Kentauran Date: Pavo 6, 92.
Let me tell you about one of the longest days of
my life. Happened not too long ago. It didn’t make things any easier
that it was during one of my many trips back to Kentaurus, which has a
sidereal period of about 26.5 earth hours. Woke up to discover that the
damn cyborg body guard had been scheduled for routine maintenance and
the contractor supplied me with a loaner. Loaners are fine, but they
don’t know all of your nuances and habits. Takes about a standard year
to break in a new cyborg.
The day started out before sunrise, breakfast of a bagel and orange
juice, which I couldn’t finish due to numerous video conferences. Had
to subsist on coffee. I swear that attorneys will be both the ruin and
salvation of galactic civilization. If it weren’t for the legal concept
of extraterritoriality, Krønberg could never exist.
Then there was Princess Mariah’s ball. She has gotten all lathered up
over some local royalty and power monger, and wanted to impress him
with her importance. This means that
I had to dress for the occasion. Have you seen the fashions on
Kentaurus lately? And you thought corsets were uncomfortable!
Still, I was taking it in stride until my pet snark got sick. I still
think she started throwing up on the cashmere carpet because I wasn’t
paying enough attention to her. I really don’t have time for a pet, but
she was a gift from a very powerful and influential ally, and one just
doesn’t turn down such gifts.
Dinner at the Princess’ ball was a fabulous concoction of marinated
chicken, rice and seasonal fruit, but I didn’t eat but half of it
because of all the conversations. Seems like every petty bureaucrat on
the planet needed my ear for something. One of the great unfairnesses
of the universe is that men have no idea what it’s like to spend an
evening with makeup that took an hour and a half to apply. You can’t
wash your face, and you can’t sweat, and you try not to wrinkle your
face too much.
The evening was saved, though, when Ambassador Enrika entered the room.
She and I were junior officers
in the Space Defense many, many years ago. We had a torrid and
energetic affair that lasted until I resigned my commission. We lost
contact. I didn’t know she was now the Kentauran ambassador to
Vladnosya. She looked stunning, somehow managing to make the stiff
Kentauran clothes look marvelous. One of the few women I know who looks
better in middle age than when she was young. We caught each other’s
eye and were immediately drawn together. I could feel the old
attraction just under the surface, and I fought to keep it there.
Leǔtenant Sub-Ranga Enrika
Ambasadoro Enrika
We danced for hours, ignoring most of the crowd around us. Eventually
our administrative positions demanded our attention, but we
promised to call each other in the morning.
Unfortunately, an emergency erupted on Goshtyán, and I had to
take
an impromptu flight in the early hours. Finally caught some sleep.