Ms. Chiiz could also hear Potat talking telepathically. She hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation between Potat and the children. So she was surprised at Potat’s aversion to Frieda, her order to the children, and their quick response.
This is very interesting, thought Ms. Chiiz, who studied the behavior and interactions of humans and Verdantes as a hobby. I wonder why this cat is focused on Freeta with such aggressive intent. Why are the children taking orders from this cat? And why does Antaska seem so tense and uncomfortable? Fascinating!
Her thoughts were interrupted by the big baby in her lap. The vocal talk of the children and Freeta had woke up M. Bomp, and he was fussing.
“Shush, shush,” said Ms. Chiiz telepathically to M. Bomp.
Ms. Chiiz pretended to focus all of her attention on calming the baby while she waited to see what would happen next in this unusual situation. Freeta stood in front of her as if she expected Ms. Chiiz to interfere. But Ms. Chiiz just patted the baby’s head and didn’t say anything.
Ignoring the children, Freeta spoke again—this time only to Antaska.
“Well! It’s really noisy in here with all these children. I’m sure you’d rather go to my room to talk. Come along now.”
She ended her short speech with a flourish of her arm as if to direct Antaska out the door.
Hmm, thought Ms. Chiiz. Freeta is attempting to manipulate this other human female by telling her what to do and not giving her an option to say ‘no’ without seeming rude.
Ms. Chiiz turned to look at Antaska and waited with interest to see how she would respond.
“Umm, ahh,” said Antaska.
“Tell her to leave!” the small cat Potat said loudly and telepathically to the three children. She accompanied this with an arched back, raised fur, and a loud hiss in Freeta’s direction.
The largest of the children, M. Gwaawh, stood up and glared with lowered eye corners at Freeta.
“I must insist that you leave now, Freeta,” he said with an adult-like firmness that was oddly unsettling coming from a child-like but large body.
Well he is 500 years old, Ms. Chiiz thought.
M. Gwaawh made a sweeping gesture with his arm and the six green fingers of one hand toward the door.
Freeta’s eyes and mouth opened wide, and she stood momentarily frozen. Ms. Chiiz had noticed that this human never seemed comfortable around the large Verdante children and usually avoided them. Because they were hundreds of years old, the Verdantes let them roam around the residence unsupervised, but they were children and therefore unpredictable.
Now what will happen? Ms. Chiiz wondered.
Freeta spoke up. “Well! Ms. Janeez told me that you children were well behaved and self-controlled, but it looks like she was wrong.”
No one said anything in answer to that. Ms. Chiiz bounced the baby on her lap. The Earthling Antaska sat next to her stiff and unmoving. And the three Verdante children and the cat glared at Freeta with undisguised disdain.
Freeta looked around at all of them. Then she turned and left the room with a rustle of waving hair and dress.
“I’ll tell Ms. Janeez! I’ll tell her about this!” Ms. Chiiz could hear Freeta threaten as she retreated down the curved hallway.
With superhuman Verdante hearing, M. Chiiz could also hear Freeta’s lower-voiced rant from a farther distance. “I was right about those children! Hundreds of years in a child’s body really does make them crazy!”
The corners of the big baby’s eyes pulled down, and his small mouth pressed closed tight. Ms. Chiiz’s efforts to soothe him hadn’t been helped by the loud talking and yelling. M. Bomp wanted badly to express himself, but he couldn’t. It was extremely frustrating for Verdante babies to not have the physiological development needed for either vocal or telepathic speech until at least the age of one hundred, when they began speaking their first words. M. Bomp was just over one hundred years old and could still speak only a few words, including his most recently learned “kitty.”
From the moment M. Bomp had seen Potat, he’d wanted to pet her, but his desire had been thwarted by Ms. Chiiz. She’d held him firmly until he fell asleep. Most unfairly, the other children had been allowed to surround Potat and receive her full attention. The cat had even said they might be able to become her pets, but what about M. Bomp? He heard the little kitty telling them a story as he drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of her sweet, melodious voice. It was like nothing he’d ever heard before on the Verdante planet.
