“Wouldn’t know anything about that, Your Excellency!” Harry said with a little squeak in his voice. He mulled over the pros and cons of giving Jevnar The Signal.

The Signal was something they’d worked on in advance. A particular tug on Harry’s ear would signal his bodyguard that he wanted to leave the party right now. Jevnar would break in and claim a sudden need to depart. On the pro side, Harry would have an intact pelvis. On the con side, he’d possibly piss off someone who could make his life difficult. Jevnar had explained that Mrg-Znrnah was a very minor member of the royal court, but still Harry had no idea what kind of influence she really had.

Mrg-Znrnah pitched her voice lower. “[I see. So you’ve never had any interest? In any other species?]”

“Ah, no. Kind of dangerous, after all.”

“[Well, one can always take precautions. For example…]” Again she whispered in his ear. “[…I’ll let you be on top.]”

Harry’s brittle smile wavered. “Well. Um. That’s, I guess, ah…” He decided bugger this for a game of soldiers and reached up to tug on his ear.

----------------------------------------

“{She’s up to something,}” said Jevnar. They were back in the shuttle, Jevnar having performed his part and smoothly intervening between [Harry] and the Princess. Under the pretense of some minor emergency back on the ship, he’d managed to spirit his charge away from the lustful Dorarizin but not before she’d gotten [Harry] to agree to meet her again. Jevnar supposed that was the best he could hope for.

The tiny-chomper chewed on his lip, a nervous tic that Jevnar had noted long ago. “[Yeah, she wants me to be up to something. Namely up in her.]”

Jevnar sighed and laid a gentle paw on his Sir’s shoulder. “{I fear it is something other than that, Sir.}”

“[What, you’re still on this whole ‘nefarious intent’ stuff? Me, I just think she wants a piece of alien strange.]”

Jevnar cocked his head, unsure if his translator had properly worked in deciphering that last statement. Instead he shook his snout to focus back on the problem at hand. “{It’s not as simple as that, Sir. She’s been trained, just as I have.}”

[Harry] looked up at his hulking butler. “[What training do you mean? Oh…you mean trained in being around [tiny-chompers]?]”

“{Without a doubt. She physically interacted with Sir and never so much as caused you pain, am I correct?}”

“[…yeah?]”

“{During my time in the service we trained for seven [months] on tiny-chomper simulacra before we stopped breaking bones or tearing tendons. Even doing something as simple as this,}” and here Jevnar gave his Sir’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. {…took me [six weeks] to practice without fear of injury.}”

[Harry] sagged a bit, and Jevnar knew it was out of despair rather than pain. “[Ah, shit. Really?]”

“{I’m afraid so, sir.}”

“[Damn it all. I knew we [tiny-chompers] are more fragile than you guys, but still…that’s terrible to hear.]”

[Harry] looked so downcast that Jevnar couldn’t help himself. All of his nurturing instincts kicked in as he took in a deep breath. “{Would Sir…like a hug?}”

His employer gave a snort of laughter. “[Eh, sure. We need to get our scenting in for today anyway, right?]”

“{True.}” Jevnar successfully prevented his tail from wagging as the tiny-chomper clambered into his lap and pressed his head into Jevnar’s chest. The Dorarizin (very carefully) put his arms around [Harry] in an exceedingly gentle hug. For not the first time he thanked the strange coincidence that unscented tiny-chompers smelled like abandoned pups. That coincidence meant that he got to have lots of private time with his Sir doing something that almost any Dorarizin would give up all of their teeth to do.

He also decided to give his diminutive employer some verbal comfort. “{We could perhaps just leave.}”

“[Nah, a good third of the crew haven’t visited the Falls yet. I want to give them all a chance to see it.]”

Jevnar chuckled. “{I see Sir is committed to his cause. You want to have as many people as possible share your experiences.}”

“[That’s right. After winning the lottery, I didn’t do a [damn] thing. I just sat for a few weeks reading about random stuff on the Galnet. I felt almost…paralyzed because I had so many choices in front of me. But then I read about the [Heaviside Layer] and I knew what I needed to do.]”

“{I don’t believe that name translated well, Sir.}”

“[You guys probably call it something else. I’m sure you’ve discovered the same thing on your own homeworld. It’s a layer of ionized air high up in [Dirt’s] atmosphere. Way back when we used radio for our main way of communicating, [tiny-chompers] figured out that we could bounce radio signals off of it so that we could talk over longer distances. When I read about it…it was like a thunderbolt to my brain. I knew that instead of sending telegrams far away I wanted to send these experiences into the future.]”

