Descending Road - A HALFDROID by Dana W. Paxson

A HALFDROID

1560 4D

It was so terribly good, and so terribly short. I wanted days of this, years of this, and after an hour and a half and four powerful passages together, I lay next to Drasstar, still wanting.

He gazed at me. “We have work to do.” His deep voice crooned the words.

I grinned at him, mocking. “Damn you, I hope you have endurance enough for this.”

“You want more? You’re just like–” He stopped.

His interrupted words hit me like a flechette. “Just like her, right, Drasstar? Who am I to you?” At first the question seemed rhetorical, reminding him, but then I knew I wanted an answer to it, because I was starting to forget the answer I had known.

He sat up, cross-legged, and reached across me for his codpiece. “But everything you do, it’s her. I can’t believe it. How can that be?”

“I don’t know. What are you going to say to her when you see her?”

“Nothing.” He stood up, naked, and carefully sheathed his sex once more. “She probably knew this would happen when she first saw you. It was so strange.”

“What was?”

“She’d sent off a message to a friend of hers to come down and play her role. But you showed up instead.”

“Yeah. I didn’t think that chatbird was for me, but I needed the money. A halfdroid gave me directions to Joovlies.” I stood up, still warm inside, and stretched.

His hands were clasping his cape, and at my words he stopped moving. “Halfdroid?”

“A guy with no legs, in a tray, with a beautiful face.”

“Did he give you his name?”

“Tavenal Tain.” I yawned, turning and stretching each leg.

“Tain! I know him. He was up on Teshill Slope?”

“Yes.”

Drasstar looked off at one of Thringe‘s wall hangings. “I haven’t seen him in three years. I thought he was dead. It’s hard to believe he’s still alive at all. And on Teshill Slope.”

“Why?”

“It’s a long story. Look, we’ve got to get Thringe back. I arranged to meet Grioskin at Caladrina‘s this morning, and if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.”

I looked him up and down, and spoke my desire. “No more time for…?”

Confusion, anger and pain seemed at war in him. “I didn’t think last night would happen. Do you really know what’s next?”

“No. What we did changed me.”

“Did it? Or was it waiting there already?” His voice wavered. He turned his back, and then moved toward the door to the street.

The door opened. Almost colliding with Drasstar, Masinarin and Grioskin burst in, followed quickly by two other people in brown hoods and capes. Grioskin slammed the door behind them all. “We’ve got to leave by the back way, soon,” he panted. “The blues are following us.”

The bigger one of the hooded figures spoke. “First I have to rest.” A shock ran through me. The hoods fell back: my father and Thringe.

Story List	SURPRISE ME	Author Page
USER SURVEY	PUZZLE ME	MAKE ELM MARK

HOVER Lucida Bright BARE	HOVER Lucida Bright FULL	HOVER Palatino Linotype BARE
HOVER Palatino Linotype FULL	HOVER Times New Roman BARE	HOVER Times New Roman FULL
PAD Arial BARE	PAD Arial FULL	PAD Lucida Bright BARE
PAD Lucida Bright FULL	PAD Times New Roman BARE	PAD Times New Roman FULL


	A HALFDROID 1560 4D It was so terribly good, and so terribly short. I wanted days of this, years of this, and after an hour and a half and four powerful passages together, I lay next to Drasstar, still wanting. He gazed at me. “We have work to do.” His deep voice crooned the words. I grinned at him, mocking. “Damn you, I hope you have endurance enough for this.” “You want more? You’re just like–” He stopped. His interrupted words hit me like a flechette. “Just like her, right, Drasstar? Who am I to you?” At first the question seemed rhetorical, reminding him, but then I knew I wanted an answer to it, because I was starting to forget the answer I had known. He sat up, cross-legged, and reached across me for his codpiece. “But everything you do, it’s her. I can’t believe it. How can that be?” “I don’t know. What are you going to say to her when you see her?” “Nothing.” He stood up, naked, and carefully sheathed his sex once more. “She probably knew this would happen when she first saw you. It was so strange.” “What was?” “She’d sent off a message to a friend of hers to come down and play her role. But you showed up instead.” “Yeah. I didn’t think that chatbird was for me, but I needed the money. A halfdroid gave me directions to Joovlies.” I stood up, still warm inside, and stretched. His hands were clasping his cape, and at my words he stopped moving. “Halfdroid?” “A guy with no legs, in a tray, with a beautiful face.” “Did he give you his name?” “Tavenal Tain.” I yawned, turning and stretching each leg. “Tain! I know him. He was up on Teshill Slope?” “Yes.” Drasstar looked off at one of Thringe‘s wall hangings. “I haven’t seen him in three years. I thought he was dead. It’s hard to believe he’s still alive at all. And on Teshill Slope.” “Why?” “It’s a long story. Look, we’ve got to get Thringe back. I arranged to meet Grioskin at Caladrina‘s this morning, and if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late.” I looked him up and down, and spoke my desire. “No more time for…?” Confusion, anger and pain seemed at war in him. “I didn’t think last night would happen. Do you really know what’s next?” “No. What we did changed me.” “Did it? Or was it waiting there already?” His voice wavered. He turned his back, and then moved toward the door to the street. The door opened. Almost colliding with Drasstar, Masinarin and Grioskin burst in, followed quickly by two other people in brown hoods and capes. Grioskin slammed the door behind them all. “We’ve got to leave by the back way, soon,” he panted. “The blues are following us.” The bigger one of the hooded figures spoke. “First I have to rest.” A shock ran through me. The hoods fell back: my father and Thringe.