Outcast (32 page)

Tisana rolled her eyes, even though Jack was nowhere near. "Would you please speak in plain Stantongue," she said wearily. "I know very well that what you meant is not what you said."

"Bonnie's dog needs to talk with you," Jack said, speaking slowly and enunciating each word with care. "Got it?"

"Yes," Tisana replied. "I'll be down later."

"Oh, and Tisana?" Jack added in a quiet voice. "You know that problem we talked about? It's not a problem anymore."

Tisana silently thanked every deity she'd ever heard mention of. Jack on a matchmaking mission was a fiasco waiting to happen. "I'm so glad," she said. "See you later." After tapping her stone pendant to break the link, she added, "And I hope you haven't stuck your nose in where it doesn't belong."

"She always does," Larry piped up. He might have been off in the corner playing with his brothers, but Larry didn't miss much.

"You know, for a three-year-old, you're pretty smart," Tisana remarked.

"About my mother, I am," Larry replied. "We shouldn't have let her go to the market without us."

"Leo's with her," Tisana reminded him. "And your father won't leave her alone for long. They'll keep her out of trouble." She did her best to sound reassuring, but Tisana had often wondered how Jack had managed to stay out of prison for the entirety of her life, because she was forever setting people off. Even now that she didn't have to twist any arms to get information about her sister, she still got into the occasional fight — and not just with the Nedwuts.

" Want me to go check on her? " Max asked, eagerly wagging his tail.

Tisana considered this for a moment. "No, she '11 be all right. She doesn 't usually get into trouble on this planet... well, hardly ever. "

Max hoped she was right, but when it came to Jack, he tended to agree with Larry.

"So, what's up?" Jack asked Bonnie when they were finally alone. "Aside from his dick, that is."

Bonnie couldn't help but laugh. She'd never met anyone quite like Jack. "Don't ask me," she said, throwing up her hands. "He just finally... well... I don't know what happened, but one day he just decided he didn't hate me anymore. I think Ulla had a lot to do with it."

"Likes kids, huh?" Jack eyed her speculatively. "That's nice. Learn anymore about what happened to him?"

Bonnie wasn't sure she should tell Jack, but on the other hand, she didn't want Jack to embarrass Lynx by asking him. "He was a harem slave, Jack. The women there just... wore him out."

Jack blinked in surprise. "Wore him out? Shit, I didn't think it was possible to wear one of them out!

What'd it take? Ten, twenty women?"

"Fifty," Bonnie replied grimly. "For ten years."

Jack's low whistle signified her admiration. "Damn! He's got to be either the best or the... well, shit, I don't know!" Shaking her head in disbelief, she added, "Fifty women!" She looked questioningly at Bonnie. "And he was the only man they — ?" Jack stopped short, realizing her error immediately.

No woman in her right mind would have taken another man over Cat, and Lynx had to be just as good — if not better. Lynx would have been the only man the women craved.

Bonnie nodded. "They never left him alone for a minute," she said. "They didn't feed him much, or let him sleep, either."

"No wonder he didn't like women!" Cocking her head, Jack went on to ask, "Sure you didn't do anything to change his mind?"

"Don't know for sure," Bonnie shrugged. "But I think it might have been the food."

Jack grinned. "Then you must be needing more chocolate by now."

Bonnie couldn't argue with that.

Then Jack remembered something else. "Haven't seen anything of Sylor, have you?"

"No, but I think he's around somewhere," Bonnie replied. "Lynx said he could smell him."

"Not surprising," Jack commented. "Think he might cause trouble?"

"I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me if he did. Did you know Vessonians can disappear? Like chameleons?"

"I've never heard that," Jack admitted, "but I wouldn't put it past them. I never did like that bastard!"

"Must be something they like to keep secret then — I could see where they might not want the word to get out. I didn't know it myself until Ulla vanished one day. Scared me half to death!"

"That would make Vessonians about as much trouble as Treslanties, then," Jack remarked. "They're the only ones I've ever heard of that could do stuff like that, which makes it a real pain in the ass if you're ever looking for one. 'Course, Nedwuts are even worse if you're trying to keep a Zetithian safe." Jack had killed a number of Nedwuts since she met Cat — though killing them didn't get you in trouble anywhere anymore. It was a wonder they didn't figure it out and stay home, but they couldn't seem to get the idea into their thick, ugly skulls. "This is one planet you're safe from them on," Jack commented. "Tougher landing regulations than Earth! Good place to raise Zetithians."

