Read Online The Caverns of Mare Cetus by Jim Erjavec - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jim Erjavec
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greed? Trent—can you give us those numbers?" She laughed.
Trent turned to the other men. "Anyone care to help me out here?"
There was a mix of laughs from the group, the men included.
"Th-th-they have n-n-nothing to say because there is no defense," said Richelle. "Why do you think we call those times the Dark Ages?"
"And the Stone Age," added Arielle, snickering.
"The Ice Age and Age of Repression too," said Isis. "You don't think men actually came up with those beauties, do you?" She giggled.
"Listen, liberated and enlightened ones," interjected Ramon. He had just chugged down another glass of wine and appeared inebriated. "We modern men didn't cause your problems. Don't pin the blame on us for your woes. If it wasn't for men like me today…" He flexed both of his biceps. "…you liberated females wouldn't dare set foot in these caves."
"Right," laughed Isis. "The first time we hear something in one of the passages, you'll be the first one flying out."
"But, Isis," said Ramon. "You're wrong. Men are challenged by cavern exploration. There's so much reward."
"You could have fooled me," said Isis. "You seemed to be shaking in your boots when Garrett brought up what happened on the Severon Mission."
"But, Isis." A smile came to his lips. "You're not getting my point."
"And she'd better not," said Arielle.
Isis looked perplexed.
"He's not talking about these caves," said Arielle. "He's talking about caverns, not caves."
"Caverns?"
"Openings," said Arielle. "Holes." She brought her thumb and fingers together on her right hand, making a hole, then began poking her left middle finger into it. "This!"
"Good God!" exclaimed Isis. "What have we just been talking about?" She turned to Ramon. "You're proof of every point we've been making."
"You'd better be joking," said Arielle, her eyebrows slanting in anger.
"I never joke about exploring caverns or caves," he said, flashing Arielle a mischievous grin. "Let me tell you a story about this cavern I once had the chance to explore…"
Arielle's face turned instantly red. "Ramon. Shut up!" She hit him in the shoulder, laughter from the others filling the air.
Ramon winked at Hunter. "Our exploration activities must be divulged."
Her eyes blazing with fury, she hit him again—hard.
"Ouch!" yelled Ramon as he pulled away from her. He rubbed his shoulder, then grinned. "You're right, dulzura. I should know we're not deep enough yet for any cavern tales. Besides, we'd be embarrassing Renata because she'd have nothing to say." He blatantly stared at Renata's lap. "Even if one could get in that cavern, they'd never get out. What more can one say?"
A mortified hush fell over the others as every astonished eye became instantly fixed on Renata.
She smiled back at them, but it appeared forced. She set her plate on the ground. "I think I'm finished. Ramon, thank you so much for your enlightening conversation on cavern exploration." She stood up. "You'll have to excuse me, though, I have other things to attend to."
"Don't run off, princess," said Ramon. "Why don't you educate us on how one should explore a dry virgin ice cavern?"
She looked toward Hunter, as if expecting him to come to her defense.
"Uh, uh," stammered Hunter as his brain seemed to suddenly go into a deep freeze. He knew he needed to stand up to Ramon—had to do it—here—now—or this incident would only escalate, but for some reason he could only stare back at Renata as if there wasn't a thought in his head.
"You're quite the cavern explorer, Hunter," she said. "Why don't you answer Ramon?" She turned and started walking away.
Ramon laughed. "It appears even the great Hunter loses his nerve when it comes to exploring ice caverns."
As Hunter watched Renata walk farther along the bank of the spring, he couldn't figure out what was
Trent turned to the other men. "Anyone care to help me out here?"
There was a mix of laughs from the group, the men included.
"Th-th-they have n-n-nothing to say because there is no defense," said Richelle. "Why do you think we call those times the Dark Ages?"
"And the Stone Age," added Arielle, snickering.
"The Ice Age and Age of Repression too," said Isis. "You don't think men actually came up with those beauties, do you?" She giggled.
"Listen, liberated and enlightened ones," interjected Ramon. He had just chugged down another glass of wine and appeared inebriated. "We modern men didn't cause your problems. Don't pin the blame on us for your woes. If it wasn't for men like me today…" He flexed both of his biceps. "…you liberated females wouldn't dare set foot in these caves."
"Right," laughed Isis. "The first time we hear something in one of the passages, you'll be the first one flying out."
"But, Isis," said Ramon. "You're wrong. Men are challenged by cavern exploration. There's so much reward."
"You could have fooled me," said Isis. "You seemed to be shaking in your boots when Garrett brought up what happened on the Severon Mission."
"But, Isis." A smile came to his lips. "You're not getting my point."
"And she'd better not," said Arielle.
Isis looked perplexed.
"He's not talking about these caves," said Arielle. "He's talking about caverns, not caves."
"Caverns?"
"Openings," said Arielle. "Holes." She brought her thumb and fingers together on her right hand, making a hole, then began poking her left middle finger into it. "This!"
"Good God!" exclaimed Isis. "What have we just been talking about?" She turned to Ramon. "You're proof of every point we've been making."
"You'd better be joking," said Arielle, her eyebrows slanting in anger.
"I never joke about exploring caverns or caves," he said, flashing Arielle a mischievous grin. "Let me tell you a story about this cavern I once had the chance to explore…"
Arielle's face turned instantly red. "Ramon. Shut up!" She hit him in the shoulder, laughter from the others filling the air.
Ramon winked at Hunter. "Our exploration activities must be divulged."
Her eyes blazing with fury, she hit him again—hard.
"Ouch!" yelled Ramon as he pulled away from her. He rubbed his shoulder, then grinned. "You're right, dulzura. I should know we're not deep enough yet for any cavern tales. Besides, we'd be embarrassing Renata because she'd have nothing to say." He blatantly stared at Renata's lap. "Even if one could get in that cavern, they'd never get out. What more can one say?"
A mortified hush fell over the others as every astonished eye became instantly fixed on Renata.
She smiled back at them, but it appeared forced. She set her plate on the ground. "I think I'm finished. Ramon, thank you so much for your enlightening conversation on cavern exploration." She stood up. "You'll have to excuse me, though, I have other things to attend to."
"Don't run off, princess," said Ramon. "Why don't you educate us on how one should explore a dry virgin ice cavern?"
She looked toward Hunter, as if expecting him to come to her defense.
"Uh, uh," stammered Hunter as his brain seemed to suddenly go into a deep freeze. He knew he needed to stand up to Ramon—had to do it—here—now—or this incident would only escalate, but for some reason he could only stare back at Renata as if there wasn't a thought in his head.
"You're quite the cavern explorer, Hunter," she said. "Why don't you answer Ramon?" She turned and started walking away.
Ramon laughed. "It appears even the great Hunter loses his nerve when it comes to exploring ice caverns."
As Hunter watched Renata walk farther along the bank of the spring, he couldn't figure out what was
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