Page 6 of Accounting for Drakes

She nodded and smiled. “There are three lights out on the station. I will send maintenance the report.”

“I know you will. Off you go.” He kissed her temple.

She walked away without looking back but rather looking at the station around her. She could see it all. Every part of it. Every ship, life sign, and electrical signal, she could see it all. Abil smiled and headed back to her quarters.

Chapter Two

Mbrak crossed his armsand scowled at Yorath. “You linked your mind to hers?”

Yorath smiled with a dazed expression in his eyes. “Of course. You saw her. She’s beautiful.”

“Very beautiful, with a mind that can track molecules in a star. She now knows every hair on your head, every cell, and the volume of air that you breathe. I would have warned you if you hadn’t been an ass.”

Yorath blinked. “She’s...”

“My accountant. I have another to take over when she goes, but her mind is glorious and terrifying.”

“Oh. She’s a collector.”

“No. She is merely aware. That is how she lived as a child alone on an uninhabited world. She could find food, water, prey. She knew where it all was.”

Yorath frowned. “How did you find her?”

“A mineral survey built a small structure as a base, but parts continued to go missing.”

“She was taking them.”

“She built herself a tiny structure that looked like their base. She made clothing her size out of stolen clothing. She took their dishes and their cups. She was trying to learn to be one of them.”

“But she lacked language.”

“She did. Her parents died before she had learned to speak, so no one spoke to her.”

“How did they capture her?”

“I had to call in assistance from a friend. He went and introduced himself and felt the crushing weight of her eager mind.” Mbrak chuckled. “She almost blanked him. His drake had to come to his aid.”

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