Quote:I half-fall through the door and prop myself up against a wooden pillar in the rather comfortable-looking shack. “Phew! Wwwhat a walk!”

Victor follows me. “Perhaps you should get some rest, lord, while you’re here.”

I turn my head and see afterimages, like I’m on some great drugs. Hendy looks a little soft around the edges. “You alright, Hendy?”

“God. You need sleep. Rest.” He vibrates for a second. “Maybe it’s because of this world, or the collar restrictions on you. But it would do you good.”

I turn around again. “There’s a black man over there. And a nice girl.”

“Yes.”

“I bet she has pillowy tits.” I take a step forward. Everyone needs a bosom for a pillow, and right now I’d take beaten-up farmhand over another second of looking at Vic’s ugly face.

But Captain Spoilsport grabs me by the shoulder, firmly. Eh!? “You cruisin’ for a bruisin’, Hendy?”

He takes his hand off. “Do what you like.”

“Thhhat’s right!”

I wheel around, but the girl is gone. Instead there’s a terrifying spectre with green eyes and red hair. It’s looking right at me. I hoot softly and decide to go the other way.

“Not that way, Hendy. That way is Nealapph country.”

.

.

.

Something is shaking me.

“God. God.”

I bolt upright. “Whuzuh whuzat?”

“We need to get moving. The pickup drops soon, we’ve got ground to cover. You okay to walk?”

“Y … yeah!” I stand up and blink. The colours of the room mix and swirl a little before coalescing into something vaguely … straight. The lines are still a little wobbly, but I try not to look too closely. I trust in my senses. My headache is still there, but I reach out and try to feel instead of seeing. Give my eyes some rest and let my instincts handle it.

I’ll need all my strength for the fight to come.