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)
“Thank you.” Sir and I followed him to the long oval dining table where the servant was already busy pulling chairs out for us.
“This is Mr. Azz’lx, my second in command—couldn’t run my business without him,” the Baron said, introducing the Naggian man with the maroon robe on. And this is his lovely wife, Dru’silla.”
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Azz’lx said, nodding his head and grinning widely enough to show his fangs. “Any friend of Vik’tor’s is a friend of mine!”
There was something about him I didn’t like, I thought—he had a narrow, weasely face and he seemed a bit too eager to please. His wife, however, was the opposite. She simply gave Sir a frosty nod and murmured,
“Charmed,” in a flat voice that seemed to indicate the exact opposite.
“It’s good to meet you both,” Sir said, nodding. “I am Sir Barinthian Ver’Toklar the Fourteenth but please call me ‘Bart’ if that’s easier for you.”
I was surprised to hear him using the name I had picked out for him before he had informed me I would be calling him “Sir.” Had he chosen it because of me or was it really the informal name he gave to acquaintances?
“Sir Bart comes from Korrigon Four in a galaxy close to ours,” Baron Vik’tor told Azz’lx and Dru’silla. “We’ve been in contact for some time. But please, won’t you introduce us to your lady?” he said to Sir, nodding at me.
“Ah, this is little one,” Sir said. “She is not my mate or my wife—she is my beloved pet—a distinction we Korrigons take very seriously.”
“A pet, eh?” Baron Vik’tor looked at me with apparent interest. “Where did you get her? She doesn’t look like any of the Twelve Peoples I’ve ever seen.”
“She comes from a Closed World called ‘Earth’ by its inhabitants,” Sir told him.
“Fuck, yes!” The Baron snapped his fingers. “I remember—the one the Commercians set up shop on. Are they selling Earth females?”
“They are,” Sir said, while I held my tongue with some difficulty. “Pure One females—some with special powers granted them by the Ancient Ones labeled ‘La-ti-zals’.”
The Baron raised his black eyebrows in apparent surprise.
“And your, er, pet is one of these La-ti-zals?”
“She is indeed,” Sir said proudly. “She has shown an amazing aptitude with languages.”
“And I can also make the bathroom fixtures aboard your ship obey me, don’t forget that,” I remarked acerbically. I didn’t like being discussed like I wasn’t even there and I thought it was time Sir realized that.
“You can indeed,” Sir said gravely, looking down at me.
“Well, now that we all know each other, let’s all have a seat at the table and do the blood exchange,” Baron Vik’tor said.
At this, I saw the Naggian woman called Dru’silla make a face but she didn’t say anything.
“Er…blood exchange?” I whispered to Sir, as we took our seats.
“A Naggian custom,” he murmured. “Don’t worry, little one—it’s quite safe. Let’s be seated.”
Much like Sir’s furniture back at the ship, the dining table and chairs were made for people considerably larger than me. So when I took a seat, I found that the top of the table came up to my chin. I was about to get up on my knees, which was how I usually managed at Sir’s round picnic table in the ship, when Baron Vik’tor called the servant and asked for a “bolster” for me to sit on.
The bolster turned out to be a very thick, heavy cushion covered in soft, dense fur which was extremely comfortable. It supported me beautifully and raised me to the correct height at the table so I didn’t have to feel like a little kid at the adult’s table.
“Thank you!” I said gratefully to the Baron when I was situated. “This is just perfect.”
“You like it?” he asked. “I’m glad it suits you, Lady…er, little one.”
“It absolutely does,” I told him. “In fact, I wish I had something like it on Sir’s ship. All of his furniture is twice as big as the things I’m used to back home on Earth.”
Sir frowned.
“I had no idea you wanted such a thing—I can synthesize you one just like it when we get back to the ship if you like.”
“Thank you,” I said, smiling. “I’ll be sure to remind you.”
“Well.” Baron Vik’tor clapped his hands together. “Let’s get on with the blood exchange and then we can start the feast!”
I still didn’t know what he meant by “the blood exchange” but it soon became apparent as the servants brought around tiny clear crystal goblets, about the size of thimbles, as well as some bright silver spikes, a few centimeters long, mounted on matching crystal bases. To me, they looked a little like the spindle Sleeping Beauty sticks her finger with in the old Disney movie.
The Baron matter-of-factly reached out and pricked his index finger on the silver spike in front of him. Then he held his finger over one of the tiny crystal goblets and let a droplet of deep purple blood fall into it. He then handed the tiny goblet with the drop of his blood to Sir and waited expectantly.