Page 85 of Keeping Sarah

The Hollinger sisters giggled together, then Jenny asked Ode, “He’s being fussy, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he is.” Amusement tipped up the corners of Ode’s mouth. She was enjoying my predicament way too much. “I can give you our language, so you can speak to him yourselves.”

“How?” Elizabeth asked.

“Another injection. That’s how we all learned English before we landed to pick you up.”

But the nurse was unconvinced. “That…that’s not how language works.”

Ode gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s like you said—our tech is more advanced than your tech. We’ve unlocked a lot of abilities your people do not yet have. I can show you, if you agree to the shot.”

“I’ll do it,” Jenny said immediately.

Elizabeth, the cautious one, hesitated. “And it’s not some strange drug?”

Very calmly, and with more patience than I would possess, Ode said, “No, Elizabeth. It’s not a drug. Not how you mean the word.”

Elizabeth considered her options, and much to my surprise, she decided fairly quickly. “Okay, then yes. I’d like to know Ladrian. And any other language you’ve got laying around here. I’ve always wanted to learn French.”

“Later,” Ode said with a laugh as she grabbed a different jet injector from a drawer. “We try to do one language a day, so we don’t overload the language center in the brain.”

Elizabeth stuck her arm out for Ode and received her Ladrian language shot. “This is…I feel so…I feel fine. Just foggy.” Her brows furrowed. “Is that normal?”

Jenny tipped her head at her sister. “What did you say?”

“It’s normal. Don’t worry,” Ode explained in our dialect. “Your brain is sorting between the languages and that can take some getting used to.” Then she turned to Jenny and, in English, said, “She’s adjusting to Ladrian. Are you ready for your shot, too?”

Jenny nodded eagerly. “Yes, please.”

Ode injected Jenny, and the two sisters talked back and forth, giggling at the way they sounded.

Once they were comfortable speaking in Ladrian, Ode asked, “Would you mind if the rest of us went back to our normal appearances like Deacon? We didn’t want to do it all at once and overwhelm you.”

From the corner of the infirmary, Treg spoke up. “I’m the only one here who isn’t Ladrian, and some people find the way my species looks to be off-putting, so if you want me to stay human, I will.”

Jenny smiled at him. “That’s very considerate, Treg, but please, I think we would both be happier if you were all comfortable, whatever way you look.”

Her sister nodded. “We are guests in your home. We’re not here to make you uncomfortable or judge your appearance. That would be rude of us.”

Treg appeared a little nervous. “Alright, but if you prefer human me, just let me know.”

Then he pressed the button on his belt and de-mogged. He was taller than them, to be sure, but I assumed it was his green gelatinous body that made them jump back and gasp.

Very quickly, Treg said, “I can switch back to human anytime—"

“No, no,” Jenny said quickly as she walked up to him, fixated on his new appearance. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude. But what species are you?”

“Gorrk.”

“And this is how all of you look?” she asked, eyes wide as she took in his shape and size. “Translucent and brightly colored?”

“Jenny, don’t call him colored!” Elizabeth chided her. “And stop staring. You’re making him uncomfortable, can’t you tell?”

“I’m so sorry, Treg,” Jenny said, immediately sounding contrite. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

Treg chuckled and his body jiggled. “You didn’t offend me. The few humans on Orhon, some of them scream and run away from us Gorrks, so being asked respectful questions is a lot better than what I had expected, being your first Gorrk. And to answer your question, we come in every color, some that are outside the spectrum of human vision, even.”

A wondrous smile wreathed Jenny’s face. “That’s fascinating.”

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