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19
His hair had become an issue. He still wasn’t keen on long hair but his staff in both the Trade Commission office and the Embassy insisted he keep it long. His sandy blond hair was only slightly wavy and it now reached the middle of his shoulder blades. Every morning one of his staff would braid his freshly washed hair into a single braid down his back, tied with a ribbon. Every morning the ‘honor’ would go to a different staff member and, like the attendance for his hosted movie nights at his apartment, he had no idea how they chose who got to do it.
That took care of most of his hair but he still had to get his bangs trimmed. When he could take it no more the braider got the ‘sad duty’ of trimming the excess from his bangs and over his ears. Where the clippings went he had no idea. Frankly, he found that a little creepy but he couldn’t really complain.
He headed off to the Embassy as he had duties there first thing today and would spend the afternoon in the Trade Commission offices.
Walking into the lovely space they had in the Embassy he saw faces turn in his direction with bright smiles. He smiled back and greeted his staff with a formal bow. That boosted the smiles and more than a few began to fidget. He was told after his change that his body now emitted a musk that Altarian females read as a kind of mating suitability report card. Strengths, weaknesses, and health were all present in that chemical mix and while he couldn’t smell it personally Karrel told him it presented him as a VERY agreeable mate. However, it didn’t help that he distracted his staff more than he did before.
He made his way over to his personal assistant, Denee. She tracked his Ambassador duty schedule for him.
“Good morning, Denee. You’re looking particularly happy this morning! Did you get a visit from that suitor again?” he asked with a smile.
The light tan furred female grinned up at Jack from her workstation. “Lunnae dropped by last night and spent the evening with me. He was so energetic at first but he couldn’t perform as often or as forcefully as you. Still it was a nice enough night.”
Jack’s experience with most Altarian males proved them to be self-absorbed fools but some of them made an effort to prove their worth beyond being sperm donors. He was getting the impression that Lunnae might be one of those. He actually had a job, unheard of amongst most males. He was the head of some committee or something. Jack had to admit he hadn’t caught all the details.
Denee was undressing him with her eyes again. He sighed. It was such a role reversal living and working in a female dominated culture. If they weren’t so polite and cultured about appreciating his male attributes he might have taken offence. Besides he’d been the one to start the conversation about her suitor.
Lunnae wouldn’t be marrying Denee. Altarians didn’t form long term relationships as the ratio of females to males was 10 to 1. If he convinced her of his suitability she might agree to mate with him to produce a child. Male children were raised by the males in male run schools and in Jack’s opinion learned to become lazy flakes. Female children went to female run schools and became skilled and valuable members of society.
Jack and Karrel had already had a few discussions about their son’s education. It wouldn’t be time to send him to school for a couple of years apparently but when it happened Jack insisted he would be going to a female run school. No son of his would fail to grasp the importance of a good day’s work and contributing to the health, safety, prosperity, and happiness of those around him and himself. Karrel was coming around to his way of thinking but it was going to shake up Altarian society when it happened.
“You didn’t compare Lunnae’s performance to mine did you?” he said, suddenly worried she had been less than discrete. Denee wasn’t known for holding her tongue when it came to her opinions.
“Well, I might have told him that he needed to work on his stamina… because you’d lasted three times longer than him,” she winced.
And that expression told him how her opinion had been received.
“So Lunnae won’t be returning to ask you to mate,” he sighed.
Denee’s eyes brightened. “No, but if you know of anyone who might be interested in taking is place…”
Jack’s eyes snapped to Denee’s face. He hadn’t told anyone he was able to make Altarian’s pregnant. The Queen promised to keep silent at least until she’d given birth and Karrel hadn’t informed anyone she’d had a child outside of Leffera. That left Leffera as a possible leak, if that’s what Denee was hinting at.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.
“Taking his place?” he said carefully.
“Between my legs!” she grinned and licked her lips.
Jack breathed a sigh of relief. She was just horny. He grinned and shook his finger at her for her boldness. That got him a wistful sigh from the female.
“Do I have actual work scheduled for me this morning?” he asked.
She smiled and pulled up his calendar.
“In ten minutes you will be meeting with a delegation from Phem Kalos. They are here for the annual renewal of the non-aggression treaty. The initial meeting is always with the Ambassador to announce who from their group will be attending the banquet two days from today in the evening, you’ll be attending that, and listing other issues that might be brought up at the formal meeting which is also two days from today. This gives you time to prepare answers for the issues raised.”
“OK, so do I call them the Phem Kalosians?” he asked.
“Only if you wish to immediately end the treaty and send us into another generation of war. They are the Phem Kalos. That is the singular and plural term. For this meeting you just listen primarily. Have you met the Phem Kalos before?” Denee asked.
“No.”
“Furred like us but generally a little taller and stronger. Close to your size. Carnivores.” She shuddered at this. “Fierce warriors but headstrong and prone to use force where intelligence is better suited. Patriarchal society and you never see their females as they are confined to their planets. This is the first time they will be meeting a male Altarian Ambassador. Should be interesting.”
“This banquet, it isn’t formal dress is it?” he asked carefully.
“Of course it is!”
“Damn. I’m going to need to buy a tuxedo. That means a quick trip to Earth because there are NO Human shaped tuxedo shops on Altaria and I’m not wearing an Altarian gown. I don’t have the fur for it,” he growled as he saw Denee begin to fantasize about him in one of the translucent, gossamer gowns. “I will have to do that this afternoon once I see my last Trade applicant. Who is braiding my hair this morning?”
“For the Phem Kalos you should leave your hair unbraided. Long manes are symbols of power to them. Yours is longer than they can grow so you’ll be in a power position with them. Greeting room one. Enjoy.”
Greeting room one was his favorite. It opened on a garden and the scent of the flowers was so refreshing. It also covered any personal odors the beings he met with had. He wondered if the Phem Kalos had a scent that needed covering.
At the exact time for the meeting he opened the door and stepped into the room. Three broad shouldered beings turned to face him. They wore ceremonial armor made of some hardened and polished leather. Mostly just shoulder plates and red capes. They were indeed furred. It was longer than the felt like fur of the Altarians, deep brown and striped with black. Each of the three males facing him had distinct patterns of the black striping. Wide, pointed dish-like ears twitched and pointed at him. He got the distinct impression that the one in the center was younger than the other two. Denee was right as well. They seemed just a little bit intimidated by his long hair. Jack thought that was hilarious but kept this from his face.
“Greetings. I’m Jack Danner, the Altarian Ambassador.”