Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144433 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 722(@200wpm)___ 578(@250wpm)___ 481(@300wpm)
I don't know how I manage to keep a straight face.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SEVEN
ZHUR
She does not take my offer of education with the grace I expect. Her face twitches, and she looks amused. "I am offering to help," I remind her. "Because you should not have to do things the hard way. You can utilize the tools you have in your house."
"You really are too kind," Maeve says, but she's smiling like it's funny.
At least she's saying I am “kind” now instead of “shit.” "I am trying." I gesture at her. "So what sort of manual labor would you have me do about the house?"
She purses her lips, thinking, and holds her cup of tea. "Well, what are you good at?"
"Diplomacy? Inter-planetary protocol?"
"Neither one's a big need on a farm."
No, I suppose they would not be. I'm also well-versed in praxiian law and honor, but I suppose that isn't very useful here either. "Let us pretend I know nothing, then. What would you have me do?"
Maeve sips her tea, considering. "I guess the same stuff I do. Here's the thing. When they handed me a farm, there were a few instruction booklets on how to run the bots, but nobody tells you how to do anything. They just assume you can figure it out. So I run the bots the best I can, and when things break, or when things look dirty because the bots miss them, I go clean it up. I keep the house tidy." She gestures at her surroundings. "I make food and preserve it as best I can. And I go into town a lot because it sucks to be out here."
"Sucks?"
"Means it's horrible. I don't care for farming."
I am surprised by her confession. All this time I had an image in my head that she enjoyed farming. That she was out here amongst the dirt and the animals by choice, because it made her happy. The realization that she doesn't like it out here either soothes my spirits a little. It makes me feel less alone when I find this miserable. "It is rather rotten, isn't it?"
Her mouth quirks in a reluctant smile. "I don't know if 'rotten' is the word I'd use. It's a huge improvement over my prior circumstances, but I'm more of a people person and out here is just...lonely." She reaches across the table and pats the surface in my direction. "That's why I'm making a project of you."
So I am a project, eh? I find this amusing. "You'll forgive me if I have no great hope to become a farmer."
"Oh, not that part. I'll be happy if you're barely competent after a few weeks. No, I meant you." She draws a circle in the air, indicating my body. "You need a personality makeover."
I draw myself upright, my whiskers flaring in a way that would let any praxiian know he is in dangerous territory. "I beg your pardon."
"That. That right there." She twirls her finger at me. "No normal human is going to respond like that. They would tell me to fuck off or that I was being rude. You sound like the queen of England."
A queen. I sound like royalty. That is exactly what I do not need to sound like. Not if I'm to hide, to blend in. So I try her words. "Fuck off."
Maeve's face brightens and she laughs. "Better, but your timing is still off. Like I was saying, you can stay with me—as long as you work, that is—and try all your shitty phrases and weird commentary on me. And I'll point out that you're being unlikeable and people will want to murder you in your sleep and you can work on fixing things."
My skin grows cold at her words, my body numb.
People will want to murder you in your sleep.
Does...does she know about the coup? I stare at her. Is she working with them? Am I not safe here?
The human does not notice my silence. She continues to chatter on. "I figure a few weeks of us hanging out will be kinda miserable for me, but I'm starting to get used to your shittiness— no offense—and being around me, you can see how the rest of the universe reacts to your prissiness. You can take it down a few notches. Figure out how to get along with people. Not that you're going to be around others. If you need to hide out here, we'll keep you hidden. I'm just talking in general. I can be your sounding board." She pauses. "That's a human expression for someone to try stuff out on and see if it's successful or not."
I manage a nod.
"Great. Cool. I'm glad we came to an agreement."
"I am ready to be rid of the barn," I agree.
Her eyes widen. "Oh, you're not rid of the barn yet. I have to see some actual work before I'm letting you come inside permanently. For now, I'll feed you and clothe you but if you want to come inside, I need to see some effort first."