“Forgive my laxity as a host. I’ve had a ship to run.

Zabb said something to Nesfa in an unknown language. She responded in the same clicks and pops. He crossed to her and ran a hand softly across her belt and gently cupped the hip pouch. The familiarity made Jay want to hit him.

“I didn’t want your society, Zabb, just your efforts as a carter,” replied Tachyon with a fine hauteur that set oddly on her very youthful features.

Zabb laughed. “Oh, cousin, you do that very well, but you chastise me for becoming a laborer while you have spent the past forty years ministering to filth?” He propped his shoulders against a wall and included Mark and Jay in the conversation. “On my world saints are suspect. Only the mad act without a hefty dose of self-interest. So I think my cousin is mad. Or hopelessly tainted. After all, he has become an Earth-woman.” Again that laugh.

“I think we ought to get back to our room,” said Mark.

Jay agreed, but another, less wise, part of himself hated to be routed by this supercilious, smiling bastard.

“An excellent idea, but leave my kinswoman. We have need of private conversation,” Zabb said.

“Now, you didn’t strike me as stupid,” said Jay conversationally. “Arrogant, and maybe a little too inclined to lead with your chin – most of you military types have that problem – but not stupid. Why do you think we’re along on this little party? It sure ain’t for the great view or the superb accommodations.”

“You’re not seeing the Doc alone.” It lacked the wit and panache of Jay’s remarks, but it got the point across.

Zabb sighed, a heavy, studied sound of noblesse oblige oppressed by gaucherie. “How very tiresome you humans are.” He turned to Tachyon. “Cousin, are you afraid?”

Jay squeezed his eyes shut. Praying, but doubting that Tach had the self-control to ignore that red flag.

“Afraid of you?”

Here it comes, Jay almost moaned aloud.

“Of course I am.” The ace’s eyes snapped open, and he stared in amazement at that queenly little figure with its rampantly out-thrust belly. “But I repose my faith in my friends and the strength of your word. My friends I’m sure about, your word… “ Her voice trailed off significantly, and she gave a little shrug of the shoulders that said a book-full.

Zabb may have tossed a flag, but Tach had jabbed in a poniard. A dark flush rose in his cheeks. The Takisian spun on his heel and exited. Tach slumped suddenly.

“I shouldn’t have come out. I shouldn’t give him a chance at me.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve said all along. Come on, baby, I’ll take you back,” Mark said softly. “Jay?”

“I… uh, think I’ll stay here and help Nesfa with the planting.”

Mark’s blue eyes were very knowing behind the thick lenses of his glasses. Jay flushed and wondered if his growing sexual need was apparent to everyone.

“So, here we are. Just the two of us.”

Nesfa looked up from the bamboo. “Yes.”

“So, are you married?”

“Excuse?”

“Married. Got a husband? Mate?” The concept didn’t seem to be penetrating.

“I don’t… understand.”

Jay decided words were getting in the way. He bent and kissed Nesfa lightly on the lips. Her face brightened. “Ah, you wish to exchange.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s it.” God, what an ambassador he’d make.

Nesfa stood and led Jay to a sofa. This was becoming more promising by the minute. She ran her hands around his waist and frowned in perplexity.

“Where is your #@$** amp;#**?”

Jay leered. “A little lower.” He unzipped, and, by damn, she was a fast learner. Her hand had him out in a second, caressing and exploring his penis.

Jay began kissing her. Nesfa seemed to like that. So did he, once he got used to the strangeness of her taste, sort of pepper and lemon. Her hair was twining and coiling around his head, tickling his face. There was a new, moist weight on his arm. Jay opened his eyes and looked down. A wormlike thing was oozing out of the jewel-encrusted pouch, wrapping itself about his arm, climbing. Its torpedolike head was dripping gore.

Jay screamed hoarsely and threw himself backward off the couch. Nesfa was sitting like a sack of abandoned laundry. The lovely face had gone slack and empty. The worm was quivering, casting its head in small circles, searching for Jay.

It began to undulate its way back into the pouch. Jay jumped to his feet, gripped the top of the shift in both hands, and ripped. It fell away to hang like tattered seaweed over the heavy belt. There was a hole in the pouch. A hole in the shift. A hole in Nesfa. The worm thrust its head back into the woman’s body. The light and animation came back into her face.

“Jay, what is wrong? You do not wish to exchange?”

Jay stared down at his now-limp penis hanging through his fly. He shuddered as he remembered another crawling parasite: Ti Malice. With shaking hands Jay stuffed himself back in his pants and ran.

Chapter Fourteen

“Am I the only person who’s not bothered by this? These people are full of bloodsucking worms!”

Cap’n Trips ran one long, bony forefinger through a pile of Scrabble tiles. “And I suppose we could be described as people full of shit. Aliens are different, Jay, that’s why they’re aliens.”

“That’s sorta what Tachyon said, only she was a lot snottier.”

Jay returned to a glum contemplation of his tiles. A sharp cry of terror from the Doc drew the detective away to investigate. Jay crossed back from the bunk. The tiny whimpering sounds had ceased. Settling back into his chair, Jay jerked a head toward the sleeping Tachyon. “She seems all right now.”

“I think the nightmares are getting better,” said Mark.

“I think you’re dreaming.”

“I was hoping.” Mark looked back at the tiles. The selection hadn’t improved. Nothing suggested itself.

“Has he got anything in that bag of tricks to help?” Jay indicated the medical bag.

“Can’t… the baby.”

“Oh yeah…” A pause while Jay frowned at his tiles. “How do you spell titillate?” Mark spelled it.

“Shit. I need another l.”

Jay spelled out tit. Mark carefully recorded the detective’s three points.

TRY hung alluringly off on the left side of the board. Mark gathered up his tiles and spelled out tryptophan.

“What the fuck is that?” Jay yelped.

“It’s an amino acid.” Mark had hit a triple-word score, and double points on the y. He now led Jay by a hundred and eighty points.

Jay collected two new tiles, leaned back, folded his arms across his chest, and eyed Mark. “What did happen out on the Rox?”

Mark shrugged. “He got jumped.”

“By who? With who?”

“She hasn’t told you?” Jay shook his head. “It’s, like, really private to her, you know? So I probably shouldn’t…”

“I’m trying to do a job here, Meadows. A little information would help.” Mark remained stubbornly silent. “Look, from the performances she puts on every time she goes to sleep, I gotta figure her current condition isn’t due to her catlike Takisian curiosity to experience sex from the other side.”

“No.” Mark mournfully admitted.

“Judging by the way she reacts every time one of us touches her, I’m figuring she got raped.” Mark just kept staring, giving away nothing. Jay’s next words sent the comforting little delusion of his poker face fleeing. “By Blaise, right?” Mark tried to control the reaction, but his head snapped up. Jay smiled humorlessly. “You may be kicking butt in Scrabble, but don’t ever gamble with me.”

“Okay, so now you know.”

Jay shook his head. “It’s really disgusting.”

“It wasn’t the Doc’s fault!”

“Really? She’d probably disagree with you. So would I.”

Anger has a taste, almost a physical presence. Mark could feel it battering against the back of his teeth. “Oh, why?” He wanted it to sound casual, instead emerged in sharp razorlike exhalations.