“{Ah, so you see yourself as a layer of ionized gas?}”

“[Well, it’s a metaphor. Sounds kind of silly when you put it that way…]”

“{Forgive me, sir. I am merely making light to improve your mood. I approve of your goal, it’s truly a noble effort.}”

“[Thanks.]” [Harry] snuggled back against Jevnar’s chest. “[Hey, [Jevnar]?]”

“{Yes?}”

“[Did the Princess strike you as a very…focused person?]”

“{Not particularly.}”

“[Me either. So why would a [flighty] member of Dorarizin royalty go through months of such specialized training? She’s not the type to go through something like that on the very slim chance she’d run into a [tiny-chomper].]”

Jevnar realized that his Sir might appear a bit addled, but the tiny-chomper’s mind was quick as anyone’s. “{That’s a very good point, sir. Do you have an idea as to why?}”

“[Maybe, but I need your input on it. Back in our history, when royalty actually ran things, a lot of the lesser nobles were also spies. Does that word translate?]”

“{Indeed it does, sir. You think she gathers intelligence for the Throne-at-The-Center-of-All-Things?}”

“[I mean, it’s just an idea. I have no idea what your royal hierarchy is like, so maybe it’s nonsense…]”

Jevnar glanced out the nearest viewport and saw the approaching bulk of Thunderbird One. “{Perhaps not. It would explain a great deal. I shall make some inquiries.}” He knew he had to find out one way or the other before he’d allow his Sir anywhere near that devious Princess again.

----------------------------------------

Snnanfnthan’hal shook her hood. “[Nope.]”

“{Are you sure?}” Once again Jevnar and the Jornissian were sharing her cabin, and once again space was at a premium.

“[Pretty sure. If she is a member of [Dorarizin] intelligence, then she’s operating under a non-official cover. When gathering intelligence that’s a big no-no, especially here in [Karnakian] space.]”

Snnanfnthan’hal tapped her chin thoughtfully. “[Buuut…it would explain a lot. Her mysterious source of funds and her predilection for bedding everyone in sight. The latter in particular, that would make for some really good blackmail material if nothing else.]” She turned towards Jevnar. “[What about the Inquisition? Could she be with them, maybe as some sort of advance scout?]”

“{Probably not. When the Inquisition is interested in something or someone, they don’t hide it. You know they’re there.]” Jevnar gave a brief shudder and silently thanked the First Pack that he’d never come under such scrutiny. He had nothing to hide, but even the possibility of the Inquisition turning its many eyes towards him made him uneasy. “{Not to mention that we’re not even in Dorarizin space. The Inquisition has no remit here.}”

The Jornissian sounded almost shy as she spoke her next lines. “[I could do some real digging, if you like. So far I’ve stuck to public sources, but I do know a few tricks that’ll get me into some, shall we say, less public servers. The problem is those tricks aren’t exactly legal.]”

Jevnar pondered it. Restoring to such methods went against his meticulous and aboveboard persona, but on the other hand his Sir might be in danger. “{I’m not sure. That might put you at personal risk, certainly if you’re discovered.}”

Snnanfnthan’hal’s viper-like eyes acquired a dangerous glint. “[If someone has evil designs on [Harry], then they’re the ones in danger. I’ll make ‘em wish Harsak-who-devours-the-dead had passed judgement on them…instead of me.]”

He was no stranger to physical peril, but even so Jevnar was now very glad that the seemingly unassuming paralegal was on his side.

----------------------------------------

Dgnrah-of-Wnran looked up in surprise as her boss placed his tray on the table across from her, along with a chair necessary for his body type. The tiny-chomper settled his much smaller body into the chair and performed one of those adorable teeth-baring expressions that she knew meant only that he was happy. It wasn’t a dominance display, and it was the main reason their kind was known as tiny-chompers.

“[Morning!]” he chirped. “[Mind if I sit here?]”

She nodded her ears in respect. “{Not at all. And I wish a very good morning to you as well, sir.}”

[Harry] began munching on what her implant told her was some tiny-chomper delicacy called ‘beans-on-toast’.

At first she thought this was a case of him finding the most convenient seating, but as she continued eating her own breakfast he spoke again.

“[You’re a member of the engineering crew, right? How are you settling in?]”

She swallowed her bite of pitcher-cake. “{Very well, sir. Thank you for the opportunity.}”

“[I hope it looks good on your [resume].]” The tiny-chomper gave her a wink that somehow Dgnrah knew was totally innocent and not at all a signal that he was asking her for, you know, that.

