Abduction

Suza

“Time for you two to eat,” she said. She pointed to a table by the pool, which was being set by a worker clone.

“Thank you, my dear,” Garona said. He sat up. “I think we’re both quite hungry.”

“The food will be out momentarily,” Alita said. She turned and walked back to the worker clone to help with the preparations by arranging three chaiselike chairs around the table.

Garona stretched, yawned, and then reached for his clothing.

Suza

“Who is this woman?” she whispered.

“Alita,” Garona said. “Come, let us eat.”

Still confused, Suza

“Suza

“Wonderful,” Alita said.

Garona leaned over and gave Suza

“What a relief,” Alita said sincerely. “We sorely needed the reassurance.”

Suza

Garona and Alita launched into a discussion of Interterra’s security needs vis-à-vis the surface world. Suza

Gradually Suza

Both Garona and Alita laughed heartily.

“I’m sorry,” Alita said, struggling to contain herself. “It’s a perfectly reasonable question, but so very unexpected here in Interterra. You see, Garona and I have known each other for a long, long time.”

“Years then,” Suza

Garona burst out laughing again. He had to cover his face with his hand.

“Certainly years,” Alita said. “Years and years.”

“Alita and I have spent many lives together,” Garona explained as he wiped tears from his eyes.

“Oh, I see,” Suza

“It is indeed,” Garona said. “Alita is… well, I guess you’d call her my permanent woman.”

“Or we can say Garona is my permanent man,” Alita said.

“Either way,” Garona agreed.

“It’s nice that it is mutual,” Suza

“It’s something like your institution of marriage,” Alita said. “Only it transcends one body life to another.”

Suza

“Well, that’s all very interesting,” Suza

Garona got to his feet. “Are you sure you want to leave so quickly?”

“Quite sure,” Suza

“For me as well,” Alita said. “Garona has spoken so highly of you.”

“Has he now?” Suza

“I trust we’ll be seeing a lot of you,” Alita said.

“Perhaps,” Suza

“I’ll see you to an air taxi,” Garona said. “Unless you’d prefer that I accompany you back to the visitors’ palace.”

“That’s quite all right,” Suza

“Suza

“You think?” Suza

“What is the matter, Suza

“It’s just a minor cultural thing,” she said over her shoulder.

“Come now,” Garona said. Catching up with her, he grabbed her arm again and this time succeeded in bringing her to a stop. “Be open with me. Don’t make me guess.”

“It would be interesting to have you guess. But from my perspective it wouldn’t be much of a challenge.”

“I suppose this has something to do with Alita.”

“Very clever,” Suza

“Suza

Suza

“I know,” Garona insisted. “But I ask you not to judge by your earth surface standards. Try not to be selfish. You don’t have to feel you own things to enjoy them. We share ourselves with those we love, and love is an endless font.”

“I’m happy for you,” Suza

“Can’t you look at it from the Interterran perspective?”

“At this point, I doubt it.”

“Remember, a lot of your earth surface morality tends to be self-indulgent, selfish, and ultimately destructive.”

“From your perspective,” Suza

“Perhaps,” Garona said. “But that’s not important here.”

“Garona, look,” Suza

The air taxi suddenly loomed out of nowhere, and its side opened up.

“Do you need me to command the air taxi?” Garona asked.

“I prefer to do it myself,” Suza

“Then I will come over tonight,” Garona said. “Is that all right?”

“As we secondary humans say, I believe I need a little space,” Suza

“I will come anyway,” Garona insisted.

“It’s up to you,” Suza