Mantivore Prey by S J Higbee

Author:S J Higbee [Higbee, S J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781911139171
Publisher: Griffinwing Publishing
Published: 2019-11-25T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The following morning, our flyer landed within the confines of Acinosclean Sewage Services, the huge factory sprawling across a chunk of Pistacia, the biggest town in the province, which was given over to processing human waste from all over the planet. Anything deposited in a bog-box, certainly within this hemisphere, would end up in Pistacia, or Piss-Town as Cnicans generally called it.

Even before our flyer touched down, Master Trask and Denzel were wrinkling their noses at the stench. It brought back a raft of memories of my stay here. Some were good. It was in Pistacia that Seth and I discovered our true feelings for each other and I enjoyed working in a big kitchen with other cooks. Most of my recollections weren’t so happy, though.

So I hadn’t been surprised that when Vrox learnt of today’s visit, he’d snarled a foul curse and pushed me out of his head. As I’d half-expected his response, I wasn’t quite so giddy at the sudden lightness and quiet once the mantivore left my mind. In fact, now I was getting more used to it, I was starting to appreciate the peace. These days, Vrox’s thoughts tended to be hard-edged and heavy.

The flyer landed impressively smoothly, emphasising the difference in wealth between the scruffy, struggling village of my birth and this powerful, profitable corporation as their landing equipment was not only topline, but built to industrial strength.

Madam Stylist ensured my hair was coifed to piled perfection, my robes were draped just so and my goggles hadn’t smudged my foundation before the door to the flyer slid open and the gangway extended so that I could make a suitably impressive entrance, unlike in Cnicus, where I had to debark by ladder.

A cheer rang around the foetid space as overalled employees had gathered around the landing pad. Hope no one’s pay is docked for this gathering. Though I wouldn’t put it past the directors, who squeezed their workers as hard as they could.

Said roachers were lined up to bow and mouth suitably lace-lined phrases, not that I was fooled. They wielded far too much power to be overly worried at the regime change in Gloriosa, seeing as whoever had the Codings needed to use bog-boxes, or the heads as Gloriosans insisted on calling them. Though I’ve no idea whose head they were supposed to be squatting over.

I nodded and smiled, acting the gracious Overlord, a part of the job I had hated, but now resolved to master. After all, with The Council at our back, we had a shot at making real changes in Arcadia. Scanning the audience, I suddenly caught sight of my previous boss, Elda Headcook, standing with her arms folded, evidently underwhelmed at being dragged out of her kitchen to listen to some Uppie Brarian. So that answers that question. This crowd were rounded up and herded here, whether they wanted to come or not. It was up to me to make it worth their while.

I took a breath, discarded all the fine-sounding nothings I was going to say and instead, spoke from the heart, “Greetings.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.