Chapter 6
A Secret Mission Revealed
Zorp confides in Barnaby that his mission is more personal than diplomatic. He's a scout, and the authorities are looking for him. Barnaby realizes the gravity of hiding Zorp.
The air in The Galactic Brew, usually thick with the comforting aroma of bergamot and something vaguely reminiscent of toasted marshmallows, felt taut, stretched thin like an over-brewed chamomile. Barnaby, his hands still trembling slightly from the levitating teapot incident, watched Zorp, who was now meticulously rearranging a display of antique sugar cubes. The alien’s smooth, pearlescent skin seemed to absorb the dim shop light, giving off a faint, internal luminescence. It was a glow that spoke of advanced technology, of galaxies untold, and, Barnaby was beginning to suspect, of trouble.
“You know, Zorp,” Barnaby began, his voice a little reedy, “you’re… surprisingly tidy for someone whose ship’s engine decided to impersonate a black hole.”
Zorp paused, a sugar cube hovering delicately between two long, slender fingers. “My apologies, Barnaby. It is a habit ingrained from an early age. Order is paramount, even in moments of… unexpected atmospheric entry.” He placed the sugar cube with unerring precision. “And regarding the engine, it was less an impersonation and more a… spontaneous de-cohesion of its primary flux capacitor. A rather embarrassing oversight on my part.”
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