After a nap that was much too short for the needs of a Verdante baby, M. Bomp woke to the sounds of trouble. Someone was bothering the kitty! He wanted to do something, but he was so limited by his baby body. Once again, one of the larger children won Potat’s attention and admiration, and still, M. Bomp had not been allowed to even pet her!
Large tears began to form in M. Bomp’s big eyes. The sensitive Ms. Chiiz lifted him up and hugged him while making soothing telepathic shushing noises. Two large drops of water fell from his eyes. They dropped over Ms. Chiiz’s shoulder and landed on the bed next to Antaska with a splash.
“This baby could be dangerous,” thought Potat, who hated to get wet.
Being highly intelligent, Potat realized the reason for M. Bomp’s distress. Bravely, she walked closer to him, avoiding the wet spots on the bed and watching out for falling drops.
“Hello, big baby, I’m Potat. What’s your name?”
At the sound of her telepathic voice, the baby’s big eyes opened and slanted upward as if his mood had changed with lightning speed. He gave a final sniff.
“Bomp,” said M. Bomp.
“I guess you’d like to be my pet too,” said Potat in a somewhat regal telepathic tone.
She wasn’t surprised that so many humanoids would like this honor, but there were limits to how many people she could be responsible for.
“Pet, pet, pet!” said the gigantic baby.
He reached a big green hand, slightly damp with tears, down to lightly pet Potat. With great tolerance, she allowed him to put small amounts of salt water on her fur. But she knew that she’d have to give herself another complete bath as soon as possible.
Now Potat wondered how much M. Bomp could actually understand.
When I said “pet,” did he think it was an offer for him to pet me? You just never can know what an alien species is thinking, thought Potat. I’ll just assume that he can understand me.
She knew very well how it felt to be underestimated again and again by members of other species.
“Very well,” she mentally addressed M. Bomp again. “Because you’re also a member of my pet M. Hoyvil’s family, you can be my pet too. But you must also prove yourself with an act of bravery. You’re still a baby, so it could be a long time before you can do that, but the offer is open.”
M. Bomp felt the importance of this momentous occasion, and he made a supreme effort to express himself. “Bomp be kitty pet!” he said in his loudest telepathic voice.
“He just spoke his first sentence!” Ms. Chiiz exclaimed out loud. “Come children, we must go tell Ms. Bawbaw!”
She stood up with M. Bomp and turned to say goodbye to Antaska. “See you later at dinner.”
Then Ms. Chiiz quickly left the room carrying M. Bomp. He looked back with longing at Potat over Ms. Chiiz’s shoulder. He watched the other three large children get up reluctantly and say goodbye to Potat and Antaska. Clearly not as excited as Ms. Chiiz by M. Bomp’s first sentence, they followed behind her and dragged the heels of their high-topped boots in the cushiony flooring.
After the Verdantes were gone, Antaska looked down at Potat, once again not knowing whether to be amused or concerned. She’d heard her tell M. Bomp that M. Hoyvil was Potat’s pet. Did this tiny cat really believe that she was the master of an alien more than eight feet tall? And if she thought she was M. Hoyvil’s master, did she think she was Antaska’s master too?
Antaska wondered if Potat was reading her mind now, but she didn�
�t ask her. The little cat let out a small sigh. Then she started thoroughly cleaning her entire body of the sticky, salty baby moisture.
“It looks like you might have a problem with that other Earthling,” Potat said telepathically to Antaska as she cleaned. “She’s very pushy, and I predict that next she’ll try to give you drugs too. But we can’t talk about that now. M. Hoyvil is on his way here to get you. You’ll just have to do the best you can without me. I’m sorry, but I won’t be going along to dinner with you. I don’t feel like watching a room full of large humanoids eating large amounts of food and talking all at once. I’ll be napping here in the room while you’re gone. This planet’s telepathic trees have been trying to tell me something ever since we got here. But they talk so slow that it’s been hard for me to pay attention to the whole message. Maybe if I’m asleep for five hours, I’ll hear five words in a row.”
