The Abulon Dance Read Online Free PDF Page B

sensed so strongly. Luan’s hand caressed his back gently, as if almost afraid of hurting him. Beny looked up at his face, the flushed cheeks, the soft, dark eyes….
    “Luan—”
    “Please don’t say you’re sorry,” breathed the boy. His hand moved up into Beny’s hair.
    Beny felt the soft, melting, feminine side of him reach out to the boy, responding to his touch, his dark voice, the musky, male smell that was so alien, yet so attractive. It was exactly the sort of situation Thar-von had been warning him about. It would be so easy to let go, to close his eyes and put his arms around that strong body…. Orosin At’hali Benvolini, you are an idiot! he told himself severely. Out loud he said, “I’m getting hungry. Are you?” He pushed hesitantly against the boy’s chest. Reluctantly, Luan released him. Beny stood up and smiled as he straightened his robe. He was more shaken than he cared to admit. “I shall have to practice giving the dog orders,” he said. “I can’t always count on having a good-natured stranger around to throw myself at for protection.” He turned away and emptied the little drawers, arranging their contents on the round table and pouring the juice into tall, fluted glasses. He curled up in a chair, both feet tucked under him, and proceeded to spread honey on a biscuit.
    Luan sat down cross-legged on a stool opposite him. He sipped some pamayo juice cautiously, nodded approval and finished it off. The sun glinted on the gold ring in his ear as he tossed back his long hair with one slim, brown hand.
    “Tell me about yourself, Luan. What do you do all day long?”
    “Oh, I’m not very interesting.” Luan dropped his eyes and turned the heavy ring around and around on his thumb. “Until a few months ago, I had a tutor following me around, trying to force me to learn all about the country, its geography, administrative set-up, who heads what section, all that stuff. Boring, really. But I like meeting the leaders and sub-chiefs, like what I was doing when the I.P.A. Contact group was here. And, of course, getting to know you.” He gazed at Beny adoringly. “I’ve never met a man like you before.”
    Beny busied himself with the biscuits, wondering exactly how much Merculian physiology it was necessary to give this boy. “Strictly speaking, I’m not a man, you know,” he said. “All Merculians are the same sex. We’re hermaphrodites. Do you understand?”
    Luan blinked. “It doesn’t matter. You’re very beautiful, like the sun I see so often in my dreams.”
    Beny laughed. “Oh, Luan! I’m different, that’s all.”
    “All the mothers of Abulon will be lined up three deep to introduce you to their daughters, just the same. No one really explained…about that.”
    “At least I don’t have to worry about them introducing me to their sons, then,” answered Beny with a twinkle. “That should save some time. Tell me, Luan, is the position of Chief hereditary?”
    The boy nodded, his eyes serious again.
    “So, you’re going to be Chief when you’re older.”
    “Not if I can help it.” Luan was studying the carved table leg. “Anyway, it’s not that simple. The Council has to approve and I don’t think I’d ever get enough votes. I’m not the kind of person they admire. I’m not a Hunter. I keep trying to explain this to my father but he won’t listen to me, so I go to the meetings and try to make sense of what’s going on. Half of it I don’t understand and the rest I don’t agree with. Sometimes, when I do say something, the First Minister listens, but my father only laughs. He laughs at my dreams.” He got to his feet. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ramble on about myself.”
    “It’s all very interesting to me. I don’t have much information about Abulon, you know. The Contact Team concentrated mostly on technical things, like setting up the landing facilities.” Luan stood close beside him, now, his long lashes dark against his cheek. One hand