Eland and Jeanne (Tales of the Shareem) Read Online Free PDF Page B

him? Stun him and drag him to a holding cell to await termination? Or simply shoot him dead?
    Eland had no intention of finding out. He needed to snag himself a breath mask somewhere, and food, and not get caught.
    He wrapped himself up in the robes again, arranging a fold over his eyes to hide their unusual color, and strolled down the alley.
    The patrollers were gone by the time he turned into the market street, where he found himself next to a shop that sold leather goods. Hmm .
    His level-three thoughts went to the accoutrements he’d used at DNAmo. A fine leather strap. A flogger. Simple leather cords with which to tie a lady’s wrists.
    Eland’s fantasies added Jeanne. She’d be naked, her wrists bound, while she watched him bring himself off. She’d beg for him to come to her, to let her touch him, for him to touch her. Eland would hold off, tormenting her until she came just wanting him.
    Eland found himself standing still, his mouth dry. He jerked himself back to the present with effort. If he froze like this every time he thought of Jeanne, he’d get himself snagged. Or burn up from both the Bor Nargan sun and his Shareem blood.
    Strange, Eland had never given much thought to the females who’d been given to him in the experiments—guinea pigs, the Shareem had called them—with whom he’d had sex in every way imaginable. They’d been willing, eager even, and enjoyed every minute of it. Eland had made sure they did. But once they were gone, they were gone, experiment over. Another guinea pig would sign up, and the researchers would begin another set of tests on Eland.
    Eland couldn’t get Jeanne out of his mind. Because she was the first “real” woman he’d ever met? Or something more? He kept thinking of the small smile she’d given him when she’d watched him take a shower, the taste of her mouth, the way she’d come so easily when he’d touched her ...
    Damn it, more patrollers. Eland ducked back down the alley to his shelter.
    When he dared to sneak another peek, he saw a very large man covered in robes slide into the alley. The man moved fast, almost unnaturally so, like a predator, but right now this man was the prey.
    He knew how to flatten himself in shadow, remaining motionless as yet another set of patrollers walked by. He was so still Eland barely saw him, and yet he’d watched the man hide.
    When the patrollers moved on, the man darted out again, then let out a muffled curse as two more patrollers stopped at the mouth of the alley. Not because they’d seen him—they’d simply halted to talk.
    The sun was going down, the long desert day finally over. The streets were coming alive as they darkened, Bor Narga’s population having wisely avoided the mid-afternoon sun.
    The alley was a dead-end, Eland knew, and the man was trapped there. He couldn’t make himself completely invisible. Sooner or later, one of the patrollers would decide to come down there, just to be thorough.
    “Hey,” Eland whispered. He carefully lifted his hand and gestured to the door that half hid him.
    If it were possible for the other guy to go any more still, he did. Then he slowly turned his head, and Eland saw the gleam of Shareem-blue eyes.
    The two stared at each other for a moment, neither saying a word. Then the other Shareem unfroze and moved down the alley toward Eland. Though the Shareem was easily as big as Eland, he had a way of walking, deliberately hunched over, that made him look smaller and weaker than he was.
    Eland thought he had met all the Shareem at least once, but he’d never seen this one. He knew in his gut, though, who the man was.
    Eland moved aside as the Shareem caught the door and slid inside in one smooth motion. He closed the door just as smoothly.
    The next thing Eland saw was a small square of light held in the Shareem’s hand. It illuminated the stone walls and metal staircase, and the Shareem, who pushed back his hood to reveal pale hair woven into a tight