The Quest of the DNA Cowboys (26 page)

‘Perhaps you’d like to watch one of the entertainment channels?’

‘Okay.’

The girl reached out a hand to the bedside console and the screen flickered into life. Men in period costume hacked savagely at each other with swords and axes. Billy shook his head.

‘I don’t think so.’

The girl changed the channel. Two women and a crowd of dwarfs were engaged in slapstick pornography. Billy rolled over.

‘I think we can forget the entertainment.’

The girl looked concerned.

‘We are not pleasing you at all.’

‘Sure you are. I’m quite happy.’

She gestured to the other girl.

‘Perhaps it would amuse you if my colleague and I had sex with each other while you watched. We are often asked to do this. We are quite highly skilled.’

Billy laid a hand on her shoulder.

‘Do you ever think of anything else but what would please the people you serve?’

The girl frowned.

‘Of course not. What else is there?’

‘Don’t you ever just please yourself?’

‘I’m a Hostess-1. I take pride in my rank. I find my pleasure from pleasing those I am assigned to. That is the natural order, it’s the function of my class.’

Billy found it impossible to get through to her.

‘Are you happy, though?’

‘Of course.’

‘Wouldn’t you like to have people serve you?’

The girl immediately brightened.

‘Does it please you to say obscene things to me? Perhaps you’d like to beat me?’

For a moment, Billy thought she was mocking him. Then he realized that she was perfectly serious. The concept of someone serving her was obscene according to her programming. The paradox was that she accepted it with pleasure. Before Billy could probe any further, the console buzzed and the girl reached out to answer it.

‘Mister Billy’s apartment. May I help you?’

Reave’s voice came over the speaker.

‘Let me talk to Billy, will you, babe?’

Billy moved into range of the camera.

‘Hey Reave. How you doing, old buddy?’

Reave grinned.

‘Just fine. It’s a wild set-up they got here. Is everyone treating you right?’

Billy laughed.

‘Falling over themselves to show me a good time. I got two broads down here that you wouldn’t believe.’

‘How you feeling after that going-over you got?’

‘Fine. Completely recovered.’

Reave looked relieved.

‘That’s great. A.A. Catto’s really sorry they did that to you.’

Billy lit a cigar and inhaled.

‘Yeah? How you making out with her?’

Reave winked.

‘I’m doing okay.’

He paused.

‘Listen Billy. I got something to talk to you about. Can you come up here?’

Billy nodded.

‘Sure. How do I get there?’

‘I’ve, no idea. Hold on.’

Reave vanished from the screen, and A.A. Catto moved into frame.

‘Just tell your Hostess-1s. They’ll bring you up here.’

Again Billy nodded.

‘Okay, fine.’

The connection was cut, and Billy sat up in bed.

‘I’ve got to go to A.A. Catto’s apartment.’

The two girls sprang out of bed, hastily dressed and then helped Billy on with some of the clothes that A.A. Catto had chosen for him. Billy wasn’t too sure about the red velvet jump suit that A.A. Catto had picked out of the catalogue, but Billy couldn’t be bothered to argue, particularly as the Hostess-1s kept telling him how cute he looked. The girls led Billy along a series of walkways and corridors. They were admitted to A.A. Catto’s apartment. Billy dismissed the girls, and went inside on his own.

Reave was sitting crosslegged on the floor. He was wearing a white silk robe and a fancy silver collar. Billy looked at him in surprise. It was a far cry from his dungarees. Billy smiled to himself but said nothing. A.A. Catto was sprawled across the bed covered only by a black shawl that did little to hide her nakedness. Reave glanced up as Billy crossed the room.

‘Hey old buddy, how are you?’

Billy sat down in one of the antique chairs.

‘Fine. You?’

‘Oh, I’m okay.’

A.A. Catto sat up.

‘Don’t you think Reave looks pretty since I went to work on him?’

Billy noticed that, as well as the collar, Reave was wearing lipstick and eye shadow. Billy grinned.

‘I never exactly thought of Reave as being pretty.’

A.A. Catto pouted.

‘Of course he is. He’s very very pretty.’

‘Yeah, maybe.’

He turned to Reave.

‘What did you want to talk to me about?’

Reave looked a little uncomfortable.

‘Oh yeah … uh … would you like a drink or something?’

‘I’d like to know what you want to talk to me about. You’re stalling, Reave.’

Reave looked at the floor, and then up at Billy.

‘Well … It’s as simple as this, man. I want to stay here.’

‘What?’

‘I like it here, Billy. I want to stay.’

‘You’re kidding?’

A.A. Catto moved to the end of the bed. Her shawl foil away revealing tiny breasts with small brown nipples.

‘He’s quite serious. Reave has decided to stay here.’

‘But why?’

‘I like it here, Billy. You kept telling me that we were looking for something. Well, I’ve found it. I want to stay here.’

‘Don’t you think it’s a bit early to decide?’

A.A. Catto answered for him.

‘He’s made up his mind. He’s staying,’

Billy turned to face her.

‘What have you done to him? Reave never used to wear makeup and jewellery.’

A.A. Catto’s large blue eyes flashed with anger.

