[quote]“If a story is not about the hearer, he will not listen. And here I make a rule—a great and interesting story is about everyone or it will not last.” – John Steinbeck
This week’s prompt is to be a
\n\t\t\t\t\tmetassus 365 challenge. Your story (minus heading) must be exactly 365 words. The prompt, given to us by random word generator is: peculiar[/quote]The Peculiar Institution
by
M. Mitchell Marmel
“First lot of the day,” the vixen in silks announced, “is for this breeding trio of hoomins, one male and two females.” She leered. “How much am I bid?”
“One gold,” a bruin in purple shouted.
“One sapphire,” from a gorilla in red.
“One ruby,” countered a red panda in green.
“How much for all slaves?”
Surprised murmurings from the other buyers. The vixen, nonplussed, asked, “All three, you mean?”
“No,” the figure in dark blue robes replied. “ALL slaves. All your stock.”
The vixen’s eyes widened as she regarded the figure in blue. “Well..."
An imperious snap of fingers. Two guards, also in blue, hefted a heavy brass-bound chest to the stage. The robed figure snapped the hasp open. A rainbow of gold and jewels sparkled in the sunlight. “This will suffice?”
The vixen drooled. “Oh, yes. Very much so.”
With the other buyers watching, stunned, the slavers’ entire stock was transferred to a large waggon. “If I may ask,” the vixen said-
“You do not ask kvestions. You are not told lies,” the tanfurred face beneath the blue hood said with a nasty sneer. “Ve go.”
As the waggon disappeared over a nearby hill, the vixen slaver turned to the disappointed buyers. “My friends, I fear the auction ended early. But please, repair to my tent for refresh-“
Half a mile or so away, a tanfurred thumb pressed down on a red button on a remote.
With an actinic flash, the miniature nova bomb in the bottom of the chest vaporised the chest, the synthetic jewels, the fake gold, the vixen, her overseers, the other buyers and the remainder of the slavers’ caravan. When the dust settled, all that was left was a 200 meter glassy crater.
As the waggon approached the concealed TempCorps transport, Lt. Commander Tali Hartoh-Mason pulled her hood back and laughed. “Another good day at the office!”
Beside her, Lieutenant Josef Bearovich chuckled. “Nozzink like ‘pour encourager les autres,’ da? But vat ve are doing viz slaves?”
Tali smirked. “Take ‘em back to HQ, clean ‘em up, take the ones who want to go home back, recruit the others.” She smiled. “Nothing like freed slaves to make great slaver-hunters..."
Inspired by an image by
\n\t\t\t\t\tEsteban. Story, Tali Hartoh-Mason and Josef Bearovich (c) \n\t\t\t\t\tmarmelmm.