Night Song (The Guild Wars Book 9) by Mark Wandrey (best management books of all time .txt) 📗

“Is he going to die?” Sonya’s voice was so quiet, Alan almost didn’t hear her question.

“Okay,” Alan said, and held up a hand. “It’s late, let’s get some tucker and talk.”

“We’re not hungry,” Rex snapped. “We want answers.”

“Okay, but I am hungry. So I’m ordering you to come with me.”

All four of the Zuul pups looked surly, with Rex having an outright mutinous snarl on his muzzle.

“Come on, kids,” Dana said.

Rex turned and looked at her, and his expression slowly softened. Alan nodded, and they left the infirmary.

The cafeteria highlighted why they were building a new one—a pair of steel conex shipping containers welded together with windows cut out and interior fixtures installed. It had served as the company lunch hall for 20 years, since Alan Porter had formed Silent Night and bought the old airfield. It was rusty and smelled of fish.

Every time the young Zuul entered, he could see their muzzles wrinkle in distaste. Alan could only guess at the horrendous stench through their powerful noses. He went to the chow line, took a tray, and selected some food. He really wasn’t all that hungry, but he’d needed to take the initiative.

As he selected a drink, his wife behind him, he noted the four siblings standing in the cafeteria entrance, unsure. As usual, it was their leader, Rex, who moved over and took a tray to gather some food. The others followed a second later.

Since it was early afternoon, nobody else was in the cafeteria except the cooking staff, who were busy working on the evening meal. Most of the food available was sangers, soups, chips, small salads, and some fish. Dana only took a salad and a bottle of water. The kids all took sangers filled with meat and cheese, with water to drink, then joined their parents at the largest table.

Alan ate for a minute, again to establish initiative. He looked up at them pointedly, and they began eating, too. Good.

“Okay,” he said eventually. “Your brother fell off the roof. We don’t know why. He’s not seriously injured, though. Doctor Tanner is certain. He was up there because he stole some money to go walkabout without permission.” He looked at Sonya. “He’s not going to die.”

The four Zuul siblings looked at each other, their food, the table. Alan could tell they didn’t know what to say or ask. He could understand. None of them had ever been seriously injured in their lives. In fact, the only one who’d ever had a health issue was, again, Shadow. He’d gotten a viral infection shortly after they’d arrived on Earth. He’d almost died.

“Ripley told us about the Zuul shuttle pilot,” Rex said. “What happened?”

“Ripley gave you as much as we know,” Dana replied. “I understand they exchanged contact information. We’ll see if they get back with us.”

Alan could tell the explanation didn’t satisfy them, so he added to what his wife had said. “Like we’ve explained, we tried contacting the Zuul government shortly after we brought you home. They didn’t respond. Our races haven’t had the best relations. It’s possible they didn’t believe us. We tried talking to the Mercenary Guild, too, and they said it wasn’t their job.

“The Zuul in command who gave you to us said someone would come someday. The name was Coshke. I also tried finding out about Coshke through the GalNet. Nothing.”

“We know,” Ripley cut in. “But talking to Chuuz made me wonder why nobody came for us.”

Dana looked at Alan, who sighed and looked at his half-eaten meal. “The company you came from was called Krif’Hosh, which translates as Song of the Night, or just Night Song. Its commander, Crent, explained the company would die out if you didn’t survive. But again, the Merc Guild wouldn’t provide any help, and even a search of their records showed no company called Krif’Hosh. So,” he said, spreading his hands wide, “we were forced to wait and see.”

All four young Zuul mumbled and looked at each other, hoping one of them would have something brilliant to say. None of them did. Alan heaved a silent sigh of relief.

“Right now, we need to concentrate on your brother Shadow and hope he recovers. Maybe the Zuul pilot, Chuuz, will get back with us.” They all nodded in agreement. “Okay. Good.”

The four finished eating and left Alan and Dana alone in the cafeteria. His own barely eaten meal lay on the plastic tray. A couple huge flies walked across his sanger bread, exploring it for possibilities.

“We have to think of something,” Dana said.

“You don’t think I know that?” He glanced at her, and she looked as sad as he felt. Sooner or later, the kids would do something stupid. With Rex as the alpha, it would probably be sooner rather than later.

Rex looked like he’d been in a fight. Since Alan hadn’t been called by the local police, that likely meant the Zuul teenager had been playing Hóngsè Niu again. Sure, he’d known about it. He also couldn’t stop it. The pups were old enough to do such things, even if Alan and Dana didn’t approve. He could hold Shadow back, because he’d stolen company funds. Rex, however, had his own money he’d earned. What he did with it was his own business.

How long before they do something crazier than Hóngsè Niu? He didn’t want to know what was crazier than dropping from orbit in a pod. If something didn’t prevent it, they’d find out.

* * *

Shadow fell through the velvet depth of space, three stars spiraling around him, multiplying to form a field of distant light. He stretched, the warmth of starlight stitched into the frozen void, guiding him as he spun into eternity.

The pinpoints of stars brightened so harshly he squeezed his eyes closed and abruptly stopped falling. He no longer had eyelids to close, nor eyes to