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But it was too late—the loud shrieks of the bullybraids had drawn some very unwanted attention. From the corner of her eye, she saw two males who were dressed in dark blue uniforms with white trim approaching her. Were they Peace Keepers of some kind? Ketha didn’t want to wait around and find out.
She started to slip away from the plasti-wood stall, only to be stopped by a hand clutching her arm.
“And where do you thinkyou’regoing, stranger?” a voice asked.
Ketha turned and saw that it was a third man in uniform—a Dexian. He was frowning at her with both of his mouths and glaring with all three of his eyes.
“Now what have you said that so upset the wee bullies?” he demanded.
“Nothing—I only asked if they had seen a Kindred trader named Styx anywhere around here!” Ketha exclaimed.
But again, Styx’s name seemed to cause trouble.
“That big bastard, eh? So you’re in league with him?” the Dexian holding her arm demanded.
“No, I just…I only met him once!” Ketha said. “Please, let me go—I barely know him.”
“Oh, a likely story, so it is,” the Dexian snapped. “She barely knows him, she says. But do we believe her boys?”
“No, not a bit!” one of the other Peace Keepers snarled.
“I think we’d better take her in for questioning, Chief,” the third one remarked. “Maybe she can tell us how to find the big red bastard!”
“No, wait—you’ve got me all wrong! I’m not in league with Styx—I only met him once! I’m not even from here!” Ketha protested.
“Oh? And just where are you from then, stranger?” The Dexian, who was apparently in charge, pulled back her hood, revealing her face. “Ah—a pretty face to go with a traitorous mission!” he exclaimed, staring at her.
Ketha had had about enough of this. She drew herself up to her full height and glared at the Dexian.
“Let go of my armthis instant!”she demanded in her best imperious Mistress voice. “Do you know who I am? My mother is one of the most influential Mistresses on Yonnie Six!”
But again, it seemed she had said the exact wrong thing.
“Oh-ho! A Yonnite Mistress, are you?” the Dexian exclaimed, all three of his eyes narrowing. “So you must be here looking to kidnap innocent males so you can bring them back to your planet and enslave them and shove a great thick dildo up their arse!”
“What? No!” Ketha pulled at her arm, which was still caught in his meaty fist. She was beginning to think there was nothing she could say that would satisfy the Peace Keepers. And in the meantime, the bullybraids on Fry’nox’s head were still screaming shrilly for her arrest.
“Get her! Get her!” they piped in their tiny, high voices. “She came to kidnap our Fry’nox and make him a bodyslave!”
“Those bullies are right—like as not, this little female would have us all on our knees as bodyslaves if she had her way!” one of the Peace Keepers exclaimed.
Ketha thought about explaining how only the most physically perfect males were considered suitable as bodyslaves. None of the Peace Keepers looked particularly handsome and as for Fry’nox the Blurbian, well—no self-respecting Yonnite Mistress would have chosenhimfor her bodyslave underanycircumstances.
But she sensed explaining this wouldn’t do any good. Thankgoodnessshe still had the canister of Emotion Spray gripped in her free hand. She was going to have to use it and beat a hasty retreat!
“I’m asking you one more time to let me go,” she said, glaring at the Dexian who was gripping her arm. “I haven’t done anything wrong and I’mnothere looking for bodyslaves. I just want to go back to my ship.”
“I don’t think so, Missy!” the Dexian snarled. “You’re coming with us!”
Ketha decided she had no choice. Lifting the small silver canister, she sprayed it right in the face of the Peace Keeper who was holding her.
“Hey! What—?” he began, spitting and spluttering. But the next moment, both of his mouth’s turned down and all three eyes began to tear up.
“Chief? Chief, what’s she done to you? Are you all right?” the other two Peach Keepers began asking.
“N…no! Not all right!” The Dexian Peace Keeper suddenly began to bawl, crying as though his heart would break while tears poured down his face. He dropped Ketha’s arm to cover his eyes with his hands and she began to back away.
“What in the Universe?” one of the other Peace Keepers exclaimed. He was still staring with concern at the bawling Chief, who was completely inconsolable.
