1 Chapter 3
The minute Harper was inside, he started to run all around the place, like a five year-old kid. Beka and Chris smile as he yells out "Woo-hoo!" down the hallway.
Chris turns to Beka, "I guess he's a little excited."
"Maybe a little too excited for his own good."
"Well, let me show you to your rooms. We can start with Harper's first. It's just up this way…"
He leads Beka from the foyer into a larger room, where an indoor balcony surrounds the room, and a large staircase can be seen to the left leading up. Harper finally stopped running around at the top of the steps and is just staring at a huge painting of people, on the wall. Chris and Beka walk up the stairway, and Beka stares at the painting with Harper.
Chris smiles and says, "I thought you'd like it."
"It's very…very, nice. Where did you find something like this?"
"I found an art dealer on Freeman Drift in the Milky Way, and the art lady said she managed to get it off Earth, and now I have it," he says and looks at Beka, "Beka, do you think we could talk? I just have so much to tell you."
"Oh, of course. I want to hear everything."
"Tonight then, at eight?"
"Sounds good."
Harper jumps in and says, "Hey, what am I going to do while you guys are doing…whatever?"
Chris thinks for a moment then tells Harper that there is a party going on all night, just down the road. He suggests Harper could meet some nice women there if he wants. Harper gets excited at the idea and says, "I'm there!"
They all laugh and Chris shows them to their rooms. Harper and Beka are in complete and utter awe at the immense size and decoration of the room, when they are shown the first one that Harper will stay in. The ceilings are as high as two stories of an average building and about twice as wide as the Maru is in its total length. Drapes hang down from the ceilings and enormous windows. Each room is actually like two rooms put into one, with the 'lounge' room when you walk in and the bedroom to the right through an open doorway. A large balcony, outside, extends over a garden full of colorful flowers, and the sun shines through the windows behind lighter drapes, making a really warm lighting effect. Also, the walls are painted with people and mythical creatures.
Harper walks in and cannot believe his eyes and slowly makes his way through the room, taking everything in as if he was supposed to memorize everything for a test. Beka does the same, but instead decides to take in the beauty from the balcony. She is very surprised when she sees the backyard is a fairly large grass yard with the ocean coming up to the edge. Harper was right she says to herself. Willow-like trees off to the side accent the view, and Beka notices a courtyard down below, after the garden, with statues of people and some more plants that grow next to them.
"You've really out done yourself," Beka tells Chris as he walks in next to her.
"Yes, it is wonderful, isn't it? You know, you could share this with me…"
Beka turns and eyes him with the same confusion from before, "I thought…never mind."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to—" he began, but Beka cuts him off.
"It's okay. We can talk about it tonight if you want."
"Sure. Whatever you want."
Beka leans into his arms as they both watch the sun set under the world. Harper, of course, is already preparing for the party tonight and before he knows it its eight o'clock.
~~~~~~~~
Harper comes running down the stairs and yells out, "Bye!" to Beka and Chris, who are eating in the other room. The large door is slammed shut behind Harper, and there is silence once again.
Candles litter the room, along with some relaxing music to set the mood.
Beka interrupts the silence, "So, you cooked this all by yourself?"
Chris smiles and responds, "Yes, I cooked it all by myself."
"I can't cook anything, unless you count those instant-pop-up dinners as cooking."
"Don't discount yourself. I couldn't cook much of anything before I came here either."
Beka looks at Chris and says, "So, exactly how did you get here? The last time I saw you was on that drift out in the middle of nowhere, working in an old junkyard."
"Well, a wealthy family came to me about a month or so after you left," he begins.
"Wait," Beka interrupts. "A wealthy family came to that drift and asked you to come with them?"
Chris smiles and answers, "Yes. I know it sounds weird, but that's what happened. Anyway, they asked me if I was any good at decoration. They said they had asked just about everyone on that drift, and a few drifts before that one, before they found me. I told them I knew how to do simple stuff like paint and choose colors. They where so excited that they asked me if I would like to work at their house. I, of course, said it was absolutely fine and asked where they lived. I didn't know what planet they were talking about, and they said it was because it was very hard to find, like trying to find Tarn Vedra almost. So, over the course of a couple years I became like their son. They taught me how to do things, like cook, and plant gardens."
"I don't believe I'm hearing this!" Beka exclaims. "I just can't see it. I mean, you were just like the rest of us. Living from day to day. I guess I'm just really surprised."
"It's okay, I was too."
"So how did you score this place?"
He pauses a moment, then answers, "When the mister died, about a year ago, his wife didn't take long to go after. And while lying on her deathbed, she signed away everything to me and told me to keep this place alive and well. Then she told me to find someone that made me happy and bring her here so we could grow old together in this place. Kind-of like one of those fairy tale endings. I contemplated trying to reach you for months. Then I decided to get out for a while and I ran into your brother on a backwater drift. I gave him a letter to give to you and the rest is history, as you know it now."
Beka is speechless and her eyes seem slightly watered. She sighs and says, "Wow…I—I had no idea…"
Chris holds her hand on the table says in a soft tone, "It's okay. You're here, that's what matters right now."
