found herself on her knees in front of the big tusker, stroking the bristles behind his ear and promising to take him along for her next swim and, for good measure, telling him that she and Ohan would ride out to the half arch next morning to find some of his favorite roots.
Ohan noted with irrational disapproval that Leahn had the same effect on the tusker as she did on him. Alexander stopped pouting, rolled over on his back, waved his stubby legs in the air and drifted off to sleep with a foolish smile on his face.
The next morning Ohan found himself digging tubers out by the arch. "Why so grumpy, sport?" Leahn asked. "I thought you'd enjoy a little ride through the countryside away from the crowd."
Ohan stopped short. It was true. Here he was, far from the strange city, alone with Leahn, digging in the warm earth, in a terrible mood. He pulled up a big tuber, shook the dirt off and looked at it. Then he remembered. The ugly lumpy root reminded him of Alexander. He held it up to Leahn. "I think I'm jealous," he said.
She looked at the misshapen lump in his hand. "Of a root?"
"Worse than that. Of Alexander."
She didn't laugh. "Want me to scratch behind your ear?"
Ohan sighed. "If you did, it would have the same effect. We both roll over on our backs, wave our hoofs in the air and look stupid."
Leahn smiled. "Don't knock it, sport. It's one of the things that makes the world go around." She looked away. "It took me a while to get the hang of it but it helped keep me alive between then and now." She turned to face him and laid her hand on his arm. "I know I'm pretty and I know what effect I have on you." She laughed again. "And on Alexander."
Then she was serious. "That's the way it is between men and women and believe me, I'll use it to get where I'm going. But you and I are friends, Ohan. That's stronger than sex and harder to hold onto."
She pulled up a tuber. "I've had sex with a lot of guys. But you're the only one I'd dig roots with." Ohan found himself smiling. It took him a moment to realize Leahn was still watching him seriously. "You're my only friend, Ohan. I hate it when I try to use you the same way I do all the others." She turned away again. "But a friend is supposed to understand."
Ohan reached out and put his arms around her. They lay down in the warm dirt and he held her close for a long time.
***
They returned to find the old man beside himself with excitement. The twins had set up their scanners on the smaller pyramids. He called them the pyramids of the two moons and was overwhelmed by the pictures the computer printed. "It sees beneath the leaves and dirt back to when they was new," he chortled. The twins had to make extra copies for him before he would allow the equipment to be moved.
Alexander was not nearly as impressed by the pictures as he was by the tubers, which he devoured in a symphony of snorts and grunts. Ohan was relieved to discover he was no longer the least bit jealous, even when Leahn announced that she was going swimming again and that anybody who wanted to watch would have to do so from the rim—except for Alexander who was welcome to accompany her to the bottom.
The whole group went along to see Alexander safely across the fallen part of the trail. The Commodore assured Leahn that he had observed a great number of females of various species while swimming with no ill effects to either him or the females—that Leahn had, in his professional opinion, nothing to be ashamed of and finally, when none of this proved successful, he grumpily chided her for her "lack of charity."
Considering his considerable bulk and tiny hoofs, Alexander pranced with surprising ease around the fallen part of the trail. He and Leahn continued on down while the rest of the group climbed back up to a little overgrown temple platform the old man showed them. It was perched on the very edge of the pit. By leaning out over the partially fallen balustrade, they could look directly down into
Ohan noted with irrational disapproval that Leahn had the same effect on the tusker as she did on him. Alexander stopped pouting, rolled over on his back, waved his stubby legs in the air and drifted off to sleep with a foolish smile on his face.
The next morning Ohan found himself digging tubers out by the arch. "Why so grumpy, sport?" Leahn asked. "I thought you'd enjoy a little ride through the countryside away from the crowd."
Ohan stopped short. It was true. Here he was, far from the strange city, alone with Leahn, digging in the warm earth, in a terrible mood. He pulled up a big tuber, shook the dirt off and looked at it. Then he remembered. The ugly lumpy root reminded him of Alexander. He held it up to Leahn. "I think I'm jealous," he said.
She looked at the misshapen lump in his hand. "Of a root?"
"Worse than that. Of Alexander."
She didn't laugh. "Want me to scratch behind your ear?"
Ohan sighed. "If you did, it would have the same effect. We both roll over on our backs, wave our hoofs in the air and look stupid."
Leahn smiled. "Don't knock it, sport. It's one of the things that makes the world go around." She looked away. "It took me a while to get the hang of it but it helped keep me alive between then and now." She turned to face him and laid her hand on his arm. "I know I'm pretty and I know what effect I have on you." She laughed again. "And on Alexander."
Then she was serious. "That's the way it is between men and women and believe me, I'll use it to get where I'm going. But you and I are friends, Ohan. That's stronger than sex and harder to hold onto."
She pulled up a tuber. "I've had sex with a lot of guys. But you're the only one I'd dig roots with." Ohan found himself smiling. It took him a moment to realize Leahn was still watching him seriously. "You're my only friend, Ohan. I hate it when I try to use you the same way I do all the others." She turned away again. "But a friend is supposed to understand."
Ohan reached out and put his arms around her. They lay down in the warm dirt and he held her close for a long time.
***
They returned to find the old man beside himself with excitement. The twins had set up their scanners on the smaller pyramids. He called them the pyramids of the two moons and was overwhelmed by the pictures the computer printed. "It sees beneath the leaves and dirt back to when they was new," he chortled. The twins had to make extra copies for him before he would allow the equipment to be moved.
Alexander was not nearly as impressed by the pictures as he was by the tubers, which he devoured in a symphony of snorts and grunts. Ohan was relieved to discover he was no longer the least bit jealous, even when Leahn announced that she was going swimming again and that anybody who wanted to watch would have to do so from the rim—except for Alexander who was welcome to accompany her to the bottom.
The whole group went along to see Alexander safely across the fallen part of the trail. The Commodore assured Leahn that he had observed a great number of females of various species while swimming with no ill effects to either him or the females—that Leahn had, in his professional opinion, nothing to be ashamed of and finally, when none of this proved successful, he grumpily chided her for her "lack of charity."
Considering his considerable bulk and tiny hoofs, Alexander pranced with surprising ease around the fallen part of the trail. He and Leahn continued on down while the rest of the group climbed back up to a little overgrown temple platform the old man showed them. It was perched on the very edge of the pit. By leaning out over the partially fallen balustrade, they could look directly down into
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