26. Solon

26

SOLON

"Welcome to Tengula Five, I am Chancellor Maprist. We are so pleased to have you here."

The Tengulan who had come to meet them was tall and slender. He was also male—at least, Solon thought he was. He had a bald head and his skin was a mottled greenish gray color. A long, dark green beard hung from his chin and his eyes were hidden behind golden glasses which flashed in the weak light of Tengula Five's red giant sun.

The glasses which hid the Tengulan's eyes appeared to have opaque blue lenses and Solon wondered if he was among the blind part of the population. He wore long gray-blue robes—the sleeves nearly covered his hands, which appeared to have seven fingers and two thumbs apiece.

"I am Commander Solon of the Monstrum Mother Ship and this is Abbey Lennox of Earth, my prospective bride. We are pleased to be here," Solon replied. He kept an arm around Abbey, who was holding the two bouquets of flowers in their stasis tubes, but extended his other arm for a warrior's clasp. "I would clasp arms with you if you wish, or perform any kind of greeting which is normal here on your planet," he added.

"Ah, here on Tengula Five, we prefer to sniff each other. In this way, we may identify each other's personal scents. Is that acceptable to you?" Chancellor Maprist asked.

"I don't have a problem with it? Abbey?" Solon turned to her.

She shook her head.

"No—no problem at all."

"Ah, good—then we are all agreeable." Chancellor Maprist stepped towards them.

For the first time, Solon noticed a tiny creature was sitting on the older male's shoulder. It was round and fluffy and gray—about the size of a tennis ball from Earth. It had short arms and legs and many wide eyes on stalks that rose from the top of its body as the Chancellor drew near to them. The many eyes were of various colors—green, blue, gray, purple—and they were all pointed at him and Abbey. It appeared to be whispering into the Tengulan's ear, though what it was saying, Solon couldn't tell.

"Yes, yes, Chirrux—I hear you, I hear you!" Maprist muttered and Solon could tell the words weren't directed at them. He leaned forward and sniffed loudly at Solon's neck. Then he drew back for a moment as though to consider. "Hmm…Most unusual! Not bad by any means, but quite unique. It would be easy to pick you out of a crowd, Commander Solon."

Solon had also been inhaling as the other male sniffed through his long, thin nose. He thought that Chancellor Maprist smelled like dusty books stacked in a dry room which hadn't been opened in years. It was not an especially pleasant smell, but neither was it unpleasant.

"Your scent is also acceptable to me," he said, hoping it was the correct response.

"Thank you. And now I will sniff your bride—with her permission, of course?" The Tengulan made it into a question.

"Abbey?" Solon asked.

"Oh—of course." Abbey nodded, her long brown hair swirling around her shoulders. She was wearing an attractive green dress which wrapped across her full breasts and brought out the color of her eyes. Solon thought proudly that she was utterly beautiful—and he knew her sweet, slightly floral scent to be devastatingly feminine too. Even if the Tengulan couldn't see her, he was sure to find her attractive.

Chancellor Maprist leaned forward, his long, thin nose twitching in anticipation. But as he was inhaling rather noisily right by Abbey's ear, the little fur ball of a creature which had been perched on his shoulder suddenly jumped across to hers.

"Oh!" Abbey gasped. "Oh, what is it? What's on me?"

"Be easy, my dear," Maprist said quickly. "That is only my Eye-pet, Chirrux. Apparently he likes your scent, which is most unusual and very lovely."

The little gray fur ball danced on its three tiny feet on Abbey's shoulder, squeaking in her ear, though again Solon couldn't hear what it was saying in its shrill voice.

Abbey seemed to hear it, though and thanks to the shot of Translation Bacteria she'd been given, she could understand as well.

"Oh, well…thank you," she said and laughed a little. "That's very kind of you to say! I'm sure you're a handsome little guy too. But maybe you should go back to Chancellor Maprist."

The furry creature squeaked once more and then jumped back onto the Chancellor's robes, clinging to his shoulder with tiny claws. It whispered in his ear again and he nodded and laughed.

"Well, Chirrux is quite taken with you, my dear! He says you are the most beautiful female he has ever laid his many eyes on. And I must say, your scent is uniquely lovely as well."

"Well, thank you." Abbey nodded and smiled. "That's very kind."

"Would you like to come with me? I have an autodriver ready to take us to visit the Empress, who is eager to meet you both."

They walked through the docking area and Solon noticed that the furry little Eye-pet on Maprist's shoulder was constantly whispering to him. He still wasn't sure if the male was blind or not—he walked with ease and confidence on the smooth pathway between the ships which were parked on either side.

At last they reached a kind of side street which seemed to lead to a larger road. Solon noticed many small vehicles whizzing back and forth—some of them looked just big enough for one person though there were larger vehicles as well. All of them were nearly silent as they whooshed down the road.

