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Sam shifted down the bench as Dee got up, replacing the void she created as she walked into the room Wendy was in. Contrary to Sam’s expectations, no one else had entered the room after he and Wendy had entered, so he was the only person left on the bench. Although he was nervous, he didn’t let it show outwardly. Sam sat in place, staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression while doing his best to not look suspicious. The reptilians were probably recording his every word and action; it wouldn’t be prudent to discuss the plan involving stealing the GMC when he met with Wendy. Then, what could they talk about? Well, Wendy was performing interviews, so he simply had to answer questions; a conversation didn’t need to be had.
Sam closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Then, he changed his mind about contacting Raindu. If the ferret needed him, it’d let him know; rather than disturbing it and risking the reptilians discovering his mental connection with the ferret—since Wendy had instilled a healthy sense of paranoia in his mind—it’d be better to wait until he was back at home in Ellie’s cage before asking about Raindu’s situation.
It didn’t take long for the door to open. Dee gave Sam a wry smile and patted his shoulder. “You’re up,” she said. “I’m not sure if we’ll be able to meet again. Mind readers are scary, and who knows what she’ll report to the reptilians?”
Sam’s brow furrowed. “Were you thinking negative thoughts about the reptilians?” he asked. Why else would they have a problem with Dee?
“No,” Dee said. “And that’s what I told the mind reader too.” She leaned to the side, looking past the door that hadn’t closed yet. “She’s waiting; you should go.”
Sam stood up and nodded at Dee. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He furrowed his brow before extending his hand towards her.
“What is this?” Dee asked, cracking a smile. “This might be our final farewell, and you’re giving me a handshake, not even a hug?”
“I didn’t think we were close enough for hugs,” Sam said as Dee took a step towards him and wrapped her arms around his body. Sam awkwardly hugged Dee’s shoulders. “But I guess I was wrong?”
“Goodbye, Sam,” Dee said and took a few steps back, waiting for him to go through the door.
“We’ll see each other again,” Sam said and made eye contact with Dee. He nodded at her before turning to enter the room. The door automatically shut behind him, and he took in a deep breath before looking across the room at Wendy, who was sitting behind a large desk.
“Hello…,” Wendy said and glanced down at the table in front of her. A projection appeared in front of her face with Sam’s details on it. She raised her head. “Sam. It’s nice to meet you.” A faint smile appeared on her lips as she made eye contact with Sam, causing his body to freeze as her red pupils stared at him. “You look like someone I trafficked and sold a while back.”
Sam’s lips twitched. “You did trick me and sell me off.”
“I see.” Wendy nodded. “That must be why you look so familiar.” She squinted at Sam and tapped her finger against her desk, hard. “Address me as sundak.”
Sam’s expression darkened. Since Wendy was a mind reader, he could ask her questions through his mind while asking something different out loud. He had practiced it a couple of times, but after not having to use it for a while, he stopped, so he wasn’t that great at it. “Yes, sundak. Sorry. Can you explain what we’re doing here?” Sam asked. At the same time, he thought at Wendy, Is the plan to steal the GMC still on?
“Yes, of course,” Wendy said. “I’m conducting interviews. I ask questions, you answer them.”
“I see, sundak,” Sam said, his brow furrowing. He wasn’t sure if Wendy was responding to his thoughts. He asked, “Should I be nervous?” while thinking, Are you lying to me?
“No,” Wendy said. “There’s nothing to be nervous about.” She glanced at the projected screen floating in front of her. “First question, what do you think of your owner?”
Sam pursed his lips. “My owner is great,” he said. “She takes care of me, and when she says she’s going to do something, she does it—no empty promises with her.”
“Oh?” Wendy raised an eyebrow. “That’s good.” She squinted at Sam. After a moment of silence, she nodded. “Wow. You really do have a good impression of her.” She stared at Sam some more before nodding again. “It’s almost like she’s your mother with how well she’s taking care of you. Good for you; aren’t you glad you were sold to a caring reptilian like her and not someone else?”
