Stolen Dreams (6 page)

 

Gabriel
closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had never known
such an argumentative, unreasonable female. "Regardless of your
delusions, here's the situation: You can accept my presence in spite of
our difference of opinion, or return the tempometer and give up any
hope of proving your theories firsthand. Well? What will it be?"

 

 

Do
I at least get to specify terms?" Shara used  her most caustic
tone of voice, but his smirk let her know he was finding her more
entertaining than threatening. Physical violence was sounding better
all the time.

 

Gabriel shrugged. "It doesn't have to be war
between
us. You admitted to me that you thought a historian would be helpful.
With me you have a historian and a seasoned joumeyor. Your lack of
experience in primitive cultures could put you in serious danger.
Though you're not really in a position to request favors, I'll show you
how easy I am to work with. I will agree to one contingency, as long as
it has nothing to do with altering history."

 

Shara frowned,
caught
as she was between logic and emotion. His points were valid, but she
refused to admit she needed his expertise. With a sigh of unwilling
surrender, she chose her single request. "My one condition—and it's
imperative you agree—is this: Stop putting your hands on me."

 

"What?"

 

"I
thought I spoke very clearly. Four times now you have put your hands on
me in an aggressive manner. I don't like it."

 

Gabriel searched
for an appropriate response. It wasn't
the first time a female had commented on the effect his touch had had
on her, but it was the first time one was repulsed by it. Shara had
even counted the number of contacts. He, on the other hand, could only
remember thinking how warm her flesh had felt against his fingers, as
opposed to her chilly disposition. "I assure you, those offenses were
unintentional, but I do apologize. I will try to curb my tactile
impulses in the future. So when do we leave?"

 

She resented
being
forced into a corner, but there didn't seem to be any acceptable
alternatives. As soon as Shara told him the time and gave him a travel
visa, Gabriel left to pack his necessities for the trip.

 

Shara's
fantasy wish that the professor would change his mind dissolved when
she saw him at the foot of the boarding ramp to the sleek mailship. He
had changed into a loose-fitting, dark-brown jumper with short sleeves
and long pants, similar to the forest-green one she was wearing, but
with two notable differences. Where hers had a high collar that reached
her chin, his neckline was opened to his diaphragm, allowing her to see
that the hair on his chest was the same shade of pale gold as—

 

She
put a halt to that line of thinking. The other difference was that his
jumper had dozens of various-sized pockets, most of which seemed to
have something inside them. Floating beside him was a large satchel, at
least three times the size of her bag. A guide strap wrapped around his
wrist kept it from drifting away. Apparently he had attached an
antigravity device to save himself the trouble of carrying it.

 

"Professor,"
she said stiffly in
acknowledgment.       
 

 

He nodded. "If it makes you more comfortable to
keep my title
between us, go right ahead. But I will answer much more readily to
Gabriel, the name I'm accustomed to. Keep that in mind if you ever need
my attention quickly. Shall we board?"

 

Shara didn't bother to
answer, walking past him up the gangway and into the ship. She would
have preferred to have their cabins a kilometer apart, but one didn't
have much choice on a mailship. The ship was built for speed rather
than comfort, and passengers had to stay in whatever crew's quarters
were available, which in this case were the last two sleepers at the
end of a passageway.

 

Gabriel waited for her to enter the first
room
before moving on to his own. One look at the cubicle he would be
inhabiting for the next week dampened his spirits. The single bunk
against the wall looked just a bit too short and too narrow for him to
use it comfortably. The floor space between the bunk and the lavatory
with its minimal shower cell was barely wide enough to roll out his
sleeping pouch, but it would have to do.

 

Normally the lack of
comfortable facilities would never have given him the slightest
problem, but after dealing with the female anomaly next door, the
room's limitations bore the brunt of his dissatisfaction. It irritated
him that she should give the appearance of being an enticing woman
while she acted more like a spoiled child. He surmised that her
selfishness and misconception that she could always have her own way
could have been brought about by her being the Governor's daughter.

 

Her
disagreeableness was almost enough to make him forget how his body
responded each time he caught sight of her. Almost. But it was
exceedingly difficult
to ignore how his heart rate increased or his temperature rose a notch.
Impossible to forget that his lower regions were being stirred at
completely inappropriate times. In the past, his sex drive had always
been controlled by conscious decision, not an involuntary reaction like
this.

 

He recalled what she had said about his touching her and
again
wondered why she should find him so unappealing. Had she responded as
other women had, he and Shara could have had a pleasant week ahead of
them. As she requested, however, he would keep his distance from her.

 

Avoiding
her entirely was out of the question, though. They had plans to make
and for their mutual safety he wanted to make sure she knew what to
expect when they went back in time. He decided it would not be
necessary to make any move toward peace between them yet. They would
both have to go to the common dining room to eat. Eventually she was
bound to accept the fact that they were a team.

 

By the third
day,
Gabriel realized he had underestimated her stubbornness. Unaccustomed
as he was to being ignored, he hadn't considered that Shara would
remain in her sleeper except for the odd times she chose to dine. And
when he happened to see her in the dining room, she simply offered her
icy, "Professor," and looked away.

 

He usually avoided company
himself and was perfectly content to be alone in his own room, but he
and Shara really needed to communicate. Suddenly a possibility occurred
to him that he hadn't thought of before. Perhaps she was avoiding him
because she intended to leave him behind once they reached Norona. With
her eyes as expressive as they were, she might be afraid he would guess
what she was up to if he
spent enough time with her. Certain that he had guessed her plan, he
only had to thwart it. But his intuition told him he would fare much
better if she were the first one to break the silence.

 

Retrieving
a
small mercury-filled sphere from his satchel, he determined to get her
out of her room and into his ... for purposes of communication.

