Picking Up The Pieces: The Caldar Chronicles Book Eight
by Floyde Leong
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Rondal Caldar was was officially dead - so he'd been sent to Earth to help him stay dead. But circumstances on Earth threaten to expose him to the wrath of the Council of Elders.
Note: this is an Adult-themed, Science Fiction Space Opera intended for readers over the age of 17.
“Boss…” Laisee whispered, and turned from Wilber to confront Donald. “You told him?”
“He’s seen me naked,” he mumbled, then shrugged his shoulders slightly.
“That’s true,” Wilber muttered. “I have seen him naked … although he’s much prettier now.”
Rondal Caldar was was officially dead - so he'd been sent to Earth to help him stay dead.
Keeping quiet while living a simple life back home was the plan, but circumstances on Earth threaten to expose him to the wrath of the Council of Elders if he can't keep his nose clean.
Of course, it doesn't help any when a Cletus Elder decides to make a personal appearance to see if he is still behaving.
Excerpt:
Prologue
Lord Rondal Caldar sai Caldarous se Earth ne Kantor was dead.
That had been confirmed at the very highest levels of Commonwealth authority, and at that point, the fate of Rondal Caldar was sealed.
The only problem now, was how to keep reports that his “official” demise was somewhat premature from becoming public knowledge.
Given his native tendency to get into trouble would seem to make that a rather difficult task, even after changing his appearance and hiding him on his planet of birth…
September 6, 2005, Earth, The Annex, Afternoon, In Donald’s Room
“*They should be back soon, Kiki,*” Mary assured her again, having successfully fended off the Kee’s advances for the last thirty minutes.
It hadn’t been terribly difficult so far, although watching the little woman lick the top of her nose with her own tongue a few minutes ago had actually made her quiver, and she’d felt her juices begin to flow from that point forward.
She supposed she should be grateful Kiki had not demonstrated that little feat when they’d first settled in to watch a sleeping Donald.
Kiki let out another dramatic sigh while looking lovingly into Mary’s eyes, but was distracted by a moan coming from the sleeping Donald.
“*Maybe Donald will want to play with me!*” she said happily, and almost jumped out of her chair before Mary caught her and held her back.
“*Let’s just watch a while, first. All right?*” Mary asked her, and Kiki shared a sad face with her that she almost wanted to kiss to make her happier. She compromised by hugging her and kissing her forehead instead.
“*Okay! We watch! And then we play!*”
“*Huh?*” came a voice from the bed.
Mary and Kiki turned to look at Donald while he lay there, staring up at the ceiling.
They watched as he slowly looked around, then turned his head and looked at them sitting there, looking back at him.
“*Who … who are you?*” he asked them clearly.
“*DONALD! DONALD! It’s ME! Kiki! Do you want to PLAY with me?*” she asked cheerfully while nearly bouncing in her seat.
‘*Ling … Lady Sai … Donald is awake!*’ Mary pushed out strongly, hoping someone would hear her, then waited for him to make the next move.
In the Residence
Jaiying up looked at her mother’s surprised face and dropped her sandwich. She was about to bolt from the house, but Laisee caught her before she could leave her seat.
‘You can observe just as well from right here, my girl’ Laisee shared on their higher band, before extending out to Mary to see what was happening.
In Donald’s Room
“*Ladies… Who are you?*” Donald asked again, then began awkwardly struggling to sit up. Mary recognized the symptoms of excessive bed rest and stood up to help him.
“*Move slowly, Donald. Just move slowly and try to keep your balance,*” she instructed him while getting a grip on his arm and keeping him steady. “*My name is Mary and her name is Kiki,*” she added, knowing he’d just keep asking until she told him.
“*How… Where am I?*” He looked around the unfamiliar room, then looked up to see a skylight above him. He was planet-side?
“*You are in a safe place, Donald,*” Mary continued while standing next to him and keeping him from falling off the bed. “*The report said you had an accident on board ship and you suffered some injuries to your head. They brought you here to rest and get your strength back.*”
He looked up at her, then at the little woman sitting there beaming at him for some reason. He didn’t see a window, just the skylight overhead, but there were two doors in the room. One was in the middle of a wall, and the other one looked like it opened into a closet – or perhaps…
“*Facilities?* I need to pee,” he muttered, then pointed hopefully to the closest door.
“I’ll help you,” she said, then waited for him to get his feet planted on the floor before walking him to the door and opening it for him, but he shook her off at the door and closed it in her face.
“Kiki, I want you to find Lady Sai and get her here, quick,” she said quietly, but got a confused look back from the Kee when she turned and faced her.
“*What?*”
“I said…” She stopped and turned to stare at the door before turning back to Kiki.
“*Kiki, please find Lady Sai and tell her that Donald is awake and talking… Talking NORMALLY,*” she said, then watched as the little woman zipped from the room to complete her mission.
Mary turned back to the bathroom door and considered the client in a slightly different light. Not that many aliens spoke both Standard and English. She gave it little thought while she heard the toilet flush and the water start running in the sink before deciding things needed to be escalated.
‘*Ling! Lady Sai! Lady Laisee! Lady Spring Blossom! Donald is awake and speaking clearly – and he also speaks* English!’ she sent loudly, then sat down to wait for backup to arrive.
In Déjà’s Room
Spring Blossom heard that plea for help, so she carefully placed the baby girl in her crib before tucking her support package in next to her.
“*I have to go, Déjà, but I’ll be back. I – I’ll send someone to stay with you,*” she said, then abruptly turned and left the room.
She hurried to Donald’s room but didn’t bother to knock before entering. Mary waved at her from the side of the bathroom door.
“*He’s in there,*” she said in a whisper. “*He said he needed to pee. He said it in* English.”
Spring Blossom’s expression was guarded while she pulled Mary away from the bathroom door.
“*Will you please see that someone sits with Déjà and the babies? I will take care of Donald for a while.*”
She directed Mary to the door, then leaned against it after it closed. Donald was awake and speaking recognizable sentences – at least one, anyway. She walked over to the chair and sat down. In the silence of the room, she heard the water in the sink draining out, and then a few heavy breaths coming from the room’s tiny bathroom. She could only imagine what he was experiencing
