metal rod Hinekiri had thrown at the purple pansy still protruded from the goo. Grasping the end, he tugged and found it warm to the touch. Strange. “This stuff doesn’t smell too good. Sorta a mix of old socks, smelly toilets and two-day-old fish. Actually—it’s worse than that. Hard to put a description to the stench.”
“Yeah, I’ve smelled better. Make sure you don’t get it on your…” She hesitated as though she was searching for the right word. Her mouth puckered up and her brows scrunched together. It was fascinating watching, especially when her forehead smoothed out magically. “Forearms,” she finished in triumph.
“Right.” Richard rolled his sleeves back down before he pulled on the metal rod. The goo made a squelching sound but didn’t release the rod. He lifted the rod and the goo followed until it resembled a pointy purple cone or witch’s hat. “Look,” he said, a trace of excitement shading his voice. “I can see Killer’s nose.”
“Where?” Hinekiri moved closer and put her hand on his shoulder before peering past to study the goo. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Relief filled him. All they had to do was remove the dog before the goo damaged it too much. “See the small, pointy bit poking out?”
“Oh yes.” Hinekiri clung to his arm, bouncing up in down with excitement.
“Grab a stick. Maybe if we both try to pierce the stuff.”
“What if she can’t breathe?”
A subdued woof sounded.
“I think she’s okay,” Hinekiri said. “Hold tight, Killer. We’re going to get you out.”
A panicked growl came from inside the goo.
A few minutes later, Richard managed to force a small hole in the purple stuff.
“Woof.”
A black nose poked out. It twitched and the hole grew. Teeth appeared next. “Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof!”
Hinekiri laughed but Richard couldn’t see the humor. A splotch of goo had hit his forearm because he hadn’t taken the time to button up the cuffs on his sleeves. The bloody stuff stung. After Hinekiri’s warning about toxicity, he hoped his arm didn’t drop off. Although after aliens, purple pansies and shootouts, nothing much would surprise him today.
“Woof. Woof.”
Hinekiri used her stick to tear another huge piece of goo away from Killer’s body. The second it dropped discarded on the ground the goo hissed and vanished. The goo came off slowly, bit by bit. Killer barked and growled the whole time. Finally, she yanked away from the last remaining piece of goo and barked again. She stretched, her front legs extending and her butt and tail rising in the air. Killer repeated the move, extending her rear legs before sitting on her haunches. Her fur looked damp and she wasn’t quite the same as before.
“She’s purple,” Richard said.
“Woof.” Killer sounded highly indignant, bringing a twitch of a smile to Richard’s lips. The dog looked as if she’d washed in one of the purple hair rinses some of the elderly women in Sloan favored. “Woof.”
“Is she okay?” Richard asked.
“She’s doing a lot of grumbling. That’s a good sign.”
Killer’s head swiveled and she seemed to study her coat. She barked several times, sounding very piqued.
“Shush, Killer. Later.” Hinekiri grasped his arm. “We’d better get to the ship before we run into more trouble.”
Richard was all for that. His arm was bloody sore. “Do you have a first-aid kit on board?”
“Why?” Hinekiri’s voice was sharp.
“I have purple stuff on my arm. A bit flicked up.”
“You should have told me. Let’s go. Move it,” Hinekiri ordered with a trace of urgency. She seized the metal rod and set a blistering pace powering away up the narrow track toward the crest of the hill with Killer following. Richard picked up the shovel and trailed Hinekiri and the decidedly purple dog.
At the top of the hill, Hinekiri paused. Richard tried to focus on her rounded butt. Her form flickered and he shook his head to clear his vision but it didn’t
“Yeah, I’ve smelled better. Make sure you don’t get it on your…” She hesitated as though she was searching for the right word. Her mouth puckered up and her brows scrunched together. It was fascinating watching, especially when her forehead smoothed out magically. “Forearms,” she finished in triumph.
“Right.” Richard rolled his sleeves back down before he pulled on the metal rod. The goo made a squelching sound but didn’t release the rod. He lifted the rod and the goo followed until it resembled a pointy purple cone or witch’s hat. “Look,” he said, a trace of excitement shading his voice. “I can see Killer’s nose.”
“Where?” Hinekiri moved closer and put her hand on his shoulder before peering past to study the goo. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Relief filled him. All they had to do was remove the dog before the goo damaged it too much. “See the small, pointy bit poking out?”
“Oh yes.” Hinekiri clung to his arm, bouncing up in down with excitement.
“Grab a stick. Maybe if we both try to pierce the stuff.”
“What if she can’t breathe?”
A subdued woof sounded.
“I think she’s okay,” Hinekiri said. “Hold tight, Killer. We’re going to get you out.”
A panicked growl came from inside the goo.
A few minutes later, Richard managed to force a small hole in the purple stuff.
“Woof.”
A black nose poked out. It twitched and the hole grew. Teeth appeared next. “Woof. Woof. Woof. Woof!”
Hinekiri laughed but Richard couldn’t see the humor. A splotch of goo had hit his forearm because he hadn’t taken the time to button up the cuffs on his sleeves. The bloody stuff stung. After Hinekiri’s warning about toxicity, he hoped his arm didn’t drop off. Although after aliens, purple pansies and shootouts, nothing much would surprise him today.
“Woof. Woof.”
Hinekiri used her stick to tear another huge piece of goo away from Killer’s body. The second it dropped discarded on the ground the goo hissed and vanished. The goo came off slowly, bit by bit. Killer barked and growled the whole time. Finally, she yanked away from the last remaining piece of goo and barked again. She stretched, her front legs extending and her butt and tail rising in the air. Killer repeated the move, extending her rear legs before sitting on her haunches. Her fur looked damp and she wasn’t quite the same as before.
“She’s purple,” Richard said.
“Woof.” Killer sounded highly indignant, bringing a twitch of a smile to Richard’s lips. The dog looked as if she’d washed in one of the purple hair rinses some of the elderly women in Sloan favored. “Woof.”
“Is she okay?” Richard asked.
“She’s doing a lot of grumbling. That’s a good sign.”
Killer’s head swiveled and she seemed to study her coat. She barked several times, sounding very piqued.
“Shush, Killer. Later.” Hinekiri grasped his arm. “We’d better get to the ship before we run into more trouble.”
Richard was all for that. His arm was bloody sore. “Do you have a first-aid kit on board?”
“Why?” Hinekiri’s voice was sharp.
“I have purple stuff on my arm. A bit flicked up.”
“You should have told me. Let’s go. Move it,” Hinekiri ordered with a trace of urgency. She seized the metal rod and set a blistering pace powering away up the narrow track toward the crest of the hill with Killer following. Richard picked up the shovel and trailed Hinekiri and the decidedly purple dog.
At the top of the hill, Hinekiri paused. Richard tried to focus on her rounded butt. Her form flickered and he shook his head to clear his vision but it didn’t
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