Haven 4 AVOW - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,64

possibly represent him properly!”

“I suppose for an alien, she is doing the best she can,” Mee'ta answered.

“It almost sounds like you have accepted her,” Ph’eel said, looking toward Mee'ta with a horrified expression.

Mee'ta met Ph’eel’s gaze and held it for a moment before laughing riotously. Ph’eel matched her laughter. Once they’d both recovered, and were fanning themselves to recover from the exertion the laughter required, Ph’eel continued on her search of the bedroom Synclare and Lo'San shared. She wandered over to a dresser and pulled open drawer after drawer until she happened upon one that contained Synclare’s satin nightgowns, and the love notes that she’d kept from Lo'San.

“What is this?” she asked, picking up the stack of notes that consisted of different sized scraps of paper to full sheets.

“Some kind of letter, I think,” Mee'ta said.

“Why bother with such an antiquated form of communication when one can much more easily have a vid com sent?” Ph’eel asked.

“Perhaps they did not wish to have the content made a matter of public record,” Mee'ta suggested.

“What could it possibly say that needed to be kept confidential?” Ph’eel asked, still thumbing through the notes.

“Do you have your tablet with you? Scan them. See if our technology can translate the messages,” Mee'ta said.

“Of course,” Ph’eel said. “I shall be right back!” she exclaimed, dropping the notes to the bed and hurrying through Synclare and Lo'San’s home on her way to the rooms she had been assigned while aboard the ship.

Mee'ta gathered the notes and returned them to the drawer, then went to the storage unit and closed the doors to make it appear untouched, should Synclare awake or Lo'San return unexpectedly.

Eventually Ph’eel returned, her tablet in hand. “I have it!” she cried out, waving it over her head as she hurried back into the bedroom. “Where are they?” she asked.

“I put them back in the drawer,” Mee'ta answered.

Ph’eel removed the notes from the drawer and spread them out on the foot of the very bed Synclare slept in. Ph’eel scanned the notes and told her tablet to translate them, then returned them to the drawer again. “There’s a credit band in here, as well,” Ph’eel said.

“It must be Sink Lar’s. I’ve noticed that Lo'San wears his,” Mee'ta said, standing to investigate. She lifted the band and tried to turn it on. When it didn’t work, she carried it over to the bed and used Synclare’s finger print to activate the band. Mee'ta sat on the edge of the bed and used Synclare’s finger to press the buttons on the side of the band and go through all the settings.

“She has fifteen thousand credits in her name,” Mee'ta said, still scrolling.

“It isn’t much,” Ph’eel said.

“She doesn’t need much, she lives here with Lo'San,” Mee'ta said. A few seconds later Mee’ta’s eyebrows raised when she was able to access Lo'San’s account. “Lo'San has well over a million credits in his personal account.”

“He has done very, very well for himself,” Ph’eel said.

“Come, let’s replace this, and leave her to rest for now. I have much to consider,” Mee'ta said.

It was sometime later, after they’d already retired to the living space, that Synclare awoke, and could be heard moving around in the bedroom.

Mee'ta glanced at Ph’eel. “Give me strength,” she muttered before rising and returning reluctantly to the bedroom. “Sink Lar? Are you awake?” Mee'ta called out. “Oh, goodness! I see that you are. Can I assist you, my bond-daughter?”

“Lo'San?” Synclare asked.

“He was called back to the Command Deck. I told him that I would stay with you. What can I get for you?” Mee'ta asked.

“Cold cloth,” Synclare answered.

“Of course. Do you need more medication?” Mee'ta asked.

Synclare shook her head. “It is time?” she asked.

Mee'ta made a big show of checking the time. “No, Sink Lar. I’m sorry I offered, it is not yet time. I’ll return momentarily with a cold cloth. You rest.”

Synclare settled back against her pillows and her still sedated eyes closed almost immediately.

Mee'ta strolled back into the living space.

“I have the translations!” Ph’eel said excitedly, leaning over her tablet.

“What do they say?” Mee'ta asked, coming to sit beside her.

Ph’eel scrolled through the translated messages, her brow furrowing with each one. “They are declarations of love!” Ph’eel spat.

“It is unfortunate that Lo'San is so attached to a female that does nothing to better his position,” Mee'ta said.

“It truly is,” Ph’eel said, swiping the screen of her tablet to turn off the screen as she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest disgustedly.

The com unit