Later on, Luric brings me a square bowl, filled with some kind of soup. It smells like gumbo, and when I stir it there are chunks of fish and what I think is crab.
My thumb throbs at the sight, and I smile at the bits of crab. Poetic justice. I shall enjoy eating this. It's amazing; a little spicy, a little acidic, yet goes down easy. The chunks of fish melt in my mouth and taste like butter. "My compliments to the chef."
He laughs and sits down on my bed as I eat. But those green eyes are dull and stare down at the tile floor. "I'm going to help you get home, don't worry, but I'm not sure how I can sneak us both out."
I swallow and wave my spoon around. "Why didn't you just take me somewhere with people instead of here?"
"The hovercraft I was on can only go so far before it needs to charge." Luric folds his arms. "We have one that goes further, but Father keeps it locked up."
"I take it your dad doesn't want to risk you leaving him." I take another bite.
"No, he doesn't. We aren't supposed to be on this planet, and we're not supposed to interfere. What he thinks I'll do, I don't know. I'm not about to reveal information about our race or show off our technology. I just want to be around other people." Luric's eyes scan me up and down.
Normally, I'd be creeped out. But for some reason, I don't mind. He seems to be longing friendship, and I think I owe him at least that much. I flash him a grin. "I'm people, ain't I?"
He smiles and nods. "Yes, and I enjoy your company."
"Why don't you run away with me?" I realize how that came out, and my cheeks feel like fire. "Oh, uh . . . I meant—"
"I know what you meant, Pen." Luric laughs. "I don't know. I feel like I have to remain loyal to my parents, and if I leave I'll break their hearts." His hand brushes mine. "But I want to go with you. I really do."
I give his hand a squeeze, and hope he doesn't take the gesture the wrong way.
He holds my hand up closer to his face. "Do many humans have skin as dark as yours?"
"Yeah. There's many who're a whole lot darker than me."
"I think it is pretty." He sets my hand back down on the bed.
I smile and eat some more of this incredible soup. "Do many of your people have eyes as green as yours?"
Luric nods. "It's very common."
"Well it's pretty. So what are your people called?"
"Pyrani." He shifts so he's cross-legged on the bed. "My family is of the Kriva dynasty."
"The what, now? Are you like royalty?" I wouldn't be surprised. I mean, aliens are always royal in the movies.
"No, no." He blushes a light shade of purple. "We just have ancient family lines that determine where we will work. My ancestors were called the Kriva."
"So you're called Luric Kriva?"
"My full title is, Luric, son of the brilliant Krivans," he says in deep, exaggerated voice. "However, I'm not very smart, like most Krivans. I'm much better with my hands."
I smile. "I'm not too smart, either."
"What about you? You have family lines, correct?"
"To an extent. Traditionally, we have the surname of our father, and women take the name of the man they marry. You only have titles if you're of royal blood or hold a political office."
"Your surname is . . . Orson?"
My mouth twitches. "Yeah."
"Name of your father?"
I nod. I really don't want to be reminded of my dad, but that's life.
"You do not like your father?"
"I want to, but he was never around." I hear the quiver in my voice and take a deep breath. "I'm more indifferent about him, than anything."
Luric nods. "I understand."
I finish off my soup, and he takes my bowl and stands. Deep down, I want him to stay and talk with me some more, but I let him leave and fall back into my pillow.
Can I take Luric home with me, maybe help him get settled into normal life? I won't pressure him into that, but I think I'm open to doing it. I can't help but wonder why he would tell me these things—you know, on the chance his parents read my mind. Perhaps they can only hear what I'm actively thinking about? Or maybe we're making our getaway soon? I haven't even seen either of them. I guess they don't want to have anything to do with the lowly Terran girl.
I hope we're making our getaway as soon as possible. My job is boring, but I don't want to lose it. I also want to know what happened to Sally. Did . . . did she make it out of the ocean? I don't want to think about her, though. There's nothing I can do for her right this second, and worrying won't help me.
So I roll over and try to fall asleep.751Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9NaCoybGnv
