“Stop staring at me!” she ordered.
“I can’t help it.”
“Then close your eyes.”
If his eyes were open, then he couldn’t have been asleep. Unless he was dreaming he was awake.
“Is this real?” he asked the naked girl above him. “It’s not a dream?”
“I’m not a dream, I’m a nightmare. One mistake, and I’ll blow your brains out.” She touched the barrel of the gun to his groin.
“If you’re in trouble,” Norton said, slowly, carefully, “I can help.”
“How?”
“I’m a police officer.”
“Ha!”
“I am.”
She looked at him, really looked at him, for the first time.
“That’s all I need,” she muttered. “One wrong word, and you’re dead. Or one wrong move. Uhhh!”
“What?”
“Ohhh! Keep still.”
He was desperately trying not to move. But there was a part of him which he’d never really been able to control, a part which had never been so close to its female equivalent, a part which now he couldn’t control at all.
“Don’t!” she warned.
He was scared of the gun, but his other part knew no fear. When she pressed the weapon harder against him, it pressed harder against her.
“Uhhh,” she sighed.
“Ahhh,” he agreed.
Her eyes gazed down into his, and it was as if she could see deep within him, down into his very soul, knew everything about him, was aware of every thought, could read every secret.
She leaned forward, and her lips brushed lightly against his. Then she sat up again, the gun sliding away from his body as she slid even closer.
“If we’re both going to, ohhh, die, we might as well make the most of what we’ve got left.”
“Die?” He was already entering paradise.
“Shhh,” she told him. “Lie back ahhhnd think of the uhhhniverse.”
Reality or not, this was the best dream of Wayne Norton’s long life.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“The alien’s claws were surgical instruments,” said Kiru. “It was going to cut me open, put Grawl’s pendant inside me, turn me into an android, make me a zombie!”
“How did you get away?” he asked.
“I dived to one side, toward the door. The alien spun around and one of its claws hit Grawl, knocking him out. Instead of stopping me, the thing went to Grawl. Because it was a doctor, I guess. So I grabbed Grawl’s gun and ran.”
“Wow.”
They held each other close and they kissed.
“Don’t let them get me,” she said.
“Never,” he said.
They kissed again.
By now they had introduced themselves. His name was James Bogart.
“You’re really from Earth?” asked Kiru.
“The twentieth century,” said James.
“Where’s that?”
“It’s in the past. You know, history and all that stuff. I was born over three hundred years ago.”
“No,” said Kiru. He was lying. He was a man. Of course he was lying. “Humans don’t live that long.”
“I was born in 1947,” he said. “I’ve spent most of my life, if you can call it that, in suspended animation. I was revived just a few months ago.”
Kiru looked at him, but he was looking at himself.
“This is the first time I’ve felt warm in three centuries.” James turned his attention to her. “You’ve finally thawed me out, Kiru.”
“You look good for an old man. Everything still seems to work well.”
“Seems to, yeah.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. Why?”
“You keep smiling.”
“I’ll stop,” he said. “If I can keep doing this.”
They kissed. Again. Then they did something else again.
Kiru was very impressed with the nullbed, it was so flexible and versatile. Hideaway certainly provided the best in guest facilities. And it had also provided her with the perfect guest.
“How did you know his name?” asked James, after a while.
“Whose name?” she asked.
“Grawl.”
“Did I say his name?”
“You did. But he didn’t. You said he couldn’t speak.”
“He couldn’t. He didn’t. The alien did. That’s how I knew what they were going to do to me.”
“The alien told you Grawl’s name?”
“Yes.”
“And did it introduce itself?”
“Why all these questions? Don’t you believe me?”
“Now you’re the one asking questions.”
“I was in terrible danger. They were going to erase my mind, take over my body.”
“Terrible,” said James, but he was still smiling.
He obviously didn’t believe her, he seemed to think she was here simply for his amusement.
“I’m still in danger, James. We both are. They could find us here.”
“Like you found me here?”
“I told you, when I got away I made for the human levels.”
“And you chose me.”
“No. Yours was the first door I came to.”
“But they chose you.”
“Who did?”
“Grawl and Doctor Lobster. Why you?”
Kiru shrugged.
“Probably because you’re perfect, Kiru. Young, attractive, sexy. I couldn’t imagine a better victim.”
“You say the sweetest things.”
“You were visiting Hideaway, relaxing on vacation, and Grawl just came along and abducted you?”
That was what she’d told James, and she wished she was better at telling lies.
“I’m sure that must be illegal,” continued James. “Even here. Shouldn’t we report it to the authorities?”
“No!”
“Why not? You escaped. He’ll try it again, and the next girl might not be as lucky.”
“He’s dangerous. He kills people.”
“How do you know?”
Kiru tried to think up an answer which fitted in with the rest of her story.
Did it matter whether James believed her? He didn’t seem to care whether Kiru believed him, and his own story was far less credible than hers. Three centuries in suspended animation?
“Because I do,” said Kiru, which sounded very feeble even to her. “Because he killed Aqa,” she added.
“Who?”
“Aqa. My previous lover.”
“Previous?”
“I’m sorry, James, but you aren’t the first man in my life. I’ve had sex before. Which is why I’m so good at it. I’ve practised. Unlike you.”
“What do you mean?” James was no longer smiling.
Kiru said nothing, because there was no need to explain. They both knew exactly what she meant.
Because she’d never done it with a first-timer, it had taken a while to realise. James was clumsy and inept, although that was nothing new. Despite his enthusiasm, he was also a little shy, a bit hesitant, a fraction uncertain. By themselves, none of these meant much. Added together, they meant only one thing.
James Bogart was a virgin.
Or had been until an hour ago.
“I’ve had sex before,” he said.
“Doing it with yourself doesn’t count.”
“But I have.”
“I’m sure you have.”
“No, I mean for real. I’ve had sex before. Plenty of times.”
“It isn’t an accusation. We all have to start with someone, James, and I’m honoured to be your first. You’re a good pupil and a very fast learner.”
“This guy, Aqa,” said James, “Grawl killed him when he abducted you?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“I’m not.”
“You are. I want to know why a good-looking man like you never had sex till now.”
“Er… you think I’m good looking?”
“Compared to Grawl, you are.”
James looked down from the nullbed on which they were entwined to where Kiru had dropped the gun.