Eyeing Bonnie speculatively, she went on, "Any possibility of that?"

Bonnie smiled. "Doing everything in my power."

"Good girl," Jack said approvingly. "I knew you could do it! I'm doing my part again too."

"You're expecting?" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Yes, I am," Jack said proudly. "Not sure what we'll name this bunch, but if they're all boys again, I'm leaning toward Groucho, Chico, and Harpo — though Cat's more in favor of Kirk, Spock, and Bones. I don't really like the idea of naming a kid 'Bones,' though," she confided. "Sounds a bit macabre to me."

"That's wonderful!" Bonnie said. She was excited about Jack's pregnancy, but, as before when Jack had nicknamed her older sons Larry, Moe, and Curly, the significance was lost on Bonnie. Jack had made a study of ancient Earth culture, so Bonnie could assume that the names referred to someone — she just didn't know who.

"I had enough trouble naming one child," Bonnie said. "So far, I haven't given any thought to what I'd name triplets."

"Well, I'mhere to tell you that if Lynx is the father, there will be three of them," Jack declared. "You know, I still haven't figured out how that works. I need to talk to Vladen. I could understand a Zetithian female always having a litter of three, but how it works with a human mother, I haven't got a clue. Tisana said the women in her family only have one daughter, but she had a couple of boys, too, so if you're smart, you'd best be making a list of names you like — and lots of them, because you're gonna need 'em!"

Jack took a deep breath before continuing — though Bonnie felt in need of one as well. Talking with Jack always left her feeling a little breathless. "So, Bonnie," Jack began. "Is the nooky fabulous, or what?"

"You know it is," Bonnie said, laughing at Jack's choice of words. "I've never even heard of a man who can do what he does!"

Jack let out a low whistle. "Hmm," she said, tapping her chin. "I believe I need to hear some details!"

Knowing that Jack had sent him off with Lynx primarily to have him discover more about Lynx's past, Leo figured he'd better ask a few questions. If Lynx didn't want to talk, Leo couldn't very well make him, but knew that the attempt was expected of him.

"So, you are... happier now?" Leo ventured.

Lynx became instantly wary. Leo might have been an old friend, but it was hard to change deeply ingrained habits overnight. "Yes," he said cautiously.

"Being a free man is much better than being a slave, isn't it?"

Lynx thought that this went without saying, but agreed anyway.

"Being a slave wasn't always bad," Leo went on casually. "I had some good times, even then, but my life is so much better now. I have Tisana and our children to love — which is our purpose."

"Our purpose?"

"Yes," Leo replied. "Giving women joy was always our purpose — one which I was never privileged to fulfill until I met Tisana."

As Lynx had been required to give women joy whether he liked it or not, he hadn't seen it as being much of a privilege — though that was changing.

Noting his grim expression, Leo prompted him: "Is there anything you wish to tell me?"

"About what?"

"Anything," Leo replied with an expansive wave. "Your life since the war, the places you've been, how you came to be on this planet — I don't think you told us all of the details."

Lynx wondered when he would ever feel comfortable talking about any of it. Somehow, he didn't think he ever would. "I was first sold to a man on a planet called Paemay," he began, intending to keep his explanation to the bare minimum. "He had many female slaves. I was their slave for many years." Looking pointedly at Leo, he added, "Do I have to tell you anything more?"

Leo regarded him gravely. He had an idea that Lynx hadn't wasted that time polishing their fingernails or combing their hair. "Ah," Leo said with a nod. "Then you must teach me what you have learned," he said. "It would be nice to be able to give my wife something... new."

Lynx stared at Leo in disbelief. What was he saying? Was he really asking for advice on how to please a woman? In the past, Lynx had always felt like an outsider when other men discussed such things — he had never been with a woman before he became a slave, so he had nothing to contribute. This had always made him feel uncomfortable, but suddenly, he understood — it wasn't a matter of boasting or trying to prove he was better than anyone else; it was simply an exchange of useful information. Unfortunately, knowing so many things, Lynx hardly knew where to begin.

