“That’s ‘cause I’m easy to talk to.” Piper smiled at her. “Everybody says so. I was a bartender back on Earth back before my men called me as a bride. Worked at a club in downtown Houston called Foolish Pride. I bet I listened to fifty sob stories a night and you know what? I kinda miss it.”
“You’re good at it.” Kat smiled at her. “Did…do you have the same problem with your, uh, guys? Not that Deep and Lock are mine or anything,” she continued hurriedly. “I mean, we kind of all got stuck together by accident and now I’m having a really hard time getting away.”
“Isn’t that just the way?” Piper nodded sympathetically. “As for dark twins—they’re always a problem. Ask any female on God’s green Earth who’s mated to one. They’re contrary and irritating and just plain ornery and yours seems to be worse than most.”
“He certainly is,” Kat agreed, thinking of Deep’s tendency to get under her skin. “He’s sarcastic and moody and dark…” She sighed. “But he’s very protective, too. And loyal and gentle when he wants to be. And…”
“And you’re really confused,” Piper finished for her.
Kat nodded gratefully. “I really am. But I do know I don’t want to be bonded to anyone until I’m ready. And I am so far from being ready right now it isn’t funny.”
“Then stay away from them tonight when the bonding fruit kicks in,” Piper said seriously. “Ask for a private room or lock yourself in the bathroom but whatever you do, don’t wind up between them or it’s gonna be game, set, and match. I promise you that.”
“Okay, thanks for the warning.” Kat crossed her arms over her chest. “Damn it, all this could have been avoided if I’d had a shot of translation bacteria before I came. Now I’m stuck here on a strange planet with no idea of what anyone is saying. It’s so frustrating.”
Piper smiled. “I don’t know what to tell you about your man problems but the translation thing is something I can help you with.” Reaching into a fold of her toga, she pulled out a tiny little clutch purse the exact color of her dress. “Now let me see, I’m sure I have one left…ah-ha!” Triumphantly, she pulled out what looked like a small green caterpillar with a head on either end and long purple hairs growing out of its hide. “Here you go,” she said, handing the half-inch long, wriggling creature to Kat.
“Uh, thanks.” Kat took it very reluctantly—she’d never liked bugs or insects much. She wasn’t afraid of them like Sophie, but she was more likely to step on them than make them pets.
Piper took a look at her expression and burst out laughing. “You don’t have any idea what it is or what it’s for, do you?”
“No,” Kat confessed. “I don’t.”
“It’s a convo-pillar. You put it in your ear and it picks up whatever you hear and translates it into your own language for your brain. It works the other way, too—just think what you want to say and it’ll send thought messages to your speech center and help you talk the other person’s language. Isn’t that great?”
“Uh, did you say you put it in your ear?” Kat frowned. “Look, I don’t like to sound squeamish but I’ve seen Wrath of Khan. I mean, it’s an oldie but a goody right? And anything alive that goes into your ear is bad news as far as I’m concerned.”
“Oh, please, honey,” Piper said a touch impatiently. “If you’re afraid you won’t be able to get it out again, don’t be. Look how easy it is.” She tugged twice at her left earlobe and a small orange caterpillar with pink hairs crawled out of her ear and onto her finger. “See?” she held it out to Kat. “Easy as pie.”
“How come yours is orange and pink and mine is green and purple?” Kat asked doubtfully.
“That’s cause the one I gave you is a new breed—special.” Piper smiled. “Supposed to be almost no lag time at all between thought and translation with that little bugger. I was saving him for a special occasion but I’d say you need him more than me.”
“Well, thank you.” Kat was still reluctant to put something alive in her ear but she didn’t see how she could refuse now without offending her new friend. “Uh, what happens when they, you know, die?”
“Oh, they stop working long before that,” Piper assured her. “When you stop understanding what people are saying, just tug your earlobe, get him out, and get a new one. If you can, that is. I don’t know of a supplier on Twin Moons—I get mine from a colony near Rageron.” Lifting her hand, she allowed the tiny creature to crawl back into her ear canal. “Now you. Go on.”