There were even flowers that hummed and trilled like birds.
“What is that?” she asked, pointing.
“The statue garden. And there is a…what you’d call a gazebo in the middle of it.”
Lukan led her through the statue garden. There were statues of Vulfans, both in humanoid form and in animal form. There were statues of other animals of their world as well.
Small robots moved discreetly through the garden, fertilizing, trimming away dead blossoms, and sweeping up dead leaves.
“I had forgotten about these statues,” Lukan said. “I hadn’t thought about them in a long time.” When she was with him, he saw the beauty of the world through her eyes. His mind was not just focused on military strategy, and death, and war, and planning for war.
“If I could stay here, I’d want to come here every day.”
Then his eyes gleamed. “Let me show you something else.”
“I can’t wait,” she said.
He led her over to the gazebo. There was a bed inside, freshly made up with white sheets. A male serv-bot stood by the entry to the gazebo, seemingly shut down. He stared off into nothingness, his eyes dull. He sort of looked like the male version of Mar-ee, wearing a metallic valet’s uniform.
As they approached, he perked up. His eyes lit up, and he seemed to shake himself a little, then glided towards them.
“Welcome,” he said. “I have been waiting to serve you.” He peered at Lukan. “I have not seen you in many years.” Then he looked at Talia with interest. “You have a true mate now. Your father would have been most pleased with your choice.”
“Good heavens,” Talia said. “How long have you been waiting out here?’
The robot appeared to think for a minute. “I have been in stand-by mode for ten years.”
Lukan grimaced. “After my mother died of the Population War sickness, my father could not bear to visit here anymore. And he died shortly after that. I didn’t come out here for a long time either. But now, somehow, with you by my side…I can look at the flowers and remember the happy times I had here, rather than the sadness.”
“I’m so glad to hear that.” Talia’s smile was like the sun beaming down on them.
He Lukan led Talia towards the bed, and Mar-ee and the serv-bot started to follow them.
“Get out!” Lukan growled at them. “I want some privacy!”
The serv-bot looked a bit dejected as he turned away.
“Do not feel too badly,” Mar-ee said to him, gliding next to him. “Lukan has a terrible temper.”
“Wait!” Talia called after them.
The serv-bot hesitated, hovering above the ground, and glanced at Lukan to see what he wanted.
“Do as my mistress says,” Lukan said. “Her command is my command.”
“What I would like both of you to do is go to the house, prepare a picnic lunch for Lukan and me, and return in two hours.”
The male serv-bot brightened, and bowed his head to her.
“I am Farex, and I am at your command,” he said. He turned around again and descended the gazebo steps.
“The two of them are going to have sex while we are gone, and they do not want us to watch,” Mar-ee explained to him as they left.
“Mar-ee! TMI!” Talia yelled after them.
“I do not understand that, HBF,” Marie called back. She and Farex glided off through the flowers.
“Only two hours?” Lukan grumbled.
