The Last Narkoy: Gathow: Book 2 by Elizabeth Price (good e books to read .txt) 📗

“Sortec,” Zion answered back with the same zest. “What do you need?”

“Famous last words,” Lolum grunted as he sipped his coffee. The coffee dribbled down Lolum’s long, white beard and onto his green, long-sleeved shirt. He dabbed the coffee away with a napkin.

“It serves you right,” Sedom snipped at Lolum. She turned back to Zion. “I need some help,” she began. Playfully, she snatched a piece of root from Lolum's plate, intentionally mocking him. He slapped her hand away.

Zion continued to eat, ignoring Lolum’s heeding words. “Will I need a weapon?”

Sedom shrugged. “I need to rescue a woman. I heard rumors they're keeping her in Vici before transporting her to Mar-quiel.”

“Vinic you mean?” Zion asked. His eyes turned to his food.

Sedom frowned as she searched her mind. Had she mistakenly used the wrong name for the city? How could that be possible? She was never wrong.

The three men watched her, seeing her struggle with her own memory. “They changed it a few moon cycles ago to honor a new deity. Some goddess of protection or war, whichever,” Zion explained before she had an aneurysm.

“The name change didn’t work regardless. The Marisheio took it over about a moon-cycle ago,” Lolum mentioned.

“Oh, why didn’t I know about that?” Sedom questioned.

“You were up in your lookout tower,” Dranium spoke up.

“No. That’s when she went to Crowarl without telling us, remember?” Lolum scolded. “We were panicked that something happened to you.”

Zion took a quick sip of his drink. “When you returned, I did tell you, but you didn’t seem interested. So, your friend, is she scheduled for death?” he asked.

Sedom nodded, thankful to be updated on the city's name change, regardless if Lolum felt the need to scold her… again. She knew she wasn't wrong, but she didn't want to take any chances. “Probably. Why they haven’t killed her yet is beyond me. But if there’s a chance I can save her then I want to try.”

“Why this woman in particular?” Lolum asked. He sipped his coffee again, more careful to avoid dribbling on his beard.

She swiped another root from Lolum. “She saved my life. The problem is they know she saved my life. The Marisheio don’t take kindly to their own citizens aiding their enemy.”

“What harm could a child do to them?” Dranium scoffed.

“You were unconscious when she rescued us. You’d be surprised what she’s capable of. She’s a sadistic warrior,” Zion mentioned.

Sedom swallowed hard, finding the words harsher when spoken by someone else. “Yes, well, it took time to hone my skills… and I might have a lot of anger issues,” she pointed out. “Beyond my abilities, look around. Child or not, I would consider me a threat too. By helping me, it made her criminally liable and they charged her with treason. Last time I checked, they had only one punishment for treason.”

“Death. A very slow one at that,” Zion spoke up. He sat back in his seat, his plate now empty.

“Needless to say I feel guilty,” Sedom admitted.

“You have emotions?” Zion joked.

She returned with an icy glare. “The information I received might be a set-up to capture me. The Marisheio still want Gathow. My disappearing has caused quite a...”

“Circus?” Lolum asked.

“Circus?” Sedom paused, trying to recall what the word meant. “Um, well, that’s an interesting choice of words. Sure, you could say that. They’re desperate. The news throughout the galaxy talks that the Di-Braum of Carmintor is seeking a new ally. He is upset over the Narkoy incident and is in the process of signing a pact with the Brokt. The Brokt have been itching to go to battle with the Marisheio and with the aid of the Di-Braum’s ships, all hell will break loose. They need Gathow now more than ever.”

“Fascinating. I think I'll stick to computers.” Dranium smirked

“Hell, I’m in charge of understanding this and I still haven’t a clue. It’s a bloody game of chess,” Lolum grumbled low.

“Find me someone else who understands politics and I’d be happy to reassign you. Until then, you’re the closest person I have to a political advisor,” Sedom mentioned to Lolum.

“Are you going to need some extra muscle?” Zion asked. Sedom nodded. “How many are we going up against?”

Again Sedom shrugged as she bit a coarse piece of her fingernail off. She never gave much thought to planning. “Maybe twenty or thirty Marisheio… possibly more. It’s hard to tell.” She leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m certain it will be higher security than normal. I have a reputation.”

“No doubt,” Lolum chuckled. “You know someone on the inside?” he asked amused Sedom knew so much already.

Sedom shrugged. “Having Garric around was beneficial for this situation.”

Zion wiped his mouth and stood. “I need to make a call. Is the com available in the tower?” he asked Dranium.

“It should be unless the system’s fried again. If it is, let me know and I’ll fix it,” Dranium answered.

“How are you fixing it without parts?” Sedom questioned.

Dranium motioned to the door. “I found a parts warehouse on level three,” he mentioned.

“Qilo?” Lolum questioned Zion over Sedom and Dranium’s conversation. Zion grunted uneasily. “Good idea. He's probably still on the planet, I hope.”

Sedom followed Zion as he continued to the door. “Who's Qilo?”

“An old friend who wouldn’t have any problems handling twenty or thirty armed Marisheio. He’s kind of a radical. You’d like him. He’s worked for just about everyone, including your AO project. He’s always looking to get a piece of the Marisheio… and a little money,” Zion explained as they walked to the door. “You do have money?”

Sedom chuckled to herself. Did she have money? Had he not been paying attention? She pulled out a small bag from her pocket, flashing a handful