Mira wrote:
> > "You look lovely!" he says and holds out his arm for her to take,
> > "Are you ready?"
>
> She takes his arm with a smile, "Yes, I am. Thank you. You look quite
> handsome yourself."
>
> > He escorts Mira down the gangway. Mira sees that a driver is
> > standing next to a limousine at the foot of the gangway.
> >
> > "I thought it might be nice if someone else did the driving today."
> > Jac says as the driver moves to the side of the limo.
>
> Oh, my. What a delightfully pampered feeling, Mira thinks to herself.
>
>
> "A lovely thought, Jac," She agrees.
>
> > "Good morning Sir Woodbridge...Sianna." the driver says as he opens
> > the back door of the limo for you.
>
> "Good morning," Mira replies as she allows Jac to hand her into the
> limousine. She settles into the plush interior and looks around. She
> wonders how long it takes to take it for granted.
"And good morning to you, too, Kline." Jac says, "This is Doctor
Hasta-Rur. One of my partners aboard this ship. The most attractive
partner, if I do say so myself."
"Morning, Doctor Hasta-Rur." Kline tips his cap and nods as Mira steps
into the limo's interior.
Jac slides in beside her and says says quietly and with a twinkle in his
eye, "Kline is a family retainer. I don't get driven around like this
all the time either. I just thought it would be a nice change, and
well...if we don't give the servants something to do from time to time
they get bored."
He looks forward as Kline takes his seat and says, "Isn't that right,
Kline?"
Kline responds, "Yes, sir. Where would you like me to drive you and the
doctor, Sir?"
"My tailor's, and then Che Serenia's, if you please, Kline."
With a "yes, sir", Kline starts the limousine and drives away. The
drive carries you out of the Starport and through the busy traffic of
Startown. Soon you are on a broad roadway running through a broad
greenbelt of grass and trees that separates the Starport area from the
main city.
After the greenbelt, the car skirts the central city with its tall
buildings, palaces, government buildings and diplomatic compounds and
enters the older district of the city near the river.
"This is Andulusa." Jac says to Mira pointing out the window at
different things as you drive. "It's the old city. The university is
here, as is the Old Palace, Law Courts, and the Wishful Cathedral. Oh!
And if you look there..."
He points at a massive wall, "You can see part of the old city wall that
once circled the city."
Kline steers the limo through narrow streets filled with traffic, both
foot and vehicle finally stopping outside a row of three story stone
buildings. From the windows and signs this is an area of small shops.
The drive takes about 40 minutes.
"Ah! Here we are! Thank you Kline. I will comm you when we are ready for
you to pick us up." Jac says as he opens the door and steps out to the
sidewalk and holds the door for Mira.
He escorts you into one of the small shops. There is a real bell that
rings when he opens the door and causes a small bald man to come forward
from a backroom. The shop smells of leather and wax and something else
that Mira vaguely remembers, but can't place.
"Oh, it is Sir Woodbridge!" says the shopkeeper smiling and stepping
forward to shake both of Jac's hands. The shopkeeper is wearing pants
and a white shirt, with rolled up sleeves, and has a cloth tape measure
draped around his neck.
"Vivaldi!" Jac says and shakes with the small man. The grasp each
other's forearms and shake both up and down. It is a greeting that Mira
is not familiar with, "I have come for my new jacket. Do say you have it
ready for me?"
Turning to Mira he says, "Oh, forgive me! Doctor Hasta-Rur, this is
Johann Vivaldi, master tailor, and my old friend. Vivaldi, this is Mira
Hasta-Rur, doctor of medicine and my very new friend."
Eris
AKU
