Before Lyil stepped off the etron mover, she said to Hast, “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He grunted an “Okay,” but his tone indicated he was still upset that she wouldn’t go out with him.
And that’s why not, she thought. Most of the time he acts too immature. With her looks being what they were—pretty face with a small nose, large breasts, athletic legs and arms, long red hair, and a well proportioned body, she had met a lot of men who were constantly, in one way or another, trying to get her into bed. They used different approaches, some were suave, some were macho, some were shy and innocent, some were intellectual, but in the end, when they didn’t get what they wanted they reacted as if she were a bitch who was giving them a come-on, when in reality she never came on to anyone, and she certainly wasn’t a tease. She was waiting for the right man—the one who was sincere without having to play games. And for these reasons she seldom dated.
Hast is just another typical man, she thought. She walked down the hall and stepped through a doorway, which brought her into a huge administrative room with G-staff personnel. They bustled about tending to Federation business. She continued down the aisle until she was about half way. She turned to the right and walked toward her desk, which was next to a window. Her desk faced the front of the office, but if she looked to the left she could see the park in front of the castle.
Mandril, whose desk was next to Lyil’s, looked up from behind her computer screen as Lyil approached.
For many years they had been best friends. They liked to do things together such as go to restaurants and to the theatre. Several years back they got the approval for two other G-staff members to take over the interviews, and then they went on vacation together.
Lyil and Mandril looked so much alike that those who met them for the first time thought they were twins, even though they had different colored hair. Mandril, like Lyil, was a beautiful woman. Her blond hair was straight and shoulder length, but the shape of her face was nearly a picture image of Lyil's. And her facial features were also the same—the nose, the mouth, the eyes, and the cheekbones. And their physical bodies were the same height with the same build and body proportion. When these two beautiful women walked into a room with people they didn’t know, they ended up telling them several times that not only were they not sisters, they weren’t even from the same planet.
Before Lyil had a chance to sit down, Mandril picked up a folder from the stack on the right and handed it to Lyil. "We have another Thorne interview to prepare for," she said.
Lyil took the file and sat down at her desk. She reached forward and turned on the computer screen. "Lyil -red." She paused briefly and then said, "files. Over." Instantly a menu of files appeared on the computer screen.
Lyil started staring through, instead of at the screen, all the while she was thinking that maybe she should take a vacation. She certainly didn't feel like being at work interviewing all these Thorne visitors. She started thinking about the white beaches of Critton. How long had it been since she had had a vacation? About a year, she thought. That meant she had four weeks of vacation coming, and she could use them any time she wanted.
Mandril smiled and asked, "Where are you?" Then she acted as if it suddenly occurred to her, "Oh, with your new boyfriend—that guy who’s from the other side of the galaxy."
Phil, whose desk was straight across from Lyil’s, became attentive when he heard Mandril’s comment. He looked over the top of his monitor. “New boyfriend?” he asked in a surprised tone. Phil was a tall man at six foot six with broad shoulders, and, of course, he was very handsome. “Or maybe I should just say ‘boyfriend’ since you haven’t had one the entire time you’ve been on Galactus.”
Without hesitation, but in a calm voice Lyil said, "That’s not true. I have had a boyfriend. I know it didn’t last long, but I still had a boyfriend.” Then she said to Phil, “And don’t pay any attention to Mandril. I don't consider Ben to be my boyfriend." She turned and gave Mandril a look of disapproval. "I can think of several reasons why I can't get involved with him—big problems, which means nothing is going to happen between us."
Mandril ignored her. "Let's see," she continued, "he's been here three nights, and you've been out with him . . . How many times?"
Lyil turned back to her computer screen. "Twice."
“Twice!” Phil let out a low whistle.
"That’s two out of three possible nights,” said Mandril. “I'd say it's more than a casual relationship. You haven't dated anyone more than once in . . . probably five years." She put the file, which she had been looking though, on her desk and pushed her chair closer to Lyil's. "I don't understand it."
Mandril paused, waiting for Lyil to respond.
Mandril was a friend, but sometimes she was too motherly. "You don't understand what?" Lyil started shuffling through the Thorne file, but was having a difficult time concentrating. Her mind was going a hundred different directions all at once.
