Page 41 of Dirty December

“Sure. Thank you. Better than being considered ‘cargo.’” She knew her tone had dipped into the “sassy” category by the way Rupex’s eyes glinted and his massive muzzle, which was somehow flatter and more human than what she remembered from the pictures of lions she’d seen in old books about earth animals, scrunched up to reveal long white canines.

“You humans are the ones who book yourselves off-world and sell yourselves to the highest bidders, making yourselves ‘cargo.’”

“I didn’t. And do you know how weak Sapien credits are when compared to most other galaxies? Sometimes it’s the only way we can afford to get off-world and travel to a place where we can get a job. Cargo or starvation. Hmmm.” Layla held up both hands and pretended to weigh the options. “I know you Leonids wouldn’t understand that. You stay in your own galaxy and keep with your own kind, right?”

Yes, she was being a brat, but his tone had touched a nerve—and so had the mention of her poverty. Sapien-Three had once been the jewel of the solar system. No more.

“Keep to our own kind? Stay in our galaxy? Wh-whatignorantrock have you been hiding under for the last decade, human?” Rupex spat the words like a vile curse.

“Excuse me? Ignorant? Ha! They were right about Leonids. You’re all proud—jerks.” Layla substituted the word quickly for the less offensive option. Those teeth were big, and that mouth... He could probably bite her arm off in one nip.

Rupex curled his fists. She could see the tips of claws now, dark, sharp, and short. “Queen Fever, fool. Heard of it?” Rage was practically sweating out of him. His fur bristled, and his whole form seemed to swell.

There was a line here. And I crossed it.

“Nn-no?”

“Wait? No?” The anger didn’t dissipate, but it was suddenly coupled with confusion. “Are you joking?”

“No! We don’t even have queens on Sapien planets. We’re all democracies. Or worse.”

“A Queen. A female Leonid or Felid of cub-bearing years. Queen Fever raged for over two years, killing almost every female from fourteen to fifty.”

Layla could tell when she blushed. She could also tell when all the blood vanished from her face. “Oh my God. Like the Maximus Virus in 2800?”

“Yes, except that ours was deadly only to Queens. Something to do with their hormone levels.” The Leonid looked away. “Millions died. Millions more sacrificed their ability to have cubs to stave off the disease. Some wealthy families in the Felix Orbus Galaxy actually went so far as to ‘reserve’ the reproductive services of young female cubs who wouldn’t mature for years in advance, hoping to have offspring of their own later.”

Layla felt a drizzle of warmth for the big beast who was now pacing in a perfect line, turning in sharp right angles at the end of the walkway in front of her former quarters. “I’m so sorry.I honestly didn’t know. I didn’t get to sit down and hear about the intergalactic news and affairs growing up. I was in survival mode, just like your people were. The reasons were different, but the struggle was real.”

The hulking figure in black paused in front of her long enough to nod and then paced away again. “Poverty is a greater problem on Sapien-Three because humans are reluctant to innovate and trade with other mammalian species.”

“And we have a shitty environment, corruption, war, and disease. But sure, blame the stubborn jackoffs who won’t buy cheap groceries from the interspecies couple down the street.”

A growl that rippled the air around her made Layla bite her tongue.

They could eat you, you know. Or just kill you. Starve you in that little glass cell. They could do all of that, and no one would ever know.

No one would ever care.

“Reasons aside, Leonid credits exchange at eighteen to one with Sapien credits.”

Layla blinked. “That much? Damn. Never mind. Take me to the kitty planets.”

Rupex slammed a paw to his forehead and squeezed his eyes shut. “Kitty planets? No. No, this is pointless. Worthless. Insane. Goodbye, Miss Layla. I will prepare quarters for you and hope your stay is comfortable. We will find a ship to take you to a planet where you can negotiate a contract for your services.”

“But I thought the little old lion-man saidyouwanted my services!” Layla protested, the sound of credits inflating her pitiful account drowning out the irritation and woe in his voice.

“That was before I talked to you!” Rupex pushed a button on the wall and it lit up, showing a warm green light under the pads pressing it down. The silvery panel of the wall slid up, and he was gone.