Ojbect Read online

  Bella sighed and focused on the audit. She was here to determine whether Lord Korkham was claiming a genuine expense. Nothing more.

  The pod took a wide and lovely arc to the front entrance where an attendant emerged from the house to open the door of their conveyance. The attendant didn’t say anything, but helped her to her feet and preceded them to open the door.

  A male attendant took Lord Korkham to one side and away from the elaborate entryway. A female attendant appeared and beckoned her to follow.

  “I am simply here to observe. I do not need...whatever.”

  The attendant was wearing a light drape in place of the standard thick mask. Bella could see the smile. The woman beckoned again.

  Bella was so relieved to see the features that she followed the woman’s lead.

  They walked for a few minutes through scented and bright hallways until they passed into a room that held long racks of gowns, vanity tables and a gathering of friendly women.

  Her guide removed the drape on her head, and Bella was staring into vivid blue eyes.

  “Welcome to the Face-to-Face Club. You are the guest of Lord Korkham?”

  Bella inclined her head. “Yes and no. I am a court auditor, and I am investigating the work value of this facility.”

  Her guide frowned. “Just a moment, please.”

  The woman walked off, and the others milled around in mild confusion. Unable to stop herself, Bella walked to the dress racks and flicked through the designs, seeking one that would be flattering. She sighed longingly at the deep purple gown with emerald accents.

  The blue-eyed woman returned, and Bella jerked her hand away from the gown. “The manager invites you to enjoy full access to the facilities. I am Yimra, I will be your guide through the property.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You must change clothing so as not to distress the other guests. Is there a gown that you liked?”

  One of the quiet women came up and whispered in Yimra’s ear.

  Yimra smiled and flicked through the racks until she pulled out the amethyst gown. “If you like it, we will try this one first. Once you have a gown, it will be yours anytime you visit here.”

  Bella blinked and leaned away. “I do not plan on returning.”

  “That will be your decision. Many become addicted to being able to speak face to face once again. Off-worlders are especially good members here.”

  Bella sighed and followed the woman to a small changing area—folding screens that cut her off from prying eyes. With more curiosity than dedication to her job, she removed her headgear and the mask.

  The world around her sprang back into sharp relief as she slowly removed all of her uniform and handed it over to the women on the other side of the screen. She slipped the gown on and it hung in place, hugging her curves with the biased-cut silk showing her off to full advantage.

  “Are shoes available?” She stepped out, holding the gown up slightly so she could walk without tripping.

  The women stared at her and smiled. One left to get some shoes while another beckoned her to sit.

  Yimra watched with a delighted expression. “Tima will arrange your hair, and then, you will be able to join the gathering. Yinsa is getting you some shoes. We needed to get your boots to match the size.”

  The woman in question came in wielding a pair of slightly heeled sandals. While Tima brushed out her hair, Yinsa put her shoes on.

  It was startling to see her own face in a mirror. Mirrors were not used in the court. Even in the private chambers, she was dependant on her reflection in trays and pitchers. Her photo identification on Kloa was a picture of her genetic signature; she hadn’t realized how much she missed the sight of her own features until now.

  When Tima was done arranging her hair, Bella got to her feet. She wavered in the heels, but managed a few steps without tripping on the gown before she was able to stand with her shoulders back and smile at Yimra. “Ready when you are.”

  “This way, please.”

  Yimra led the way down a hall painted with trees and flowers. The door at the end was abrupt as it disgorged them into a large space where a number of people were sitting in conversational groups and enjoying cocktails.

  Bella identified nine different species in play, including the Kloa. The foreigners were relaxed and enjoying a polite social moment.

  To her surprise, Yimra tugged her forward and introduced her around as Madame Banks.

  The people she met were ambassadors, trade masters, lords, ladies and none were here for anything other than meeting face to face.

  Lord Korkham smiled at her with his lovely features exposed and the silvery brown skin of the Kloa looking very attractive on him. He appeared surprised by her own features, but Yimra nodded politely and continued her introductions. She was being a hostess, and she was very good at it.

  The conversations that they had interrupted were all casual trade conversations. Bella nodded. “Thank you for the introduction. I can leave now.”

  Yimra looked surprised. “You have only just arrived here.”

  “I am here in my work capacity. I have gained the information I needed to complete the audit. Any lingering on my part would not serve the court, it would only serve myself.”

  A male voice spoke from behind her. “But you have not yet seen all the facilities. It would be a shame to miss out.”

  She turned slowly to face a man whose bearing indicated that he was in command of all he surveyed. Unfortunately, he was surveying her at the moment.

  “My job is satisfied, and to remain would taunt me with things I cannot have. I will have to leave and file my report before I can release Lord Korkham from investigation.”

  The man smiled, his nearly perfect features glowed. “I will complete your tour myself.”

  Yimra inclined her upper body and disappeared around the corner.

  “Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lord Akking. I own this club and the grounds.”

