Bastial Explosion (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 3) by B.T. Narro Page B

scored even a point against him.”
    Steffen nearly choked as he jumped from the bench. “He’s back?”
    “No…” Alex’s voice slowly faded, as did his grin. “I was just—”
    “But do you know that he’s coming back?” Steffen asked.
    “You misunderstand,” Alex stated calmly. “I know nothing more about him being sent to or coming back from Goldram than you do.”
    “Oh.”
    “This isn’t the first time I’ve heard you Humans talk about Cleve,” Zoke said. “All I know about him is that I’m staying in his room. Who is he?”
    “Remember Terren, the head of the Academy and the one who led our group when we traveled to the Slugari colony?” Alex asked.
    “The one with yellow hair,” Zoke added. “Of course.”
    “Cleve is his nephew.” Alex tilted his head. “Do you know this word?”
    Steffen always smiled when Zoke tried to remember a word. The face the Krepp made was so Human that it was eerie to see it on another creature. His lipless mouth would purse, a vertical line would form in the middle of his hairless brow, and he’d often grumble as he thought.
    “Nephew is a sibling’s son, right?” Zoke asked. “So Terren has a brother or sister, and Cleve is their son?”
    “That’s right,” Steffen said, “except that Terren’s brother died a while back. Cleve has been living with Terren instead.”
    “You might like Cleve,” Alex said with a laugh. Steffen couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “Sometimes you remind me of him. You two can be quite similar.”
    Zoke motioned like he was about to spit onto the floor next to him, but he stopped himself just before releasing the saliva. He made a disgusted face, then said, “No Human is like me.”
     
    After lunch, Steffen met with Jack Rose at the master chemist’s house.
    Expecting questions about his experience within the Slugari colony, Steffen was shocked when the first thing Jack said was, “You have to stop all experimentation with growth potions. Do you understand?”
    His tone was so serious, Steffen immediately agreed. “I will.”
    “Good.”
    It was during the following silence when Steffen’s curiosity began to prod at him like a sharp stick, creating questions that needed to be answered in order for it to stop.
    “What’s changed?” Steffen asked. They’d spoken frequently of growth potions, but mostly about the specific ingredients Steffen had been using.
    Jack had worn a skeptical expression during those conversations. At first, Steffen thought the master chemist didn’t believe him. But later he realized that the grimace was a sign of unvoiced disapproval.
    And now that voice finally has come out.
    “I’ve done enough research to make a decision,” Jack answered. “And the potential that your research will lead to harm is far too great, even during times of war.”
    Steffen remembered what Jack had told him the first time they’d met: “Potions can be far more dangerous than weapons. We chemists have to be very careful. Some mixtures could change the world forever.”
    He had fear for what I was doing, even then. But what had Jack found in his research that made him ignore the obvious advantage a growth potion could give them against the Krepps? What could be so bad?
    “There’ve been experiments,” Jack continued. “All of them ending badly, many resulting in the loss of lives.”
    After what happened to Marratrice, Steffen saw how this could be the case. “I understand,” he said.
    “Do you have any rats left that you’ve used for experimentation? If so, bring them to me and I’ll take care of the extermination.”
    “You have a poison?” Steffen asked before he realized what he was implying.
    It was against the rules of the kingdom to make or possess poisons of any kind. But are the teachers and the King’s staff exempt from this rule?
    “I can’t answer that.” Jack had a stern look in his eyes. “Do you have any rats?”
    “Not anymore. The last one died.”
    Jack took in a