Star's Storm(74)

Personally, he agreed with his brother Manota about the clowns but he could add a few other creatures as well. He moved through the invisible door trying to reach out his hand inconspicuously to see if he could feel anything as he went through. He even bended his head like the two figures taught him. He scowled deeply at them when they burst into fits of silent laughter at him.

One of these days I’m going to find out where in the Gods they found all those things on me, he thought as he shuddered when the hairy white creature with the long tail came into his mind and he rubbed his left ear where they had pulled it from.

He nodded at the two Frenchmen, Jon Paul and Luc, who were sitting further down near the bottom of the seats next to Madas and Gril. The two men were pointing out things to the two Tearnats as different members of the circus moved about doing different stunts. Jarmen had disappeared almost immediately when the two of them arrived without a word. He just shook his head at his friend’s unusual behavior lately. He was more concerned with his own problems right now.

He climbed the metal seating that was set up and moved up to the center where Star’s parents were sitting. He had to admit he liked Alan and Tami Strauss. They had accepted him warmly into their family. He had been introduced to many different species – humans – over the last two weeks. His eyes moved to the small man who was down near the center ring ordering people around and watched as they scrambled to do as he told them before turning back to the couple sitting contentedly watching everything.

“Good afternoon, Jazin,” Tami Strauss said rising up to give him a big hug and a kiss.

“Lady Tami,” Jazin responded with an amused smile.

He was still unused to the affection of the humans. Star’s mom was as tiny and petite as her daughter with the same white blond hair and light blue, twinkling eyes. Her father was several inches taller and had a dark blond hair and dark blue eyes. He reached out and shook Jazin’s hand before indicating he might as well sit for a while.

“Jazin,” Alan Strauss nodded in greeting before he nodded toward where his two daughters were flying through the air. “They are beautiful to watch, aren’t they?”

Jazin swallowed again as he watched Jo catch Star as she did a flip in the air. “Yes,” he replied hoarsely. “I am not sure she should be doing this?”

Alan laughed as he watched Jazin’s face pale a little. “You have to accept there is no stopping her. Tami was eight months pregnant with Jo and still flying through the air. Being a flyer is as much a part of us as the air we breathe.”

Tami reached over and squeezed Jazin’s hand in encouragement. “All Star has ever wanted was to be accepted for who and what she is. She may be small in stature but she is as tall as Jerry the Giant.”

Jazin’s eyes followed where a huge human male, almost eight feet tall stood nodding at whatever the small ringmaster, Walter, was telling him. He watched as a young man walked in with several huge animals called horses. The man swatted the one in the lead on its rump and it took off at a fast trot into the ring followed by the others. A few minutes later, his eyes rose to the top of the ring where two long ropes unfurled and Jo and Star worked their way down them. As the huge creatures passed under them, they dropped down lightly onto their backs. A light film of sweat beaded his forehead as they both stood on the backs of the massive creatures as they circled the ring before jumping into the arms of a couple of clowns that came out of nowhere to catch them. The man who had brought the horses in whistled and the four creatures moved back out of the ring and through the tent exit on the far side.

“Walter is very, very strict about safety,” Alan said looking at Jazin with understanding. “He would never allow them to do anything that could harm them.”

Jazin released a deep breath as he gave Tami and Alan a shaky smile. “I have never formally welcomed you to our world. Or formally asked for your daughter. In truth, I was not sure how you would react to your daughter mating with someone different from her.”

Alan chuckled as he pulled his wife closer to him. “Look around you, Jazin. Star has been raised her whole like to accept those that are different. I won’t say we were not a little worried and concerned when we first met Manota or saw the shuttles that ferried us up to the spaceship that carried us to this remarkable world,” Alan began.

“Or when we heard that Star had been hurt,” Tami added softly squeezing her husband’s hand. “But, we have always hoped that our daughters would find someone who could make them happy, complete. I feel that you do that with Star.”