(Five)
Remy stood on the empty court as Trishnar walked away, twirling his racquet in irritation and scowling. If all he had to learn was that homosexuality could be accepted and tolerated, he had little need to stay here. He had already accepted it long before he had ever met a Siskan, Raul had been one of his closest friends, or at least as close as he ever allowed anyone to get. Still, Remy knew it wasn't his thing, he wasn't ready to let a man touch him like that. Non, dere's got to be more dan dat. A kiss, a tumble wit me won't fix Kimble no matter if I was brave enough to try it or not. It ain't gonna be enough. 'E need so much more dan dat. Kimble's too sad, too broken up inside.
Remy made his way back up to his room for a quick shower. Once refreshed, he came back down to look for Babette. She was close by and waiting for him, ready to give him a tour as his host had suggested. Remy was a thief, something he would probably be his whole life even if it wasjust in his own mind. He'd had every intention of checking out every inch of this palace in secret if need be, what he hadn't expected was to be given free access. Babette showed him everything.
Trishnar's house was massive, an endless stream of rooms too large to contemplate. It didn't take Remy long to figure out that there was some Dognan magic at work here. What looked like a stately New Orleans mansion on the outside was actually a palace and a working embassy on the inside. Babette tried to explain something about bent physics, there was ten times as much space on the inside of the house than it looked from the outside, a bending of dimensional space. Remy didn't have a prayer of understanding it, that was more up Henry's alley, not his. He was content to be shown around and nodded whenever necessary.
There was much to see. Trishnar was a King, no joke. He had a throne room and everything, a room for entertaining dignitaries, Babette explained. The room was huge with expensive and ornate couches and tables, making the dining room from the previous night look like a fast food restaurant. Lavish paintings and statues adored every wall and corner. The throne was large and elaborate, a gaudy thing of wood and gold, something out of a Renaissance painting. It would have been funny if Remy had thought it wasn't meant to taken seriously.
Beyond that was a full barracks where the officers and working staff were housed. At any one time, Trishnar had as many as five hundred soldiers here, sometimes more. There were weapons – mostly Dognan energy guns – and stored food supplies in case of any siege. Trishnar also possessed a massive hanger with three ships of Dognan design, not dissimilar to the Lucky Dragon only much, much larger. Unlike the Dragon, these vessels were fully weaponized and ready for battle. Remy couldn't help but think this man was capable of taking over any one of the Earth's governments if he desired, if not the entire planet. If Trishnar was trying to tell him he could snatch Kimble from his hands with ease, it was working.
Babette just laughed at him and explained as much about her Master as Trishnar would permit. Trishnar was in fact a Dognan of significant rank, the highest rank of this part of the galaxy and therefore essentially a King. He ran a small provincial government from out of this house. He appeared to be in charge of the incoming patrolling Dognan ships and supposedly controlled all the offworld commerce here. The Dognan were here but were supposed to be kept secret, they were exporters mainly, of Earthly goods that couldn't be had elsewhere in the galaxy. Trishnar hadoutlawed human slavery and he had realized from Remy's tale that the X-men had been nabbed by the equivalent of Dognan smugglers. He was spending most of this day tracking them down, he had already sent out some patrols to put a stop to it. He hadn't liked the intrusion on his territory and was determined it wouldn't happen again.
Trishnar did in fact possess three pilots as well, Remy saw them roaming around the house, charging up the black power cubes that were everywhere. Unlike Kimble, Trishnar's Siskans seemed to rely exclusively on Ristle for their power supply. Remy's kinetic energy was still compatible, he had felt small crackles form the girls as they had played. The Siskans were given full run of the palace, Remy had seen them here and there with Trishnar's men as Babette had shown him around, and the cubes had been set up to see that they wouldn't want for food. The pilots were here to keep those cubes charged and ready.
The pilots, too, were well cared for. They weren't as bright as Fallen was and not as self aware. Babette explained that these pilots were not of the highest quality, they had been slated for the pens and Trishnar took them in instead, giving them a good place to live in exchange for their use as a power supply. They romped around the house like large, winged dogs, playing around and sometimes breaking things. The Siskans would fuss over them and clean up their mess, taking as good care of them as they did their Master.
