Her mouth felt like cotton, with a heavy dose of dust and grit added for texture and flavor. She swallowed to ease the dryness, the effort wasted as it was like swallowing sandpaper. She needed a drink but hadn’t brought any water with her since the ship had been nearly stripped bare before they’d stolen it from the docking bay. She shouldn’t complain. They’d been lucky to get away.
Juliette sank behind a large purple shrub, careful to stay hidden. The tree line was elevated, affording her the best view of the town from her vantage point. She spent precious minutes there watching the comings and goings of the various inhabitants of the small area. Some were humanoid, others not. She’d seen plenty of Caldorians since their arrival on Earth two years ago. Caldorians were the Intergalactic Council’s choice for introducing new worlds to intergalactic trade.
Caldorians were bigger, stronger, and faster than humans, but could still pass for human except for their markings. Beautiful, swirling patterns in all different colors. Some Caldorians were covered from head to toe in markings, others had almost none. She knew there had been other beings visit Earth, but she hadn’t seen any herself. Earth was slowly opening its doors for intergalactic travelers in very limited numbers. Nothing like she was seeing here.
Part of her wanted to do nothing but sit and stare. Revel in being on another planet. Beings of all sizes and shapes walked about freely. They didn’t look lost, as if they were travelers, yet they also didn’t appear to be part of a cohesive community. Many were hooded or walked with their heads down, as if they didn’t want to be seen. “Oh my god, it’s like being in a Star Wars movie.”
While the small town was bustling with activity, people hurrying from one dwelling to another, she saw no children. No evidence of family life. Not good.
Each dwelling was different in shape and color, yet they were all made of a sandy material, much like stucco. A few buildings were slightly taller than the others, but primarily built with only one level. Small signs hung over the doors, presumably identifying the dwelling as a store of some sort. Hmm. Reminds me of cities built in earthquake zones. All low to the ground. No skyscrapers. What had the A.I. unit said on the ship? This planet was blacklisted by the Council. Civilized beings don’t visit the dusty, backwards world. Vendors traffic advanced technologies here but don’t use them because that would draw too much attention, and no decent, law abiding people travel this far from other, more modern worlds besides black-market vendors, blood traffickers, or people looking for those items. Juliette shifted uncomfortably. Sticking around longer than absolutely necessary was not advised.
She worked her way stealthily toward the alley between the first two buildings. Walking through the front doors didn’t seem like a good idea. She still didn’t have a translator, so she would be unable to read any of the signs, even if she were close enough to make out individual characters. If she were to ask the wrong person for help, she could end up in a lot of trouble, especially if the Vilitos really had issued a bounty for human females. She and Torrin had just escaped. She certainly didn’t want to be grabbed off the streets, then sold into the blood market. She shuddered, her mind going to very dark places.
You have a job to do. It’s time to remember where you came from. Stay in the moment. You know how to get what you need. You know how to blend in. Thrive on dangerous streets. Focus on what you need to survive. Put everything else aside and do what needs to be done. Focus!
Juliette gave herself a mental pep-talk as she made her way to the next building. The back door was slightly ajar, and she could smell something delicious cooking. A stew, perhaps. She licked her lips. Maybe on the way back she could pinch a couple of bowls for Torrin and herself.
Juliette straightened her spine and pushed all thoughts of food from her mind. She knew how to focus past a rumbling stomach. She’d spent years hungry. A missed meal or two was nothing in comparison. The first thing she needed was some sort of covering. Something big enough to hide most of her face. A coat or shawl, perhaps. She’d seen a few cloaks, as well. That would be even better.
She peeked inside the open door. A large gray creature stood on three tentacle-like legs, with a bulbous head and four tentacles for arms. Luckily his back was to her, one tentacle stirring a large pot and another kneading a ball of dough about the size of a small beach ball. He was gurgle-chattering from a small beak. Is he singing? Sounds awful, like a parakeet crossed with a screeching monkey.
Juliette didn’t waste any more time staring at the creature. She needed to change her clothing if she had any hope of blending in. Hanging on a peg next to the door was a large black garment. It would have to do. Without hesitating, she silently lifted it off the peg and started walking toward the next building, pulling the garment on as she walked.
She pushed one arm through what she thought was the sleeve. Halfway in, her hand met resistance. She pulled her arm out and tried another, only to get stuck again. Grumbling, she looked for the largest opening. Surely that was for her head. She pushed her head through the opening, which was so big, the entire thing slipped right off. Juliette looked around nervously. She couldn’t afford to waste time on a stupid cloak, but couldn’t afford to go without one, either. She struggled, at last using a smaller hole for her head and using some of the extra sleeves as a belt. I look ridiculous. Like a clown in a giant octopus costume.
The bottom hem reached her mid-calf. Pulling a very large hood up over her head, she cringed as the tip drooped well past her nose, leaving only her mouth exposed. She couldn’t see much, but at least she was covered. She looked down at her brightly colored, flower print clogs. They practically shouted, ‘Hey there, I’m not from around here’. She scowled. She might have to run. She needed shoes that wouldn’t fall off or trip her up. No way could she take them off. Besides, they were her absolute favorite pair of shoes. They weren’t fancy. They were comfortable and she could work long, long hours before her feet started to hurt. Giving them up was out of the question.