‘What’s wrong with makeup and jewellery?’

Billy shrugged.

‘Nothing. It’s just …’

‘It’s just that you’ve got a narrow hillbilly mind.’

Reave fingered his silver collar.

‘It’s not exactly how it appears, Billy. It’s …’

A.A. Catto interrupted him.

‘Shall I tell you how it really is, Billy? Shall I tell you what his pretty collar’s really for?’

There was the hint of a sneer in her voice. Billy sat very still as A.A. Catto went on.

‘The reason that Reave likes it here is that he doesn’t have to think too much. It’s easy for him.’

She held up her hand.

‘See my ring. See how it matches Reave’s pretty collar. They are linked together. With my little ring I can give him amazing pleasure, or I can punish him. He doesn’t have to think about a thing.’

Billy swung round on Reave.

‘Is this true, man? Is this what you want?’

Reave stared at the floor and said nothing. A.A. Catto again answered.

‘It’s what he wants. Watch.’

She turned her ring. Reave gasped and arched his back. Billy’s mouth dropped open.

‘You did that to him.’

Reave was shaking his head dazedly. A.A. Catto laughed.

‘My little ring, and his pretty collar. He doesn’t have to worry any more. He likes that.’

‘You’ve made him into a pet.’

‘He likes it.’

Billy stooped beside Reave.

‘Do you, Reave? Is this what you want?’

Slowly Reave nodded.

‘I guess so, Billy.’

‘But you’re her slave, man. Just an object to keep around the place. Is that the way you want it to be?’

‘I think so, Billy.’

‘You’re crazy. What’s going to happen when she gets tired of you?’

‘I don’t know. I’ll deal with that when the time comes.’

A.A. Catto rolled over on the bed and smiled spitefully.

‘What’s the matter, Billy, are you upset because he’s mine now? Did the two of you use to be lovers?’

Billy looked up in surprise.

‘Of course not. It was nothing like that.’

‘What was it like, then?’

‘We … we were partners.’

‘That’s different.’

‘Sure.’

‘Well, you’ve lost him.’

Billy looked helplessly at Reave.

‘Tell her, Reave. Tell her how we left Pleasant Gap to look for something good. Tell her how it was. Reave.’

He waved his hand round the room.

‘We didn’t come all this way, and go through all those troubles to end up with this. This ain’t what we came looking for.’

Reave looked up at Billy. His voice was very quiet.

‘I didn’t come looking for anything, Billy. I didn’t have no dream. I just came for the ride.’

Billy slumped in his chair. A.A. Catto draped her shawl round her shoulders, and stood up.

‘It looks like that’s it, Billy. You’ll have to follow your dream on your own now. Reave’s staying here with me. That’s right, isn’t it, Reave?’

Reave nodded silently. She smiled sweetly.

‘Of course, you must feel free to be our guest for as long as you like. Maybe you’ll decide to settle down here. I know some of the other ladies have their eyes on you.’

Billy stayed exactly three days.

On the first he lay around his apartment and sported with the Hostess-1s.

On the second he went to a party that A.A. Catto threw to show off Reave, and was taken off by Juno Meltzer to sport with her.

On the third he decided to leave. He left Juno Meltzer still asleep and made his way back to his own apartment. The Hostess-1s were waiting for him.

‘Did you have a good night, Mister Billy?’

‘Yeah. It was fine.’

‘How may we serve you today? We have a few suggestions.’

‘I’m leaving.’

‘Leaving, Mister Billy?’

‘That’s what I said.’

‘Have we displeased you?’

‘Of course not. It’s just time to move on.’

‘We’re sorry you don’t like it here. Are there any services we may perform before you leave here?’

‘Yeah. You could get me my old clothes, my porta-pac and my gun. If it’s possible, I’d like some transport to the edge of town.’

‘We’ll have to clear it with Miss Catto.’

They had a brief conversation with A.A. Catto through the vid-screen and then turned back to Billy.

‘Miss Catto has authorized your request. We’ll arrange everything.’

They left the room, and reappeared half an hour later. They presented Billy with his clothes, which were cleaned and pressed, his belt, his porta-pac and his gun. He quickly changed and came back to the Hostess-1s. One of them gave Billy a leather shoulder bag.

‘A gift from Miss Catto.’

It contained food concentrates and a water bottle.

‘Did you fix transport?’

‘There’ll be a Personnel car in the compound. It will take you to the edge of the valley.’

‘Okay. I guess I’ll be going.’

He kissed both the girls, and grinned at them.

‘Thanks for everything.’

They looked confused.

‘It’s not your place to thank us.’

He touched the door stud.

‘I thought it would make a change.’

The doors closed behind him. He rode down in the lift, and followed the signs to the Personnel compound. A grey-uniformed driver saluted smartly and opened the car door. Billy sat in the back and smoked a cigar as he was whisked past the shacks and ruins. The car halted at the edge of the hills. Billy climbed out of the vehicle and the driver sped away without a word.

Billy turned and started to walk up the track. The thought crossed his mind that maybe he should have waited till the end of the day. Then he could have walked off into the sunset in the grand classic manner. He dismissed the idea as pointless. There was, after all, no one to watch.