7
FENELLA
Fenella stared up at Kalugal's house, her expectations shattered. The structure was modest, almost humble by village standards, with a red door that provided the only splash of color against the neutral exterior and was the sole indicator that what lay on the other side was not as humble as the exterior suggested.
She recognized the door from a luxury homes magazine she'd browsed through at the clinic. It was an Italian designer piece that cost a fortune.
"That's an interesting front door," Din muttered. "It looks heavy."
"That's because it is. This whole thing swings on a pivot."
He looked at her with a frown. "How do you know that?"
"I've seen it in a magazine. The price quoted was twenty-five thousand dollars."
His eyes widened. "Just for the door?"
She nodded. "Just for the door before installation."
Shaking his head, Din rang the doorbell, and moments later, the door swung open just as Fenella had explained, pivoting to reveal Kalugal himself, dressed casually in a dark blue short-sleeved shirt and jeans that fit him so well Fenella was sure they had been custom-ordered.
"Welcome to my home." He stepped aside to let them enter. "I do appreciate punctuality, and it seems like you are the only ones who actually showed up on time."
"Are we the first to arrive?" Fenella asked.
"Indeed." Kalugal closed the door behind them by giving it a slight push. It locked with a pneumatic hiss. "Which is fortunate since I can give you a tour while we wait for the others."
The entry foyer was tastefully decorated but unremarkable other than the departure from the Mediterranean style Fenella had grown accustomed to throughout the village. Here, the slant was a little more contemporary.
"This way." He beckoned them forward. "We can use the lift or the stairs. Which do you prefer?"
"The stairs," Fenella said.
"Okay then." He led them toward a pair of glass doors that seemed to be leading into a sitting room.
When he opened them, though, they revealed a wide staircase that descended into a vast open living area bathed in natural light from above. The ceiling—or rather, what should have been the ceiling—was a series of geometric skylights that allowed sunlight to spill into the space below. The room stretched far beyond what the footprint of the aboveground structure could possibly contain.
"It's built underground," she breathed.
"Most of it." Kalugal's lips curved with satisfaction at her stunned reaction. "Come, I'll show you the rest."
They followed him down the stairs into the main living area, an expansive space with multiple seating arrangements, a state-of-the-art entertainment system, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves along one wall. The furnishings were luxurious without being showy—comfortable leather sofas, plush area rugs, and occasional tables that looked handcrafted even though they were all in contemporary style.
"This is incredible," Din said. "How much square footage are we talking about?"
"Just under twelve thousand," Kalugal replied.
Fenella's jaw dropped. "Twelve thousand? Where is it all hiding?"
Kalugal waved his hand. "Mostly underground. No structure in the village can be more than one story aboveground, and footprints are restricted to maintain the village's low profile from aerial observation. But I employed a creative solution around the restrictions."
He led them through an archway into a formal dining room, large enough to seat twenty people comfortably, explaining that it could accommodate double that by extending the table.
They continued to a large gym that rivaled the one in the clan's underground complex, and a library. Several corridors led to what Fenella assumed were bedrooms.
"I would show you the kitchen, but Atzil hates anyone intruding on his domain when he's cooking, so you'll have to wait for afterbrunch, and maybe he'll show you around since you two are working together."
Last night, Atzil had muttered something about having to wake up early and prepare brunch, but he hadn't seemed upset about having to work on the weekend. On the contrary, he'd been excited about hosting the Clan Mother and the rest of the family.
