Captive - Cheryl Brooks Page 0,80
of constant exposure to rough, gritty clothing, this was sheer heaven.
Somehow, trying to convince her guard that she was unhappy was becoming more ridiculous by the second. If only she had Moe with her, she could’ve faced conditions that were a whole lot worse.
For a moment, she was at a loss for what to do next.
Nothing to do? Had she ever been faced with that?
If she had, she couldn’t recall the details.
Summoning her strength and fortitude, she headed for the door with a purposeful stride and pounded it with her fist.
To her surprise, the door swung open.
Her gasp of dismay was nothing compared to her Nedwut guard’s double-take. With no one around, he’d apparently taken the opportunity to lounge against the opposite wall and doze.
He drew himself upright, aimed his pulse rifle at her bellybutton, and bared his fangs. “You aren’t allowed out.”
“If that’s the case, why did you leave the door unlocked?” Blackmail might serve her as well as any other form of persuasion. “Should I report you to someone? Pelarus, perhaps?”
His expression changed from snarling to sniveling so fast, she nearly laughed in his face.
“You wouldn’t do that, would you?” he whined. “I would’ve caught you before you got very far anyway.”
“I suppose you would.” Nedwuts were generally quick on their feet, and this one appeared to be no less nimble than the others she’d encountered. Besides, having had hairy Nedwut paws on her before, she had no desire to repeat the experience. “Never mind that. I’m starving. Is there anything to eat around here?”
“The birds will be back with food soon.” He hesitated, shuffling his feet as he lowered his weapon a hair. “They, um, wanted to give you plenty of time in the bath.”
“I wasn’t that dirty, was I? I mean, they’ve been gone for ages. How many hours do they normally spend in the bath?”
“Oh, you know the birds. They’ll splash around forever if you let them.”
She leaned back against the door jamb, folding her arms across her chest. “No, I don’t know the birds, but I won’t ask how you know that.”
He shrugged. “Common knowledge. Although I’m talking about the swimming pool, not the bathtub.”
“What the devil is a swimming pool?”
“Like a bathtub, only a lot bigger,” he replied, seeming to relax a bit more. “The birds love to swim.”
“I see…and I’m sure they don’t mind being called birds.”
“Dunno. Never asked them.” He aimed a nervous glance down the corridor. “You’d better get back inside. You might not report me, but the birds would.”
“Yeah. I get the impression they’re pretty happy here. Maybe even proud of their standing among the servants.”
His toothy grin was only slightly less frightening than his snarl. “Stuck up little grebtas, aren’t they?”
“Grebtas?”
“I think the Stantongue word is vermin.”
“Okay. Not nice, obviously.”
“No, they aren’t.” He wrinkled his snout and sniffed. “I wouldn’t trust them, myself.”
“And I should trust you?”
“Well, maybe not. After all, I’ve got my own ass to consider.”
She peered at him closely. He didn’t seem familiar, but she’d dealt with several Nedwut hunters over the years, and one Nedwut looked very much like another. “Have we met before?”
“No,” he replied. “But I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask…”
This, apparently, was all the prompting he required. “You’re tough, they say. Drive a hard bargain, and you’ve killed a bunch of us.” With a toss of his head, he added, “We admire you for that, which is why capturing you is such an honor.”
“Honor? I didn’t always resort to killing. I’ve paid you guys off loads of times. How honorable is that?”
He shouldered his weapon. Finally. “We can all use the extra cash. And letting you go gives someone else the chance at a few credits.”
She stared at him in disbelief for a long moment, her mouth slightly agape. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“No, really. If you escape, catching you again would get me free drinks for a month—not to mention what you’d pay me to let you go.” His shoulders drooped in undisguised disappointment. “Not much chance of that, though. I’m guessing you don’t have any credits on you.”
“No, I don’t, although there are plenty of expensive-looking items in this room.”
His ears pricked forward and he licked his chops. “Really?”
She put up a hand. “Hold on. Let me get this straight. Capturing me is an honorable act, but letting me go is also honorable?”
“Yeah. Spread the wealth and all that. All told, we’ve probably gotten more money from you than Pelarus pays us to