She hunched over, hoping the cloak would sufficiently cover the offending shoes. Not bad. Not bad at all. I think I actually fit in better all stooped over. At least I don’t necessarily look like a bipedal humanoid. She swished the sleeves around and gave a small, inelegant snort. No. This is much better. Now I look like a floppy lobster blob.
She carefully checked each pocket of her new cloak, hoping to find money or something she could use to pay for the maju water, assuming she could find any, and sighed. No such luck. No one’s going to give me that water for free. I’ll just have to steal some money then, or something valuable that’s worth trading. Juliette grinned beneath her hood and whispered, “My specialty.”
She had no idea who would have maju water. She peeked inside the next building. Hopefully if she found the right place, all she’d have to do is say ‘maju’ and they should be able to understand what she wanted. After all, maju water wasn’t from Earth. They would recognize the name, right?
She glanced toward the sun. On Earth, the day would be nearing late afternoon. Stealing in broad daylight she grouched to herself. Perfect. No one ever sees that.
Juliette kept her head down as she walked to another building, only slowing slightly when she saw humanoid creatures with long pointy ears across the street. They were sitting at round tables, talking quietly. Eating. Twitching their ears from side to side. She squeezed her eyes shut, counted to three, then opened them again. No way am I seeing this. She put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Alien elves with long pointy antenna ears? She couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Luckily no one noticed the sound as she hurried past.
From the relative safety of the darkened alley, she stood quietly watching as strange furry balls of fluff rolled by, followed by tall skinny gray aliens. She held her breath, praying they wouldn’t see her, trembling with fear. She’d seen too many creepy alien abduction movies. They were smart. Fast. Cruel. Juliette shivered. She definitely didn’t want to get near one of those.
Precious moments slipped
past as Juliette calmed herself. Eventually turning her attention back to the other passersby, she assessed each one, looking for someone who was distracted. She needed an easy target, but because everyone there was either looking for something illegal or selling it, they were all probably paranoid. On the lookout for danger. Hyper aware of their surroundings. Stealing a weapon, or money, wouldn’t be as easy as she’d hoped. An hour went by. Two. The planet’s three small suns began to set, turning the sky a burnt orange. Worry set in. She was out of time. She needed that maju water. Now.
She’d estimated the strangely growing wound on Torrin’s back would reach a vital organ within eight hours of landing. She’d wasted almost four counting the time it had taken her to get from the ship to where she was standing. She’d need an hour to get back, and she had no idea where to find the maju water. That left three hours. Torrin was running out of time. She would have to take a chance.
Juliette took a step, ready to give up her hiding spot when at last, one man in particular stood out from the rest. He was exiting a small, nondescript brown structure. A hovel, really, without any windows and a door that hung crookedly. There was no sign. No one had been in or out the entire time she’d been standing there, she was sure of it.
She sank back into the deeper shadows, watching as the man walked toward her, then past. He was large but slumped over slightly like he had a weak back or an old injury, with a lump at the base of his neck under the hood. Either he’s deformed or he’s carrying something on his back. Something heavy, perhaps, that would make it difficult to run, especially with that bad leg he’s dragging. Hard to chase me if I screw this up.
Juliette smiled to herself and began to keep pace with her new target from a safe distance as he limped his way slowly down the street, her eyes drawn to the beautiful dagger she glimpsed at his waist when he stumbled. Hmm… either he’s the easiest mark ever or he’s trying to get mugged. Could he be part of a larger group? Is he just the bait?
She looked ahead and behind the man. She didn’t see anyone else. Perhaps he really was alone. She didn’t have much choice now, even if he wasn’t. She slowly closed the gap between them. As she drew close, he pressed into the crowd. She saw her chance, bumping him from behind while simultaneously lifting the dagger from his belt. Hopefully, all he would feel was her shoulder plowing into his side, “accidentally” knocking them both off balance. She mumbled incoherently, kept her head down, walking past him like it was no big deal. With the dagger now hidden in her own voluminous cloak, she walked on, not stopping until she was two streets away and around the next corner.
Smiling in triumph, she used her sense of touch to examine the dagger still hidden in her cloak. The blade was etched, faded and worn with time. She knew from seeing the dagger before that it had ruby red crystals inlaid on the hilt. Not a bad prize, considering she hadn’t used those particular skills in almost five years. Not since she’d left the streets back home, determined to make something of herself; become a nurse. Now to find the maju water.
Juliette thought about all the buildings she’d passed. None actually seemed any better than the brown one she’d seen her target exiting. She knew from experience that the plainer the building on the outside, the more likely something devious was going on inside. The complete lack of windows was another giveaway. What better place to hide the most precious of items? Of course, everyone was hiding something on this planet. She sighed in frustration. Indecision.
