Richard pretended not to notice the striking redhead. Instead he pointed over Michael’s shoulder and asked about the preteen. Michael looked behind and was irritated to see the boy had tagged along.
“Beat it, kid,” Michael snapped.
Mura ignored Michael and encouraged Sart to step forward. She introduced him to Richard.
“Hey, nice to meet you, Sart,” Richard said. “You, too, Mura. Why don’t you two take a load off and sit down?”
“We’d enjoy that,” Mura said.
“Indeed,” Sart added.
Michael rolled his eyes in frustrated irritation as Richard managed to preempt his triumph. For a moment he considered cold-cocking Richard on the spot.
“Hey, you, too, Mikey,” Richard goaded. “Come on, buddy, take a seat and relax! It’ll do you good. After all, we’re all one big, happy family.”
That comment brought giggles from all the Interterrans within earshot, only adding to Michael’s embarrassment. He swallowed his pride and sat down.
“Listen, Mikey,” Richard continued. “My little blond bombshell, Meeta, just told me something interesting. Everybody loves to swim in Interterra.”
“No kidding,” Michael said, lightening up. “Did you mention that we were professionals?”
“Of course,” Richard said. “But I’m not convinced they quite got what I was talking about. Seems that the idea of work is not something they can relate to.”
“If you swim for work, does that mean you like to swim?” Meeta asked.
“Sure we like to swim,” Michael said.
“Well, why don’t we all take a dip?” Meeta suggested.
“Why not,” Mura agreed. “You people need to cool down.”
“I think it is a wonderful idea,” Sart said.
Richard looked at the inviting aquamarine pool. “Are you talking about swimming right now?” he asked.
“What time could be better?” Palenque said. “We’re all so warm and sweaty.”
“But our clothes,” Richard said. “We’ll be sopping.”
“We don’t wear clothes when we swim,” Meeta said.
Richard looked at Michael. “This place just keeps getting better and better,” he said.
“Well?” Meeta questioned. “What do the professional swimmers say?”
Richard swallowed. He was afraid to say anything lest he wake up.
“I say we go for it,” Michael cried.
“Wonderful!” Meeta said. She leaped to her feet and helped Palenque to hers. Sart got up and gave Mura a hand. In the blink of an eye the Interterrans unabashedly threw off their tunics and stepped out of their shorts. In their naked nubile splendor, they all dove cleanly into the water and swam out toward the center of the pool with strong, practiced strokes.
Richard and Michael were momentarily too stunned to follow. Instead they glanced around at the people in the immediate vicinity. To their added surprise, no one had taken much notice other than Perry. Then Richard and Michael’s eyes met.
“What the hell are we waiting for?” Richard asked as he smiled drunkenly.
In a rush, the two divers clumsily struggled to get out of their clothes. At the same time, they made a dash for the pool. Michael had trouble with his shorts and ended up tripping. Richard was more successful and was soon racing toward the shallow area at the center of the pool.
On his arrival Richard was literally set upon by Meeta and Palenque who playfully and repeatedly dunked him. Richard took the harassment from the naked beauties gleefully but was soon out of breath. By the time Michael arrived and engaged in similar activities with Mura, since Sart and Palenque had swum to the far end of the pool, Richard was content to languish in a place where he and Meeta could sit with their heads above the surface.
“Richard, Richard, Richard,” Meeta cried happily as she repeatedly pressed her palm against his and stroked his head. “You are the most primitively attractive visitor we’ve ever had in Saranta. Maybe in all of Interterra for at least several thousand years.”
“I thought only my mother appreciated me,” Richard said jokingly.
“You knew your mother?” Meeta questioned. “How quaint.”
“Of course I knew my mother,” Richard said. “Don’t you know yours?”
“No,” Meeta said with a laugh. “No one in Interterra knows his mother. But let’s not get into that. Instead, why don’t you take me to your room?”
“Now there’s an idea,” Richard said. “But what about your friend Palenque? What will we say to her?”
“Anything you like,” Meeta said unconcernedly. “But it’s easiest to just ask her. I’m sure she’ll want to come. And Karena. I know she wants to come, too.”
Richard tried to act nonchalant, but he was afraid his surprise at this unexpected good fortune was all too apparent. At the same time with this auspicious turn of events, he wished he hadn’t drunk quite so much.
It was a boisterous group that set out from the pavilion to the dining hall. Suzanne, Perry, and the divers were singing old Beatles songs at the top of their lungs to the delight of their companions who, surprisingly, knew the words. Suzanne was walking with Garona, Perry with Luna, Richard with Meeta, Palenque, and Karena, and Michael with Mura and Sart.
Although Suzanne and Perry had resisted drinking very much, what they had drunk had gone to their heads. They were not nearly as drunk as Richard and Michael, but both recognized they were tipsy. They were also enjoying themselves immensely.
Arak had bid them farewell as the gala wound down and promised to meet with them in the morning. He had wished them a pleasant rest and had thanked them for coming to the celebration.
“Hey,” Richard called out when they’d finished a rendition of “Come Together.” “Don’t you guys know any songs of your own?”
“Of course,” Meeta said. Immediately the Interterrans burst into song, and although the words were in English, the beat was as irregular as the music at the gala had been.
“Cut!” Richard cried out. “That sounds too weird. Let’s go back to the Beatles.”
“Richard, let’s be fair,” Suzanne said.
“It’s all right,” Meeta said. “We’d rather sing your songs.”
“Michael? What the hell are you doing with the glasses?” Richard asked when he saw that his partner was carrying several empty goblets.
“I asked Arak,” Michael said. “He told me I could take them. They’re gold. I bet I have enough money here for a down payment on a new pickup truck.”
Richard leaned over and snatched one of the goblets.
“Hey, gimme that back,” Michael demanded.
Richard laughed. “Go out for a pass. I’ll hit you long!”
Michael handed the rest of the goblets to Mura. Then he staggered ahead for the pass. Richard tossed the goblet like a football, and it spiraled into Michael’s hands. Everyone clapped. Michael took a bow, lost his balance, and fell. Everyone giggled and clapped harder.
“We have pets that play that game,” Mura said.
“I saw some pets when we were flying in,” Suzanne said. “They looked like composite creatures.”
“They are,” Mura said.
“Do you have sports games down here?” Richard asked.
Michael came back and collected the rest of his goblets.
“No, we don’t have sports,” Meeta said. “Unless you mean mind games, things like that.”
“Hell, no!” Richard said. “I mean like hockey or football.”
“No,” Meeta said. “We don’t have physical competition.”
“Why not?” Richard asked.
“It’s not necessary,” Meeta said. “And it is unhealthy.”
Richard glanced at Michael. “No wonder the men are all such wimps,” he said. Michael nodded.
“How about ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,’ ” Suzanne suggested. “It seems so apropos.”
A few moments later, still singing the refrain, the group stumbled into the dining hall. It was dark, but the Interterrans somehow brought up the illumination. Perry was about to ask how it was done when he noticed Donald. The former naval officer had been sitting silently in the dark. His face was as grim as it had been when they’d left for the celebration.