Thirst for Adventure

Chapter 29

Lorgin’s head slanted to the side as he followed Curly’s movements. “Is this a civil punishment of some kind?”

Leo thought of his overbearing behavior in bed. “Yes. So you better be careful what you do.” She walked over to the television and turned the station. Bugs Bunny sashayed by in drag, batting his false eyelashes at Elmer Fudd.

Lorgin got up and stood in front of the set, clearly fascinated, his hand reaching out to the screen. “What is this? They appear alive, but are not. These are wondrous—”

“They’re called cartoons.” She felt she definitely owed him one, so added, “They live in a place called Toon Town.”

His head whipped to her. “They exist? How could…” He noted her huge grin, which she could no longer hide. He wagged his finger at her, smiling. “One day I will return this mischief to you, Adeeann.”

Of that, she had no doubt.

After breakfast, they walked to the convention center across the street. Leo purchased a membership for Lorgin, idly wondering if she could take all the money she had spent on him out in trade.

She looked over at him in his tight black jeans and cotton shirt. He had rolled back the sleeve cuffs exposing the sinewy muscles of his forearms. The crazy part of it was that she didn’t think he’d have any objection to such an arrangement. And why should he? He was on a shore leave of a kind, albeit a permanent one.

I have to stop thinking like this, she groaned. It wouldn’t do. Wouldn’t do at all.

The guy behind the registration desk didn’t even blink when he asked Lorgin’s full name for his convention badge. After all, this was a science fiction convention. He grinned up at Lorgin. “Great name! Have fun!” He handed Lorgin his badge and program book, never realizing that here was the real McCoy.

While Leo registered, Lorgin looked around the room, his gaze falling on a man at the end of the line. His face broke into a huge grin.

“Ah, a Meephan!” he stated as he purposefully approached the man and began communicating with him in a series of clicks and whirs.

Leo strolled over while pinning her badge on. The confused man turned to her. “What is he doing?”

Leo took Lorgin’s badge from his hand and pinned it on his shirt. She smiled over at the poor fellow. Let me take a wild guess here, she mused. “Talking Meephan to you?”

The man looked totally puzzled. Leo tapped Lorgin on the shoulder. “Sorry, Lorgin; he’s Vulcan, not Meephan.” Lorgin looked completely bewildered.

The convention had only just begun.

Chapter Three

Leo sat down in the main hall to look over her program book.

There was a lot to choose from—panel discussions, movies, workshops, costume displays, information tables on everything from NASA to special effects in cinema. They could visit the art show or the dealer’s room. She spotted a panel discussion on a topic which she thought would especially interest Lorgin.

“Look, Lorgin, you might be interested in this.” She pointed to her program book, then realized by his puzzled expression that he couldn’t read her language. Apparently, his translating device did not work on written text. “It’s called Magic: Myth and Meaning. Let’s check it out.”

She found the room on the second floor. It was already quite full, but she managed to locate two chairs for them on the end of an aisle. They took their seats as the moderator began with a lengthy introduction into the roots of magic in folklore.

After about ten minutes of self-indulgent palaver, Leo realized that the guy was in love with the sound of his own voice. She was going to ask Lorgin if he wanted to leave, but he seemed intent on the moderator’s words, so she sat back stifling a yawn.

Without warning, Lorgin stood up, saying in a loud voice, “You know not whence you speak, you pompous fool!” Leo sunk into her chair, trying to make herself invisible.

The moderator, flustered, responded, “I’m a professor of mythology at Princeton. I think I have some authority to speak—”

“Bah! Can you cast runes? Do you read Signs of the Two even? What level of powers have you?” Leo decided then and there: no more magic seminars for Lorgin.

The professor answered Lorgin smugly. “One does not have to slay a dragon to understand the underlying—”

“And have you?”

“Have I what?” The professor was getting exasperated.

“Slain this dragon you speak of?” Everyone laughed. It seemed that Leo was not the only one who had been getting a little bored at the sound of the professor’s voice.

“Not lately.” His irritating tone was condescending.

“Not ever, I will wager. My friend Yaniff could turn you into a slimy zorph with the flick of his hand, and you could do nothing. It is not seemly for you to speak on matters you have no firsthand knowledge of.”

That was it. Leo stood up. “We have to go. Now.” She took his arm, tugging him from his seat.

“I will find you later and finish with you,” Lorgin warned the poor guy, as she hauled him out of the room.

“I can hardly wait,” the professor sighed.

Once outside, Lorgin asked Leo why she wished to leave. “Because you were right, he was a pompous ass.”

She decided to go to the dealer’s room next to check out the merchandise before the heavy crowds got there and had first pick. Leo glanced wistfully down at Lorgin’s new boots. Not that she could afford to buy much now.

They stood in the doorway to the vast dealer’s den. About 500 hucksters had set up temporary shop in here, selling anything from art prints to collector’s editions of rare science fiction books, from collectible science fiction toys to videos, from tarot cards to sculpted wizards.

Lorgin surveyed the scene. “It is much like the sacri on my planet.” He walked over to a table displaying crystals. “Very similar,” he murmured.

Leo didn’t have the heart to tell him this was not a typical marketplace on earth. Not by a long shot.

They enjoyed themselves going through the various wares for sale. Leo spent some time looking through posters of old movies. Lorgin seemed fascinated by a wooden sculpture of an Ewok village. They slowly made their way up the aisles.