Sunday’s Serving – Countdown to Clan Beginnings: Clan and Conviction – Five Days

            Surprisingly, one side of Gelan’s mouth lifted in a smile.  “I’ll clear you for investigative research, Krijero.  I’ll work on it a bit myself.  Maybe we can even rope Wynhod into doing a little computer time.”

            Wynhod’s look was thunderous.  “I hate that shit.”

            Gelan grinned at him, the look full of deviltry.  Wynhod’s eyes narrowed and he cocked his head as if to ask what his clanmate was thinking.

            Gelan’s grin spread larger and he turned to Krijero.  “The help will cost you, Imdiko.”

            Krijero squirmed.  Oh shit, the bastard was going to dangle the ability to continue researching as bait to re-open the issue of courtship.  Gelan had the psych right where he wanted him, and Krijero knew he wasn’t going to spare him one little bit.  He was in trouble.

            He couldn’t help but plead.  “Gelan, don’t.”

            “Shut up and listen to my proposal.  It may not be as horrible as you think.”

            The Imdiko sagged in his chair.  He was so screwed.  “Fine.  I’ll listen.”

            “Wynhod and I have been looking to add an Imdiko to our clan.  Things are usually pretty good when we start out, and then—” 

            Wynhod interrupted.  “They walk out on us.  The complaint is always we make them feel left out.  That we’re too much alike for them to feel a part of the unit.”

            Krijero frowned.  “How are you doing that?”

            Gelan sighed.  “That’s the problem.  We’re not sure.”

            Wynhod leaned towards Krijero.  “You don’t want to join a clan.  At all.  Ever.”

            “No.  Absolutely not.”

            Gelan said, “Fine.  I won’t push you on that count.  However, I would like you to spend your personal time with us.  To act as if you’re being courted for clanship.”

            Krijero blinked.  “Why?”

            Gelan and Wynhod exchanged a look.  Then they turned to him again.  Gelan said, “We want to know exactly what it is that keeps us from finding an Imdiko who will stay with us.  We court you, and you tell us how we’re fucking it up.”  His gaze bore into Krijero’s.  “Tonight, you’ll leave work in our company.”  It was an order, not a request.

            Wynhod added, “We’ll have dinner.  Talk.  Get to know each other like any three breeds exploring compatibility.”

            Krijero stiffened.  He did not want them getting to know him.  He did not want to expose himself like that, not to anyone.  Most certainly not to these two. 

            It was on the tip of his tongue to refuse them outright when Gelan said, “You play along, and you can have investigative research access.  You can keep working on your theories about Frenzy.  And I’ll do some looking into it myself.”

            Knowing the answer, Krijero asked anyway, “If I say no?”

            Gelan shrugged.  “Then I can’t help you.  I’ve got a full workload without getting stuck chasing Frenzy ghosts.”

            Damn him.  Damn them both.  If Krijero agreed to this, they might find out just how clumsy and stupid he was.  More importantly, he did not want to get emotionally invested in men who would leave him behind.  Especially not a Dramok.

            But if he didn’t go along with Gelan’s ridiculous blackmail, his work on Frenzy would end.  The epidemic would grab hold of their territory and spiral out of control until someone got desperate enough to listen to his theories and give them a chance.  It could be ages before that happened. 

            Delir and Frenzy had been Krijero’s obsession for years.  He simply couldn’t stand to let them go.

Releasing in five days.