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squirted flowery scents onto her skin, then dressed in the kimono left on her
bed by someone.
Nishi had not seen the servant's arrival or departure. Perhaps it had been
one of the little robots programmed by the housekeeper.
She finished her tea, inhaling the cloying scent of jasmine, and returned to
the automated kitchen. Glass-fronted cupboards and walls revealed
kitchenware, preserved foods, blinking lights and the conveyors of the
automatic chef. There were signs and labels all around.
One sign above a red button said "Key Lock for Personal Cooking."
She pushed the button and a mechanical voice from the ceiling asked: "Do you
wish only to choose the spices or is an entire recipe to be ordered?"
"Spices," she said.
Two glass-fronted panels on her left came alight with bright yellow
illumination from under the shelves. Nishi bent close to study the labels.
"Cayenne . . . Cumin . . . Date Sugar . . .
Dobinoi . . . Elm (sweet) . . . Fenugreek . . ." She skipped ahead: "Lemon
Essence . . .
Marjoram . . . Paprika . . ." All alphabetical. Abruptly, she scanned back
to the upper shelves.
"Basil!"
There was the spice Ryll so feared. She removed the container, took off the
lid and sniffed.
Familiar pungency greeted her nostrils. She recalled her father had enjoyed
basil in a dish he often ordered. "Wop food," he had called it. Her Japanese
mother had threatened to pour it on his head.
A tear slid down Nishi's cheek.
Swallowing past a lump in her throat, she dumped the spice into the sink,
washed it down the drain and threw away the container. Looking at the ceiling
voder, she said: "Basil is never again to be used in this household."
"Provide a key name for the order, please."
"By orders of the household chatelaine!"
"So ordered."
She depressed the red button and the lights over the spices went dark.
As she stood there wondering if this were enough to protect Ryll, the front
door buzzer sounded and a wall screen on her right came alive to show a tall
man outside the door.
"Lutt? You home, Lutt?" the man asked.
"Who is it, please?" Nishi asked.
"You must be new! I'm Lutt's brother, Morey."
"Lutt is not home."
"Who're you?" Morey asked.
"I am Lutt's fiancee. We are to be married."
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"The whore from Venus? He says he's gonna marry you? That's great, dearie.
He often promises that." Morey slipped an envelope from his pocket and
dropped it into a slot beside the door.
"Tell him I brought what he ordered. And if you're not real busy, how'd you
like to invite me in for a little entertainment?"
"I will give him your message," Nishi said. "And you might tell your mother
what you called me."
"She's the one told me about you, dearie."
"Your mother and I have made our own agreement, Morey. After you've spoken to
her, I will expect your apology."
A worried frown creased Morey's forehead. "Agreement? She didn't say
anything about an --"
"Your information may be a little out of date," Nishi said. "Don't return
unless it's to apologize."
She left the kitchen and encountered the housekeeper loitering in the passage
to the service area.
A gray-haired older woman with vaguely Oriental features, the housekeeper had
a knowing gleam in her eyes.
"What is your name?" Nishi asked.
"Mrs. Ebey."
"Do you often listen to conversations in this house, Mrs. Ebey?" Nishi asked.
A smile twitched the corners of Mrs. Ebey's mouth. "It's the only way to
survive here."
"Then you heard my conversation with Lutt's brother?"
"Him? Trash! Master Lutt never lets him in the house."
"And what did you think of my exchange with his mother?"
"Watch out for her. She's trickier than she looks."
"Are you siding with me, Mrs. Ebey?"
"For the time being. You're pretty good in the clinches. Are you really a
virgin?"
"I am."
"You may be the first one ever to cross our threshold."
"Is there a way to secure the door to my room and prevent Lutt from entering?"
"I'll see to it. You want a palm lock, an eye print or a five-slot key?"
"What do you recommend?"
"Key. It can't be picked and if there's only one, he can't duplicate it. He
can break in, of course, but that'd take hours. This house is built solid."
"Thank you, Mrs. Ebey. I will not forget your help."
"That's what I'm counting on. You should know Master Lutt may be a little
late getting home.
There's a big party at The main house. He's to be diverted at The gate."
"Diverted?"
"They'll escort Master Lutt to this party."
"What's important about the party?"
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"The old lady's parading another eligible female past him. She's still hoping
to beat you some way. Do you really have a lot of whoring stories about Lutt
and old L.H.?"
"More than enough."
"That's rich. Everybody knows it, of course, but proving it's another
matter."
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"I have proof."
"More power to you, honey! I hope you soak 'em good. Will you be needing
anything else?"
"Not for now."
Mrs. Ebey went down The hall and turned a corner. The clicking of her heels
remained audible for a time and vanished with the sound of a door closing.
Nishi stared at the empty hall, thinking about her new situation. In a way, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]