Zenn Scarlett Read Online Free PDF Page B

Hamish’s coleopt language into passable English. The Transvox software also generated a stream of inaudible, dampening frequencies that almost completely cancelled out the sound of Hamish’s actual speech, which was a soft, musical hissing produced by the breathing holes in his lower abdomen. Otha had dubbed him Hamish due to the sound of his name as spoken in coleopt, which registered on human ears as a breathy “Hoo-aymeesh-eh”.
    “The pen of the large grass-eater mammal that was my chore to clean is now clean,” Hamish told them proudly. “Clean and ship-shape.”
    “Good work, sexton,” Otha said. “Now, I’d like you to attend to that busted door on the granary next. You’ll need the small hand-jack to lever it up into place.”
    “A small… hand-jack?” Hamish said, his long, feather-like antennae quivering uncertainly. “I am unclear regarding the working of a small hand-jack, director-abbot.”
    Otha rolled his eyes at Zenn and went to explain the task to him.
    “Morning, Liam,” Zenn said as the towner sauntered over.
    “Morning, Scarlett,” he said, brushing at the longish blond hair that always seemed to be falling across his face, and, as usual, calling her by her last name.
    “So,” he said, lifting his gaze to look past her, “What poor unsuspecting animal are you harassing this morning?”
    “The Kiran’s whalehound. And he’s lucky to have me looking after him,” she said, skipping over the fact she’d just half-drowned the creature.
    “Whalehound?” Liam leaned towards her and sniffed at Zenn’s still-damp hair. “I thought I smelled wet dog.” Typical Liam, Zenn thought. She gave him her “Oh, aren’t you comical?” look. “So, what’s the big boy’s problem?” he asked.
    “Obstruction in one of his tear ducts. I’ll flush it out and he’ll be good as new,” she said, allowing herself to sound as if this was something she did every day before lunch.
    “Yeah? He’ll let you do that? Squirt stuff in his eye?”
    “We’ll use the seda-field, gentle him down,” Zenn said.
    “Sounds kinda dicey. I mean, they’re meat-eaters, right? They eat… whales.”
    “No, they mainly prey on Mu Arae icthythons, which are the size of Earther whales but are really marine reptiles. The first settlers on Mu Arae just called them whales, so the animals that hunted them became whalehounds.” Zenn stopped herself from going on. She realized she was just showing off.
    “Right, reptiles, big as whales. Makes sense.” Liam looked away, swiped at his hair. “You must think I’m a dope. Not knowing stuff like that.”
    “No, not at all.”
    Well, yes, actually. But, you’re a towner. Not really your fault.  
    Recently, Liam had begun to show more interest in the cloister’s animals. Zenn didn’t mind answering his questions, but she usually had more important things to do. And, besides, it gave her some small satisfaction to instruct someone from town. Nothing wrong with a little showing off. Now and then.
    “You know, I fed him once, your whalehound,” Liam said. “I was with Hamish. We gave him some of those big chunks of stuff that smell like fish.”
    “The dried lurker flakes? Yes, he loves those.”
    “Yeah, it was actually pretty fun. I mean, he kinda sat down and waited for me to throw it to him. Like a big tame dog or something.”
    “Uh huh. They’re not really aggressive, or dangerous to humans. And not related to dogs, of course. More like giant marine mustelids. Like big aquatic weasels.”
    “Right. Well, I’m still glad he’s on the other side of the fence,” he said. “Though you’re probably safe. Hardly enough meat on you to make more than a crunchy little hound snack. See?” He pinched her arm to illustrate her lack of food-value.
    Zenn pulled away, shook her head at him, but didn’t really know how to respond to this sort of behavior from Liam. Lately, he’d been acting… what? More familiar with her. On several occasions, it seemed to