Shadowed Read online

  “Sure. It’s written on the cube in Standard—the universal Kindred language,” he explained. “Show me again, and I’ll tell you what’s what.”

  She held them out again, and he glanced at them briefly. “That one is Grieza worms—a delicacy from Twin Moons,” he said.

  Nina shuddered. “Worms? No thanks.” She put the cube on the counter. “Next?”

  “Pshaolin pie from my own home world of Tarsia.” He looked surprised. “I didn’t know they had any Touch Kindred food.”

  “I guess whoever stocked the ship liked it,” Nina said. “What is it like? Is it a fruity kind of pie or does it have a creamy center?”

  He frowned. “I don’t know if your definition of pie matches with mine. It’s a dish with many layers, both savory and sweet. It can be delicious if it’s done right.”

  “That sounds good,” Nina said. “You want to call dibs on that cube?”

  He frowned. “Dibs?”

  “I mean, is that the one you want for dinner?” she clarified.

  “Oh. Sure.” He nodded at the other cubes. “Which one do you want?”

  Nina sighed. “I don’t know…anything but worms, I guess. I wish there was some Earth food here. Not that I don’t like to try new things but…” She almost said but I’m already homesick. However, she stopped herself just in time. She’d already shared enough personal details with Reddix. It was time to start keeping things to herself.

  “Well, if there’s food from my home planet, there might be some from yours too,” Reddix said reasonably. “Give me some more meal ration cubes to read and let me know if anything sounds familiar.”

  “Okay.” Nina gathered a handful of the cubes and sat on the floor across from him. She began showing him cubes, and Reddix named the foods contained and explained what each one was with remarkable patience. Still, Nina knew he was hungry, and she was getting really ravenous herself—it had been a long, crazy time since the chocolate milk shake she’d had for lunch. She was just about to give up and try one of the alien meals—as long as it didn’t contain worms—when Reddix looked at one of the cubes she was holding and said,

  “Hamburger and French fries.”

  “What?” Nina looked at the tiny cube. “Are you sure?”

  He shrugged. “That’s what it says. Is that an Earth food?”

  “Better than that—it’s junk food. Comfort food.” And I could use a little comfort right now. Nina jumped up excitedly and put the rest of the cubes back. “Okay, how do I cook them? Do we need to boil some water or what?”

  Reddix shook his head. “Just put them in the rehydrator—that machine up there.” He nodded to the thing Nina had taken for a very large microwave. “Press the button, wait for the tone, and then take it out. Be careful though—it’s going to be hot.”

  “Got it.” Nina frowned. “But…don’t I need a plate?”

  “Everything you need is contained in the cube—even utensils.” He frowned. “Except something to drink. Why don’t you search for a bottle of something in the cabinets while you rehydrate the first one?”

  Nina didn’t think she’d seen anything but the meal cubes, but she put the first cube—the Pshaolin pie—in the rehydrator and began looking again anyway. After a moment, she came up with some little green glass bottles that had been stacked behind the cubes.

  “Well, I found…something.” Nina held them up doubtfully. They were tiny—not even as big as the bottles of liquor you got on an airplane. But Reddix nodded approvingly.

  “Perfect. But one should be enough—you can put the rest back.”

  “So this goes in the rehydrator too?” Nina asked looking at the little thumb-sized bottle in her hand. It looked like a bottle of champagne for a Barbie doll to celebrate with.

  “Exactly. But wait until after the food is done—you don’t want the flavors to mix.”

  “All right.” Just then the rehydrator dinged, and Nina opened the door to release a cloud of delicious steam.

  “Mmm.” Reddix’s stomach rumbled again. “Smells just like the kind my mother makes.”

  “Okay…” Nina said, unable to keep the uncertainty out of her voice. The little cube had somehow unfolded, and now it was a large portion of food sitting on what looked like a square white paper plate. There was a black thing like a spork sitting beside it, but it was the food itself that held her attention. Reddix had said it was a layered dish, and it certainly did have a lot of layers—fifteen or so from what she could see. It smelled spicy and exotic, but it looked like…

  “It looks like blue lasagna,” she said as she pulled the plate out of the rehydrator. “With green and purple layers and red cheese.”

  “It looks exactly like Pshaolin pie is supposed to look,” Reddix rumbled approvingly.

  “Well, I’m glad you like it. It smells good,” Nina said. How it tasted would be a different matter, but Reddix seemed happy enough with it. She shrugged as she put the second cube in the rehydrator. In another minute or so, there was a ding, and she was rewarded with a juicy looking hamburger complete with ripe red tomato, crisp green lettuce and a slice of pickle. Beside the hamburger was a heaping serving of crispy brown fries sprinkled liberally with salt. There were no eating utensils—apparently whoever had packed the meal knew it was finger food—but there were several packets of mustard and ketchup on the side, much to Nina’s delight.

  “Is it how you like it?” Reddix was looking at her quizzically again. “You’re smiling so…”

  “Oh, yes.” Nina nodded. “I know it’s silly to get all excited about dinner, but I’m so hungry, and it’s been ages since I let myself have this kind of food. I always get Meehoo Jimmy her favorite burger, but I usually get a salad for myself.”

  He frowned. “Why?”

  “Well, because. This stuff—” She gestured to the hamburger and fries. “—isn’t exactly health food. It’s really fattening, and it always goes straight to my hips and butt.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Nina was standing sideways to him, and to her discomfort, she saw that the big Kindred was eyeing her too large hips and ass with some interest.

  “Um…” She turned self-consciously so that she was facing him instead. “It’s just that they’re big enough already.”

  “They’re perfect,” he growled softly. “At least as far as I can see with that baggy clothing you have on.”

  Nina could feel her face getting hot. “These are my scrubs. I always work in them.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” Those sharp silver eyes were still roving restlessly up and down her body. Finally, they stopped on her face. “Now you’re blushing,” Reddix said. “Are you embarrassed?”

  “Of course I am, with you looking at me like that! Can’t you tell?”

  He shook his head. “I’ve…gotten out of the habit of reading people’s faces so I wasn’t sure.”

  Nina frowned as she removed the hamburger and fries and put the tiny Barbie doll sized bottle into the rehydrator. “How do you get out of the habit of reading people’s faces? What do you do—go around with your hood up all the time not looking at anyone?”

  “I do wear my hood all the time,” he admitted in a low voice. “But not because I want to keep from seeing anyone.”

  “Why then?”

  He looked away. “To keep them from looking at me. I think the drink is done.”

  “Oh.” Nina sensed he didn’t want to say anymore, so she didn’t ask, though she had a thousand questions. He kept saying such strange things—that he wanted to be ugly or invisible. That he hated the way he looked. And now he admitted to hiding his face—that perfectly gorgeous face, although he could really use a shave and a haircut—from everyone all the time. Why? He didn’t seem crazy—well, no more than any other guy who kidnapped a girl and took her through a wormhole. So what was going on with him?

  She sensed she was going to have to wait to find out—if she found out at all. Reddix clearly was irritated with himself for telling as much as he had. He had a closed lo