Page 32 of The Alien's Major Dilemma

As Cooper's panic eased, she could feel his curiosity, then his astonishment, at the situation. She was overwhelmed momentarily by his frustration at the language and shesympathized. There was a nagging feeling in the back of her brain that she should understand what they were saying.

More light reflected off the walls, and Marissa could tell she was lying on a stiff fabric cot over a metal frame that looked remarkably familiar. She still couldn't move much and that was starting to become a more urgent problem.

The corridor opened abruptly into the largest cave Marissa had ever seen. Soft lights radiated from the walls and pillars that had been built throughout what she could see of the space. Something about the sound wasn't right, though.

She felt like she'd had cotton stuffed in her ears. There wasn't enough noise for the number of people surrounding her moving through such a large space.

"…dampeners…" drifted through her mind in Cooper's voice.

It felt like he'd turned to her in a conversation and she strained to hear the rest of what he was saying.

"Don't shout, I can hear you," he grumbled. "And I was saying that they were using sound dampeners."

"How can I hear you?" she asked.

"I want to think it's because our bond has become stronger, but I don't think so. Somehow, they've devised something that increases their ability to communicate without speech. Probably because of the sound dampeners. I wonder how long they've been running."

Marissa caught sight of another column and felt a shiver run up her spine. "I think they've been down here for a while, if the architecture is period."

"Well, that's annoying," Cooper said.

"Why?"

"Cause they're not a rescue party that got here before I sent my signal. I was kinda hoping for that."

"Was that likely?"

"No," he admitted. "But every other option is worse. Especially if they've been here a while."

An abrupt halt that nearly rolled her off her stretcher cut her next question off. Marissa struggled against the bonds to keep herself from falling and stilled at the hand that gripped her arm.

"Is this the intruder?" the voice asked. It sounded ancient, hoarse, as though it came from a throat that hadn't been used for speech in a very long time.

"Yes, sir," one of her captors said.

"Why is she here?"

"She was in his ship. We understand she was captured from the nearby base and he was going to negotiate her return in exchange for other alien technology."

"Has she been harmed?" the first voice asked. Marissa suddenly knew that they were speaking aloud for her benefit. Her first reaction was suspicion that they were hiding another conversation, followed by gratitude at being included.

"Had he managed to make a deal yet?"

"No, sir, we believe we got to them before he was able. There are others looking for her but the trail will have gone cold by the time they arrive."

"Good," the ancient voice said. "We will make arrangements for her return but make sure she has been unharmed by this action."

"Yes, sir." Movement just out of her line of sight preceded her cot being lifted again.

"Wait," Marissa called. Or tried to. The word came out more like a whisper, and she was sure they didn't hear her.

She struggled to protest, to be heard while she was taken away from her mate. Cooper's own protests echoed in her mind, fading with each step away, until she couldn't hear anything but the low murmurs of whoever was carrying her.

Darkness surrounded her as they entered another corridor and she tried to breathe. It was harder, this time, and the only part of the poem she could remember were the last two lines.

One to watch, one to pray,

And two to bear my soul away.

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