Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Something was going on here—but what?
“Wait,” she told J’are. “Wait, don’t—”
But it was too late—he had already tossed the grizzly souvenir of his battle off the bridge into the darkness below.
Luckily, it didn’t hit any of the cars that were whizzing by—or at least, Imani didn’t see any evidence that it had. But the evidence of J’are’s midnight battle had been lost and along with it, any chance she had to bring it before the court. Not that Imani knew what she would say even if she did.
“Excuse me, your honor, but ever since I got to Yonnie Six I’ve been seeing these giant pink praying mantises everywhere and one attacked me on my way home from court.”
What could Judge Thoughtgood do about that? And what did it even mean? Did it have anything to do with whoever had tried to frame J’are for the murder of his old Mistress?
Imani didn’t have any answers and suddenly she was bone weary. She’d had a long, long day which had started in a whole different part of the galaxy, light years away. Right now she just wanted to get back to the Luxx, kick back and relax.
“Come on, J’are,” she muttered, pulling at the leash which was still attached to his pain collar. “Is it safe to go now?”
He looked down at her and nodded once.
“Safe.”
“Okay, good.” Imani nodded wearily towards the end of the bridge. “Then come on—we have to go.”
She was just wondering if they would be able to catch a ride at the place she’d been dropped off that afternoon, when one of the flying shuttle-cars which normally flew high above the ground traffic swooped down and hovered alongside of the bridge.
The window slid down to reveal a round, curious face.
“Hello there, little Mistress,” the driver said, frowning. “And what might you and your bodyslave be doing out here so late at night?”
“Trying to get home—or at least, back to my hotel,” Imani said warily. “Are you a ride service?” she asked. She knew there were a few free males living and working on Yonnie Six, though not many of them.
“That I am, but I’m none too sure about taking on a fellow as big as that.” The man nodded at J’are who was standing protectively close to Imani, looking ready to fight if the other male tried to encroach on his territory.
“Who, J’are? He’s a sweetheart!” Imani said quickly. “He wouldn’t hurt a fly!”
“He wouldn’t, eh?” The cabbie—if that was what he was—didn’t look convinced. “Well what’s that black stuff all over his skin?”
“I don’t know,” Imani said desperately. “But it won’t rub off on your seats, I promise. See?” She rubbed her thumb over the big Kindred’s forearm and then showed her hand to the cabbie who looked at it thoughtfully.
“Hmm. Well, where are you headed, Mistress?”
“The Luxx,” Imani told him. “Can you take us there?”
“The Luxx, eh?” His eyes widened. “Well, if you’re staying there you can certainly afford to pay.”
“Yes, I can,” Imani said. She was thankful she had the no-limit cred chip Commander Sylvan had given her. “In fact, I’ll pay you twice the going rate. Only please, just take us home.”
“Twice you say?” This offer seemed to make up the cabbie’s mind. “All right—hop in, Mistress. Only mind that big bodyslave of yours doesn’t mess up my upholstery.”
“He’ll be as quiet as a lamb,” Imani promised. She looked at J’are. “You’ll be good for me—right, J’are?”
He nodded stiffly once and repeated, “Good,” in that deep, hoarse voice of his.
“All right—climb in then.”
The cabbie slid open the back compartment of the shuttle, which meant Imani had to climb over the waist-high railing of the bridge to get in. She was just about to do so when a pair of big hands took her by the waist and simply lifted her into the flying shuttle-cab.
“Oh!” she barely had time to gasp before J’are was climbing in after her.
“All settled back there?” the cabbie asked, looking at them from behind a thick plasti-glass shield which separated the front and the back of the cab. When Imani nodded, he said, “All right then—off we go!”
Twelve
The shocked looks Imani got leading J’are through the lobby of the Luxx would have made her blush with embarrassment at another time. But at the moment she was so tired and worn out, she honestly just didn’t even care.
She walked with her head down, intent only on getting to her room and refused to notice the whispered remarks about how “filthy” her bodyslave was or snobbish references to people who didn’t belong on the planet in the first place.
At last they reached her suite and she was able to bring him inside. She wanted to collapse on the bed but one look at the shiny black paint stuff all over him made her reconsider. Clearly her job wasn’t done yet.