Page 15 of Ahelno
The vet nodded. “Again, this is mutually beneficial, so I also appreciate your willingness to care for him. I am also pleased to report to the King that you are well. He will likely require you to visit the palace soon to resume your duties there. You should be able to carry the cub in the satchel with you. If he becomes troublesome, you can leave him in the sleeping crate, although I do not recommend you keep him there more thanfour centines per day.”
“Perfect,” I said. I gave him the traditional farewell as he was leaving. “Blessings upon your journey.”
“And on yours, until we meet again,” he replied.
As I closed the door behind me, I heard a yelp. “Help, new mother! Am being attacked!” I saw the cub struggling under one of the heavy cushions.
“Looks like we have a lot to talk about,” I thought back at him.
CHAPTER 15
The Granthor cub was too cute. He loved exploring my small cottage and frequently found himself stuck behind or under the furnishings, calling for help in my mind. He loved chasing my feet as I walked and stalking the fabric at the end of the cat toy. His squished-in face was adorable, and it took every bit of self-control not to pick him up and squeeze him every second of the day.
I was fascinated by our telepathic connection. He knew that his “original mother” called him M’Pak, and that she was killed by another Granthor, although he didn’t fully understand why. He was rescued by a “gray-skin,” as he called the Ptexari. Overall, he seemed uninterested in the Ptexari, convinced that they were not as smart as “we” were, since they couldn’t “speak” to him. He didn’t understand anything I said out loud, but could understand my thoughts very well and speak back to me. He chattered mostly about food, playtime, and sleeping in the sunlight. Not so different from dogs or cats on Earth, just with much sharper, bigger teeth.
For the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel so alone. I’d always loved animals. To my mother’s dismay, I was always bringing home snails, frogs, and even snakes as a child. Straydogs and cats followed me home. I grew up in a rural area, and there were always strays around, so we never purchased a pet. Any animal that showed up was simply adopted into the family. I was an only child, so I suspect that’s one reason my parents indulged me and my many animals. They always expected me to go into veterinary medicine myself, but I was born to perform. My pets were forced to listen to me belt out Broadway tunes as a child. I had a dog, Daisy, who wagged her tail and loved prancing around as I showed her the new steps I learned in tap or ballet class. My cat Gizmo was much less impressed, staring at me unblinking as I serenaded her with “Mr. Mistoffelees” or “Rum Tug Tugger.” She never fully appreciated Andrew Lloyd Webber.
I hadn’t sung a note since arriving on Ptekennan. I had been so overwhelmed by my kidnapping and assault that it felt like the music in me had simply dried up. But a few days later, as M’Pak chased the rag I waved around, I found myself humming, “Tomorrow” from Annie. Better days were ahead, I told myself.
I couldn’t change what had happened, so I had to put the past behind me and focus on making a new life for myself here. M’Pak snuggled up to me at night on my pallet, and although he didn’t completely chase away my nightmares, he was a comfort to me when I woke from a night terror. “No fear, Mother Andie,” he would say. “M’Pak protects.”
CHAPTER 16
Camavel was wary of M’Pak. “They are killers,” she declared. “How can you house a beast such as this?” I was glad the cub couldn’t understand her words, although her sentiment was clear from her posture and refusal to touch him. He huffed and sauntered back out the back door to lie in the sun.
“I adore him,” I told her. “And I’m helping Karelch by raising him until he can survive on his own. It gives me something productive to do.”
“It sounds as though you have new duties to attend to, though,” she said.
“Yes, that’s why I messaged you. I received word from the palace that I’m to join the King and his daughter for lunch tomorrow, and then I have my first protocol lesson.”
Camavel sniffed. “No instructor can prepare you as well as I have.”
I hid a smile. “I have no doubt, and that is why I reached out for your help now. I don’t know any of the customs for greeting or dining with royalty. Are they different than what you’ve taught me so far?”
Placated, Camavel grinned at me. “Of course! I have been teaching you the day-to-day customs, and you have been anapt pupil, but there are many layers of royal protocol to cover. First, what do you plan to wear?”
I hadn’t thought much about clothing. Now that I had emerged from my fog, I was more observant of the Ptexari around me. Males and females alike generally wore nothing at all or colorful skirts of what looked like dyed strips of hide. They wore no shirts, leaving their wings free. Neither sex had nipples or breasts, and both had impressive muscular torsos. If anything, the males seemed to have more muscular shoulders and arms, but otherwise, they looked alike in body. The one distinguishing feature was the crest of feather-like appendages on the males’ heads. They seemed to express a lot of emotions through the opening, closing, and flicks of their crests, but I couldn’t really interpret all the subtle meanings yet. Females had no crests, but many of them pierced the ridges on their foreheads with jeweled studs. Regardless, all of them (except Camavel) were a good 10-15 inches taller than me. I had never felt so short in my whole life.
I led Camavel to my bedroom and pulled out the few clothing items I had. The servants at the Prince’s estate had given me a few brown, ill-fitting shirts and skirts. When I was being charitable, I reminded myself it was probably the best they could do on short notice. They were serviceable, if nothing else.
“These will not do!” exclaimed Camavel. “Come, we will go see Robnar, the tailor.”
I sent a thought to M’Pak that I would be out for a while. He didn’t need to be hand-fed anymore, and there were food and water dishes for him in the kitchen.
“No worry for me, Mother Andie,” he replied. “Am stalking ovinas.” Ovinas were large hopping creatures that remindedme of a cross between grasshoppers and frogs. Both M’Pak and the Ptexari thought them delicious. I found them revolting, but they provided M’Pak with a delightful chase. Plus, Karelch was pleased that M’Pak showed interest in hunting.
We walked toward the Market Square at the center of the village. My mind turned to practical matters. “I can’t go to the tailor, Camavel. I don’t have any money to pay for clothes.” I had been in the village about two weeks so far and hadn’t needed to buy anything. The food replicator seemed to be unlimited. I had accompanied Camavel to the market several times and looked at the goods on display. She paid for her items by scanning her wristband on the communications panel at the entrance of each booth or store. Whenever she asked if I was going to buy something for myself, I politely demurred that I didn’t need anything.
Camavel picked up on my discomfort. “Is that why you have not made any purchases?” she asked. “My dear child, you are one of the wealthiest beings on the planet! The King gave you the former Prince’s estates and holdings.”
“Well, I didn’t want it and chose to live here instead.”
She clucked. “He should have explained that better. You still own the estates, and the income derived from them goes into your accounts. We should stop and get a wristband keyed to you first. The shopkeepers can still charge your account without it, but it makes the transaction much quicker. Although, since you are the only Lumanela on the planet, there wouldn’t be much need for you to prove your identity. Still, better to have it just in case.”
Dragging me to a tech booth, she called out, “Manoko, I need a wristband.”
“One moment!” a voice called back from underneath amachine of some sort. “I have to finish this install….and there.” A large male rolled out from under the machine and gasped in surprise. “The Lumanela! So it is true. I had heard you had taken up residence in the village. You are even more beautiful than rumors have suggested.”