  To her shock, he took her hand and raised it to his lips; she felt the warmth of his skin on her knuckles, but his mouth didn’t touch her.

  “You know of me already, but I am Auditor Banks.”

  “Bella Banks of Terra. I was not expecting your features to be so much like ours.”

  She quirked her lips and cocked her head. “Neither was I. The Kloa have sharper features, but the symmetry is apparent.”

  He straightened and offered her his arm. She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm, and she smiled. “If you feel there is more I need to see, please, lead on.”

  His posture settled as she curled her fingers around the elegant black of his tunic sleeve. His dress was nearly military. A black tunic, with matte black buttons off set from the left shoulder down, was belted snugly, and his trousers and slick black boots were in keeping with the precise attitude his upper body depicted.

  His hair was a deep purple and his eyes a shadowy plum. Lord Akking would be striking on any world, but here, he was lost on the sea of masks. It was a shame.

  Chapter Three

  He smiled as she looked at a few of the Kloa and understanding came to her eyes. She watched the smile spread.

  “The reason that everyone wears a mask is now understandable.” Bella continued to walk with him, but her mind was spinning.

  She was on a world of genetically engineered beings. All the lords were identical but with variations in hair and eye colour. The features were all the same.

  She cleared her throat. “The lower classes are still beautiful, but no longer so clearly stamped.”

  “As with most societies, they have more children, the children blend, the genes blur. I am impressed. It usually takes more than thirty minutes uncovered before folk realize what we are.”

  “It is a pet interest of mine. Research into symmetry was something I started at home, but here, it has become a passion. So many species designed what they considered to be the perfect being, it is surprising to see that you could thrive and spread across
the world.”

  “It was not our choice. Our society was initially not very attractive; in fact, repulsive was a word frequently used. Our forefathers decided that to be successful, we needed to be more physically appealing, so they designed a template for an attractive species based on the most successful races in our sector. Four classes of being were designed, and all four exist today. In the base classes, they interbreed frequently, but are still easy to determine when you know what to look for.”

  “Do they ever make it to the court?”

  “Frequently, and if they make alliances or marriages, the spouse they end up with is always of the Social imprint and the features breed true.”

  “Social?”

  “One of the four imprints that our ancestors created. These faces and bodies were designed to make us pleasant to those we interacted with. When we realized that they also stopped us from focusing on the day-to-day necessities, the masks came into play. Eventually, they expanded to cover the entire body.”

  He walked with her through wide halls covered with portraits and then out through a set of double doors that led to a stone deck and, from there, a garden with a hedge maze.

  “Yimra said you picked out the gown yourself.”

  Bella nodded. “I used to have an eye for what flattered me.”

  “You still do. Once a guest has chosen a gown, it is theirs forever. It will be stored in a locker with your name on it.”

  She ran a hand down the gown. “Thank you, though I cannot imagine a scenario in which I would return; I thank you for the offer.”

  “I think you would not turn down a direct invitation.”

  “I think I would have to. This is not in my allowed job activities. I could be sent to Janial for being here.”

  He chuckled. “Yet, here you are.”

  She wrinkled her nose as they walked further into the maze. “Six months was too long to hold my curiosity back. I will return to court, file my report and wait to see what happens.”

  “If it is so dangerous, why did you come here?”

  Bella glanced at him. “I think I knew what I needed the moment I heard it. Life behind a mask was so tempting, but now, it is losing its attraction.”

  “That is a common attitude. I can tell you that there is no punishment for coming here. Off-worlders are expected to seek us out.”

  Inside, she sighed with relief. She liked it on Kloa, even with the mask.

  They walked in silence for ten minutes, wending their way to the centre of the maze and out again.

  “What did the ancients of Kloa look like?”

  They were pacing toward pools that had lazily splashing guests in them.

  He looked at her in surprise. “Why would you care about that?”

  “To know why folks make the decisions they do, looking to the past is suggested.”

  Lord Akking smiled. “There are pictures inside the private gallery, but I only invite the closest of friends to join me there.”

  “Apologies if I was insensitive.”

  He chuckled. “No, but you are obtuse. If you were Kloa, you would have recognized my attempt at seduction.”

  She stumbled. “Sed—”

  He nodded briskly, interrupting her. “Yes. Don’t your people couple for pleasure?”

  “Yes, some of them. In my life, I have restricted my coupling to when I feel an emotional attachment, in the moment when I felt safe.”

  He tilted his head. “You do not feel safe here?”

  Bella shook her head. “I do not.”

  He nodded. “I see. Pity. I think we would be amazing together.”

  She shivered at the husky promise in his tone. “I will have to trust your assessment on that. I am not willing to test it today.”

  She wanted to clamp a hand over her mouth when the qualifier slipped out of her lips. His slow smile was enough proof that he had caught it.

  Fortunately for her bright blush, he changed the subject and began to show off the amenities of the club and the premises.

  She took in the variety of aliens laughing and enjoying themselves while the Kloa with them talked business. It was confirmed.

