Page 37 of Defiance
The man hesitated, then nodded his head, setting down our bowls slowly.
“I don’t have anything for an advenan to eat,” he said to Mr La?we, jaw clenched.
“Not a problem.” Agent Gaul descended the steps and joined our table with a sway in his step. All confidence and straight posture.“Chimaerican eat anything.”
Gaul slid in next to me, tail brushing my calves. His long claws collected my bowl, their points clicking against theengraved metal, and took a bite of my food. “One of many things that make us excellent bodyguards.”
“Excellent point.” Mr La?we smiled at the man, then picked up his own bident while I poured water from a sweating carafe. There were only two silver cups, so I called out to the curtain.
“Excuse me, could we get another—”
“That’s alright.” Gaul cut me off, sliding my bowl in front of me once more. “It’s safe to eat.”
“But—”
“I already ate. Enjoy your meal, Ms Halloway. It’s safe to eat.”
Gaul stood back up, finished pouring my drink, then retreated to the outskirts of the room, studying each window in a slow walk about. He investigated every crack in the walls and ceiling, the shelves and vents. He was taking his job seriously. He really was taking his job seriously, even if the plan was for him to fail.
“So, Ms Halloway—”
“Charlie, please.” I took a gulp of water, feeling chapped. “Ms Halloway makes me feel like a Victorian governess.”
“Sath, then.”
I clinked my glass against his, which still sat on the table, and took another large drink.“Sláinte.”
“Slawn-cha?”
“It means cheers where I’m from.”
Sath’s expression fell. “Ah… I take it your native language didn’t make it into our linguitors. So many protected species lose so much when Union life interrupts theirs, yes? I wish Awakenings were more proactive.”
“It’s not my native language,” I hedged. “But you’re right. Even if we’re safe, we still mourn for everything we’ve lost.” I took a big bite of my seaweed salad and made a noise ofhappiness. It was bright and slightly sour, with pops of crunchy garnish like radish chunks and mushy chickpeas. “This makes up for some of it though. I haven’t had a proper salad in ages.”
Sath’s smile returned.
“Tell me more about your work,” I said, hoping he’d get animated while I stuffed my face. This was the first fresh food I’d seen in a week. “You mentioned colony law?”
“I’ve been working with the yiwren to secure a settlement contract, yes? Their homeworld, Byd Farrwel, was ravaged by plague rot, and returning won’t be possible for another century or more.”
“Feck’s sake,” I exhaled. “And I thought we had it bad.”
“We’ll be wrapping it up soon, yes. Yiwren are especially sensitive to magnetic fields, and HIXBS has been committed to finding them a stable solution.”
“Huajile Institute for Xenobiological Studies,” I said, just to confirm. “Seems like a pretty powerful organization you work for.”
Sath swallowed a bite of food. “I’m very proud of HIXBS, yes. Medical advancement is their top priority, but in recent decades, they’ve invested more into protected species. Food bays, pre-fab clinics, medicines, research studies, even infrastructure and emergency relief. My part is very small.”
“Somehow I doubt that,” I teased.
“Oh yes,” he insisted, calling for a refill of our salad and carafe. Then he leaned over the table with a smirk. “Last week, I negotiated toilets.”
I snorted into my water.
“There’s nothing more important than toilets,” I recovered, coughing.
Sath’s eyes gleamed as he sat back on his bench. “And your work? An ichthyologist must be thrilled to share a moon with the shilpakaari.”
