Into Tolari Space (Tales of Tolari Space) Read Online Free Page A

Smitty called and tried to explain. The Monral took offense at first, though he didn’t seem to hold it against Smitty. She had studied the Tolari ruler’s face as her husband cajoled him into accepting the presence of the marines. All she saw was slow acceptance. She’d shaken her head. The man was brilliant.
    The fresh air was warm and fragrant as she stepped onto the roof, and she took a deep breath. After spending so much time breathing canned air on ships and stations, this planet smelled good . With any luck, so did they. The ship’s laundry had deodorized their clothes – she hoped.  The Tolari’s sense of smell had to be exquisitely sensitive for them to be so affected by the faint traces of cleaner on their clothing.
    The young Tolari prince appeared from the stairwell and greeted them. Adeline smiled and bowed when her husband did, but she understood little. Instead, she studied Farric as he led them down the stairs and toward the audience room. It wasn’t just any man who could pull off wearing pale lavender, but both he and his father wore it well. Manly men, she thought with a silent giggle. Farric glanced at her and smiled, as if he knew what she was thinking. She shot him a friendly grin.
    When they reached the audience room, Smitty was gruff with the marines. “Stay just inside the door,” he grumbled. “And don’t even think about using those .” He gestured at the rifles they carried.
    “Yes sir,” they both replied, and then Farric was motioning them all into the room.
    To her surprise, Farric remained in the corridor. She glanced back at him, but then Smitty pulled her along. They stopped at the dais and lowered themselves to the matting. Smitty had trouble again sitting on his heels. He’d practiced it on the ship, but he just wasn’t flexible enough. He fell onto one hip again. Well, there were worse poses.
    The Monral made them wait, staring at them with a face made of stone, while Smitty started making occasional small movements indicating he was growing physically uncomfortable. She was pretty sure the Tolari ruler could see it too. Finally, the Monral uttered a word she didn’t understand.
    So, no English this time.
    She focused on the Monral as Smitty spoke. There was something about the set of his shoulders that gave her the impression he was amused. God, the man was a bastard, making Smitty wait again. A tiny twitch of a cheek muscle caught her eye. Yes, he was amused. After a pause so long she began to wonder if he would just stare at them the rest of the evening, the Monral spoke, and she couldn’t have been prouder of Smitty for keeping the discomfort out of his voice when he replied.
    The Monral took a breath, assumed an air of superiority, and continued.
    A giant of a man, wearing a pale blue robe covered from collar to hem with white embroidery, burst into view out of thin air, standing in front and to one side of the dais. She nearly jumped out of her skin, falling backward with an involuntary cry, her concept of reality turning on its head. Smitty gave a violent start, and the Monral too jerked in surprise. She didn’t have time to process that improbable event when lavender-clad Tolari began popping out of nowhere along the walls of the room, all of them staring at the blue-robed intruder, ready to attack. The unmistakable click of assault rifle safeties being disengaged sounded behind her. She’d almost forgotten about the marines.
    The Monral scowled and made a gesture, and the Tolari along the walls – disappeared . Her mouth fell open.
    “Stand down!” Smitty barked at the marines.              
    They lowered their rifles with obvious reluctance. Adeline breathed a sigh of relief and craned her neck to look up at the man who’d so impossibly burst out of thin air. Then she forgot to breathe. The man was stunning. Good God, she thought. Michelangelo would weep to sculpt this man. The heavens should part before him. She tore her eyes away from him