Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
“Now, for the question everyone wants answered… is it true that the romance between you and your bodyguard was the reason you were nearly killed, or perhaps worse, sued for breach of contract?”
“No. The greed of my manager was the reason I was nearly killed, and it’s the reason so many people were killed. It’s the reason I turned my back on show business. I don’t want to be used as a pawn, and I certainly don’t want others being used as pawns either.”
“They were great concerts, though,” she says somewhat wistfully. “It’s a little sad that you were the last starlet. We’ve all lost some great entertainment.”
“Right, well, some people have managed to retain their lives, so that’s nice.”
“It is nice! And it’s been nice to see you again. Next up, a new snack segment from Schlorp! Fermented fish sticks dipped in fresh roasted fish sauce. Sounds like we could be onto a winner.”
“Mmm,” I say. “Yum.”
“You did so well!” Zayne greets me with open arms.
“I got through an entire interview without punching her with her own teeth. I feel I’ve really grown as a person.”
“I’d say you have,” he says.
A small throng of little Thrakins runs past us, clutching Schlorp branded lollipops. They are his nieces and nephews and their friends, and they are followed by several of his family, all of whom are absolutely thrilled to have traveled from the home world for the day to visit the studio.
It is time for us all to go home, back to the cozy, fiery dens of the Thrakin home world, to a place where the sun never shines through the dark vapors of the sky.
We usher the young ones back into the ship and Zayne takes the pilot station. The rest of us range ourselves around the bridge, the young ones eating their snacks and things, and the older members of his family gossiping about the events of the day. As I suspected, I am not quite one of the family yet. My humanness is still a barrier to fully integrating, largely because they do not speak the human common tongue, and I have still not managed to master the language of Zayne’s people, but they do like me well enough, and I like them too.
This ship has been decorated in their traditional style. Thrakin like furs and woven fabrics, and so instead of a clean, empty bridge, there is a rug on the floor, a very furry thing with a large head and a very fine mane. It is particularly popular with the young ones, who have not seen an animal of that kind on their home world.
I have the satisfaction of knowing that these little ones will not grow up to slave away in the mines. They will be educated and given the choice to determine their own futures. The babies of Zayne’s village play on the lifeless remnants of Simon Scowl, and all is well in their world.