 

Bonk!

 

Shara
bolted off her bunk and stared at the wall she had been using as a back
support while she was reading.

 

Bonk!

 

The second thud
sounded close to the same spot.

 

Bonk!

 

The
thuds continued to come, spaced about five seconds apart, as if someone
were playing screwball in the next sleeper. And she knew who that
someone had to be. She put up with it for several minutes, vowing not
to let him get to her. Ignoring him for the past three days had been
one of the most difficult tasks she had ever assigned herself. Every
time she saw him, she could sense him wanting to talk to her, and her
terrible weakness had her wanting to let him. Added to that, the
boredom of staying in her cramped quarters was definitely playing havoc
with her nerves. Perhaps, she thought, scolding the professor would be
just what she needed to break up the tedium.

 

Before she could
give it a second thought, she was knocking on his door.

 

"Shara!"
Gabriel greeted her with a smile that lit up his angel eyes. "What a
nice surprise. I was just thinking how much better double screwball is
than solitaire. Care to join me?" He stepped back and waved his arm to
invite her inside.

 

She
remained in the passageway, reminding herself she had not come over to
play a game with him, especially not inside that tiny room. "No. I, uh,
only wanted to check on you. I heard the thumps on my wall and thought—"

 

"Oh,
drek, I am sorry. I guess the rooms aren't soundproof. If you don't
care to come in, would you like to get some fresh air with me? The
biodrome on board is small compared to one you'd find on a regular
passenger ship, but it's still a change of scenery.

 

Shara's
boredom won a brief skirmish with her caution. "Yes, that sounds fine."

 

"One
moment, then." He tossed the screwball onto the bunk and picked up a
small white bag. On their way below deck, Gabriel was careful not to
touch her, in spite of an irrational, overwhelming urge to do just that.

 

As
soon as they entered the biodrome, Shara inhaled the humid air and
smiled.

 

Gabriel
nodded at her appreciation. "Did you know that only forty years ago,
tropical rain forests like this one had almost been obliterated on
Outerworld Earth? It's incredible what progress they made out there
once they finally realized what danger they were in."

 

Shara
took
another breath of oxygen-rich air provided by the carefully cultivated
plants and trees. Sounds of a rushing waterfall and native jungle
creatures had been realistically simulated to enhance visitors' sensual
pleasure. "Yes, as a matter of fact, Professor, I do know a bit of the
environmental history of
Outerworld."               
 

 

"Oh, of course. For a moment I forgot who your
mother is. Aster Mackenzie's contributions to the planet will be
legendary."

 

She laughed. "At least that's what Lantana told
us, but my mother found it hard to believe. She's really a very modest
person."

 

"Would you care for a Caress?" Gabriel offered,
holding open the bag he had brought from his room.

 

Shara
peeked inside to make sure she understood precisely what he was
offering. Recognizing the red shimmer-wrapped hearts, she dipped her
hand in and brought out one of the dark chocoberry treats. "Thank you.
Where did you find these?"

 

"I always bring a supply with me.
They're my only bad habit."

 

She
didn't buy that for a minute. Gabriel unwrapped a sweet as if it were a
rare treasure, then placed it in his mouth. His expression left no
doubt about his extreme enjoyment as he savored the chocoberry slowly
melting in the heat of his mouth. Shara felt as if she were a voyeur
and he were performing a very private act. Dragging her gaze away from
him, she ate the piece she had chosen for herself. It was good, but not
that good.

 

"I'm glad you decided to end the silent treatment,"
Gabriel said when he finished his chocoberry. "We do need to go over
your plans."

 

Shara started to correct him about why she had
shown up
at his door, but realized her desire to have a confrontation with him
had melted along with the chocoberry. For a few minutes, at least, she
wanted to continue the peaceful mood he was attempting to establish.
Discussing her specific plans was a sure way of destroying that mood,
particularly since she had
no intention of including him in them. If she was aware that any
information she could glean from him could be helpful. She decided to
see if she could get him talking instead of the other way around.

 

"From
what I've read about the time of the rebellion, the insurgents were
scattered over the planet, but at the end, the leaders all gathered in
First Province to rise against the Ruling Tribunal. Obviously, I'm
hoping to hit that time period."

 

"Hoping?" Gabriel asked,
carefully watching Shara's eyes for clues.

 

"Yes,
hoping. Lantana had not perfected the tempometer. I can program it for
the year I want, but, according to his notes, I may end up as much as a
century off. I'm counting on the theory that there are eddies and flows
in time, and certain events—those with historical significance—have a
stronger pull than other times."

 

"If you're right, there
shouldn't
be a problem. Nothing in that time period was as significant as the
rebellion and colonization of Innerworld Earth."

 

They came to
a
small pond and sat down on two smooth boulders. Shara tested the
temperature of the water with her fingers and smiled when a group of
tiny fish rushed to the surface. "Sorry, guys, all we have is sweets."
After a moment, she returned her attention to Gabriel. "I've been
reading about that era, but I'd appreciate anything you could tell me
that might help prepare me."

 

Ferrine had told Shara that
Gabriel
spent very little time lecturing, but it was immediately apparent that
he enjoyed it. With no further encouragement on Shara's part, he shared
his knowledge and love for the past. Rather than the sort of dry
dissertation she remembered from some of the professors of history she
had had in the academy, Gabriel made the past come alive for her.

 

He
described the fears of the Noronian leaders as the shortage of energy
began to threaten their way of life and the renewed hopes for a glowing
future after the discovery of volterrin in Terra's core. Likewise, he
gave her an insight into the motivations of the rebels. The fuel crisis
had given them a golden opportunity to spread their views and gather
followers, despite the fact that they had previously been considered
fanatics.