CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Cloud the Slig stumbled into a dusty town somewhere at the border of Glukksonia. Not only was his throat parched from lack of water, his energy packs were getting depleted from all his stumbling; so far, his infrared visor was still working, but the power in his mechanical pants was going down by the minute.
Thus, he was mad with pleasure as soon as he saw the gathering of square industrialist buildings, and smelled the wonderful aroma of smog filling the air, because that meant there would be outlets where he could recharge, and an airship he could take to Mantin City, to warn Glok of Fragg's treachery!
The Slig scanned the other Sligs and Glukkons weaving in and around the buildings on their daily routines. “Water!” he screeched hoarsely, injuring his throat with every syllable. “Water!”
The village’s inhabitants turned and looked up at him, seemingly surprised that he would even dare to come in looking that way. “Whatcha want here?” one Slig asked.
“WATER!” Cloud practically screamed at them.
The Slig pointed to a nearby house. “There’s a spigot over –”
Cloud didn’t wait to listen to the rest of the sentence. Instead, he hurried to the spigot, which was dripping softly, his tentacles going wide with joy. He threw himself flat under the spigot, twisting the handle to pour life-giving water into the tips of his tentacles, which immediately absorbed the water and sent its moisture to the parts of his body that needed it most.
He could tell, out of the corner of his visor, that the other Sligs and Glukkon townspeople were staring at him kinda funny, but he ignored them. He kept his full concentration on getting this sweet-tasting water. It felt better now than it ever had before.
Once he’d drank his fill – which took some time, since he was so parched – he pushed himself roughly to his feet. He glanced from one Slig to another, looking for one that seemed friendly. “You people got an airship in town?”
The Slig he had spoken to cocked his head on one side. “Are you injured, boy? Taken any head wounds lately?”
Cloud felt perplexed. “What do you mean by that?”
“You act…a little strange.” The Slig folded his arms across his chest. “An’ where’s yer boss?”
Cloud grinned. “You know my boss?”
“No, I’m askin’ where he is.”
“He’s, uh…” Cloud indicated the direction from which he’d come. “He’s over that way. Why do you ask that?”
The Slig narrowed his eyes. “If you don’t even know where your boss is, you have to be a rogue Slig.” He slid a small pistol out of a holster that Cloud hadn’t even noticed. “And we don’t like rogue Sligs here in Bodhran.”
* * *
|