Read Online The Joiner King by Troy Denning - Free Book Online Page B

angry or frightened, but she was frustrated; she had lost the Duros and his escort. “I’m looking for a group of young travelers who came through here. There would’ve been at least two humans, a Twi’lek, a Barabel—”
    “And a Wookiee?” Lyari asked.
    “Then you’ve seen them,” Luke said.
    Lyari opened her beak in a sort of smile. “Maybe.”
    “Maybe not,” Zelara added. She began to tug at the chest closures on Luke’s utilities. “Let us have a look inside, and we’ll tell you.”
    Luke caught her hand. “It probably wouldn’t be a good idea for us to—”
    “Come on, bright boy.” Lyari reached for closures a little farther down. “Give us a chance.”
    “No.” Luke put enough Force behind the word to prevent Lyari from ripping open his utilities. “That would never work.”
    “Why not?” Zelara demanded.
    “Because I have lips and you have beaks, for starters.”
    Zelara spread her eyestalks. “You’d be surprised what a girl can do with her beak.”
    “Let me show you,” Lyari said. She caught Luke’s nose in her beak and gave it a tug.
    “Ouch!” Luke reached up and freed his nose. Other people were starting to look in their direction, and that was exactly what he
didn’t
want. “Please, ladies. Just tell me what you know about my friends.”
    Zelara ripped his chest closures open, revealing Luke’s undershirt. “First you show, then—”
    Mara’s astonishment hit Luke like a Force hammer, and he failed to hear the rest of Zelara’s comment. He turned toward the exit and saw Mara swinging her hand down to cover their son’s eyes.
    “Who’s that?” Lyari asked, following his gaze.
    “My wife.”
    “Wife?” the Ishi Tib repeated in unison. They jumped to their feet, Zelara crying, “You didn’t tell us you were mated!”
    “And he’s got a fry, too!” Lyari exclaimed.
    The outburst caused the Verpine musicians to fumble over a string of notes, and several annoyed patrons turned to suggest that Luke and the Ishi Tib take their personal lives to a quiet corner.
    Mara rolled her eyes, then shook her head and dragged a very reluctant Ben around the corner.
    Luke sent her a feeling of reassurance, trying to make sure she knew there was a good explanation. He received an impression of amused doubtfulness in reply, then he heard Saba sissing from across the room and realized he might never live this one down. He shook his head in disgust, then closed his utilities and looked up at the Ishi Tib.
    “Will you
please
sit?”
    Zelara put a hand on her hip. “I don’t think so.”
    “You just forget about us, you double-spawner.” Lyari shooed him toward the exit. “You’d better go catch your mate and that little fry.”
    “As soon as you answer me.” Luke grabbed both Ishi Tib bytheir wrists and pulled them down. “When did you see my friends? The Wookiee and the Barabel and the others?”
    “When they were here,” Zelara answered coolly.
    “Which was?” Luke put the Force behind his question, pressuring her to answer.
    “I don’t know.” Zelara turned to Lyari. “When was that?”
    “Who can remember? They only stayed a day.”
    Luke started to pressure Lyari to think back, then realized that someone else was approaching. As with the Falleen who had led Tarnis away, the newcomer appeared to have a double presence in the Force, except that the individual essence felt much more menacing and powerful than had the Falleen’s. Luke turned and, when he saw a blocky shadow with red eyes and white fangs approaching, nearly reached for his lightsaber.
    The Defel watched Luke’s hand until it dropped back to his side, then turned to the Ishi Tib. “The nest has secured a barrel of fresh Tibrin salts,” he rasped. “We are preparing an immersion tank now.”
    “For us?” Zelara gasped.
    “Where?” Lyari demanded.
    The Defel offered a shadow-furred arm to each of them. “We’ll escort you.”
    “First, answer my question,” Luke said, putting the weight