Read Online 05. Children of Flux and Anchor by Jack L. Chalker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jack L. Chalker
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coffee for now and that was all—with emphasis on the coffee. It might be an interesting, even enjoyable, day, but it was going to be a long one and she still felt the effects of a two-day horseback ride. She was sadly out of practice and she was only now relearning just what muscles were used only in riding.
Conversation with the "girls" only confirmed what she already knew: even as she was she'd be bored silly by this vacuous level. She might not be any brighter than they, but she had a wider world-view and a weight of experience. Some of them were probably in their thirties or forties—it was impossible to really tell with Fluxgirls—but to Suzl it was like being trapped in a crowd of fifteen-year-old adolescents. Worse, they were in awe of her as a wife of the Prophet. It was enough to spoil any breakfast, even one so spartan and basic. She was very polite and exited as soon as she could.
As she would be staying there several days at least, she accepted the offer to tour the place. Sheva seemed to have a good sense of propriety and wasn't as hard to take, and seemed genuinely pleased to show off the place.
And it was grand by anyone's standards: The Great Room, used for formal dinners and meetings, was as large as Adam Tilghman's old house where she'd spent several years. Sixteen bedrooms, not counting servant's quarters, two enormous kitchens, one at each end of the place, a massive library, a "cozy" den that seemed big enough to race horses in, and rooms especially made for displaying fine art and sculpture.
The whole place sat on a rise north of the city, with the entire area filled with green trees and brightly colored flowers and shrubs. It was more like a private park than the "front lawn" Sheva called it, and off in the distance could be seen the city itself, the old temple-spires gleaming in the reflected rays of the great gas giant which gave World its light.
The rear area contained more formal gardens, a broad area used for some sports and entertaining, and even two grass tennis courts. There were even large stables for horses and a private exercise track. In fact, the only incongruity was a very large, round structure with a pointed roof far off to the rear. They'd done their best to conceal it with shrubbery and a dark green paint job, but there was no ignoring it. "What's that?" Suzl asked her guide.
"That is the private laboratory," Sheva replied. "None of the household staff is permitted to enter there, so I can tell you no more than that. There is a road and a separate entrance that you cannot see from here where those who work there come and go. It is none of our concern."
None of yours, you mean, Suzl thought, her curiosity aroused. Men's work. She remembered the time when she'd thought that way, too.
"Madame Suzl!" boomed a hearty male voice from the vicinity of the stables. She turned and saw a large figure walking quickly toward them. She waited for him where they were. When he got there, he first took her hand and kissed it, then gave her a big, less formal hug.
"My apologies for not greeting you until now." Judge Vishnar apologized, "but all this work plus the carnival has left me so little time. You slept well?"
"Fine."
"And the children? Where are they?"
"Already at the carnival. They've never seen one, you know."
"Well, neither have most people. But we'll show them what a good time one is, eh?"
The judge dismissed Sheva with a wave of the hand and took Suzl over to some lawn chairs in the garden. Both sat, and almost instantly a young and eager Fluxgirl was running out to ask if they required anything. Sensing from Vishnar's nod that it was not out of line to order, she asked for more coffee, and the judge nodded agreement. Inside of five minutes the girl was back with a pot on a silver tray, two exquisite porcelain teacups and saucers, and silver cream and sugar servers. This servile business made Suzl uneasy, but it was only her required conscience and she knew it. Given a
Conversation with the "girls" only confirmed what she already knew: even as she was she'd be bored silly by this vacuous level. She might not be any brighter than they, but she had a wider world-view and a weight of experience. Some of them were probably in their thirties or forties—it was impossible to really tell with Fluxgirls—but to Suzl it was like being trapped in a crowd of fifteen-year-old adolescents. Worse, they were in awe of her as a wife of the Prophet. It was enough to spoil any breakfast, even one so spartan and basic. She was very polite and exited as soon as she could.
As she would be staying there several days at least, she accepted the offer to tour the place. Sheva seemed to have a good sense of propriety and wasn't as hard to take, and seemed genuinely pleased to show off the place.
And it was grand by anyone's standards: The Great Room, used for formal dinners and meetings, was as large as Adam Tilghman's old house where she'd spent several years. Sixteen bedrooms, not counting servant's quarters, two enormous kitchens, one at each end of the place, a massive library, a "cozy" den that seemed big enough to race horses in, and rooms especially made for displaying fine art and sculpture.
The whole place sat on a rise north of the city, with the entire area filled with green trees and brightly colored flowers and shrubs. It was more like a private park than the "front lawn" Sheva called it, and off in the distance could be seen the city itself, the old temple-spires gleaming in the reflected rays of the great gas giant which gave World its light.
The rear area contained more formal gardens, a broad area used for some sports and entertaining, and even two grass tennis courts. There were even large stables for horses and a private exercise track. In fact, the only incongruity was a very large, round structure with a pointed roof far off to the rear. They'd done their best to conceal it with shrubbery and a dark green paint job, but there was no ignoring it. "What's that?" Suzl asked her guide.
"That is the private laboratory," Sheva replied. "None of the household staff is permitted to enter there, so I can tell you no more than that. There is a road and a separate entrance that you cannot see from here where those who work there come and go. It is none of our concern."
None of yours, you mean, Suzl thought, her curiosity aroused. Men's work. She remembered the time when she'd thought that way, too.
"Madame Suzl!" boomed a hearty male voice from the vicinity of the stables. She turned and saw a large figure walking quickly toward them. She waited for him where they were. When he got there, he first took her hand and kissed it, then gave her a big, less formal hug.
"My apologies for not greeting you until now." Judge Vishnar apologized, "but all this work plus the carnival has left me so little time. You slept well?"
"Fine."
"And the children? Where are they?"
"Already at the carnival. They've never seen one, you know."
"Well, neither have most people. But we'll show them what a good time one is, eh?"
The judge dismissed Sheva with a wave of the hand and took Suzl over to some lawn chairs in the garden. Both sat, and almost instantly a young and eager Fluxgirl was running out to ask if they required anything. Sensing from Vishnar's nod that it was not out of line to order, she asked for more coffee, and the judge nodded agreement. Inside of five minutes the girl was back with a pot on a silver tray, two exquisite porcelain teacups and saucers, and silver cream and sugar servers. This servile business made Suzl uneasy, but it was only her required conscience and she knew it. Given a
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