Remy saw Trishnar a few times as he was shown about, but his host was busy, always on his way to somewhere else, and unable to speak to him for long. If Trishnar was passed by one of his Siskans he always stopped what he was doing to greet them. They crouched playfully at his feet like happy dogs or kissed him, touching him with their hands while their eyes roamed over him with nothing but the purest devotion. At first it was very disconcerting, like watching a sick form of slavery, but then Gambit realized that these creatures were well cared for and quite happy. Their shines were sparkly bright with happiness and they were always smiling and laughing. Trishnar gave them his full attention, speaking to them kindly and touching them constantly, giving them small bits of candy as treats and a steady reassurance that they were loved and appreciated.
Babette showed Gambit the outside of the house as well. There were large gardens and another Olympic sized swimming pool. It was surrounded by plenty of furnishings and a huge patio as if Trishnar often gave parties out here. As they walked around the pool, Remy noticed two of Trishnar's Siskans, Krista and Frashnay, sprawled out and naked together on one of the large outdoor sofas. It was chilly, but they were coveredby a thick, furry blanket. It did little to hide their nudity or obscure their reason for being together. These two were lovers.
Gambit snapped his fingers in front of the two girls, but they never saw him. It was like they were stoned or in some kind of stupor. He asked Babette about it and she chuckled softly. "Krista and Frashnay, the silly girls, them. The least intelligent they are of us, and hopelessly taken with each other. The "Bimbo Twins", Aiden calls them, to use one of your American phrases. Tried separating them our Master did, but they just pine away, them, so he's given up. When Siskan Courtesans such as us lay with one another, this happens. When we play so hard and with much love, trip out from each other's backwash we sometimes can. It's worse when the love is deep and true. The emotions simply overpower us, them. Truly devoted, these two are. Be like this for a few minutes, they will, before they come around."
Remy considered what she just said. "You say dese two don' like to be separated. Dat mean dey fall in love for real?"
Babette smiled at him indulgently, still amazed at his lack of knowledge. "Of course. Why wouldn't they? The Lushna-esk, we are. The ones who feel too much, as some believe. Love to play, to fall in love with those who love us in return, do we. Not about to let a silly thing as a blinding, mind numbing backwash stop us, we don't," she teased with a laugh. "Remember how it is with us? Always black out, you do. Same it was with you and Anise and Krista last night."
Remy wasn't completely ignorant about the backwash. Each time he lay with Babette, he had blacked out from the intense climaxes. Apparently this was common among those who possessed Kimble's level of empathy. Since Remy had been given this gift as well, he was almost on equal standing as the girls. It occurred to him now that he could learn more about this gift at the same time as he learned about the Game. The perfect teacher was right here beside him.
"Is dat why Gambit black out wit you? Cause 'e love you just a little, chere?"
She smiled at him and teased merrily, "So love me, do you? It seems it must be so. Perhaps it's just the backwash you desire instead."
"Non. It deeper dan dat. You touched me like my Kimble did," he replied, coming closer to her to kiss. "Dere will always be a place for you in my heart, mon ador'ee."
She laughed and gave him a squeeze. "Sweet talker you are, but pleases me to hear it, it does. Come, more there is still to see."
Trishnar's large grounds and private drive allowed other cloaked Dognan ships to come and go freely, unloading cargo and personnel. Remy saw the exotic goods Trishnar was offloading - chocolate, wines, rare fruits and vegetables as well as exotic animals. Trishnar was making a fortune. As Gambit toured, he saw several Dognan officials walking about the place, their arms full of important documents and items for Trishnar's attention. None of them seemed to question his presence there even though he was human and all were received with the same graciousness he had by Trishnar himself.
Remy was shown some of the upstairs rooms where the Siskans were housed. He was surprised to see how well kept they were. They all had their own rooms filled with luxurious beds and huge closets full of bright colorful clothing. Looking all around him, Gambit could easily see that this would be a fine place for a Siskan. The sheets were silk, the walls decorated with drawings they must have made themselves. Everywhere were beautiful pieces of art, most of them glass and reflecting light. Vases of bright, cut flowers were all about, making the air here smell sweet and fresh.
