Read Online Meritorium (Meritropolis Book 2) by Joel Ohman - Free Book Online
Authors: Joel Ohman
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tigers and bears—but we fight bions and ligers and worse! Just wait until we hunt tomorrow. You won’t believe some of the combos roaming around here!” Charley met Hank and Sandy’s eyes, each reflecting back to their bion hunt outside of Meritropolis: what could be worse than a bion?
Marta watched Jameson, her thick fingers tapping on her upraised knee. “Anyone can fight a wild beast, some more successfully than others, of course.” She looked at Jameson pointedly. “But it takes a very special person to become a true venator, one who can tame the savage beast.”
“You capture the beasts—you don’t hunt them?” Sandy asked.
Marta pointed to the remains of their meal. “Well, we do hunt some of them, of course; your dinner is testament to that. But on the whole, you are right: we aim to capture them unharmed. It takes patience and a little know-how to hunt and kill any animal combo, that is for certain, but it takes real skill to capture one alive. That is what we do.”
Grigor leaned forward. “I have heard stories of this. We would very much like to participate and assist you in any way we can—as a thank-you for your hospitality.”
Marta smiled. “Oh, believe me, you will. In fact, we are counting on it. I regret to say that our hospitality is not entirely altruistic. We could use some more muscle from the likes of you where we are headed tomorrow.”
Grigor nodded. “It would be my pleasure—” He looked to Orson, who nodded assent in what would ordinarily be a stately curve of his lips, were it not for the sauce staining his mouth and beard. Orson resumed plowing into his food vigorously, head down and dark hair bobbing. Ever since his recovery from the plant pheromones, he had been quieter than usual and possessed a ravenous appetite. Grigor looked back to Marta. “It would be our pleasure to assist your company in the hunt.”
Hank chimed in, looking over at Jameson and matching his enthusiasm. “Count me in!”
Charley picked at a piece of char from the fire that had floated onto his knee, and started to speak slowly. “Well, don’t get me wrong; I want to go on this hunt, too. But, Marta, could you fill us in on some of the details?” Charley knew he should just stop talking, but he thought back to the magnificent llamabill trapped in the vines and its desperate cry for help and he found himself continuing to speak. He met Marta’s appraising eyes. “I mean, I am all for hunting animals when we need them for food, but if we are trapping these animals alive, what exactly are we going to do with them once we catch them?” Charley acutely felt the eyes of the others on him, watching and wondering at this seemingly sudden change of character. Glancing at Sandy from the corner of his eye, he saw her looking at him. He saw surprise in her eyes, but something else too: respect, perhaps?
Marta nodded. “That’s a very fair question. If we are to work together in this way, then it’s only natural you would want to know. Okay, first of all, how much do you know about Meritorium?”
They looked to Orson, now finishing his third helping of meat. In response to their collective gaze, he lifted his head. “Don’t look at me, all I know is that Meritorium is the closest city to Meritropolis.” He looked down again, licked his leaf plate tentatively, and then took a bite out of it. Charley suspected that Orson knew more than he was letting on, but in his present condition Orson hardly seemed interested in anything other than gorging himself, let alone dredging up old memories of his father’s city planning.
Marta leaned back. “Alright, let’s start with a little history lesson. Meritorium was founded just after the Event with a simple guiding principle—” She paused, seeming to enjoy the rapt attention and her role as storyteller. “Everyone contributes to society, either in life or in death. The System of Societal Merit was implemented, but then again, you all are already
Marta watched Jameson, her thick fingers tapping on her upraised knee. “Anyone can fight a wild beast, some more successfully than others, of course.” She looked at Jameson pointedly. “But it takes a very special person to become a true venator, one who can tame the savage beast.”
“You capture the beasts—you don’t hunt them?” Sandy asked.
Marta pointed to the remains of their meal. “Well, we do hunt some of them, of course; your dinner is testament to that. But on the whole, you are right: we aim to capture them unharmed. It takes patience and a little know-how to hunt and kill any animal combo, that is for certain, but it takes real skill to capture one alive. That is what we do.”
Grigor leaned forward. “I have heard stories of this. We would very much like to participate and assist you in any way we can—as a thank-you for your hospitality.”
Marta smiled. “Oh, believe me, you will. In fact, we are counting on it. I regret to say that our hospitality is not entirely altruistic. We could use some more muscle from the likes of you where we are headed tomorrow.”
Grigor nodded. “It would be my pleasure—” He looked to Orson, who nodded assent in what would ordinarily be a stately curve of his lips, were it not for the sauce staining his mouth and beard. Orson resumed plowing into his food vigorously, head down and dark hair bobbing. Ever since his recovery from the plant pheromones, he had been quieter than usual and possessed a ravenous appetite. Grigor looked back to Marta. “It would be our pleasure to assist your company in the hunt.”
Hank chimed in, looking over at Jameson and matching his enthusiasm. “Count me in!”
Charley picked at a piece of char from the fire that had floated onto his knee, and started to speak slowly. “Well, don’t get me wrong; I want to go on this hunt, too. But, Marta, could you fill us in on some of the details?” Charley knew he should just stop talking, but he thought back to the magnificent llamabill trapped in the vines and its desperate cry for help and he found himself continuing to speak. He met Marta’s appraising eyes. “I mean, I am all for hunting animals when we need them for food, but if we are trapping these animals alive, what exactly are we going to do with them once we catch them?” Charley acutely felt the eyes of the others on him, watching and wondering at this seemingly sudden change of character. Glancing at Sandy from the corner of his eye, he saw her looking at him. He saw surprise in her eyes, but something else too: respect, perhaps?
Marta nodded. “That’s a very fair question. If we are to work together in this way, then it’s only natural you would want to know. Okay, first of all, how much do you know about Meritorium?”
They looked to Orson, now finishing his third helping of meat. In response to their collective gaze, he lifted his head. “Don’t look at me, all I know is that Meritorium is the closest city to Meritropolis.” He looked down again, licked his leaf plate tentatively, and then took a bite out of it. Charley suspected that Orson knew more than he was letting on, but in his present condition Orson hardly seemed interested in anything other than gorging himself, let alone dredging up old memories of his father’s city planning.
Marta leaned back. “Alright, let’s start with a little history lesson. Meritorium was founded just after the Event with a simple guiding principle—” She paused, seeming to enjoy the rapt attention and her role as storyteller. “Everyone contributes to society, either in life or in death. The System of Societal Merit was implemented, but then again, you all are already
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