Tyr made his way down the hall to Harper's lab, dodging toddlers and racing
youngsters. The laughter and the shouting made him want to put his hands
over his ears. Every now and then an adult female would appear to
ineffectually wag a finger or admonish a particularly rowdy group. It had
been many years since Tyr had ventured into Harper's domain. He made a
mental note not to attempt it again for a great many more.
Harper's second wife appeared in a doorway for a brief moment. Tyr tried to hail her, but she disappeared as quickly as she had materialized. Tyr was pondering which door would lead to Harper's lab, when the second wife reappeared, this time minus the apron and the scarf that she had tied about her head.
"My Lord, my husband did not tell me that we would have the honour of a visit today?"
Tyr saw that she was flustered. Score another point for Beka. She had told him that he should call ahead to announce his imminent arrival. How did his slipstream pilot female learn the subtleties of domesticity in such a short time?
"Lady Harper." Tyr called all Harper's wives by the same title, saving himself much embarrassment when they visited the palace in gaggles. How Harper kept them straight was a mystery to him.
"I did not mean to inconvenience anyone, except Harper. I understand that the House of Harper has been blessed with more children."
The second Lady Harper beamed with pride. "Yes Lord Kodiak. We have sons. Sons who will be terribly spoiled, I am sure. Their wives will come to regret they were raised in house with 24 older sisters." She continued to beam with joy, softening her dire prediction.
"The future of your sons has brought me here."
Tyr shudder as a five-year old female miniature of Harper ran into his leg, which she clung to like a limpet. Tyr reached down to pick her up, just as half a dozen older siblings arrived on the scene. He set the little girl on his shoulder. She started taunting her pursuers from the safety of her perch. Harper opened his lab door at that exact moment.
"Tyr?"
Harper was completely taken aback. What was The Kodiak Alpha doing standing like a tree in his hallway, surrounded by his little girls? How did Natalie acquire a seat on his shoulder? This was not good. The Kodiak Lord Engineer put two fingers in his mouth to produce a piercing whistle.
First there was silence as all perpetrators of the chaos froze on the spot. Then they moved in unison, forming a line along the corridor. Natalie began to bounce on Tyr's shoulder, saying over and over, "Let me down, please. Let me down."
When Tyr lowered her to the floor, she dashed off down the line, obviously searching for her place. Tyr noted that at odd intervals an adult female appeared. Each one taking an assigned spot. Then silence fell again.
Harper shouted down the hall, "Dearest wives and daughters, we are honoured by the presence of The Alpha. Allow me to introduce you."
Thirty minutes later, Tyr had been presented to every one of Harper's wives and daughters, with the exception of those recovering from childbirth and the babies in the nursery. With another whistle, chaos once again erupted.
"How often have you practiced to get such an immediate response to your whistle? They are almost military in its precision." Tyr shook his head in disbelief. "I only use the whistle on very special occasions. Like when we can't find a child or for a fire drill. Or when The Kodiak pays an unexpected visit." Harper slapped his friend on the back. "Anna said we needed a system the first time we misplaced one of the children."
Tyr peered at Harper. He was serious. "You found the child?"
"Yes, she had fallen asleep in a closet while waiting for the seeker to find her during a game of hide and seek." Harper opened the door to his lab. "Haven't lost a child yet!"
"The System?" Tyr prompted him.
"Think Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer." Harper registered Tyr's puzzlement. "Never mind."
Tyr strode across the lab, while Harper played with the door locking mechanism. He joined his guest at the window when he was satisfied that no one would disturb them.
"You've sound proofed this room." Tyr raised an eyebrow.
"You heard the noise out there!" Harper offered no apologies. "I can turn on listening devices in the halls and bedrooms when I'm in the mood. Listen."
Harper pushed a button on his data pad. The room was filled with the gurgles and snuffling of babies.
"Are we listening to the nursery?" Tyr pointed through the glass at the rows of bassinets on display.
"You ordered me to keep prying eyes out of the lab. That meant no window, so I had the nursery installed next door and put in a picture window." Harper pointed to one of his wives nursing a baby. "I love to watch them tend the babies, feeding them and playing with them. When they coo and snuffle, the sound is very soothing."
"And when they start crying you turn the sound off?" Tyr finished for him.
"Haven't I told you I'm a freaking genius?"
Harper pressed the data pad cutting off the nursery sounds. With another tap he started the descent of a blind that cut off the view of the nursery.
"You have a problem." Harper opened the conversational door for Tyr.
"And I need your help."
"Tamerlane?" Goneril called to him as he passed.
"Has Olma found you suitable quarters?" He put his hands behind his back so that she could not see the nervous twitch they had developed in her presence.
"Yes, thank you." She smiled demurely, adjusting the neckline of her blouse so that she was more modestly covered. "The Lady Kodiak has offered me your room." She paused, then gasped. "Once you have vacated it, of course." She blushed.
Tamerlane swallowed hard. When she adjusted her bodice his attention was drawn to the ripeness of her curves. His palms flooded. Her blush took his thoughts further down the forbidden path. He chastised himself for thinking of her in such a base manner.
She lowered her eyes so that he could not see the gleam of triumph as she witnessed his response. She knew he would interpret her action as one of modesty. Such a boy - so easily led by a woman's whim. She dropped a quick curtsy, then turned to leave. She knew he was watching so she moved slowly and deliberately, so the hem of her garment swung seductively. When she stepped through the doorway, she paused turned and looked over her shoulder. She lingered with a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Then she disappeared from view.
