Georgia held her breath and tried to shrink inside herself. If she could just be invisible for a minute, he'd go away and she could eat. The alley looked deserted and closed up for the night, but naturally a Chentry lurked down there. Just her luck.
"Bastards act like they are god's gift to humanity." Thought Georgia. In the 127 years since their first contact, the Chentry paraded around and took over every position of authority. Unworthy, imperfect natives lost what little place they had built. Now they worked for their benevolent overlords. Though humans still have the illusion of freedom.
If she were caught, she would be sent back to the orphanage for training. The idea of back breaking mining camps, coppa crop field work or cleaner duties never appealed to Georgia. She had a fertile and active mind but only humans from a good family got a decent education. So she escaped.
After lights out, and most of her fellow captors were asleep, she made her way to her cache of food, wire cutters and a small digging tool she hid in a bin near the fence. The lump of pillows and covered hole kept her exit secret until morning. Before anyone knew she was even gone, she was dozing behind a human grocery market on the outskirts of a nearby town.
The Chentry kept the streets safe and clean enough to appear survivable, but she soon learned how much she had to hustle to get by. For two years, she learned how to eat, wear and sleep in the cast offs of her betters. And she knew everyone was better than her.
She figured out how to fake a persona for the daytime. By accident someone mistook her for a girl from Cherry Hill. The distant acquaintance hadn't seen the girl in a long time and wanted to catch up. At lunch, Georgia tried not to scarf the meal as she pretended a life from stories she read about in scraps of tossed magazines. Nothing extravagant, just real enough to seem interesting.
After that, she used the name Gilda Menger whenever anyone challenged her. If you walk confident and with purpose, most people and even most Chentry, ignored you.
At night, everything changed. Chentry preferred to do their business when they weren't blinded by the sun.
The Chentry down the alley came closer to where she pressed herself flat against the brick wall. He peered around the dumpster and she could see him craning his spindly neck, his triangular shaped head swiveling, searching from side to side. He glowed pale green against the darkness. His black marble eyes blinking as he scanned the surroundings.
When he started to move off, Georgia carefully let out her breath. The Chentry whipped around and caught her by the collar. "There you are you little mouse!" At first, Georgia thought he was going to eat her. They didn't eat human adults, that she knew of, but they could be cruel if they were in a mood.
He set her down and looked her up and down. "you're too small to be out this time of night."
"I lost my notebook and I needed it for lessons. I didn't think anyone would mind if I just picked it up." she bluffed.
The Chentry looked behind where she tossed her bread when he caught her. He growled a bit and glowered down at her. "Not the best lying beigy I've met, but not the worst. Come on, I've got some things you can eat. "
Georgia contemplated running when they got to the edge of the alley, but he put out his arm and told her to wait. He was the closest thing she has to a friend out at this time of night. She nodded and let him lead her. Another Chentry appeared around the corner and the one in front of her waved him off. "Not tonight, Jaho. I have to feed this kapkah, I'll catch you another time."
The other glared at Georgia, but just shrugged and went back the way he came. Georgia wondered why he spoke in Standard so she could understand. Maybe he didn't want me to be afraid of the other Chentry. That seems odd. She knew some Chentry lingo. Kapkah, for instance was slime eater.
It makes sense that Chentry homes resemble wasp nests. It reveals their insect like nature. He climbed up the entrance and let a rope ladder down for her. He's had humans in here before. The small rounded main room made from human hand sized rough hexagon cells. One section featured a flat bench with some kind of grassy covering. Definitely made for people. He waved his hand toward it and she sat down.
Several of the closed sells glowed with a warm light. The Chentry rustled inside a cupboard of sorts and brought out some cheese, an apple and some kind of fungus. "I'm Benhi, " shared the Chentry. "What do they call you, kapkah?"
Georgia took a bite of the apple and sniffed the fungus. She used the time to consider what to tell him. Her lie could be checked too easy under these circumstances, but the truth would send her back to slavery. She had never encountered anyone, not even a human who talked to her as a person. She didn't know what to think. And he knew she was lying in the alley.
He observed her dilemma and chuckled. "It doesn't matter right now. You can keep it to yourself. I'm not going to turn you in to anyone. Though, I don't know what I'm going to do with you either. It's not exactly safe out there for orphans, but I bet you know how to handle yourself. '
She cocked her head and looked at him through narrowed eyes. She carefully chewed her cheese and tried to work out what this game was. He waved his hand to the open door. "It's late, I'll decide what kind of offer I will make in the morning. Sleep there, if you want. Or leave if you want. I"m going upstairs to signal Jaho and see if I can salvage that deal you screwed up."
Georgia couldn't help the flash of fear that came across her face. She didn't want the Chentry angry with her. "Oh relax, you, I know you didn't meant to do anything. Jaho's a REAL kapkah, I'm only working with him because he's a neighbor podmate. I'd just as soon work with a dung merchant!"
Before he leaped upstairs the Chentry tossed his head back in their equivalent of a smile. Georgia quickly finished her meal and headed for the door. Just as she looked down she caught herself. What is this all about, she thought. Might it be safer to sleep here for a few hours. She could always leave before he came down.
Georgia looked back longingly at the bench. She hadn't slept or even sat on anything so comfortable in her life. After a few seconds of hand wringing she went back and curled up. Just a couple of hours and then she'd go.
(So now we know where she met Benhi, now I just have to find out how to tie these together. )
Want more? Click on the fiction labe to the rightl and find all the segments of this story.
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