The Raidmother, Part II

[Cptn Corizon 0]

She sniffed again. It smelled funny.

 

Wort, Bogart Auntie and Raidmistress looked at the 'present' her idiot son had brought back from his raid on the Excaelyburr with mild displeasure and hint of annoyance, he at least could have had the decency to steal something she could wear. Granted, as her inner hedonist was quick to point out, the baby did have enough skin to make a nice clutch bag or a wallet. Though it would need tanned and dyed a decent color – that ugly pink was soo last season. (Mostly because it clashed with her skin tone, pink and green... ewww.)

 

At the very least, though, he could have picked something the Excaelyburr and its menagerie-esque crew actually wanted enough to come ask for it back – for a decent price. True, she did have reservations about accepting the 'gift' in the first place, and wasn't entirely sure she wanted the war-dog and his panther prowling around if they were in cahoots with those moron cloud-minders who'd never quite got over that she'd won.

 

Side-long, she glanced over to her 'prize' and smiled. Well at least she'd still have that. If the war-dog and his fancy ship did come looking for the baby and somehow survived navigating the Thicket, she doubted he'd have enough to buy both from her. Doubted? Knew. For the kid she'd ask for plenty...

 

Her train of thought derailed as it started crying... or something and managed to somehow smell worse. Oh good Bogart Mothers. She frowned deeply and looked to her perfectly manicured nails, then to the mess it had made of itself. No. way. in. hell.

 

“Bek! Hork! Nok! Get your green, dirty rear-ends in here now!”

 

The three young-ish Boganary children clamored quickly and promptly into Auntie's room, each unsure exactly why they were there, but each prepared with a perfectly good excuse for whatever mischief she was going to bawl them out over. Presenting themselves in good, well-ordered (if not vile and dirty from playing in the swamps) fashion the three of them tried to ignore the awful smell coming from behind Auntie as best they could, wondering if it had been some new perfume Galik had brought her that just didn't mesh well with her natural musk. Finally, in unison they spoke. “Yes, Auntie?”

 

Wort looked them over, finding them, despite herself, disgustingly cute. She glanced back at her 'present' that had finally shut-up. Mine are so much cuter. Smiling, she returned her glance to her three children. “Auntie has a job for you...”

 

Surprised, they blinked, wondering what they'd done to deserve such pun... responsibility. “You do?”

 

“Yes,” Wort said with a wide, toothy grin that belayed mischief. “Galik's present for me is... well ... I need you three to be very careful with it and keep it out of my hair till I am ready for it. It also needs cleaned.”

 

“Like, for eating?” Bok, the most vocal of the three said, obviously bouncy about eating something young and tender.

 

She considered for a moment before responding, “Perhaps, but not yet. I just need you three to bathe it, like you would your umammi's when they've been playing in the swamps with you.”

 

They nodded, though clearly excited that Auntie trusted them with such an important gift.

 

“And after we clean it? Then what, Auntie?”

 

“Then you can take it to your room and I don't know... keep it busy. It does seem to be awful dense, I suppose those huomans aren't the brightest things around. Keeping it amused should be within even your abilities.”

 

The trio bounced happily and removed the stinky thing from it's soiled surroundings and headed off to boil a pot of water for cleaning. They liked new toys. Yes. New toy. Bounce.

 

Children, Wort sighed. Why would anyone want one in the first place. She just hoped that one would fetch a decent price, or was tasty.