Eros Descending: Book 3 of Tales of the Velvet Comet (16 page)

“It will pass.”

“Can I do anything to make you feel better?”

He stared at her for a long moment. “You can deactivate your translator and sing a song,” he said slowly. “I would find that very restful.”

“If you wish,” she said.

“But you must never tell anyone that I requested it,” he added sharply.

She nodded and trilled a brief answer, and Gold, with a growing sense of excitement, realized that the translating device was already off.

A moment later the room was filled with her alien music, each melodic tone sounding like the chime of ice on the finest crystal. Gold leaned back as she crooned her song, waiting for the tension to drain from his throbbing head and finding to his consternation that it had spread throughout his body as he watched her swaying in time to the music.

Suddenly the room became silent, and Titania activated her translator again.

“Did you like it?” she asked.

“Very much,” whispered Gold.

“Shall I sing another song for you?”

“I think you'd better not,” he said with an enormous effort of will.

“You didn't like it.” Gold imagined that he could distinguish a sense of
hurt
in the translated voice.

“Yes, I did. Please believe me.”

“Then I will sing another song.”

Before he could protest again, she had turned off her translator and a new melody permeated the room. Gold closed his eyes, leaned his head back against the couch, and found himself humming along with her.

“That was very lovely,” he said when she had concluded.

“You are very easy to please,” she replied, activating the translator.

“Am I?”

“Yes.”

He stared unblinking at her. “How easy?” he said softly.

She looked at his flushed face and rigid body, and suddenly a smile of comprehension crossed her face.

“
Very
easy.”

“Why do you think so?”

She walked over and stood directly in front of him, her posture one of open invitation.

“Because my job is pleasing people.”

Gold's hands began shaking again.

“How can you look so innocent and be so wanton?” he whispered.

“How innocent do I look?” she asked, her alien eyes wide with mock curiosity.

“Like a little girl.”

“Would you like me to be
your
little girl?” she asked. “To reward when I'm good and punish when I'm bad?”

He tried to answer, but all that came out was an unintelligible concoction of sound.

“Can I call you Daddy?” she continued.

“Don't do this,” he whispered.

“Don't do what, Daddy?” she asked, amused by his obvious torment.

“Don't flaunt yourself before me,” he said. “I'm a moral, God-fearing man!”

“Then you'll have to punish me,” she said, grinning.

“Would you like to put me over your knee?”

“Yes,” he breathed, then jumped to his feet. “No!” he shouted. “I'm Thomas Gold, and I cannot be led astray!”

“Then can't I be your little girl anymore?” she asked with mock regret.

“Don't toy with me like this!” he pleaded. “You're just a child! You can't know what you're doing!” He stopped in mid-tirade and stared, wild-eyed, at her.

“God, but you're beautiful!” he whispered. He looked at her silver, feathery hair. “What does it feel like?” he asked.

He reached out to her, and felt an even stronger sensation than that which he had experienced earlier in the cargo area. “You look so very innocent!” he whispered, stroking her hair and neck.

“There's not an awful lot that she's innocent
of
,” said a sardonic voice from behind him.

Startled, he whirled around and found himself facing the Steel Butterfly.

“How long have you been there?” he demanded.

“I just came in.”

He stared at her, momentarily disoriented.

“I —” He stopped, looked at the grinning Titania, then back at the madam. “I only...” He began stammering, and his voice trailed off.

“Titania, you can leave us now,” said the Steel Butterfly.

The little faerie skipped across the room and out the door while Gold watched her, blinking furiously and struggling for composure.

“She tried to —” he began, then stopped again and stared at his hands, as if they were alien things that belonged to someone else. Finally he looked up at the Steel Butterfly. “All I did was touch her hair, I swear it!”

“I believe you.”

“I was just curious as to how it felt,” he continued, feeling like a fool but unable to make himself stop talking. “It's not like human hair, you know. Its texture is, well, different, and I wanted to touch it and see what it felt like, to see if it was more feathery or hairy, to the touch I mean. So I got up and I walked over and I reached out and I touched it. That's all I did. I'm Thomas Gold, and I would never do anything else, anything more. I just touched her hair, just that, I swear to God!”

