Bill Stronarck, for all of his business savy, was completely unequipped with dealing with Vahl. If he’d had any hair at all, he would have pulled it out.
“I can’t talk to this man,” he said to Reyes.
Reyes put up his hand and tried, “Ok. We know we are in Varresh, Vahl, because you told us you were taking us here. But we DO NOT know where Varresh is.”
“It is here!”
Reyes’ eyes went wide, “I see we cannot speak in generalities with you,”
Vahl shrugged.
“We are not from this planet!”
“Not of Earth?”
“This is not Earth!” Bill said, “At least not ours. The rain on our earth doesn’t burn our skin.”
“Only shortlings are affected by the rains; and you are a shortling.”
Dr. Reyes was curious, “Tell us of the shortlings.”
“You are shortlings,”
“Yes but we are not the shortlings that you know of; we are from another place.”
“The Shortlings live in the Domed city. We work for them. We mine for them. No shortlings come to Varresh unless they are being punished! What crime have you committed?”
“Could you take us,”