"Why do you turn down the best looking guys in the Inner City, far better looking than this . . . what's his name?"
"Ben Hillar. And I know you know his name."
Again Mandril ignored her statement. "You turn down a guy like Hast, who is better looking, probably has more money, and even more importantly, lives right here on Galactus, and yet you go out with this offworlder, Ben. He lives on the other side of the Galaxy, millions of light years from here."
“Not quite on the other side of the Galaxy, and I told you, I don't have a relationship with him. And that's one of the reasons we can't get involved, he lives too far away."
Phil shifted his chair to the left so his monitor wouldn’t block his view. He said, “You’re going out with an offworlder? How did you meet him, and I’m hoping he’s a tourist and not somebody you interviewed.”
“Don’t you have work to do?” asked Lyil.
Phil ignored her and sat back in his chair.
Mandril started musing. "I never could understand why you turned down Manne. He's not only good looking and has a great personality, but he's got position." She pointed up, "you know, one of the Galaef's top strategists."
Lyil looked at the top sheet of the next Thorne interview. "Lyil-red. Pull up a file on Lorin Windover, I.D. number, top: 641 3972; bottom XZdMA 721798561, red-red-yellow-blue-red-green-green-green-blue-yellow. over. I'm not looking for a man with position. I just want a man who feels right. And Manne is a nice guy, but he’s not my type."
“What about Jarad? I know he’s a noncom, but he’s good-looking, and he’s from your solar system. Plus you have gone out with him in the past. Maybe you should go out with him again and see what develops.”
“I like Jarad, but he’s just a friend, to be truthful we don’t have much in common.”
Mandril thought for a moment. "So you think there's a spark with this offworlder?
"He's fun to be with, but I haven't noticed a spark."
"I don't think you're being honest with yourself. If there's no spark, why are you still going out with him?"
"I just told you, he's fun to be with."
"It may be fun, but if you keep going out with him, it's liable to become more than just fun. In fact, I’m sure it will."
"No it won't."
"And what do you know about him?"
Lyil thought for a moment, then said, "He's intelligent. He's . . ."
"No. I mean his past history."
"You've read his personal files, not me." She paused, "But I do know he's a swordsman."
“Hell,” said Phil, “I haven’t even met this man, and I’m already starting to like him.”
“Don’t encourage her,” said Mandril. “She has enough going on without becoming involved with a man who lives a hundred million light years from here.”
Lyil stopped listening to the two of them. It occurred to her if Ben lost his three o'clock match she might never get to see him in competition. "He has a match this afternoon," she said out loud, but mostly to herself.
&n
bsp; She was beginning to think she should take a vacation. Why not? She had accumulated enough time, and there weren’t any wars going on between any of the planets, which meant G-staff wasn't on an emergency alert status. She leaned forward and punched a number into her viewer.
There was a slight intermittent hum, which lasted several seconds. Then Tam's face appeared on the screen. "Hi Lyil," she said. "What's up?"
Lyil leaned forward. "I've decided to go to the matches this afternoon."
"I thought you were planning to be here this evening?"
"I was, but I have a friend who has a match at three o'clock."
"Your off-world friend?"
"Yes, Ben."
"Well let's get together. If you could come a little earlier, we could watch Rand in his match. You know he's dueling against Doog?"
"Yes," she answered. Lyil knew how excited Tam was. This was the furthermost Rand had ever made it in a tournament—to the fourth round. And now he was going to go against the swordsman who won the third tournament last year.
Even if Rand lost, which everyone expected, he would still gain a lot of prestige. And the loser's share, 10% of the gate, would be a handsome prize since the seats were usually half full for fourth round matches.
Lyil thought for a moment and then said, "I'm going to put in for vacation time starting at noon, that way I can make it by 1:30."
"Okay. Come to the main arena and I'll meet you at gate B."
"See you then." Lyil punched the off button just as Tam finished her 'good-bye.'
Mandril smiled. "Now you're using your vacation time? I thought you were saving it for Critton, the vacationer's paradise."
"I have enough for both." Her fingers raced nimbly across the keyboard as she put in the necessary information to start her vacation.
Chapter Seven