The Legend of Miaree

Chapter Twenty-Five

Rei himself almost came to think of it as God’s will. Soon, he chuckled, as he watched the production lines pour out the altered circuits and hardware for the Bertt Engine, I’ll be praying to the God of the Artonuee. For he had flown in Bertt’s own ship, had seen the universe dwindle, had felt an exultation which filled him even now, as he pursued his new task of seeing to the installation of the new expanders on all of the fleet.

But, if the God of the Artonuee was great, that made old Bertt greater, didn’t it? Bertt had beat God at Her own game.

There was a light in Miaree’s eyes. She bloomed. The cares of the past years seemed to fall from her, leaving her as he had known her first, there on Outworld. Nor was he the only one to see the light of love and joy in Artonuee eyes. Quietly, privately, Delanian officials, who had obeyed their own edict to leave off their delightful activities with the daughters of the Artonuee, were reclaiming their mistresses. Argun, bellowing with pleasure, had immediately summoned his favorite.

The news had been spread. The sense of fear and doom which had hung

over the five worlds was lessened to an almost carnival atmosphere. The evacuation of Artonuee from Outworld and New World, under way, was proceeding in a spirit of good will and the lines of boarding Artonuee could be heard to sing.

No one was happier than Rei. A terrible burden had been lifted from him. No longer would he be forced to hide his true feelings from Miaree.

In short weeks, they would embark together on the greatest of all adventures. Together, they would explore the universe.

At the end of a rewarding day, he made his way to her rooms and there, in a glow of love, idled away the evening, resenting it with all his heart when the communication room allowed a call from Argun to be put through. He was a Delanian, and when he was called by his President, he went.

He found Argun with his female, nude, sated. The female was dismissed, and she smiled back at them as she stepped lightly from the room. Argun shrugged into a robe and drank. "Damn." he said, "I’m glad I found that one. She’s a freak. Two sets of those incredible muscles." He laughed with gusto. "She’s pleased as hell that she’s going on the ship with me."

"Oh?" Rei asked. "I’ve seen no indication that the segregation order has been rescinded."

"Damn, man, you’ve had it good. While the rest of us were going without Artonuee cunt for the sake of appearances, you were warming the bed of one of the best-looking bugs I’ve seen."

Rei hid his displeasure.

"Sure," Argun said. "I’m taking her. She’s young. Just off The World. Just finished her education. She’ll last me the rest of my life before she fades."

"Will others be granted this same privilege?" Rei asked. For the question of his being with Miaree on the flight was still unresolved. As Mother of all the Artonuee she could order him to be with her, but he knew she would not do so unless the same was allowed for all her sisters.

"We’ll have room for almost a million of them," Argun said. "Mostly

female, although some of the higher placed women might want to take along a little male pet."

Rei felt his neck tingle. He felt cold. "That’s changed, sir. That’s all changed."

Argun roared. "Damn, boy, I told you long ago that you’re too soft. You’ve let this female-dominated society get to you." He looked directly into Rei’s eye. "Nothing has changed. From the time you submitted your first report to me, outlining your plan to fuck the Artonuee out of existence by loving hell out of all the females, it hasn’t changed. Damn, man, our women won’t stand still for this type of crap forever. We’ve got the universe open to us. You want to throw away the chance to populate it with Delanians because of a sweet little bug with an active cunt?"