Dannis Cole
Brief Glory
eBook
(DanniStories Dec. 8, 2013)
, 1 edition
Katie Sorenson is an actress on Danger Service, a single mom who never left Earth. Her friendship with a DS Team reveals a talent that might save their lives.
106pp. Novella.
Excerpt. ©DanniStories Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Jerisch couldn’t top that, so he took a bite and imagined himself standing in the lilies, singing a ballad about marsht-roasting on the barrens under the five moons of Elshar Mashai. The way he projected his emotions, I nearly cried. “You should be an actor, Jerisch.”
“Ah, but to be a diplomat, you have to be a good actor! Some greetings involve poetic speeches, dances, fake battles, and using an impolite tone can get you killed.” He finished off his piece of marsht as two waitresses brought our plates.
I smelled smoke. Jerisch’s eyes turned black. He looked near us. Two men held a globe that they took turns breathing from. Hyssdia, a lot stronger than marijuana, and not illegal yet for Elshars. These men had blue eyes, but I couldn’t tell—
Jerisch got up. “Excuse me, but we have a Thordes and a child at our table—“
One of them opened the globe. Martel’s hand closed around my wrist. “We have to leave!”
The manager argued with the pair and waved. A portal of blue swallowed them up.
I still smelled the weed, and a sweet smell, too. Fostok. They always had that stuff in Merit, in the halls, even though if you got caught, they ported you to the street. I felt dizzy. All around us, nobody seemed to notice.
“Secure! Na progs? Eja naes!” Across from me, Kita put his pastry down, with a bite out of it. He stared.
Po grabbed his arm, and Fern’s. “Something’s wrong! Fern, do you feel all right?”
“I’m okay. Mom?”
I nodded and tried to get up. Martel didn’t move. His hand felt like stone around my arm.
Jerisch nearly fell on me. “We have to leave now! Martel’s affected by their hyssdia. Riyhupur take slopfahi that share their intoxication!” He reached over me and pulled at Martel’s frozen body. Got something out of his pocket—a silver vial—shook white powder in Martel’s face. He thawed. Moved me out of my seat. Jerisch staggered. People around us kept on eating. Po dragged Kita until Jerisch shook some of the powder in his face, too. Didn’t work on Jerisch. He tried it three times on himself, then stuffed the vial in his pocket. We moved through the tables and found glass doors. Locked.
“Let me.” Martel took a deep breath, then blew it out as he put his fist through the glass. It shattered like car glass. Little pellets. “Be careful.” Gently, he helped us through, and he and Po carried Kita through. He moved slowly.
Beyond the glass doors was a hall. I froze. “This is Merit Colony! The upper floors have what used to be penthouses—the elevators don’t work on this side—the stairwell!”
They followed me to the stairwell. The 44th floor. It had 45 stories. Jerisch staggered so badly, I didn’t see how he’d fight off drunks. Kita had a starey look. Martel—he seemed normal. So did Po. We found the stairwell full of men. One waved. I smelled more hyssdia and Martel froze. “Goin’ somewhere, Heilea?”
Jerisch decked him, and he fell down a lot of stairs. He kept plowing through until we didn’t have any more obstacles except still bodies. When he put a hand on Fern’s arm, she cried. “I won’t hurt you, Fernh, I promish.” He slowed down.
Po grabbed the vial of white out and shook it in all their faces. Jerisch didn’t improve. He rubbed his eyes. Martel came to life. He carried me on his back. Po carried Fern. Jerisch stumbled as he tried to keep up. Kita stayed by him, humming.
“Save it for outside, Ki!” Martel panted. “Novas!”
We heard shouts from below, and a roar.
“They’re porting people.” Jerisch leaned over the rail and nearly went over. “Habis maif, we have to stop’m.”
Swirling green swallowed us up. I hugged Fern against me. In the green light, Jerisch struggled with a man. We passed
106pp. Novella.
Excerpt. ©DanniStories Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Jerisch couldn’t top that, so he took a bite and imagined himself standing in the lilies, singing a ballad about marsht-roasting on the barrens under the five moons of Elshar Mashai. The way he projected his emotions, I nearly cried. “You should be an actor, Jerisch.”
“Ah, but to be a diplomat, you have to be a good actor! Some greetings involve poetic speeches, dances, fake battles, and using an impolite tone can get you killed.” He finished off his piece of marsht as two waitresses brought our plates.
I smelled smoke. Jerisch’s eyes turned black. He looked near us. Two men held a globe that they took turns breathing from. Hyssdia, a lot stronger than marijuana, and not illegal yet for Elshars. These men had blue eyes, but I couldn’t tell—
Jerisch got up. “Excuse me, but we have a Thordes and a child at our table—“
One of them opened the globe. Martel’s hand closed around my wrist. “We have to leave!”
The manager argued with the pair and waved. A portal of blue swallowed them up.
I still smelled the weed, and a sweet smell, too. Fostok. They always had that stuff in Merit, in the halls, even though if you got caught, they ported you to the street. I felt dizzy. All around us, nobody seemed to notice.
“Secure! Na progs? Eja naes!” Across from me, Kita put his pastry down, with a bite out of it. He stared.
Po grabbed his arm, and Fern’s. “Something’s wrong! Fern, do you feel all right?”
“I’m okay. Mom?”
I nodded and tried to get up. Martel didn’t move. His hand felt like stone around my arm.
Jerisch nearly fell on me. “We have to leave now! Martel’s affected by their hyssdia. Riyhupur take slopfahi that share their intoxication!” He reached over me and pulled at Martel’s frozen body. Got something out of his pocket—a silver vial—shook white powder in Martel’s face. He thawed. Moved me out of my seat. Jerisch staggered. People around us kept on eating. Po dragged Kita until Jerisch shook some of the powder in his face, too. Didn’t work on Jerisch. He tried it three times on himself, then stuffed the vial in his pocket. We moved through the tables and found glass doors. Locked.
“Let me.” Martel took a deep breath, then blew it out as he put his fist through the glass. It shattered like car glass. Little pellets. “Be careful.” Gently, he helped us through, and he and Po carried Kita through. He moved slowly.
Beyond the glass doors was a hall. I froze. “This is Merit Colony! The upper floors have what used to be penthouses—the elevators don’t work on this side—the stairwell!”
They followed me to the stairwell. The 44th floor. It had 45 stories. Jerisch staggered so badly, I didn’t see how he’d fight off drunks. Kita had a starey look. Martel—he seemed normal. So did Po. We found the stairwell full of men. One waved. I smelled more hyssdia and Martel froze. “Goin’ somewhere, Heilea?”
Jerisch decked him, and he fell down a lot of stairs. He kept plowing through until we didn’t have any more obstacles except still bodies. When he put a hand on Fern’s arm, she cried. “I won’t hurt you, Fernh, I promish.” He slowed down.
Po grabbed the vial of white out and shook it in all their faces. Jerisch didn’t improve. He rubbed his eyes. Martel came to life. He carried me on his back. Po carried Fern. Jerisch stumbled as he tried to keep up. Kita stayed by him, humming.
“Save it for outside, Ki!” Martel panted. “Novas!”
We heard shouts from below, and a roar.
“They’re porting people.” Jerisch leaned over the rail and nearly went over. “Habis maif, we have to stop’m.”
Swirling green swallowed us up. I hugged Fern against me. In the green light, Jerisch struggled with a man. We passed
- Pages
- 70
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