Free Wormhole Pirates on Orbis by P. J. Haarsma Page B

don’t like that word either, but yes — knudniks.”
    “What are you gonna do?” I asked.
    “I’ll have to report this,” he said. “You should feel proud of yourselves for helping to catch a thief.”
    But I didn’t. Acting like I belonged on Orbis had never done much for my popularity. In fact, it only aggravated Citizens like Dop. Things were better when I kept to myself. I turned to the O-dats and watched the thief celebrate with his tracker. I knew there was more to that thieving alien than just the stolen stridling. The marking I had seen on his arm told me that. He was a wormhole pirate; I was certain of it.
    Ketheria, however, wasn’t worried about it. “When do we eat?” she asked.
    “Right now,” Charlie said, and grabbed the portable O-dat. “What are you hungry for?” Charlie looked up from the O-dat, straight at me. I could feel his disappointment in me. I could see it in his eyes. I didn’t like feeling this way.
    “I want to be surprised,” Ketheria said, relishing the coming meal. “But surprised in a good way.”
    “Coming right up, young lady.”
    While we waited for Charlie’s surprise, Max and I huddled at the opposite end of the table with Theodore. Dalton, surprisingly, was already there.
    “How come you didn’t tell
us
about the stridling, Dumbwire?” Dalton hissed, trying his best to act like Switzer.
    “Don’t call me that,” I told him. “I never did anything to you.”
    “Switzer’s gone,” Max added. “You don’t have to be like him anymore.”
    No one spoke. We stared at Dalton for an uncomfortably long time.
    “You can join us if you want,” I said.
    Dalton huffed as if he were going to turn and walk away, but instead he sat next to Max.
    “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
    “Forget about it,” I replied.
    “How could a wormhole pirate be playing Quest-Nest?” Max whispered.
    “A wormhole pirate?” Dalton exclaimed.
    “Shhh! We don’t know that,” Theodore argued.
    “I saw the marking,” I reminded him.
    Dalton seemed confused. “On who?”
    Theodore shook his head. “What if you’re wrong?”
    “I don’t think so. I just want to know how he got here.”
    “Or
why
he’s here,” Max added.
    “Who?” Dalton pleaded, a little too loudly.
    “Shhh,” Max hushed him. “The alien that stole the stridling is a wormhole pirate. We saw the marking on his arm.”
    “The skull thing?” he said.
    Max cringed. “Yes, but keep it down.”
    I wasn’t listening anymore. Max had asked a good question. Why
was
he here? I couldn’t imagine he was here only to play Quest-Nest.
    “We should find out,” I said.
    “How?” Theodore asked.
    “I’m gonna join the conclave,” I announced.
    Dalton almost choked. “Ha! This league?”
    “You’ve got to be kidding,” Theodore protested, but that was normal.
    “I’m gonna need a partner,” I said, looking to Max.
    “Wait, you can’t be serious.” Dalton took Theodore’s side.
    “I make good bait,” Max said, and then she winked at me.
What does that mean?
I felt my face get hot, and I had to look away.
    “No, stop. You can’t do this.” Theodore pleaded. “You don’t know how to play the game.”
    “We’re better than these guys,” I assured him, recovering myself.
    “But you don’t know how to play the sort,” Dalton argued.
    “Vairocina can help him figure it out,” Max said.
    Our food arrived while we were still talking. Actually, Theodore wasn’t saying anything anymore. He just sat there staring at the table and shaking his head. The aliens surrounded our table, carrying four large trays.
    “What is it?” Ketheria said with obvious excitement in her voice.
    “It’s called
pizza,
” Charlie told her proudly.
    “Why is it round?” Grace asked.
    Charlie smiled. “I don’t know why exactly. I never thought about that before.”
    The servers placed the four pizzas on our table. They smelled great.
    “What planet are they from?” Max asked.
    “Earth,” Charlie