It is interesting that the human men assume we are like them. They assume we took the women as our mates, which we did not. We took them to return home and regain a place in our tribes, which is a very different thing. None of my brothers would even attempt to take an unwilling woman as their mate. That is one of a few crimes that is punished by death.
There is an awkward stand-off with Chloe, staring at the guard, and the guard refusing to answer, while avoiding looking at her and me.
"Watch yourself. He is more dangerous than he looks." The guard shuts the door on his way out.
Chloe draws in a breath and exhales just as slowly. "Did they leave you in the darkness yesterday?"
"Yes, though light comes in through the holes." I prefer it to the brightness. "And I can see quite well in the dark."
"Okay, I won't ask them to come in and turn the lights on for you."
I'd rather the guards didn't come in at all. "Did you do work on my samples?"
I can't help the grin that turns the corner of my lips, because the only sample I'm thinking about is the one she didn't help with. That I could have given to her three times over since then.
She lifts one eyebrow, as if knowing what I'm implying. "I did run some tests. The first lot of tests anyway, as I intend to run some more, but I also wanted to come and visit you."
It's too easy to imagine that she sees me as something other than a creature to be studied. I need to remember that's all I am, no matter how friendly she appears.
"I found some things you can draw on. We don't have paper at the moment, not to spare, anyway. What we have is only for official purposes. But you have a lot of wall space, so I brought you some markers. And if you run out of wall, you can always use the sheets." She points at the bed. "Or the floor."
She walks towards me and holds out two dark cylinders. Before she hands them to me, she plucks the end off one of them. "This is the bit that makes the mark." She draws a black line on one of the bars. Then she puts the lid on and hands them to me.
"Thank you." At least tomorrow I will have something to do.
"Today I'd like to take some measurements, and also discuss which plants and animals are good to eat?" Chloe asks, as if she needs my approval to do her science.
"If you think that might be helpful, I am happy to oblige." I’ll do anything to get out of the cage faster.
She smiles, revealing her teeth, the way humans do when they are happy. I must remember she is happy and not about to snarl or make a charge.
She pulls something out of her pocket, and it extends into a thin ribbon with writing at even spacing. “This is a tape measure. Do you have something like it?"
She bends over and wraps it around her thigh to show me how measurements are made with it. But I have already worked it out.
“We do. It is usually made of leather with engraved markings.”
She stands up and her grin widens. "Great."
I wonder how she’s going to take measurements from the other side of the bars. And it appears she has the same thought as her gaze flicks from me to the bars and then to the tape measure.
"This marking is the start, if you could stick your arm through?"
I do if she asks, because I don’t want to make her life more difficult, and I am intrigued to find out where this goes. She efficiently measures my hand from wrist to the tip of my middle finger with her start mark at my wrist. She reads the measurement at my fingertip, then stops. She grabs the tablet and the stool and sets them up nearby. Then she does my wrist. "Can you spread your fingers?"
Both my eyebrows lift. “That is something we only do if we plan on attacking."
"But you wouldn’t be attacking me. Or does that help make the charge?"
“I will not attack you, and it does not make the charge. It is a threatening gesture." And one I do not want to make, even though she does not see it is such.
She bites her lower lip and considers me for several seconds.
“I would like to measure your hand-span." She lifts her hand and spreads her fingers.
Even though she can’t make a charge, my heartbeat quickens and my kam buzz in response to the threat.
"It’s much bigger than mine." She steps closer and puts her hand against the bar.
