Carlos had evidently not been so sensible. He’d been battered here and there. Benita cautioned herself and did not shriek, did not sympathize, did not question. He wasn’t hurt any worse than she had been, many times, with similar bruises darkening under his skin, and a black eye beginning to bloom.
“Mom,” he cried, making a run for her and half knocking her down in the process. She fended him off, fighting down an urge to say, “Down, heel,” except that he’d seldom listened to her in the past and was unlikely to do so now.
She put her hands on his shoulder to hold him up and away, hugs from Carlos had always been rare, usually confined to times he was frightened. “Are you all right, Carlos?”
He blubbered something, “Okay. All right. Not . . . they didn’t . . . they were going to!”
She raised her eyebrows at Chiddy, who said with considerable distaste, “The Fluiquosm and Wulivery threatened to eat him. The Wulivery do that sometimes, teasing. I think he believed they would eat him.”
“I saw them,” he cried. “Eating people. They’ve got a storage place near the camp, and it’s all full of dead people!”
“That’s quite true, but they were under instructions not to eat you,” said Chiddy, firmly. “Settle down.”
“You don’t know what they were like,” Carlos screamed.
“I know exactly what they were like,” snapped Benita. “I was eaten by a Wulivery. Stop dramatizing yourself.”
Benita turned from Carlos to the girl, holding out her hand. “I think you were taken because you were mistaken for my daughter.”
“Sonia Bigg,” she said. “They were determined to make me tell them I was Angelica Shipton, if that’s your daughter. As for him,” she gestured toward Carlos, “he told them to start with me, if they were going to eat us.”
“Sonia . . .” Carlos wailed. “I didn’t mean that. I love you, I wouldn’t say anything like that.”
“You’re . . . Carlos’s friend?” asked Benita, with a disbelieving glance at her son.
“Was,” said Miss Bigg.
“Well, well,” Carlos babbled, “if they were going to eat us both anyhow, it didn’t make any difference which of us was first, and I was just trying to keep them talking.”
Chiddy saw the look of total dismay on her face and patted her shoulder soothingly. “As it happens, the predators did not at that time intend to eat either of them, and Miss Bigg is unhurt.”
The girl said in a firm voice, “Unhurt! Hah.” She turned to Benita. “May I use your bathroom, please?”
Benita indicated where it was, saying, “I can also lend you a clean shirt.” She turned to Chiddy, whispering, “Can you take her back where she was taken from? What about Carlos? Is it safe to send him back?”
“She, yes. Not him, just yet. I spoke previously of needing a chaperon. I should imagine he will serve. If we take him with us, it will keep him out of circulation for a few days.”
“What about Bert?”
“The Inkleozese are working on him. Arranging to straighten out the misinformation that was broadcast.”
Chad said, “You want me to arrange for Miss Bigg to get back home?”
He accepted Chiddy’s nod and began phoning. While he was busy, the girl came out of the bathroom. Benita fetched a clean shirt for her, and by the time they emerged from the bedroom, Chad had arranged for her to be picked up. “If you need anything, a change of clothes or any necessaries, they’ll provide it, and you’ll be on a flight back to California today.”
She thanked him, then turned to Carlos. “If you come back, don’t call me.”
A car came, the girl departed. Chiddy asked, “Are you and Chad ready to depart?”
Carlos interrupted to whine, “I’m sure as hell not. I don’t even have a change of underwear.”
“We can provide whatever you need,” said Chiddy. “I need to provide proper costumes for all of you, anyhow. It is considered polite to wear garments suitable to one’s station in life.”
Carlos glowered, obviously getting ready to explode, and Chad took him by one shoulder, asking, “How far do we go to your ship?”