, only a few minutes after you left.
WHAT?
shouted Yesui.
Their signal faded out after a few minutes, but we did get a fix as they
passed behind Lan-Sui's edge.
They're about twenty-eight thousand kilometers above the atmospheric edge, and
they should be coming around again in a few hours.
Twenty-eight THOUSAND?
said Mengjai, and immediately he was calculating again.
Are your people all right?
asked Yesui.
Is the city with them?
Hope surged again within her.
Yes, the city's there, and the ships are communicating with it. There's
considerable damage, but it's structurally intact. The captain I talked to
seemed terribly confused by what happened, Yesui. He couldn't even describe
it. What did you do?
I moved the space they occupied, and they went with it. I'll explain later,
Yesugen. I have to see Nokai!
Nokai? Wizera's son?
said Yesugen.
NOW WAIT A MINUTE!
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Bureau...%20C%20-%20EMPRESS%20OF%2
0LIGHT/0671319833__18.htm (11 of 16)5-1-2007 0:52:01
Page 176
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
- Chapter 18
Flash.
Flash.
The surface of Lan-Sui roiled beneath them, but there were no vortices or
bands of clouds to see, and the plumes had all come together, the surface now
a mess of floccules pressed tightly together. It was like looking at a star
close up, seeing the tiny, convective cells bringing energy to the surface,
cooling, submerging again.
Mengjai had finished his calculations.
Twenty-eight thousand kilometers radial means a jump of nineteen light
seconds! It can't be, but it must be! Tangential ratio ninety-five they would
have gone around Lan-Sui two point nine times. Oh my, they were nearly
directly above us when they came back.
We're staying right here
, said Yesui.
We're not moving, this time. NOKAI!
Real time crawled by, Yesui repeating her call over and over, while Mengjai
went over his calculations, a part of him refusing to believe the answers.
Nineteen light seconds? No, no. There's something I'm not understanding here.
How could she
All thought was blown away by the rush of Yesui's euphoria when a sudden
feeling brushed over them like a cool breeze, gentle and soothing, the
signature of a presence even Mengjai remembered from a previous time with his
sister.
NOKAI! DARLING, I'M HERE!
Yesui?
Very faint, then
YESUI!
You're ALIVE!
she screamed.
Yes, I guess I am.
Two blinding transitions, a flash of purple as they zipped in and out of the
gong-shi-jie. Yesui had targeted Nokai, and would not wait a single moment for
the city to reach their position.
It floated serenely before them, a kilometer distant, a giant, metallic ball
of baffled shutters still closed tightly without apparent damage. Two military
cruisers and several smaller ships had engaged a thick ring around the city's
circumference and their thrusters burned like coals as they pushed to
deaccelerate it, bringing it to a lower, stable velocity in a new, higher
orbit.
Oh, Nokai, darling, I thought I'd lost you. I've been searching and searching
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/harry/Bureau...%20C%20-%20EMPRESS%20OF%2
0LIGHT/0671319833__18.htm (12 of 16)5-1-2007 0:52:01
- Chapter 18
What happened? One second, everything was falling down around me, and then it
was absolutely still. I
think I blacked out for an instant. What did you do?
I moved you to a higher orbit, well above the storms. You should be safe here.
Page 177
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
The whole city?
How
Not now, my love. Oh, how I want to be in your arms, but you can hold me in
your mind, feel what's inside me. Mmmm. Mmmm.
What Mengjai felt was frankly erotic. He wanted to run away, but could not,
and Yesui was so caught up in her passion she'd forgotten he was with her, her
mask a shambles.
Oh, Yesui. Ohhh!
said Nokai.
I love you. I LOVE YOU! I thought I'd never see you again. I thought I
was dead.
It went on, and on. Nokai was touching himself, his face, lips, arms, and
places that shocked Mengjai, for he felt all of it, and Yesui was somehow
doing the same thing to herself. It was all too much for him, too private, and
he could stand it no longer.
Ahem
, he said.
I really shouldn't be here, but I don't have any choice. Can you two please
save what you're doing for another time?
MENGJAI!
said Nokai.
Sorry
, mumbled Mengjai.
This is all very sweet, but we really need to get both of you together
physically at the same place. I shouldn't be peeking at you like this, and I'd
be a liar if I said I haven't enjoyed it.
They were embarassed, both of them. Mengjai waited for an explosion of anger
from Yesui, but it didn't come. Her mask went up, cutting off some wonderful
feelings and sensations from him, but she seemed amused.
I forgot about you
, she said.
It has been a long time, Mengjai
, said Nokai, trying to hide his own embarassment and failing, but at least
now he wasn't touching himself.
How are things in the city?
said Mengjai quickly.
Anything breakable is broken. My window is gone, and the streets are filled
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]