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at all.

She got out long afterher clothes were clean. She put them on and sat on the couch, lookingout at an angry red world, waiting for her captor to come collecther.

She wished she atleast had an underarmor suit to wear but the aliens on this ship wereeven less likely to have one for her than the Humans on the EdgedStar. Their Quailusuits would have fit like a pillowcase.

At least Iā€™d be covered up,she thought.

She was coveredbut the fabric of her t-shirtwas a bit thinner than sheā€™d like. It had kind of been the ideawhen she bought it but it was more of a ā€˜feeling cutewhile falling asleepā€™ kind of thing, rather than ā€˜feeling exposedin front of hostile aliensā€™.

Herfriend, Jen, had the same shirt but shedidnā€™t buy it for sleeping in. Sheā€™s probably planningto wear it to class next month at USC. I wouldnā€™t besurprisedā€¦

The door opened behindher. She jumped off the couch, putting her back to the window as twoarmed and armored Quailu entered and took up positions flanking thedoor.

Memnon enteredthe prisonerā€™s room, still slightly peeved at Ereshkigalā€™sattitude. Sheā€™d assumed that he would watch while sheconducted the interrogation.

Still, she knew herbusiness. Heā€™d forgotten how much the Humans relied on non-empathicnuances for communication. He would need to pay close attention toevery stray tendril of emotion from this primitive creature. He wouldneed to elicit emotions, nudge them to the surface where even thetiniest aspect might be more apparent.

These dratted creatureshad a way of bleeding off their emotions with gestures.

The prisoner wasstanding before the window, Kurnugiaā€™s angry glow hanging behindher. She was wearing a ludicrous outfit that seemed completelyincongruous for someone traveling on a ship.

ā€œWhy is she dressedlike that?ā€ he snapped over his shoulder at Ereshkigal.

ā€œShe arrivedlike that, lord. The team ran into difficulties, so we have what wehave.ā€

He looked back,intrigued by the response he felt from the Human. Embarrassment.A desire to hide.

She was standingin the same place, her arms crossed over her upper chest. Sheexpects to be ridiculed, hethought. Is it because of her clothing?

Sheā€™s a wild Human,he remembered. They may have different social norms.ā€œAre all wild Humans so thin?ā€ heasked her. The few Human females that still served on theDeathstalker were muchmore heavily muscled than this slender creature.

Humiliation, anger, helplessness.It was stronger this time, as if sheā€™d been holding back but thendecided to swamp him. It feltdeliberate.

Maliciouslydeliberate.

ā€œNo,ā€ she said. ā€œMyfriends all have curves. Iā€™m probably the one they like to hang outwith so they look better by comparison.ā€

Memnon reeledback as if sheā€™d kicked him in the teeth. Heā€™ddealt with some strong emotions, growing up at a relativeā€™s palaceas a poor cousin, but this was next level.

He was certain ofit. She was weaponizing her emotions, giving him, allat once, a full dose of the emotional turmoil of a young Humanfemale, raised in the wild.

He grabbed Ereshkigalby the elbow. ā€œCarry on with the interview,ā€ he rasped, thenturned for the door.

He made it to thehallway, waving at the guards to remain inside. The last thing hewanted right now was their empty allegiance. They were probablylaughing at him behind his back every chance they got.

He waswalking weird. He didnā€™t know how heā€™d never noticed it before.Why canā€™t I just put one foot in front of the other likea normal person? He looked up tosee a weapons tech coming his way with a quizzical look on his face.

Nobody takes me seriously,he reminded himself. Not on the world where heā€™d grown up and notout here in the empire. ā€œIn the middle of a fief Iā€™ve built up byright of gods-damned conquest!ā€ hegrowled, terrifying the weapons tech who quickened his otherwiseperfectly normal pace and hurried past his lord.

Memnonreached his quarters and threw himself on the bed, face buried in hispillow. The same bed heā€™d woken up on with the name ā€˜Melvin theMinusculeā€™ drawn on his forehead.

And heā€™d beenon the bridge for a long timebefore anyone had botheredto tell him.

A chime sounded fromhis outer door. ā€œMy lord,ā€ Garandā€™s voice greeted him,recreated by the syntactic feedback projectors that gave holos theirsense of solidity. ā€œThe cargo shuttle has returned from thehab-ring. You wanted to inspect the goods?ā€

ā€œGo away,ā€ Memnonshouted, his voice muffled by the pillow.

But then hethought again. Garandā€™s always been loyal, hasnā€™t he?ā€œWait,ā€ he called urgently. ā€œCome in.ā€

Damn it all, I donā€™t want to talk to anyone,he thought. He should have thought it before he spoke. Garand camein.

ā€œLord?ā€ he asked,bemused by the sight of his leader lying face down on a pillow.

ā€œIs my ass toobig?ā€ heasked. Gods! What the hells did I just say? Damn itall. Itā€™s that damned Human! Sheā€™s gotten into my head!

Garand was probablywondering the exact same thing. ā€œNo?ā€ he said tentatively. ā€œImean, Iā€™ve never noticed, one way or the other butā€¦ā€

Memnon floppedover onto his back with a sigh. ā€œDo we stillhave any of that narcoticweed we took from Enlatā€™s palace?ā€

Ereshkigal wasnā€™tsurprised that Memnon had fled the interrogation but she wassurprised that heā€™d left so soon.

It was a messybusiness, poking around in someoneā€™s head. Itwas even worse if the subject was a different gender or species.

This prisoner was both.

It was going to take amore circumspect approach. Rather than brash comments about herclothing, Ereshkigal sought to find common ground and build fromthere.

ā€œWhy are youembarrased?ā€ sheasked.

ā€œAre you kidding?ā€the prisoner demanded. ā€œIā€™m standing here with the high-beams onin a shirt you could probably read through if the text was largeenough.ā€

Did those idiots think to scan her forconcealed weapons? Ereshkigalthought with alarm. ā€œAre you telling me you have some kind ofenergy-based weapon on your person somewhere?ā€

ā€œWhat?ā€

ā€œYour ā€˜high-beamā€™?ā€

ā€œHighā€¦ No!ā€ Sheshook her head. ā€œYou Quailu keep your ships colder than we do. Youknow what happensā€¦ when itā€™s cold?ā€

Ereshkigal tried one ofthe head-shakes sheā€™d seen Humans use.

The prisonerfrowned. ā€œI mean, what happens to a womanā€¦ā€ Sheuncrossed her arms and gestured to her chest. ā€œā€¦ Whenit gets cold?ā€

ā€œAh!ā€ Ereshkigalexclaimed. ā€œYou mean theyā€™re shrinking? But why are they stickingout now?ā€ She took an involuntary step back. ā€œDid they take youaway from your offspring?ā€

ā€œWhat? I donā€™t haveoffspring. This happens when it gets cold.ā€

ā€œNot for us,ā€Ereshkigal told her. ā€œFor us,

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