Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
“No, no—that’ll never do. Keep looking!” she called.
Finally the quick-loris pulled what appeared to be a toupee off the head of a tall man, exposing his shiny bald head. He looked towards Granny Two-two and chattered eagerly, around the mouthful of fake hair.
The old woman considered for a moment, then nodded.
“Yes,” she said. “That’ll do. It might fetch a pretty penny down at the Swap Hall.”
Chattering happily, the quick-loris came scampering back, dragging the toupee in his little mouth. Granny took it from him and unclipped his leash before feeding him a small nut-like treat she dug out of yet another pocket. Then the quick-loris climbed back into the pocket he’d come out of in the first place and settled down to eat his reward.
Happy crunching sounds came from his pocket while Granny Two-two rolled up his leash and stowed it in another pocket. Then she stuffed the toupee –which was jet black with a pure white stripe down the middle—in yet another pocket and smiled at Penny.
“You see? That’s how you mine for treasure.”
“You see? You see?” chattered her second head.
“That was really interesting to watch,” Penny said, trying to smile. “But honestly, what I need is a way to call my people for help.” Her stomach rumbled. “And maybe some food?” she asked hopefully. “I can’t pay you now but when my friends get here they can pay you anything you want.”
“Why, I don’t want for nothing, dearie,” Granny Two-two said.
“Want for nothin’! Want for nothin’!” shouted her second head in its squeaky voice.
“But I can give you a little something to eat,” the old lady continued. “And point you in the direction of someplace with an interstellar hook-up.”
“And interstellar hook-up?” Penny asked doubtfully as Granny Two-two started digging through her pockets again. It sounded like a bad match on a dating site, she couldn’t help thinking.
“Why sure, dearie—a place you can make a cross-galaxy call. Ah—here it is!”
The old woman pulled what looked like a half-eaten granola bar out of one of her many pockets and presented it to Penny.
“I was saving it for a snack for later, but you need it more than me,” she said generously as Penny took the half-eaten bar uncertainly. “It’s a protein-sweety, so it is,” she added. “Go on—eat up.”
Penny felt she had no choice but to take a bite, though she really disliked eating after anyone. Still, once she’d taken a mouthful, she was glad she had. The protein-sweety bar had a chewy-crunchy texture and an odd but appealing flavor—a little like peanut butter spread on roast beef with a spicy aftertaste, she thought.
It reminded her a tiny bit of a Thai food dish she liked in her favorite restaurant back on Earth called “Two Friends Amazing!!!” It was printed just like that, with three exclamation points on the menu, and Penny ordered it every time she went there.
In short order she had finished the whole protein-sweety and was feeling much better than she had before. The food seemed to expand in her stomach, making her feel full even though she’d only had a few bites.
“There now.” Granny Two-two nodded approvingly. “Feeling better, are you, dearie?”
“Yes.” Penny nodded. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” Granny Two-two nodded and smiled. “Now, let’s you and I take the ducts back out of here and I’ll show you where to make your call. Just you mind you tell whoever comes for you to dock on t’other side of the station.”
“I will,” Penny said gratefully. “Thank you, Granny Two-two.”
“Eh, don’t thank me.” The old woman cocked her heads to one side and considered Penny skeptically. “You’re not out of here yet, dearie. No, not yet.”
And with those cryptic words, she led Penny back to the air ducts.
Eleven
After another long scramble through the moss-lined ducts, they came out in a different part of the Hell’s Gate station altogether. Then, after a walk down a short corridor, they turned the corner and for the first time Penny saw…
“People!” she exclaimed. “So there are people here, after all!”
She’d gone so long without seeing any signs of life other than Granny Two-two and the awful Keeper spider, she’d been beginning to wonder if maybe the whole place was deserted.
“A’course there’s people, so there is,” Granny Two-two nodded wisely. “And plenty of them you’ve got to take a caution on, dearie.”
“Take a caution! Take a caution!” her second head exclaimed in its squeaky voice.
“I did hear that there was a big sex slave ring based here and that there have been a lot of disappearances lately,” Penny said, eyeing the people passing to and fro. They appeared to be in a kind of marketplace—a much more lively one than the deserted hallway she’d first found herself in. The kiosks and storefronts here were filled with goods and there were customers of all types and descriptions looking at them.