Potat finished her bath, curled up on the bed with her dark gray outer stripe surrounding her white belly, and fell instantly asleep.
Ever since Potat had said that M. Hoyvil was coming, Antaska had been listening for him, but she hadn’t heard any sound of him approaching in the hallway outside their door. Now, about a minute later, Antaska saw M. Hoyvil’s large head leaning over sideways to look into the room.
Chapter 6
“Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes,” M. Hoyvil told Antaska from outside of her door.
She wanted to talk to Potat some more, but the small cat was asleep.
“OK. I’ll just go to the bathroom and wash my hands first. I know the way there, but I don’t know the way to the dining room. Can you take me there?” Antaska asked him.
M. Hoyvil moved in front of the doorway, ducked his head, and stood just inside the door with the top of his head just a few inches from the ceiling. He spoke quietly.
“Sure, I’ll wait in my room, so I don’t wake up Potat. You know where it is right across the hall?” he asked.
“Yes, I know where it is, but don’t worry about Potat,” said Antaska in her normal voice. “She sleeps through almost anything. You can wait in here if you want to.”
“In that case, I’ll wait with Potat. I haven’t seen her for a while,” M. Hoyvil answered.
There was no Verdante adult-sized furniture in the room. M. Hoyvil sat down on the floor next to the circular bed where Potat slept.
Then Antaska got up and left the room. She wasn’t surprised by M. Hoyvil’s desire to spend time with Potat. She’d noticed that he was becoming attached to the little cat. So much so, apparently, that Potat claimed him as her own pet. She wondered again if Potat believed that she was also Antaska’s master. Or if Potat thought Antaska was the master, would that make Antaska also the master of M. Hoyvil?
While Antaska walked down the long hallway toward the bathroom, she forgot about the other Earthlings and their talk about drugs. But someone hadn’t forgotten about her. Freeta sat in a chair in the doorway to her own room. She faced out toward the hallway, so she could see whoever passed by.
Antaska’s mind was so filled with her own loud thoughts about Potat and M. Hoyvil that she didn’t notice Freeta when she passed by her doorway. When Freeta spoke up, Antaska jolted and stopped in her tracks.
“Hi again, Antaska. Are you here to visit me without those annoying children around?” Freeta asked.
“Sorry, I’m actually on my way to the bathroom to wash up for dinner,” said Antaska. “M. Hoyvil’s waiting for me, so I don’t have time to talk now.”
“OK. Next time then,” said Freeta.
Antaska started walking again.
No one was in the sumptuously appointed Earthling female bathroom when Antaska walked in. She realized that it had been a few hours since her last trip here. She needed to use the toilet, especially after drinking one of the beverage tubes that were stocked in a cabinet in her room just like in the space ship. The Verdantes required large amounts of the nutrient-rich fluid because of their part-plant, part-humanoid genetic structure. They encouraged the Earthlings to keep hydrated with a formula designed to keep them healthy and increase their longevity. In addition to a longer life span, this also caused extra trips to the bathroom.
Antaska went into one of the gold-trimmed stalls. After she flushed, just like the last time, she heard the voices of two women talking. She recognized the voice of the female named Totanna talking to Freeta. And again, they were talking about her! Antaska felt too embarrassed to go out there, so she waited inside the stall again.
“I really despise that Antaska,” said Totanna. “It’s so unfair!”
“Why’s that?” Freeta asked her.
“You know on the way here from Earth, we sat with Ms. Janeez in the adult section of the space ship’s dining hall. And at every meal, that hunky fitness instructor Eegor was there with his Verdante master and mistress, and Eegor’s human female partner Tilde?” said Totanna.
“Right. So?” Freeta said.
“I know I’m hotter than Antaska. Everyone knows that,” said Totanna. “And for two months, I tried everything I could to get Eegor to notice me. I wore tighter and tighter clothes, higher heels, and wilder hairstyles. But all he noticed was Antaska, who was most unworthy of his attention, in my opinion.”
