Page 25 of On A Rift's Edge
“Yes, I’m human, and my name is Kat.” He got those words out, trying to sound calm and nonthreatening.
“Cats and dogs, living together.” The hopper burst into laughter again, this time with a distinctive bubbling sound. “You look more like agatitothan a tomcat. You know that word?”
Kat nodded. His Spanish was better than his Japanese, to his parents’ despair, and he knew the word meant kitten. He didn’t appreciate the joke at his expense, but this wasn’t a good time to complain. He needed to form a connection with the hopper so he didn’t end up dead. “What’s your name?”
“Earth creatures are so odd.” The hopper released his hold on Kat, acting like a mere human wasn’t much of a threat. Which was, unfortunately, true. “My human name is Teo. Do you like it?”
“It’s a very nice name,” Kat said with as much enthusiasm as he could muster. “My friend’s name is Lyall, and I’m sure if you let him out of that giant bowl of jelly we could all talk reasonably about this.”
Teo apparently found that even more amusing because he laughed harder. Then he changed again, his face morphing back into a smiling human. His body was totally nude, and only the hand holding Kat continued to be frog-like.
“I don’t think yourfriendwould be happy I took away his human pet.” Teo turned to look back, but the banging noises from the pool had stopped. His already too-wide smile grew larger. “Anyway, the stasis jelly must be working on him now. He can stay in there for a long time. I certainly was.”
“How long were you imprisoned here?” Kat strained his ears, but he couldn’t hear any movement in the stasis container. It didn’t sound like the jelly material would kill Lyall, but if he had been put into suspended animation, Kat had no idea how to get him out.
He also had no idea how to avoid being eaten by Teo.
“Not sure how much time in Earth years.” Teo scrunched up his face as if thinking hard. “I made a deal with my newcapitánArimanius before I deserted my cadre, but he might have left me in there for a while. Rats, you know?”
Kat knew a lot about the ratkind and their leader Arimanius, aka Remi’s father. This could be an opportunity to deescalate this situation. If Teo was working for the Riftworld mafia boss, he might respond to a few partial truths.
“Lyall knows Arimanius very well.” Kat chose his words carefully. Maybe Teo would release Lyall if he thought the hellhound was in the same monster mafia he was. “He’s worked with him for a long time.”
“Oh, he’s that hellhound.” Teo nodded. “Did the capitán send him here to get me out?”
“Lyall and I came here help you, yes.” Not under orders from Arimanius, but Teo didn’t need to know that. “Like I said, if you let him out we can all talk about what Arimanius’s plans are.”
“No, I don’t think so.” Teo sounded far too cheerful. “I’m stuck with a new capitán for a while, so why would I want to compete with a hellhound? I’ll leave the dog here and take you with me. That way you can help me find the ratkind and give me pointers on acting human.”
“Arimanius might get angry with you for that.” Kat didn’t want to be kidnapped again by a hot guy who was actually an alien monster. One abduction for his own good by Lyall was enough. “I mean, Lyall and I are close friends with the capitán’s son Remi, and we’re expected back soon.”
“You and the hellhound like each other?” Teo sounded downright scandalized. “The dogs hate humans even more than myfamilia. I can’t believe this Lyall gave you living leathers and lets you tag along after him.”
Kat didn’t say anything, but he could feel his cheeks heat up.
Teo’s eyes widened—actually they bulged out of their sockets, which was frankly disturbing. “Oh. You’re not his pet, you’re hisnovio.”
“He’snotmy boyfriend.” Kat had been thinking the day couldn’t get any worse, but in addition to being attacked by a killer frog monster, he was now being reminded by said monster of his unrequited crush on Lyall. “You can’t force me to go with you.”
Teo transformed back, his webbed fingers tightening on Kat’s arms. “I have news for you, little gatito. I most certainly can.”
The stasis chamber exploded. Kat caught a glimpse of fire and burning jelly as a blast of searing heat roared around him.
Teo swore in Spanish and English and dropped his hold on Kat.
Lyall was on the hopper a moment later. He was back in his hellhound form, scarier than Kat had ever seen him.
Which was saying a lot.
His massive jaws stretched over Teo, who was forced to use his frog-like hands to hold the hellhound at bay.
The hopper landed a kick on Lyall’s side, knocking him off for a moment with the force of the blow.
Teo was unbelievably strong, but so was Lyall. The hellhound scrambled upright and lunged toward the hopper.
Teo crouched and shot into the air. The jump was astounding, as was the sight of the hopper clinging to the wall far above them, his bulbous fingers and toes adhering to the flat surface.
“Not your boyfriend? I doubt that.” Teo’s laugh echoed throughout the warehouse-like space. “Nice talking to you, Kat. I think we’ll be seeing each other soon.”
