11
(Terraday, cont.)
Hailu, X’lea
.
Neeca exchanged glances with Fashi as they fell into step with the graying gentleman.
“I am to remind you that it is a great honor to meet with the Curator in person. I’m not aware of anyone other than myself who has been allowed to see her in a very long time. She has a personal interest in you, Neeca. I only warn you to never slight her. While infinitely generous, her temper is… rather unmatched,” Jasper warned.
“She’s never seen Neeca in full wrath,” Fashi quipped.
Neeca elbowed him.
“The Curator’s wrath would undoubtedly create a need to change your pants, Fashi,” Jasper continued with no expression. “Don’t mention the Other World in her presence either. It’s a rather touchy subject for the Curator. Or Vasana. Never praise Vasana in her presence! History there, from what I gather. I’d better not tell you any more than that before I incur her wrath.”
Down the dimly lit corridor, Jasper opened a rather nondescript door and gestured that they should enter.
The room was small and intimate, without any real décor. A small desk was dwarfed by the tall figure sitting behind it. A midnight-blue hooded cloak hid most of her features, but her elegant blue face and jet-black hair was still visible. She lifted her hood off her head.
“Welcome, Neeca and Fashi,” the woman greeted. “Please be seated.” She indicated a pair of wooden chairs almost uncomfortably close to the magnificent being.
“Thank you. Is Curator your name or title?” Neeca asked sweetly, sitting in the nearer chair.
“It is what I call myself in your world.”
“It is good to meet you, Curator,” Fashi greeted.
“Likewise,” the Curator replied. She nodded to Jasper who sat in a chair next to her.
“We would like to discuss this casino you wish to run,” Jasper said. “As we previously discussed, we are aware of – and impressed by – your previous experiences, Fashi.
“Thank you, I feel humbled by that,” Fashi said, squeezing Neeca’s hand. She squeezed back.
“We also like that you already have a partner,” Jasper said.
“You’ve bonded?” the Curator said, looking critically at Neeca. “This strengthens your position with me. Makes you more stable as a couple and ensures better odds of success for my projects.”
Neeca wondered at the Curator’s words. Was it possible that she’d conceived – and that this woman in front of her already knew? She knew that many leya sensitives could sense such things, but it wasn’t one of her gifts. Could Fashi feel it?
“Running a casino will be a big job,” Neeca said. “Is it really something only two can manage?”
“As it happens, I have the ideal spot for your casino – and that ties in the perfect employees!” Jasper said.
“You hadn’t told me that part,” the Curator said, looking at Jasper. There was both irritation and tenderness in her expression.
“Hailu Hoverbils fell on hard times with the restrictions,” Jasper explained. “They shut their doors only about two months ago, I guess it was.”
“I’m aware of that – then the factory was destroyed in the riots,” Fashi continued.
“The site was jointly owned and operated by two families, the Savints and the Dellans.”
Neeca’s head lifted at that. “The Savints – as in Savint Mansion? They own a lot in many countries. I wouldn’t have thought they’d suffer too much for losing a single factory.”
“They haven’t,” Jasper admitted. “It’s a different story for the Dellans.”
“Are these the same Dellans who once supplied Irola with an abári?” Neeca asked.
“The same,” Jasper confirmed. “And a cheating Governor here in Hailu. I’m glad you know your history, Neeca. Anyway, the Dellan family did not have as many investments as the Savints. As of last summer, they were rich. But now, both of the Dellan brothers face the loss of their homes due to their inability to pay their taxes. They have young children.”
“Sounds like a good prospect,” the Curator said. “Do they have casino experience or housing?”
“No, but that’s where Fashi comes in with his bookie experience. We have Neeca who has experience in cooperative housing situations – something we might employ in the housing section of our projects. If it works here, we can implement it everywhere.”
“It almost sounds like we should have sent them to Joton instead,” the Curator said. “Their project is ready to launch, whereas this one hasn’t even broken ground.”
“I think our current group in Joton will be able to handle that one,” Jasper said confidently.
The Curator nodded.
“So, we take care of the cleanup of the old factory site on the condition that we’re allowed to build our project. The Savints and Dellans get equal shares in it just for allowing us to run this thing as long as we turn a profit. The Dellan brothers get paid for managing – both in money and extra dividends. Their financial lives are saved, we get what we want and everyone’s happy!” Jasper said. “Even the wives could work if they wanted.”
Fashi was nodding his head as he listened.
“Have you talked to them yet?” the Curator asked. “Oh, you wanted to send someone younger.” She looked at Neeca.
“We will get right on it,” Neeca promised, starting to get up.
“Uana was right in her assessment of you two,” Jasper said, smiling.
“Uana?!” Fashi exclaimed. “Who does she actually work for then?”
