Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 433(@250wpm)___ 361(@300wpm)
Flow-da was dressed in an atonement garment too, her smooth green back exposed. Hartford seemed uneasy—the Manimal was nosing at his mistress’s hand and whining in the back of his throat.
“It’s all right, Hartford,” Flow-da said comfortingly, stroking his head. “Everything is going to be okay—we’ll be out of here before you know it.”
Andi wanted to ask what was the deal with the weird clothing they’d been made to put on, but just then Goodie Tight-azz appeared. She also had on an atonement garment which showed her green back which seemed to have a lot of little white scars on it. She was dragging her Manimal, Manfred, on a short leash. He had his choke collar on—Andi could see it constricting his breathing every time their landlady yanked on it.
Andi wondered why, if Manfred was Goodie Tight-azz’s brother rather than her husband—she hadn’t just given him up to one of the Manimal Adoption centers? She certainly seemed to resent caring for him, so clearly she wasn’t keeping him because she actually wanted to.
Maybe it’s like back on Earth with the animal shelters, she thought. Where it’s mostly the young, healthy animals that get adopted while nobody wants the older or sicker ones.
“There you are! You two girls go and sit with on the novices’ bench—that’s where we put the new members,” Goodie Tight-azz said, pointing them to a bench right up at the front of the meeting hall.
“Oh, but we’re not actually joining—we’re just attending the meeting,” Flow-da was quick to point out.
“Never mind—go have a seat,” their landlady snapped. “Go on—the meeting is about to start!”
She herded Andi and Flow-da to the front of the room where a stern looking woman with leathery green skin and hair that was more gray than pink was standing by the wooden podium. When she smiled, her teeth were gleaming white and obviously fake. She reminded Andi of an ancient crocodile.
“Well, well and what have we here, Sister Tight-azz?” she asked, lifting grayish pink eyebrows.
“Two new members—these girls and their Manimals are staying at my boarding house, Mother Strict-ezz,” Goodie Tight-azz said at once.
“Oh, we’re not—” Flow-da began quickly.
“Quite ready to sit with the regular members,” Goodie Tight-azz finished for her firmly. “So, as new members, they’re going to sit here at the front so they can get the full benefit of your wisdom, Mother Strict-ezz.”
“A wise choice.” The crocodile-looking lady nodded and gestured to the bench at the front. “Please…sit.”
Exchanging an unhappy look, Andi and Flow-da settled on the hard wooden bench at the very front of the hall. Hartford settled at Flow-da’s feet at once, but it took some convincing for Andi to get Cade to sit on the floor.
The big Hybrid kept pacing and sniffing the air, a low growl rumbling in his deep chest. It was clear to Andi that he didn’t like something about this place and felt threatened by it. She hoped uneasily that the meeting wouldn’t last too long—she really didn’t have her Protector under control at all and she doubted this was the place to drop her top and let him suck her breasts to get some Sweet Drops.
“Now then, ladies. If you would all please settle down! Everyone please find a seat—we’re about to begin,” Mother Strict-ezz called in a surprisingly loud and strident voice.
Andi winced a little—she wished they could have picked their own seats. She would have sat on the very last pew and tried to slip out without anyone noticing and she was sure Flow-da would have come with her. Her new friend was looking extremely unhappy about being here. Andi felt the same way—this was hardly the fun and relaxing shopping trip the two of them had planned!
Once everyone was seated with their Manimals at their feet, the meeting began. But it was more of a sermon, from what Andi could tell. And not just any sermon—it was definitely of the “hellfire and brimstone” variety.
Mother Strict-ezz stepped up to the wooden podium and gripped the sides so tightly Andi could see her knuckles going white.
“EVIL!” she started out in a voice so loud Andi jumped and Flow-da nearly fell off the bench they were sitting on. She shot a wide-eyed glance at Andi, who returned it with a look of her own. Though neither of them spoke, the message was clear:
What have we gotten ourselves into?
“SIN!” Mother Strict-ezz continued in the same bullhorn voice. “IMPURITY!”
Was she just going to stand there and shout at them, Andi wondered? Was there a point to all this?
Then Mother Strict-ezz pressed a button on the wooden podium and suddenly a holo image sprang into view above her. Andi was sitting so close to the front she had to crane her neck to see what it was, but when she figured it out, she gave a little gasp.