“Yes, yes, that must be it.”
“Can I have one for him now?”
“Oh, I am sorry but there are just enough doses—I mean, treats—in this basket for the cats we must see tonight. I’ll tell you what, though. When we are done with rounds, I will ask Bahiti if we can make up another treat for your Chester and bring it to him.” He gave both Jubal and Chester an inquiring look, and Bahiti purred something soothing to Chester.
Chessie gave her son a nose kiss. “Bahiti is not really assigned to your house and has been very busy, but I will remind him about your treat. You have grown into a very fine cat and should not be left out.”
Chester purred and rubbed his head against his mother’s cheek. “Thanks, Mother.”
He jumped up onto Jubal’s shoulder.
Let’s go back to our house now. I want to be there when they bring my treat. I thought those were fish but now I wonder if they might not be ground-up keka bugs. It’s funny. I haven’t seen any keka bugs since we left the ships, have you?
Jubal allowed as how he hadn’t and agreed that it was kind of strange.
Maybe Pshaw-Ra exported all of them
, he suggested.
Didn’t you say they’re part of his plan for universal domination? He might have used them all up
.
He intended to ask Edfu about it when the other boy came by with Chester’s treat, but Edfu didn’t have time to talk then either, just handed him what seemed to be a gob of rolled-up fish and left. Neither Bahiti nor Chessie were with him.
Chester nibbled at the treat, then batted it around with his white stockinged paw.
It’s just fish
.
You like fish
.
Yes, but there should be some powder or something rolled up in it. I thought it might be powdered keka bugs. Whatever the others got, I don’t think it was only fish
.
Judging from the increase in wildly operatic cat song issuing from the neighboring houses, Jubal was inclined to agree. Maybe the other cats had been given some really good nip. In which case Chester’s complaint was justified. He was the best and brightest cat there, Jubal felt sure. If the others got good nip, Chester should have it too, and he intended to ask the captain to see if he could—Well, what could he do, really? Maybe instead of asking the captain, he just needed to corner Edfu.
Mother will know
, Chester said.
I will ask her when …
He yawned hugely, sprawled out on the middle of the bed and fell asleep.
Jubal had a harder time sleeping. He wished he had brought something to read. By the time Edfu had arrived, it was almost dawn again and nobody seemed to be around during the day. Eventually, he curled himself around Chester and slept fitfully.
He woke up a few hours later to a knock on the door. Opening it, he was almost knocked backward by the heat. In the doorway was a small woman holding two pots, one full of fishy smelling bits, the other covered. “Your meal,” she said.
“Thanks,” he told her. “I can cook a little if you’ll tell me where to find supplies.”
But he said much of it to her back. He shrugged, refilled Chester’s dish, and set his own on the table. It was some sort of rice dish with dried fruit of undetermined origin. It was hot but bland. He looked down at Chester, whose head bobbed up and down as he snapped up his food.
Don’t suppose you could spare me some of your fish?
What fish?
Chester asked innocently, looking up from his empty dish.
What did he expect? Chester might be his best friend, but he was a cat and he liked fish a lot.
Chester jumped up on the table and watched while Jubal finished his meal.
Maybe we should go fishing again
, the cat suggested.
It’s really hot out there. How do these people live in this place anyway?
Chester didn’t answer. Having eaten, he was ready for another nap.
Jubal decided that as soon as it cooled off enough, he would ask the captain if he could go back to the ship and get stuff—food, something to read, his pocket unit for music, games, and data, including a number of
“Can I have one for him now?”
“Oh, I am sorry but there are just enough doses—I mean, treats—in this basket for the cats we must see tonight. I’ll tell you what, though. When we are done with rounds, I will ask Bahiti if we can make up another treat for your Chester and bring it to him.” He gave both Jubal and Chester an inquiring look, and Bahiti purred something soothing to Chester.
Chessie gave her son a nose kiss. “Bahiti is not really assigned to your house and has been very busy, but I will remind him about your treat. You have grown into a very fine cat and should not be left out.”
Chester purred and rubbed his head against his mother’s cheek. “Thanks, Mother.”
He jumped up onto Jubal’s shoulder.
Let’s go back to our house now. I want to be there when they bring my treat. I thought those were fish but now I wonder if they might not be ground-up keka bugs. It’s funny. I haven’t seen any keka bugs since we left the ships, have you?
Jubal allowed as how he hadn’t and agreed that it was kind of strange.
Maybe Pshaw-Ra exported all of them
, he suggested.
Didn’t you say they’re part of his plan for universal domination? He might have used them all up
.
He intended to ask Edfu about it when the other boy came by with Chester’s treat, but Edfu didn’t have time to talk then either, just handed him what seemed to be a gob of rolled-up fish and left. Neither Bahiti nor Chessie were with him.
Chester nibbled at the treat, then batted it around with his white stockinged paw.
It’s just fish
.
You like fish
.
Yes, but there should be some powder or something rolled up in it. I thought it might be powdered keka bugs. Whatever the others got, I don’t think it was only fish
.
Judging from the increase in wildly operatic cat song issuing from the neighboring houses, Jubal was inclined to agree. Maybe the other cats had been given some really good nip. In which case Chester’s complaint was justified. He was the best and brightest cat there, Jubal felt sure. If the others got good nip, Chester should have it too, and he intended to ask the captain to see if he could—Well, what could he do, really? Maybe instead of asking the captain, he just needed to corner Edfu.
Mother will know
, Chester said.
I will ask her when …
He yawned hugely, sprawled out on the middle of the bed and fell asleep.
Jubal had a harder time sleeping. He wished he had brought something to read. By the time Edfu had arrived, it was almost dawn again and nobody seemed to be around during the day. Eventually, he curled himself around Chester and slept fitfully.
He woke up a few hours later to a knock on the door. Opening it, he was almost knocked backward by the heat. In the doorway was a small woman holding two pots, one full of fishy smelling bits, the other covered. “Your meal,” she said.
“Thanks,” he told her. “I can cook a little if you’ll tell me where to find supplies.”
But he said much of it to her back. He shrugged, refilled Chester’s dish, and set his own on the table. It was some sort of rice dish with dried fruit of undetermined origin. It was hot but bland. He looked down at Chester, whose head bobbed up and down as he snapped up his food.
Don’t suppose you could spare me some of your fish?
What fish?
Chester asked innocently, looking up from his empty dish.
What did he expect? Chester might be his best friend, but he was a cat and he liked fish a lot.
Chester jumped up on the table and watched while Jubal finished his meal.
Maybe we should go fishing again
, the cat suggested.
It’s really hot out there. How do these people live in this place anyway?
Chester didn’t answer. Having eaten, he was ready for another nap.
Jubal decided that as soon as it cooled off enough, he would ask the captain if he could go back to the ship and get stuff—food, something to read, his pocket unit for music, games, and data, including a number of
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