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Andisighed.Atlast her heart was beginning to slow its frantic beating as she realized that they were truly safe—however unlikely it seemed.
Afterthe awkward encounter she andFlow-da had withGoodieBo-long earlier that day, she never would have guessed that the eccentric woman would be the one to come out and save them in their moment of need.However, she was very grateful and extremely relieved not to be out on the street being raped to death by a pack of wildManimals!
Atthat momentGoodieBo-long came back with two large glasses of fizzing, pale purple drink.
“Hereyou are, my dear,” she said, handing one toAndi. “Thisought to calm your nerves, whichIpresume are quite on edge.”
Andinodded her thanks as she took the drink.Shetook a cautious sniff.
“Thankyou but…er, this doesn’t have anyBoom-boom juice in it, does it?”
“Ishould hope not!Ican’tstandthe stuff,”GoodieBo-long sniffed.Shedraped herself elegantly over a black and white spotted chase lounge.Whenshe patted her knee, herManimal,Gobi, hopped up and snuggled with her, his head resting on her hip.
“Oh, good.”Anditook a small sip and then another, larger one. “Mmm—this is really good!Isit alcoholic?Ican’t tell.”
“Extremelyalcoholic, my dear, so go easy if you’ve got an empty stomach,”GoodieBo-long warned her, taking another languid sip herself. “Nowtell me absolutelyeverything—what happened with that awfulGoodieTight-azz?”
“Oh, well…”Andicleared her throat. “She…she caught me, uh, givingCademy…my honey,” she said in a low voice. “Butin our defense, it wasn’t like we were right out in the open,” she added. “Shejust burst into my room!”
“Dreadfulwoman!” wasGoodieBo-long’s comment. “Andthen what?”
“Well, she pulled out some kind of weapon—Ithink it might have been a plasma rifle,”Andiwent on, taking another sip of the pale purple drink, which tasted like the sugared violet petal candy her grandma used to give her.Itseemed to have loosened her tongue somewhat and it had certainly warmed her up—she was no longer shivering as she relaxed againstCade’smuscular side.
“Aplasma rifle?My!Ithought those were illegal in these parts!”GoodieBo-long remarked. “Didshe threaten you?”
“Shetold me to get out and takeCadewith me,”Andisaid, feeling a surge of anger. “She…she threatened to blow a hole in him—to kill him!”
Thevery thought brought a little sob to her throat and she pressed back against the bigHybrid, needing to feel his solid body against hers for comfort.
Caderesponded by tightening his grip on her and rubbing his face against her hair.Hiswarm breath tickled the nape of her neck.
“Whata horrible ordeal!”GoodieBo-long shook her head sympathetically. “AndItake it that she didn’t allow you to gather your belongings?” she added, gesturing toAndiwith her glass. “Sinceyou literally don’t seem to have anything but the shirt on your back.”
“Shemade me leave everything else behind—including my money pouch.”Andifelt another surge of anger. “I’dalready paid her two gold pieces and a silver piece but she wouldn’t even let me have two silver out of my pouch to pay for a ticket on theMoonshuttle when it comes back!NowIdon’t knowwhatI’mgoing to do!”
“You’regoing to stay right here with me where it’s safe and warm and no one will judge you for loving yourManimal,”GoodieBo-long said firmly. “Andwhen theMoonshuttle comes,Iwill personally buy you a ticket.”
“Youwill?Imean—Idon’t know whenI’llbe able to pay you back!”Andisaid anxiously.
“Oh, pooh!”GoodieBo-long made a shooing gesture which caused the pale purple liquid in her glass to slosh alarmingly. “DoIlook likeI’mhurting for money?Mylate husband,Dr.Bo-long, left me quite well off before he turnedManimaland ran off into the forest, never to be seen again.”
“Well, it’s extremely kind of you to offer us a place to stay and tickets on the shuttle,”Andisaid earnestly. “AndIcan’t thank you enough for saving our lives!”
“Thinknothing of it, my dear!Anyonewho’s an enemy of that odiousGoodieTight-azz is a friend of mine,”GoodieBo-long said firmly. “AllIask is that you perhaps give yourManimala bit of training—he nearly got the both of you killed, trying to stand his ground against a whole pack like that,” she added, frowning.
“Iknow he did.He’sso protective and he’s not used to being aManimal,”Andisaid apologetically. “I’m, er, still hoping to get him back to his right mind—if we can just get back to theKindredMotherShip,” she added.
“Ahyes—theKindredMotherShip.Andwhere is that again?”GoodieBo-long raised one dark pink eyebrow.
“Oh—it’s all the way across the galaxy,”Anditold her. “Imean,Icertainly hope we can contact them from theMooncolony.”
“I’msure you can.Allthe way across the galaxy, you say?That’squite far enough,Ithink,”GoodieBo-long said, nodding thoughtfully to herself.
“Yes—millionsof…of light years.”Andicould hear the homesickness in her own voice. “Bynow theKindredwill be missing us—we were only supposed to do a day trip toZo’rathTwo, you know—to study the local vegetation.”
“That’sright, because you said you have a degree in…”GoodieBo-long raised her eyebrows.
“Oh—inMedicinalBotany,”Andisupplied.Shetook another sip of her drink, which was somehow half gone now. “TheKindredare always looking for new plants and organisms they can use.Theyhave healing technology second to none—that’s whyI’mso hopeful they can find a way to getCadehere, back to his right mind.”
