Behind Blue Skies by J.S. Morin

Author:J.S. Morin
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-64355-009-1
Publisher: Magical Scrivener Press

Tracking starship thieves wasn’t exactly the sort of thing Esper could expect Kubu to pull off. First of all, scent didn’t carry through the vacuum of space. Secondly, they didn’t even know when it had been taken. For all they knew, the little red racing ship had been chopped up for parts the same day they arrived. The trail could have been wiped out by rain, by time, or by other people traipsing around up here for whatever reason might bring the locals outside their cozy little city.

“I know this smell,” Kubu said as he sniffed around the site where they’d found shallow impressions from the Squall’s landing gear.

Esper perked up. “Really?” She’d already been preparing mentally to hitch a ride on the next outbound offworlder vessel.

Kubu nodded. “We saw them the first day we were here, in town. They were the rude ones.”

Esper heard the crack before she even realized she was limbering up her knuckles for punching. She loosened her fingers and shook them. Jumping to conclusions was liable to get someone hurt whether they deserved it or not. And while it was sorely tempting to paint everyone on Symbionia with the guilty brush, Esper knew it was too easy a simplification to be anything like the truth.

“Then let’s go pay a visit to whoever stole our ship.” And then we’ll get off this miserable planet.

Esper immediately regretted the spiteful thought. It wasn’t the planet’s fault that the people on it were so mean-spirited.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to ask who knows where Boz lives?” Kubu asked.

Already mentally prepped for an overland adventure, Esper did a double take. “You know his name?”

“Weren’t you paying attention when they were talking?” Kubu countered. “I was. Boz was here. I remember it because it sounded like someone couldn’t say ‘box’ the right way or maybe ‘boss.’ Either way, I know what he smells like.”

“I’ve got to ask something,” Esper said, unable to keep a smile from her face as Kubu continued to amaze her. “How can you smell him? Did he touch the dirt? Does the breeze not blow his body odor away? Is it sweat droplets on the ground?”

Kubu gestured with his nose. “He peed in the bushes over there.”

In an instant, Esper’s face fell. The prosaic answer should have come sooner to mind. “Oh. Well, I suppose we could ask around Hazard Bay to find out where this Boz character lives. But I’m sure 90 percent of the people down there consider him their brother, and odds are that he’ll know we’re coming before we get there.”

“He could hide the Squall!”

“He could.”

“We shouldn’t tell anyone we’re coming.”

“I agree.”

“Then let’s go find… wait a minute.” Esper tapped a finger to her lips. “If you can smell people so well, what about just sniffing out the Squall? Doesn’t it have… I don’t know… and offworldy sort of smell?”

Kubu snickered. “Maybe. But it smells like a lot of other ships too. It smells a little like us—from being inside it so much—but only if the top is open.

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