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“I don’t know your system of measurement,” Dra’vik said. “But I think—”
“Excuse me, my good man—what floor are you on?”
The question came from a male dressed in the Lix’dorian fashion—long black robes richly embroidered in silver and gold patterns. Beside him was a woman who was dressed as his cherished wife, though she didn’t look Lix’dorian. In fact, neither of them did.
Both had humanoid bodies with soft white feathers covering their skin that looked a little like goose down to Iyanna. They also had yellow beaks, though the woman’s was long and curved like the beak of an ibis and the man’s was thicker with a large waddle beneath it. He looked more like a pelican to Iyanna.
“We’re on the two thousandth—why?” Dra’vik asked, eyeing the bird-man warily.
“Oh, we’re on the floor just below you!” the bird-woman exclaimed. She had a high, trilling voice that was pleasantly musical.
“We are looking for someone to share a lift with,” the bird-man explained. “I am Tk’tk’tk, by the way and this is my beloved wife and forever mate, Lm-lm.”
“Uh, pleased to meet you,” Iyanna said, nodding politely, since Dra’vik still seemed wary. “I’m Dr. Iyanna Washington and this is my honored husband, Commander Dra’vik of the Monstrum, Kindred.”
“It’s lovely to meet you,” Lm-lm said graciously. “Would you share a lift with us? Please do—the ride takes so long they won’t allow less than four when you’re going to the higher floors.”
Iyanna glanced up at Dra’vik, who shrugged—apparently he had decided the bird people weren’t a threat.
“We’d love to,” she said smiling. “But why does it take so long?”
“Why, of course they could speed the lift up, but if it went as fast as possible, some of the more delicate passengers might lose consciousness,” Tk’tk’tk explained. “So it moves at a rather sedate pace, I’m afraid.”
Just at that moment they heard a musical chime and one of the golden doors slid open, revealing a plush interior much larger than most elevators Iyanna had ever been in. All its interior walls were mirrored and there was a small glittering chandelier made of gold and silver wire hovering near the ceiling.
An elevator attendant who appeared to be a robot—at any rate, he had silver skin and glowing, lighted eyes—stood at the rear of the compartment. He was wearing the same dark green uniform Iyanna had seen on other hotel employees.
“Your floors please?” he asked in a polite if robotic voice.
“Two thousand,” Dra’vik said.
“In order to travel to floors over one thousand, there must be at least four passengers,” the robot attendant informed him.
“There are—we are going to the one thousandth, nine hundred and ninety-ninth floor,” Tk’tk’tk said quickly.
“Very well, please step aboard. I will be happy to conduct you to your respective floors,” the robot answered.
“Thank you,” Iyanna said and then wondered if it was silly to be polite to a robot. But she had been raised to be polite and it didn’t seem to hurt anything.
The attendant said nothing but only nodded as they all stepped inside the large, roomy elevator which looked like it could have held four times the number of passengers.
“Oh! The floor is padded!” Iyanna remarked in surprise as she stepped on it. It was like walking on a very thick yoga mat.
“Yes, that’s so the Lix’dorians can have one of their beastly ‘breeding parties’ in here if they like,” Tk’tk’tk remarked. “They put some poor female on her knees and then five or ten or even twenty of them take turns mounting her! All with the intent to get her pregnant with multiple fetuses. Disgusting!”
His wife, Lm-lm, shook her head in apparent dismay and then looked at Iyanna earnestly.
“You two don’t want to have a breeding party, do you? Please don’t ask us to join if you do,” she added quickly. “We Fleeshns mate for life and we’re strictly monogamous.”
“Which is something the damn Lix’dorians can’t seem to get through their pastel skulls,” Tk’tk’tk remarked. “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to turn down requests to ‘share’ my beautiful wife—as if I would ever let another male lay a hand on her!” he added, shaking his head so that the waddle below his beak wobbled and flapped.
“You don’t have to worry about us—the Kindred mate for life, too,” Dra’vik growled. “I also don’t have any wish to share my female.”
“Thank goodness!” Lm-lm sighed in obvious relief. “We were hoping you would feel that way—it’s why we asked to share a lift with you.”
“Pardon me, ladies and gentlemen,” the robot attendant broke in. “But allow me to tell you that your trip to the upper floors of The Grand Lix’Dorios will take approximately twenty-five standard minutes. If you wish, I can produce chairs for your comfort.”
“Yes, please!” Iyanna said. She’d had enough standing in the crowded station and aboard the undertram.
