Page 54 of Double Cut

“And what do you consider the necessary amenities?” Evangeline asked, curious instead of suspicious as they walked toward the broad, sweeping staircase leading to a pair of tall, imposing doors. She gasped, “Is that stained glass?”

“Do you not like it?” Horas asked.

“I didn’t expect to see stained glass,” she admitted.

“We may be a warrior people, but that does not mean we do not appreciate beauty,” Horas muttered.

Realizing she’d hurt her mate’s feelings, Evangline was contrite. Placing her hand on his arm, the one not carrying a grumbling cat in his carrier, she apologized and said, “I didn’t mean it that way. I … I guess I just expected wherever we live to be utilitarian and functional. I didn’t expect beauty.”

“The females of our kind are our people’s greatest artists,” Sarus explained. “I know you find our culture oppressive, but we prize the beauty produced by our females. It is they who keep us civilized. We know their great value and take great pains to protect them and their talents.”

Evangeline pursed her lips as she considered his words and her fingers rubbed against the gold collar circling her throat. Realizing that she was fidgeting with the collar, she forcibly lowered her hand and looked at it. She wore no ring.Come to think of it, isn’t this collar merely a larger, Ahn’hudi version of a wedding ring, a symbol to all that I’m married … well … mated? After all, it’s not like they’re making me wear a burqa.

She pondered that for a moment and decided that, for now, she’d accept that rationale.

They climbed the steps and the doors swung open on silent hinges as they approached. A huge metallic spider greeted them. Evangeline screamed in horror and scuttled backward and would have tumbled down the stone steps if Sarus hadn’t caught her and held her steady.

“Run!” she shouted, her voice breathless with terror.

“Why?” Horas asked.

Her wide eyes locked onto the machine which stretched higher than Sarus was tall on long, thin, articulated legs.

“It’s not going to … to … hurt us?”

“Of course not,” Horas replied. “Remember us telling you about our people’s gods and who worships each?”

She nodded, not letting her gaze move away from the monster.

“The warriors worship Durja, the warrior goddess, and so forth,” he said, injecting calm into his voice. “We Ahn’hudin do not have a servant class because we do not have a servant god. That makes little sense. We use artificial intelligence to perform menial tasks. That device is one such domestic machine.”

“There aremoreof those metal spiders in there?” she squeaked.

“It’s a large building, so it’s likely, although they won’t be so large as this one. They are programmed not to interfere with the building’s occupants,” Sarus answered, giving her a quick, reassuring squeeze before releasing her. He patted her shoulder. “It won’t harm you.”

“It’s scary,” Evangeline said in a small voice. “At home we have machines that help with household tasks, but they’re not like that.”

“Then how are such tasks performed?” Sarus asked.

“Um … people do them.”

“So humans relegate an entire class of their own kind to menial work?” Horas gently asked.

Evangeline spluttered, “Well, um, they don’t have to … I mean,somebodyhas to clean, and yes, it’s usually women, but that doesn’t mean—”

“Barbaric,” Sarus murmured.

Horas grunted in wordless agreement.

“Welcome, Colonel Horas mek Ul’Sinha, Commander Sarus mek Orsai’To, and human mate Evangeline Antonia Donal,” the robot greeted. “Your quarters are prepared. Do you require refreshments?”

Evangeline did not see any mechanical mouth move or notice any speakers, but she knew the voice came from the enormous metal spider.

“Acknowledged,” Horas replied, pausing to look into the robot’s one gleaming eye as it scanned his. He murmured to Evangeline, “Look at the lighted panel, that the device may record and recognize you.”

Gulping a lump of unease, she did as he bade her and exhaled a sigh of relief when Sarus did the same. Horas leading, they swept past the spider and entered a wide and gracious hall capped by soaring ceilings. Starbursts of light scattered from enormous chandeliers which competed with the stained glass windows adorning the front wall and the clerestory windows. Evangeline had a sense of having entered a grand cathedral.

“Have our possessions been delivered?” Sarus asked.

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