“Maybe you'd better take a minute to compose yourself, Doctor Gold,” said the Steel Butterfly, walking to the bar and starting to mix herself a drink.

“I
am
composed,” he said unsteadily.

“Perhaps not as much as you think,” she replied without looking up.

He took a step toward her, felt a mild sense of discomfort, and suddenly became aware that he had an erection that was clearly visible beneath his trousers.

He immediately sat down on the nearest chair.

“Don't look so distressed, Doctor Gold,” said the Steel Butterfly, not without a trace of sympathy. “You're not exactly unique.”

“I don't know what you mean.”

“I mean that the business of a brothel is human frailty.”

“I didn't molest her!” he protested.

“I know you didn't. If you had tried, Security would have been here on the double. There are three very well-camouflaged holo cameras in the office.”

“Oh my God!” he breathed. “Do you mean that everything that happened here is on a holo disk somewhere?”

She nodded. “Of course.”

“What right did you have to spy on me?” he demanded hotly.

“You're in
my
office, Doctor Gold,” she replied. “I'd hardly consider it spying.”

“You purposely stayed away while she flaunted herself at me!” he raged. “You set me up for this!”

The Steel Butterfly shook her head. “I did no such thing, Doctor Gold.”

“Then why weren't you here to meet me when I got to the office?” he demanded.

“I was busy,” she replied. “And I hardly expected to see you twice in one day,” she added reasonably.

“Where's Constantine? This was
his
idea!”

“He's on Deluros VIII, I imagine,” answered the Steel Butterfly.

“No!” yelled Gold. “He's here!”

“We're expecting him tomorrow, but I can attest to the fact that he's not aboard the
Comet
at this moment.”

“Lies! All lies!”

“It's the truth.”

“But he
must
be here!” persisted Gold, his voice suddenly confused and almost whining. “That's why I came—to see him.”

“I think we both know why you came, Doctor Gold,” she said gently.

“I only touched her hair!”

“What else would you have touched if I hadn't entered the room when I did?”

A look of utter panic flashed across his tortured face. “What do you intend to do with those holo disks?”

“I haven't thought about it,” she replied.

“You mustn't show them to anyone!”

“Just a minute, Doctor Gold.” She turned toward her tabletop computer terminal. “Cupid?”

“Yes?” said the computer's electronic voice.

“Put everything from the time Doctor Gold entered the office until he leaves into my Personal file.”

She turned back to Gold. “No one will be allowed access to what we say unless I order Cupid to release it.” She paused. “You have certain disks of ours. Perhaps we could arrange a trade.”

“Then I was right! This whole thing was your idea!”

“No, Doctor Gold. I didn't even know you were coming here. This whole thing was
your
idea!”

“How do I know you won't make copies first?”

She smiled. “How do I know
you
won't?”

He stared sullenly at her. “I won't part with them.”

“Even in exchange for the record of what happened in here?”

“I have my reasons.”

“I'm sure you do.”

He stared at her, apprehension replacing outrage on his pale face.

“What happens now?”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean, nothing? Are you blackmailing me or aren't you?”

“Blackmail is an ugly word, Doctor Gold,” said the Steel Butterfly. “I'm trying to effect a trade with you.”

“I won't part with the Delvania disks!” he declared passionately.

“You absolutely insist on keeping them?”

“Yes!” he shouted, his eyes blazing in half-crazed defiance.

“You're the leader of more than two million Jesus Pures,” she said pointedly. “Have you thought the consequences if they should see this disk?”

“If that disk is ever released, I'll come back here and kill you with my own hands!”

She sighed. “You realize, of course, that your threat is now a matter of record?”

He looked confused. “But you told the computer ... I thought you said that —”

“I said that no one could access this disk without my permission. That's valid only as long as I'm alive. Two minutes after you killed me Attila would be going through every disk in my Personal file, looking for a likely motive.”

He began pacing the floor distractedly. “I'm sorry,” he muttered. “I'm sorry. I said that in the heat of the moment. I couldn't kill anyone.”

