Pathways - Jeri Taylor [147]
Yet he was forced to admit that he was peculiarly titillated by this odd jaunt, and by the touch of Vaxi’s soft hand tugging at him. He was close enough to inhale her fragrance, a faint scent of sweet grasses which quickened his heart as much as their brisk pace. He decided he would enjoy this unusual closeness regardless of what awaited them at the end of their outing.
What was that? A branch snapping? He jerked his head to the side, peering through the gloom. Was someone else in the grove with them? His feelings of well-being dissolved immediately, and the night was once again filled with ominous portents.
He heard a quiet cough from somewhere ahead. Instinctively, he slowed down, but Vaxi turned and pulled at him. “Come on,” she whispered hoarsely, moving inexorably forward.
A dark shape loomed ahead of them. This time Neelix stopped short. He wasn’t going a step toward that shape. The time had come for answers.
But Vaxi wasn’t pulling him forward anymore. She had stopped, too, and turned toward him, exuding anticipation. He heard sounds of movement off to his side, and a sharp intake of breath, as though someone were containing a laugh.
Then floodlights suddenly snapped on, illuminating the shadowy depths of the fern grove. Neelix squinted, almost blinded by the intrusion of intense light. He shaded his eyes, peering ahead at the now illuminated shape.
It was a hover vehicle.
Simultaneous with that realization came a whoop of laughter, and then there were a lot of people emerging from the ferns—his parents, his sisters, Vaxi’s parents and brother. The scene seemed unreal, incomprehensible. What was happening? His mind struggled to find a context for these inexplicable events.
Alixia’s laughter centered him once more. His eyes were pulled toward the sound, and he saw her approaching him, ebullient. “Oh, Neelix, you should see your face!”
He turned from her to Vaxi, and saw Vaxi, too, giggling uncontrollably, turned back to see his parents almost beside themselves with delight, his father’s tufts bobbing in the harsh white light, his mother’s eyes gleaming golden.
His astonishment wasn’t lessened as he realized what was happening and how elaborate the plan had been. He stared at his father, speechless.
“Well, Neelix, I can tell you’re surprised, all right. I guess we pulled it off.”
“We’ve planned this for weeks,” said Alixia merrily. “Everyone’s been a part of it. I don’t know how we managed to keep the secret so long.”
Neelix, still reeling, turned back toward the hovercraft.
He thought he’d never seen such a magnificent vehicle. It was a two-seated pod, sleek and racy. It wasn’t new, of course, but it was in excellent condition, its diburnium chassis smooth and undented. Well, maybe a small dent on its underbelly, but it was hardly noticeable. It was a deep shade of burgundy, so dark it was almost black, and was trimmed with burnished steel.
“You . . . this . . . is . . . for . . . me?” His voice stammered and shook, a fact that seemed to produce a new round of mirth in the onlookers, his sisters all but squealing in glee.
“Maybe it was a bit cruel, pretending the cannon was your only gift,” said his father. “But these malicious women,” and at that he gestured good-naturedly toward his wife and daughters, “would hear of nothing else.”
Neelix’s legs felt shaky. He had to draw a few breaths of air as he assimilated the enormity of what had happened.
He’d been given a hovercraft!
He looked from one to the other of his family and friends. He felt a giant lump forming in his throat, which deep breaths did nothing to dissolve. “I . . . don’t know what to say. Thank you . . . I’m . . . I’m . . . in shock . . .”
“You tried so hard to convince us you weren’t disappointed with the cannon,” giggled Alixia. “You were so sweet . . . but you looked as though someone had killed your pet kimcat.”
“You . . . you planned all this? The cannon . . . the vehicle . . . ?”