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Authors: Michelle M. Pillow
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property lines, farmland, or even … I don’t know. These hieroglyphs are like none I’ve ever seen before.”
The writingJackson referred to was a series of square-like designs lined up from top to bottom.
“Evan?” Jarek inquired, knowing him to be the most well read of the group.
“I don’t recognize it,” he answered.
“We need someone to translate them for us,” Jarek said, looking around the room meaningfully before turning in the direction of where their prisoner was locked away. “I just don’t know if she’s going to be willing to help us.”
“Do we have a choice?” Evan asked.
“No.” Jarek took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, we don’t. Let’s all upload her language as soon as possible. We should’ve done it before.” “There was no time before,” Dev said. “There isn’t much time now. We should be concentrating on repairs.”
“We’ll make time now. There really isn’t a choice. Lucien, you go first. There isn’t much you can do in communications until the systems are up and running. Evan, go with Viktor to break the food simulator, then bring the woman to the kitchen and see what you can find out. We need to know if we can trust her and right now it’s the best thing we’ve got. The rest of us will get to work repairing the ship. I’m going to go see if Lochfigured out where we are for sure.”
“If I can access the computer,”Jackson put forth, “I might be able to match these rivers to the landscape photographs stored in the logs. It might help us get an idea of what this thing says.”
“Do it,” Jarek ordered. “Right now that map and that woman are our best hope in getting Rick back.”
“He owes us,” Dev growled, even as his face fell. Jarek nodded in agreement. “Let’s just hope we can save his butt in time to collect.”
* * * *
Mei absently threw food on the hot plate in front of her. The self heating unit was used in camping, or so her guard told her. The stir fry was a simple dish, one she was more than trained to prepare. She doubted any of the pirate brutes would notice if she made the popular, unglamorous Líntianese dish instead of something a gourmet chef on her planet would create.
Mei laughed softly despite her distress. She doubted any of these brutes would know gourmet if they tasted it. They didn’t seem to know a princess when they saw one.
The man guarding her, Evan, was polite. He tried to make conversation, but she didn’t indulge him as she kept her attention on the task. Occasionally, she would speak to him in her own language. He didn’t seem to understand it. “How’s it going in here?” Jarek’s voice came from the dining hall’s door. “Smells interesting.”
Mei’s hand shook and she dropped too many minced peppers on the plate. They sizzled, sending a hot aroma up into the air. Instantly, the dining hall was filled with the spicy scent. She caught the sight of Jarek from the corner of her eye, but didn’t look at him directly as she stirred the food. Inside she shook, just like every time she was near him. The man definitely did something to her.
“She’s not talking,” Evan offered the captain.
“Mm, I like them silent,” Jarek said, picking up one of the red peapods off the hot plate. He popped it in his mouth and chewed. Mei looked up at him and smiled. The pod was covered in the minced peppers she’d just dropped. Seconds later, it came flying out of his mouth as he coughed. “Sacred Cats, Evan! She’s trying to kill us!” “Pepper too hot for you?” Mei teased, doing her best to sound meek. She pursed her lips and continued to stir.
“Hot?” Jarek let loose a long breath. “No, not hot. It tastes horrible.” Mei gasped in offense, looking down at the food. Horrible? Did he say it tasted horrible?
“You’re no cook,fea ,” Jarek said. “Though, if you were, it would explain why you are so tiny. With a diet like that, no wonder you don’t eat.” Mei’s jaw dropped and she
The writingJackson referred to was a series of square-like designs lined up from top to bottom.
“Evan?” Jarek inquired, knowing him to be the most well read of the group.
“I don’t recognize it,” he answered.
“We need someone to translate them for us,” Jarek said, looking around the room meaningfully before turning in the direction of where their prisoner was locked away. “I just don’t know if she’s going to be willing to help us.”
“Do we have a choice?” Evan asked.
“No.” Jarek took a deep breath. “Unfortunately, we don’t. Let’s all upload her language as soon as possible. We should’ve done it before.” “There was no time before,” Dev said. “There isn’t much time now. We should be concentrating on repairs.”
“We’ll make time now. There really isn’t a choice. Lucien, you go first. There isn’t much you can do in communications until the systems are up and running. Evan, go with Viktor to break the food simulator, then bring the woman to the kitchen and see what you can find out. We need to know if we can trust her and right now it’s the best thing we’ve got. The rest of us will get to work repairing the ship. I’m going to go see if Lochfigured out where we are for sure.”
“If I can access the computer,”Jackson put forth, “I might be able to match these rivers to the landscape photographs stored in the logs. It might help us get an idea of what this thing says.”
“Do it,” Jarek ordered. “Right now that map and that woman are our best hope in getting Rick back.”
“He owes us,” Dev growled, even as his face fell. Jarek nodded in agreement. “Let’s just hope we can save his butt in time to collect.”
* * * *
Mei absently threw food on the hot plate in front of her. The self heating unit was used in camping, or so her guard told her. The stir fry was a simple dish, one she was more than trained to prepare. She doubted any of the pirate brutes would notice if she made the popular, unglamorous Líntianese dish instead of something a gourmet chef on her planet would create.
Mei laughed softly despite her distress. She doubted any of these brutes would know gourmet if they tasted it. They didn’t seem to know a princess when they saw one.
The man guarding her, Evan, was polite. He tried to make conversation, but she didn’t indulge him as she kept her attention on the task. Occasionally, she would speak to him in her own language. He didn’t seem to understand it. “How’s it going in here?” Jarek’s voice came from the dining hall’s door. “Smells interesting.”
Mei’s hand shook and she dropped too many minced peppers on the plate. They sizzled, sending a hot aroma up into the air. Instantly, the dining hall was filled with the spicy scent. She caught the sight of Jarek from the corner of her eye, but didn’t look at him directly as she stirred the food. Inside she shook, just like every time she was near him. The man definitely did something to her.
“She’s not talking,” Evan offered the captain.
“Mm, I like them silent,” Jarek said, picking up one of the red peapods off the hot plate. He popped it in his mouth and chewed. Mei looked up at him and smiled. The pod was covered in the minced peppers she’d just dropped. Seconds later, it came flying out of his mouth as he coughed. “Sacred Cats, Evan! She’s trying to kill us!” “Pepper too hot for you?” Mei teased, doing her best to sound meek. She pursed her lips and continued to stir.
“Hot?” Jarek let loose a long breath. “No, not hot. It tastes horrible.” Mei gasped in offense, looking down at the food. Horrible? Did he say it tasted horrible?
“You’re no cook,fea ,” Jarek said. “Though, if you were, it would explain why you are so tiny. With a diet like that, no wonder you don’t eat.” Mei’s jaw dropped and she
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