“The Curator and me,” Jasper replied. “She’s a very useful pawn. She thinks she’s so clever.”
“And that’s how you knew about us,” Neeca said.
“She felt some of your little thoughts, Fashi. You really need to work on guarding your thoughts better, you know. She knew you were suspicious of her, so she talked to me – wanted you off Irola for some reason,” Jasper explained. “Then Zidka also wanted you out of there… I realized you were something special.”
“Out of the way for what?” Fashi demanded.
“Can’t have you getting in the way of our little boosters racket, now, could we?” Jasper said slyly.
“Just because I suspected Uana doesn’t mean I was going to get in her way! Had I wanted that, I could have been her biggest nightmare, but I let it go,” Fashi challenged.
Neeca squeezed his hand in support.
“Oh, Jasper. Do you have to be so irritable?” the Curator asked, turning her focus from him to Neeca again. “What he’s deliberately leaving out is that your suspicions of Uana made us pay attention to you anyway. No one else in that room had any doubts about her, but you did. That’s why you’re here now, because you can be of greater service to us here.”
<Told you,> Fashi’s thought came to Neeca.
“Here, you can be #3 and #4 in Hailu,” the Curator said with a luxurious laugh. “Once the Dellans are trained up to take over the project, we’ll move you on to the next place. Come here, Belmara.”
Neeca approached the alien woman with respectful caution. How did she know about the mix-up on her documents?
The woman laughed. “Sometimes ‘accidents’ happen because they are meant to. Neeca is the name of a lovely, but timid little girl who says ‘yes, Abári,’ at every turn. Belmara is a powerful woman who demands respect when people hear her name or look upon her face. The person at the dock recognized you for who you are, Belmara. Give me your hands.”
The Curator took her hands with two blue ones. Another blue hand was placed on her head. The fourth hovered an inch or two over her abdomen. She said some words in a foreign language.
“They will be good and healthy,” the woman said smiling at Neeca. “I have made sure of it.”
“They?” Neeca said, or was she Belmara?
“Your twins, Belmara. Talk to a stella. She can give you some herbs to help strengthen their connection to the leya. I don’t have any of my supplies here or I’d give you them myself,” the Curator said.
Neeca smiled.
“Belmara, Fashi, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you two that everything that happens within these walls stays here… We don’t talk about anything outside,” the Curator said. “Even within our organization. Not everyone is authorized to know everything you do – especially about me.”
“Yes, I understand. How should I address you?”
“The Curator is fine. Though sometimes Jasper will take calls for me, I don’t always want to be on deck, you know. I believe some of the orders use the term mestari for teacher. That works too,” she replied.
Neeca nodded her understanding, still standing uncomfortably close to the magnificent woman. The Curator stood, easily two feet taller than Neeca. She wrapped her cloak around herself again to hide the extra arms. The hood was drawn to de-emphasize her skin tone.
Jasper hurried to the door to open it.
“Now, I believe you have some tasks to accomplish. And Jasper and I have a boat to catch. As usual, you can catch us on PCS.”
“Yes. Thank you, Curator,” Neeca replied with a slight bow.
“Fashi. Belmara. Do not reveal to anyone anything you have learned about me. Ignore me at your peril!” the woman warned, pulling the leya around herself until she all-but-disappeared, leaving behind only a vague impression of a terrible tempest more in line with a goddess. Jasper hurried after the woman like the obedient servant Neeca had the strange feeling he was.
Neeca shivered.
Fashi put his arm around her. “That was interesting. I told you Belmara sounded good,” he said. “Twins, eh?”
“Take me home,” she said weakly.
“But our assignment,” Fashi protested.
“Can wait an hour,” Neeca replied.
♥♥♥
If you have enjoyed this book, I would be grateful if you could put your thoughts as a review on [Goodreads](coming soon) for me.
Buy at: (coming soon to Books2Read, Scribl, LBRY and Lulu - paperback.)
Other Chapters of this set
Birth of the Neví - coming soon on Whaleshares - otherwise, scroll way back on Steem (like summer 2018.)
Name of the Neví - Chapter 1
Mind of the Neví - Chapter 1
Maps and Guides
- Terrenden Atlas Page - Hailu, X'lea, Kranisis
- Terrenden Atlas Pages (six maps of Almara and Kranisis.)
- Character Guide and Image Credits
- Calendar and Glossary - for Name of the Neví but these two parts are true throughout.
Writing and artwork copyright myself 2005-2019 – all rights reserved.
If you are interested in helping me publish these works, please contact me on Facebook or Discord, viking-ventures#2883.
Please bring popcorn!
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
verified author on Goodreads
find me on Twitter
blogging on: Steem, Whaleshares, WeKu, Hyperspace, Publish0x
Join us in the Official Whaleshares server in the text channel "the-phoenix-project"