Cracks in the Spires

26: Encounters

Kiri was lying on his bed in the tunnel. The heat had started climbing again and now it was over 45 degrees C. The fields were empty of workers. Everyone retired to the shade when the thermostat hit 40 which was deemed too hot to work outdoors. Kiri thought it was too hot to move. He was at a loose end, just waiting until his dad returned with the skimmer and then he'd be back in the city. He wouldn't miss the bathroom arrangements or the sheer awfulness of the weather out here but there were a lot of things he would miss. The food for one and someone he was trying not to think about. Jan, however, loomed large in his thoughts. Jan didn't want to be part of the schemes. He'd refused yesterday so did that mean Jan would stay here. Hopefully if what his dad said was true people would be able to come and go between the warrens and the city. That would be good. The noise of the door being shot back made him open his eyes. It was the subject of his thoughts who bounced in and flung himself down on the bed his eyes sparkling

"Thank you. Papa has just been talking to me." He twisted round and took Kiri's face between his hands and pecked him on the lips "and thank you" another peck "and one more" only this time Kiri kissed him back and as Jan's lips opened in surprise he slipped his tongue inside. Jan's eyes widened momentarily and then he deepened the kiss so their tongues were dancing together. Kiri's hands cupped his buttocks and Jan moaned. There was a cough from the doorway. Kiri's hands retracted themselves and Jan levered himself up and turned to see his father grinning at them

"I thought you said 'no more flirting'?" he raised his eyebrows enquiringly. Jan looked from his father to Kiri and back again.

"Not flirting Papa." Kiri propped himself up and looked around Jan

He laughed "Definitely not flirting Claude." he pulled Jan down on top of him and started kissing him again. They heard Claude laughing as he slid the door shut.

Jan lifted his head breaking the kiss. "Papa came to talk to me this morning. He said it was you told him. That I was Marcellina and that I was famous. He said I should go back so long as it's safe. I should go back to being Marcellina if I can. He thinks my joints and tendons will loosen again so long as I start training soon. It might take a year to get fully fit and performance ready but he thinks I could still do it. He was a dancer you know so he has a good understanding. I don't think he'd say that unless he thought it was true." He smiled "You believed in me when I'd stopped believing in myself. Papa said you were very eloquent."

Kiri blushed "I wasn't that eloquent I just told him about Marcellina. I just thought you shouldn't give up. You're something special Jan. You're unique."

It was Jan's turn to blush. He ducked his head into the crook of Kiri's shoulder and mumbled "No-one's ever really believed in me before."

"Well the ones that mattered were out here and they didn't know. Your dad believes in you."

Jan kissed the nape of Kiri's neck. "True. Papa has always believed in me but thanks to you he believes in me more!" he laughed "Not flirting and just being friends. Works for me. What do you think?"

Kiri twisted round and rested his hand on Jan's hip, he smiled and ran his tongue suggestively over his lips "Definitely, hundred percent." he slid his hands round Jan's thigh and up between his legs pulling him close. He wriggled against him feeling Jan harden. "Mmm how much not flirting are you up for?"

"Not flirting but without clothes" Jan panted as he tried to unhook Kiri's dress. He giggled "Stop wriggling."

Kiri slapped Jan's thigh, "Stop trying to rip it off me." He laughed and pushed Jan off him then sat up. "It's much better to watch." He started slowly unclipping the fastening then letting the dress slide down a little at a time. Jan pulled off his tunic and then reached over and pushed Keri's dress down to his hips where it puddled around his erection.

Jan had never felt so aroused, his whole body tingled and Kiri's skin brushing lightly against his was almost too exciting to bear. He pulled Kiri into a tight embrace pressing their bodies together. Kiri's hand slid down and grasped his member and Jan couldn't hold back a long sobbing moan as he pushed himself into Kiri's hand.

"Uncle Jan, Uncle Jan. Kiri. You have to come now. The skimmer is coming." Mik's voice, high and clear penetrated the haze of lust. Jan swore at the same time as Kiri muttered 'fuck off kid'. Passion died in the face of continued door rattling and banging.

Jan called out "I'm coming, I'm coming, give us a minute. We were asleep." Kiri had scrambled back into his dress and was twitching the bed cover straightish. Jan finished fastening the drawstring of his shorts and opened the door.

Mik looked impatient. "Uncle Claude said to fetch you because the skimmer is coming in to land. You're going on this one with Gilfi-John and Da and Kiri. Me and Lolly is staying with Uncle Claude." he scowled "It's not fair. I want to go to the City."

Jan shook his head. "I don't think there's space for me on this one."

"Grandma's staying so you can go. Uncle Claude says to pack your things."

Kiri smiled "I asked dad to try and get you an ID like mine. Citizenship score is always exemplary and you have platinum standard ranking. No street patrol ever bothers you. Hardly anyone has platinum standard ranking so you're either very rich or very important and they wave you through." Kiri grinned "It's how I survive. That and keeping my head down. You can stay with me." He looked at the bed and grinned. "We have unfinished business."

"Keep thinking like that. Back in no time." Jan danced off to stuff his belongings into a bag.

Pico didn't leave for the Warrens until mid morning at which point Asken decided to visit the casualties brought in yesterday. He'd rearranged all his appointments and was taking his normal summer break of a few days free of any schedule. That didn't mean no-one bothered him about stuff but he could sit by his plunge pool with a cold drink while they did it via Pcoms. He doubted whether he'd spend any time by the pool this year. He'd cleared out the elite and Foran's watchers were under lock and key. Step one accomplished. Step two would be permanently excluding them. Then there was the problem of securing desperately needed rare earths. Hemia had been spot on in her list. They were the minerals that they needed. He put the problem to the back of his mind and concentrated on the people he was going to see. He visited a woman with a badly broken leg, a second woman with severe concussion and a man with a broken wrist and a badly gashed scalp. His fourth visit was to a man with a badly cut arm with tendon damage. This turned out to be Per Riss and he found the fifth casualty, man with broken ribs and mild concussion, sitting glaring at Hemia Riss who glared straight back from the other side of the bed. Essandra, Ben and Per looked as though they'd rather be anywhere else than there. He paused on the threshold and coughed. Three pairs of eyes registered relief at his arrival; the other two, annoyance at the interruption.

"Forgive me. I decided that I should visit all the casualties and see that they had everything they needed."

"And do they?" It was Per Riss who asked and he nodded

"They do. I'm sure they will all make much speedier recoveries here. The UpCit medical centre has the best staff and equipment in the City. It's the equal of that in the Spires."

"Thank you. My arm certainly feels a lot better after only two short treatment sessions. Much less swollen and the horrible ache has gone. I think that was the worst thing, it really made it hard to sleep."

Asken smiled "I am glad you are on the road to recovery." He turned to Arn and asked how he was. After receiving a satisfactory reply he said "I wanted to introduce myself. Quite a lot has happened since Miss Tesh Vik came to see me to ask for my help. I thought it would be helpful to have a talk. Pico is bringing some more people back from the Warrens and Varlon Esta will join us as well. If the two of you are well enough to leave hospital for a few hours I would suggest that everyone comes to my apartment on the top floor of the administrative building. We can be comfortable and very private there." When he got affirmative replies from both Per and Arn to leaving hospital he stood up. "Very well I suggest my apartment at 19.00. Please eat before you come. I intend to give my intern the evening off so while I can provide snacks I'm afraid a meal is beyond me." He took his leave and walked back to the administrative building deciding that he was wrong about spending time by the pool. Lunch and then an hour or so relaxing under the awning to do some much needed thinking was the essential next step.