It was an adorable gesture, one that pierced her to the heart. She was here under false pretenses, and only by sheer dumb luck she’d avoided having her true cover blown. It was clear that Jevnar hadn’t passed on his discovery of her supposed cover identity to [Harry]. His scent was untroubled, though fortunately overlaid with enough of Jevnar’s own odor to prevent her maternal instincts from kicking in. Otherwise she’d already be scooping [Harry] up and carrying him off to her quarters for some weapons-grade snuggling.

And that was the problem, wasn’t it? Her innate desire to protect the little alien was at complete odds with her mission. A mission that she was now calling into question more and more. Yes, she was paid well…but in the last few months she’d discovered that money was not as important as she’d once believed.

[Harry] was cute, but he was also committed. Committed to a purpose that brought him no wealth, and one intended to bring nothing but pleasure and education to future generations. True, he didn’t need additional wealth but the point was he was still doing something instead of just resting on his knuckles and indulging in his own personal whims.

The ordinarily delicious pitcher-cakes tasted like ash in her mouth as she tried to keep her internal conflict off of her face. It was unlikely that the tiny-chomper could pick up her emotional turmoil, but when it came to the smaller aliens it had come become standard wisdom to never, ever, let one’s guard down around them.

----------------------------------------

Jevnar spun as he threw a mighty kick into the hard-light hologram. The extended claws on his foot caught in the simulacrum and tore open a set of glowing-blue scars on his opponent’s torso.

In spite of the hideous injury, the hard-light Dorarizin didn’t relent. It lunged forward, taking advantage of the momentary opening caused by Jevnar’s kick. The butler flowed into the tackle, using his opponent’s momentum to spin his enemy around and drive him into the floor.

Before the simulated enemy could recover, he piled on top of the hologram and delivered a massive blow with his elbow right into its temple.

He felt a presence behind him just as the simulated opponent beneath him went limp. Jevnar rolled, aiming an equally forceful kick up into the air above. He did it properly, waiting until he could see above him before aiming at the form looming over him…

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Unexpectedly it wasn’t another foe generated by his training program. Snnanfnthan’hal managed to deflect his kick enough to prevent any serious damage to her chest, but still she wheezed and flopped to one side from the force of his blow.

“[Sotek’s nethers!]” she gasped.

Jevnar rolled to his feet and reached out a concerned paw. “{My most sincere apologies, madame. I had the program set to multiple enemies.}”

She got herself upright, one arm still wrapped around her side. “[It’s okay, that was…oof…my fault. I should have warned you I was here.]”

“{Nevertheless, I should have exercised more judgement.}”

“[Like the [tiny-chompers] say, no harm no foul. Anyway, I’ve heard back from the Princess of interest.]” She allowed Jevnar to take her hand as she straightened up fully.

Snnanfnthan’hal’s original ‘few days’ of assignment to Jevnar was now more or less a full-time thing. Jnsnrnan’sn’ah, the head of the legal team, had after a while decided that having her keeping a position fully involved keeping Jevnar’s Sir out of danger was a worthwhile investment of her time. That included handling the encrypted messages between the Thunderbird One and one particular member of the Dorarizin royalty. She’d shown quite an aptitude for such a position.

“{Oh, yes? What did she say?}”

“[She agreed to [Harry’s] suggestion. I don’t like it.]”

“{Neither do I. Where is Sir right now?}”

She replied with an eyeroll. “[He’s testing out what he’s dubbed [Thunderbird Two]. He and Driver are in Hangar [Twelve]. I hope you can get him to not use it.]”

“{I cannot make such a promise, madame. As you have doubtless discovered, he can be quite stubborn.}”

“[Oh by Sotek-who-circles-the world, don’t I know that.]”

----------------------------------------

Whrnsnnanth’nan took the call from COBALT TWIG with a sense of trepidation. If things were going well then her deep-cover operative would have no reason to call.

Her holographic display winked on, displaying the green-furred Dorarizin. “”

Princess Mrg-Znrnah-of-Hrnsnah’s demeanor was composed and in-control, as usual when she was ‘on the job’. “[I’ve run into difficulty. I had [Harry Lawson] attend the party as planned, but that [Harsak-crushed] butler got in the way. A few [minutes] with him alone and I’m sure I could have done as requested.]”

The Jornissian nodded. “”

COBALT TWIG smiled. “[It’s not all bad news, though. I did get a concession from him to meet me for another [date]. I’m sure I can seduce the cute little [bastard] before he gets away, but I’ll need you to send me a few more assets to get that butler taken care of.]”

