“Your new little pet is a rare beauty. But have you visitedmyhome world yet?” Hs’lx asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “For I know you said it was on your agenda while you were in our humble little galaxy.”
I shook my head.
“Not yet—it’s my next stop. I’m only here to refuel.”
“Oh, well in that case, you’d best get your little pet a set of warm winter furs,” the Naggian merchant told me. “You’ll need some outer furs, of course, to cut the blasts of the wind but you’ll also need some thin, ultra-soft inner furs to hold her body heat in. Not to mention a fur hat, boots, gloves, face coverings—”
I could see the wheels in the Naggian merchant’s head turning, calculating how much he could charge me for all this merchandise and I quickly shook my head.
“I’m afraid I already have everything that is necessary to bring little one to your home world with me, Hs’lx. Though Idoneed a nice, warm pet bed for her to sleep on at night.”
“Oh, well if it’s a pet bed your Honor desires, I have many to choose from!” Hs’lx said, quickly pivoting when he scented a possible sale. “If you’ll come over here to this side of the stall,” he added, motioning. “I have a nice selection of cloud-fiber beds, right beside the Vornish blades. “Do be careful with those, little lady,” he added, speaking to little one who was staring with interest at the displayed blade.
It was sitting on a stand on the counter of the stall, gleaming the deep silver-blue of true Vornish steel and the blade was up, the better to show the fine cutting edge of the weapon.
“That there is sharp enough to slit a strand of hair in two lengthwise,” Hs’lx assured her. “Just take a strand of your own hair and try it, why don’t you? Keep yourself busy while your master and I look at the beds.”
“I’ll want little one to choose her own bed,” I said firmly.
“Yes, but let me show you what I’ve got first, your Honor,” Hs’lx objected. “Your Honor wouldn’t want to give your pettoomany options—it might overwhelm her brain.”
“Little one is very intelligent,” I objected. “However, lay out your wares—I’ll see what you have before she chooses one.” I looked down at my pet. “Do you wish to see?”
“In a moment, Master,” little one murmured. “I know I should be kneeling in abeyance by your side, but can I just look at those shiny little toys for a minute? They’refascinating.”
I saw she was pointing to some bimble-stax—ingenious little building blocks that changed color and shape constantly as you built with them. A builder with a knack could build quite a tall tower with them—ifthey could fit them together before they all changed shape. I’d had a similar set myself, when I was a boy.
“All right,” I said indulgently, playing out a bit more leash so she could walk around to look at the bimble-stax. “I’ll call you when we have some options.”
“Thank you, Master,” she said, ducking her head obsequiously.
“And you,” I added, to mycandalla,which had curved around and was pointing in her direction. “Pay attention and help me choose the right sort of bed for little one. She can’t sleep with me every night or you’ll ruin my sheets!”
Reluctantly, my tail retreated and pointed in the direction of the counter where the Naggian merchant was laying out his wares.
Hx’lx first brought out a big pile of round, furred pet beds…but then he brought out another pile of rectangular ones that had pillows attached. A third pile had comfort foam inserts that were supposed to be good for your pet’s spinal support and a fourth pile had special fabric which wouldn’t stain, even if your pet had an accident—something I had no fear of with little one, since she had taken to using the facilities so quickly.
Many people might have been dismayed by the number of beds to choose from, but variety of choice is yet another thing I love about the primitive practice of shopping. It gives one scope for the imagination. No matter which bed little one chose, I would now have every other kind stored in my memory. So if she didn’t like the first one she had chosen, I could simply use the Matter Synthesizer to make another like one of the ones on display for her to try.
I confess, I got very involved in the process of finding just the right pet bed. I had to feel and examine each kind, committing them to memory so I could reproduce them later if I chose to. Hs’lx also had much to tell me of every single kind of available bed—and some he claimed he could order for a future sale, if I chose to ever come back to his stall. He pulled up digital catalogs on his tablet of wares and we discussed the various merits of every one.
Of course, colors and patterns had to be considered as well, which took even more time, but at last I was satisfied. When I had finally found a selection I thought little one might like to choose from, I turned to ask her opinion.
“The pink one with a cloud-fiber cover and the comfort foam core seems the best to me,” I said, as I turned. “But if you would prefer a different—”
I stopped, the words dying in my throat.
A heap of multicolored bimble-stax lay on the counter where little one had been. And when I grabbed for the leash—which I had fastened to my belt—I found it had been cut, severed as neatly as a surgeon might sever a vital artery. But of little one herself, there was no sign.
My pet was gone. She might be anywhere in the wide, dangerous spaceport and wherever she was, she was all alone.
FOURTEEN
ELLI
Iwaited patiently for my chance to escape—although it wasn’t easy. I wasdyingto get free of the damn leash and lose myself in the crowd—I was certain it wouldn’t be too hard because F’too’sh Beta was definitely one of the most colorful and strangest places I had ever seen. As I told Sir, it reminded me of a cross between a craft fair and a farmer’s market—well, if everyone manning the stalls was an alien, that was.
Everywhere I looked there were strange people and even stranger products. Sir even bought me a little wand that blew edible, candy bubbles. They changed flavor with every bubble I blew, but I couldn’t name any of the flavors, since they were all based on alien fruits I had never eaten. Still, I enjoyed the sweet treat immensely—it was much tastier than the bland nutritional gel cubes I’d had for breakfast.