It was too bad that my need for blood kept me tied to O’nagga Nine, I thought now, as I looked across the table at the little Earth female. There were so many places I would have liked to explore—planets where I wanted to do business—but I couldn’t get too far from the planet of my birth.
Of course I could have hired one of the Blood Brides to go with me and supply me, but I think I already mentioned that would have ruined her life. And, being Naggian herself, a Blood Bride would also need blood and I wouldn’t be able to supply her—no self respecting Naggian would drink from a half-bloodhsh’fruxlike me.
But forget wandering the universe—I had everything I needed to keep my attention right here at my own breakfast table. I watched Natalie as the dishes were brought to the table and was glad to see I had chosen well. The hot breakfast was just what she needed and I loved watching her eyes light up as the servants removed the domed tops from the platters, revealing plenty of food.
“Oh,jim’bapies!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands as the little pies with their multicolored crusts were revealed.
“You like them?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
She nodded excitedly.
“There’s a food stall down in the Central Hub that sells them. Sometimes the owner gives me the pies that got burned. But I’ve only gotten to try the red and the orange ones,” she added, pointing to them. “The uh,soobafish and thecrimbaones, I mean,” she added.
“Want me to tell you the fillings of the others?” I asked, nodding at the pink and purplejim’bapies. “Or do you want it to be a surprise?”
“Oh, surprise me!” Natalie’s eyes were shining as I served her the two pies in question. Then I added two more—despite her curves, she looked like she needed to eat.
Natalie didn’t object to the extra serving. She picked up a pie in her hands, blew on it, and bit delicately into the crust. She got a considering look on her lovely face as she chewed and swallowed.
“Well?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “Do you like it?”
“Tastes like some kind of curry from back home,” she said. “It’s delicious!”
“I’m glad you like it.” I found myself smiling at her enthusiasm. “Try the other one now—that’stim’bafilling.”
“Okay,” she said agreeably and picked up the purple pie. She took a bite and a look of surprise came over her face. Then her eyes rolled up in her head in an unmistakable expression of pure sensual enjoyment.
“Well?” I said, genuinely interested in her assessment.
“Sweet Jesus, this is sogood,”she said, sighing happily. “It tastes like a cross between the Hamburger Helper my mom used to make and a cheese pizza. Um, I know that doesn’t mean anything to you,” she added, glancing up at me. “But it’sreallygood.”
I took a purple pie myself and bit into it. The crust was light and delicate and flakey and the filling was rich and moist with gravy. I employ the best chef in the whole damn city and it shows. But in spite of the excellent food I ate on a regular basis, I couldn’t remember enjoying a meal so much in a long time. Maybe it was because I liked watching Natalie’s reaction to eating the food.
“Would you like somel’x’l?”I asked, indicating the steaming pitcher the servant had brought to the table.
“Oh yes—please!” She nodded eagerly and held out her mug. “I’ve been smelling this forever and I’vealwayswanted to try it.”
I frowned as I poured her a mug full of the dark, steaming beverage.
“Why haven’t you tried it?”
“Well, I mean, it’s expensive—at least at the stall that sells it down in the Central Hub,” she said evasively. “I don’t make much and R’xs takes most of it. The rest I have to save for rent and food—I don’t have any extra for luxuries.”
“And of course thel’x’lmerchant probably won’t let you pay with blood, will he?” I asked, finally understanding.
Natalie shook her head, her long, dark curls bouncing with the movement.
“No—none of them will. They don’t want myhsh’fruxblood contaminating their little collection banks.” Her lush mouth twisted into a bitter expression. “Though I don’t see how my blood could make a difference. They have all their other customers’ blood all mixed up in those jars—what if one of them had some kind of disease?”
“Naggians don’t get blood-borne illnesses,” I told her blandly, taking a sip of my ownl’x’land savoring the sweet, rich flavor. “There’s a chemical in their blood which makes it naturally anti-bacterial, anti-microbial,andanti-viral. It’s also what makes it so damn bitter,” I added.
“Sothat’swhy they consider everyone else’s blood to be ‘dirty’,” Natalie said speculatively. “And here I thought they were just being racist.”
“Oh, they’re racist, all right,” I agreed with her grimly. “They consider every other one of the Twelve Peoples to be inferior to pure-blooded Naggians.”
She cocked her head and looked at me.
“I notice you keep saying ‘they,’ but aren’t you half Naggian yourself?”