Chancellor Maprist led them to a vehicle which was large enough for four—two passengers in the front and two in the back. Solon couldn't help noticing that there were no apparent controls for steering, accelerating, or braking. Also, the front seats were facing backwards, towards the rear of the vehicle. It looked more like a setup for casual conversation than for driving.

"Here we are," Maprist said, waving a hand at the vehicle, which caused two large wing-like doors to open and slide upwards at the same time. "I made sure to bring a large autodriver so we can all be seated comfortably."

"Er, you can drive?" Solon asked as he stared at the strange vehicle, which was bright orange. "Forgive me, but I wasn't sure if you are one of the sighted or the blind," he added apologetically.

"If you mean can I steer this vehicle by sight, then no, for I am one of the Inner Seers—not one with Outward Sight," the Chancellor said, smiling. "But the autodriver has no need of a driver. It goes where I tell it to go and takes a preprogrammed route."

"Oh, are all your cars self-driving then?" Abbey asked with interest.

"Yes, for we have found them to be much safer and in this way, transportation is accessible to all. Come, would you like to get in so we can go to the Palace?" Maprist asked.

"Yes, just give us a moment. Abbey is also one of the, er, Inner Seers," Solon told him. "She cannot see fine details so I'll need to help her into the vehicle."

"Ah, I thought you might be an Inner Seer, since Chirrux had such an instant affinity for you, my dear," Chancellor Maprist said to Abbey. "But tell me, why do you not have some sort of aide to help you get around?"

"I had a seeing eye dog named Major that I loved very much," Abbey said sadly. "But he died about a year ago. I haven't been able to make myself apply for another one yet—I still miss him so much."

"How very sad! But…he died before you?" the Chancellor asked.

"Well…yes. I don't know how it works here, but on Earth, where I come from, dogs don't live forever," Abbey said sadly. "I wish they did. Why? Do your, uh, Eye-pets have especially long lives?"

"Here on Tengula Five, a child with the Inner Sight is paired with an Eye-pet pup almost from birth," Chancellor Maprist explained. "They grow up with the child and, because of the intimate connection the two of them form, they do not die until their person does."

"How fascinating," Abbey said, looking really interested. "And I noticed they can speak—do they direct you everywhere you go?"

"Yes, everywhere. I've had my little Chirrux since before I can remember walking or talking," the Chancellor told her. "He and I are both now sixty-nine summers old and he will live as long as I do."

"Do you ever allow outsiders to own one of these Eye-Pets?" Solon asked, thinking that it might be the perfect thing for Abbey.

But Chancellor Maprist shook his head.

"I'm so sorry," he said regretfully. "But an Eye-pet must be paired with its person at a very young age. I don't know if you would be able to form the necessary neural connection at your current age. Also, Eye-pets are reserved exclusively for Tengulans. The Empress herself would have to make an allowance for you to even try pairing with one."

"That's all right," Abbey said lightly, though Solon could read the disappointment on her face and feel it coming through her hand on his arm. "I'll probably apply for a new seeing eye dog once I get back to Earth."

They climbed into the vehicle, Solon taking extra care so that Abbey didn't bump her head, and got settled in its luxurious seats. He and Abbey sat in the rear and Chancellor Maprist sat across from them, in the front of the vehicle. When they were all settled, the Chancellor spoke in a firm voice.

"Autodriver, take us to the Palace—the East entrance please."

The vehicle hummed to life.

"As you wish," it said in a soft, musical voice. "Shall I take the regular route? There is some traffic congestion which may be avoided by taking an alternate way."

"Take the alternate route then," the Chancellor instructed.

"As you wish," the vehicle said again. Its engine started with a quiet whirr and it moved forward and then slid smoothly into traffic.

Solon was a bit nervous about being driven through the streets of an alien city by a self-driving vehicle, but the autodriver was excellent at navigating through traffic. After a time he relaxed and simply described the views of the city which he saw outside the windows to Abbey.

One thing he noticed was that all the streets were laid out in the same grid pattern and all the shopping districts they passed seemed to be very similarly laid out in the same kind of spoke pattern. When he mentioned this to Chancellor Maprist, the older male nodded.

"Ah yes—uniformity is very important on a world with so many Inner Seers," he explained. "We keep the layout of streets and stores and other public places the same.

"For instance, every food store has the exact same layout, though they may sell different foods. You know that if you walk into a store that sells food, you can walk to the right and immediately find the produce section. Then, if you take a left and move further into the store, you'll find fresh meats. Beside that is the area where dry goods are stored and sold. And so forth and so on."

"How interesting!" Abbey exclaimed. "It sounds so much less confusing than the way things are laid out on my home planet of Earth. But we don't have nearly as many blind people, er, Inner Seers, as your planet," she added.

