"More firdrakh tea, sir?" Desirée held out the strangely shaped teapot, smiling at the large, octopus-like alien that would eventually rape her.
"Yes, I would love some more," Tal Jin replied from the divan opposite her, holding out his porcelain cup for her to refill. "And please, Guild Courtesan Tanner, call me Jin."
"Of course, Jin." She was very careful to smile at the Tekkamaru with her mouth closed. In many cultures, showing one's teeth was a sign of aggression, and she didn't want to risk a misunderstanding. "But only if you call me Desirée."
"Desirée," Tal Jin (like the Chinese, his first name was his surname) responded, dipping his massive head. "A very appropriate name for you."
She smiled and nodded at the compliment. She poured another measure of the steaming firdrakh tea for her guest and, after placing the pot on its warming tray, had another sip from her own cup. She tried not to make a face: firdrakh tea was a great delicacy for the Tekkamaru -- roughly equivalent to 12-year-old single-malt scotch -- but to her it tasted like steeped prune juice mixed with Buckley's cough syrup.
She lay across a low divan, wearing her Guild uniform: a form-fitting dress with a low neckline, short sleeves and hemline at her mid-thigh. Her feet were bare. Desirée's hair, worn long around her shoulders, was still slightly damp from the shower after her morning workout.
Her fingernails, lips and toenails were painted an unappetizing shade of pinkish-green. She knew it looked hideous on her, but that wasn't the point. The connotations of colour were a cultural institution and, among the Tekkamaru, the shade implied that she was ready and willing to mate.
Desirée could see flashes of the same colour flickering across Tal Jin's pink hide. Whenever he opened his mouth to speak or sip, she noticed his tongue was beginning to swell. Clearly she was succeeding in enticing the alien into his mating heat; the question was whether she would survive the experience.
The Tekkamaru were a society that prized propriety and honour above all things. Their complex and highly disciplined culture made the octopus-like aliens natural diplomats. Many of them pursued careers in the Diplomatic Corps, corporate law or any other profession that required delicate and skilled negotiations.
However, that self-control deserted the Tekkamaru when they entered their annual heat. They literally went violently insane, as the need to procreate short-circuited their normally refined sensibilities.
As one of the Guild's most junior courtesans, Desirée had the unenviable task of entertaining a creature that would go berserk when it went into heat. Even worse, she had to encourage her guest to assault her. All she had was the knowledge that a security squad armed with tranquilizers was standing by in case Jin severely injured her, and the assurance that he probably wasn't strong enough to rip her limbs from her torso.
Probably.
"So, I understand you're the Confederation's assistant consul at Kahlis IX?" she inquired, setting her teacup aside. "That must be a very tough posting."
Tal Jin grimaced. "I suppose it's an honour to receive such a delicate assignment, but it's an honour I'd as soon refuse, believe me." Desirée recognized, after reading Jin's dossier, that he was a rising star in the Diplomatic Corps. He was already an assistant consul, an impressive achievement for one so young. The fact that he was an assistant consul in the troubled Kahlis System said even more about his talents. His visit was partially covered under the Corps' health plan.
"Has General Xerkis postponed elections yet again?" she asked. Eight standard years ago, a group of senior officers had overthrown the government on Kahlis IX, promising an end to decades of corruption and mismanagement. Unfortunately the military junta under General Xerkis had only made things worse.
The Tekkamaru took another sip of tea. "Yes, and he tried to imprison yet another group of dissidents. Unfortunately for him, his forces weren't able to capture Xhital, the current opposition leader. Xhital fled to the Verlit System, obtained asylum, and organized a government-in-exile with the tacit permission of the Verlit II oligarchy.
"Now General Xerkis is threatening war against the Verlit System if they don't hand over Xhital, and various governments in the Confederation are choosing sides in the conflict, depending on what sort of profit they can gain from the situation. The Diplomatic Corps is trying to avert an armed conflict in the area, but General Xerkis only knows battlefield diplomacy. He's built an impressive navy and he thinks a short, victorious war might divert his population long enough for him to ram through the reforms he wants."
"If you don't mind my saying so, " Desirée said tartly. "If there's a mistake General Xerkis hasn't made since seizing power, I can't think of it."
Jin snorted with laughter, his 12 tentacles waving about his head. "Very astutely put, but it wouldn't be wise to say that too publicly. Despite Xerkis' incompetence, Kahlis IX is still a formidable economic force, and their recent military build-up has been frightening."
"Is it enough to threaten the Confederation itself?"
"No, but it could seriously destabilize the Quadrant should he decide to go to war," he replied. "I've recommended the Confederation Navy hold battle exercises in the System, but certain elements in the Diplomatic Corps have decided that such an action would only escalate the situation."
Desirée tried not to grin: although Jin's tone of voice was neutral enough, his body language told her his irritation about being overruled. Clearly he thought only a show of force would persuade General Xerkis to back down.
"At this point, it's our job to defuse the conflict by bringing the concerned parties to the bargaining table," the Tekkamaru continued. "We have to figure out a diplomatic resolution to the crisis and convince the General to see reason, otherwise the entire Quadrant could find themselves -- what's that wonderful phrase?" He paused for effect. "Up shit creek without a paddle."
