Blaine/The Honga Pit – An excerpt 1

The Honga Pit

An excerpt

Tyh gaped and fell to the floor. The honga stared. The honga drooled. The

honga blocked the sun.

Then Tyh was being jerked to his feet and he was being pulled

past the honga. Three things existed: him, the leviathan, and

whatever was jerking him back to his feet. Tyh struggled to

believe that even a boy his size could fit into the same world

as this sky-darkening monstrosity devouring bales of hay.

Looking away from the bullish hulk to the young woman's hand

clasped to his wrist helped.

Keena tugged him toward a half-door mounted along the wall of

the honga-pit where a slight man in riders' gear leaned on the

Blaine/The Honga Pit – An excerpt 2

jam outside an office one hand lightly on the half-door’s shelf.

Another man, inside the office, slouched on the same shelf. His

chin barely above his crossed arms. Each watched Tyh’s

involuntary approach.

“Quartermaster. I’m bringing you some help,” Keena declared

with a smile. The Quartermaster slumped his face into his

folded arms. His several pendant earrings jangled onto the

shelf.

“Keena,” said the man dressed as a rider. He tapped his

forehead in salutation to her. And again to Tyh.

“Keena,” mumbled the Quartermaster into his arms.

“Quartermaster did you hear me? I’m bringing you a boy.

Someone to sweep your office. Someone to clean your window.

Someone to collect your papers.”

A shudder from seeing his first honga caught up with the

otherwise still Tyh. Realizing the Quartermaster was a Hurri,

not a man, Tyh was glad the delayed reaction went unnoticed.

The Quartermaster left his face in his arms, but his words

were distinct not muffled. “I know what help is Keena. And I

do not need it.” The last four words he spoke increased in

volume. His nearly bald head flushed with blood turning from

pallid yellow to and his gold scalp ring went from limp to

perpendicular as his jaws clenched the skin over his skull taut,

but his face never left its hiding spot.

Blaine/The Honga Pit – An excerpt 3

Keena turned up one side of her mouth quizzically, “Of course

you do. See you around kid.” she slung Tyh toward the door and

skipped off into the back of the pit all four ponytails bouncing

like ribbons.

“Dammit, Keena!” The Quartermaster thrust the half-door open

so quickly Tyh felt the rush of air. The Quartermaster chased

her for three steps and then just stopped. The man dressed as a

pilot blandly watched Tyh throughout.

“You see! You see? You see what she does to me. Don’t you?”

Tyh knew he wasn't being addressed. He decided it would be

easier to speak to the Quartermaster’s back than to wait for him

to turn around and show his face.

“I’m Tyh.”

“I don’t care.”

However, the man dressed as a rider chuckled, “I’m Bem.”

Uncertain what to do next Tyh continued to stand outside the

Quartermaster’s office. His arms remained slack at his sides.

Apparently they only moved when compelled to by Keena and then

only to be led around. Bem sipped from a porcelain teacup Tyh

overlooked earlier. Somewhere in the space of time following the

Quartermaster’s truncated outburst and the bottom of Bem’s drink

Tyh sensed the Quartermaster had changed his thoughts from Keena

to some other consideration. Tyh shifted on his feet and took a

breath to speak.
Blaine/The Honga Pit – An excerpt 4

“Behind the door.” The Quartermaster interrupted. Tyh wondered

if he’d been commanded behind the door or simply been given

information. Either way, the words answered the only question

he’d ever asked himself, “What do I do now?”.

Bem glided to the opposite side of the opening and out of

Tyh’s way. He set the cup back in its saucer on the counter of

the Quartermaster’s window. “What must you have done this

morning that got you dragged in here this afternoon? And where

will you roll up tomorrow? Were you to need anything, please

call. It will surely amuse me to learn how this all rides out.”

Bem turned and addressed the stationary Quartermaster, “We may

speak more later, sir.” Bem politely brushed his forehead in

farewell and effortlessly departed.

Tyh closed both halves of the door and found an unused broom

behind them. He began sweeping.