“Yeah. Everyone saw him staring at Antaska everyday sitting with M. Hoyvil in the adolescent section,” said Freeta. “Most of us thought it was funny though.”
This is so embarrassing! thought Antaska inside the bathroom. And Freeta must know I’m in here. Why doesn’t she say something?
“Well, I didn’t think it was funny and neither did Eegor’s partner Tilde,” said Totanna. “Tell me how could a plain, too tall, skinny female possibly attract a fine specimen of a man like Eegor? Especially when his partner was probably the world’s most beautiful woman. Not that I’m exactly a loser like Antaska,” said Totanna.
“Here. Have another puff of this,” said Freeta. “You sound like you need it. It’ll make you feel better.”
“I thought you’d never ask!” said Totanna.
There was another moment of silence.
I need to get out of here and get going! Antaska thought. This is so awkward!
Then Totanna spoke again. “Yeah. I noticed Antaska sneaking guilty looks back at Eegor. What a wimp! If I’m interested in a man, I’m not shy about it, even if he has another woman with him.”
Antaska heard Freeta laughing.
“Of course, Tilde was really big and strong,” Totanna went on. “I saw the martial arts moves she used on Antaska in the fitness class after she got mad at her. So actually, attracting Tilde’s notice probably wasn’t a good idea, but that clueless Antaska did it anyway.”
“Bad move!” Freeta agreed with her.
“The longer that trip went, the more mad I got at Antaska. She started working out extra to get in better shape, so that Eegor would notice her even more. I could see her toning up even under that frumpy ship suit she always wears. And then the Earthling males on the space ship noticed too,” Totanna fumed in a slurred voice.
Antaska wondered if the drugs Totanna had taken were getting to her.
“It was so unfair!” Totanna went on. “The fitness class for us Earthlings who were going to stay on the Verdante planet for life was much easier than the class the humans going to space took. The class that Eegor and Hilde taught. At the start of the trip, our fitness instructor told our class that if we wanted to, we could join the harder class, but of course, no one wanted to. Still, it wasn’t fair. Antaska had an unfair advantage.”
“You look good even though you didn’t take the harder class,” said Freeta.
“Yeah. My bod looks sooo hot in this outfit Ms. Janeez made for me. Sure, I don’t look like fitness girl, but I’ve got the curves, baby. I can’t believe any man would even notice her in that stupid ship suit with me around! They’re probably looking at her because she’s such a freak. Someone should put a sack over her head!” said Totanna.
“By the way, An
taska’s here in one of the stalls,” Antaska heard Freeta tell Totanna in a loud whisper.
“What! Why didn’t you tell me before?” asked Totanna.
This is totally humiliating! Antaska thought, but she didn’t come out or say anything.
“Oh, you know. It’s so boring on this planet. I have to do what I can to make things more interesting,” said Freeta.
“That’s no excuse!” Totanna practically shouted. “You acted like you were my friend, and now you do that to me?”
“Wait. I am your friend,” said Freeta. “Here. Have another puff. It’ll make you feel better.”
“You owe me one after this,” said Totanna.
Another moment of silence passed, and then Totanna spoke again.
“Thanks. Maybe we can still be friends after all. We’ll see.”
“Oh, you’ll be my friend when you want some more. Everyone wants to be my friend,” said Freeta.
“Anyway, it’s time to get going,” said Totanna. “Time to get to the dining room to show my fine self to the Earthling males. Let’s go, Freeta. It’s the first dinner, and I want to see the males I’ll be living with for the next 300 years.”
“I’m not ready to go yet,” said Freeta. “I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”
“You’re waiting for her?” said Totanna. “Well, I’m out of here. I’m sure none of the males will care if she’s there or not.”
“What a dippy airhead!” Antaska heard Freeta say a few moments later. “She’s gone. You can come out now, Antaska,” Freeta said in a louder voice.
Antaska reluctantly got up off the comfy toilet seat and pushed the door open. She walked over and started washing her hands in front of a sink next to Freeta. Antaska hated this kind of confrontation, but now she had to say something.
Lost in Space Page 5