Page 14 of Double Cut

“Females who are guilty of criminal activity, those whose lineage is considered inferior, those who have already produced offspring, and those who are otherwise undesirable,” Horas speculated, thinking that a female who was not matched to another male but who had already produced young would be a good prospect for the bride games. “The old treaty only specifies that the females sent to us thus far be healthy, of breeding age, and not already matched to other males.”

Sarus finished off his ale, rose from the chair, and excused himself. “It was good to meet you, Colonel Horas. You are a worthy adversary.”

The older male dipped his chin in a small nod of acknowledgement. “I look forward to sparring with you in tomorrow’s game.”

“And I you.” Sarus bowed and walked away. Returning to his assigned quarters, he availed himself of the computer offered for his use and researched both his adversaries. The colonel, he realized without surprise, would be a formidable opponent despite his age. No Ahn'hudi rose to the rank of colonel in the imperial guard without being a fearsome, canny warrior of both immense skill and intelligence. The emperor surrounded himself and the royal family with the best his species had to offer, and that best was excellent indeed. If the lovely Evangline did not choose him, Sarus hoped to advance to the imperial guard in the next few centuries. If she chose Horas, then perhaps he might fill the older warrior’s vacancy.It would be pleasant to have a permanent station commanding such great respect and authority.

He looked at information on Engineer Arrenji shih Tezk and frowned. The supercilious engineer would likely be a surprisingly skilled opponent, too, he realized as he noted the high marks the engineer had earned for shooting and fencing. He brought up videos of the engineer’s matches in past tournaments to analyze the male’s style and discern any predictable flaws. A toothy smile spread across his face as he learned what he needed to know.

Engineer Arrenji shih Tezk would survive tomorrow’s game, but only because the rules against killing rival suitors were strict.

Sarus wondered if either of his rivals was already half of a bonded pair. That worried him, because he had no such close bond with anyone, and females, in his limited experience of having grown up as the son of a mated triad, preferred bonded pairs. He paused to speculate as to whether he could share a female. Some Ahn’hudi did not, which made their females vulnerable to predation by unmated males.

Finishing the research on his opponents, Sarus next looked up what he could find on Evangeline Donal. The imperial system divulged nothing and he did not have the technical skill to circumvent the security in place to sneak into Earth’s primitive digital networks. He supposed he would have to learn about Evangeline the old fashioned way: by conversing with her.

He went to bed that night planning his strategy against both rivals. Sirens disrupted his slumber and galvanized him into action.

* * *

Finally alone in temporary quarters that resembled any generic hotel room with queen-sized bed, small bureau, television, and private bathroom, Evangeline curled up in the overstuffed armchair. Her disgruntled cat, Poppet, sprawled across her lap under the book in her hands. She slowly turned the page as she finished the chapter on the introduction of the United Nations to the Triune Alliance. The next chapter summarized the Alliance’s history with subsections glossing over the dominant culture of each planet in the Alliance. Exhaustion and dry prose made her eyelids droop.

She blinked, shook her head, and took a sip of tepid water before trying again to absorb the information in the manual. Exhaustion defeated her effort. With a jaw-cracking yawn, she rose from the chair and ignored the cat’s muttered protest as she headed to the bathroom. After finishing her business there, she checked to make sure Poppet had sufficient food and water for the night and went to bed. Of course, once she lay her head on the pillow, her mind refused to shut down and let her sleep.

She rolled over. Poppet jumped on the bed and snuggled his plump, furry body against the bend of her knees. His rumbling purr offered small comfort.

“I’m going to be married to one of those aliens, Poppet,” she whispered and felt the hot sting of tears. “I don’t have a choice as to whether I get married or even whom I marry. It’s not fair.”

The cat purred.

“All I wanted was a job, something that paid well enough to keep the both of us housed and fed. I didn’t need anything extravagant. I wasn’t greedy.”

The cat purred.

She reached down and stroked the softly furred head and let her tears fall. After a few minutes, the cat rose and stretched, pricking her with his claws. Poppet turned around and plopped his body down by her feet. Evangeline wriggled her toes, but the cat didn’t engage in his usual game of pouncing on whatever moved underneath the blanket. Instead, he gave a short, sharp meow and closed his eyes.

“I suppose that means my pity party has ended,” she muttered sourly.

The cat ignored her.

“What do you know or care? You’ve got a comfortable place to sleep, a clean litter box, and a bowl full of kibble. You’re set.”

The cat continued to ignore her.

Evangeline sighed and rolled over, careful not to kick Poppet. She continued to murmur to herself, “I suppose I can say the same, huh? I’ve got three hots and a cot.”

She tried to cheer herself up with the thought that her situation really wasn’t all bad. Perhaps she really could figure a way out of this and avoid being matched to one of those strange aliens.

“But I’m the alien here, aren’t I?” she muttered as the stress of the day finally pulled her into unconsciousness, only to be startled awake by a shrieking alarm. She blinked, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings dimly illuminated by the red lighting.

“What’s going on?” she wondered aloud as the wail of a siren pierced the air beyond the locked door of her room.

She knew it was locked, because she’d attempted to open it before going to bed. The government didn’t want their brides making a break for freedom, she’d reasoned.Not that I’d have any idea where to run.

Frightened and unsure of what was going on, Evangeline quickly changed from her plain cotton nightgown into the most practical dress and shoes provided to her, because either her own clothes had not been transferred to Ahn’hudin or were being withheld from her. The plain, simple dress and shoes weren’t very practical, but the evening gown was even less so.

She managed to chase her panicked cat into the small bathroom and trap him in there. Dashing back into the bedroom, she grabbed his carrier and returned to the bathroom. If rescue was coming, Evangeline was determined to make sure her beloved cat got rescued, too.

With Poppet secured in his carrier, she carried it into the bedroom and sat on the mattress, holding the carrier on her lap. The siren wailed. Heavy footsteps pounded in the hallway. Someone or something pounded on the walls. Voices shouted words she could not quite distinguish above the cacophony.

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