Walking between her nestors, who seemed extra cautious of their surroundings, she spotted humanoids who were definitely not Hezara or droids. Tall, angular-looking bipeds with human features, except for their hairless heads and flattened noses. They had wide hips and breasts—females?
“Who are they?” She gestured with her head at a nearby figure.
“Gotti.” Jago shrugged. “Their world, Gott, like yours, is under our protection.”
She stared at the feline tail that stuck out from under the coat of one of the women. “That’s a woman, I think.”
“Yes,” Kriss nodded. “They gift us women, too.”
Shayla stopped, forcing her companions to step back to join her. The woman was moving off into the shadows of a high-rise. “I thought human women were the only ones that... helped you with the Hunger.”
Jago smiled. He leaned toward her ear. “They have no vaginas. They rub their... things together.”
Shayla felt the blush cover her face. “Oh.”
Kriss laughed. “You thought they were those kinds of gifts? No, Shayla. However, they make good technicians and nurses. They look after our sick and young nestors, the queens too. Their males are not much use for anything. Pathetic creatures.”
Shayla wished Kriss was more magnanimous with his opinions of alien males. She marched on past him.
The tables in the eatery were bare. No cutlery, no napkins, not even a menu.
“Don’t we get to choose?” she asked, after taking a seat between the heart twins.
“Choose?” Kriss looked at her blankly.
The place was packed. A voucher was needed and they were only given out to Hezarans. The Gotti, she noted, were waiting on them. She rather hoped they weren’t some kind of slaves. Not that Shayla wanted payment for what she did; her reward would be back on Earth one day: a big house, lots of security and adoration from the crowds. However, the thought of all Gifts working without reward for Hezarans made her uncomfortable.
The ambiance lacked music, potted plants, and pictures on the bland walls. Color, in fact, would have been welcome. It was a mausoleum. She hoped the food tasted good.
Apparently, there was no choice. However, the food resembled something other than a paste or a cube. It might once have been a plant with leaves, she couldn’t quite tell. There was a sauce, too, although she dared not ask what ingredients it contained. The taste of the dish overall was sweet, a bit crunchy, and forgettable. She remembered to appear appreciative, and not ask too many questions. They ate with their fingers, dabbing the plant thing into the sauce and using it to mop the dish.
The drink offered tasted better, similar to weak beer. After three glasses, she expected to feel drunk, but she wasn’t even tipsy. The experience was a little disappointing.
“Thank you,” she said. “That was delicious.” She smacked her lips together.
Jago raised his eyebrows. “Please don’t lie.”
She tried harder. “Honestly, compared to the stuff back at your place, this is definitely an improvement.”
“You don’t like any of our food?” Kriss clucked his tongue. “This is one of the best eateries in the city.”
She chewed her lip. She’d missed the whole point of the trip out. This was special for them, not her. It wasn’t about comparing her experiences on Earth with theirs.
“I am very grateful you brought me here. I’ve seen the city and it’s very peaceful. I did like the food, it’s very unique.” She lowered her eyes.
Jago cleared his throat. “It doesn’t matter, Shayla. I expect if we ate Earth food, we’d find it strange. The next time we get a voucher, we’ll go to a sporting event instead.”
She lifted her head. “Sport?”
“Droid annihilation. Teams of droids smash each other to bits and the team with the most working components at the end, wins.” Kriss beamed.
At least they didn’t use real people. She forced a smile onto her face, hoping it looked genuine.
She glanced around the eatery and several eyes met her gaze. All men, all beefy, hunky men seated around tables, eyeballing her. Hezara nestors with no females to keep them company. She remembered the stats—one woman for a thousand men—and she shrank into her seat.
“What?” Jago touched the back of her hand. She flinched.
“I’m the only woman, apart from the Gotti.” She cocked her head at the nearest table.