Paul Kater - Bactine

Several of the guests stared at Daniel and started whispering. Around him, most of the talk fell silent as eyes peered at him, his appearance making quite the impression.

“Sir?” One of the servants approached him. “Oh, it is you. What happened to you, sir?”

“I got ambushed. I have to see the Seigner, can you take me to him?” Daniel did not feel like small talk.

“The Seigner is in a conversation, sir,” the servant said.

“Then show me where he is, man. This is important.”

The servant guided Daniel through the crowd, to a smaller room. It was the room where he had overheard the talk of Clelem with his family, concerning himself. Clelem sat a table with four other gentlemen.

“Seigner Dandra,” the servant began, but Daniel pushed past him.

“I am very sorry to burst in on you like this, sir, truly I am, but I have to see you. Now. This is urgent.”

Clelem looked up at Daniel. “You look very shaken up, Mr. Zacharias. And I recall it is very unlike you to interrupt people in this manner, so I assume there is indeed something pressing you have to tell me.” He got up. “Please, come with me. Gentlemen, if you would please excuse my leave.”

Clelem took Daniel to yet another room. It had windows that looked out over the bay. “Mr. Zacharias, talk to me.”

Daniel told his story, about the call, the meeting in the park, the threat towards the Pricosine and how he had been stunned and left paralysed by the cloaked person.

Clelem nodded slowly. He got up, looked outside the room for a moment and closed the door. “Mr. Zacharias, I am in your debt for coming here and bringing this matter to my attention. Unfortunately this is not the first time I have been threatened. There were letters and messages. Anonymous of course, but they all were directed against either my person, my family or my ships. So far they have only been threats without any action being taken to turn them into serious affairs. But this…” Clelem shook his head. “Do you have any idea who this person was?”

“No, sir, I’m sorry. I would not know.” Daniel had calmed down as Clelem was taking the time to listen to him, and he had relocated his more politely side again. “The shape of the person would give me reason to think of someone, but as I have no evidence of that, I would not feel safe in mentioning a name.”

“Ah… one moment please…” Clelem walked to the door and talked to someone. He returned soon. “I have asked for some tea for you, Mr. Zacharias. You look like you can do with that.”

“Thank you, Seigner. Have you mentioned the threats to the police?”

“I did, of course, but they are unable to provide me any services as long as no physical act has been committed. It is a sad truth, Mr. Zacharias, but it is so.”

After a knock on the door, a servant came in with a cup of tea and two glasses of local cognac.

“Cheers, Mr. Zacharias.”

The two men drank in silence. Then the door flew open.

“Father, Seigner Lastor has just told me-” Rayko stopped dead in her tracks. She stared at her father and Daniel. “I am sorry.” Her eyes shot devastation at Daniel. “My apologies.” She left the room.

“And mine, Mr. Zacharias. My daughter somehow learnt her manners from one of the sailors, I sometimes think.”

Daniel waved it away. “That’s fine, really. Miss Dandra ko Galem and I seem to be getting off on the wrong foot continually.”

Clelem nodded. “Yes, so I’ve heard.”

Daniel was not sure if there was a hidden chuckle in the man’s words.

“Now, let us return to recent events. Mr. Zacharias, I would appreciate it if you were to keep up your efforts to inform me about strange things. Anything at all that attracts any kind of attention. You have my permissions to alert me or Mr. Slindris at any moment of the day or night, if you suspect it necessary.”

“Thank you, Seigner. I will keep my eyes open.” Daniel drank his tea before it would go cold. “Do you think that there is a chance that pirates have their hand in these threats?”

Clelem looked at him. “I have been thinking about that as well, Mr. Zacharias. At this point, I think, anything is possible…”

“Mr. Zacharias,” Clelem said, “would you please honour me by staying a bit longer? Mr. Slindris told me that he saw you leave in quite a hurry after speaking with the senator. I hope the good man did not say anything to upset you?”

Daniel did not believe his ears. “No, no, the senator had no part in my leaving. Excuse me, sir, but my appearance…”

Clelem smiled. “We’ll fix that for you. Just allow me a moment.” He got up and left the room.

Minutes passed, and Daniel wondered if he had been forgotten. Then the door opened and Gaguran came in, carrying things. The man did not look amused.

“Mr. Zacharias,” he said, “we have collected some items for you to try on. If you would be so kind.”

Had Daniel’s life depended on the vibrance in Gaguran’s voice, he would have keeled over then and there. He got up and looked at the ‘items’. There were two suits in the collection that would be sort of okay, so he tried one of them on. It was dark red lined with silver thread and the least obnoxious of the two.

“We could not locate a decent shirt in your size so quickly, so this will have to do,” Gaguran said. He picked up a sort of scarf and held it up. It was earth brown and had a strange, maze-like pattern in it.

Daniel had to sit down, so Gaguran could wrap it around his neck. How the mouse did it, he had no idea, but when he was finished it actually looked very good. Daniel checked himself in the mirroring windows.

“This will do, sir,” said Gaguran. “Alas. Your footwear… ” he sighed.

Daniel’s yellow sneakers did indeed scream out a bit. “We’ll say it is the latest cry, Mr. Slindris, if someone asks.”

“Cry, Mr. Zacharias?”

“I am sorry. It is an Earth expression.”

“I see. Well, please remember that you are not on… Earth… here.”

Daniel tasted the disgust in the man’s words. “Of course, Mr. Slindris. You are right.”

Gaguran opened the door and waited for Daniel to leave. His displeasure was evident.

Daniel walked out of the room and into a surprise. The large room where Clelem had spoken with the other gentlemen was now nearly empty. Only Clelem, Gaguran and he were there. And Rayko, whose face conveyed a total lack of joy.

“Mr. Zacharias,” Clelem said, “I have asked my daughter to keep you company for the remainder of the evening.”

Rayko glared at her father with murder on her mind. Nothing less. “I am not going to do it,” she hissed.

“Mr. Zacharias,” Clelem ignored her, “the music will start soon. I assume you dance?”

Daniel was lost. He knew some dances, but wondered if any of them were even allowed on this planet. “A bit, sir.”

Clelem lightly pushed Rayko in the back. Just enough to make her stagger towards Daniel, who caught her.

She looked up at him as if she wanted to bite him. “I am going to step on your toes,” she promised. “And I am not going to like this.”

Clelem and Gaguran walked out of the room.

“I am sorry, Miss Dandra ko Galem, I did not intend this.”

Rayko stepped back and folded her arms over her chest. “You’d better not. I don’t like you and you don’t like me. Let’s at least agree on that.”

“Wholeheartedly,” Daniel stated.

She nodded. “Good.” Then the change in her stumped Daniel. She suddenly had the sweetest smile on her face. “Shall we, then?” For a moment she looked herself again. “Don’t get any wrong ideas, Mr. Zacharias.” The smile returned and she held up her arm, for him to take.