and Dr. Sim will have to put with them.”
I said, “Baaax, I assume that Dr. Nees and Dr. Sim are robotic specialists.”
“Yes. However, I can’t tell you any more because I signed an NDA.”
I paused. “You signed a non disclosure agreement that’s enforced on Danig and Icir?”
Baaax nodded. “Yes.”
After leaving the mine, I heard a scraping noise, and glanced to the right.
Close by, hundreds of Urus were circling a parked SMT.
Not far beyond them, Boma emerged from a giag, and waved at me.
I pushed a Urus aside with my boot. Ooop, ooop. All around me, the rest of them began chewing weeds.
“Jason, are you ready?” Boma took a few steps toward me.
“Yes. I want to sign the marriage license and have that ceremony sometime today. Unfortunately, I have to leave for Icir soon.”
Boma nodded. Both of us hopped inside the giag and drove off.
Behind us, a security guard with a baritone voice said, “Yesterday, our giag had to stop because a tree the wind had knocked down was blocking the road. After we jumped out of the cab, a sand-colored Tiel showed up, and we started shooting. However, a few moments before we finished it off, I glanced over my shoulder, and noticed that a mahogany Tiel had sneaked up behind us. It bit my friend’s arm off, and swallowed him.”
“Why didn’t you kill the mahogany one before it swallowed him?” Smoky voice, another guard, began staring at him.
Baritone replied, “Although we kept firing, it took several minutes to kill the sand Tiel. If anyone of us had stopped shooting, it would have eaten us. After we finished it off, I looked over my shoulder. The mahogany one was gone—it had crawled away.”
A guard with a hoarse voice cursed, “Ank! I’m tired of seeing my friends die.”
Everyone paused for a moment, trying to settle down. The giag hit a bump, then shook.
Boma grinned. “Jason, a miner at Crec told me that Baaax, Fi, and a lot of the miners are impressed because you dug out a hole after the walls caved in. Your efforts saved their lives.”
“Word gets around fast.”
“In this case, yes.”
Baritone blurted, “You’re one helluva of a man. I’m going to tell my friends about you!”
“Thanks.”
Eighty feet down the road, not far above it, a small flock of birds with crimson wings and vermillion beaks began squawking.
“What are those called?” I squinted, trying to see them more clearly,
Boma replied, “According to my database, they’re Musi Aaus, a harmless species.”
“I’m going to miss Ieeb.”
Boma drew an S shape in the air with one finger, an Ulthe gesture indicating that he understood my sorrow.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The giag parked. Everyone climbed out, moving toward the path.
Boma glanced at me. “We can hold the wedding anytime you like.”
I announced cheerily, “If Ieeb is here, let’s do it in the next few minutes.”
Boma smiled. We entered Building Three.
Boma said, “I’ll be in Room D, printing the marriage license.”
“We’ll be there soon.” I turned. The door to Ieeb’s room slid open.
She wasn’t inside. I entered and sat on the bed, wondering when she would arrive.
The door opened. Ieeb walked in.
“I just arrived.” I told her about my plan.
Ieeb kissed me and cooed, “Let me change into better clothes.” She hurried off and turned left, entering a walk-in closet, a room I couldn’t see.
Ieeb announced, “A few minutes ago, I heard guards talking about the accident in the Crec mine. I was worried to death.”
“Yes, it was horrible, bloody awful.”
“Hopefully, I can do something to make you feel better.”
“That would be nice. I’m covered with dust. I need to take a shower.”
“Do whatever you like. I don’t care if you’re dirty.” She stepped out of the other room. She had put on a skin-tight ivory wedding dress that revealed her cleavage.
“That’s one sexy outfit. If you guards see that, they’ll drool at you.”
Ieeb smiled.
I said, “Baaax, I assume that Dr. Nees and Dr. Sim are robotic specialists.”
“Yes. However, I can’t tell you any more because I signed an NDA.”
I paused. “You signed a non disclosure agreement that’s enforced on Danig and Icir?”
Baaax nodded. “Yes.”
After leaving the mine, I heard a scraping noise, and glanced to the right.
Close by, hundreds of Urus were circling a parked SMT.
Not far beyond them, Boma emerged from a giag, and waved at me.
I pushed a Urus aside with my boot. Ooop, ooop. All around me, the rest of them began chewing weeds.
“Jason, are you ready?” Boma took a few steps toward me.
“Yes. I want to sign the marriage license and have that ceremony sometime today. Unfortunately, I have to leave for Icir soon.”
Boma nodded. Both of us hopped inside the giag and drove off.
Behind us, a security guard with a baritone voice said, “Yesterday, our giag had to stop because a tree the wind had knocked down was blocking the road. After we jumped out of the cab, a sand-colored Tiel showed up, and we started shooting. However, a few moments before we finished it off, I glanced over my shoulder, and noticed that a mahogany Tiel had sneaked up behind us. It bit my friend’s arm off, and swallowed him.”
“Why didn’t you kill the mahogany one before it swallowed him?” Smoky voice, another guard, began staring at him.
Baritone replied, “Although we kept firing, it took several minutes to kill the sand Tiel. If anyone of us had stopped shooting, it would have eaten us. After we finished it off, I looked over my shoulder. The mahogany one was gone—it had crawled away.”
A guard with a hoarse voice cursed, “Ank! I’m tired of seeing my friends die.”
Everyone paused for a moment, trying to settle down. The giag hit a bump, then shook.
Boma grinned. “Jason, a miner at Crec told me that Baaax, Fi, and a lot of the miners are impressed because you dug out a hole after the walls caved in. Your efforts saved their lives.”
“Word gets around fast.”
“In this case, yes.”
Baritone blurted, “You’re one helluva of a man. I’m going to tell my friends about you!”
“Thanks.”
Eighty feet down the road, not far above it, a small flock of birds with crimson wings and vermillion beaks began squawking.
“What are those called?” I squinted, trying to see them more clearly,
Boma replied, “According to my database, they’re Musi Aaus, a harmless species.”
“I’m going to miss Ieeb.”
Boma drew an S shape in the air with one finger, an Ulthe gesture indicating that he understood my sorrow.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The giag parked. Everyone climbed out, moving toward the path.
Boma glanced at me. “We can hold the wedding anytime you like.”
I announced cheerily, “If Ieeb is here, let’s do it in the next few minutes.”
Boma smiled. We entered Building Three.
Boma said, “I’ll be in Room D, printing the marriage license.”
“We’ll be there soon.” I turned. The door to Ieeb’s room slid open.
She wasn’t inside. I entered and sat on the bed, wondering when she would arrive.
The door opened. Ieeb walked in.
“I just arrived.” I told her about my plan.
Ieeb kissed me and cooed, “Let me change into better clothes.” She hurried off and turned left, entering a walk-in closet, a room I couldn’t see.
Ieeb announced, “A few minutes ago, I heard guards talking about the accident in the Crec mine. I was worried to death.”
“Yes, it was horrible, bloody awful.”
“Hopefully, I can do something to make you feel better.”
“That would be nice. I’m covered with dust. I need to take a shower.”
“Do whatever you like. I don’t care if you’re dirty.” She stepped out of the other room. She had put on a skin-tight ivory wedding dress that revealed her cleavage.
“That’s one sexy outfit. If you guards see that, they’ll drool at you.”
Ieeb smiled.
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