Dez remained quiet, and the low hum of the air recirculators filled the space. “How’s it going with helping Blaize?”
“Good.” Wasn’t it? “I mean, I think it’s good. I was able to help her reattach the lighting ballast and with a couple other tasks.” Was Dez there to end the arrangement? Did Blaize not feel comfortable enough to tell him?
“Captain asked me to visit. Make sure you understood the trust Blaize is giving you by letting you help her in the most sensitive areas of the ship.”
“Blaize and the captain have nothing to worry about. I’m happy to have some activity. And to be honest, it’s a lot easier for me not to be in hiding the entire trip.” Even though technically he still wasn’t in his true form.
“Before this arrangement, when Blaize was bringing things to you here, she mentioned that you had a lot of knowledge of the ship. May have even been getting out of the cell.”
Cifer stroked the back of his neck. How could he explain without lying? “I did a bit of roaming before I was discovered. But once I agreed to be held in the cell, I haven’t…escaped.” True, he never completely left the cell, although he may have stretched the boundaries. “I would never hurt anyone on the ship. I’m not violent. I don’t contract for violence. I do contract to recover items. Sometimes items of dubious provenance or by dubious means, I’ll admit.”
Dez nodded and sat silent for a moment. He glanced up at the grate over the bathing alcove where the orb Cifer had stashed to keep from handling it too much glowed a soft-pink radiance. “Tell me about this.”
“I don’t know much.”
Dez waited.
Cifer understood the silence game, even used it. But in this case, he was not on equal footing. “There was a contract put out by the royal family of Hiargus.”
“Don’t know much about that planet.”
“Never been there myself, but I hear it’s a nice place, natural resources aplenty. But they tend to spend more time investing in other planets, keep to themselves.” Cifer was speaking from research. He hadn’t been there yet.
“Pretty far from Kolben.”
“What isn’t?” Cifer laughed, but Dez stayed quiet. “This orb that I’m transporting, they use it somehow in their royal marriage ceremonies. Some wayward prince got his hands on it and tried to sell it, but he got picked up for other bad behavior and accepted a sentence on Kolben. Not sure he fully comprehended the situation. I have to get the little shiny ball back home in time for the next royal wedding, or all hell will break loose. Theoretically.”
Dez narrowed his eyes and glared at the grate.
“In fact, besides paying for my transportation to Cassan, I’d like to discuss contracting The Treasure to take me Hiargus.”
“Seems like overkill to book a ship this large for such a long trip.”
“The length of the trip is what makes the ship compelling. Not sure where else I’d find a ship with a greenhouse and a chef.”
“Chef?” Dez laughed. “Hardly. Just a better cook than anyone else on board. Believe me.”
“How did you end up on Kolben? I understand there was a contract to deliver you? I mean, why would you ever leave Din’ Gale?” Another planet Cifer had only researched but been intrigued by.
“Kolben wasn’t my original destination when I left home. I lived on Baxianous with the man who bought my lifetime servitude. His heirs sold the contract.” Dez crossed his arms, his missing hand noticeable. “The purchasers contracted Cyra to deliver me.”
“And you two stuck to that plan?” It was obvious they were partners, lovers.
“She’s honorable. As am I.” Dez gave Cifer a pointed look that didn’t quite land. Cifer was honorable as well, within his own code of conduct, which admittedly had some gray areas.
“Are you planning to settle down on Din’ Gale now that you’re not bound to the Kolben contract?”
Dez chuckled. “My mate is committed to her ship and her crew. And I am committed to her.”
What would that be like? To have a person you would sacrifice your life and family for? Cifer would never know personally, since he had no family left to sacrifice for. At least, none he could ever return to.
“What about you?” Dez nudged Cifer, tearing him away from what would have been a series of dark thoughts. “Your people? Or planet?”
Cifer considered using his standard blow-off answer about the Universe could only handle one of his species. But Dez had been honest with him. “My planet of origin is on the far side of the galaxy. At one time, a wormhole connected it to the rest of the NOAH planets, but that no longer exists.”
“You can’t do a long journey? We went to Kolben from Din’ Gale without using the ER bridges.”
Cifer smothered his lost-child emotions. “Sadly, no ship capable of that particular journey exists. Even if I could find or build one, it would require cryogenics to make the trip without the bridge.”