Sam furrowed his brow, but after a second, he relaxed them. Rather than worrying about communicating with Wendy, he’d do as she suggested and simply answer the questions he was asked. Wendy was smarter than him, and rather than him wracking his mind over figuring out what she wanted, he’d let her take the lead. “Yes,” Sam said. “I’m glad. I could’ve been sold to an owner who didn’t care about me or my wishes, but I can’t say Ellie’s been like that.”
“You don’t feel abused?” Wendy asked, folding her hands atop her desk in front of herself.
“No, sundak,” Sam said. “Sure, there are times I think I’m going to lose my life while she trains me, but that’s just a consequence of training, you know?”
“I see,” Wendy said and let out a noncommittal grunt. “Just a consequence, of course.” She squinted. “And how about Et Serpentium? What do you think of our country?”
Sam thought back on his time in Et Serpentium—from when he was sold to the present. Other than being stuck inside of a room without any company on occasion, life was good: the food was delicious; the bed was plush; his room was always at a comfortable temperature. “It’s almost like paradise,” Sam said. “Of course, I haven’t experienced all of it, sundak, so I’m sure there are parts that I wouldn’t like, but from what I’ve seen, it’s better than the human city.”
“You would think that,” Wendy said, nodding her head. “You’ve seen the worst of human society, and you’re comparing it to the best experience a human can have in Et Serpentium. It just goes to show how much your owner cares for you; she’s sheltering you from the ugliness of this country.”
“Like I told you, sundak,” Sam said. “She’s the best.”
“What if someone offered you a better life?” Wendy asked, leaning back in her seat. “Would you leave your owner?”
Sam furrowed his brow. It was hard to imagine a life better than this one, one that was already so much more luxurious than what he had previously had.
“For example,” Wendy said, “someone offered you a life with a purpose. The life you’re describing right now in your mind sounds like one of comfort and luxury. It’s nice and all, sure, but you only have a certain amount of time to live. Are you satisfied with living a life of comfort without achieving anything great?”
Here it was, a question relating to the topic of stealing the GMC. Sam leaned back in his seat and exhaled. “I’m not sure, sundak,” Sam said. “I’ve yet to grow tired of living like this. It might be a little lonely at times, but after becoming strong enough to defend myself—by Ellie’s standards—she’s taken me out to socialize with other humans, so even the loneliness isn’t an issue.”
“You’re not bored?” Wendy asked. “Sleeping, eating, fighting for your life?”
Sam shrugged. “I’ve been too tired to be bored.” It was true. When he had a moment of free time that didn’t involve sleeping, eating, showering, or training, Ellie called him out to play. Somedays, she was busy doing reptilian things—which Sam still didn’t know consisted of what—but she’d leave him a bunch of coloring books and turn on some calming music. Time flew by, and before he knew it, Ellie was done with her business and ready to play.
“I see,” Wendy said. “What do you think about the treatment of humans in Et Serpentium?”
Sam crossed his arms over his chest. “It depends, sundak,” he said. “I’ve come to the conclusion there are different kinds of reptilians like there are different kinds of humans. Some human cultures worship cows; other human cultures worship the technique of eating cows. Likewise, I believe some reptilians treat humans nicely while others don’t.”
Wendy raised an eyebrow and scanned Sam from head to toe. “So, your muscles aren’t the only thing that’ve grown,” she said. “You’re much more knowledgeable; if you were this bright in the past, I might not have been able to trick and sell you.”
“Ha-ha, very funny, sundak,” Sam said, his voice dry. “Ellie occasionally broadcasts podcasts for me while I work out. Even when I’m not trying to learn anything, I still do.” After all, when the sound came from all the walls, ceiling, and floor, it was hard to ignore.
“Sounds like you don’t have any problems with your owner or Et Serpentium,” Wendy said and tapped on her desk, causing the projection to disappear. “If you could change one thing about this place, what would it be?”
