Read Online Starlady & Fast-Friend by George R. R. Martin - Free Book Online
Authors: George R. R. Martin
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memories then, for Melissa did not come at all.
* * *
Robi rang him on the intercom, and Brand dressed quickly. “Now,” the angel said eagerly. “Can I come now?”
“Yes,” he told her, smiling again his fond, indulgent smile. “I’ll show you the fast-friends now, angel. And then I’ll take you to the stars!”
She flew behind him, through the panel, up the corridor, into the bridge.
Robi looked up as they entered. She did not look happy. “You don’t listen, do you? I don’t want your pet on the bridge, Brand. Can’t you keep your perversions in your cabin?”
The angel quailed at the displeasure in Robi’s voice. “She doesn’t like me,” she said to Brand, scared.
“Don’t worry, angel, I’m here,” he replied. Then, to Robi, “You’re scaring her. Keep quiet. I promised to show her the fast-friends.”
Robi glared at him, and hit the viewscreen stud. It flared back to life. “There, then,” she said savagely.
The
Chariot
was in the middle of the Jungle. Brand, counting quickly, saw a good dozen derelicts nearby. Changling Station was low in one corner of the screen, surrounded by trapper ships and screens. Near the center was a larger wheel, the spoked and spinning supply station Hades IV, with its bars and pleasure havens.
Floating close to Hades, a group of fast-friends were clustered, six at least, still small and white at this distance. There were others visible, but they were closest. They were talking, even in the hard vacuum of the solar fringe; with a simple act of will, the fast-friends could force their dark aura up in the range of the visible spectrum. Their language was one of lights.
Robi already had the
Chariot
headed toward them. Brand nodded toward the angel, and pointed. “Fast-friends,” he said.
The angel squealed and flew to the viewscreen, pressing her nose against it. “They’re so
little
,” she said as she hovered there, her wings beating rapidly.
“Increase the magnification,” Brand told Robi. When she ignored him, he strapped down beside her and did it himself. The cluster of fast-friends doubled in size, and the angel beamed.
“We’ll be right on top of them in five minutes,” Brand said. Robi pretended not to hear.
“I don’t know about you, Brand,” she said in a low serious voice, so the angel would not hear. “Most of the men who buy sex toys like that are sick, or crippled, or impotent. Why you? You seem normal enough. Why do you need an angel, Brand? What’s wrong with a woman?”
“Angels are easier to live with,” Brand snapped. “And they do what they’re told. Stop prying and get on the signal lights. I want to talk to our friends out there.”
Robi scowled. “Talk? Why? Let’s just scoop them up, there’s enough of them there….”
“No. I want to find one, a special one. Her name was Melissa.”
“Hmpf,” Robi said. “Angels and fast-friends. You ought to try having a relationship with a human being once in a while, Brand. Just for a change of pace, you understand.” But she readied the signal lights as she talked.
And Brand called, out across the void. One of the fast-friends responded. Then vanished. “She’ll come,” Brand said firmly, as they waited. “Even now, she’ll come.”
Meanwhile the angel was flitting excitedly around the bridge, touching everything she could reach. Normally she was not allowed up here.
“Calm down,” Brand told her. She flew down to him, happy, and curled up in his lap.
“What are the fast-friends doing?” she asked, with her arms around him. “Are they going to tell us their trick, Brand? Are we going to the stars yet?”
“Soon, angel,” he said patiently. “Soon.”
Then Melissa was there, caught in the viewscreen. Brand felt a chill go through him.
Her skin was milk-white now, her hair a halo of streaming silver. But otherwise she was the same. She had the firm curves of a twenty-year-old, and the face that Brand remembered.
He shooed the angel from his
* * *
Robi rang him on the intercom, and Brand dressed quickly. “Now,” the angel said eagerly. “Can I come now?”
“Yes,” he told her, smiling again his fond, indulgent smile. “I’ll show you the fast-friends now, angel. And then I’ll take you to the stars!”
She flew behind him, through the panel, up the corridor, into the bridge.
Robi looked up as they entered. She did not look happy. “You don’t listen, do you? I don’t want your pet on the bridge, Brand. Can’t you keep your perversions in your cabin?”
The angel quailed at the displeasure in Robi’s voice. “She doesn’t like me,” she said to Brand, scared.
“Don’t worry, angel, I’m here,” he replied. Then, to Robi, “You’re scaring her. Keep quiet. I promised to show her the fast-friends.”
Robi glared at him, and hit the viewscreen stud. It flared back to life. “There, then,” she said savagely.
The
Chariot
was in the middle of the Jungle. Brand, counting quickly, saw a good dozen derelicts nearby. Changling Station was low in one corner of the screen, surrounded by trapper ships and screens. Near the center was a larger wheel, the spoked and spinning supply station Hades IV, with its bars and pleasure havens.
Floating close to Hades, a group of fast-friends were clustered, six at least, still small and white at this distance. There were others visible, but they were closest. They were talking, even in the hard vacuum of the solar fringe; with a simple act of will, the fast-friends could force their dark aura up in the range of the visible spectrum. Their language was one of lights.
Robi already had the
Chariot
headed toward them. Brand nodded toward the angel, and pointed. “Fast-friends,” he said.
The angel squealed and flew to the viewscreen, pressing her nose against it. “They’re so
little
,” she said as she hovered there, her wings beating rapidly.
“Increase the magnification,” Brand told Robi. When she ignored him, he strapped down beside her and did it himself. The cluster of fast-friends doubled in size, and the angel beamed.
“We’ll be right on top of them in five minutes,” Brand said. Robi pretended not to hear.
“I don’t know about you, Brand,” she said in a low serious voice, so the angel would not hear. “Most of the men who buy sex toys like that are sick, or crippled, or impotent. Why you? You seem normal enough. Why do you need an angel, Brand? What’s wrong with a woman?”
“Angels are easier to live with,” Brand snapped. “And they do what they’re told. Stop prying and get on the signal lights. I want to talk to our friends out there.”
Robi scowled. “Talk? Why? Let’s just scoop them up, there’s enough of them there….”
“No. I want to find one, a special one. Her name was Melissa.”
“Hmpf,” Robi said. “Angels and fast-friends. You ought to try having a relationship with a human being once in a while, Brand. Just for a change of pace, you understand.” But she readied the signal lights as she talked.
And Brand called, out across the void. One of the fast-friends responded. Then vanished. “She’ll come,” Brand said firmly, as they waited. “Even now, she’ll come.”
Meanwhile the angel was flitting excitedly around the bridge, touching everything she could reach. Normally she was not allowed up here.
“Calm down,” Brand told her. She flew down to him, happy, and curled up in his lap.
“What are the fast-friends doing?” she asked, with her arms around him. “Are they going to tell us their trick, Brand? Are we going to the stars yet?”
“Soon, angel,” he said patiently. “Soon.”
Then Melissa was there, caught in the viewscreen. Brand felt a chill go through him.
Her skin was milk-white now, her hair a halo of streaming silver. But otherwise she was the same. She had the firm curves of a twenty-year-old, and the face that Brand remembered.
He shooed the angel from his
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