Mantivore Dreams by S J Higbee

Author:S J Higbee [Higbee, S J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781911139140
Publisher: Griffinwing Publishing
Published: 2019-08-27T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I left the others to stand at the service hatches and dish out helpings to the workers on the two lunchtime shifts. Anxious to avoid unwanted attention, I kept in the background and started scrubbing out the big pans, using spray-sand. It took a couple of goes before I got the hang of aiming the nozzle, but then Vrox and me had fun imagining we were blasting Mother… Adurn… Rayvon Harvester… Madam Hotelier…

Vrox yips with laughter…

It was a struggle not to giggle aloud with him.

As the servers emptied the big cooking trays, I snagged them and had most of them scoured clean and shining by the time service was over.

Elda actually grinned at me. “You’ll do, girl. Most’ve the younglings don’t want nothin’ to do with the clean-up. C’mon. Have a piece of cake ʼfore you go.”

The friendly woman nudged me. “You’re in. Trouser-tugger never got no invite for cake. But then she’d be prancing round the kitchen doin’ as little as possible till it got time for service. Then she’d be pantin’ to ladle out the food to the lads like she’d made it all herself.” She grinned.

I grinned back, liking her direct manner and held out my hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

She had a firm grip. “Likewise. Name’s Vina Cook.”

The cake was delicious. I closed my eyes and tasted the blend of eggs, flour and honey – along with the hot after-taste of merrange zest.

Vrox croons with pleasure…

Which was a relief. There was no way I could do this job without him. Yet…

When Dael picked me up, I was shaken to realise it was already mid-afternoon. I couldn’t recall when time had zipped by so fast, other than when I was in the Nodery, of course. He was in great humour all the way back to the hotel. Truth to tell, I think he was just plain relieved I hadn’t been some speed-mouthed snaketalker, lying about my cooking skills. But apparently my soup had gone down well with the Wetbox workers. So he was telling me about Foreman Clemac, who made his wife sound outright cuddly, and we were laughing together when we rounded the corner and a sharp-faced man stepped out in front of us.

“Greetings, Brother and Sister.” His oily manner reminded me of Grote just before he attacked.

“What jer want? This some shoddy scam?” I raised my voice.

In Pistacia, there was never a time when the pavements were deserted. And while folks mightn’t get involved, there were enough of them around that this slagbrain might think twice about attacking. I hope.

Dael patted my hand. “Still yourself. Nothin’ bad’s goin’ down here.” He turned back to the smooth stranger, suddenly radiating pent-up menace. “Is it?”

The stranger took a step back, raising both hands in mock submission. “On the bones of my dead granny, I swear. Just want to know if you seen a minicart parked anywhere round inna last few days.”

“Course we seen minicarts around here. Look!” I gestured at the road, where three were trundling along.

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