Page 13 of Kiss of Steel

“What kind of work did you do before coming here?” she asked.

This was why he avoided conversations—because they could get sticky. But the lie he’d given Refuge slipped easily off his tongue. “Personnel management.”

“Haven must not have people needing managing either,” she said.

Not the way he managed personnel. He’d come here to put all that behind him. “Hopefully not.” He turned his face to the landscape to end the conversation.

Chapter Six

My ass is broken.

Honoria would almost swear the conveyance driver steered toward every single rock, rut, and hole in the ground. They traveled over a track carved by previous vehicles, but to call it a road or even a path would have been a vast exaggeration. The hard seat offered no cushion or concession, and her butt registered every bump. Crouched in their cages, the eggers had ceased squawking, but they looked no less miserable.

Jason seemed unfazed, stoic and silent, staring out his side of the vehicle. One moment, they’d been having a decent conversation, and then, like someone had flipped a switch, he clammed up. On. Off.

Fine. If he wasn’t going to talk, then she wouldn’t speak to him either!

They got a respite from the monotony when the driver slammed on the brakes to avoid a herd of massive alien beasts. She had almost been thrown from her seat, and Jason had muttered a curse. Perhaps twenty or thirty huge six-legged, horned animals covered in shaggy gray fur had been grazing peacefully and then, without warning, stampeded in front of the conveyance. Resembling an equine-bovine cross, they stood maybe sixteen hands from hoof to withers. They had long faces, narrowing at the nose, tipped by a mean rhinoceros-like horn. A rack of spiked horns protruded from their skulls.

She’d spotted no other wildlife during the long, silent ride.

When she thought her ass couldn’t bear anymore, the driver pulled up to a fence. A blue, four-armed alien pulled open the gate and waved them through.

This must be it.She sat up straighter.

“Look!” she exclaimed, breaking her vow of silence. On her side, a herd of beasts grazed. A few of them lifted their heads to scrutinize the vehicle but then resumed eating. A nearby straggler eyed them with a malevolent gleam, but fortunately it chose not to charge. An animal that size could overturn a conveyance. “Humans are crunchy and good with ketchup,” she murmured.

“What did you say?” Jason’s gaze snapped to her face.

“I wonder how aggressive those animals are.”

“I imagine I’ll find out, since I’m guessing that’s what I’ll be wrangling,” he said. “Those are probably hornigers.”

Minutes later, she spotted a smaller herd of adult animals with calves contained in a paddock outside of a fenced settlement of buildings facing an open quad. Almost a small town, the ranch was bigger than she’d expected.

Aliens from across the galaxy milled around, striding from place to place. A group played a game, tossing a flat disk through a hoop. A winged scaly woman opened the gate, and the conveyance rolled through to stop outside a central building.

A green man with facial gills and a leathery tail emerged with two other aliens who bounded to the rear of the wagon and began unloading.

The green man opened her door. “Welcome to Haven Ranch! I’m Phibious, the foreman.” He offered his arm.

“Thank you.” Gratefully she accepted the assistance and stepped out of the vehicle, every stiff and sore muscle complaining. Jason slid out behind her. “It’s so good to finally arrive,” she said.

Phibious chuckled. “Gozar doesn’t miss a bump, does he?”

The driver glared and stomped into the building.

A worker deposited her trunk by her feet.

“Thank you.” She smiled.

The eggers squawked as their cages were removed from the vehicle.

“While the men unload, I’ll give you a quick orientation.” Phibious beckoned and moved away from the wagon. She followed him, grabbing the handle of her wheeled trunk and dragging it behind her, leaving tracks in the dust. Duffel slung over his shoulder, Jason didn’t offer to help her, not that she’d expected him to.

“I’ll be your point of contact here. You parked in front of the office. If you should need me, check in there. If I’m not there, someone inside can hunt me down. All the main buildings are along this strip. The co-op—also called the mercantile—is that blue building. That’s where you’ll be working.” He looked at Honoria. “Maven runs the place. You’ll be her assistant.”

She nodded. He’d answered her questions before she asked.

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