One was much smaller and studded all over with rubies, the other was
large and had a single dark emerald in the center. Kor handed this one to
Maggie and kept the smaller, ruby inlaid ring for himself. Then he held out his
palm. “Give me your hand.”
“What? Why?” she asked, even as she
complied.
“It activates the room keys. I have to
place the ring on your finger and you have to place mine. Otherwise they won’t
work.”
“I don’t understand—these are the keys?”
she asked but he was already sliding the gold and ruby ring onto the right
index finger of her left hand.
“Yes.” Kor frowned. “Traditionally, the
key-ring goes on the fourth finger of the left hand but you seem to already
have something there.”
“Oh, yes…” She looked down at the tiny
diamond chip set in some cheap, gold-plated metal which sat on her slender
finger. “That’s, uh, my engagement ring.”
“Is that so,” Kor said flatly. He was
thinking less and less of this “fiancé” of hers. To begin with he sounded like
a skinny weakling, unworthy of her love. And now it seemed he had chosen the
cheapest piece of jewelry imaginable to declare to the world his love for
Maggie. What was wrong with the male? If Kor had won such a brave and beautiful
female, he would have wanted to broadcast his good luck with a much more elegant
and expensive display.
“I know how it looks,” Maggie said
quickly, her cheeks turning pink. “But I was in grad school at the time and Donald
was paying off his student loans. Money was tight so—”
“I didn’t say anything.” Kor held out his
hand. “Here. Put mine on, please Mistress.”
“Oh, um…all right.” She took his large
hand in both her small ones and slid the heavy emerald ring carefully onto the
ring finger. Kor noticed she was shaking as she did it.
“Is everything all right?” he asked
softly.
“It’s…it’s fine.” She laughed, a jagged
sound. “I just…it’s almost like…never mind.” She shook her head. “It’s silly.”
“All right.” Kor didn’t press her.
Instead, he clasped her hand, pressing their rings together until he felt a
tingle. “There. That should do it—they’re activated.”
“They are? And how do they work?” As she
spoke, Maggie reached for the ornately carved door latch set in the center of
the large, round, green door. When she did, the door swung silently open.
“I think you just answered your own
question,” Kor murmured, smiling. “Behold, my lady—your suite.”
Maggie looked into the room and breathed a
long, low, “Ohhhh.” Then she looked at Kor with shining eyes. “It’s amazing! I
just wish I had my field kit.”
She rushed into the room, leaving him
scratching his head in bewilderment. What had upset her a moment before? And
why was she so excited now?
* * * * *
The Green Suite was apparently named for
more than just the color of its door, because the entire space appeared to be
filled to the brim with exotic flowering plants. The moment Maggie stepped
inside she was surrounded by a lush, verdant jungle of vegetation and not a
single plant was one she had ever seen before. The Xenobotanist inside her
rushed to the surface and she went delightedly from one to the next, sniffing
and observing, her fingers itching to take notes.
“This is amazing,” she gushed to Kor
when he came in and shut the round green door behind him. “I’ve never seen so
many alien species in one place before! Look—this one is blue! Not the
flowers—the plant itself. What could account for the variation in pigmentation?
Does the chlorophyll have a different structure than Earth chlorophyll? Oh,
what I wouldn’t give for a microscope!”
Kor seemed bemused but pleased by her
excitement.
“So am I forgiven for tricking you to get
you here?” he asked, coming up behind her.
“Oh, yes, I…” Maggie turned to face him
and realized he was a lot closer than she’d thought. Suddenly she was right up
against his
large and had a single dark emerald in the center. Kor handed this one to
Maggie and kept the smaller, ruby inlaid ring for himself. Then he held out his
palm. “Give me your hand.”
“What? Why?” she asked, even as she
complied.
“It activates the room keys. I have to
place the ring on your finger and you have to place mine. Otherwise they won’t
work.”
“I don’t understand—these are the keys?”
she asked but he was already sliding the gold and ruby ring onto the right
index finger of her left hand.
“Yes.” Kor frowned. “Traditionally, the
key-ring goes on the fourth finger of the left hand but you seem to already
have something there.”
“Oh, yes…” She looked down at the tiny
diamond chip set in some cheap, gold-plated metal which sat on her slender
finger. “That’s, uh, my engagement ring.”
“Is that so,” Kor said flatly. He was
thinking less and less of this “fiancé” of hers. To begin with he sounded like
a skinny weakling, unworthy of her love. And now it seemed he had chosen the
cheapest piece of jewelry imaginable to declare to the world his love for
Maggie. What was wrong with the male? If Kor had won such a brave and beautiful
female, he would have wanted to broadcast his good luck with a much more elegant
and expensive display.
“I know how it looks,” Maggie said
quickly, her cheeks turning pink. “But I was in grad school at the time and Donald
was paying off his student loans. Money was tight so—”
“I didn’t say anything.” Kor held out his
hand. “Here. Put mine on, please Mistress.”
“Oh, um…all right.” She took his large
hand in both her small ones and slid the heavy emerald ring carefully onto the
ring finger. Kor noticed she was shaking as she did it.
“Is everything all right?” he asked
softly.
“It’s…it’s fine.” She laughed, a jagged
sound. “I just…it’s almost like…never mind.” She shook her head. “It’s silly.”
“All right.” Kor didn’t press her.
Instead, he clasped her hand, pressing their rings together until he felt a
tingle. “There. That should do it—they’re activated.”
“They are? And how do they work?” As she
spoke, Maggie reached for the ornately carved door latch set in the center of
the large, round, green door. When she did, the door swung silently open.
“I think you just answered your own
question,” Kor murmured, smiling. “Behold, my lady—your suite.”
Maggie looked into the room and breathed a
long, low, “Ohhhh.” Then she looked at Kor with shining eyes. “It’s amazing! I
just wish I had my field kit.”
She rushed into the room, leaving him
scratching his head in bewilderment. What had upset her a moment before? And
why was she so excited now?
* * * * *
The Green Suite was apparently named for
more than just the color of its door, because the entire space appeared to be
filled to the brim with exotic flowering plants. The moment Maggie stepped
inside she was surrounded by a lush, verdant jungle of vegetation and not a
single plant was one she had ever seen before. The Xenobotanist inside her
rushed to the surface and she went delightedly from one to the next, sniffing
and observing, her fingers itching to take notes.
“This is amazing,” she gushed to Kor
when he came in and shut the round green door behind him. “I’ve never seen so
many alien species in one place before! Look—this one is blue! Not the
flowers—the plant itself. What could account for the variation in pigmentation?
Does the chlorophyll have a different structure than Earth chlorophyll? Oh,
what I wouldn’t give for a microscope!”
Kor seemed bemused but pleased by her
excitement.
“So am I forgiven for tricking you to get
you here?” he asked, coming up behind her.
“Oh, yes, I…” Maggie turned to face him
and realized he was a lot closer than she’d thought. Suddenly she was right up
against his
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