Dispute by Craig Martelle

Author:Craig Martelle [Martelle, Craig & Anderle, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781642026863
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2020-01-11T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Tanglewood, Destiny’s Vengeance Crash Site

“I reek of smoke,” Ryleigh said at the end of her fire-tending shift.

“It’s the only thing I can think to do to help us. Otherwise, we’ve done about everything we can to fix the ship. All we have to do is keep ourselves alive and fit,” Clodagh explained. “The food hunters aren’t having much luck either. They’re following Floyd around trying to find what’s edible. Floyd thinks it’s a game and is eating everything in sight until she falls asleep. As an engineer, I’m bothered that I can’t have a nice, neat process.”

“I didn’t realize how good I had it, flying the ship, navigating, working preventive maintenance.” Ryleigh stabbed at the fire. Smoke billowed outward, making her wince and retreat toward fresher air.

A Yindle appeared from the jungle and ran between them and their ship. Both women stood frozen. Then another Yindle. And another.

“Free shoes on the Promenade?” Ryleigh quipped.

“Too much fiber in their diets?” Clodagh countered.

More ran through. “Maybe Chaz parked the ship in the middle of the main road.”

“Maybe someone’s chasing them, like Alant in his mech.”

Both women watched the direction the Yindle were coming from, which was the same way Rivka had gone.

Magistrate? Clodagh ventured. Nothing. “It was worth a shot.”

Sahved and the others clumsily tore through the brush with freshly filled water containers. The Yemilorian munched on something that looked like an apple. He handed some to the women tending the fire.

Groenwyn lugged a sleeping Floyd.

Two more Yindle broke into the open area and continued through without acknowledging Destiny’s crew.

“Where are they going?” Sahved asked mid-bite.

“A few hours ago, they went that way.” Clodagh pointed toward the border with Yangor. “And now they’re coming back.”

Ryleigh stepped farther from the smoke. “We think they’re going to a shoe sale. Must be unbelievable prices.”

“We don’t think that,” Clodagh said. “We thought maybe the Magistrate was beating the bushes.”

“Free buffet, just opened for lunch?” Aurora posited.

Kennedy offered a different take. “Build your own snowman; first twenty get in for free.”

“Why would they have snowmen here?” Ryleigh wondered.

“Exactly why they’re running!”

Groenwyn walked into the middle of the opening, bouncing Floyd lightly to keep the wombat sleeping. “I believe they are rethinking their life choices,” she started. “They have wandered from the path of the great and powerful god, Jungle Palm Foliage. They are in distress, running aimlessly, looking for a sign to help them find their way back into the fold.”

“How do you know this?” Sahved asked.

The young woman started to laugh. “I don’t, but my next choice would be the shoe sale. I’d go.”

“On Yemilore, I was confident of my investigation skills, being the best of the unrecognized best. But here, I must admit that half the time, I don’t know what you’re talking about, and the other half, I’m completely lost.”

The four women watched him, waiting for more.

Finally, Clodagh filled the silence. “Red’s going to be mad that you lost his knife. This thing is good.” She took another bite of her fruit.

“Red is always mad,” Sahved replied.

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