By

Brian W. Antoine

Aug 8, 1994

I would have killed for an Iced Tea, but everyone with any sense was still inside the Starport someplace where the air conditioners could keep them from melting. The sun was just now kissing the horizon, but a slow glance around the restaurant showed that I was the only one crazy enough to be up here yet. I couldn't spot a single employee anyplace and the ice in the one drink I'd brought with me was little more than vapor.

"Damn, am I the only one who wants to watch the sunset tonight?"

"No, but everyone else is watching from the inside section of the restaurant" came the comment from one of Penny's remotes that had floated above the railing. "The last Velan who tried to work up here earlier in the day is still suffering heat stroke. He couldn't take it even stripped down to just a belt to hold his ticket book and comm-unit."

"With all that fur? It's a wonder he didn't kill himself. Is he going to be all right?" I asked as the remote came to a hover a few feet away from me.

"Yes, they rushed him down to the infirmary and dumped him in an ice bath. He should be fine by tomorrow, but he's going to be shedding like mad for the next month."

"Good..." I slowly glanced at the golden glow that was setting the horizon on fire and then to the empty glass on the table beside me. "Uh, I don't suppose I could talk you into bringing me something to drink, could I?"

"What's your best offer" came the amused reply. "You're the one who didn't want to override the environment field and lower the temperature in the park. Why should I make things easy for you now?"

"Because you love me like a brother? Because I didn't wear my shoes and the floor is too damn hot to walk on? Because I'm to damn tired to fly inside and get it myself?" I paused for dramatic effect and tried my best to pose for her. "Because it's fucking hot out here and I want to cool off before I melt!"

"What ever you wish oh mighty Mage" came the evil chuckle from behind me and someone poured about twenty gallons of ice water over my head. They probably heard my scream all over the park as I tried to leap to my feet. I say tried, because I never made it to my feet. As I pulled my feet from the table and tried to stand up, I hit both the water, and a very badly placed ice cube. I did get lucky and manage to avoid the chair on my way towards bouncing my tailbone off of the floor. When I finally managed to turn over so I could see behind me, I found Tan and Kal floating about six inches off the floor and laughing like idiots.

"Apprentice, why would you do something like this? Do you like cleaning my workrooms after I've created something particularly noxious?" Tans face sobered almost instantly as he caught the tone of my voice and he proceeded to sidestep away from Kalindra as he copied an expression he'd picked up from me over the years.

"Oh no, I didn't have a thing to do with it. It was all Kalindra's idea. I tried to talk her out of it, but you know how she gets when she finds something funny. She wouldn't listen..."

"Apprentice, shut up" I snarled, but I winked at him also since Kalindra was now behind me and couldn't see me. As bad as I hated to admit it, the water had felt kind of good. A lot though could be said for the delivery method. "As for Kalindra, haven't I taught you to pay no attention to females? They are nothing but trouble, they make mediocre servants, they never clean up after themselves and even the brightest of them can't hold a candle to a male Mage."

With every word I spoken, Tan's eyes had gotten larger as he watched Kalindra's reaction as she stood behind me. From where we stood though I could see her shadow stretching out in front of me and I prayed my timing would be better than normal. As her shadow started to move, I piped up one last time. "Oh, and one last thing, most of them never think to wash often enough in hot weather and they smell something terrible!" As the last words left my mouth I spun in place and found Kalindra about two feet from me with mayhem on her mind. In one smooth motion I reached out and bopped her on the nose, said "Tag, you're it" with a smile, and dove backwards into the sky above. I broke Mach One before I hit ten thousand feet and I needed every bit of acceleration I could find. Less than a hundred feet behind came Kalindra and I didn't want to think about what she would do if I slowed down any.

*At least I took your mind off the heat* I 'pathed as I looked one direction but went another.

*You're the one that needs to worry about the heat. I'm going to slow roast you over a fire and feed you to your own students* came the threatening answer.

*I don't suppose you'd settle for a good grooming and backrub instead of my hide?* I felt her hesitate for just a second.

*Females don't need baths, remember?* but I caught just a touch of humor in her mind and she slowed just slightly. That was what I'd hoped for and I changed direction again to head towards the forest we'd been passing over. As soon as I got close to the tree tops I spawned a dozen illusionary copies of myself and we all dived into the trees.

*If you want me, you'll have to dig me out.* The scream of outrage I heard in the sky above brightened my mood even more.

"Are you out of your tiny terran mind? Do you know what's down there in that forest with you?" came the yell from somewhere overhead.

*Yep, tiny bugs and spiders and ticks that love to burrow into fur and ...* and with every word I flashed her a mental picture of the most obnoxious assortment of critters I could imagine. I could almost feel her shudder from where I hid amongst some bushes with my flight field still active. I didn't intend to become a free meal for a bug anymore than she did and she might just figure out where I was.

"So, do you intend on spending the night down there?"

Her voice was changing position and I figured she was trying to sweep the area and spot me. The problem was that she was right, damn her furry hide. It had been getting dark fast when we'd taken off and down here near the forest floor it was even worse. Of course I'd have been sure of company in an instant had I been silly enough to create a mage-light so I could see. Bringing up a defense field would be almost as bad as Kal would have had to be blind to miss the magical hot-spot it would have created.

*I don't suppose you'd reconsider the backrub?*

*Maybe* came the amused reply as I listened to her chuckle inside my head. *Or I just might let you spend the night in the forest with your own bugs. It's actually kind of nice floating around up here. The temperature is dropping and you're missing a beautiful sunset. What else besides the backrub are you offering?*

*Ok, and a complete grooming...*

*At least a thousand strokes for my tail* she demanded. *We females have to maintain our appearance.*

*Ok* I grumbled. Just thinking about it made my hand hurt as I remembered the last bet I'd lost and had to pay off.

*It's still not enough, what else do you offer?*

*Damn it! What else do you want?*

*Breakfast in bed* and I groaned inwardly, *and for you to come home with me to visit for a week.*

*Anything else your highness?*

"If I think of anything, I'll be sure to let you know" she yelled down from almost directly above me. I was just starting to look up when I heard Penny yell "I found him" from directly behind me. I barely had time to swing back around before Kalindra landed on me from above and flattened me against the ground.

"That is not fair" I yelled as she held me tight in her arms and tickled in the ear with her tail. "How come Penny always helps you instead of me!"

"It's a female thing, you wouldn't understand" came the laugh from my sister. "Somebody has to keep you fragile males out of trouble."

Ok, so maybe the world isn't fair, but I had to admit it could be fun at times. "So, did you remember to bring me an Iced Tea?" I asked as I leaned forward and gently bit the end of Kal's nose with a grin.