Beka becomes a bit nervous, remember the part of 'growing old together.' She always gets fidgety when she gets nervous.
"You know, I think I'm done with dinner. Why don't we move on to the living room."
He nods and starts to pick up the plates and silverware off the table. Beka can't help but notice how much of a gentleman he is. She has been with so many creeps in her life. This guy is all too perfect. Maybe that's his flaw. Then again, he doesn't seem to have lost himself in all his things. In-fact, he seems more grounded now than he did before. What am I going to do now? Beka thought just as he came back in.
"Shall we go talk now?" he gestured towards the living room.
"More talking, huh?"
The room glows with a golden-red brilliance from the dark red walls and several hanging chandeliers that light the room. Beka enters the room and notices a black, grand piano sitting off to the side on a Persian-like rug, almost everything were on rugs like that. She walks towards the piano with curiosity and starts to brush it softly with her fingertips.
"Do you play?" he asks as he comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.
"No, it's kind-of hard to learn to play an instrument of any kind, much less a virtually non-existent one, when you're being chased by Resters, Nietzcheans, magog, and cops and just about everyone else in the universe, everyday."
"Would you like me to play you something?"
"Sure," Beka says and moves so he can sit.
He starts to play and Beka watches intensely at his fingers stroking every key. The sound it produces is uplifting and saddening at the same time. Notes come together to form an irresistible melody of a type of internal torment. It is not happy, but it is hopeful as his fingers play the keys, up and down, slowly but quick. She has never heard anything like it before, and is a change from the normal music she usually finds herself listening to. When he finishes, she sits down next to him and looks into his eyes.
Chris stares back and says, "God you're beautiful."
He puts one of his hands onto her face and leans in to kiss her lips. Beka quickly allows her mouth to open, and she puts her arms around his neck. She hits the keys with her elbow and side of her body, making sounds of life shoot through the room of otherwise silence. They get up, careful not to break their embrace, and stand away from the piano.
Beka comes back down to reality and breaks the kiss, breathing heavily, "I thought we were supposed to talk?"
Chris tries to regain his bearings for a second and finally replies, "Right. You're right. We need to talk…"
A long pause consumes the room and finally Beka steps up and brings herself close to his body, "Then again, talking is boring." She kisses him and he kisses her back.
He picks her up and starts to carry her up stairs. He reaches the closest room to the stairway and enters it, closing the door behind him. The cool night turns to warm heated passion. Christopher lays himself down to Beka, and she responds with cries of love. The night was young, and what was to come was something no one could have expected.
The minute Harper was inside, he started to run all around the place, like a five year-old kid. Beka and Chris smile as he yells out "Woo-hoo!" down the hallway.
Chris turns to Beka, "I guess he's a little excited."
"Maybe a little too excited for his own good."
"Well, let me show you to your rooms. We can start with Harper's first. It's just up this way…"
He leads Beka from the foyer into a larger room, where an indoor balcony surrounds the room, and a large staircase can be seen to the left leading up. Harper finally stopped running around at the top of the steps and is just staring at a huge painting of people, on the wall. Chris and Beka walk up the stairway, and Beka stares at the painting with Harper.
Chris smiles and says, "I thought you'd like it."
"It's very…very, nice. Where did you find something like this?"
"I found an art dealer on Freeman Drift in the Milky Way, and the art lady said she managed to get it off Earth, and now I have it," he says and looks at Beka, "Beka, do you think we could talk? I just have so much to tell you."
"Oh, of course. I want to hear everything."
"Tonight then, at eight?"
"Sounds good."
Harper jumps in and says, "Hey, what am I going to do while you guys are doing…whatever?"
Chris thinks for a moment then tells Harper that there is a party going on all night, just down the road. He suggests Harper could meet some nice women there if he wants. Harper gets excited at the idea and says, "I'm there!"
They all laugh and Chris shows them to their rooms. Harper and Beka are in complete and utter awe at the immense size and decoration of the room, when they are shown the first one that Harper will stay in. The ceilings are as high as two stories of an average building and about twice as wide as the Maru is in its total length. Drapes hang down from the ceilings and enormous windows. Each room is actually like two rooms put into one, with the 'lounge' room when you walk in and the bedroom to the right through an open doorway. A large balcony, outside, extends over a garden full of colorful flowers, and the sun shines through the windows behind lighter drapes, making a really warm lighting effect. Also, the walls are painted with people and mythical creatures.
Harper walks in and cannot believe his eyes and slowly makes his way through the room, taking everything in as if he was supposed to memorize everything for a test. Beka does the same, but instead decides to take in the beauty from the balcony. She is very surprised when she sees the backyard is a fairly large grass yard with the ocean coming up to the edge. Harper was right she says to herself. Willow-like trees off to the side accent the view, and Beka notices a courtyard down below, after the garden, with statues of people and some more plants that grow next to them.
"You've really out done yourself," Beka tells Chris as he walks in next to her.
"Yes, it is wonderful, isn't it? You know, you could share this with me…"
Beka turns and eyes him with the same confusion from before, "I thought…never mind."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to—" he began, but Beka cuts him off.
