To Prime the Pump - A. Bertram Chandler [45]
"That is not fair, John. You impressed me as being the type of young man who is quite capable of getting himself into trouble without much help or encouragement."
And this young woman has helped me enough, thought Grimes, nonetheless. Young woman? But was she? For all he knew she could be old enough to be his grandmother.
"Why are you staring at me, John?"
"A cat can look at a Queen," he quipped. "Or a Princess."
"And many a cat has lost all of its nine lives for doing just that."
Grimes transferred his attention to a tiny, jewelled beetle that was crawling over the grass just under his face.
She said, "If you aren't happy here, John, I'll take you back to your ship."
"Do you want me to go? "
"No," she said at last.
"All right. I'll stay, as long as you'll have me."
"That wasn't very gracious."
"I'm sorry. It was just my proletarian origins showing."
She told him, "Please don't let them show tonight. You must be on your best behavior. I, we, have guests."
"Oh. Anybody I know?"
"Yes. Henri, Comte de Messigny. Hereditary Chief Lobenga and his wife, the Lady Eulalia. The Duchess of Leckhampton. Those whom you have not already met you have seen."
"The Duchess? Yes. I remember now. On the Monitor, at the masked ball. But the Lady Eulalia?"
"At the voodoo ceremony. It was she on the altar."
"His wife?"
"Yes. Lobenga is a very moral man, moral, that is, by your somewhat outdated standards."
And that, thought Grimes, robbed the rites that he had witnessed of much of their sinful glamor. There had been, of course, that revolting business with the white goat but all over the Galaxy, with every passing second, animals were being slaughtered to serve the ends of Man. He, himself, had killed the boar and, quite possibly, sooner or later would enjoy its cooked flesh.
Suddenly he found himself pitying these people with their empty, sterile lives. Messigny, playing at being a spaceman, Lobenga and his wife playing at Black Magic, and the old Duchess casting herself in the role of Grande Dame. And the Princess? There's nothing wrong with you, he thought, that a good roll in the hay wouldn't cure. And yet, looking at her as she stood there, proud and naked, looking down at him, he knew that she would have to make the first move.
She said, "There is a slight chill in the air. Shall we go down?" She walked to the turret that housed the top of the escalator. He followed her. The robot Karl was awaiting them, helped the girl into a fleecy robe, knelt to slide golden sandals onto her slim feet. Grimes picked up his own robe from where he had left it, got into his footwear unassisted. He knew that had he waited a few seconds Karl would have served him as he served his mistress, but the spaceman was neither used to nor welcomed such attention. The moving stairway took them down into the castle.
* * *
Grimes, tricked out once again in his dress uniform, sat watching the screen of the playmaster in his living room, awaiting the summons. He had decided to allow himself just one weak drink, and was sipping a pink gin. He was ready for the knock on the door when it came, drained what was left in his glass and then followed Karl through long corridors that were, once again, strange to him. Finally, he was conducted into a room furnished with baroque splendor, in which Marlene and her guests were already seated.
They broke off their conversation as he came in, and the two men and the Princess got to their feet. "Your Grace," said Marlene formally, "may I introduce Lieutenant John Grimes, of Aries?" The Duchess looked him up and down. If she smiles, thought Grimes, the paint will crack and the powder will flake off . . . But smile she did, thinly, a final touch to the antique elegance already enhanced by an elaborate, white-powdered wig, black beauty spot on the left cheek of her face, black ribbon around the wrinkled neck, gently fluttering fan. She extended a withered hand. Rather to his own surprise, Grimes bowed from the waist to kiss it. She looked at him approvingly.
"Lady Eulalia, may I introduce . . . ?"