“I believe you.”

“But I
can't
let my son see that disk!”

“And you won't trade the Delvanian disks to me?”

“I
can't
!”

She finished her drink and placed the empty glass on the bar.

“All right, Doctor Gold,” she said. “My only concern is the
Velvet Comet
. The rest of Vainmill can go straight to hell for all I care.” She paused. “If you'll promise not to mention the
Comet
or the faeries again in your broadcasts, I'll promise not to release the disk. You can go right on attacking Fiona Bradley and Vainmill to your heart's content, as long as you leave the
Comet
alone. Have we got a deal?”

“Yes.”

“Then I guess that concludes our business,” she said. “Do you need a few minutes before you leave?”

Suddenly exhausted, he nodded his head. “Thank you,” he said wearily.

“You're welcome, Doctor Gold.”

He spent a couple of minutes in silence, trying to control his alternating feelings of lust and shame, then got to his feet and followed her to the door.

She pointed to a nearby elevator.

“That leads to the service area. You're welcome to take it, if you'd like to get back to your ship without being seen.”

“I think it would be best,” said Gold. He turned to her, a puzzled expression on his face. “You're sure Richard Constantine isn't aboard the
Comet
?”

“You never really thought he was, did you?” she replied.

Thirty minutes later, as he sat in exquisite misery on the planet-bound ship, he still didn't know the answer to the Steel Butterfly's final question. Then the exertions of the long day caught up with him, and he nodded off to sleep.

The imp was waiting for him, as usual.

“Hi, Daddy,” he said, and suddenly metamorphosed into a faerie in a translucent gown. “Did you bring me a present?”

“Yes, I did,” said Gold. “But first you must close your eyes.”

The faerie closed her eyes, her face a mask of happy anticipation, as Gold began slipping off his clothing.

“All right,” he said after a moment. “You can look now.”

“Oh, Daddy!” she crooned happily, her words a series of tinkling chimes.

“Attila wishes to speak to you on Channel K,” announced Cupid.

“All right,” said the Steel Butterfly. “Put him through.”

The Security chief ‘s holograph flickered into existence and took on shape and form. “Got a minute to answer a couple of questions?” he asked her.

“For you? Always,” she said pleasantly.

“Okay. First of all, what the hell is a Personal file?”

“Ah!” She smiled. “You've reviewed the disk.”

“Didn't anyone ever tell you that if you want to maintain confidentiality you use a Priority file coded to your Vainmill Employee Number?”

“Of course,” answered the Steel Butterfly. “But nobody ever told that to Doctor Gold.”

“Then you just wanted him to
think
that Security couldn't access the disk?”

“Certainly,” she said, amused. “You're slow today, Attila.”

“I guess I must be,” he admitted. “This Personal file bullshit took me by surprise.”

“You mentioned that you had two questions. What was the other?”

Attila's image stared directly at her for a moment, deadly serious.

“Who gave you the right to make a private treaty with Gold?” he said at last.

“You're referring to my promise never to make use of the disk, of course?” said the Steel Butterfly.

“
Your
promise,” he said emphatically. “Not
mine
.”

He paused. “This disk is what we've been waiting for. We've finally got something that'll turn this man into a laughingstock, and you didn't even get him to turn over the Delvania footage for it.”

“He'll never use what he got from Delvania,” she said confidently.

“Maybe so, maybe not.”

“I guarantee it.”

“Even if you're right, that doesn't mean that someone else in his organization won't use it. For starters, he's supposed to have a son who's even more of a fanatic than
he
is.”

“He'll never show it to his son.”

What makes you so sure?” persisted Attila.

“Because understanding sexual obsession is my business,” replied the Steel Butterfly.

“Well, protecting the
Comet
is mine,” answered Attila. “I'm going to have to turn that disk over to Constantine.'’

“You're a fool,” she said. “Thomas Gold is no threat to anyone except Thomas Gold.”

“That sounds impressive, but it doesn't mean shit if you're wrong. What if he attacks us again? After all, a fanatic doesn't have to honor his word.”