Thanks to one and all.
Scrab Meat, thanks. I await your work with open arms and open eyes.
And everyone's encouragement is certainly welcome.
Chapter 65
We reached the kitchen. It was very hot in here; the kind of heat that only ovens turned high could produce in an enclosed space.
Large, industrial-sized ovens lined the far wall. Through vents in the openings there came a warm, almost welcoming orange glow. The whole kitchen seemed rather cozy, except for the stifling heat.
As per usual, five mudokons were also stationed here. There were two loading trays with meat, two others carrying trays back and forth to and from the ovens, and one who operated a machine that added spices to the meat chunks. Three sligs patrolled the room, occasionally administering a clout to the head of any mudokons that showed signs of weariness.
There was, I noticed, no glukkon here. So on with the show.
I muttered to my sligs, “Abe may have possessed one or all of these sligs, and may be acting under cover. I want you to dispose of them. Now!”
My sligs, faithful as ever, quickly shot down the three guard sligs.
Grinning, I stood straight and cleared my throat. “Mudokon workers! You are being reassigned to Animal Preparation. Come with me.” I turned once more to my sligs. “You two stay here. Report any suspicious activity at once.”
They buzzed and began to click their guns anxiously. I turned and tiptoed in true glukkon fashion out of the kitchen and back into the Meat Separation department. The five mudokons followed, obviously glad to be out of that hot room.
Once I was certain we were clear of the kitchens, I reverted to my natural body and shed the glukkon clothes.
The mudokons were smart enough not to shout for joy; there was still a Zippy overhead in this room. I looked around and found a knife designed to fit a mudokon paw sitting at one of the workstations. I grabbed it and threw.
The blade of the knife jammed in the Zippy’s lens, and it fell to the ground with a thunk.
I wasted no time in chanting and rescuing these ten mudokons.
And, blissfully, an excess energy flowed into me. The feeling of having the power to shape landscapes and mold horizons filled me. I knew I had no such power, but it is the closest way I can relate the feeling of having the power of the shrykull coursing through my veins … my muscles … my mind … my
being.
But it was to be saved. I contacted Druna - who was obviously glad to hear from me - and obtained another glukkon morph.
I hurriedly became the glukkon and abruptly shouted for help.
My two loyal sligs came a running and saw that I was naked and my clothes had been strewn every which way.
Time for another gambit. “Abe was just in here! He came from the shadows laughing and knocked me down, and he pulled my clothes off to incapacitate me!”
The sligs were already working to dress me back up. It was already a faster job than me trying to dress myself as a glukkon.
“What about the mudokons, boss?” one slig huffed.
I grumbled. “That little blue bastard grabbed ‘em and took off!”
The sligs each buzzed in anger, and finished dressing me.
“We’ll have to keep a closer eye on the boss,” one slig was saying.
The other nodded. “Yes. We don’t want another unwarranted attack.”
I coughed to get their attention and spoke. “I think he might have slipped off into the packaging department. Let’s go.”
Thankfully, neither slig thought to comment on the essential oddity of a glukkon who had never been on the premises knowing what departments were where.
If I could keep this up, I’d be golden.
Employee Status:
