Page 10 of Clan and Crave

“It’s very good to meet you, Conyod. Do me afavor and try to eat a couple more bites, then we’ll go to thelocal precinct.”

“Okay. I’ll try for you.”

Chapter Three

Conyod, age 15

Conyod scowled at the law enforcementpsychologist who’d been grilling him for almost two hours. “I gottired of being bothered about chores and schoolwork. I wanted abreak, so I left.”

“Two weeks ago.”

“Like I said.”

“Here’s the problem, Conyod.” Thepsychologist, a Dramok who’d introduced himself as Tyaru, leanedtoward him. He smiled confidentially, as if they were old friendswho trusted their secrets to each other. “You’re too thin forsomeone who’s been on his own for two weeks. Especially for someonewho admits he brought a week’s worth of food when he ran off. Youhave the look of a boy who’s been neglected for a long time.”

Conyod bristled. “Hardly. Until I snuck off,my family knew where I was every second of the day. They run asuccessful kestarsh ranch. We have plenty of food. I just don’t eatmuch.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not hungry!”

“No need to get excited, Conyod. Prior toleaving home, when did you last get a decent night’s sleep?”

Stupid questions, and Tyaru kept asking themover and over. Why didn’t he just call Conyod’s parent clan to pickup their runaway son? What was he trying to prove?

At least Sletran had been true to his wordand the authorities had allowed him to stick close. The Nobek satnext to Conyod in the small conversation area in a corner ofTyaru’s small, dingy office. When the young Imdiko looked atSletran, he gave him a smile of encouragement.

It was as if the soldier actually cared.Conyod doubted he did, but he appreciated the show. Sletran wasobviously a good man as well as the perfect protective Nobek.Conyod found himself wishing he could move closer to him and haveSletran put his arm around him for comfort.

“Conyod? How well do you sleep at home?”Tyaru pressed.

“Like shit.”

His profanity elicited no reaction from thepsychologist. “Why not?”

“I have nightmares. Don’t you ever have baddreams?” He was becoming confrontational, but he was tired of theinterrogation. Send me home and leave me alone.

“I have nightmares. Every night? No. Is thathow often you have bad dreams?”

Try two or three a night. Conyod wasdone answering his questions, however. “I want to com my parents.It’s time they came and got me.”

“Letting you go home might be impossible, I’mafraid.”

Conyod stared at him. Was he in trouble forstealing produce from the farm? A vision of him stuck in acontainment cell, surrounded by criminals, stabbed ice in hisheart. “Why? Am I being charged? I took only a couple handfuls ofberries!”

“Easy, Conyod. You aren’t in trouble.”

“Then why can’t I go home?”

Tyaru glanced at Sletran. “Well, it may beyour parents aren’t doing their duty by you as they should. Theydid report you missing, but you’re underweight, a sign of neglect.Perhaps the issue is inattention to your needs. Something’sobviously wrong at home, especially since you ran away.”

Conyod sat staring at him, his mouth hangingopen. Neglect? Tyaru thought his parents weren’t paying attentionto him?

Laughter surprised him as much as Tyaru andSletran, but once it started, he couldn’t stop. He sat on thecushion, whooping peals until his ribs hurt and tears flooded hischeeks. He howled laughter until he nearly passed out from lack ofbreath. Sletran did put his arm around him then, to keep Conyodfrom crumpling full-length on the floor.

“Oh, ancestors,” he wheezed when he finallybegan to regain control. “That’s…that’s incredible. Neglect. Oh,you…you actually think…”

He had to stop or he’d give in to hystericalmirth again.

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