When she was certain he could no longer see her, she fell into a chair, her hand at her throat. Her heart was pounding and her stomach roiled with anxiety. Had she overplayed her hand? Just how innocent was the boy? Only time would tell. She readjusted the neckline. Tonight she was dining with a prime candidate from Olma's stable of eligible males. Goneril planned to enjoy herself.
Harper's second wife appeared in a doorway for a brief moment. Tyr tried to hail her, but she disappeared as quickly as she had materialized. Tyr was pondering which door would lead to Harper's lab, when the second wife reappeared, this time minus the apron and the scarf that she had tied about her head.
"My Lord, my husband did not tell me that we would have the honour of a visit today?"
Tyr saw that she was flustered. Score another point for Beka. She had told him that he should call ahead to announce his imminent arrival. How did his slipstream pilot female learn the subtleties of domesticity in such a short time?
"Lady Harper." Tyr called all Harper's wives by the same title, saving himself much embarrassment when they visited the palace in gaggles. How Harper kept them straight was a mystery to him.
"I did not mean to inconvenience anyone, except Harper. I understand that the House of Harper has been blessed with more children."
The second Lady Harper beamed with pride. "Yes Lord Kodiak. We have sons. Sons who will be terribly spoiled, I am sure. Their wives will come to regret they were raised in house with 24 older sisters." She continued to beam with joy, softening her dire prediction.
"The future of your sons has brought me here."
Tyr shudder as a five-year old female miniature of Harper ran into his leg, which she clung to like a limpet. Tyr reached down to pick her up, just as half a dozen older siblings arrived on the scene. He set the little girl on his shoulder. She started taunting her pursuers from the safety of her perch. Harper opened his lab door at that exact moment.
"Tyr?"
Harper was completely taken aback. What was The Kodiak Alpha doing standing like a tree in his hallway, surrounded by his little girls? How did Natalie acquire a seat on his shoulder? This was not good. The Kodiak Lord Engineer put two fingers in his mouth to produce a piercing whistle.
First there was silence as all perpetrators of the chaos froze on the spot. Then they moved in unison, forming a line along the corridor. Natalie began to bounce on Tyr's shoulder, saying over and over, "Let me down, please. Let me down."
When Tyr lowered her to the floor, she dashed off down the line, obviously searching for her place. Tyr noted that at odd intervals an adult female appeared. Each one taking an assigned spot. Then silence fell again.
Harper shouted down the hall, "Dearest wives and daughters, we are honoured by the presence of The Alpha. Allow me to introduce you."
Thirty minutes later, Tyr had been presented to every one of Harper's wives and daughters, with the exception of those recovering from childbirth and the babies in the nursery. With another whistle, chaos once again erupted.
"How often have you practiced to get such an immediate response to your whistle? They are almost military in its precision." Tyr shook his head in disbelief. "I only use the whistle on very special occasions. Like when we can't find a child or for a fire drill. Or when The Kodiak pays an unexpected visit." Harper slapped his friend on the back. "Anna said we needed a system the first time we misplaced one of the children."
Tyr peered at Harper. He was serious. "You found the child?"
"Yes, she had fallen asleep in a closet while waiting for the seeker to find her during a game of hide and seek." Harper opened the door to his lab. "Haven't lost a child yet!"
"The System?" Tyr prompted him.
"Think Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer." Harper registered Tyr's puzzlement. "Never mind."
Tyr strode across the lab, while Harper played with the door locking mechanism. He joined his guest at the window when he was satisfied that no one would disturb them.
"You've sound proofed this room." Tyr raised an eyebrow.
"You heard the noise out there!" Harper offered no apologies. "I can turn on listening devices in the halls and bedrooms when I'm in the mood. Listen."
Harper pushed a button on his data pad. The room was filled with the gurgles and snuffling of babies.
"Are we listening to the nursery?" Tyr pointed through the glass at the rows of bassinets on display.
"You ordered me to keep prying eyes out of the lab. That meant no window, so I had the nursery installed next door and put in a picture window." Harper pointed to one of his wives nursing a baby. "I love to watch them tend the babies, feeding them and playing with them. When they coo and snuffle, the sound is very soothing."
"And when they start crying you turn the sound off?" Tyr finished for him.
"Haven't I told you I'm a freaking genius?"
Harper pressed the data pad cutting off the nursery sounds. With another tap he started the descent of a blind that cut off the view of the nursery.
"You have a problem." Harper opened the conversational door for Tyr.
"And I need your help."
"Tamerlane?" Goneril called to him as he passed.
"Has Olma found you suitable quarters?" He put his hands behind his back so that she could not see the nervous twitch they had developed in her presence.
"Yes, thank you." She smiled demurely, adjusting the neckline of her blouse so that she was more modestly covered. "The Lady Kodiak has offered me your room." She paused, then gasped. "Once you have vacated it, of course." She blushed.
Tamerlane swallowed hard. When she adjusted her bodice his attention was drawn to the ripeness of her curves. His palms flooded. Her blush took his thoughts further down the forbidden path. He chastised himself for thinking of her in such a base manner.
She lowered her eyes so that he could not see the gleam of triumph as she witnessed his response. She knew he would interpret her action as one of modesty. Such a boy - so easily led by a woman's whim. She dropped a quick curtsy, then turned to leave. She knew he was watching so she moved slowly and deliberately, so the hem of her garment swung seductively. When she stepped through the doorway, she paused turned and looked over her shoulder. She lingered with a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Then she disappeared from view.
When she was certain he could no longer see her, she fell into a chair, her hand at her throat. Her heart was pounding and her stomach roiled with anxiety. Had she overplayed her hand? Just how innocent was the boy? Only time would tell. She readjusted the neckline. Tonight she was dining with a prime candidate from Olma's stable of eligible males. Goneril planned to enjoy herself.