There was a large common room here that looked like a child's playroom, but Gambit knew better. This was a playground for Siskans. Several musical instruments were carefully placed in stands beside a massive stereo with racks containing thousands of music CDs. Several gaming consoles sat on a table in front of a big screen TV, piles of games beside them half and out of their boxes, showing they were still in use and not just for show. He wasn't the least bit surprised to see the new Playstation 2 and many of the newest games. A computer crouched on a large desk and once more was a rack filled with even more games. Bookshelves lined the walls, loaded with books of all shapes and sizes. Everywhere were paintings of bright flashy colors. It reminded Gambit of the control room the two Siskan brothers used to have back on the Lucky Dragon and inspired him to create something similar for Kimble back home when he returned.
He was interested in Babette's room and she showed him. Her room was a bit more sedate than the others. She had a large four poster bed as he did, but the tones were deeper. She favored browns and reds to the bright colors of the other rooms. She had many bookshelves covered in books, most of them histories and love stories. There was a large writing desk that had many pads of used papers and sketches. There was a small bottle with pencils and brushes. He looked at her. "Dose are yours?"
"No. Aiden's are those," she replied, handing him a small stack of finished paintings. These were fine watercolors depicting what Remy believed were Siskan castles. The soft brown sandstone walls and streaming colorful flags were a sure giveaway. He smiled when he thought he recognized the same mountain views that he had seen from Sheyman's balcony. The paintings were finely crafted and lovely. He set them back on the desk as Babette continued to explain about her friend. "Has his own room, Aiden does, but spends more time in here than there. Tells me he prefers my window to his, but when I offered an exchange, he refused. Think he just likes the company, I do."
"D'accorde. 'E has good taste," Remy replied, looking at her with gentle adoration.
"What do you think of him, you?"
"Of Aiden? 'E...he a quiet boy."
"Yes. Thoughtful."
Remy found another stack of paintings and leafed through them. These were quite different than the first ones he had looked at. Here was a dark, terrifying world filled with smoke and ruins. Big bloody battles were being waged over partially destroyed cites, adding to the destruction and chaos. Strange beasts flew about the air, great winged lions with bloody talons and long streaming hair. Armies of men clashed violently, Remy could almost hear the clang of swords and the roar of guns and rockets. Everywhere was death and pain, smoke and gore. These pictures meant something, Aiden was like Kimble - complicated.
"He seem a bit...angry," Remy said eventually.
She laughed. "No. Stubborn, he is. A difference there is. A bull headed little boy who likes to play and tease, him. Not what he first appears to be."
Just like my Kimble when we first met. He smiled at her. "You love him."
"More than the world," she replied. "But not mine, him. Aiden will always belong to Aiden. Look after him, do I. Keep him busy. Needs a woman every man does, to take care of him. Don't you think?"
"Absolument, chere. C'est la ve'rite'."
"What?" she asked with a laugh, not understanding his French.
He just gave her a kiss. "Dat's me agreein' wit you completely."
Babette continued the tour of the Siskan quarters. As they moved about, Remy knew they were not alone here. The girls were in and out, sometimes with clients. All around him were cries of happiness as Trishnar's officers came to visit, using the Siskan 'grams time and time again.
Once freed of clients, Trishnar's female Siskans were quick to follow Remy around, fresh blood was always appreciated. He was waited on hand and foot by the half naked beauties, they followed him and Babette everywhere as the tour continued. They seemed to defer to Babette as some kind of superior, but were sure to grope poor Remy whenever they got a chance. He laughed, drunk on their lustful vibrations, and found them almost too much to resist. They flirted with him incessantly until he finally made it clear he wasn't quite ready to indulge them just yet, he was still recovering from last night. Perhaps later. They pouted for a moment, apparently he wasn't as virile as the Dognan men, but then they offered him food and drink which he did accept. They begged him to play games with him and he agreed, Trishnar had plenty of chessboards and playing tables with decks of cards for them to use.
They situated themselves in a circle on the bearskin rug in front of Trishnar's huge fireplace. It was just cold enough for the fire to be pleasant and the company here was good. Remy was happy to be surrounded by these childlike and cheerful Siskans. They were quick to laugh and his spirits soared, their good moods were infectious, reminding him of Kimble when they had first danced so long ago. On a whim, he decided he would try to teach these girls how to play poker. He had a tough time at it, the girls were much too busy laughing and fooling about to really pay attention and learn. Remy had fun all the same, he was here to learn from them as much as they were learning from him.