"Yes, many centuries ago when nearly half our population began to lose their sight, we made changes so that they would still be able to get around and function as part of our society," the Chancellor told her. "And we learned that as they lost their Outward sight, they gained an Inner Wisdom—a discernment and perception that those with Outward sight lack."

"Do the Inner Seers of your world enjoy a special place in your society then?" Solon asked.

"Oh yes." Chancellor Maprist bobbed his bald head agreeably. "For instance, all of the judges in our judicial system are Inner Seers. They are not swayed by outer appearances and so can make a more equitable judgment. Also, many of our professional entertainers—our musicians and voice actors—are Inner Seers. And of course our Perfumers, which are so very important to our society, are all Inner Seers as well. Their sense of smell is much more acute than that of an Outward Seer."

"Why are Perfumers so important?" Solon asked. "Is it because your people often identify each other through scent?"

"Through scent and through our Eye-Pets." The Chancellor nodded again. "When each Inward Seer becomes an adult in our society, they go to the Perfumer who will make a personal scent just for them. This scent is one of a kind and may only be sold to and used by that one person. It identifies them in the way an Outward Seer's visual appearance does for those who can see it."

"How fascinating!" Abbey remarked. "On my planet, Earth, people wear many different perfumes. I have five or six myself that I use, depending on what mood I'm in."

"Oh dear—that won't do, I'm afraid!" Chancellor Maprist sounded rather shocked. "Here on Tengula Five, you can be arrested for Scent Crime if you purloin someone else's scent and try to impersonate them that way."

"Oh, nobody is trying to impersonate anyone," Abbey assured him. "It's just that on Earth, perfumes are sold to anyone who wants to buy them."

"So anyone can smell like anyone else and many people could smell the same?" The Chancellor shuddered. "How dreadful! That would never be allowed here. In fact, I think it would be advisable for both of you to visit a Perfumer and get your own personal scents made, so that you can mingle in Court without any problems."

"I wouldn't mind having my own custom perfume," Abbey said, smiling. "Er, is it expensive?"

"Oh no, my dear! The cost of your personal scent is paid by the State. It's a necessity, not a luxury," the Chancellor said. "I'll set up an appointment for you, if I may."

"Certainly," Solon said as Abbey agreed as well.

At that point, they finally made it to the East Entrance of the Palace which had a high, golden gate and several guards on duty. Chancellor Maprist instructed the autodriver to roll down the window and one of the guards stuck his face in and sniffed him.

"Ah Chancellor Maprist, welcome back," he said, nodding. "The Empress is waiting for you and your guests. Please proceed straight to the throne room."

"Thank you, we will." The Chancellor nodded and the gates were opened to allow their vehicle entrance.

They drove up a long, smooth walkway and came to a stop in front of an impressively large building. In the front, instead of stairs, was a broad ramp leading up to the entrance. Solon supposed this must be another accommodation for the blind part of the population or "Inner Seers." It occurred to him that during their drive through the city, he hadn't seen a single set of steps anywhere, though he had seen many ramps.

They exited the vehicle and walked up the ramp. Abbey held onto Solon's arm as he murmured to her about where they were going and described the palace, which was vast and grand. The floors were wood that had been stained a deep, rich red and the walls were gleaming white. Solon was glad for the high contrast because he knew that made it easier for Abbey to "see" where she was going.

Everywhere they went, people stopped to sniff them and say hello. They greeted Chancellor Maprist too after smelling him.

"Please remember that our new visitors have not visited the Perfumer yet, so their scents are not set," he told people several times, who exclaimed about how good Abbey and Solon smelled. Solon hoped, a bit uneasily, that they wouldn't be required to wear extremely strong scents—as a Monstrum Kindred he had a keen sense of smell and disliked strong perfumes and odors.

The throne room was vast and clearly marked with the deep red floor extending in a single straight line right up to the throne. The flooring on either side was gray marble, again providing a contrast for anyone with low vision. Sitting on a broad marble throne with a crimson cushion was a plump, friendly looking Empress.

She was wearing a stylish but comfortable blue dress and her hair had been done in long pink ringlets. Her skin was mottled blue and pink and her eyes were hidden by golden glasses that were studded with diamonds. She smiled at once when they were announced and spread her arms in welcome.

"Visitors from another world—how lovely!" she exclaimed. On her shoulder, a little pink Eye-pet chattered and whispered to her, dancing around excitedly on its three little legs. "Ah, I understand from my darling Eye-pet, Prizzi, that the lady is most uncommonly beautiful!" she added. "And that the gentleman is very distinguished looking."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Solon said, nodding his head respectfully, though he wasn't certain if she could see him or not.

"I should like to sniff you, but I understand you haven't been to the Perfumer yet," the Empress remarked. "So maybe we can do that later. But I hear you have a gift for me?"

