Читать книгу The Emperor's Ride - Tom Ph.D. Anderson - Страница 3

◊I had just finished cleaning out a family of tics from a fuel grade gloride mine on the planet Oshon. My star transport was on a two day layover on the planet Molal for minor repairs. I was checking out the local bars and there she was, my dear Dr Carroll sitting at a table by herself. There were two glasses, but Dr Carroll said she owed me one and Molal seemed a pleasant enough place to spend a couple of weeks in the hospital.

“Bob” Dr Carroll said as she jumped up and hugged me. “What brings you here?”

“I was just heading home from a job. I'm healthy and I have nothing going on. I was hoping this would be a good time for you to put me in the hospital.”

“I'd love to, but I have a brand new expedition and our star transport leaves in a couple of hours. I don't have time to do it properly and I don't think that my boyfriend Mike would approve. Bob, I would like you to meet Mike. He's right behind you.”

I turned to see one of the biggest, most powerfully built men I had ever met. A tic is larger than a croc and a croc is bigger than a ghoul. Compared to a ghoul, Mike was on the small side. Compared to other men, he was huge. Mike tried to put his huge hands on my shoulders, but I moved aside and he missed. Not my special ability kicking in, just me making a lucky move.

Dr Carroll smiled at us both. “Mike I would like you to meet Bob. He’s a licensed Ghoul Hunter.”

“A ghoul hunter huh,” Mike said with obvious distaste.

I smiled my friendliest smile and stuck out my hand. “I prefer to think of myself as working in interplanetary pest control. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too, now get out before I break both your legs,” Mike said while ignoring my outstretched hand. Mike’s tone was designed to make most men break and run and a part of me really wanted to. I just couldn't do it without saying anything.

“No need to get huffy, I'm going,” I said quietly.

“Move faster or I will rip off your arm and beat you to death with it,” Mike told me.

“Why don't you just try it and get this over with,” I replied, my anger starting to get in the way.

Dr Carroll jumped up and said, “Don't hurt him.”

In perfect unison we both turned and said, “I won't hurt him.”

“Are you trying to be funny?” Mike said.

“You have to admit it is a little funny,” I said and I meant it.

“Do you want to die?” Mike asked flatly.

“Do you?” I replied.

“Mike, you can't hurt him,” Dr. Carroll said calmly. “He saved my life. A croc had its foot on my chest and was about to cut off my head when Bob got in the way. Bob took a nasty cut that could have killed him to save me.”

“Is that true?” Mike asked.

“Do you want to see the scar?” I asked Mike in return.

The expression on Mike's face changed and he took my hand in both of his. “I want to thank you for that. I can't imagine a universe without Dr Carroll in it.”

“I couldn't let her die,” I said with all my heart.

Dr Carroll picked up her bag and put it over her shoulder. “If you two want to spend some time alone, I could leave.”

“Now get out!” Mike yelled as he threw down my hand.

“I apologize for the intrusion. I hope we meet another time Dr Carroll.”

“Get out!” Mike said moving towards me.

It cost me nothing to hurry my pace a bit.

Several weeks later, Dr Carroll knocked on my door on the planet Cocuru. “Please don't tell me you have female company and I am intruding?” Dr Carroll asked me carefully.

“I'm free as a bird and I have plenty of time to go to the hospital. What happened to your new assignment Dr. Carroll?”

“The project leader got a better offer and I wasn't invited,” Dr. Carroll replied. She tried to hide it, but I could hear the hurt in her voice.

“And what happened to Mike?”

“I left Mike in a hospital on the planet of Market. I promised to sexually exhaust him again as soon as he's healthy enough. Mike didn't want to wait, but he was too weak to argue.”

“So how do we start?” I asked her.

“First I give you a physical to make certain you are healthy enough,” Dr. Carroll said with a grin.

I was poked and prodded, run on treadmills, and examined more thoroughly than I had ever been examined before. I understood her caution. Dr Carroll had never sexually exhausted a man into the morgue and didn't want to start now, but what a way to go.

Dr Carroll finally pronounced me sufficiently healthy. We started out with a candlelit dinner on my terrace. Then slow dancing under the stars, followed by the hundred year old brandy that I had been saving for a special occasion. I carried Dr Carroll to the bedroom.

“Remember, I'm in charge. Just follow my lead,” Dr Carroll told me.

“I am so glad your expedition was canceled,” I said with a smile.

“It wasn't canceled. The expedition leader had a chance to go to the planet Lindle 4. I've dreamed of going to Lindle 4 since I was a little girl. The Emperor himself is leading that expedition.”

“I know, they wanted me to go as one of his bodyguards,” I said without thinking.

“You turned them down!”

“Why would I want to go? The planet Lindle 4 has been dead for hundreds of years. No ghoul could possibly still be alive. I would just be wandering around with my hands in my pockets.” This conversation was taking a turn I didn’t like.

“Bob, you would be wandering the streets of Lindle 4. I would kill to have the opportunity to wander the streets of Lindle 4.”

“Dr. Carroll, I feel the mood slipping away here.”

“I suppose it's too late to change your mind?”

“The Elan are keeping a courier craft in orbit,” I said hopelessly. “They told me the offer was open ended.”

“Tell them you'll go if you can bring your personal physician.”

“But Dr Carroll...”

“Bob I'll be your slave for life...please!” In a handful of minutes a very excited doctor/archaeologist and a very horny ghoul hunter were on their way to Lindle 4.