Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Other than the tiny noli farm up the road, there are no houses near his, indicating that all the land as far as we can see belongs to him. Instead of being pleased, I feel a stab of resentment. Why does Maeve get scraps and Nassakth and his mate get something like this? Is it due to bribes? Has to be, though it seems grossly unfair to Maeve and the other humans who live here.
"Find it?" Maeve asks, and then I remember that we're here to see Nassakth, and my heart flutters with excitement again.
"Hard not to find it. Is all this his?"
"I think so. Look at all these trees." She sighs wistfully. "I wish they were more common here on Risda. What I wouldn't give for a hammock in the shade."
It occurs to me for the first time that she's right—Risda is full of rolling plains and fields, and very few trees. In a way, it reminds me a bit of Praxii Minor, which is all metal and concrete and almost no greenery at all. "I had a vacation home on a forested planet," I tell her, musing over her lust for the trees. "It was a small cabin set on the edge of a river and my father's steward would take us there when he felt we needed to get away."
She glances over at me again. "A small cabin, huh? How small?"
"Fifteen, sixteen rooms? Two floors." I think a bit longer. "Maybe a bit larger. No more than twenty rooms."
Maeve snorts. "Oh yeah. Practically roughing it."
My mouth twists in a smile. "I thought it was the crudest of places when I was a child, but looking back, it was quite peaceful. You would like it."
Perhaps someday I'll even get to show it to her.
CHAPTER
EIGHTY-NINE
MAEVE
Zhur's nervousness is getting to me.
I park the sled in front of the house, and as I do, I hear the drone of perimeter alarms. I'm sure this is fine. They'll turn them off the moment they realize it's just neighbors being neighbors. I open the door to the air-sled and beam a smile at my surroundings, trying to look as friendly as possible. I move to Zhur's side of the air-sled and take the plant from him. "Bring the box of sweets," I say, my voice cheerful. "We need to look like visitors bearing gifts."
"Isn't that what we are?"
"Yes, but we need to look like it. Now, come on." I keep beaming as if it's perfectly normal that alarms are blaring in our ears as we drive up to a stranger's porch. Of course there's an alarm. From what Zhur's told me, this Nassakth guy is supposed to be missing and presumed dead. Not only that, but he's got the swankiest house on the planet other than Lord va'Rin. I'd put an alarm system in, too, if I had this kind of money.
As it is, I can only hope that the whole “protection” thing is just alarms and not like, attack dogs or lasers or some shit. I didn't come prepared to run the gauntlet just so Zhur can ogle his hero.
Zhur steps out of the car and clutches the box of food in front of his chest, a scowl on his face as his ears flatten.
"Be cheerful," I tell him and point at the foliage. "Smile. Oh, look, aren't the trees pretty? You think we could grow those?"
He gives me a weird look. "How should I know?"
So much for Mr. I-Am-So-Great-At-Diplomacy.
"We're interested in plants, remember?" I say to him through a gritted-teeth smile. I hold the plant against my chest and head for the front door to the house. My skin crawls and my face feels hot, but I keep smiling as I march toward the entrance. The double doors are large and metal, with two hoop-pulls at the front and more pretty glass windows surrounding the entry to let the light in. The entire house seems to be windows, which has to be just lovely inside. They're opaque from this side, however, so I can't see if someone's coming to the door.
I move to the front and knock, even as the siren blares in my eardrums. I want to turn around and see if Zhur is with me, but I don't want to look suspicious. The alarms turn off, and my ears ring in the ensuing silence. It's a good sign, though, and I smile a little broader.
A moment later, the door opens and a tall, terrifying-looking praxiian man fills the entryway. He glares down at me, his expression hard. There's an elegance to Zhur's features, a symmetry that speaks of good bone structure. There's none of this with Nassakth. His features are blunted and hard, and his height only adds to the menace he exudes. He's got gray fur, a short muzzle, and a deep scowl.