“”

________________________________________________________________________________

Jevnar walked into Hangar [Twelve], one of the (many) un-used hangar bays on board. One of the things about a dreadnaught was that its danger wasn’t all about its firepower; when fully manned and equipped the moon-cursed things could dispense an absolutely ridiculous number of armored shuttles and/or drop-pods which would sprinkle quite a healthy dose of Armed Occupation over any desired planet. And that was for one dreadnaught; with a fleet of them one could handily occupy an entire star system. Until the opposing force showed up, of course, with their own fleet of dreadnaughts which would then do their darndest to make you give the star system in question back.

Which was why, for the most part, galactic history remained devoid of any large-scale conflicts. Why fight to the bitter end over some particular piece of real estate when you can just, I dunno, go over there instead to one which is just as nice?

But after all, one designs a warship for what might be rather than what will likely be. Since the current mission of the Thunderbird One was decidedly peaceful, that in turn meant she could operate with a much smaller crew than when she was originally built. And of course, that meant a lot of her internal volume was unnecessary.

And therefore, that previously ‘unnecessary’ volume was now available for…Entertainment.

That Entertainment was now in full swing as Jevar entered. As the door closed behind him he regretted for a long, long moment the random evolutionary pathways which had gifted his species with such a rich and detailed sense of smell.

The air in the empty hangar positively reeked with the odor of oxidized long-chain hydrocarbons. It tickled his hindbrain with a message to flee in panic, probably due to some long-distant ancestor getting trapped in a forest fire and figuring out hey, that particular smell means everything is on fire and we need to get the [Pale Moon] out of here right NOW, you idiot!

He controlled himself as he watched the small vehicle spin around on the deck, its four [rubber] tires leaving behind quite a few circles of black tar on the plating which in turn was creating the quite unholy stink in the air.

Fans roared overhead to keep the smoke to a minimum, their bellow barely audible over the shriek of burning elastomer. As Jevnar walked forward, the vehicle finally came to a stop. Its top hinged up like a metal clam to reveal Driver and [Harry]. The latter was seated at the control saddle of the car with a giant smile on his face.

“[Hey, [Jevnar]! Want to do some [?error, possible reference to a type of pastry?error]? It’ll be tight but you should be able to fit in here.”

Jevnar tried to breathe through his mouth as much as possible. “{Perhaps some other time, sir. What exactly is this?}”

“[This? It’s [Thunderbird Two]. She started life as a [Lamborghini], but she’s been heavily modified since then. I had ‘em make her body and seats bigger so that everybody in the crew can use it. They’ve also taken out the original power train, since it’s a bad idea to run an internal combustion engine in an enclosed space.]”

“{Indeed.}” The Dorarizin made a pointed scan of the tire-haze around them.

“[Yeah, yeah, I might have gone a bit overboard but it’s fun! You really should try it.]”

“{Sadly I fear none of us have the time for such frivolities. I’ve just heard from the Princess, and she’s agreed to your suggested place and time.}”

“[Ah.]” [Harry’s] face lost some of its giddy cheer. “[Maybe I can claim to have come down with a cold.]”

“{My suspicion would be that she would simply use that as a pretext to come aboard so she can nurse you back to health. I’m guessing she already has the correct costume for taking on such a ‘healing’ effort. Probably including a slit-sided skirt.}”

“[Oh yeah, the classic [slutty nurse] outfit, am I right?]”

“{Sir might call it that, I couldn’t possibly comment.}”

----------------------------------------

Harry was once again back in his accursed ‘safety suit’, something that Jevnar had put his substantial paw down about before he allowed this date. He tugged at his jacket hem as he looked out over the spot he’d chosen for his quote-unquote ‘date’ with the Princess.

His implant socket was empty; there was no way on God’s Green Earth that he wanted a recording of this.

Harry had several criteria for this spot. First, it had to be in public for the obvious ‘avoid-getting-proactively-snuggled-or-maybe-even-worse’ angle. Second, it had to be somewhere ‘low-key’ (a human phrase that caused Jevnar some mild delight) so as to keep their interactions from straying into naughty areas.

After endless quizzing of his butler on Dorarizin societal norms, he and Jevnar hit upon a solution.

It turned out that L’tnan’til-Five had, of all things, a zoo. Neat-looking and strange alien animals, lots of witnesses, plenty of opportunities for distraction in case the Princess decided she was done taking ‘no’ for an answer? It was perfect.

