They’ll hunt me down, and in addition to the seemingly limitless resources they have to do so with – hiring security guards, private detectives, and more – they’ll also have the full support of the King and the Royal Guard. Nobody in the higher echelons of Deemak society wants to see our Aurelian guests robbed, or the thieves go unpunished. The value of the wealth the Aurelians bring to this world is why there’s effectively a second tier of legal protection for them; far more stringent than we mere humans benefit from.
So, when I say I’ll have to stay low – I mean really low.
The moment Darr gives me my cut from this job – hopefully quickly, so I’m not found and arrested in the meantime, I’ll then have to contend with him, too.
He’s promised to help me off-world, knowing how aggressively the Aurelians will hunt for me, but I don’t trust him; and I’m not going to rely on the word of a thief and con-artist.
Instead, I can only hope I can get away before Darr realizes I have no plans to stick around to risk my neck – and my ass – working another job for him. That’s double jeopardy and – even worse – Darr knows all my associates, hiding places, and tricks; because he was the one who introduced me to them all.
Gods! Stealing from Aurelians is already insanity! Throw in the rest, and it’s a wonder if I’ll get out of this alive. Perhaps fifteen years in an Aurelian punishment institution would be the most attractive option after all. At least then I’d be able to get some rest!
But if I can pull this off – and that’s a big if – it means this will be the last crime I will ever have to commit on Deemak. It’s the final obstacle before I leave all of this behind; including the girl I needed to be in order to do it.
I set my jaw grimly, and get to work.
Armed with a duster and cloth, I close the door of the hidden supply closet behind me and let myself wander down another hallway. I keep a mental map in my mind. The estate is so huge that the thirty women who inhabit it are spread out from one end to the other. You could walk for thirty minutes in any direction down these immense hallways and looming rooms without ever seeing another soul.
Although I’m eager to work, the place is already so clean it’s difficult to figure out where to start. In the end, I just pick a door at random, opening it to discover a room with a massive skylight installed in the ceiling overhead.
The glass is tinted, and I bet that even at the height of midday it allows only a faint yellow glow through it, instead of the blinding, red fire of Deemak’s harsh sun. The binary planets of Deemak and Oasis orbit closely around an ancient star that is slowly dying, hence the red tint to the light that is emitted from it.
I mean, I say ‘dying’ but the red glow and searing heat will remain in the sky for long, long after I am dead, and even the Aurelians, too. Probably another billion years.
In this room, though, the filtered light looks so different – as if the sun is the one I’ve seen pictures and paintings of from Old-Earth.
In fact, the entire room looks like it should a museum. Two rows of marble statues, depicting ancient warrior men standing over seven feet tall, are arranged in the middle of the room, while paintings of similar figures adorn the walls surrounding us.
As I step into the cavernous room, I wonder how old the statues are. I’d never received much of an education, but I do know a little about the history of humanity – my race, which originated on Old-Earth millennia ago.
These statues look like they come from Old-Earth – a place called ‘Greece’ or ‘Rome.’ They must be beyond ancient, which is hardly surprising given that everything the Aurelians have collected is among the rarest example of its kind. They’d never settle for statues created to mimic the ancient originals; even if the replications themselves have become so old that they’re considered artifacts themselves.
So, no… As I look up at the towering statues, I realize that they date back even further than those wristwatches – thousands of years further. These were crafted long before the time that humanity took to the stars; and discovered the terrifying answer to their question of: “Are we alone out here?”
Scorp, Toad, and – mercifully – the protective Aurelians existed in this universe, too.
But how crazy to see objects so old. I snort bitterly – when money is no object, I suppose there are no barriers to the things you can collect.
And the people. Women are drawn to power, and isn’t money the source of power?
There’s no audience of Aurelians to witness it, but I wander this room, gently dusting the few things that aren’t pristine. Ironically enough, the only room I’ve encountered so far that actually needed dusting was the same room this cleaning equipment was stored in!
I’m very careful not to touch the statues, though. Even though they seem sculpted from marble, and have clearly existed for thousands of years with only the occasional chip or crack, I’m terrified of breaking them. Everything in this manor feels so priceless and delicate, and I don’t want to accidentally destroy something that costs more than I could steal in a whole lifetime of thievery.
As I dust, I suddenly hear the door open behind me. I turn, expecting to find Cyrus standing there with a cocky grin and fiery eyes.
It’s not Cyrus, though.
It’s one of the women in the harem – one who I can’t recall the name of. She has freckles that dot her milky, pale skin – skin that has clearly rarely tasted the kiss of our hot, red sun. Hair the same color as
