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15
"I toldhim the Iri were real," I muttered. I sat up, pulled my hairband from my wrist and tugged my curls into a hasty ponytail.
"We believed you," Brinley assured me.
I flashed her a quick smile and got to my feet.
Humar's declaration about being surrounded was a slight exaggeration, but there were quite a few Iri standing around our camp. Each was armed with a long, slender bow. None were nocked, but the Iri all had a quiver of arrows on their backs. I would bet J'avet's pension they could have them ready to shoot in a heartbeat or less.
"We want to speak to your leader." Selvia's words came through my watch, translated for those close enough to hear.
Those who couldn't, muttered amongst themselves. "What did they say?"
"I don't know, I think we might be breakfast."
"Shit."
I rolled my eyes and stepped forward.
"Hi, Selvia, it’s me, Edie." My watch spat my words out in Iritauri.
She turned toward me with a proud tilt of her head. "You are the leader?"
"No, I am." J'avet stepped forward. Judging by the way his watch translated his words too, he cottoned on quickly.
I had to give him some credit for that.
"What do you want?" he asked warily.
"We want to trade," Selvia replied.
I took my eyes off her long enough to look around at the rest of the Iri. A few metres from Selvia stood Landu. He gave me a nod, then went back to scanning the encampment, his whole body tensed, ready.
Right. Just because Danec and I were harmless didn't mean the rest of the evacuees were.
"We don't have much," J'avet said. "We had to evacuate our ship. Our escape pod was destroyed."
Selvia tilted her head at him. "My symbiont says you have access to resources not of this world."
Symbiont?
J'avet's brow jerked upward.
I glanced back toward Slek and Danec. Neither looked surprised in the least. Was this the reason their people hunted the Iri? What form did this symbiont take?
J'avet's reply tugged my mind back to the moment.
"We have access," he said carefully, "but only when we can reach the other pods, safely."
Selvia nodded. "We will be your escort and guides. We brought food." She half turned and waved toward the trees. From between the trunks came a handful of men and women. Each carried a basket. Every one was laden with loaves of bread and fruit.
My eyes widened and my stomach rumbled so loudly I was sure J'avet would hear.
"That's very good of you," he said, his tone still wary.
I could almost see him thinking, wondering what they really wanted. I wondered the same thing, but maybe they were just being nice. Surely that was possible? If not, then what did they want in the way of off-world resources? It may be nothing more than wine or chocolate. Truthfully, it wasn't really my problem. The IF would deal with them and give them whatever they needed once we were safe. And we got to eat. That sounded like a win-win to me.
"Help them distribute the food." J'avet waved at Danec and Humar. Danec nodded, but Humar looked horrified at the idea of going anywhere near them. Hunger, or the need to follow orders, won in the end, and he took a basket of rolls and took them around the evacuees.
