Page 28 of Alliance
“The cable will adapt to whatever port you have,” he said, referring to the charging cable I’d discarded on the bed. “As for data gaps, I can give you broad access to public servers. Just don’t go fishing through theMummer.”He leaned in with a serpentine rattle of caution beneath his words. “I’ll know if you do.”
Excitement bubbled through me despite the warning. “I understand.”
“Have you decided on a price?”
Fásach was tense as he asked the question, muscular jaw ticked with apprehension. We all got to our feet, and Traveler dusted himself off before answering.
“TheMummerwill take what it’s owed when the time comes. Don’t worry over it right now,” he said, patting Fásach’s shoulder. “As for me? It’s just nice having your girls onboard. Makes me think of Pomahrutvi. I miss that brat.” He leaned in close to Fásach’s ear, tickling his fur. “But don’t ever tell her that. Little girls like them burrow their way into your heart and never leave, you know?”
Fásach chuffed. “Thank you, Captain.”
“Nonsense.” Traveler dusted himself off and slid by my friend on his way out. “As long as no one I like dies, this will be highly entertaining.”
Fásach watched him go, then rubbed his thick palm on Safia’s head. “Go hang out with Misila.”
“Yeah, okay,” she said. She looked up at me as if weighing her choices, then headbutted my hip. “See ya.”
“See… see you?” I blinked after her as the door shut, scouring my databases for venandi behaviors like headbutting. Fásach cleared his throat.
“It’s a yiwreni thing. Family members do it. You don’t have to wear that hood on theMummer, by the way. You were just such an obvious target in the markets,” he shuffled back a step towards the wardrobe, leaned his shoulders against its door, and crossed his arms. “Did you tell Trav to fuck off?”
I beamed and nodded once. “Yes!”
He grinned. “Did it feel good?”
“Yes, but…” I pulled the thermophobic hood off my head with a relieved sigh as my thick mane sprang back into shape. Massaging my fingers into my scalp, I alleviated every itch with a groan. “Not as good asthis.”
Fásach’s grin fell as he watched me. He held out his hand, claws tensed with a glance at my silk. “Go on. If you want,” he said thickly. My eyes widened.
“Really?”
He nodded, and [Priority] I ducked my head beneath his fingers, sliding his sharp claws into the back of my silk, tickling the follicles along my neck. I leaned into it, moving my head this way and that, trying to nudge those heavenly little points into the curls behind my ears.
“I got us off Huajile,” he murmured, holding his claws still for me to use as I saw fit. “This is your last chance to bail, Roz. If you can’t get us to Renata…” He chuffed, wide nostrils flaring open. “The point is, I won’t blame you if you lied. I can figure something out.”
I lifted my face, looking up the span of his narrow chest to where he looked down at me, ears silhouetted against theoverhead light. “Oh, no. I can definitely get us there. Besides, my coding only allows for omission, not lying.”
Then I cocked my head. Would I be able to lie if I tried?
“Ask me if my silk is blonde,” I said. Fásach’s ear twitched.
“Are your tresses blonde?”
“Yes.” I gasped. “Yes!” I pointed at my own mouth with shock. “I lied!”
“Youdid,”Fásach admitted thoughtfully. “Do it again. Something true, then something false.”
“Hmm.” I tapped my cheek. “Traveler gave me access to public servers, so while I’m charging, I’m going to fill in some of my data gaps.”
Fásach leaned his face to the side. “True.”
“And the first thing I’m going to learn is how to swim.”
“False.” His blue eyes twinkled. “So what are you going to learn for real?”
I pulled the charger into my lap and crossed my legs. “I’m going to learn about you. Then I’ll learn about Yaspur.” I held up the cable to him. “Would you plug me in? I’ve never done it myself.”
Fásach knelt on the bed and leaned behind me. Shivers raced down my spine and up into my scalp as he pushed my silk aside to expose the port on my neck. “Thank you,” he murmured, a little chirrup at the back of his throat. “It means a lot that you’d learn about what I am.”
