Captivate (Manipulate, Book 2)

Chapter 10

Claire couldn’t seem to avoid the little Crosspoint during her next week on the ship.

She mostly worked in the dining hall and service areas during the quiet hours of the day, polishing goblets and washing clothing by hand. She knew there were more efficient ways to do all these things, but apparently the highest Merith classes preferred the simplicity of manual labor. That was lucky for her, since that kind of work could be taught to anyone (with opposable thumbs) and didn’t require much education. She occasionally saw the Diarena from afar, but Claire didn’t try to speak with her. If the Diarena truly brought the Crosspoint on board merely to ascertain whether she was lying, Claire didn’t want to push her any further. There were at least fifty other guests on board, with their personal servants, plus all the regular ship crew, so usually Claire was able to keep a low profile.

The only person who sought her out was the little Crosspoint, who now seemed to cross her path every time she turned around, and possibly other times that she didn’t realize.

He spoke to her kindly, but Claire didn’t appreciate it. She’d been a prisoner in Faal’s zoo for too long. When the Crosspoint briefly tied her up in his cabin, he’d crossed a line that would take a lot for her to erase.

The day before the ship would reach Selta, Claire was watching from the cooking area and saw him enter the common dining area. All the ship’s guests had food synthesizers in their cabins, but most of them preferred to eat ‘real’ food, prepared by hand. For that, they came to this central dining room where they could receive food appropriate to their species and wealth. Claire was learning that most people in the galaxy thought a lot about food.

Claire needed to leave the dining room now, but she waited until the Crosspoint was politely levitating his trash (seeds, pits, and cores of fruit) to the trash.

She tried to slip out unobtrusively, but it was no good.

“I would like to speak with you again,” she heard the Crosspoint say. “I’m going on from Selta, and may not see you thereafter.”

Claire nodded noncommittally. The thought of Selta made her feel stressed. The Diarena was stopping there for several months, and Claire wasn’t sure what would happen during that time. She hadn’t had the nerve to ask the Diarena whether she might continue to work for her. The Crosspoint seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

“The Diarena stops at Selta. I suppose I will as well,” Claire said.

The Crosspoint smiled, giving a rather disturbing view of wide molars in his mouth. “Excellent! You will have many chances on Selta. I’ve heard there are human cafés springing up already. But before you go, I wanted to introduce my friends to you."

He gestured three Merith toward her, and Claire pursed her lips.

"Friends, this is the human I told you of. An actual human. I have checked.”

“I thought they were furry,” said one of the others, she sounded disappointed.

“No, you’re thinking of the other new species, the one the Vel are sponsoring. The humans are from Earth, part of the Spo Enclave.”

“I’ve heard they’re dangerous,” said another.

“All sentient species are dangerous.”

“I’ve heard they’re mad, as well.”

“Yes, but with a certain sincerity,” her Crosspoint said. "They feel nothing like the Rik when you challenge them."

Claire snorted. Challenge?

He noted her noise. "I won't be the last who mistakes you for a Rik. There are many Rik on Selta.” He looked intently at Claire before gliding away from her. “You dislike deception as much as I do, and I respect that. May peace walk by your side, and truth shine on your head."