Page 11 of Rule
“Lift your head,” the woman said. Sheimplanted the second translator and slapped gauze on both spots. Sabrinascowled at her. “Seriously? A day or two? Why didn’t you implant the damnthings before we left Earth then?”
“Not my department.” The woman pointed tothe far door. “That’s the bathroom. You’ve got five minutes and then I’ll beback to take you to the ship.”
* * *
Court
“You are really not going to go to the ship?”
Bran finished cutting up the warracot andplaced it on a plate. He set the plate on the table and picked up Bella. Hekissed her cheek and she giggled as he set her in her booster seat and pushedthe chair closer to the table. She crowed in delight and shoved a piece ofwarracot into her mouth as her father smoothed her long dark hair withaffection.
“Bran,” I said impatiently.
“No, I am not,” Bran said. “It is gettinglate, and I do not want to take Bella out into the storm. It will be past herbedtime by the time I return home with the human.”
“I can stay with her,” I said. “It was youridea to hire a human as a nanny, you should be the one to pick her up.”
“You know that Bella cannot sleep withoutour bedtime routine,” Bran said. “What is your problem, Court? It is not thatfar to the docking bay, and you have driven in bad weather before.”
“We will be lucky to make it home beforethe storm really hits,” I grumbled before glancing out the window at the darkclouds. “The pilots may not even be able to land the ship.”
Bran shrugged. “If not, we will pick herup after the storm ends.”
“It will last at least a moon.”
“I know.”
“I do not know why you even bothered to hirethe human right now. The cold weather is here to stay, and we can care for Bellaourselves.”
“I hired her now because this will giveBella time to grow accustomed to her new nanny.” He smiled at the little girlwho was still greedily eating the warracot. “You know she is shy and requirestime to become comfortable with new people. If we are around while she isgetting to know the human, it will be easier for her.”
Bran had a point, but I still wished he hadwaited until the warm months. Mainly because then I would be busy in thefields and spending very little time in the house. I had no wish to be anywherenear this new human, but the frequent storms during the cold months would forceme to be in close contact with her.
I swallowed down my anger and disgust.Bella needed a nanny. We could no longer carry her on our backs while weworked in the fields. She was two and being carried around in a hot field allday was not fair to her. She needed to have the opportunity to play and learnlike other small ones.
“You agreed to this, Court. Do not forgetthat.” Bran stared steadily at me.
“Do not forget that you agreed she would bea nanny and nothing more.”
Bran scowled. “It will not be an issue.You, more than anyone, should know that. Besides, the female is breedingincompatible. She is of no use to us other than as a nanny.”
“The female humans cannot be trusted,Bran. Remember that.”
“You speak to me as though I am a child.”Bran’s temper was rising. “You are not the only who suffered because of whatshe did.”
“Papa, juice.” Bella had finished thewarracot and she gave her father a large smile. “Juice.”
Bran grabbed the plastic cup from thecounter and checked that the lid was secure. “What do you say, meena?”
“Please,” Bella said. She grinned whenBran handed the cup to her and brandished it at me. “Juice, Uda!”
“I see your juice, meena.”
“Drink, Uda.” She held her cup out to me.
“No, you must drink all of it so that yougrow big and strong.”
She giggled and drank from the opening inthe lid. Pink liquid trickled down her chin and she placed the cup on thetable before wiping her chin. She licked the palm of her hand and giggledagain.