Should she go with her gut instinct or start her search at the first building she came across and work her way methodically down the line? She peeked around the corner, back the way she’d come. The smart thing to do would be to forget the nondescript brown one with no windows. She tried to convince herself there was nothing special about it. The people inside might even recognize the dagger she was planning to barter. Know she’d stolen it. Going in there could be a very bad idea.
Juliette shifted from one foot to the other, moving restlessly with indecision. She knew the stakes. Knew she couldn’t afford to make a mistake. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that the nondescript brown one was where she needed to go. Following her intuition had saved her more than once. “So, the plain brown one it shall be,” she whispered to herself, setting off in that direction.
Walking with renewed purpose, Juliette made her way down the street, careful to use reflective surfaces to see behind her, making sure no one was following her. At last, she came to the door she wanted. Needed. Grabbing the door handle, she pulled. The door remained solidly shut. Okay. Don’t panic. Happens all the time back home. A piece of shit door is a piece of shit door on any planet. Maybe I have to push it open.
Juliette pushed on the door. Still nothing. She looked for a doorbell. A biometric scanner. Anything. She even waved her hand like a magic wand. Still nothing. She glanced over her shoulder. People were beginning to stare. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Checking her hood to make sure her face remained covered, she knocked. Cleared her throat nervously. Knocked again. Waited. Finally, the door opened. Standing on the other side was a squat, toothless old man with blue hair, matching blue freckles, and tiny round spectacles perched on the end of his nose. Definitely not what she was expecting.
The old man looked her up and down, then slammed the door. How rude. He doesn’t even know what I want!
Juliette wasn’t about to give up. She pounded on the door, not stopping until the old man opened up a second time. He glared. She waited. He glared some more. She waited. If she wasn’t in such a hurry, she could’ve played this game all day. As it was, Torrin needed maju water, she was out of time and short on patience. She tapped her foot.
Finally, he relented and stepped back, allowing her to enter. Beneath her hood, she looked around in fascination. She couldn’t help wanting to soak in every detail. Plants were everywhere. Some large, some small, all different colors. She was apparently in a nursery of some kind. Next to the plants, on small shelves, were bottles of every size, shape, and color. Hmm…natural remedies, perhaps? The nurse in her wanted to stop and stare. Ask questions. Instead, she quietly followed the old man as he ushered her into a back room. Pointing at a curtain in the far corner, he turned on his heel and left.
Her heart raced as she neared the curtain. Someone was moving around behind the thin barrier. This was it. The moment of truth. She clenched the dagger hidden beneath her cloak with clammy hands. If she didn’t get the maju water here, she doubted there would be time to go through this again. Torrin would die. Pain stabbed her heart. No. Stop thinking like that. He’s going to make it.
From behind the curtain stepped two very large, smoking hot alien men in their early thirties. One had light hair and deep brown eyes, the other dark hair and hazel eyes. The larger of the two men, the dark haired one, crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as he took in her makeshift cloak.
Juliette licked dry lips and cleared her throat. Here goes nothing. “Maju?”
The man’s eyes narrowed even more, taking on a hard glint. “Maju?”
“Maju,” she agreed, relieved he understood. She didn’t want to speak any more than necessary. “Maju.”
The two men turned away from her, talking. She heard the word maju several times, so assumed they were discussing her request. Wishing she had a translator more than ever, she strained to hear any other words she might understand, but the effort was wasted.
Finally, she’d had enough and cleared her throat. Loudly. “The maju?”
“Maju?” the larger, dark haired man turned and asked her again.
“Uh…” She hesitated. I guess he’s asking for payment of some kind? She pulled out the dagger and placed it on the table, keeping one hand on the hilt. The other she placed on the cylinder. “Trade?”
The blond man walked back behind the curtain, returning moments later with two small silver cylinders, which he placed on the counter and nodded. “Maju,” he said, along with a string of words Juliette had no hope of understanding.
Juliette gripped the dagger, slowly pulling it off the counter. “You understand me. That’s good, I guess.” Her heart slammed as she struggled to keep her breathing calm and even. She couldn’t afford to show fear. “I need maju water, but I’ll take whatever you have. Are you willing to trade?”
“It’s hard to say for sure under that… thing… you’re wearing, but you do not seem injured. Maju water is for serious injury,” the lighter haired man spoke, crossing his arms and scowling as he looked her up and down.”
Her soft gray eyes hardened like stone as she looked to the larger man. “I have friends, of course, watching this place. Waiting. Ready.”
“Friends in need of maju water?” the dark-haired man asked with a smirk, his hazel eyes full of suspicion.
“Yes, one of them, if you must know.” She placed the dagger on the counter once again. “And this fine dagger should more than cover the cost.”
“For maju paste, perhaps. But not maju water,” he countered. “That’s much more expensive. Rare. How did you hear about us?”
“That’s none of your business. Now, I’m willing to trade my dagger for maju water,” she shook her head, exasperated. “Take it or leave it.” Placing the dagger on the countertop once more, she waited silently, refusing to show them how afraid she was in that moment.
“But you do have something else far more valuable than that old thing,” said the lighter haired man.
Alien Knight Steals The Bride Page 4
