Star Wars_ X-Wing 02_ Wedge's Gamble - Michael A. Stackpole [105]
“For her part, Chertyl was nothing short of stunning. She had that long, sleek physique that enabled her to wear a slinky gown over which light slithered. She wore a necklace of silver and aquamarine and a bracelet to match that looked like light playing across her fur. Every woman who saw her was instantly jealous and Corran was the envy of all the men. And, to make it worse, they actually enjoyed each other’s company. That was about six months after his father’s death and things had been rough for Corran, so the whole situation seemed perfect.”
Being unable to stop a smile from tugging at the corner of his mouth, Corran nodded, and discovered he was disinclined to kill the smile. That evening was a lot of fun. I put enough energy into it that I got to leave my life behind for a while. “It was great.”
Gavin leaned forward. “So what happened?”
Corran looked up at Iella. “Spare the salacious details, please.”
Mirax smiled. “You can elaborate another time, Iella.”
Iella shrugged. “Though Chertyl was infertile it didn’t mean she was incapable. Apparently she had enjoyed the evening as much as Corran had and they continued to celebrate after they left the Ball. Is that circumspect enough for you?”
“It will do.”
“Was it …?” Gavin began to blush.
Corran gave him a wink. “Better.”
Mirax raised an eyebrow. “Than what?”
“Imagine finding a pile of rocks, deciding to throw them out, dropping one, and having it split open to reveal a Corusca gem embedded in the middle.”
“Oh, my.”
“And with each stone after that, the Corusca gem is more lustrous and beautiful than the one before it.”
“I see, very special indeed.”
“And each of those stones, when fitted together, creates a brilliant, exquisitely carved sculpture.”
“I’ve got the hologram digitized and analyzed here, Corran. Thanks.”
Gavin blinked. “Wow.”
Mirax’s brown eyes narrowed. “So if it was as great as all that, how come you’re here and not in some den on Selonia?”
Corran winced. “Well, there was one little, microscopic problem.”
Iella nodded. “The chemistry wasn’t right.”
“Sounds like it was perfect to me.” Gavin grinned broadly.
“Personal chemistry, yes, Gavin, was perfect. Personal biochemistry was not, however.” Iella rested a hand on Corran’s shoulder. “The reason the lucky charm Corran wears is on a gold chain is because his sweat is acidic enough to tarnish something like silver. It’s within normal range for a human, mind you, but just on the acidic end. And that was sufficient to get through the waxy surface on Chertyl’s fur and irritate her skin. And as it turned out, Corran was mildly allergic to her fur.”
“It was much like being sunburned all over for the both of us.”
Mirax giggled for a second, then made herself appear sober and saddened. “That’s horrible.”
Corran shrugged. “Unfortunately, it’s life.” He looked over at Gavin. “There you have it, kid. My advice, see what happens. It can’t hurt, except in rare cases.”
Gavin set the blaster rifle down and stood. “Thanks. I’ll take your advice, if you’ll excuse me.”
“Good luck, Gavin.” Corran waved him on his way, then smiled up at Iella. “Nicely told.”
Mirax’s brows furrowed. “How much of that was true?”
“All of it, every bit.”
She frowned. “That’s so sad, though.”
Corran shook his head. “Not really. We both knew we were living out a fantasy, but it wouldn’t have worked in the long run. I had no desire to move to Selonia and become part of a broodhome. Chertyl knew she couldn’t bear the children I’d want. We remained friends and both have wonderful memories. In fact, that was the best ending I had for any of my relationships.”
“True, Corran, but that’s because you never listened to my advice about the women you were interested in.” Iella shook