Dragon's Honor - Kij Johnson [33]
“This is your second wedding, sir?” Riker asked Chuan-chi.
“My honorable first wife succumbed to a fever several years ago,” the Heir explained. “It was quite irresponsible of her, but then one can seldom depend on a woman.”
Riker was unsure how to respond. Luckily, the arrival of another serving maid interrupted the discussion, sparing him the necessity of an immediate reply. Wearing only a narrow strip of saffron gauze wound around her hips, the woman knelt before the three men and offered them fresh slices of a turquoise fruit unfamiliar to Riker. Her hair, bound in a single long ponytail that fell past her knees, was dark and lustrous, and her lips, fingertips, and toenails had been painted the same color as the fruit. Beneath lush, black lashes, her sapphire eyes cast curious looks in Riker’s direction. He returned her gaze with frank admiration.
“You find her pleasant to view?” Kan-hi asked. Riker detected no jealousy or resentment in his tone.
“Very much so,” he said honestly, accepting a greenish blue slice from the woman’s slender fingers. “The women of your world are quite attractive.”
“Oh, this is but my brother’s outer harem, and these women mere servants. You should see his private concubines,” Kan-hi said, “except, of course, that no other man can ever see them. Only my father’s women are said to be more lovely.” The Second Son paused for a second, and an uncharacteristically solemn expression came over his face. “No other woman, however, can compare to the Green Pearl herself. Her grace and beauty have no rivals, and her heart …” Here the prince’s voice dropped to a whisper. A faraway look entered his eyes. “… her heart is a greater treasure than the very throne of the Dragon.”
A heavy thud announced the outcome of the drunken struggle behind them. One eye blackened, blood streaming from his nose, the victorious Pai rose and adjusted his robes, leaving his unconscious opponent stretched out on the floor. With a great show of dignity, he regained his seat among some empty cushions opposite Riker while a delectable trio of near-naked serving girls hastened to tend to his injuries with soft, heated cloths and tender caresses. Another woman quietly tiptoed over on small, bare feet to check on the fallen warrior, while the lady of the turquoise fruit slipped away, casting one final sidelong glance at Riker as she departed. Riker had to remind himself that, effectively, he was still on duty.
This flurry of activity roused Kan-hi from his apparent reverie. He shook his head, as if to rid his mind of some clinging, unwelcome vision. “Forgive me, Commander. I have had too much wine. I forget myself.” His voice regained its usual, lighthearted tone. “So tell me, how do the women of the Federation compare to our own?”
“Call me Will,” he insisted. “If ever a question called for a diplomatic answer, that one’s probably it. Let’s just say that, throughout the many worlds that make up the Federation, I’ve always found much to admire with regard to the opposite sex.”
Kan-hi laughed. “I suspected as much. After the treaty is signed, perhaps I will have to opportunity to meet many more of your women, and to see for myself just how diplomatic you’re being.”
“If the treaty is signed,” the Heir said brusquely. It was impossible to ignore the scorn in his voice, so Riker didn’t bother.
“I take it, sir,” Riker said, “that you disapprove of your father’s intention to link the Dragon Empire to the Federation?” Perhaps it was still possible, he thought, to allay the Heir’s concerns ver the treaty and win him over to the Federation’s side. Certainly, it couldn’t hurt to try; after all, Chuan-chi would someday be the Dragon himself, provided the G’kkau didn’t annihilate the Empire first.
“I would not be so sure of the Emperor’s intentions,” Chuan-chi said. “My foolish young brother is doubtless eager to be corrupted by foreign women and other