tired, having walked all the way from Nimbaza and then run to Bonnie's rescue. After binding her wounds, he'd been so angry that he had to do something to work off a little steam. Building the fence had been as much a mental exercise as a physical one; he'd come up with the idea almost immediately and had acted on it. He still didn't quite understand why he'd been so angry with her. Even though he'd rarely been treated with kindness, he did understand the concept. He thought briefly about what else he could do to repay her, but exhaustion finally closed down his mind. He never even heard the thunder.
Bonnie, however, slept fitfully. Perhaps it was from thinking about Cat and Leo — how friendly they were and how happy their wives seemed to be — and, most of all, how different they were from Lynx. She knew that there were wide variations in every species, but for some reason, his behavior just didn't seem to fit.
At last she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, but Lynx was still on her mind even while she slept. In her dreams, she could see his eyes glowing with passion, could feel his warm hands on her body, could almost taste his soft, sensuous kisses...
Bonnie awoke with a start, her lips tingling as though Lynx had actually kissed her. "Don't be silly,"
she whispered to herself. "He's not like Cat and Leo at all. I shouldn't expect it of him." But she couldn't quite shake the notion that it wasn't an unrealistic expectation. There was far more to him than met the eye.
When Bonnie let Kipper out the next morning, Lynx was already feeding the enocks. Watching him through the window, she realized that while she had yet to tell him what his duties would be, he had already assumed many of them himself. He certainly wasn't lazy, she decided, even if he was a little strange. Not to mention the fact that he had somehow managed to invade her dreams.
Figuring that he probably didn't want eggs again, Bonnie fixed some cold cereal with fruit instead.
She wasn't sure whether to call him or just wait for him to knock on the door, but when he didn't show up by the time she'd finished her own, she decided to yell.
Lynx heard the call and came promptly, though it never occurred to him that she would have called her dog the same way. He was used to that and hardly noticed. He did notice that she had at least called him by name, which was better than being referred to as "Boy" or "Slave," as he had so often been called in the past. He put out of his mind the other names he'd been given — they didn't apply to him any more than boy or slave did. When he reached the back door, Bonnie handed him his breakfast, which he took from her without a word.
Thinking that Kipper would at least have wagged his tail, Bonnie watched Lynx through the window, hoping to find out whether he would eat what she'd given him or feed it to the chickens.
What she saw made her stare in horror.
Bonnie had never seen anyone eat so fast in her life; he wolfed down the cereal and then drank the juice in what seemed like one big gulp. It was no wonder he was so thin and didn't care what she gave him to eat! He was practically starving! Bonnie stared blindly at him for a long moment and then sprang into action. After stuffing bread in the toaster, she called for him again.
"I forgot to give you some toast," she said, trying not to make it obvious that she'd been watching him. "I didn't know if you liked butter or jelly, so I made it with both." She hesitated a moment before adding, "It's market day, so after I pick whatever's ripe and gather the eggs, I've got to pack up and go into Nimbaza. I won't be back until late, so when you get hungry, just help yourself to whatever you like. There's plenty of cheese and bread and fruit — and eggs, of course!"
He nodded, his expression as neutral as ever. "The speeder does not function," he said flatly.
"Oh, I'll walk," she replied. "I've got a cart to carry everything in, so — "
Lynx took a breath as though he
Bonnie, however, slept fitfully. Perhaps it was from thinking about Cat and Leo — how friendly they were and how happy their wives seemed to be — and, most of all, how different they were from Lynx. She knew that there were wide variations in every species, but for some reason, his behavior just didn't seem to fit.
At last she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, but Lynx was still on her mind even while she slept. In her dreams, she could see his eyes glowing with passion, could feel his warm hands on her body, could almost taste his soft, sensuous kisses...
Bonnie awoke with a start, her lips tingling as though Lynx had actually kissed her. "Don't be silly,"
she whispered to herself. "He's not like Cat and Leo at all. I shouldn't expect it of him." But she couldn't quite shake the notion that it wasn't an unrealistic expectation. There was far more to him than met the eye.
When Bonnie let Kipper out the next morning, Lynx was already feeding the enocks. Watching him through the window, she realized that while she had yet to tell him what his duties would be, he had already assumed many of them himself. He certainly wasn't lazy, she decided, even if he was a little strange. Not to mention the fact that he had somehow managed to invade her dreams.
Figuring that he probably didn't want eggs again, Bonnie fixed some cold cereal with fruit instead.
She wasn't sure whether to call him or just wait for him to knock on the door, but when he didn't show up by the time she'd finished her own, she decided to yell.
Lynx heard the call and came promptly, though it never occurred to him that she would have called her dog the same way. He was used to that and hardly noticed. He did notice that she had at least called him by name, which was better than being referred to as "Boy" or "Slave," as he had so often been called in the past. He put out of his mind the other names he'd been given — they didn't apply to him any more than boy or slave did. When he reached the back door, Bonnie handed him his breakfast, which he took from her without a word.
Thinking that Kipper would at least have wagged his tail, Bonnie watched Lynx through the window, hoping to find out whether he would eat what she'd given him or feed it to the chickens.
What she saw made her stare in horror.
Bonnie had never seen anyone eat so fast in her life; he wolfed down the cereal and then drank the juice in what seemed like one big gulp. It was no wonder he was so thin and didn't care what she gave him to eat! He was practically starving! Bonnie stared blindly at him for a long moment and then sprang into action. After stuffing bread in the toaster, she called for him again.
"I forgot to give you some toast," she said, trying not to make it obvious that she'd been watching him. "I didn't know if you liked butter or jelly, so I made it with both." She hesitated a moment before adding, "It's market day, so after I pick whatever's ripe and gather the eggs, I've got to pack up and go into Nimbaza. I won't be back until late, so when you get hungry, just help yourself to whatever you like. There's plenty of cheese and bread and fruit — and eggs, of course!"
He nodded, his expression as neutral as ever. "The speeder does not function," he said flatly.
"Oh, I'll walk," she replied. "I've got a cart to carry everything in, so — "
Lynx took a breath as though he
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