Star Stuff by Daniel Arenson

Author:Daniel Arenson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moonclipse
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

"What happened to my officer?" Tom thundered, pounding the tabletop.

The Red Cardinal sat on his throne of dog bones. Delicately, he tapped a silver knife against an egg. He cracked open the top, revealing the innards. There was a fertilized chick inside, only partly developed.

"Ah yes, the old man who loves his wine." The Red Cardinal lifted the egg to his mouth, tossed it back, and slurped the innards. His throat bobbed as the baby chick slid down. The cardinal lowered the empty shell. "So that explains it."

"What do you mean?" Tom demanded, his own breakfast untouched. The brides had served him similar eggs, alongside fried fish with the heads still attached, the eyes oddly conscious, still moving, seeming to stare across the room. Tom had no appetite.

Winter and Floribeth had joined them in the dining room. The two women stood very still, not touching their food. Winter had her hand on her gun.

"What I mean," said the Red Cardinal, "is that your man betrayed us. One of my brides disappeared overnight. I thought she had fled back to her village, perhaps weary of life in the cathedral. But now I understand. Your man must have taken her."

"Hancock?" Tom snorted. "You heard the man. He's happily married. And he's loyal. To his wife and to me."

The Red Cardinal lifted a fried fish. He sank his teeth into the head, ripped it off, and chewed. It crunched.

"Ah, but you saw him last night," the Red Cardinal said, sucking up an eyeball. "Eying my special brides. They can be … most alluring. They can seduce any man." He dabbed his lips with a napkin. "This is not the first time this has happened, dear captain. Men fall in love with them. They promise the women the moons above and the stars beyond. And they flee together." He shook his head sadly. "Often the wolves get them before they can even leave the island. It's such a terrible thing."

A memory tickled Tom. Something important. Something he had seen last night. Something he had dreamed. But he could not grasp it.

He looked at Winter. "We need to get back to the village, grab a few working shuttles, and organize a search." He turned toward the cardinal. "When does the morning train leave?"

The cardinal sprinkled salt onto the rest of his fish. "Ah, it's most unfortunate. The train seems to be have broken."

"More wolves, I presume?" Tom said, voice tight.

"I'm afraid so. They are such savage beasts."

"I'm losing patience here, cardinal," Tom said. "Whatever game you're playing, I won't play it."

He left the dining room. Winter and Floribeth followed.

Tom led the two women down a corridor. In a dark alcove, he paused and turned toward them. Winter and Floribeth stared back, barely visible in the shadows.

"Do any one of you believe Hancock just upped and left?" Tom said.

Winter shrugged. "Hey, I've seen old men do crazy shit around pretty girls."

Floribeth shook her head. "Not a chance, sir. I knew Hancock. He'd never go AWOL like this.

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