Page 55 of Star Prince

“I questioned a few merchants just in from Grüma,” she explained. “They say there’s an Earth-dweller with a small crew there. He has two women in with him. One’s a Valkarian. The other is tall, thin, and a bit unusual-looking.”

“In what way?”

“Her hair is shorn off.”

Gann leaned forward, taking the bait. “Go on.”

“She wears an Earth-dweller cap most of the time to cover it. But one gentleman got a glimpse of what’s underneath. It’s green.”

“Green!” Gann exclaimed.

“Well, brownish green. But it looks really green in certain light, they say. One of the merchants remarked that it was a shame she had such awful hair, because she had the face of an angel. A purebredVash Nadahangel.”

“That’s her. It has to be. You say the captain’s an Earth-dweller?”

“Aye.” Lara plopped into the chair next to his. “Which means they might at any time head back to Earth.”

“Or any number of planets in between,” Gann speculated, frowning.

The silver bracelets on Lara’s wrist tinkled as shecalled up Grüma’s coordinates on the nav computer. “I can get us there in precisely”—she studied the data— “two-point-four standard days.”

Satisfaction swelled inside him. Lacing his fingers over his stomach, he reclined in his chair. “I’m in your hands, Lara. Let’s go get her.”

Instead of taking her seat, the tracker tucked the kettacat under one arm and mounted the ladder leading down from the cockpit.

Gann raised a brow. “What in blazes are you doing?”

“Putting the cat out,” she said and ducked out of sight.

By the time he caught up to the woman, she was standing at the top of the exit ramp, nudging the kettacat with her boot.

“I said, go on. Git.” The creature butted its head against Lara’s calves repeatedly until she finally relented and patted its back. Gurgling softly, it brushed at her trousers with one velvety paw. Lara plunked her hands on her hips. “It won’t leave.”

Gann smiled. “Apparently not.”

“I’ll bring it to the freighter next door. Surely its crew can use a kettacat to reduce the vermin population in their cargo holds.” But when she reached for the cat, it rolled onto its back. Clearly at a loss, Lara sighed.

“She wants you to rub her belly,” Gann said. He crouched down and stroked his hand up and over the animal’s warm, silky stomach. The cat writhed,wanting more. “Ah, here too, eh?” he murmured, rubbing his thumb under its chin. The kettacat’s head tipped back and its purrs turned to snorts.

Gann said pointedly, “Notice that even this small creature knows that pleasure is heaven’s gift, a treasure to be shared and savored. See how she tells me just how to please her? I do like that.”

Lara made a small sound in her throat.

He glanced sideways. Her attention was glued to his hands. Her reaction pleased him; he enjoyed having discovered a way to circumvent her self-protective barrier.

He rolled the kettacat over and traced the bumps of its spine with his fingertips. Spreading the toes of its front paws, it arched into his hand, tilting its pelvis toward him.

He noticed Lara shut her eyes, color rising in her cheeks. “We have to leave,” she said. “Put it outside.”

All innocence, he asked, “Why? By now she considers herself part of the crew.”

Lara snatched the animal away and marched with it down the ramp. She lowered the kettacat to the ground. “Take advice from someone who’s been around the frontier awhile; you’re better off on your own.” She gave it a firm push, then she wiped her hands and walked up the ramp.

Mewing, it trotted after her. “What is wrong with it?” She snatched the kettacat up off the ground, holding it in midair, inches from her face. “You knownothing about me. Aye, today I fed you. Tomorrow I might sell your mangy hide to a pelt factory!”

The kettacat told her what it thought of her threat by rubbing its whiskered face against her smooth cheek.

“Bring her along,” he said. “How much trouble can one kettacat be?”

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