Godnapped! by Jude Cocaigne

Author:Jude Cocaigne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Jude Cocaigne

Chapter 7

All around them, the same grey, rocky, desolated background uncoiled for miles, and they walked a long time without seeing any other tiny inhabitants of the dimension. As they stopped to eat, Bolonius popped the question that had been burning his tongue for the past hour.

“Do you know where we’re going?”

“No idea!”

Her straight-forwardness and cheery demeanor, even in the face of danger—or at least, potential one—didn’t surprise him so much anymore, but he enjoyed it now. He was even slightly less astounded when she took one of the Galdoshian creatures out of her pockets.

“But this fellow might help.”

“Where? How? When?”

“Ah, Bolonius, ever the quick-witted! I ‘borrowed’ him from the pack we encountered earlier, when you were still pondering about the hug I gave you. Ah, there, he awakens!”

The tiny being stirred gently, stretching one arm after the other over his head. If there had been colors in this forsaken dimension, his hair would have been as red as a maple leaf. But as it was, it was a flamboyant grey. He was only wearing pants, really rugged and sturdy ones, made of dead bark from indigenous trees held up with lifeless creepers. Vejuna was right; these little imps were quite astonishing and full of ingenuity. And this one was as feisty as advertised.

The moment he realized he was held captive in the herbologist’s hands, he kicked them and gnawed at her fingers, stomped on her palm and boxed her joints. She didn’t bulge, mostly because it was like getting a free hand massage. Instead, she just murmured a few words in a language Bolonius could not understand through the gaps of the makeshift prison and waited. The Galdoshian fumed and roared, grumbled, mumbled, then proceeded to sit down, legs and arms crossed, face furrowed in a compliant yet reluctant grimace.

“What did you tell him?”

“I said we were here to help the Galdoshians get what they wanted, and that if he was good to us, we’d give him a cookie.”

“Really? You barely spoke a few syllables!”

“The Galdoshian language is very concise.”

It was indeed. In just a few syllables, she had in fact introduced herself, stated their purpose in this dimension, asked for his help to avoid further consequences and, yes, promised a cookie in exchange, because cookies are the best reward a Galdoshian can dream of.

Well, what she really said was: “You know who I am and who I’m here for; help me, get a cookie. Don’t help me…” The suspense did the trick. The cookie helped a little. And sure enough, the little creature knew exactly who the herbologist was. Or rather, something in his tiny mind triggered a cautionary memory at the sound of her voice and compelled him to subdue and do her bidding.

Vejuna opened her hands and lifted the one holding the imp at eye level. Keeping him at a close glance, she rummaged through her pouch and, without ever looking down, took a small object out, turned it on with the flick of a switch and held it next to the little man.

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