Book One – Chapter 19

Despite everything that Bubs had thrown at Yu during the day, Yu had actually wanted to talk to him. He had even thought it through. Back at the beginning of his dinner shift, Yu had constructed the conversation in his mind. First, he had wanted to ask Bubs about his medical training. Moving on from there, most naturally, he would then have asked about the human’s condition. His goal had been to figure out what Bubs thought of the human’s injuries, whether she got injured on the trail, or by the borman. And depending on Bubs’ answer, on his stance towards the borman, Yu would have decided whether to tell him about the fake papers. He already got the impression that, for whatever reason, the mianid really cared about the human. So surely, that was something Bubs would want to know.

It could have been Yu’s one chance to appear useful. Trustworthy, even. It would have been something. A revelation worth something.

That is, assuming the guards had not already put the pieces together themselves. If they had not already realised that this human had apparently been sold after the selling ban. After all, Tria’s reform was anything but a secret.

Whatever.

It did not matter anymore.

After this second round of shit and scorn from Bubs, Yu kept his beak shut. Not only because Bubs had left no opportunity for a normal conversation, not anywhere between shitting on Yu’s work and shitting on his bandage. Not because Bubs had slipped straight back into the surgery and, from there, into the sick bay without leaving even a sliver of space for words. No, there was also Yu’s fear that, for all the potential advantages of snitching on the borman, there might be equal or worse consequences in branding him, and by extension his entire party, as liars and smugglers. Consequences Yu could not yet fully predict.