he could leave the hospital and have her send him back.
Dr Carroll was a medical doctor as well as being a trained archaeologist specializing in the Lindle. Her general rule was that she would never sexually exhaust a man more than once a year. She had never killed anyone with her sexual exhaustion technique. A woman would have to be a medical doctor to perform it safely. Dr Carroll’s sexual exhaustion technique took a lot out of a man. She had never had anyone die as a result of her sexual exhaustion technique, but being the first was a chance I was willing to take.
Dr Carroll turned to look at me, realized I was awake, and smiled. “I see you decided to come back to the land of the living.” I tried to speak, but all that came out was a gurgling noise. “They just pulled the tube out of your throat and the anesthetic will take awhile to wear off.”
Dr Carroll took my wrist in her hand for a moment, then looked into my eyes, then listened to my chest. “You're in surprisingly good shape. The equipment they have here is absolute state of the art.” I took her hand in mine and grinned. “You’re not healthy enough for that,” she said. Dr. Carroll bent down to look directly into my eyes and then continued. “The next time you go to the hospital I want to be the one that sends you there,” she told me.
Half a dozen people came in the room and two of them ushered Dr Carroll out. My gown was taken off, more tubes were removed, and I was poked and prodded and pronounced well enough to leave. After I cleaned up and dressed, I was taken to my apartment.
She was waiting, arms wide, to give me a hug. Dr Carroll is a great hugger. It wasn't a bear hug, it wasn't the kind of fierce hug a girl will sometimes give you that really means, you belong to me, let's get naked, and it certainly wasn't the sexless hug of a relative. It was the kind of hug that says I really care about you. I want you to be healthy and happy and I want to be part of your life. The hug was far too short when she pushed me away to speak to the men who followed me in the room. “Could I have at least a couple of minutes alone to talk to him?” Dr Carroll asked.
The men looked at each other than back to Dr Carroll. “Yes, but only a couple of minutes. His presentation ceremony is in only two hours and we have to get him ready.” They turned and left.
The door hadn't closed behind them when I had Dr. Carroll in my arms and was kissing her passionately. The dress she was wearing had far too many buttons.
Dr Carroll gently pushed me away. “I need to talk to you. The Lindle relics are being split three ways. One third is going into a massive museum on the planet of Court. One third is going into a massive museum on the planet of Unity. And one third is to be put in a massive museum on the planet of Market, to be built with Imperial funds, and I am going to be its curator. I'm going to be in charge.”
“Why do I have the feeling this means that you have to leave right away Dr. Carroll?”
“We both have to leave right away. Right after you are given the Emperor's Commendation, they are putting you on one of those massive luxury star transports. It is a virtual pleasure palace. Every entertainment you can think of right on the transport.”
“And you won't be with me?” I asked her sadly.
“I am getting on a courier craft so I can get to Market to supervise the construction of the museum. I'm going to recreate one of the streets of Lindle 4. Bob it's going to be magnificent.”
“Couldn't you take the luxury transport with me Dr Carroll? It won't be any fun alone.”
“They are going to give you a huge suite and they are going to fill it with women. You will have a great time. I contacted the Grand Hospital on Market. They agreed to let me give you your check in physical. Then after we are done I am going to show you the best sexual exhaustion technique I have ever performed.”
“Couldn't you stay for a little while? Dr Carroll I've never even seen you naked.”
“There isn't time for that now. You have a busy day ahead of you, and I have to go.”
“Could you at least tell me your first name? Surely your parents didn't call you Dr Carroll when you were a little girl?”
“My parents called me Lily. When someone calls me Lily it makes me feel like a little girl. When I was a little girl, I didn't like boys.”
“Dr Carroll it is. You will be there to give me my check in physical on Market?”
“You better believe it. Bob if I didn't think they would take good care of you I wouldn't leave.”
“I love you Dr Carroll.”
“I love you too Bob. I'll see you on Market.”
◊◊◊
Dr Carroll was not a citizen of the Empire. She did know enough about the Empire to know that it was a bad idea to get between a Royal and the object of their desire. Dr Carroll had also sexually exhausted the Emperor, a condition which required several weeks of complete rest. The Emperor was being pumped full of stimulants so that he could officiate at Bob's commendation ceremony. Dr Carroll knew that this also was a bad idea. Getting out of the Empire as quickly as possible seemed prudent. Bob would be alright. Princess Lindwella would play with Bob for awhile and let him go. The event recorders would tire of Bob and move on to the next big story. Bob would be alright and after things calmed down Dr Carroll would give him the best sexual exhaustion technique she had ever preformed. Not only once, but every time he was healthy enough for the rest of his life. Bob would be alright.
Now Dr Carroll just needed to avoid the event recorders until her Lindle 4 museum was ready. Her event recorder interviews could be part of the publicity for the museum's grand opening. Bob would be alright. He had to be alright. Dr Carroll would never forgive herself if something happened to him. Bob would be alright.
◊Tirius-bey had the distinction of being the last Emperor of the second Empire and first Emperor of the third Empire. He was fondly remembered for bringing naked noblewomen to the Royal Court.
At the breakup of the second Empire most of the nobility of the Lan-Thu was left behind in the Baronies. Tirius had a relatively large number of single noblemen and single noblewomen, but he had only a handful of married nobles. Tirus told the unmarried nobles it was their duty to marry and begin raising children. Tirius-bey needed noble children. Tirius decreed unmarried childless adults were not allowed to wear clothing to sessions of the Royal Court. Some nobles did their duty to the new empire and married. The unmarried noblemen stopped going to the Royal Court. Many of the noblewomen saw this as an opportunity to display their birthday suit glory without fear of reproach. Noblewomen took control of the balcony over the audience chamber. Sessions of the Royal Court became so packed that the chairs were removed to provide more room. People on the main floor were forbidden to look at the naked noblewomen in the balcony. Everyone looked at the naked noblewomen from the corners of their eyes. Teams of stylists began to occupy rooms just off the balcony to make certain the naked noblewomen looked their best. Sessions of the Royal Court became much more festive events. The prohibition against unmarried childless men wearing clothing at the Royal Court was quietly forgotten.
◊◊◊
CHAPTER 3
PRINCESS ALEAHA
Princess Aleaha first saw Nesslun as he walked down the main aisle of the Royal Court towards the throne. She was standing on the second floor balcony. The second floor balcony was reserved for adult unmarried women, both royal and noble, who were of child bearing age, yet had never born a child.
If you were an adult unmarried woman of child bearing years who had not had children, out of respect for the Emperor, you were expected to wear no clothing at functions of the Royal Court. As a practical matter the only adult unmarried childless women who came to the Royal Court were royal or noble and they were up in the balcony away from the general crowd. No one was supposed to look. The men who attended the Royal Court grew proficient in being very observant out of the corners of their eyes.
Mr. Nesslun gawked at them. You would think he had