Terra was the only one he wanted and that wasn’t going to change.
TWELVE
Folding space—that is, going from one part of the universe to another instantaneously—really was a weird experience. But once they had flown through the red gash in space that the Monstrum Mother Ship had opened for them, they found themselves in orbit around a planet that V’rone said was Yonnie Six.
“Wow…” Terra ran a shaking hand through her hair. “That was some trip! So now what—we just go straight to Mistress Bodikin’s house and start bargaining for the Heart-finder?”
“We have to get clearance to land on her grounds first,” V’rone growled.
The Brawn of the colony seemed to be in a rather surly mood, Terra thought. He needed to get over himself and stop acting like she was the one being unreasonable for refusing to be their Queen. After all, they hadn’t even known each other a day yet! At least Tem and Rive were polite, though Rive seemed to be engrossed in some kind of manual he was reading which was written in an alien language.
Terra concentrated on the words—she’d been given a shot of Translation Bacteria which was supposed to enable her to speak and read all different languages. But she found that even though she was able to make out the words the Brain was reading, the jargon was still so technical it didn’t make a bit of sense to her.
Inserting the drive transducer into the autonemic drive will have the effect of transcendent illumination when all couplings are locked in their pre-gastrinomic positions, it said.
“Calling Mistress Bodikin’s residence now,” V’rone remarked, breaking her concentration. He was manipulating the controls as he spoke. There was a beeping sound and after a moment someone answered.
“Mistress Bodikin’s primary residence, how may I help you?” a high male voice said.
“Requesting landing coordinates for a meeting with Mistress Bodikin,” V’rone growled.
“Who are you?” the voice replied snippily. “I don’t have a meeting on the Mistress’s schedule at this time.”
V’rone gave a low growl of irritation and turned to beckon to Tem.
“Come up here—you’re better at sweet talking than I am.”
Tem moved swiftly to the front of the cabin and leaned over to press a control.
“This is Tem’blx, one of the many bodyslaves of Mistress Terra. My Mistress thought Mistress Bodikin might like to discuss a deal which would be mutually beneficial to both of them. We have chests of gold, platinum, and jewels to trade, if that is of any interest?” he added.
“Well, well…gold, platinum, and jewels? Yes, that might interest my Mistress indeed.” The voice was much more polite now. “Unfortunately, she is not here at her primary residence at the moment. She’s taking a few days at her villa on her private island in the Southeast Sea.”
“A private island—how delightful!” Tem exclaimed. “Would you be so kind as to give me those coordinates, Er….?”
“Oh, my name is Sam’well. But I don’t know if I should give you the coordinates,” the servant on the other end said uncertainly. “She left strict orders that she was not to be disturbed. She’s organizing her private collection, you know.”
“Ah yes—my Mistress has read much of her collection,” Tem said smoothly. “It’s one reason she so wanted to meet Mistress Bodikin and deal with her. However, if your Mistress isn’t available, I suppose she can deal with Mistress Funjell-o instead. Though her artifacts aren’t quite as grand as Mistress Bodikin’s, I have heard that her prices are much cheaper.”
“Wait a minute now!” Sam’well exclaimed. “Mistress Bodikin wouldn’t like to hear that she lost a sale to the likes of Mistress Funjell-o!”
“Then maybe you’d better give me the coordinates to her private island,” Tem said smoothly. “I’m afraid my Mistress isn’t very patient.”
“Well, none of them are, am I right?” Sam’well murmured, and tittered. “Very well, let me get you those coordinates.”
There was silence for a moment and then he rattled off a string of coordinates which V’rone quickly fed into the control panel.
“Thank you, Sam’well,” Tem said courteously when he was finished. “And my Mistress thanks you, too.”
“You’re very welcome, Tem’blx,” the servant said. “Just be sure to make a good deal with Mistress Bodikin. It would be nice if she was in a good mood when she comes back to us.”
“I’m certain my Mistress will do that,” Tem said. Then he signed off and turned to V’rone. “Well? You got all that?”
“On our way right now,” V’rone remarked and they began to move again.
In no time, their ship was hovering over a small, lush island in the middle of a vast sea. This time V’rone didn’t even attempt contact—he simply nodded at Tem who made the call.
This time things didn’t go quite as smoothly. The servant on the other end insisted that Mistress Bodikin was having some sort of spa treatment and couldn’t be disturbed. However, he promised to ask her in an hour about the meeting and call back. So there was nothing to do but wait around—which Terra found somewhat uncomfortable.