Gestures instead of words - Excerpt from Karrik for #WeWriWa and #SnippetSunday

 

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and Snippet Sunday. Sample the work of a new author. Read snippets of stories in different genres.

I’m continuing the scene from Karrik, Book 6 of SciFi series, Taxyon Space.  

Karrik, an alien merman, lives in a small room in a hospice on his home world after being crippled in battle. His brothers paid for his care by serving as spies on Earth. His older brother Alarik has just returned from Earth and is visiting Karrik for the first time in many months. Karrik cannot speak more than a stuttered word. You can read last week’s emotional excerpt here: https://auroraspringer.blogspot.com/2023/03/a-reunion-excerpt-from-karrik-for.html

“You seem to be alert,” Alarik said. “Can you understand me?”

Uttering an inarticulate grunt, Karrik pressed his brother’s fingers again.

“Urish. You can understand, but you cannot speak words clearly. Is that correct?”

Another squeeze and Karrik panted, “Uh…Uh…Urish.”

“You don’t need to speak. Press my fingers if you agree. If you wish, I’ll explain why Baswin and I were unable to visit you.”

Ten sentences and a few more

Karrik pressed for yes.

“After you were injured, we were desperate to secure proper care for you. You were unconscious for days. Even after you woke, you seemed befuddled, as helpless and incoherent as a baby. Triarch Webale offered to place you in the care of the Pearl Sisters as an inducement for Baswin and me to serve as his undercover spies on Earth. We had minor surgery to merge into Earther society.” He held up his hand and waggled the fingers. “Look at what we surrendered.”

Marveling at the sacrifice of a finger, Karrik touched his forefinger to each of the five fingers on his brother’s hand. The full implications filtered slowly into his fuzzy mind. His elder brothers were mutilated, and like him, they were dishonored and unfit for normal society.

 Karrik, Book 6 in Taxyon Space

The fates of six people are at stake.

Karrik Kenton Tallis, Third of the Flaming Comets, endures a miserable existence in a hospice on his home planet. Unable to walk or speak more than a single word, he misses his older brothers and is unaware of their sacrifice to ensure his care. He cherishes a faint hope of recovering his health.

Karrik’s life improves when his brothers return to Rishalt with their human companions. Alarik, First of the Triad, is escorting Phoebe Wong with her brother and a mysterious alien object for an audience with Prime Jadel. The middle brother, Baswin, is traveling home with Holly and Rosie Moon. The Moon sisters are enrolled in an experimental program to train human psychics to navigate in hyperspace and relieve Earth’s governments of their onerous reliance on Warrish tripilots. Rosie, a psychic healer, desires to help Karrik despite the conflict with her duty to humanity.

But the water world of Rishalt holds many hazards, both above and beneath the waves. Can the alien treasure help the three brothers to conquer the challenges and unite with their chosen partners? Read the scintillating story of the Flaming Comet brothers to learn the answers.

Karrik’s story is available in ebook and audiobook: https://books2read.com/u/3LNnVD

Please return to http://wewriwa.blogspot.com/ to sample the works of the other writers. 

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