Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“ I have a problem,” Daedalus announced.

Talon eyed the beer he’d brought. “Wait, let me guess. You slept with three of your colleagues on the night of the end-of-year party, and now everyone in Eden doesn’t want to work with you because they think you’re the snake in the grass who’ll either seduce them or their significant other.”

Daedalus frowned. “How did you hear about that?”

“The Colony is a small place, and my sisters know everyone. They both used to have crushes on you when they were younger, and while they’re both happily married now, so when one of them heard you’d turned Casanova, they had to tell me.”

Daedalus sighed. “Well, you’re partially right. My problem is Casanova, all right. Pectinivalva (Casanovula) minotaurus , to be precise. A tiny moth that breeds fast and furiously, which is why I thought it would be the perfect species for my new pet project.” When Talon didn’t respond, Daedalus continued, “I got bored while flying the supply runs in the Burro , so I created a sort of maze in the ventilation system. Usually people put rats in mazes, but putting rats on a supply ship is just asking for trouble, so I picked a wood moth instead. But the moths don’t live very long, so they were dying before they made it to the end of the maze. So I may have…modified them. Just a little. I took the moth bodies, injected them with nanites, and then set them loose. They lived much longer. The only thing is, once they made their way through the maze, they then started to explore the rest of the ship. And then…there were more of them. Far more than I’d made. And they’re everywhere. All over the ship. So…I sort of have a pest problem. Seeing as you’re the foremost pest control professional in the Colony, probably in the whole Altan System, I’ve come to you for help.”

Talon stared at him in the way only an owl could do. Well, along with an owl griffon, of course. “You created robot moths. Self-replicating robot moths. Are you trying to start another war? If the Watch finds out, they’ll have you arrested. Worse, you’ll be kicked out of the Colony.”

“It was just an experiment. They’re not really robots. They’re definitely not AI. They don’t have functional brains any more. They’re not a danger to anyone. They’re just…infesting the ship, and if Rocail finds out, I’ll be fired for sure. That’s why I need your help. Please, Talon, I’ll do anything.”

“Anything except pay the going rate. Not that you could afford the price I’d have to charge for exterminating an illegal army of robot moths. I’d have to report you to the Watch for sure.” Talon sighed. “Look, I have to be careful, all right. The Watch have already taken an interest in me. If I do anything else illegal, it’s not just you who’ll be in trouble, it’ll be me, too. And I have Rue to think about, now, plus all the meowls. We’re not kids any more.”

“I know, but…please, man. Don’t make me go to your sisters. If I can’t persuade you, I know they can.”

Talon’s eyes widened in alarm. “Don’t you get my sisters mixed up in your illegal shit! They have families. Stars take it, Daedalus. I’ll help you this one time, but that’s it. I know you were just tinkering, but you’ve got to realise there’s a line between what’s right and what’s not, and robots are what made us all refugees in the first place. You can’t trust them.”

“I don’t. I won’t. I swear, I won’t build any more robots, if you just help me get rid of these ones. If it helps, don’t think of them as robots. Forget I even mentioned that part. It’s just an ordinary moth infestation. On a space ship. With lots of moths.”

Talon blew out a frustrated breath. “All right. I might be able to help you, but only if you help me, too.”

Daedalus beamed. “Anything, man, anything. Just name it and it’s yours.”

Talon cupped his hands to his mouth and made a noise that sounded like, “Wook-wook.” He repeated it, until a bird the size of a chicken fluttered down and landed on Talon’s outstretched arm.

Only…for all that it had wings, that didn’t look like a bird at all.

“What is that?” Daedalus demanded.

“This is Lothario. He’s a meowl, a chimera made from a southern boobook owl and a tabby cat,” Talon said proudly. “He is the answer to all of your problems.”

Daedalus shook his head. “You know I don’t get along well with other owls. There’s a reason I never dated your sisters. I mean, apart from the fact that you’d have kicked my arse into next week if I so much as thought about them that way. Me and owls don’t get along.”

“That’s why I picked Lothario. You see, chimeras are rarely half of one thing, and half of another. Lothario here is only about ten percent owl, and the rest of him’s all tom cat. Which is the problem you’re going to help me with. It’s breeding season in the mews, and I need to keep him away from the female meowls, because while he’s one of the most intelligent meowls in the entire pounce, he’s also the laziest. He fancies himself more of a lover than a hunter, which is how he got his name.”

“Pounce? What’s a pounce?”

Talon coughed. “It’s the collective noun for a group of meowls. Well, it’s the one I’ve been playing around with. A group of owls is a parliament, which is way too pompous for meowls. They’re creatures of action, and they like to play. Not politicians by any stretch. Whereas most of the collective nouns for cats are about chaos. But pounce…it’s used for a group of cats, but it’s absolutely perfect for meowls, because it's their favourite thing to do. Someone said I should call them a pride instead, but that’s what you call a group of griffons, and for all that we have in common, meowls just aren’t griffons.” If he’d been in his animal form, he’d have stood far more proudly than he did as a human, as if to demonstrate the difference.

“O-kay…” Daedalus eyed the creature. It really was more like an earless, winged cat than an owl. “And you think one meowl can sort my moth problem before my boss finds out what I’ve done?”

Talon laughed. “I didn’t say that. He’ll help you, sure, but the keeping secrets part is all on you. Officially, you’re helping me by giving Lothario a little bit of enforced celibacy during meowl mating season. I should get you some meowl mix to feed him with. The others like it mixed with live mealworms, but Lothario usually waits for the others to pick out all the mealworms, so he can just wolf down the protein mix without it fighting back.” He picked up the creature and held it out to Daedalus. “Here, you two get to know each other while I find you a carrier.”

Daedalus knew better than to let a bird of prey sink its talons into his arm, but Talon had picked it up around the middle, so he figured it would be safe to do the same.

“He likes neck scritches, don’t you, Lothario?” Talon demonstrated.

Lothario arched his back, flapped his wings, and crooned.

Daedalus blinked through the stars in his vision. Lothario might be small, but a wing buffet to the face from the creature sure packed a punch. He wrapped his arms more securely around the meowl, pinning his wings in place. He really was like a chicken.

Lothario opened his mouth and sank his fangs into Daedalus’s arm.

“Ah, yeah, you need to watch out for those. All the other meowls got beaks, so all you really need to worry about are the talons, but Lothario’s special. He’s got weapons on both ends. Maybe that’s why he’s so lazy. All he has to do is flash his fangs and he’ll frighten his prey to death.” Talon set the carrier on the ground and opened the door. “Pop him inside, and you’ll be good to go.”

Good was subjective. Lothario did not want to be caged, and it took both men a considerable amount of time, filled with wing buffets, talon gouges, and gratuitous use of fangs before they got Lothario into the carrier with the latch fastened.

Inside the carrier, Lothario seethed with righteous rage. Funny, seeing as he was the least injured of the three of them.

“You can let him out once you’re aboard your ship, but make sure the airlock’s closed, or he’ll find his way right back here. Meowls’ navigation abilities are uncanny.” Talon stuck his bleeding finger in his mouth. “Don’t forget the meowl mix, or he’ll steal your dinner.” He grimaced as he looked down at his slashed shirt.

Luckily they were both shifters, or they’d have had to pay a visit to the Colony hospital for stitches.

Daedalus lifted the cage up so he was eye to eye with the meowl. “You’d better like hunting moths, or I’m bringing you straight back,” he promised.

Lothario let out a happy chirp, then settled down on the cage floor like the cutest loaf of bread ever to come out of an oven.

Definitely a tom cat.