“So,” asks Aurelia, “what’s it like to be a cooking judge?”
Kyla waves a fork at the Durugh. The Dancing Reptile has become their favorite hangout. “Free food. Holo time. And all the nutritious gruel you can eat.” She smiles and calls for more wine.
The waiter comes over with the wine. He looks a little dazed. After he pours the wine he blinks and asks “Where is Dr. Merick?”
Aurelia squints. The human waiter is unsteady on his feet. His eyes are glazed. She takes the bottle of wine from him and places it on the table. “Why?”
“You are from the Freud. Please give this to him.” He places an envelope on the table with Dr. Merick’s name on it. The envelope bulges in one corner.
The man snaps to attention. “What the hell? How did I get here?”
Kyla eyes Aurelia. “It’s fine, you just poured us some wine. From the bottle you said was on the house.”
The waiter shuffles off.
The two women use their equipment to probe the envelope. No sign of explosives or poison. Minimal energy.
Aurelia scoops the envelope onto her lap. “Oops, it tore open.”
She brings out a big fat tawny ring. Upon the ring sits a massive piece of carved amber. Inside the amber is something dark. She looks at it and passes it to Kyla.
It’s a small winged insect, six wings, six legs. But the head looks human. In fact, the head looks like Dr. Merick. And he’s frozen in the act of screaming.