center of the table. “It sounded like you took the land skid out.”
“I did,” Cassa admitted in a clipped tone, glancing up as Jesup hurried into the room with a soft apology. “Jesup….”
“Who is that?” Jesup asked, staring with wide eyes behind Cassa.
Cassa turned and nervously smoothed her hands down over the front of her dark brown tunic. Swallowing, she stared at the stranger she had found late last night with renewed apprehension. He looked different, more dangerous, dressed in Pack’s old clothing. It was ridiculous, but true.
Cassa glanced at her father when she heard his chair slide across the floor. Licking her lips, she stepped around the table so that she would be on the same side as Josh. She glanced nervously at her father. A dark frown creased Jemar’s brow as he stared back and forth between her and Josh.
“This is Joshua Manson. He is why I was late coming in last night,” Cassa replied in a soft, calm voice that belied her nervousness. “Joshua, this is my father, Jemar de Rola, and my younger brother, Jesup.”
“Sir,” Joshua said, bowing his head in greeting. “Cassa suggested it would be best if I came to the house this morning. I hope you don’t mind.”
Cassa waited for her father to make up his mind. She knew he could see that Joshua wasn’t like the other strangers that sometimes came to the spaceport on the other side of the mountains. Nor was he like the traders that often came to bargain for their wine.
“Sit,” Jemar ordered, slowly sinking back down into his seat. “Cassa, the tea.”
“Yes, father,” Cassa murmured, stepping back around the table to the stove where she had the tea for the morning meal ready. “I found Joshua last night in the forest on the edge of the mountains. He needs help. I told him you would know what to do.”
“The forest is no place to be at night,” Jemar said, looking at Josh with a raised eyebrow. “What were you doing there?”
*.*.*
Josh stared at the man sitting across from him. “My ship broke apart and the emergency pod I was in landed in the forest,” he explained, deciding it was best to stick as close to the truth as he could. “It is possible the rest of my crew also survived. I need to find them.”
Jemar leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and looking intently at Josh. For a moment, it reminded him of Cassa’s scrutiny last night. He could see a slight similarity between Cassa and her father. They had the same dark hair and eyes.
And the same intense stare, he thought to himself.
“How did your ship break apart?” Jemar asked with a puzzled frown. “Where were you coming from?”
Josh’s lips tightened for a moment before he shrugged. There was no way he could tell Jemar de Rola that he was from Earth. He didn’t know what happened to the gateway. The last thing he wanted to do was put the planet in danger by revealing where he had come from.
“The hull was breached and my crew and I were forced to use the emergency pods. I’m not really sure where I am to tell you the truth. I know that the pods were designed to locate a habitable planet and send out an emergency signal. The life support will technically function for approximately thirty days. I don’t know how long I was in space before it landed in the forest,” Josh admitted, skipping the last question.
Jemar nodded and frowned. “There are several planets in the solar system that are habitable. Some are more remote than others. I can ask at the spaceport if anyone has seen anything.” He paused and picked up his tea, taking a sip and sitting back in his chair. “In the meantime, we are shorthanded. If you need work, we could use the help.”
Josh felt Cassa start in surprise. She was staring at her father with a combination of confusion and shock. It was obvious that was not what she was expecting.
“Thank you. I appreciate your offer and I accept,” Josh said.
“Please eat, we have a long day ahead of us,”
“I did,” Cassa admitted in a clipped tone, glancing up as Jesup hurried into the room with a soft apology. “Jesup….”
“Who is that?” Jesup asked, staring with wide eyes behind Cassa.
Cassa turned and nervously smoothed her hands down over the front of her dark brown tunic. Swallowing, she stared at the stranger she had found late last night with renewed apprehension. He looked different, more dangerous, dressed in Pack’s old clothing. It was ridiculous, but true.
Cassa glanced at her father when she heard his chair slide across the floor. Licking her lips, she stepped around the table so that she would be on the same side as Josh. She glanced nervously at her father. A dark frown creased Jemar’s brow as he stared back and forth between her and Josh.
“This is Joshua Manson. He is why I was late coming in last night,” Cassa replied in a soft, calm voice that belied her nervousness. “Joshua, this is my father, Jemar de Rola, and my younger brother, Jesup.”
“Sir,” Joshua said, bowing his head in greeting. “Cassa suggested it would be best if I came to the house this morning. I hope you don’t mind.”
Cassa waited for her father to make up his mind. She knew he could see that Joshua wasn’t like the other strangers that sometimes came to the spaceport on the other side of the mountains. Nor was he like the traders that often came to bargain for their wine.
“Sit,” Jemar ordered, slowly sinking back down into his seat. “Cassa, the tea.”
“Yes, father,” Cassa murmured, stepping back around the table to the stove where she had the tea for the morning meal ready. “I found Joshua last night in the forest on the edge of the mountains. He needs help. I told him you would know what to do.”
“The forest is no place to be at night,” Jemar said, looking at Josh with a raised eyebrow. “What were you doing there?”
*.*.*
Josh stared at the man sitting across from him. “My ship broke apart and the emergency pod I was in landed in the forest,” he explained, deciding it was best to stick as close to the truth as he could. “It is possible the rest of my crew also survived. I need to find them.”
Jemar leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table and looking intently at Josh. For a moment, it reminded him of Cassa’s scrutiny last night. He could see a slight similarity between Cassa and her father. They had the same dark hair and eyes.
And the same intense stare, he thought to himself.
“How did your ship break apart?” Jemar asked with a puzzled frown. “Where were you coming from?”
Josh’s lips tightened for a moment before he shrugged. There was no way he could tell Jemar de Rola that he was from Earth. He didn’t know what happened to the gateway. The last thing he wanted to do was put the planet in danger by revealing where he had come from.
“The hull was breached and my crew and I were forced to use the emergency pods. I’m not really sure where I am to tell you the truth. I know that the pods were designed to locate a habitable planet and send out an emergency signal. The life support will technically function for approximately thirty days. I don’t know how long I was in space before it landed in the forest,” Josh admitted, skipping the last question.
Jemar nodded and frowned. “There are several planets in the solar system that are habitable. Some are more remote than others. I can ask at the spaceport if anyone has seen anything.” He paused and picked up his tea, taking a sip and sitting back in his chair. “In the meantime, we are shorthanded. If you need work, we could use the help.”
Josh felt Cassa start in surprise. She was staring at her father with a combination of confusion and shock. It was obvious that was not what she was expecting.
“Thank you. I appreciate your offer and I accept,” Josh said.
“Please eat, we have a long day ahead of us,”
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