Captive - Cheryl Brooks Page 0,120
where the natives are notoriously inhospitable toward offworlders, and leaving you there with nothing but the clothes on your back.”
Klara shot a sideways glance at Moe and his family, but they appeared to be as puzzled as she.
“Who has made this offer?” Pelarus’s voice sounded slightly weaker than before.
Harlex and another Nedwut guard—the one called Zract, if she wasn’t mistaken, whom Moe had introduced to her during the party the night before—stepped forward.
“We did,” Harlex replied.
Klara gasped and turned toward Moe, who chuckled. “There’s one problem solved, huh?”
“B-but the Nedwuts were once loyal to me,” Pelarus stammered. “What assurance do you have that they will carry out this plan?”
Once again, it was Harlex who spoke. “You have demanded unquestioning service in return for the pittance you doled out to us, effectively holding us hostage on this miserable planet. We’re sick of having to live on a dying world while catering to your whims, and it will give us great pleasure to dump your sorry ass in the dust of Goralus Five before flying home to Rusarck in style.”
“He should have paid them better,” Klara muttered as the crowd responded with a resounding cheer.
“Good thing he didn’t,” Moe said. “I’ve never been to Goralus Five, but I’ve heard rumors, and I certainly wouldn’t want our first litter to be born anywhere near that world. Terra Minor is much nicer. In fact, I wouldn’t mind hanging out there for a little while, maybe even until our babies are born, if possible. We could all use the rest.”
Klara grabbed at the first straw she could think of. “You said you carry cargo all over the galaxy. Don’t you have any jobs lined up? And what about aiding the recovery of Haedus Nine? Shouldn’t we get started right away?”
Moe shrugged. “That’s going to take time to get organized, and believe me, Mom’s way better at that sort of thing than I’ll ever be. Once she gets the ball rolling, we’ll be plenty busy hauling cargo here. In the meantime, I figure we’re entitled to a vacation of sorts. We could even go to Rhylos for a while if you like, although we’d probably lose our shirts there. Especially if we wander into the casino district.”
One of the Racks snickered. Klara turned toward Jal, whose subsequent wink was enough to assure her that he’d been the one to laugh. “I think Rhylos would be fun, and with Jal’s luck, we might end up rich.”
Moe stared at her for a long moment before he spoke. “After all you’ve been through, you’re still afraid to meet Trag. Aren’t you?”
She fixed her eyes on the back of the seat in front of her, doing her best to avoid meeting Moe’s gaze. “Maybe.”
“We could get him on a comlink easily enough. Anything to put your fears to rest.”
“No.” She sucked in a breath. “I want to face him directly. I just need some time to prepare myself.”
“You’ll have that. It’ll take at least a month to get to Terra Minor. Haedus Nine is a little off the beaten path, you know.”
She nodded. “A month sounds about right. Maybe I’ll even look pregnant by then.”
Moe chuckled. “You’ve only been pregnant for a few days, and you’ve already got the glow of motherhood in your eyes.” He leaned closer, putting his arm around her shoulders, his breath warm on her cheek. “Plus, there’s the scent.”
She drew back in dismay. “You mean other Zetithians can tell I’m pregnant by the way I smell?”
“’Fraid so.” He kissed her cheek. “Although it doesn’t affect the others the way it affects me.”
“Thank the gods for that,” she whispered. “Talk about embarrassing.”
“At least they all understand the inherent difficulties of expectant parents.”
She arched a brow. “Like me craving you as much as you crave me?”
“Something like that. Either way, as far as they’re concerned, it’s a matter of been there, done that. Don’t worry about it.”
Klara thought she might be overreacting, but this was all new to her. For years, being tough was a way of life. Now, she was convinced that everyone they encountered was busy imagining what she and Moe might do when they were alone together. After all that time in hiding, she simply wasn’t used to being quite so…visible.
The crowd assembled in the stands was already beginning to disperse. Klara almost wished they’d planned some sort of spectacle to keep everyone in their seats, somehow delaying the inevitable for a few more minutes.
“Guess there’s no point in hanging around here any longer,”