He tugged again at his hem. If this venue was perfect, then why was he so damn nervous?

Harry knew it was because he’d bought into his butler’s paranoia. Jevnar was convinced that the Princess had some nefarious intent (apart from wanting to do the Horizontal Mambo, of course) and that she was a lot smarter than she let on. He was willing to concede that might be the case, but why would she be interested in him? Sure, he had money but she was literal royalty.

Jevnar reached out and performed some fussing of his own on Harry’s outfit, neatening what was already neatened. “[Just keep in mind I’ll be watching over Sir at a discreet distance. Please make sure you’re able to access your activation switch…just in case.]”

“It’ll be fine, Jeeves. She might get a little…handsy but all she’s interested in is another notch on her belt. I can handle it.”

I hope was his unspoken addendum.

----------------------------------------

Harry peered down at the animals milling around in the large enclosure. They looked a bit like giant furry crabs; as expected, lots of alien life out in the galaxy had wound up Progressing to Crab. “So these are…what did you call them?”

“[K’n’aii’ils.]” The Princess’s voice had its usual purring and seductive tone. She’d immediately snuggled up beside Harry when he’d emerged from his shuttle, grasping his hand in her much larger paw and winding her furry arm around his. She wore another sheer, figure-hugging dress, this time in a pale red color. Harry thought the dress when contrasted against her green fur made her look a bit like a Christmas ornament, but then again he was no fashionista.

He hoped that Jevnar was true to his word and was keeping an eye on the pair. The butler was certainly nowhere to be seen…nor were her guards.

“[I’ve read up on these animals,]” Mrg-Znrnaha continued. “[They can be quite…scandalous in their behavior. Quite uninhibited.]”

Henry did his utter best to ignore the quite clear signals thrown his way by the relentlessly horny Princess while focusing his attention onto the natural-looking landscaping before them. “I gotta say, they’re not acting all that scandalous right now. Although that one over there has quite an impressive rack.”

The subject of his comment did indeed have a nice rack, an antler-like spread of chitinous spikes growing up and out of its fur-covered back. “Is that a male or a female?” He realized too late that his question opened up an entire new avenue of conversation for her to exploit.

“[Female, I think.]” She squeezed his hand carefully. “[Which of course means there are only a few positions available to them. I’d hate to be a male and try to climb on top of all those spines.]”

Harry chuckled. “That would make it difficult.” He felt her slink closer to him, nearly pushing him over with the pressure of her body against his side. The human took in a deep breath and figured he should just clear the air.

“Your Excellency, can we speak plainly?”

He didn’t miss the little squeak of delight from her. “[Certainly. And please, call me Mrg-Znrnah.]”

“I will, Maggie. I have a couple of questions.”

“[Go ahead.]”

“First, where are your guards? Second, what are your intentions? I mean, I think I know the answer to the second question already but I figure we should be up front…”

He was interrupted by her index paw-pad pressing gently against his lips. “[First, I don’t need my guards to be safe. I am quite capable of taking care of myself. They’re more of a status symbol, you understand. As to your second, it’s quite simple. I want you.]”

Harry let out a more shaky laugh. “Like I said, I kind of knew that already.”

Mrg-Znrnah’s voice dropped another octave and her paw clamped around his hand in an even firmer hold. “[You have no idea of how badly I want you, my little [human]. I want to see you writhe beneath me. I want to hear the noises you make while I ravish you. I want to drown you in pleasure, to utterly ruin you for any [human] woman after I’m finished with you.]”

“Well that’s refreshingly direct. But I mean, why me? There’s the novelty factor, I guess. Plus the whole rich-guy thing.”

“[It is not a thing, nor is this just me wanting a taste of something novel!]” she said, in a harsher tone. Then, more gently, “[My apologies. I should explain.]”

She let go of his hand and stepped to the railing overlooking the K’n’aii’il enclosure. The princess looked stunning in the afternoon light, her body an Amazonian ideal that Harry had to admit he was becoming more and more interested in.

“[I’ve never denied that I like sex. I like it more than most of my kind.]” She turned around and leaned back, letting her dress fall against her athletic frame. “[The problem is that for my species our males are only, shall we say, receptive at certain times of the year.]” Mrg-Znrnah pouted, something that until this moment Harry didn’t realize that Dorarizin could do. “[And only a few times a year is not enough for me. So as you may know already I like to…experiment with the other races. [Jornissians] in particular are very entertaining. Did you know they have two?]”

“Two what? Oh. Ohhhh. Two of those.”

