Maggie's Favorite Story

by Helen E. Davis

Maggie's Favorite Story

by Helen E. Davis

It was ominously quiet when the relief force entered the space station, their laser rifles charged and at the ready. Deathly quiet, so that even the whispers of their muted footfalls sounded like gongs. Scorch marks and gouges on the wall testified to recent fighting along the passageways, and blood pools showed that whatever had caused the station to fall silent had probably been lethal for the inhabitants. The relief force moved cautiously.

No victims yet, but plenty of blood. Garin began to wonder if they would find the crew in the meat locker, game dressed and aging.

"What's that?" asked Mikal. He pointed his rifle to an football shaped object on the floor. It was furry, but an unnatural shade of green, and a long leather tail hung from one end. At the other end were what looked like ears.

Garin nudged it with his boot. "Looks like one of Pillow's toys," he chuckled.

"Pillow?" Mikal's eyebrows rose.

"One of my cats. She's crazy over these mouse toys."

"How many cats do you have?"

"Three. All rescues." Garin sighed. "It's amazing how many people still refuse to spay or neuter their pets. Then the cats have kittens, and they abandon the kittens."

"So you're one of those S-N nuts?" Mikal said with a smile.

But Garin looked back grimly. "You work a few months in a shelter and see if you don't become one, too." He gazed up and down the hallway. "Let's go see if we can't see what caused this."

Behind the doorway, something was listening. Something that wasn't Human, but was intelligent enough to understand their words, and frame a reply in his mind. So, you feel spay and neuter is a good thing? thought the Kzin. Let's see how you like it.

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Copywrite 2005 by Helen E. Davis

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