The Space Spoon novel Chapter 72

Tejeda couldn't say he was shocked Shayla wasn't in Southern Beridian. Astin's disappointment seemed genuine, just like his own. Along with Carmen, disappointment had been a trusty companion, a permanent shadow throughout his long existence. Under his clothes, the spoon dangled from his neck. He wished Cato had better fortune than he did.

The doors opened as Astin clapped his hands. Several lovely young ladies entered the room. Blondes and brunettes, high heels and sandals, women of all shapes and sizes flashed past underneath his gaze.

"I cannot let a colonel leave my palace without giving him my best. And I plan to offer you every indulgence. My harem is the best in this solar system and, some say, even in the entire galaxy. Look at them and take a pick. Your mission can wait for one night."

Each had her own allure, and Tejeda could see himself in bed with any of them, but he kept a senseless region down there. Never went on a mission with nerves in his genitals if there was the slightest chance of being hit there. Even so, he still felt the need to fill a craving, a fissure that had opened deep in his being. He supposed these women could satiate a part of his longing, but he sought something more.

The harem master, a thin man with a white mustache, led the women into a corner of the hall, away from Tejeda. They started whispering to each other, gaping and winking at him.

The king turned to Tejeda. “I may be offended if you don’t remain for a night to enjoy the pleasures my hospitality has to offer.”

"Why not?" Tejeda replied as a smile swiped his face. He needed to find out why the king insisted this much.

"This will be the best night of your life, Colonel, if you know how to treat a woman well."

Tejeda was about to ask King Astin more information about Beridian and Shayla when he noticed Astin signaling to the harem master. The latter nodded, and the women approached the table, laughing and stroking their breasts. One of them had a tray with two glasses and a bottle of red wine on it. She walked over to Tejeda, chuckling as she poured the glasses.

“Holographic wine?” Tejeda asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes.” The king laughed before taking a sip from the glass. “And it tastes as good as the real thing. Even better. The holographic systems developed on Beridian use the finest technology to fool each and every one of our senses. Isn’t it marvelous?”

“An illusion is still an illusion.” Tejeda shook his head, tilting his glass. The oily crimson wine left a thin film over on the curved walls of the transparent container, revealing its luxurious texture.

“It’s as real as our body and mind perceive it. What’s life if not an illusion?”

“Oh, you’re a philosopher as well?” Tejeda smirked.

Astin chuckled. “Either you stay here, philosophizing together, or you can pick a woman for a night of pleasure. Do you know how long a night is here, right?”

The king had to have some reason for inviting him to stay. Perhaps it was to find out if he knew more about Shayla. Or maybe he wanted to give Tejeda a taste of what he could expect in the future if he were to find the lost queen.

“This way, please.” The servant opened the door of a big apartment with multiple chambers. The bed stood out immediately, a colossal piece of furniture like Tejeda had never seen before. And he had seen a lot. There was no window, but a thin layer of light penetrated the thick curtains, most probably from artificial sources embedded in the walls.

"Please make yourself at ease." The servant bowed and exited the room.

Tejeda entered the apartment, examining every corner of the place.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his legs dangling over the side. The mattress felt like silk, and the pillows were stuffed with feathers. Combining a long-lost era with new technologies appeared to be an impossible feat, but King Astin seemed to pull it off flawlessly. In this case, Tejeda could have guessed that machines made these fake feathers and silk, not birds or worms.

His imagination returned to the plucky red-headed girl and her spunk. Oh, he loved redheads, but he had to remind himself that he was on a mission and an important one at that. No time for selfish fantasies.

Even with all of his defenses in place, his hormones were still wreaking havoc in his body. Sparks crept across his skin and pricked between his legs. His nerves remained inactive, so no overpowering yearning took hold of him. Whether the outcome was good or bad, it was sure to be exciting either way.