Sarai, стр. 23
“There’ssomething going on, isn’t there?”
“Jamie, it’stoo late.”
Colordrained from Jamie’s face. “Why?” he asked hoarsely. “Why is it toolate? What aren’t you telling me? Why won’t you take me home,dammit?”
“Jamie,”Tiff said softly. “Alekyn, your Sarat, brought you to see mebecause he thinks you are already with kit.”
Jamie shook his head slowly. That oldchestnut! He was so over hearing it.
Tiff clearedhis throat. “Jamie, have you felt…different lately?”
He stared at the healer blankly. Was he inon the farce as well as Alekyn and his pard?
“Have youfelt…unwell?” the healer insisted. “Nauseated? Headachy, perhaps abit on edge? Just not yourself?”
He had to be joking.
“Of course,I don’t feel myself,” he snapped, “I’m billions of light years awayfrom my world, which is about to be invaded by planet-destroyingaliens. My home was destroyed and I’ve been taken as a…sex toy byan alien with cat ears who won’t take me home.”
The twoNaferi stared at him, confusion written on their faces.
“Jamie, justanswer the healer’s question and stop the insults,” Alekyn’s voicewas stern.
“Go tohell,” he replied, folding his arms in front of his chestdefensively. “There’s nothing wrong with me at all.Nothing! Ijust want to go home.”
“Well,that’s not happening,” Alekyn retorted. “Jamie, I will not let yougo — I told you, you are my all, you are everything to me. You willsettle down.”
“No, I won’tsettle down. I agree, we have good — no, great — physicalchemistry. If you were human, I’d never let you go — we’d marry andadopt kids or get a surrogate for them since you seem to want themso badly and, I dunno, have a great life, but this is all wrong forme. You have to understand that.”
The flurryof words faded away. Alekyn stared at him, then shook his head.“No, sarai.”
Jamie jumpedto his feet, his hands clenched. “This is not right. I won’t stayhere. I won’t. I demand to be returned to my home.”
“You have norights!” Alekyn was on his feet too, shouting. “You belong tome — ”
“No, Idon’t! What was it you said, healer, about some ceremony?” Jamiesnapped his fingers. “Bonding ceremony — we haven’t had a bondingceremony. If that’s like a marriage, were not married and I’m notstaying!”
They wereboth breathing heavily. Jamie jumped slightly when Healer Tiff’svoice cut in.
“Major,Jamie is the first human we’ve come across. It is obvious hisunhappiness is growing and eventually his mental health willundermine his physical wellbeing.”
“Heshouldn’t be so stubborn, then.”
Jamie wincedat the coldness in Alekyn’s tone.
It seemed tobother Tiff, too. He tilted his head to one side, studying themcarefully. “It is, I think, not quite as simple as you think, MajorAlekyn. We need to improve Jamie’s outlook and minimize hisunhappiness —
“Let me gohome,” Jamie interrupted, “then I’ll be happier. Alekyn can comevisit me.”
Alekyn’s lowgrowling filled the room. “Not happening, sarai,” hesnarled.
“Major,”Tiff raised a warning hand, ‘stand down. Jamie, what do you do forrecreation?”
The sudden change in topic momentarilyderailed both of them.
“I sitoutside in the garden and stare at bloody flowers,” Jamie sniffedangrily, ‘sometimes I sit in the study and stare at the picturebooks Alekyn here thinks appropriate for me to look at. As if Iwere a kid. Occasionally Alekyn bends me over his desk and stickshis cock in me.”
Alekynhissed. “You said you liked that!”
“I do!”Jamie shot back. “It’s good, better’n any sex I’ve ever had, butit’s not as important as having a life, my life.” He put his facein hands, muttering indistinctly. “I just want to go home. I needto go home.”
To hishorror, tears began rolling down his face. Again, tears, and thistime he hadn’t even made himself cry. Shit, what was happening tohim?
Alekyn madea small sound, a sort of mewling sound, and gathered him into hisarms, holding him tightly. “My sarai, please, please accept ourlives together.”
By this timeJamie was truly weeping, ashamed and aghast at his weakness. “Ijust want to die…I can’t live like this anymore.”
Chapter Seven
HE LOOKED UPTO SEE the two Naferi staring at him.Alekyn looked horrified and distraught at his words, but Tiff’sserious demeanor was assessing rather than condemning. He blinkedas Tiff checked his compnet. After a small pause, the healer lookedup at them.
“I think,major, that your sarai — that Jamie needs activities and exerciseto counter his longing for his home. Have you introduced him toanyone other than your pardmates?”
“No, healer.We were advised that would not be appropriate, given the interestthat many people have expressed in Jamie.”
Jamie’s browwrinkled. “What interest?”
“Jamie, youknow this. I’ve told you many Naferi are interested in yourspecies. Many Keinyn and Elusians and Halatians also. Some of themare desperate to find out more about you and maybe take you fortheir own.”
“Rubbish!That just so much bullshit, man. You’re just saying that to excusetreating me like a prisoner.”
“It is notrubbish or shit that belongs to bulls, whatever bulls are,” Alekynsnapped back. “Healer, now do you see my problem?”
“That’sright,” Jamie sniped back, “try to make the nice doctor think I’mmentally unstable. Jerk.”
This timethe silence was ominous. Tiff raised his hands, trying to deflectanother round of fighting.
“Gentlemen,please stop. This is getting us nowhere. Major, Jamie’s welfare isimportant. That includes his mental as well as his physicalwellbeing.”
Alekynstared at him mutinously, which Tiff ignored. “Because of that,” hecontinued, “I am prescribing leisure and education activitiesoutside your den for Jamie. He needs to interact with other people,including other sarai.”
Jamie’s jawdropped. This was exactly what he’d secretly hoped. “I can’t readNaferi,” he said cautiously, hoping his desperation wasn’t obvious.“I’d like to learn — that would help me.”
Help me to get home, he addedmentally.
They both stared at him.
“What? Is itso odd I’d want to learn?” he asked defensively. “I was only acouple of weeks away from going to university, to study medicine,and now I’m locked away, looking at kids” picture books and beingtold I’m going to be popping out furry babies.”
Alekyngroaned. “I’ve never said our babies would be furry. Healer,please!”
Tiff ignoredhim, leaning forward towards Jamie, his eyes bright with curiosity.“Medicine — you want to be a healer, Jamie?”
Jamienodded. “Ever since I was a kid. My mother died of cancer—”
To hissurprise, Tiff’s face softened. “Ah, yes. That used to kill peoplehere too.”
Jamie gapedat him disbelievingly. “You have a cure for it?”
“Yes,cancer, like many other