These Siskans were full of fun and blissfully happy. They were also quick to talk about themselves. He was surprised to learn that all of them were from the same clutch or batch of Siskans made. They were in fact true sisters with the same creator, a Siskan hologram Master named Quishnalay. While it didn't quite jibe with Sheyman's claim of having made Kimble himself, Remy found himself wondering if Kimble was part of the same clutch as well. It wasn't that big of a reach, Trishnar claimed that all these Siskans were part of this mysterious Game and that Kimble was, too. Remy wondered if the concept of this would make Kimble happy, the idea of having true siblings might make him feel less alone in the world. It was true that when Remy shared the memory files with Kimble, he got a snapshot view of Kimble's life with Sheyman. Sheyman told Kimble that he was the only Siskan he made, but what if that was wrong? What if Sheyman made a whole batch of Siskans and kept only one? Or maybe, Sheyman didn't make Kimble at all. Remy couldn't help but wonder a little. He certainly had seen nothing in Sheyman's tiny apartment that looked like a machine that would make holograms.
Gambit was even more surprised to learn that Aiden was not the only Siskan here that had been broken and repaired. Babette had suffered the same fate. It seemed to explain her mangled speech, so much like Kimble this was. None of the others seemed to have this problem. Of course, Aiden hadn't spoken to him yet, not in a language he could understand. Perhaps he would speak badly as well. Remy quirked an eyebrow up at Babette, a playful accusation of withholding information.
She laughed about it and was quick to point out that she had been far less damaged than Aiden. She had been melted once by accident, not by cruelty, and wasn't made to suffer. It didn't mean she hadn't had her share of problems afterwards. She had been altered chemically and now had powers, she was telekinetic enough to leap and glide for great distances and could shift her skin to blend in with her surroundings like a chamaeleon. Her empathy was also boosted. As Remy had guessed, her language co-ordination had also been damaged, she lost the ability to speak normally in any language. Unfortunately, she also next found herself split into three warring factions, all striving for control. She had been the property of one of Trishnar's officers and he eagerly sold his poor psychotic 'gram to him. Her voices and moods had driven the officer crazy, but Trishnar was wise in the way of holograms. He could see Babette wasn't that bad off and had her repaired by the Games Master. In spite of this, her inability to speak correctly had been unaffected. Once melted, her speech was forever corroded.
"If you an example of what a broken 'gram is like after dey repaired, why were you so eager fo' me to meet Aiden?" Remy wanted to know.
"It's because Aiden's her brat," Marielle said before Babette could answer. She continued with an air of one in the know. "They're like two conspirators. He said he wants to be with you in the worst way and she set you guys up. Too bad she didn't know you only favor the women."
"You and your petty gossip!" Babette snarled in response, offended. "Your simple mind understands nothing! Remy's 'gram is damaged. Wants to see, Remy does, that his 'gram will be okay after the Games Master fixes him. Damaged far more than me, Aiden was. Far more than any 'gram should be."
"Where is he now?" Gambit asked, hoping to change the subject. As much as he was curious about how Aiden had been damaged, he could see Babette was growing angry and he wanted to keep the peace. " 'Aven't seen 'im since dis mornin'."
"I'm sure he's around," Anise answered softly. "He's like a ghost."
It was true that Remy had noticed Aiden's absence. Unlike the girls who had been a near constant presence, he hadn't seen Aiden once since their game this morning. But then, as if on cue, Gambit glanced behind him and sure enough, Aiden was there looking over his shoulder, a small enigmatic smile firmly in place. He was slouching nearby in a doorway, quietly smoking and fiddling with a large silver ring on one hand as he watched their guest with subtle curiosity. Gambit had no idea how long he had been there, perhaps he had heard every word they had said. Aiden never said a thing, not even now after he had been spotted. He just hung there expectantly, as if waiting for something.
Aiden was always like this, Remy was to learn. He was spooky quiet, observing the people around him with rapt, silent curiosity — Gambit in particular interested him greatly. Aiden clearly wanted to know something of this new arrival, but was too shy to come right out and ask or get to know him any better. That or he was offended by Remy's actions earlier. He said nothing now from the doorway either way, he just stood there, his eyes on no one else but their guest.
He was currently dressed as Remy would always find him. When he was not playing sports with his Master, Aiden always wore brightly colored, button down Hawaiian shirts that were too big and always open at least half way as if he was too lazy to finish buttoning them up. He wore baggy khaki shorts with heavy woolen socks bunched down over his ankles and worn out brown suede hiking boots. It seemed like he had started to do the yuppy hiker thing but got bored with it and never quite moved on to anything else.
