Read Online Alien Chronicles 2 - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester - Free Book Online
Authors: Deborah Chester
Ads: Link
“It’s an Eye of Clarity, and it—”
Elrabin grimaced suddenly and tilted his head away from her as though listening to something.
Puzzled, Ampris stared at him. She heard nothing, but perhaps his ears were keener. “What is it?”
But he was already straightening and turning to face her. He stood erect, with his thin shoulders pulled back. His eyes grew veiled.
“Time’s up,” he said. He held up the harness and helped her shrug it on.
Realizing that the surveillance of her quarters must have been switched on, Ampris found herself dying to ask him how he knew it, but she dared say nothing that might get him in trouble.
Elrabin finished buckling the harness for her. It fit too snugly over the sensor web, and she backed her ears in annoyance, not liking it. She slid her fingers under the straps, tugging.
“Too stiff,” she said. “Too tight.”
“It’s new. You’ll break it in soon enough,” he replied without sympathy and gestured toward the door.
As she headed to it, he pulled out the transmitter from his pocket and disengaged the locks.
“Good training today,” he said formally, bowing as she stepped across the threshold.
Ampris glanced back at him. As he started to close the door behind her, he stepped close and whispered in her ear, “Watch your back. Ylea’s blaming you for her whipping.”
“I knew it—”
“Hush!” He lowered his voice even more. “She won’t get to you today, but Ruar’s on her side.”
“He—”
“Don’t trust the old odger, see? Now forget him. He’s nothing as long as you keep an eye on him.”
“Thanks,” she said, feeling nervous about what lay ahead of her.
“Yeah. And watch your step with Halehl. He’s meaner than you think.”
She drew breath to ask him questions, but his expression changed and he straightened away from her.
“Hey, Ruar,” he said. “Good daybreak to you.”
Hastening up with a long leather strap coiled in his knobby hands, Ruar scowled and grunted a response.
“Hello, Ruar,” Ampris said.
Shaking back his scraggly mane, he ignored her and clipped one end of the leather strap to her harness.
Affronted, she stiffened in protest. “I don’t have to be led. Take this off at once.”
As she spoke she reached for the snap, but a tiny spark jumped from it and bit her fingers.
Wincing in more surprise than pain, she glared at him and shook her smarting fingers.
Ruar curled his broad lips back from his teeth and held up a transmitter. “I control your restraint collar too, so no bad talk from you today, no trouble.”
Fuming, she opened her mouth to tell him what he could do with his transmitters and collars, but Ruar waved the transmitter at her in warning, and she remained silent.
Her temper, however, was boiling. There was no need to leash her and restrain her like some wild animal.
“Today, I take you where to go,” Ruar said, leading her away.
Ampris glanced back over her shoulder, certain Elrabin was watching her humiliation, but he had already vanished inside her quarters with a firm snap of the door.
“Tomorrow, you will know,” Ruar went on, tugging at her to quicken her steps. “Tomorrow you will go by yourself. Nowhere else will you go. You will be trusted, and you will cause no trouble.”
He glanced at her as though to make sure she understood.
She hated it that they all seemed to think she lacked intelligence. “Yes,” Ampris said impatiently. “I understand.”
They went down the steps into the courtyard where she had met Ylea yesterday. Unconsciously Ampris tensed herself, but the bulky Aaroun was not lying in wait to ambush her again.
They crossed the courtyard quickly in the chilly, gray dawn air. Inside her web sensor suit Ampris felt perfectly warm. But her ears quickly grew cold, and the damp air stung her eyes, making them water. She lengthened her stride, crowding close on Ruar’s heels and making him strike an irritated trot in order to stay ahead of her.
To her right lay
Elrabin grimaced suddenly and tilted his head away from her as though listening to something.
Puzzled, Ampris stared at him. She heard nothing, but perhaps his ears were keener. “What is it?”
But he was already straightening and turning to face her. He stood erect, with his thin shoulders pulled back. His eyes grew veiled.
“Time’s up,” he said. He held up the harness and helped her shrug it on.
Realizing that the surveillance of her quarters must have been switched on, Ampris found herself dying to ask him how he knew it, but she dared say nothing that might get him in trouble.
Elrabin finished buckling the harness for her. It fit too snugly over the sensor web, and she backed her ears in annoyance, not liking it. She slid her fingers under the straps, tugging.
“Too stiff,” she said. “Too tight.”
“It’s new. You’ll break it in soon enough,” he replied without sympathy and gestured toward the door.
As she headed to it, he pulled out the transmitter from his pocket and disengaged the locks.
“Good training today,” he said formally, bowing as she stepped across the threshold.
Ampris glanced back at him. As he started to close the door behind her, he stepped close and whispered in her ear, “Watch your back. Ylea’s blaming you for her whipping.”
“I knew it—”
“Hush!” He lowered his voice even more. “She won’t get to you today, but Ruar’s on her side.”
“He—”
“Don’t trust the old odger, see? Now forget him. He’s nothing as long as you keep an eye on him.”
“Thanks,” she said, feeling nervous about what lay ahead of her.
“Yeah. And watch your step with Halehl. He’s meaner than you think.”
She drew breath to ask him questions, but his expression changed and he straightened away from her.
“Hey, Ruar,” he said. “Good daybreak to you.”
Hastening up with a long leather strap coiled in his knobby hands, Ruar scowled and grunted a response.
“Hello, Ruar,” Ampris said.
Shaking back his scraggly mane, he ignored her and clipped one end of the leather strap to her harness.
Affronted, she stiffened in protest. “I don’t have to be led. Take this off at once.”
As she spoke she reached for the snap, but a tiny spark jumped from it and bit her fingers.
Wincing in more surprise than pain, she glared at him and shook her smarting fingers.
Ruar curled his broad lips back from his teeth and held up a transmitter. “I control your restraint collar too, so no bad talk from you today, no trouble.”
Fuming, she opened her mouth to tell him what he could do with his transmitters and collars, but Ruar waved the transmitter at her in warning, and she remained silent.
Her temper, however, was boiling. There was no need to leash her and restrain her like some wild animal.
“Today, I take you where to go,” Ruar said, leading her away.
Ampris glanced back over her shoulder, certain Elrabin was watching her humiliation, but he had already vanished inside her quarters with a firm snap of the door.
“Tomorrow, you will know,” Ruar went on, tugging at her to quicken her steps. “Tomorrow you will go by yourself. Nowhere else will you go. You will be trusted, and you will cause no trouble.”
He glanced at her as though to make sure she understood.
She hated it that they all seemed to think she lacked intelligence. “Yes,” Ampris said impatiently. “I understand.”
They went down the steps into the courtyard where she had met Ylea yesterday. Unconsciously Ampris tensed herself, but the bulky Aaroun was not lying in wait to ambush her again.
They crossed the courtyard quickly in the chilly, gray dawn air. Inside her web sensor suit Ampris felt perfectly warm. But her ears quickly grew cold, and the damp air stung her eyes, making them water. She lengthened her stride, crowding close on Ruar’s heels and making him strike an irritated trot in order to stay ahead of her.
To her right lay
Similar Books
