Chapter 21: Shadow Voices — Part 8
“What about Diane?” Yap began, desperate to say something before Orchid could leave the room.
“What about her?” Orchid said, frozen at the door.
“You made her as your exclusive consort, so her falling in love with you is inevitable.” Yap sighed, remembering Elec. “Or didn’t you know that about androids?”
Orchid had actually not known that Diane would fall in love with her, as banders never outwardly expressed emotions like love. Somehow, as the two spoke to her, Orchid managed to get a hand to the door catch. She slid the door into its pocket, and stepped out. She started to walk away from them, overwhelmed and afraid, her eyes on the end of the hall. Orchid’s vision began to pinhole. She had outspoken them, she was sure of it.
Yap’s hand touched Orchid’s, and Orchid paused, longing to be touched. “We’ll talk with her together, if you want.”
Orchid turned to face Yap, and her eyes crossed Nikkei’s, who stood close to Yap. “What if she loves me, and will not have either of my friends?”
“Why wouldn’t I have them if they make you happy?” Orchid turned back suddenly, toward the voice, putting her back to Yap. Diane smiled at her. Incapable of tears, Diane’s face proved implacable. “Yap asked me to come here, I’m sorry to look so upset.”
“She’s been crying. Shouldn’t you ask her why?” Yap said.
“Why are you hurting Orchid?” Diane asked as levelly as she could. “You told me to come so you could cheer me up.” After a pause, in which Diane and Yap were undoubtedly talking, Diane began to sob and put her head on Orchid’s shoulder. “I’m so lonely, being ignored as I am. I did not expect this body to be so needful. Fingers and toes cause more pain than pleasure, from what I can tell.”
Yap pulled Nikkei close, as now three of the four women were crying. “Banders get to float around their lover’s heads. They are immersed in their lover’s thoughts and integral to their lover’s lives. Diane has been slowly going mad with the need for closeness, and you, myopic as usual, failed to notice.”
Orchid turned suddenly sober, nearly choking up. “I won’t be able to share the three of you with anybody. I am too selfish. If you need a man, Nikkei, what am I to do for you?”
“What if you need a woman?” Nikkei shot back defensively.
Yap put her hands up, urging calm. “So we are the friends, right?” Orchid said nothing, her face turned red, and she let her head drop so that her chin was crammed to her collarbone. “Nikkei and I haven’t taken other lovers in years. We haven’t needed to, because we have found ways to please each other. We have our cuddle friends, because we each have chemical needs the other can’t fill, but they are just that, cuddle friends and nothing more. You will have your cuddle friends too, undoubtedly.”
“Will you two stay with us tonight?” By us, Orchid meant Diane and herself.
“Of course we will.” Yap said. “You hume go on ahead. Diane is very talkative at the moment, and we can clean the tea room as an excuse to talk privately without being rude.”