Remy waved a hand at him, inviting him to play.
"No, don't do that," Marielle said with a pout. "He's such a drag. He's so moody and arrogant."
"Non, dere's room for everybody 'ere," Remy replied. He turned back to face Aiden, but the Siskan had slipped away as if he had never been there at all. " 'Ey? Where did 'e go?" He rose as if to follow him but was grabbed by one of the girls.
"Who cares?" Marielle snorted as she sat him back down. "Good riddance."
"Such a bitch you are!" Babette hissed from beside Remy, the angriest he had ever seen her. "Moody, he is because so cruel you constantly are."
"Hey, it's not my fault he thinks he's better than us!"
"Doesn't think that way, him!"
"Of course he does. He thinks it's bad the way we offer ourselves to the officers."
"Not understanding, you are. Just wants to be picked for who he is Aiden does, not because he's throwing himself at anyone," Babette said impatiently. "Tell you this time and time again I do, and still never listening are you. Arrogant are you, sister, not him."
Marielle tossed her head and sniffed. "I am not arrogant, I just don't have a problem being what I'm needed to be. We're Siskan," she said, looking pointedly at Remy. "We are who we have to be to please the client. Who we really are is not important."
Remy frowned, perplexed by all this. Clearly disagreement ran in the ranks here. A line seemed to have been drawn across where the damaged and undamaged couldn't see eye to eye. He realized that although he saw Babette speak graciously to the officers here, she didn't fling herself at them nor was she so brazenly flirtatious as the others. She hadn't even been that way in the Club where they first met, she had waited for him to come to her before she made a move. He couldn't be sure, but he was fairly certain he hadn't seen her in another skin either. He had seen the other girls shift, but not Babette nor Aiden. Interesting.
"Who y'are is important, chere," Remy replied to Marielle. "I sit 'ere in a room wit five of de most beautiful women I ever seen. It ain't 'cause of your skins neither, just ask Krista. I seen her shift to a man to make Anise dere shake like nuthin' else. It don't matter who y'are on de outside, you all so pretty on de inside, comprenez?"
"Then why won't you lay with Aiden?" Marielle challenged. "You wouldn't even kiss him."
Gambit groaned inwardly. Clearly there was hiding nothing in this house. " 'Cause Gambit's got a problem, not Aiden. He ain't done nuthin' wrong, it's just me."
Marielle snorted at him. "You are the client. We are obligated to please. He should have shifted for you when he saw you did not desire him that way. If he wants pleasure with you, he has to be the one to accommodate. We are Siskan, we are made to serve. It's the only reason we exist. The only thing that makes us happy. It's wrong how Aiden won't shift for you. It's arrogance, nothing more."
"Leave this for now, we should," Babette said with a sigh at her sister's stubbornness. "Time to prepare for supper, it is. Have an hour, you," she directed at Remy.
"Merci, chere."
"I'll show you back to your room," Marielle suggested to him, giving him the eyes. She hadn't been chosen by him yet. "I'll show you just how accommodating a Siskan should be."
Remy smiled awkwardly, still uncomfortable from all this. He was a little less approving of Marielle, her criticism of Aiden bugged him. He was surprised to see her so prejudiced, Kimble was never this way, neither was Seth. Was there real grounds for this or was there such a thing as a bitchy 'gram? He wanted information, he wanted to learn, but it seemed as though there was a price to be paid for it. It was there in Marielle's eyes which glowed in lustful hunger for him. He waited for Babette to jump in and claim him, but she only nodded at him and withdrew with a knowing smile. Gambit felt he had no choice but to give in. Perhaps once he had given favor to them all, they might back off and instruct him with their knowledge, not their bodies.
He got up and allowed Marielle to take him. She was a beautiful blonde and reminded him of Vanessa. As predicted, she was all over him the moment the door to his room was closed. Again, her empathic power was not as great as Babette's but no less intoxicating. The moment her arms came around him, all of his discomfort was gone and he was lost in play. He lost all track of time and it was only when Babette came to collect him for supper that he came back to reality.
She touched him gently, not the least bit jealous of the sister that now lay sleeping beside him, her bright yellow hair all tangled and flowing about her smiling face. Babette smiled at him. "It's time to eat. Come."