Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34527 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 173(@200wpm)___ 138(@250wpm)___ 115(@300wpm)
Those sharp, blade-like eyes focus on me. “Can I what?”
“I’m trying to soften you up in case she’s scared of mesakkah. You’re not exactly the
friendliest man.” I purse my lips, thinking. Rektar’s like a big teddy bear and his wife Lucy is the nicest. Maybe I should wait for him.
“I am plenty friendly,” he tells me, offended.
“Then lean down, Custodian Friendly,” I say, and when he does (still scowling), I reach up and mess up his severe hair. He rears back, but I grab the front of his tunic and give him a tousled look that falls over his brow and around his horns. “Great, now you look like you belong in an alien boy band.”
“Do I want to know?” He eyes me, but he doesn’t seem angry.
“Nope.” I release the tunic I didn’t realize I was clutching and unfasten his collar. “Sorry. I get a little focused at times.”
Sinath grunts, and his gaze focuses on my mouth for a moment before he straightens. “If I seem like this band boy, it will make things easier?”
“Maybe.” I tilt my head, studying him. He still looks rather severe and unfriendly, though I might be biased because I know he’s unfriendly. At least to me. On my neck, Jerry chirps a protest at the cold rain, and it gives me an idea. I pry him off my neck and hold him out to Sinath.
The alien takes one look at the fat, squirming rodent in my arms and then gives me a withering look. “You’re joking, right?”
“You can’t be the enemy if you’re holding a cuddly pet,” I say cheerily, and give my wriggly buddy a bounce. “He won’t bite.”
At least, I hope he won’t bite. I can’t blame Jerry if he bites Sinath, though. The guy did try to twist his head off.
For a moment, I think Sinath is going to tell me to piss off. That he’s going to ignore my pet and storm his way back to the air-sled and demand that I drive him back to Port. It would fit my impression of him. But all he does is sigh as if he’s defeated, takes Jerry from my hands and tucks him against his chest like he’s holding a teddy bear in front of him, and nods at the door. “Ready.”
Okay. My opinion of him just went up several notches.
We knock on Liesje’s door. She doesn’t answer right away. She never does, even when she knows it’s me. Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s always me. It takes three rounds before she finally comes to the door, and when she arrives, she looks just as listless and sad as ever. Her hair is greasy and unbrushed and I’m pretty sure that’s the same tunic dress I saw her wearing last week.
She gives me a sad, apologetic smile, and then her expression changes to one of confusion when she spots Sinath behind me.
“Hey there!” I say brightly. Shoot. I should have told Sinath not to mention the holiday thing. It’s supposed to be a surprise. “We were in the neighborhood and thought we’d drop by!”
My voice might be a little too enthusiastic, because Liesje gives me a nervous look, holding onto the door as she eyes us. “Is something wrong?”
Behind me, Sinath clears his throat. “I am doing patrol rounds and asked Devin to introduce us. I noticed your fields are not cleared and I wanted to ensure that your bots were working properly.” I turn to look at him just as he bows at the waist, the movement awkward due to my pet in his hands. “My name is Custodian Sinath sa Venner but you may call me Sinath. Or Sin. I am told it means naughty things in your language.”
And to my surprise, Liesje chuckles.
Chapter
Three
SINATH
Even though I feel a fool holding this smelly, overfed rodent, I am impressed by Devin’s thoughtfulness. When she mentioned her friend was in distress, I did not realize the depths of the situation. The human Liesje looks frail, with her gray-streaked light brown hair and her thin frame, but more than that, she looks defeated. There is no defiant spark in her eye like there is in Devin’s. She looks as if the universe has crushed her spirit, and my chest tightens with sympathy. My grandmother was like this after my mother passed, when even the smallest things felt like too much.
So I decide to be charming and overbearing, because my grandmother always loved a rogue, and I suspect this female will, too. “May we come in?” I ask Liesje, and hold up the creature in my arms. “This one will smell like old stockings if he gets any wetter.”
Liesje hesitates, looking around at her place. Even from our spot on the doorstep, I can see that it is a mess, full of noodle wrappers and old containers and supply boxes that have likely never been opened. “I wasn’t expecting company…”