"Yes, we do, Your Majesty," Solon told her. "I have brought you flowers from the Monstrum Mother Ship and my bride, Abbey, has brought you special flowers from her home world, Earth."

"Oh goody—new scents!" The Empress clapped her beringed hands together eagerly. "Let me have them!" She held out her arms and Solon removed the first bunch of flowers from the stasis tube and handed them to her.

The Empress pressed her face to the bouquet and sniffed appreciatively.

"How lovely they smell! Rather like the Zolon-dews we grow in the royal garden," she remarked. "And now let me smell the blossoms from Earth."

"Here you are, Your Majesty." Solon helped Abbey remove the bouquet of roses from the stasis tube and she stepped forward, with his hand on her waist to guide her, to give them to the Empress.

"Oh my—I can smell them from here!" she exclaimed, reaching eagerly for the bouquet. Luckily Abbey had made sure to de-thorn the long stems so nothing scratched her.

"I hope you like them, Your Majesty," Abbey told her. "These came from my family's shop back on Earth."

"Like them? Why, I've never smelled anything like this scent before!" the Empress exclaimed. Plunging her nose into the bouquet of roses, she inhaled deeply. When she raised her head, there was an expression of pure ecstasy on her face. "Amazing!" she proclaimed. "Call the Royal Perfumer at once! I must have this scent duplicated—it will be my new Royal Scent!"

There was a gasp from all the courtiers in the throne room and Solon saw people start whispering to each other at once.

"A new Royal Scent!"

"How shocking!"

"Truly amazing!" were just a few of the comments he heard.

"Your Majesty, I'm so glad you like the roses so much," Abbey said, smiling politely. "Our shop is renowned for the scent of our flowers."

"And I can see why! My dear, come forward again—I wish to sniff you even if you haven't visited the Perfumer yet."

The Empress beckoned for her with both hands and Abbey came forward, with Solon keeping a hand on her waist to guide her again. The Empress put her pink and blue face near Abbey's cheek and sniffed loudly.

"Ah, you smell lovely just as you are!" she exclaimed. "May I recommend that you ask the Perfumer to enhance your natural scent rather than trying to cover it or change it in any way."

"Why thank you, Your Majesty." Abbey's cheeks went pink. "That's a lovely compliment."

"You're very welcome. Now—I must reward you for these lovely and unique flowers—these toeses I believe you called them?"

"Roses," Your Majesty," Abbey said, smiling a little. "And there's no reward needed—I'm just happy you liked them."

"Nonsense! It's not every day that one is gifted such a unique and beautiful scent," the Empress said. "There must be something you want—name it and it shall be yours."

"Well…" Abbey didn't seem to know what to say but Chancellor Maprist stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, you may not know it but Abbey here is one of us—she is an Inner Seer," he told the Empress. "On the way here, she expressed interest in having an Eye-pet of her own. I told her that they are usually matched to a person at a very young age and that they are reserved for Tengulans but?—"

"What? She has no Eye-pet?" The Empress interrupted. "How perfectly dreadful! She must have one at once! And not just any Eye-pet, my dear," she added, speaking to Abbey. "You shall have only the very best from the Royal Eye-pet breeder. The very one who bred my own little Prizzi." And she reached up to stroke the soft pink fuzz ball sitting on her shoulder.

"Oh, well thank you!" Abbey was both flustered and pleased—Solon could tell because he was touching her arm. "That's so kind of you, Your Majesty. But do you really think I can bond with one? I might be too old."

"Nonsense!" The Empress made a shooing gesture. "Those with the Inner Sight are meant to have an Eye-pet—I'm certain the Royal breeder can fix you right up. In fact, I'll send you to him right now. And from there to the Royal Perfumer. And then you'll be all ready to attend our banquet tonight!"

"Your pardon, Your Majesty, but where should we put their things while they visit the Royal Breeder and Perfumer?" Chancellor Maprist asked. "In one of the guest villas or…"

"No, indeed! They are to stay here in the Palace!" the Empress declared. "These are honored guests, Chancellor! Be certain they are treated as such."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Come," he said to Solon and Abbey. "We must visit the Royal Eye-pet Breeder and the Royal Perfumer so that you will be ready for the Empress's banquet tonight."

They made several more bows to the Empress, who was extremely gracious, but already preoccupied with a group of people who had come in with the Royal Perfumer. All of them were sniffing the bouquet of roses and exclaiming rapturously over the "exquisite new scent!"

As they left the throne room, Chancellor Maprist said,

"Well, as it seems the Royal Perfumer will be busy for some time, I do believe we shall visit the Royal Eye-pet Breeder first."

"Oh, do you really think I can be matched with an Eye-pet, even though I'm too old?" Abbey asked and Solon could feel her hopefulness through their clasped hands.

"If the Empress has decreed it, it must be so," Maprist said firmly. "Come, let us go and see the Royal Breeder."