AGU SCI 1: The Star Brotherhood by Thomas DePrima Read Free Book Online Page B

long ago. Travel is a lot safer for everyone, including former slaves."
    "I've thought of it. Of course, the Brotherhood would try to stop me if they knew I wanted to leave, but I think I could get away. It's just that— I don't know. Everyone back on Earth probably believes I'm long dead. Maybe it's better to leave it like that."
    "Don't you want to see your family again?"
    "Some days I want to see them more than anything in the universe. And others I'm— afraid."
    "Afraid?"
    "I did a stupid, stupid thing and I'm sure my disappearance hurt many people…"
    "The events that led up to your disappearance aren't important now. They're in the past. We all make mistakes. You were a kid when it happened, and everyone will know you didn't leave intentionally. I know your family and friends would love to have you back."
    "Perhaps. I just don't know."
    "I do. Believe me. You would make everyone happy."
    "How about you?"
    "Me?"
    "I mean, do you keep in touch with people back on Earth?"
    "I should do a better job, but I try to send at least one message to every family member at least once a year. Naturally, I can't tell them about what I do. They think I'm a miner and I move around a lot."
    "A miner?" Lippaula said with a chuckle. "Well, you do have the look. You'd probably be the most intelligent and well-read miner in the mine."
    "I tried it once," Vyx said, also with a chuckle. "It was absolutely awful. But to survive, you sometimes do things that aren't very pleasant."
    "Tell me about it. If you're done eating, we can go back into my office."
    * * *
    As Vyx cycled the airlock hatch and opened the inner door, he found four pistols aimed at him. Raising his hands, he smiled and said, "I come in peace."
    As the pistols were lowered, Brenda stepped forward and barked, "Dammit, Vyx, it's midnight. Where have you been?"
    "With Lippaula."
    "Until midnight? I've been worried sick. We all have. We thought something happened to you."
    "Sorry. Lippaula sent the same Uthlaran enforcer to pick me up this morning. This time he came alone and said he was unarmed. I couldn't contact you."
    "This morning? This morning ?"
    "Well, just before noon. The invite was for lunch."
    "But all day— til midnight?" Brenda said.
    "We had a lot to discuss. Let's sit down and I'll tell you all about it."
    "We had ribs for dinner," Byers said as they walked towards the lounge. "Want me to heat some up?"
    "No thanks. I had Tarlovo for lunch and Wernallo for dinner."
    "Ugh," Kathryn said. "Tarlovo. Even my puppy won't eat Tarlovo."
    "And Wernallo?" Byers said. "Even Nelligen won't eat that ."
    "It came as a surprise to me, but I loved both meals." Reaching into a shirt pocket, he extracted a data wafer in a protective pouch. Holding it out to Byers he said, "Here, Lippaula's chef recorded the recipes for me. The whole secret to Tarlovo is the preparation of the meat before you begin cooking."
    Looking at it with apprehension, Byers said, "I've tried that awful meat. Nobody here is going to eat it."
    "If you cook it according to these directions, I think everyone will love it. Of course, at first everyone is going to be cautious because we've tried the awful stuff they serve in the taverns. But Lippaula said it's awful because they either don't know how to prepare it, or they're too lazy to do it right. The Uthlaran palate seems to be less discriminating than the Terran palate."
    Byers accepted the wafer and said, "If I make this and no one will eat it, you'll have to eat the entire thing."
    "Make sure to follow the directions exactly , and the meat will disappear faster than your chicken cutlets."
    "So tell us about Lippaula," Brenda said as they sat down. "Why did it take him all day to tell you what he wanted?"
    "Well, first of all, Lippaula isn't a 'he.' Lippaula is a Terran female."
    "A Terran female is the head of the Star Brotherhood here?" Nelligen said with obvious disbelief.
    "Yeah, it surprised me too. Even more than that, I knew her on Earth."
    "Define