Sam rubbed his chin. What would he change? Why change anything when everything was working out? After all, if something wasn’t broken, it didn’t need to be fixed. After thinking for a bit, Sam came to an answer. “It’d be nice if I could lock and unlock doors by myself.”
“Is that your final answer?” Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sam scratched his head. What kind of answer was Wendy expecting? That he wished the graylings were free from reptilian control? Honestly, the graylings did make life easier for reptilians and, by extension, humans as well in Et Serpentium. They could be ordered to do anything, and they would faithfully execute the command—unless it involved harming a reptilian or the reptilian’s personal property, including their pet humans. It wasn’t like graylings had feelings either, or if they did, they were ordered not to show them.
“Got it,” Wendy said, nodding her head. “How about the competitions? You’ve participated in three bouts so far.”
Sam thought back to the matches he had fought. The first fight was against a beginner just like him, but they weren’t trained as well as he had been. The second fight was with someone more experienced, but by following Ellie’s instructions, he easily won. The third fight was also won by following Ellie’s commands.
“So, those competition rounds were just another day of training for you, huh?” Wendy asked. “Follow your owner’s instructions, and you don’t have to worry about a thing. You don’t feel reluctant competing against other humans?”
“No,” Sam said. Why would he? People competed every day regardless of whether or not they were the pets of reptilians.
“Not a pacifist,” Wendy said, nodding her head. She glanced at his mouth. “Not a vegan either.”
Sam scratched his nose. Were those things reptilians were looking for in humans? Probably not, considering he was a show human. Well, like he said earlier, maybe there was some group of reptilians who preferred pacifist humans. Sam blinked as he made eye contact with Wendy, freezing for a bit. Maybe there was even a group of reptilians who wanted to free the graylings for whatever purpose. The great seer? Since Wendy was the great seer’s daughter, and if mind reading was an inherited talent of reptilians, Wendy wouldn’t be able to hide anything from her mother, right?
Wendy squinted her eyes at Sam, giving him the feeling she was peering deeper into his mind. Wendy blinked, and a wry smile appeared on her face. “You make a good pet,” she said. “Powerful but unambitious, your owner is quite lucky to have you.”
“Thanks, I guess, sundak,” Sam said. What was that supposed to mean? Did Wendy want him to stay as Ellie’s pet, and if so, for how long?
“I noticed in your information, it said you had a pet?” Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow. “How is it?”
“It’s good,” Sam said. Raindu wasn’t with him. In fact, he wasn’t quite sure where the ferret was. All it had communicated with him was it was going to find the GMC instead of waiting around. Although that technically was its purpose, Sam had a feeling Raindu was going to investigate anything interesting it could lay its hands on—and by investigate, Sam meant borrowing and looking at later without the intention of returning the object back to its rightful place.
“Do you worry about it?” Wendy asked. “Et Serpentium has strict rules for its human pets, and your pet might break those.”
“My pet is smart, and it knows what it’s doing, sundak,” Sam said. He didn’t mean it. Raindu didn’t like thinking about consequences much, and honestly, Sam was surprised an incident hadn’t occurred because of the ferret yet. It was wandering around Et Serpentium without supervision, and it could’ve been serial-murdering reptilian civilians at this very moment without Sam’s knowledge.
Wendy’s expression betrayed no signs of change. She nodded at Sam’s answer. “I see,” she said. “Well, I don’t think there’s anything else I have to ask you.” Wendy’s eyes shifted to the corner of her desk. “You’re also my last interviewee of the day. I’m feeling generous, so if you have any questions you’d like to ask me as I pack my things, go ahead.”
Sam scratched his head. There were many things he wanted to clarify, but he didn’t think she’d be able to answer them without arousing suspicion. Of course, he could find an appropriate question to say out loud to match the question in his head, but now that he was put on the spot, he found it quite difficult to do. How was he supposed to receive his instructions from Tamara if he was Ellie’s pet? The plan to steal the GMC really was a thing, and he hadn’t just been tricked, right? “Uh….”
