Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105936 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“Excuse me, what did you just call me?” I asked, frowning. What the hell was a “Catamite?” I was afraid to ask.
“Now I see why the Captain hired two of you,” Jerx remarked, ignoring my question. “One to navigate and one to service the crew. Mighty fuckin’ nice of him. The long nights do get real lonely when we’re between planets and ain’t got no female company.”
More laughter from the other Brutes but in the meantime, I was feeling worse and worse about the situation.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I exclaimed, trying to keep my voice from trembling. “I was hired for Cross Dimensional Navigation only.”
“Yeah, right.” Jerx gave me a predatory grin. “See you later, Catamite.”
He disappeared back into the Crew Quarters along with the other crew members, leaving me and Snuffy alone. Down the corridor, Frux had finally gotten past Gurflug and now the bulky Galafruxian was making his laborious way back to us.
“What’s a Catamite—do you know?” I asked Snuffy quickly, before he could get to us.
The Illyrian’s cabin boy shook his head, his long nose twitching.
“I was afraid of this. Don’t know why the Captain thought it was a good idea to hire someone so young and pretty with this rough bunch around. I’m afraid you’ll have to watch your backside if you don’t want to get drilled, navvie,” he said to me.
“But what’s a—” I began again, but just then Gurflug finally reached us and Snuffy continued on down the corridor, leaving me with questions that had no answers.
We finally got to a door marked “Navigator’s Quarters” and Snuffy opened it with a flourish.
“Here’s your bunks, boys,” he said, nodding at me and Gurflug. “Get your uniforms on quick-like and come back to the bridge on the double. On the double.”
Since I was standing just inside the door with him, I could see the layout of the room and what I saw made my heart sink.
The Navigator’s quarters were tiny—smaller than the smallest guest bathroom in my father’s house. There was a double bunkbed pushed against one wall and then a narrow area beside it where you could stand to get dressed and that was it. There wasn’t even a storage area for clothes—just a lot of hooks on the opposite wall, presumably for hanging our uniforms at night and our pajamas during the day.
It occurred to me that the pajamas I had brought with me in my single carry-all bag were covered in pink flower buds and more than a little girly. Was that going to be a problem?
Everything was going to be a problem, I had to acknowledge to myself. From sharing a bunk with Gurflug to taking communal showers with males who thought I was “pretty,” life aboard The Illyrian wasn’t going to be easy.
Should I go, I wondered? Should I leave right now before we got underway and just try to hide out somewhere on the streets of Rigelis Nine? But no—my father’s men were sure to find me. And then I’d be stuck getting Bound to Grr. Malofice and being miserable the rest of my life. I would just have to tough it out somehow.
My resolve was immediately shaken when Gurflug shoved past me and claimed the top bunk.
“Hey, that doesn’t make sense!” I protested, as he heaved his bulk up into the narrow berth. “You’d fit much better in the bottom—you’re too heavy to be on top!”
“As the Head Navigator, I get first choice of bunks,” he sneered at me. “And don’t you forget it, pup!”
“You’re not the Head Navigator!” I protested. “The Captain hired us both equally.”
“Then why am I getting double your pay? Because I have more seniority and experience—which makes me the senior officer.” He settled into the bunk and let out a huge blast of flatulence that made me wince and step back with my hand over my nose.
I eyed the bottom bunk ruefully. I didn’t feel like it was safe to sleep there. Already I could see the mattress springs of the top bunk sagging ominously. What if they gave way and Gurflug fell through on top of me? Or what if the entire top bunk just collapsed? Either way, I would be crushed.
“You can fight about bunks later. Right now get dressed. The Captain is waiting for you. Yes he is. Yes he is,” Snuffy told us.
Then he skittered away, leaving me alone with Gurflug and a single thought in my mind…
Oh Goddess—I don’t know if I can handle this!
But it seemed like I didn’t have a choice.
10
TURK
Iwatched from the Captain’s chair as my two new navigators came back up the Gensen’s tube and onto the bridge. The huge Galafruxian struggled to get his bulk through the narrow opening but the boy was quick enough. However, Gurflug came first and despite his size, he made it to the navigator’s station first.