The Roth offered me the bowl of water and I took it, ignoring Vesper. ‘Thank you,’ I told the looming wall of muscle.
He made a snarling noise in response.
‘He says that they are trying to generate you some human food now,’ Vesper offered. ‘He said that the first meal they tried smelled so vile they threw it straight out the airlock.Fish?’ He shook his head. ‘Disgusting. They’re tryingchickennow.’
I stared at him. ‘They’re making me chicken?’
‘Technically, he saidtrying to make. But yes.’
‘Oh.’ I cleared my throat. ‘Thank you?’
‘Yes, it’s all very nice,’ Vesper said, ‘but don’t forget that if it wasn’t for this horned bastard, you’d still be on Earth, making your own chicken. Whatever that means.’
The Roth growled.
‘Oh. He’s asking if your mate – your partner – would make you the chicken on Earth.’ Vesper scoffed. ‘Very subtle.’
I flushed. ‘I don’t have a partner. And no, they wouldn’t. I’m a chef. I don’t trust anyone else to make my chicken.’
Vesper turned to the Roth. ‘She doesn’t have a mate,’ he repeated, and I realised that the Roth couldn’t understand me any better than I could him. ‘And you should let her make her own chicken.’
The Roth snarled.
Vesper sighed. ‘He said you can’t leave the cell just yet; it’s too dangerous. But he asked if you need anything.’ He twisted his lips. ‘Pillows,’ he continued, without waiting for me. ‘Humanoid species need neck support, do they not? Tell the Prince to give her pillows.’
‘Freedom would be nice,’ I said. ‘But if not that, then yes, pillows.’ I looked around. ‘Is there a shower in there?’
Vesper repeated my question; the Roth made a hissing sound. ‘Yes,’ Vesper confirmed. ‘A light shower, and a waste disposal system.’
My cheeks flushed hot. ‘You mean a toilet?’
Vesper scrunched his face up. ‘I don’t know. Like I said, higher being. I don’tneedto know.’
The Roth snarled.
‘He says do you need a different type of shower?’
‘Water,’ I said, relieved. I decided to push my luck. ‘Humans need alotof showers.’
The Roth gave a sharp nod when Vesper repeated the information, then turned and left the cell, leaving me with the bowl of water. It looked clear and clean; I picked it up and sniffed it, though I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. It smelled fine.
I lifted it to my lips and took a tiny sip, then set the bowl aside carefully. If I got sick, I’d know not to drink more.
‘Smart,’ Vesper said approvingly. ‘Although if they wanted to harm you, there are several more straightforward ways than that.’
‘Why can I understand you? And you can understand me? But the Roth didn’t know what I was saying?’
‘I can understand any species,’ Vesper said breezily. ‘And I can make it so they understand me, regardless of the language I’m actually speaking. So I can speak with both of you, but you can’t speak with each other.’
‘Oh.’ I drew my knees up and hugged them. ‘Do you know his name?’
Vesper looked surprised. ‘I didn’t think to ask. To be fair, I don’t think he knows mine, either.’
‘And the Prince?’
‘Alcide,’ Vesper said, making it sound like a caress. ‘The Prince’s name is Alcide.’
Humans were harder tocare for than I’d anticipated.