“No questions?” Wendy asked as she packed her things, which consisted of her extra clothes she had left in the corner of the room. “Good.”
“Wait, sundak,” Sam said. “If you were me, what would you do in my position?”
Wendy’s hands didn’t stop moving. “It sounds like you have everything under control, and your pet is doing fine as well,” she said. “Be an obedient pet for your owner, and you’ll live a long and comfortable life. Just make sure your pet doesn’t cause more trouble than necessary when it does its business.”
Sam leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. Essentially, Wendy was telling him to leave stealing the GMC up to Raindu while he stayed under Ellie’s wing. Then, what was the point of Tamara and James coming to Et Serpentium? Weren’t they supposed to help steal the GMC? It wasn’t a one-ferret show; if one ferret—albeit a logic-defying ferret—could free the graylings and overturn reptilian society, wasn’t the security a bit too lax?
“Aren’t you going to say something?” Wendy asked.
Sam blinked and looked at Wendy.
Wendy slung her bag over her shoulder. “Like something along the lines of thank you, sundak?”
“Oh, thank you, sundak,” Sam said. “You’ve cleared up some of my doubts.”
Wendy nodded. “Alright, get out before you’re locked in here,” she said, heading towards the exit.
Sam climbed to his feet and exited the room. He headed towards the wall opposite the bench where the entranceway was open and waiting for him to step through. Sam turned his head to look at Wendy, and the blonde woman gestured ahead with her chin. “You go first; I’m heading to a different location.”
“Alright, sundak,” Sam said and furrowed his brow. “Goodbye.”
“Yep,” Wendy said. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
Sam nodded and stepped past the doorway into the darkness. The wall closed behind him, and he was shifted to the side. Light streamed into the room when he came to a halt, and a familiar figure greeted him.
“Sam!” Ellie said, staring up at Sam with a wide grin on her face. “You did such a good job today! I was watching, and you were very well-behaved.”
A smile appeared on Sam’s face as he stepped out of the room. “Hello, sundak,” he said. “It’s good to see you again.”
Ellie giggled and clicked her bracelet before holding up a piece of popcorn chicken. “Here,” she said. “A treat!”
Sam grabbed the treat and stuffed it into his mouth and took a look around. He was back in the lobby with the circular counter, but it was much more crowded than before—crowded with reptilians. Although Sam kept his gaze lowered to prevent himself from making eye contact with them, he had a feeling the surrounding reptilians were staring at him. As if to prove his suspicious correct, a red reptilian walked towards Sam and Ellie, coming to a halt beside them.
“Hello,” the red reptilian said, smiling at Ellie. “Are you interested in selling your human?”
“No!” Ellie said. She glared up at the red reptilian. “Go bother someone else!”
“Hey,” the red reptilian said. “How about you call your parents over? I’m sure they’ll hear out my offer.”
“Sam,” Ellie said and held her hand out towards Sam. “Let’s go.”
“Wait,” the red reptilian said. “Your pet has tremendous potential. If you—”
“I know he has potential!” Ellie said, glaring at the red reptilian once more. “And I’m not selling him. Even if he didn’t have any potential, he’s still my derpy Sam, and I’ll never give him up: not for sale, not for adoption, not for rehoming, so stop asking!” Ellie thrusted her hand out towards Sam once more. “Let’s go, Sam.”
Sam took Ellie’s hand and kept his head down, ignoring the gaze of the red reptilian lingering on his back as he followed his small reptilian owner out of the HKC headquarters. Despite her small size, Ellie’s back seemed quite large in Sam’s eyes. What would happen to her quality of life if Raindu did manage to steal the GMC? Would she survive the upcoming chaos if the grayling’s wanted revenge for the way they’ve been treated? Thinking back on his training sessions, Sam realized it was a dumb concern; Ellie was strong, way stronger than him. If he wanted to be worried about someone, he should worry about himself.