“Okay.She used to like shopping but doesn’t have a credit chip installed.”
Cori grinned.“It will be my treat.”
“Don’t say that.She’s a champion shopper.”
Aretta grinned.“I will behave.I promise.”She lunged and hugged Zelda.
Zelda kissed her on the head, and they laughed and ran out of the pyramid.
Orex spoke softly, “You miss her and worry, but you let her go?”
“Of course.She is not in danger here, and she won’t recover parts of herself if she doesn’t get to stretch her soul out a little.”
He stroked his hands down her arms.“You have a lot of calm.”
“No.I am good at hiding panic.They appear the same to the outer viewer, but they feel different.”She looked over at him and smiled.“Our first time, there was panic, but it would not do me any good, so I stifled the panic and jumped you.”
He grinned.“You hid it well.”
“Well, I haven’t had to use that nerve since the first time I got you inside me.”
He pulled her back against him.“What kind of clothing do you need to dance?”
“Well, not a lot of fabric.Will you be all right with this?”
“How so?”
“Some Hmrain get a little twitchy when their consort is on display.”
“Will it upset your daughter?”
“I doubt it.She used to come with me to gigs all the time and watch me dance.”
“May I choose your outfit?”
“It needs to meet certain criteria.”
Orex grinned.“I think we can do that.The fabricator is this way.”
A shadowy figure crossed the floor, inclined its head toward Orex, and floated down the hall toward Ra and Harwin.Zelda tensed.“Orex, did you see that?”
“The Dyturan?Of course.With this many survivors, someone is needed to organize their attachments to the dead.”
“So, it isn’t creepy?”
“They deal with attachments to the dead.That is what they do.If you have issues with that, then it would be creepy to you.”
Zelda watched the floating figure.“What is the species?”
“Dyturan.They are always Dyturan.Come on, let us find you some designs you would consider suitable.”
She snorted.“More like ones that you are not interested in removing as soon as they go on.I am going to need several pieces.”
“Then, we shall find them.I confess to curiosity.”
“Why?”
“Because you are nervous to show me, but Aretta is excited to watch you, which means it is not sexually explicit.”