Lott's Wife, Part III; A Foray Into Science Fiction

As Lott's wife gazed back while entering the 'exit' portal, Lott had wished then that she would turn to salt. She extended her arm its full length and wagged her fingers like 'Nanny Macchina' from the 'Spawning Colony' and then she was gone.
It was then that Lott became immersed in searching the skies and the pursuit of the game 'crush' which entailed physically wrestling and smashing your opponent to the brink of exhaustion. The 'crush room' was painted orange and black and smelled of brine and sweat and the contestants would spend several hours a day pumping their muscles with water-filled weights on gravitational pulleys. The more they pulled and pushed the weights the greater the resistance. Lott spent several days a week engaged in this activity and several more 'crushing' doctors and sceintists aboard the vessel. It was a grueling sport and fiercely competitive; many of the 'crushed' never quite recovered, but rather remained ambulatory impaired, mangled or otherwise disabled.
Lott grew bored with the mundanity and ennui of the barbaric amusement and rented a space shuttle fleeing to the outer limits of the galaxy where he had heard of a tribe of 'trades women' who bartered in 'comfort'. This was the most popular get-a-way for midshipmen onboard. The spirals of stardust and ice particles flew passed the windshield pelleting it with hail and obscuring Lott's view yet he continued his journey. He was determined to yearn no more. The shuttle bumped down on a landing strip no larger than an ancient woven carpet. Maiden forms of turquoise and violet with outstretched tentacles swarmed the craft and enveloped Lott in spontaneous delight upon lifting the hatch. He could scarcely believe the quantity of 'women' all enratptured with his contenance and advanced intellect. They led him to an underground chamber all shiny and coal black with many rooms, a restaurant and noisy nightclub. A 'proprietess' introduced herself as Maple Dumpling and bid him to choose one or two of the greeting party to accompany him for the evening. Lott preferred a petite violet 'girl', Viognier with one large eye and seven delicate tentacles and selected a similarly lovely turquoise 'girl', Tublero for his second companion. They took him off to a buffet where every dish prepared was a variation of coconut shrimp; the aura of the room was rosy and the scent of lilac filled the air. He became intoxicated when they took him to a chamber where he bathed in an effervescent liquid the essence of almond.
When Lott awoke the next morning Viognier and Tublero were awaiting him with berries in a milky white glass dish suspended in a substance they called 'crustacean cream'. It was fluffy and smooth and tasted like coconut shrimp. Lott could never recall a day in his life when he had been 'happy'. As Viognier ladled berries and 'cream' into his mouth he felt 'happy'. Tublero wrapped her delicate tentacles around him and squeezed Lott. He was certain that this was what the great, ancient phiposophers had referred to as 'joy' and then they tickled him until he feared he would crack a rib.

End.