GALLANT (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 3) by Marilyn Campbell Page B
Authors: Marilyn Campbell
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deep breaths before Gallant regained the ability to move. When he could, he went back into the stall to cleanse the film of perspiration from his heated flesh. He was beginning to doubt that he would get through this assignment undamaged.
He couldn't allow himself to dwell on why she had come into the chamber. He supposed she could have been as curious about him as she was about everything else. But the trapped look on her face when he had exited the stall, combined with the fact that she did leave without fully satisfying that curiosity, told him she'd been up to mischief of some sort. He just couldn't imagine what it could be.
If there was any way he could quickly get hold of Frezlo without Cherry's help, he would avoid using her, but no better plan had come to him. Now he had run out of thinking time. They would be docking in an hour. He could only hope that Cherry didn't renege on her promise to help once she heard what she had agreed to.
* * *
Cherry sat on Mar-Dot's bunk, closely examining one of the trick cubes. To her eye, it looked exactly the same as an honest one. There didn't seem to be any weight difference either. No shaved edges or rounded corners. She picked all four up and dropped them on the floor. A blue quad came up—the same color set that had won the last game for Gallant. But he had been able to roll greens, reds and purples at will also, which meant there had to be a way to manipulate the outcome.
She was determined to figure it out if it took the rest of the trip to Zoenid. In the meantime, he would get a surprise the next time he tried to switch cubes on her and discovered nothing but air in the secret pocket of his vest. She could hardly wait to see his reaction.
That thought made her reflect on his reactions when he saw her in the chamber. He had covered his eye rather than his body. Although none of the Noronians she knew were overly modest, it still seemed to be an odd response, especially considering just how strongly, and quickly, he had responded. The other curious thing was, in the split-second peek she had, his left eye had appeared to be normal... which was more than she could say about the rest of his extraordinary body.
All of a sudden she felt pressure build up in her ears and she automatically yawned to pop them. The sensation of pressure went away a moment later, followed by a drastic change in the sound of the ship.
Quickly, she hid the cubes beneath the mattress and hustled to the bridge to find out what was going on. There, she immediately saw the reason for the change. Looming some distance ahead was a large, rusty brown sphere. Awareness that it was her first glimpse of a planet sent every other thought out of her head. "Is that Zoenid?"
"Yes," Dot answered. "It would be advisable if you were seated somewhere when we dock."
Not wanting to disturb anyone further, but hoping to get the best view possible, she went in front of the control panel and sat down on the glass floor.
Cherry thought she heard Gallant make a groaning sound, but she was too fascinated with the view to be concerned with him at the moment.
The color of the planet didn't improve any as they approached it. She had assumed it would look like satellite photos she had seen of Earth. Instead, the surface was nothing but a never-ending desert. Where were the oceans? Mountains? Forests? Where was the civilization ? "Do people really live down there?" she asked aloud.
When Gallant didn't answer, Mar did. "Not generally. But there are some small oases in the southwestern quartersphere where some species reside. We will be coming around that side of the planet very shortly."
"Species?" She looked back at him but he had returned his attention to the navigational monitor.
As promised, it was not long before they began a vertical descent toward the section Mar had spoken of, but Cherry wondered how he could have used the word "oases" in connection with what she was seeing.
At least a hundred boxlike
He couldn't allow himself to dwell on why she had come into the chamber. He supposed she could have been as curious about him as she was about everything else. But the trapped look on her face when he had exited the stall, combined with the fact that she did leave without fully satisfying that curiosity, told him she'd been up to mischief of some sort. He just couldn't imagine what it could be.
If there was any way he could quickly get hold of Frezlo without Cherry's help, he would avoid using her, but no better plan had come to him. Now he had run out of thinking time. They would be docking in an hour. He could only hope that Cherry didn't renege on her promise to help once she heard what she had agreed to.
* * *
Cherry sat on Mar-Dot's bunk, closely examining one of the trick cubes. To her eye, it looked exactly the same as an honest one. There didn't seem to be any weight difference either. No shaved edges or rounded corners. She picked all four up and dropped them on the floor. A blue quad came up—the same color set that had won the last game for Gallant. But he had been able to roll greens, reds and purples at will also, which meant there had to be a way to manipulate the outcome.
She was determined to figure it out if it took the rest of the trip to Zoenid. In the meantime, he would get a surprise the next time he tried to switch cubes on her and discovered nothing but air in the secret pocket of his vest. She could hardly wait to see his reaction.
That thought made her reflect on his reactions when he saw her in the chamber. He had covered his eye rather than his body. Although none of the Noronians she knew were overly modest, it still seemed to be an odd response, especially considering just how strongly, and quickly, he had responded. The other curious thing was, in the split-second peek she had, his left eye had appeared to be normal... which was more than she could say about the rest of his extraordinary body.
All of a sudden she felt pressure build up in her ears and she automatically yawned to pop them. The sensation of pressure went away a moment later, followed by a drastic change in the sound of the ship.
Quickly, she hid the cubes beneath the mattress and hustled to the bridge to find out what was going on. There, she immediately saw the reason for the change. Looming some distance ahead was a large, rusty brown sphere. Awareness that it was her first glimpse of a planet sent every other thought out of her head. "Is that Zoenid?"
"Yes," Dot answered. "It would be advisable if you were seated somewhere when we dock."
Not wanting to disturb anyone further, but hoping to get the best view possible, she went in front of the control panel and sat down on the glass floor.
Cherry thought she heard Gallant make a groaning sound, but she was too fascinated with the view to be concerned with him at the moment.
The color of the planet didn't improve any as they approached it. She had assumed it would look like satellite photos she had seen of Earth. Instead, the surface was nothing but a never-ending desert. Where were the oceans? Mountains? Forests? Where was the civilization ? "Do people really live down there?" she asked aloud.
When Gallant didn't answer, Mar did. "Not generally. But there are some small oases in the southwestern quartersphere where some species reside. We will be coming around that side of the planet very shortly."
"Species?" She looked back at him but he had returned his attention to the navigational monitor.
As promised, it was not long before they began a vertical descent toward the section Mar had spoken of, but Cherry wondered how he could have used the word "oases" in connection with what she was seeing.
At least a hundred boxlike
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