of derision at the next family reunion. Unless, he regained control, killed everyone on board so there were no witnesses, and then accomplished some spectacular, dangerous act. He might still be
able to save the situation unless Olivia’s talking pet did something completely unexpected. The furry face, shaggy ears, and overall benign appearance didn’t fool him. For all he knew, the shaggy rug sat in his chair, yipping as he drove them into the nearest sun. Now you’re being ridiculous, of course . Why ruin a perfectly good ship when he could kill me or have me killed? Maybe that was why Olivia came to his room and seduced him. But, he foiled her murderous intent by sexing her so thoroughly she needed to rest and recuperate. The Galactic Lover struck again.
Ooh, he’d have to remember that line.
First, though, he’d regain control of his ship – and himself. However, once again, a little thing
known as Murphy’s Law, which had a section devoted to it in his mercenary handbook, proved that when
you thought perhaps you’d gotten a handle on things, Murphy, the god he refused to believe in, did
something to frukx things up, forcing a warrior to think fast on his feet. In his case, he walked into the command center and didn’t find a walking carpet, but a very human male sipping from an oddly-shaped
cup with a small plate underneath it.
Long-haired, wearing a flaring navy blue coat over a white linen shirt, adorned in effeminate
ruffles, the strange male cocked an amused brow at Makl’s appearance.
“Did you have a nice rest ?” the intruder asked.
“Who the frukx are you?” snarled Makl, fingers flexing, reaching for the knife at his back. Like
he’d go anywhere without a weapon.
“Oh, you know me, just not usually in this guise. Some call me that whoreson. Others, god. One
certain pupil of mine is fond of Ifruum, but myself, I prefer my more worshipped name of Murphy. As in the god, Murphy.”
“Gods don’t exist.” Except for Karma, of course, but it took some work on her part to convince
him.
“You say I don’t exist and yet, here I am.”
Yes, there he was. “So you hid onboard beforehand. Damned stowaway.” Makl didn’t miss the
male’s teeth grinding together. Ah, the sweet sound of annoyance.
“You and I both know that’s not the case. There was nobody onboard. You had the ship run a
diagnostic while you played hide your wick with the girl.”
“How did you know that?” Makl thought furiously as he tried to figure out an explanation. A quick
look around showed the ship still in hyper mode, and he would have felt a slowdown, post coital nap or not. “Who are you really and how did you get on my ship? And what did you do with Olivia’s
companion? The walking rug?”
Before Makl’s disbelieving eyes, the male shimmered and turned in to a shaggy mess. “You mean
my alter ego Ifruum? He’s still here. But, I find his shape rather restrictive and smelly.” The rug morphed back into a man. “I take it you believe me now?”
“Impossible.” Makl thought shape-shifters a sham. He’d even wagered about it once. Frukx it all,
now he owed his bloody cousin a bottle of that expensive wine he liked so much.
“How can you say impossible when you saw it with your own two eyes?”
“Damn you. You just cost me a bottle of expensive wine, wine I had plans for.”
“Get over it.”
“Does Olivia know?” Makl asked, as he lowered himself into his seat and casually took a closer
look at the ship readings.
“Does the girl know that her uncle Murphy is also her beloved mentor? No. She’s the reason I had
to become that stupid walking dog in the first place. Get into a few misunderstandings, add in the teenage years, and suddenly, the kid doesn’t listen anymore to the uncle who saved her. I was tired of replacing the dishes she kept throwing at my head, so I left, but she was too young and naïve to survive on her own.
So being a benevolent god, I threw on a dog
able to save the situation unless Olivia’s talking pet did something completely unexpected. The furry face, shaggy ears, and overall benign appearance didn’t fool him. For all he knew, the shaggy rug sat in his chair, yipping as he drove them into the nearest sun. Now you’re being ridiculous, of course . Why ruin a perfectly good ship when he could kill me or have me killed? Maybe that was why Olivia came to his room and seduced him. But, he foiled her murderous intent by sexing her so thoroughly she needed to rest and recuperate. The Galactic Lover struck again.
Ooh, he’d have to remember that line.
First, though, he’d regain control of his ship – and himself. However, once again, a little thing
known as Murphy’s Law, which had a section devoted to it in his mercenary handbook, proved that when
you thought perhaps you’d gotten a handle on things, Murphy, the god he refused to believe in, did
something to frukx things up, forcing a warrior to think fast on his feet. In his case, he walked into the command center and didn’t find a walking carpet, but a very human male sipping from an oddly-shaped
cup with a small plate underneath it.
Long-haired, wearing a flaring navy blue coat over a white linen shirt, adorned in effeminate
ruffles, the strange male cocked an amused brow at Makl’s appearance.
“Did you have a nice rest ?” the intruder asked.
“Who the frukx are you?” snarled Makl, fingers flexing, reaching for the knife at his back. Like
he’d go anywhere without a weapon.
“Oh, you know me, just not usually in this guise. Some call me that whoreson. Others, god. One
certain pupil of mine is fond of Ifruum, but myself, I prefer my more worshipped name of Murphy. As in the god, Murphy.”
“Gods don’t exist.” Except for Karma, of course, but it took some work on her part to convince
him.
“You say I don’t exist and yet, here I am.”
Yes, there he was. “So you hid onboard beforehand. Damned stowaway.” Makl didn’t miss the
male’s teeth grinding together. Ah, the sweet sound of annoyance.
“You and I both know that’s not the case. There was nobody onboard. You had the ship run a
diagnostic while you played hide your wick with the girl.”
“How did you know that?” Makl thought furiously as he tried to figure out an explanation. A quick
look around showed the ship still in hyper mode, and he would have felt a slowdown, post coital nap or not. “Who are you really and how did you get on my ship? And what did you do with Olivia’s
companion? The walking rug?”
Before Makl’s disbelieving eyes, the male shimmered and turned in to a shaggy mess. “You mean
my alter ego Ifruum? He’s still here. But, I find his shape rather restrictive and smelly.” The rug morphed back into a man. “I take it you believe me now?”
“Impossible.” Makl thought shape-shifters a sham. He’d even wagered about it once. Frukx it all,
now he owed his bloody cousin a bottle of that expensive wine he liked so much.
“How can you say impossible when you saw it with your own two eyes?”
“Damn you. You just cost me a bottle of expensive wine, wine I had plans for.”
“Get over it.”
“Does Olivia know?” Makl asked, as he lowered himself into his seat and casually took a closer
look at the ship readings.
“Does the girl know that her uncle Murphy is also her beloved mentor? No. She’s the reason I had
to become that stupid walking dog in the first place. Get into a few misunderstandings, add in the teenage years, and suddenly, the kid doesn’t listen anymore to the uncle who saved her. I was tired of replacing the dishes she kept throwing at my head, so I left, but she was too young and naïve to survive on her own.
So being a benevolent god, I threw on a dog
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