Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149470 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 747(@200wpm)___ 598(@250wpm)___ 498(@300wpm)
I shrugged again.
“Well, maybe the translation virus the Ancient Ones sent down to Earth is better that we thought.”
“I don’t know about that.” He looked doubtful. “I suppose you were able to read that, too?” He nodded at the “Care and Feeding of your new human” guide lying discarded on my lap.
“Oh, yeah.” I nodded. “It’s complete bullshit, by the way. The Commercians don’t have the faintest clue about human women.”
“That could be because they have no females of their own,” he remarked. “Their species is entirely male—they reproduce by asexual budding, as I understand it.”
“Then they shouldn’t presume to write a whole pamphlet about what human women want and need!” I said indignantly.
“Perhaps not,” Sir murmured. He was still looking at me speculatively. “Little one, seeing that you are able to read Korgish, perhaps you can be of help to me.”
“Oh? How?” I asked, brightening at once.
“Well, because Earth was a Closed World for so long and most of the inhabitants still don’t know anything about the other Twelve Peoples, its societies and cultures aren’t very well understood,” he said. “In fact, the section of my report about Earth is extremely—even embarrassingly—threadbare. Perhaps you could fill in some of the blanks for me, so to speak.”
“I’d love to!” I exclaimed. This kind of thing was what I lived for. I always got excited when I was working at the library and a student asked for help on their research paper. I know, I know—I’m a total nerd. But like I said, it’s something I’m good at and I really enjoy it.
Sir smiled—a full smile this time, not just a half one.
“Excellent,” he murmured. “Then come here and let’s go over the Earth section together.”
He put an arm around me and drew me closer so that I was cuddled right up against him. I took the opportunity to wrap the long panel of his vest around me for extra warmth, and then we snuggled together and went over his report.
TWENTY-FIVE
SIR
Little one continually surprised me.
First, she was able to call the cleansing tap in the bath—something that only I should have been able to do, since the ship was specially attuned to my mind—and then she proved able to read every alien language I showed her—including my native tongue of Korgish.
Lest you think this is a minor achievement, let me assure you—it’s not. Scholars from other planets study for many solar years to be able to master even the smallest fraction of Korgish. It’s a difficult language and there are several variations including Low or Vernacular Korgish which is spoken by the LowBorns, High Korgish which is spoken by those of my own caste, and Court Korgish, which may only be uttered in the presence of the Sovereign as she sits upon her throne.
All of these vary greatly and yet when I showed different examples of them to little one, she was immediately able to read and speak each of them with ease. I was beginning to wonder if this was the La-ti-zal power the Commercians had promised when I bought her. Maybe she was able to act as a kind of universal translator for alien languages.
If that was the truth of the matter, I could scarcely have been more pleased or proud of her. I had already had a very high estimation of her intelligence—this only increased it.
She was extremely helpful in correcting the short piece I had written in my report about her home world. Her knowledge of her planet’s cultures and customs was extensive and it broadened my view of the little blue and white world immensely.
I was now more than ever determined to keep her by my side. I could see how valuable she would be to me back on Korrigon Four. Overseeing an entire continent is heavy work—it would be wonderful to have someone next to me who could assist me. I decided I would begin giving her reading assignments—teaching her about the history and culture of my home world, which was about five times the size of her own. When we got back to Korrigon Four, we could work as well as live together—it would be an ideal relationship.
But in order to keep her with me, I knew I had to bind her to me tightly. If she was a female of my own people, I would breed her and sign a mating contract with her but there were two problems with that. First, one does not sign contracts with one’s pets. And second, even if I crossed convention and signed with her, mating contracts are limited to the space of either a solar year or—if a child is conceived in that time—as long as it takes for it to be born. After that, the two parties go their separate ways. Also, I have given my word as a Korrigon Overlord not to breed her—a promise which was unbreakable.