"It's okay. We can talk about it tonight if you want."
"Sure. Whatever you want."
Beka leans into his arms as they both watch the sun set under the world. Harper, of course, is already preparing for the party tonight and before he knows it its eight o'clock.
~~~~~~~~
Harper comes running down the stairs and yells out, "Bye!" to Beka and Chris, who are eating in the other room. The large door is slammed shut behind Harper, and there is silence once again.
Candles litter the room, along with some relaxing music to set the mood.
Beka interrupts the silence, "So, you cooked this all by yourself?"
Chris smiles and responds, "Yes, I cooked it all by myself."
"I can't cook anything, unless you count those instant-pop-up dinners as cooking."
"Don't discount yourself. I couldn't cook much of anything before I came here either."
Beka looks at Chris and says, "So, exactly how did you get here? The last time I saw you was on that drift out in the middle of nowhere, working in an old junkyard."
"Well, a wealthy family came to me about a month or so after you left," he begins.
"Wait," Beka interrupts. "A wealthy family came to that drift and asked you to come with them?"
Chris smiles and answers, "Yes. I know it sounds weird, but that's what happened. Anyway, they asked me if I was any good at decoration. They said they had asked just about everyone on that drift, and a few drifts before that one, before they found me. I told them I knew how to do simple stuff like paint and choose colors. They where so excited that they asked me if I would like to work at their house. I, of course, said it was absolutely fine and asked where they lived. I didn't know what planet they were talking about, and they said it was because it was very hard to find, like trying to find Tarn Vedra almost. So, over the course of a couple years I became like their son. They taught me how to do things, like cook, and plant gardens."
"I don't believe I'm hearing this!" Beka exclaims. "I just can't see it. I mean, you were just like the rest of us. Living from day to day. I guess I'm just really surprised."
"It's okay, I was too."
"So how did you score this place?"
He pauses a moment, then answers, "When the mister died, about a year ago, his wife didn't take long to go after. And while lying on her deathbed, she signed away everything to me and told me to keep this place alive and well. Then she told me to find someone that made me happy and bring her here so we could grow old together in this place. Kind-of like one of those fairy tale endings. I contemplated trying to reach you for months. Then I decided to get out for a while and I ran into your brother on a backwater drift. I gave him a letter to give to you and the rest is history, as you know it now."
Beka is speechless and her eyes seem slightly watered. She sighs and says, "Wow…I—I had no idea…"
Chris holds her hand on the table says in a soft tone, "It's okay. You're here, that's what matters right now."
Beka becomes a bit nervous, remember the part of 'growing old together.' She always gets fidgety when she gets nervous.
"You know, I think I'm done with dinner. Why don't we move on to the living room."
He nods and starts to pick up the plates and silverware off the table. Beka can't help but notice how much of a gentleman he is. She has been with so many creeps in her life. This guy is all too perfect. Maybe that's his flaw. Then again, he doesn't seem to have lost himself in all his things. In-fact, he seems more grounded now than he did before. What am I going to do now? Beka thought just as he came back in.
"Shall we go talk now?" he gestured towards the living room.
"More talking, huh?"
The room glows with a golden-red brilliance from the dark red walls and several hanging chandeliers that light the room. Beka enters the room and notices a black, grand piano sitting off to the side on a Persian-like rug, almost everything were on rugs like that. She walks towards the piano with curiosity and starts to brush it softly with her fingertips.
"Do you play?" he asks as he comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.
"No, it's kind-of hard to learn to play an instrument of any kind, much less a virtually non-existent one, when you're being chased by Resters, Nietzcheans, magog, and cops and just about everyone else in the universe, everyday."
"Would you like me to play you something?"
"Sure," Beka says and moves so he can sit.
He starts to play and Beka watches intensely at his fingers stroking every key. The sound it produces is uplifting and saddening at the same time. Notes come together to form an irresistible melody of a type of internal torment. It is not happy, but it is hopeful as his fingers play the keys, up and down, slowly but quick. She has never heard anything like it before, and is a change from the normal music she usually finds herself listening to. When he finishes, she sits down next to him and looks into his eyes.
Chris stares back and says, "God you're beautiful."
He puts one of his hands onto her face and leans in to kiss her lips. Beka quickly allows her mouth to open, and she puts her arms around his neck. She hits the keys with her elbow and side of her body, making sounds of life shoot through the room of otherwise silence. They get up, careful not to break their embrace, and stand away from the piano.
Beka comes back down to reality and breaks the kiss, breathing heavily, "I thought we were supposed to talk?"
Chris tries to regain his bearings for a second and finally replies, "Right. You're right. We need to talk…"
A long pause consumes the room and finally Beka steps up and brings herself close to his body, "Then again, talking is boring." She kisses him and he kisses her back.
He picks her up and starts to carry her up stairs. He reaches the closest room to the stairway and enters it, closing the door behind him. The cool night turns to warm heated passion. Christopher lays himself down to Beka, and she responds with cries of love. The night was young, and what was to come was something no one could have expected.