"What does she like?"

Leo smiled broadly. "Everything."

Lynx paused for a moment while he tried to decide what he would know that others might not. The slave women had always been eager to try anything different, and while learning to vibrate his cock — which was extremely popular — had required considerable practice, there were several other positions and combinations that he felt sure any self-respecting Zetithian male should be able to accomplish.

"Standing up?"

Leo shook his head. "Done that." "From behind?" "Done that, too." "Backwards?"

"Sounds peculiar," Leo said, shaking his head again.

Lynx shrugged. "You might try it anyway," he suggested, remembering that Bonnie had been particularly fond of that variation.

"What else?"

Lynx stopped to think again. "Does she enjoy very deep penetration?"

Leo grinned. "Loves it."

"Ever sit her on your cock with your legs up out of the way?"

Leo shook his head, trying to imagine just what Lynx was getting at. "Facing toward me, or away?"

"Facing away," Lynx replied. "Once you get her up there, pulse or circle your cock. Women love it."

Leo was skeptical, but after hearing Lynx's description, thought he'd better give it a shot anyway.

Tisana never complained about his lack of inventiveness, but it was best to keep one's wife well pleased.

"Anything else?" Leo prompted.

Lynx knew there were other techniques, and he told Leo a few of them, but he had no way of knowing whether Leo could actually do them or not. Leo wasn't sure he could, either, but he stored the knowledge away for future reference. He might even tell Cat.

While Bonnie and Lynx were at the market, Sylor took the opportunity to explore his options and decided that the enocks were his best choice of weapons. As usual, his own hands would be clean, and he would enjoy watching the birds rip his rival to shreds. Bonnie would be horrified, of course, but with her new lover dead, she would welcome Sylor back with open arms; arms that would comfort her just as they had before. All would be forgiven. Sylor knew exactly how to handle her — always had. This time would be no different.

As the Jolly Roger left orbit, J ack leaned back in the pilot's seat, biting her lip, her eyes narrowed in deep thought. Bonnie and Lynx were doing just fine, but there was something about Sylor that kept nagging at her. The shifty-eyed snake! How a sweet woman like Bonnie ever wound up with him...

Sitting up decisively, she sent out a hail to a certain arms dealer she knew, thinking it might be best to alter course and make a little detour to one of the shadier territories in the quadrant. Lerotan Kanotay might not be anything but a shrewd businessman bent on making sales, but his line of merchandise tended to put him in contact with the criminal element on most planets he visited. He might know a little something that could help out Bonnie.

"Kanotay here," came the reply. The viewscreen projected the image of a dark-skinned, exotically handsome man with a Ralayan rune tattooed on his left temple. His black hair was long and laced up in a leather sheath that lay over the right side of his powerful chest. He was friendly enough — and could be very charming — but was definitely not a man to cross. "What's up, Jack?"

"Hey, there, Leroy! See you've let your hair grow out! Looks damn good!" Jack said, smiling. "How the hell you been?"

"Just fine, Jack," he said, eyeing her carefully. Something told him this wasn't a social call. "Don't need any more weapons, do you?" Lerotan smiled, his dark eyes alight at the prospect of a sale.

"Nope," Jack replied. "Haven't had to use them much, but so far, they work just fine. No, what I called about was this guy," she said, punching up an image of Sylor. "Ever seen him before?"

"Can't say that I have," he replied, "but I can do some checking."

"That'd be great!" she said. "Where are you?"

"Arvada," he replied. "You know, one of those nasty little planets you tend to avoid?"

"Yeah, I know it," Jack said. "Haven't been there in a while, which is probably just as well. How's Trag?"

"Just fine," he replied. "He's around here somewhere. You should drop by. You could probably do some lucrative trading here."

"Think so?" Jack chewed on her fingertip for a moment. "Might be worth it," she said reflectively.

"Maybe we'll drop by. In the meantime, see if you can find out anything about this guy. Name's Sylor Halen, and he's on Terra Minor right now, but there's something fishy about him."

"And so naturally you're asking me," Lerotan said dryly. "What a low opinion you must have of the company I keep!"