  Bella sighed wistfully. “Thank you for the tour, Lord Akking. I have what I need. I can return to work now.”

  “You do not wish to take advantage of the offer to speak without obscuring one’s features?”

  She smiled. “I already have. Thank you for that. I need to return to finish that report and absorb the thought of what I have learned today.”

  Lord Akking looked flustered, and he took her directly to Yimra for a reversal of her earlier process.

  Before he handed her over, Bella turned to him and went up on her toes, pressing a kiss to his perfectly carved lips. Before he could grab her, she reversed direction and headed down the hall ahead of Yimra. The other woman was giggling as she followed.

  The shoes came off, the hair went up, and behind the screen, the court clothing went on once again. The mask felt distasteful and dishonest, but she settled it in place again and came around the screen. “Thank you for your assistance, Yimra. Tima. Yinsa.”

  The ladies nodded in turn.

  Yimra chuckled. “Women here are only one in twenty. We were happy to serve.”

  Bella bowed slightly, and the hostess walked her back to the entryway.

  “Lord Korkham is still here?”

  Yimra snickered. “He rarely spends less than six hours here at a stretch. He will be here long past the dinner hour and may even spend the night. I will summon a pod for you.”

  “Do you live here?”

  Yimra looked at her in surprise. “Of course. My family has served the Akkings for nine generations. It gives us a freedom that we would not otherwise have. We mingle with the court, but we don’t have to cover up. It is very pleasant.”

  “I can only imagine. Thank you again for your assistance.”

  “It was truly a pleasure. Your dress will go in storage until your next visit, but you will be free to choose whatever you are in the mood for.”

  They walked out into the bright sunlight and a pod cruised up. Lord Akking was waiting for them.

  Behind her mask, Bella blushed.

  “Auditor Banks, you took me by surprise or I would have given you this.” He held out a small pendant with a tiny design in minute gems.

  “I would be happy to accept, but I am on duty. It is not appropriate.”

  Lord Akking pulled the pendant back. “Of course. I will issue you an invitation. Please accept it.”

  She blinked at the disappointed look on his face, but her pod was waiting. “I enjoyed my time here. Thank you for your hospitality.”

  “It was delightful to have you. I look forward to the next occasion.” He smiled and gave her a half bow.

  Bemused, she entered the pod and keyed in the financial centre’s address. The pod whisked her away from the release and freedom she had experienced and back to the bonds of work and duty. Lord Korkham could keep his expense. There was no doubt that it was an environment conducive to work, or at least, trade.

  Two months after her day at the Face-to-Face Club, Bella was summoned to the high administration offices.

  She tried not to act nervous, but it was impossible not to be as she walked through the halls past the guards and into the gateway of the Kloa court.

  Her palm print allowed her access into the inner sanctum, and she nervously entered the offices of High Administrator Geera.

  The administrator’s mask didn’t hint at her thoughts, but the voice spoke volumes. “Auditor Banks, I hear you have been to the Face-to-Face Club.” The brusque hostility was apparent.

  “To perform an inquiry, yes.”

  “Have you returned there outside the bounds of an inquiry?”

  Bella stood in front of the desk. “I have not.”

  “Have you been tempted to?”

  “I have not. My work has not required it of me.”

  The administrator settled into a more relaxed pose. “T
hat might be awkward then. You have been requested to be the assistant of the Minister of Trade.”

  “That is unexpected. Who is the Minister of Trade?”

  Administrator Geera chuckled. “You may have met him. His name is Lord Akking.”

  Bella’s knees buckled. While she had put the club out of her mind, he was a much harder tease to get out of her fantasies.

  “I do not think I am qualified to act as an assistant to the Minister of Trade.”

  “You are not, but he is self-sufficient and will not be too much trouble. The most difficult part of your duties will be to keep up with his travels. He runs around a lot.”

  “I am not sure that I want this position.”

  “You have no choice. We are delighted to finally have someone who will file a report on time, so you are going to him. Here is your information packet, and there is a charm in there which will grant you access to your new offices and quarters.”

  “I am to leave now?”

  “You are. Your quarters have been packed and all of your belongings forwarded to your new location.”

  There was no arguing with the tone or the documents. In one move, Bella was shunted from a job she enjoyed to a position she was clueless about.

  “You are dismissed, Liaison Banks.”

  Bella inclined her head, turned on her heel and left the office. She looked around for a bench in the halls, and when she found one, she sat to read the directions.

  She was to get into one of the private pods summoned by the code in the packet. The pod would take her to the Face-to-Face Club and her orientation would begin there.

  Bella tensed her shoulders and got to her feet. Yelling at Lord Akking was inappropriate, but the sooner she got her butt to the club, the sooner she could start.

  Chapter Four

  The pod took her past the main house and into the forest. A small gathering of homes clustered in the shadow of the trees, and the pod brought her to one of the houses.

  She exited and the pod zipped away, silent as always. Bella walked up the pathway and knocked on the door. To her surprise, Yimra was there and smiling.