“A most judicious investment if it pays off,” he remarked. “But rather a gamble, don’t you think? What if this Senator won’t pay for the female? You’ll be out a lot of money.”
“A calculated risk,” Need assured him. “I was hoping to see if our course would take us by Genu Six, so I can off-load her as soon as possible.”
“Not right away, I’m afraid,” Glo’ll responded. “I just got word from my contact in the Goddess’s Cloak and we’re picking up a load of Yarrow root on Felicitus Twelve. I’m afraid that’s across the galaxy from Genu-Six.”
“Yes, it is.” Need frowned. “Where are we planning on selling it?”
Glo’ll shrugged, yellow flowers sprouting along his shoulders.
“I’ll leave that up to you, First Mate. If you can find us a planet that has a good, competitive market near Genu Six, you’ll be able to unload your new female and hopefully recoup your losses. If not…” He shrugged again. “I’m afraid you’ll be stuck with her for a while. You really should have asked me before buying her instead of just assuming we could make a side-trip explicitly for your personal gain.”
Need repressed a sigh. He should have known that Glo’ll would be miffed at his bringing a new person aboard without asking first.
“I would have asked,” he said. “But…I sort of bought her on the spur of the moment. I saw an opportunity and I seized it, that’s all.”
“Not thinking ahead isn’t like you, Needrix.” Glo’ll frowned and a few leaves around his face withered. “This opportunity you seized—it wouldn’t happen to be just because Drung was trying to seize it at the same time, would it?”
So they were back to that. Need ground his teeth when he thought of the fucking Trollox complaining to their captain.
“Drung just happened to be bidding on her at the same time—I won because I wanted her more,” he said evenly. “Besides, I couldn’t let him have her. She’s a tiny little thing—it’s fucking obscene to think of that huge bastard trying to mate with her!”
A few of Glo’ll leaves curled up and the crown of curious flowers around his head wilted.
“As I have said many times, I don’t care to hear about the stupid and inefficient way you meat creatures reproduce yourselves. Coupling and gestation is such a time-consuming process. Have you even tried budding? It’s so quick and easy.”
“I’m afraid it’s not possible for my kind,” Need said, trying to suppress his irritation. Captain Glo’ll wasn’t bad to work for, but like most Cytovians, he was undeniably arrogant in his belief that non-plant based species were below him and his people.
“A definite failing on your part,” Glo’ll remarked. “Well, I’ll look forward to meeting this female ‘investment’ of yours at Last Meal this evening.”
“About that…” Need cleared his throat. “I was hoping that she could be excused from attending Last Meal while she’s aboard The Dark Star. I’m afraid it will cause friction between myself and Drung, since he also wanted her.”
The leaves all around Glo’ll’s glowing golden eyes suddenly wilted and a few short thorns appeared at his temples, looking almost like horns.
“You know my policy, Needrix. Every person aboard the ship—whether meat-based or plant-based—must attend Last Meal nightly. You can’t bring another person on board and then try to hide them away from sight. I have to know everyone on The Dark Star in order to run an efficient crew.”
You mean in order to be certain no one is plotting against you, Need thought. The Cytovian was suspicious to the point of paranoia at times, which was probably the reason behind his ‘everyone at the dinner table’ policy. He liked to keep an eye on his crew, and making sure he looked every one of them in the eye at least once a day, was one way to do that.
“All right,” he said, knowing there was no point in arguing. “She’ll be there.”
“Very good.” The thorns disappeared and green leaves took their place. “Then please plot the course and get us underway. I’d like to be on our way to the Goddess’s Cloak by the time we sit down to eat tonight.”
“Yes, Captain.” But still Need hesitated.
“Yes?” Glo’ll gave him an irritated look. “Is there something else?”
“Just one thing.” Need cleared his throat. “The uh, wash blossoms in my fresher, they seemed to have a…a strange affinity for the girl. Is that normal?”
“An affinity, you say?” A few yellow and white flowers popped up around Glo’ll’s forehead. “How exactly do you mean?”
Need cleared his throat again, trying to think how to explain without giving too much away.
“They, er, attached themselves to, uh, sensitive parts of her anatomy,” he said at last. “And I could hardly get them off. It was like they didn’t want to leave her alone.”
“Well is she putting out some kind of pheromone? Or possibly making some kind of sweet secretion?”