“You have to excuse the male plant’s behavior,” Minister Ostensio said uncomfortably. “You see, these plants were bred in secret for centuries by disobedient females who desired something other than their husband or their Master’s shaft within them. They were, in a sense, trained to seek out females.”
“They were? I never heard of a plant you could train like that,” Iyanna protested. The dick plant was still nosing around, pressing its broad, maroon head which looked almost as big as her fist against the glass as though it was searching for her. It made her very glad there was a barrier between them.
Sure wouldn’t want that thing loose in the room with me, she thought.
“Yes, well…” Minister Ostensio cleared his throat and frowned. “These can be. The females used them for self-pleasure, if you can credit it,” he added, speaking to Dra’vik this time. “Which of course is wrong—everyone knows only a male has the right to feel sexual pleasure.”
“Is that what you think here?” the big Drake demanded, raising his eyebrows. “No wonder you’re in the situation you’re in!”
The little man bristled.
“And what situation is that, may I ask?”
“Using females like nothing but sex objects—treating them as possessions instead of equals,” Dra’vik growled.
“Equals? You think females should be equal to males?” Ostensio shook his head as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I was told you Kindred had some strange beliefs but really!”
“Damn right we have some beliefs on the subject. Your female’s pleasure is your pleasure. She comes first—always.”
Dra’vik’s eyes were glowing and Iyanna could feel her own temper rising but she knew there was no point in arguing for women’s rights and equality with someone like Minister Ostensio. The Lix’dorians were fixed in their ways and nothing she or the big Drake could say was going to change their minds.
Also, right now, what she really needed to know was how to care for these plants, which they were supposed to be transporting back to the Monstrum Mother Ship.
“Chief Commander Rarev told us that Monstrum scouts have tried to bring specimens of these plants back to their Mother Ship several times,” she said. “But each time the male plant died? Is that right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.” Minister Ostensio spoke stiffly, he still appeared to have trouble conversing with a woman who didn’t drop her eyes and try to shrink into the background when he was around.
“What happened to them?” Iyanna asked. “The male plant you’ve got here seems er, vigorous enough.” She eyed the glass terrarium where the dick plant had gone back to fucking the pussy blossoms.
“No one knows.” Ostensio shrugged. “From what I’ve heard, they simply wither away when they leave our atmosphere.”
“But isn’t there anyone here, in the Royal Botany Society, who can tell me about the care of these plants?” Iyanna demanded. “Surely someone must know something about keeping them alive.”
“To be quite honest, no one wants to know how to keep them alive—we’ve been trying to stamp them out,” Ostensio snapped. “As I said, they were outlawed years ago. In fact, what you are now looking at is the very last viable male specimen in existence on our planet.”
“Okay…damn,” Iyanna muttered. If she didn’t somehow manage to keep this plant alive, she could jeopardize the entire future existence of the Monstrum Mother Ship, yet no one could tell her how to tend it or keep it from dying! What was she going to do?
She was about to ask more questions but just then a loud gong sounded.
“Oh, the banquet is starting and I have yet to introduce you to our special benefactor!” Ostensio exclaimed, speaking to Dra’vik. “Come—we must hurry. You can have the plants when the festivities have ended.”
And with that, he began leading them back through the enormous stone lobby. Iyanna threw one last glance over her shoulder as they went, eyeing the terrarium with the rare plants. The pussy blooms were quivering as the dick plant jammed itself into them again and again and again.
For some reason, the sight made her stomach clench nervously. If the pleasure blooms aboard the Monstrum Mother Ship had looked and behaved like the Lix’dorian version, she would never have opened her legs and let any of them explore her!
I’m sure as hell not planting any of those damn things in my own suite! she thought. And I’m damn sure going to keep that dick plant in its box all the way home.
If she could get it home to the Monstrum Mother Ship without it dying, that was.
THIRTY-EIGHT
Minister Ostensio led them through the high-ceilinged lobby and a set of vast wooden doors that were at least two stories high, Iyanna thought, looking up at them with awe. Such doors would dwarf anyone—anyone but Dra’vik, that was. Iyanna thought the big Drake looked right at home in such vast surroundings.