Rivers of Orion by Dana Kelly (a court of thorns and roses ebook free .TXT) 📕

“Ha!” Hector smirked. “You two are ridgier than most—I’ll give you that much. Let’s go! The cantina awaits.” He led Mike and Orin out of his office. They made their way along the concourse, and a crowd quickly gathered around them.

“I’m going too,” said April, and she quickly caught up to her friends.

“What are they thinking?” breathed Shona, and she slowly pushed the doors closed.

“Don’t worry about it too much,” said Edison, and he patted his medical kit. “There’s plenty in here to counteract whatever the food here does to them.”

Cajun retrieved a ration kit and opened it up. He produced a green pouch marked “Vegetarian Taco Pasta” and a small packet of “Crunchy Peanut Butter.” He dangled a pouch labeled “Meatless Beef Strips” and regarded Edison with a raised brow. “Ya got anything in there to counteract what we brought?”

Malmoradan laughed. “Hey now, those are warrior tested and warrior approved!”

“Ya see how many warriors I let in my kitchen?” He handed Malmoradan an unopened ration kit. “That number’s zero, in case ya were wonderin’. Zero!”

Casey passed ration kits to Shona and Edison, before retrieving one of her own. “No one here is a stranger to MREs. Not even you Cajun, and they’re not all that bad. I still have fond memories of some sausage and gravy I got from one of these.”

Malmoradan tore open a pouch of “Chicken Burrito Bowl” and set to stirring it around inside the container. He glanced at Cajun. “Hector must really trust you. Personally, I’d have kicked us out and locked up the office if I was stepping out for a few.”

“Not gettin’ the sense this is a place with a lot o’ locked doors,” said Cajun. “Don’t know about you, but we’re the only law I’ve seen in these parts.”

“You might be right about that,” said Casey.

“Pretty sure I am,” said Cajun.

Malmoradan grabbed a plastic spoon from his kit and scooped out a heap of burrito mix. “Down the hatch,” he muttered, and he took a bite. After a moment, he nodded. “Not bad,” he said, and he gulped it down. “Not bad.”

◆◆◆

Hector led April, Mike, and Orin around the curve of a diagonal corner. A wall of voices greeted them as locals dined at dozens of tables placed outside the cantina. Broad, striped awnings covered the exterior dining area, shielding the patrons from a constant rain of condensation dripping from thick pipes high overhead.

Inside, a mix of steel and copper pipes lined the ceiling, vanishing into girded junctions, only to reappear from the walls and continue down through the grated floor. Twice as many tables filled the space inside, and two more levels of grated floors awaited them overhead. Steam churned within a copper dome positioned directly above the bar, fed by a dozen pipes that formed the dome’s ribs.

“Up there’s the skyman,” said Hector, and he pointed to a dark and cozy corner on the third floor. “If you get the crowd going loud enough, rumor has it he’ll come down and listen to what you have to say. Personally, I think he’s a corporate plant who’s conned these good people into foregoing any workman’s comp claims, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

“Xylander thinks well of the skyman,” said Orin, and he briefly explained to Mike and April his theories about Cherry Grove’s keeper of oral history. “He pretty much confirmed I was right about that, too.”

“Not saying he’s a bad man,” said Hector. “In fact, I think that might the only capital crime around here. I’m just saying I have my suspicions, since he never once came down to hear what I’ve had to say.”

“Maybe your stories have too much you in them,” said April.

Hector waved dismissively. “Whatever, lady. Now I’m going to make you work for my recommendations.” He tapped his forehead and squinted.

“Seriously?” asked April.

“Seriously,” said Hector, and he thought of everything he liked at the cantina.

April frowned. “Hector, I sensed your eyes on me when we first arrived. I won’t peer into your thoughts if it can be avoided… At least not without wading boots and a rain slick.”

“I really need to adjust my goggles,” said Hector. “Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. Sorry if I did.”

“You can make it up to me by telling us what you’d recommend,” said April.

Hector tapped his chin. “Nope,” he said, and he returned to squinting and visualizing.

“You’re ridiculous,” said April.

Mike pointed at a black-glass signboard above the bar, covered in condensation. Humorously, he exaggerated his gestures and expressions. “Wait, is that… is that the menu? April, I think that’s the menu.”

“Good luck ordering off of it,” said Hector.

Orin twisted slightly to look at the menu board. Four hooked lamps bathed it in soft light; intermittent patches of steam rolled down from above. Written in various shades of dayglow wax crayon, the menu promised items like, Truffle-Stuffed Glaive, Crunchy-Bun Log, and Shadow “Sprong.” Glancing at the surrounding tables, he found no clues as to what the menu board offered. “I have no idea what any of those things are,” he muttered, and he looked apologetically at April.

“I can help you with that,” said Apple. Dressed now in a waitress uniform, she accompanied a half dozen other locals. “It’s Orin, right?”

“That’s right.”

Apple nodded. “Did Shona and Malmoradan make it back all right?”

“They did,” said Orin. “Thanks for asking. You’re very good with names!”

She smiled matter-of-factly. “It’s kind of my job to be.”

Gradually, the cantina fell quiet, and all eyes turned to regard the visitors.

“Since it’s your first time dining with us, I’d recommend the ruby sleeves and a side of badroot mash,” said Apple. “Maybe chase it with some twelve-year-old amber grease or a bottle of scarlet upswill if you’re well-higged. If you’re in the mood for dessert after, I suggest the icierites. We make ‘em even better than they do in Morgan Cove.”

“I don’t know if I’m well-higged, but I don’t see what that has to do with ordering food,” said Orin.

Apple laughed. “Everything!”

“Orin, you’re not even close,”