Mrg-Znrnah winked at him in the human way. “[Like I said, quite entertaining and fulfilling in the literal sense of the word. But their big problem is a lack of stamina. After one or two sessions, they’re all worn out! And then I have to wait a week.]”

Harry knew he should stop this conversation; he should just hit his panic button and flee with Jevnar. But some sense of morbid curiosity made him continue. “What about Karnakians?”

She shrugged in a very flowing and expressive manner. “[Also fun, in their own way. Their, ahem, ‘parts’ are electrified, just in case you’re ever curious and are in the mood to try one out. Very tingly in a pleasant way.]” The Princess rolled her eyes, another very human-style gesture. “[But then you have to deal with the aftermath. So much conversation about what just happened, how it ties into the Great Spirit or the cycle of reincarnation or whatever religious [twaddle] that particular [Karnakian] favors.]”

She chuckled, a sound that indicated pleasure but which sounded to Harry’s ears like a chainsaw dragged through bone. “[I do like [pillow talk], but not that much.]”

Harry laughed as well, but that laugh died as her amber eyes bored into his. “[But then I heard about you. About your species. Is it true that you don’t go into season?]”

He wanted to lie, but he knew that too much information about his kind was out in the galaxy. She was testing him, and if he lied now maybe she’d ditch the seduction and move to more direct methods. He trusted Jevnar’s abilities, but he was still only mortal.

“It is, yeah. I read up on it once, our ancestors went into estrus but humans kind of lost that a while back. One of those weird evolutionary things. So you just want someone who can keep up with you?”

“[Don’t say ‘just’. You strike me as an interesting person, one whom I’d like to get to know better. In every sense of the word.]” Mrg-Znrnah pushed herself off the handrail and walked towards him, moving her hips in a boneless manner that made a few beads of sweat appear on Harry’s forehead. She laid a hand delicately on his shoulder and caressed a single paw pad on the back of his neck.

“[What do you say?]” she said in a near-whisper. “[We can let your butler know you’ll be indisposed for a bit. My shuttle is nearby, and I have made several conversions to it. In particular to its denpile.]” Her paw-pad circled against Harry’s neck in a way that sent sparks down his spine. “[I promise, it will be an experience you will never forget.]”

Harry tried to get his breathing back under control. “You must understand, I have a lot of worry about, um, taking you up on such an offer.”

“[I told you I’d be gentle, and let you take the lead.]”

“I don’t mean any disrespect, but can I think it over?”

“[Of course.]” She took his hand again and they continued to stroll along. “[Take all the time you want.]”

Harry made sure his hand was in his pocket, close to his panic switch. If she started getting aggressive again he was triggering it, diplomacy be damned.

The next enclosure was occupied by much larger animals that were reminiscent of six-legged giraffes. Due to the creatures’ height their pen sat much lower in the ground, meaning that the promenade was at head-height. One of them put its horse-sized head over the railing and gave the strolling pair a sad look with its purple goggle-like eyes.

“Looks like he thinks we have some treats,” said Harry with a smile. Then he noticed a large jar full of beige biscuits off to one side, standing on a post and well out of reach of the animal’s head. The mounted jar had a little knob set to the bottom, attached to a rotating dispenser.

“[I guess we can feed them,]” said the Princess. She let go of Harry’s hand and walked over to the dispenser. It had a small sign on it in Karnakian script, and she paused as her implant translated for her. “[They ask us to limit it to one treat per animal.]”

By now more hopeful long faces were lined up and hanging over the railing, six of them in total. Mrg-Znrnah spun the dispenser’s knob and discharged six of the pale biscuits into her paw. “[Shall we feed three each?]”

“That sounds like a good plan.” Harry dutifully accepted three of the treats from Mrg-Znrnah and moved to the left end of the line of animals.

“[Wait a bit, let me do the first one. Just in case they get a little ‘grabby’ with their mouths.]” She held out one of the biscuits and her chosen creature lipped it delicately from her paw-pads with long lips that were damn near prehensile. “[Heh, they’re definitely used to being gentle!]”

Thus emboldened, Harry moved forward to the animal on the far left. He felt a lightening in his heart as his fears ebbed. This was a moment which was cute and fun, something that he’d remember with fondness. At the moment he felt a regret that he’d decided against installing his implant’s storage unit. The whole sex-talk from the Princess meant that he could never ever distribute it at all, but at least he could remember it with complete fidelity whenever he wanted to.

But that, of course, was when everything went pear-shaped.

Pear-shaped with a vengeance.