“Just say yes,” Garona said.
“I’m afraid I’m a little too stunned to reply so smoothly.”
“I can appreciate that,” Garona said. “But I can comfort you and make you relax.”
Suzanne shook her head. “I don’t think you understand. I’m having trouble just thinking straight.”
“You excite me,” Garona said. “You enthrall me. I want to be with you.”
“I have to give you high marks for persistence,” Suzanne said.
“We will talk more later,” Garona said. “Here come two of my friends.”
Suzanne turned to see the two men who’d been roused by Garona’s outburst of laughter mount the top step of the main stairway and approach. She couldn’t help but notice that both were as attractive as Garona. They walked arm in arm, like two lovers.
“Greetings, Tarla and Reesta,” Garona said. “Have you met our honored guest, Dr. Suzanne Newell?”
“Not yet,” the two men said in unison. “We were hoping to have the honor.” They both bowed elegantly.
Suzanne forced a smile. This was all so enchantingly odd. She felt it all had to be a dream.
Richard knew he was drunk, but he’d certainly been drunker in the past. His inebriation didn’t seem to deter any of the women who were still flocking around him. He was aware the faces of the women changed as he danced, meaning there was a rotation of sorts, but it didn’t matter since they were all so beautiful.
Without meaning to, he bumped up against Michael hard enough to knock both of them off balance. They collapsed to the floor, too limp to hurt themselves. When they realized what had happened, they laughed so hard, they brought tears to their eyes.
“What a party!” Michael cried when he’d recovered enough to speak. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
“Nobody’s going to believe us when we get home,” Richard said. “Especially when we tell them that every single chick is available. I mean, it’s like a turkey shoot. It’s unreal.”
“The men down here just don’t care,” Michael said. “Hey, look at that girl over there.”
“Which one?” Richard asked. He rolled over and tried to follow Michael’s line of sight through the milling crowd. His eyes finally came to rest on a statuesque redhead walking arm in arm with a young boy.
“Wow,” he said.
“I saw her first,” said Michael.
“Yeah, but I’m going to get her first.”
“No way.”
“Screw you,” Richard said as he scrambled to his feet.
Michael reached out and grabbed one of Richard’s legs and tripped him. He fell head first and skidded off the edge of the platform, striking his forehead on the floor. He wasn’t hurt, but he was angry, especially when Michael tried to run past him toward the girl.
Richard managed to put a foot out in time to trip Michael. As he tried to get up, Richard threw himself on top of him. Then he grabbed the front of his tunic and punched him in the nose.
The sudden violence caused the party-goers to shrink back in alarm. A collective gasp was uttered as Michael’s nose began to bleed.
Michael bucked Richard off his body and got his legs under him. Richard tried to do the same, but Michael caught him on the side of the head with a blow that sent him sprawling back to the floor.
“Come on, you bastard,” Michael taunted. “Get up and fight.” Blood trickled down the front of his chin and dripped onto the floor. He swayed on his feet.
Richard got to his hands and knees. He looked up at Michael. “You’re a dead man,” he growled.
“Come on, you twerp!” Michael responded.
Richard pushed himself up to a standing position, but he, too, was unsteady on his feet.
Arak, who’d been at some distance from the divers when their melee started, pushed through the stunned and silent crowd. He stepped between the two drunken divers.
“Please,” he said. “Whatever is the problem we can resolve it.”
“Outta my way,” Richard spat. He shoved Arak to the side and launched a roundhouse blow to Michael’s head. Michael ducked but lost his balance in the process and fell to the floor. Richard lost his balance when the blow failed to connect.
“Worker clones, restrain the guests!” Arak yelled.
Richard and Michael both managed to get themselves upright and throw several more ineffectual punches before two large male worker clones intervened. Each grabbed a diver in a bear hug. Richard and Michael continued trying to hit each other until they were moved a body length apart. At that moment Perry pushed through the crowd.
“Have you idiots forgotten where you are?” Perry shouted. “For chrissake, no fighting! What’s the matter with you two?”
“He started it,” Richard said.
“He started it,” Michael said.
“No, he did.”
“No, it was him.”
Before Perry could respond to this juvenile tit-for-tat, the divers suddenly broke out laughing. Every time they tried to look at each other they laughed harder. Soon everyone but Perry and the worker clones were laughing as well. At Arak’s command the worker clones let go of the divers, who immediately exchanged high fives.
“What was the fighting about?” Arak asked Perry.
“Too much of your crystal,” Perry said.
“Perhaps we should switch them to a less potent drink,” Arak said.
“Either that or cut them off completely,” Perry said.
“But I don’t want to ruin the party,” Arak said. “Everyone is enjoying them immensely.”
“It’s your party,” Perry said.
Richard and Michael started back toward the platform.
“I tell you what,” Richard whispered to Michael. “We’ll make it fair. I’ll shoot you for the redhead.”
“Okay,” Michael said.
“You call,” Richard said. “Odds or evens.”
“Evens,” Michael said.
On the count of three, they both threw out a single finger. Michael smiled with satisfaction. “Justice!” he exclaimed.
“Crap!” Richard said.
“Now where the hell is she?” Michael questioned. The two divers scanned the crowd.
“There she is,” Richard said. He pointed. “And she’s still with the little squirt.”
“I’ll be back in a flash,” Michael said. He made a beeline for the woman whom he noticed was watching his approach with great interest.
“Hi, baby,” Michael said, avoiding making eye contact with the preteen beside her. “My name is Michael.”
“My name is Mura. Are you hurt?”
“Hell, no,” Michael said. “A little tap on the nose doesn’t hurt old Michael. No way.”
“We are not accustomed to seeing blood,” Mura said.
“Listen!” Michael said, “How would you like to come over and rub palms with me? We got our own little party going on over by the pool.”
“I’d love to touch palms with you,” Mura said. “But first, may I introduce Sart?”
“Yeah, hi, Sart,” Michael said offhandedly. “You’ve got a great looking mother here, but why don’t you go off and play with some friends.”
Both Mura and Sart giggled. Michael wasn’t amused.
“Pretty funny, huh?” he questioned irritably.
“Unexpected is a better word,” Mura managed.
Michael reached out and took Mura’s arm. “Come on, honey.” To the youngster he said, “See you later, Sart.”
With Mura in tow, Michael strutted with a few unplanned wobbles back to Richard and the rest of the group. Richard had singled out two women who were particularly demonstrative in their affection for him. He introduced them as Meeta and Palenque. One was blond and the other brunette, and both were incredibly voluptuous.
“Richie, meet Mura,” Michael said proudly.