Ragnarok: Colonization, intrigue and betrayal. Andrew Claymore (primary phonics books .txt) đ
- Author: Andrew Claymore
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Vikramnodded. âSheâs been quietâŠâ
Terrysighed, looking toward the⊠place. âFor the life of me, I canâtfigure out if thatâs a good thing or not.â
Helooked back at Vikram. âAnyway, we need to get moving. Frankâssupposed to meet with Mr Kawle and Mal. We need to head back totown.â
Not My Job
Unity, Ragnarok
Frankfelt strange, walking across the square in his armor, but heâd beenlate getting back from the highlands. Rather than keep folks waiting,he decided to come straight over.
Sushiland Mal were already at a table and Mal waved at the third coffeethat sat in front of Frankâs empty chair. Frank sat, oddly gladthat he didnât have to sully the coffee-shop experience by walkingin with armor on.
âJustback from the fields?â Sushil asked.
âThehighlands,â Frank confirmed.
âAnynews from our friend?â Mal asked.
Frankshook his head. âSheâs been quiet lately.â He took a drink,sighing with enjoyment.
âTheboys found a dead feather tiger today,â He told them. âLooks likethose glowwhalesdrop deadly spores when they die. Tiger got caught in a nest ofthem.â
Heused his suit to transmit some imagery to Mal who wore his suitalmost all the time. âIt looks like the tigers might be keepingsome of our more pestilential wildlife under control. The one theyfound today had killed a root-eater.â
âReally?âMal had his cup nearly to his lips but he set it down. âWell, Iâllgo on record as saying you were right about not shooting those scarybastards, Sushil!â
âGoodof you to admit it!â Sushil saluted him with his cup before takinga drink.
âFiguredIâd save you the trouble of saying you told me so.â Mal grinnedas the chairman snorted, splashing some of his drink on his face.
âSowhat do we do about the strange things happening up in the hills?âMal pressed.
âYouhavenât been up there?â Frank asked.
âNo.Donât want to risk escalating anything on my own. Anyway, weârenot sure that itâs a military matter and Iâd rather not make itone if I can help it. Iâll support what you guys decide to do butitâs up to the chairman.â He gestured to Sushil.
Sushilsighed. âIf she stays quiet, we should wait a few more days tillthe crops are all planted. Iâd rather present this to the council,if we can.â
âYousure about that?â Mal asked.
âWeshouldnât start acting like the council has no sayâŠâ
âNo,âMal interjected. âAre you sure about her being a she?â
âIhad a vague impression of that,â Frank admitted, âbut Vikram wasabsolutely certain.â
âRohanhad the same impression,â Sushil added.
âWell,I suppose that counts as good news,â Mal said grudgingly. âItsounds like weâre dealing with a creature that has genders incommon with us, at least.â
âYeah,âFrank said ironically, âweâre practically twins!â
âDonâtlaugh,â Mal warned. âYou wouldnât believe the weird shit youcan run into out here on the fringes. This isnât much but Iâlltake it.â
âWell,I know what Iâmtaking.â Frank held up his cup. âA shower. Iâll thank you forthe coffee, gents, by leaving your noses in peace.â
Hegot up. âBeen a long day, up in the hills, and I smelllike it!â
Hand-off
The Deathstalker, Kurnugian Orbit
âDidnât you idiotsever hear of laundry?â Gabriella asked Len through the bars of herhastily grown cell.
It had been five daysof living in a two-meter-cubed cell with a toilet, a bunk and noprivacy. She was still wearing the same t-shirt and shorts sheâdworn to bed on the night of her capture and nobody had any spareclothes for her.
âNot my problem,âhe answered curtly. âIâm just here to get you off this ship.â
Great. I stink so much theyâre gonna spaceme. She stood up from her bunk,ready to lunge when the bars dissolved. Iâll take thisbastardâs eyes with me, at least.
âOur boss is here,âLen said. âItâs been a fun five days but Iâd keep my smartmouth shut, if I were you. The guy weâre giving you to doesnâttake well to insolence.â
âYou think Iâminsolent?â she asked. âI donât recall anyone calling youâLordâ, you jackass. Whether you give your oath to my Aunt andUncle or not, thereâs still a hierarchy in place and you seemed toremember that when your henchman was getting ready toâŠâ
âAlright!â he saidurgently, cutting her off. âYouâve made your point but I stillurge you to take mine as well. Youâre about to meet one of the mostfeared lords in the empire⊠the real empire.
âHeâs got a temper.If you run that saucy little mouth of yours at him, he might justblow your head off.â
Sherelaxed her posture a fraction. If she wasnât getting spaced, shecould put off attacking Len, for now.
Len dissolved the barsand stepped back. âListen,â he said, âabout what happenedâŠâ
âThe two of youkilled my mother,â she said coldly and in a steadier voice than shewould have expected. âYouâre both going to die and it wonât bepretty.â
âAs you wish,âhe said tiredly. âThis way, my lady.â
He led her to an openpart of the hull, just forward of the engineering bay. She steppedpast him and led the way down the ramp into a large, ornatelyappointed hangar bay.
The crew in thebay were all Quailuand one of them, radiating more than the usual degree of authority,stood at the bottom of the ramp. She reared back in disgust at theodor coming from the prisoner.
âWhat is shewearing?â theQuailu demanded.
âShe had this on whenwe captured her,â Len said with a shrug. âOne of the team-membersgot injured, so we didnât have time to go look for her underarmorsuit.â
âIâm taking you toa suite of rooms,â the Quailu told her. âYou will have to cleanyourself and wash these ridiculous garments before I present you.â
Sheturned and started walking.
Gabriellaconsidered just staying where she was but it served no purpose andshe did stink. Shelooked at Len one more time. âSlowly,â she reminded him. Beforehe could say anything, she set off after her new captor.
The rooms werepretty much the same as what she and her mom had stayed in aboard theMouse. It had a showercubicle and a fairly fast clothing cleaner that used sound waves.
She made a quick searchof the rooms to make sure nobody else was there and then she strippedoff her stinking t-shirt and shorts, tossing them in the cleaner onher way to the shower.
She stayed in there alot longer than was absolutely necessary. She just stood there in thehot water, eyes closed, not thinking.
Not thinking aboutanything
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