Cat and Company by Tracy Cooper-Posey Read Free Book Online

smile. Somewhere in the next few hours Bedivere knew he would have to talk to Brant privately. There had been no privacy at the clinic and neither of them had been strong enough to really talk properly, even if they had been able to find an isolated corner. Besides, every time he’d shown the slightest stress response, the clinic’s AI had dosed him into an induced sleep.
    At the time he had been grateful for the constant reprieves. Now he didn’t have that bolt hole anymore.
    The fourth person at the table was the outsider, for whom this meeting had apparently been called, but Bedivere knew who he was. “Nichol August,” he said, acknowledging him.
    Nichol was Brant’s height. While Brant was wiry, Nichol was solid, with heavy shoulder muscles and a thick neck. His hair was dirty blond and like Connell, he wore it at a medium length. Usually, though, he swept it all back neatly while Connell’s locks shadowed his face and had him constantly pushing them out of the way.
    Nichol’s smile was jovial. “Bedivere. Welcome back to Charlton.”
    Bedivere gave him a nod. “You’re still spokesman for Celestial, then? That’s why you’re here?”
    Celestial was one of the five original villages that had petitioned and been granted permission to attach themselves to the Charlton city core. It was a village of domes, which was where it got its name. The permanent star field was a constant backdrop there.
    “I’ve been Celestial’s elected mayor for a while now,” Nichol replied. He sat back down and rubbed his chin, his hand making a rasping sound as it passed over the whiskers there. “Lilly and I were just talking about moving the village.”
    “To where?” Bedivere asked curiously. Connell pushed him toward a chair and Bedivere made himself sit down.
    “To the sun side,” Lilly said. Her voice was expressionless. Bedivere knew from her neutral tone that she wasn’t happy with the idea.
    “The gardens are there,” Bedivere said. “They need the sun.”
    “And the farmers hold every other village to ransom with their produce,” Nichol replied. “We only ask for the ability to grow some of our own crops. We have the room and we were the first village here. That should be acknowledged.”
    “You don’t have any soil to grow crops in, ” Bedivere pointed out. He said it calmly, hiding his exasperation. The First Five were constantly harping about the privileges they deserved for having been here the longest.
    “Soil can be generated,” Lilly said, her tone also calm. “Monopolies are not healthy.”
    “Free economies have a way of dealing with monopolies,” Bedivere shot back. “As long as they’re left free to operate naturally. You’re not really considering this, are you?”
    Lilly was still standing, he realized. She looked at Nichol. “It might be better if we pick up this discussion at another time, Nichol. Bedivere needs time to settle in.”
    Nichol got to his feet immediately. “Of course.”
    “We’ll arrange a time for as soon as possible,” Yennifer added. She was also still standing. She glanced at the AI, who nodded.
    Nichol nodded congenially at everyone around the table, then stepped down onto the main section of the room and headed for the door. Yennifer followed him.
    Bedivere frowned, watching, as Yennifer caught up with Nichol just at the door. They stood speaking quietly, then Yennifer kissed Nichol and opened the door for him.
    Bedivere glanced at Brant and Connell, surprised.
    “A few years now,” Connell said.
    “I still can’t figure out if he likes her or if he just likes the optics,” Brant added.
    “Optics?”
    Connell grimaced. “A Varkan on your arm looks…progressive.”
    Bedivere tabled that for later consideration. It was more evidence that things had shifted and changed while he had been gone.
    Lilly was stacking boards, her head down, her curly hair shielding her face so that Bedivere couldn’t read her expression. The AI had disappeared.
    Bedivere