“So you say,” Liza scoffed. “But if you’re capable of lying, then you could easily lie and say that you’re incapable of lying.”
“It is easy to verify,” Jaspar said. “And the Harbinger Clan were the ones who first wanted to buy your planet after you declared bankruptcy, not us. We just happened to hear about it and put in a higher offer.”
“Our mayor asked the Harbinger ambassador if they had poisoned our trees, and he said no,” Liza said. “So if Drakken can’t lie, then they didn’t do it either. I’m tired of this conversation, Jaspar – I need to help move our dead Santabot into the storage shed.”
“We are willing to pay five times your regular fee for booking the bed and breakfast,” Jaspar said.
“Nope, sorry, we’re fully booked,” Liza said. “Also, burn in Hell.”
Marjan tapped her arm. “You said that he wasnotSatan,” she said.
“I happen to know that humans are capable of speaking untruths,” Jaspar said, looking around. “I see only one other hovercraft besides my family’s parked here, and I see no guests strolling about the grounds. How can you claim that you are fully booked? I believe that you are not telling me the truth.”
“Doesn’t matter either way, and we’re done here.” She turned to walk away.
“We will sign a lease agreement stating that you and your family may stay here for free for the next five years,” Jaspar said. “That is in addition to the fee that we will pay you for booking the entire bed and breakfast for the next two weeks.”
“No means no,” Liza said firmly.
“Yes, you state the obvious. Of course a word means what it means.” Jaspar looked at her in confusion. “So have we reached an agreement? I will have our law-maker print out the agreement and we will sign it in blood.”
Liza grimaced. “Eww, no. I wouldn’t sign the agreement in blood no matter what.”
He moved closer to her, and she found herself breathing deeply, drawing his scent into her nostrils.
“Liza, I’m here,” her grandfather called out. “You need help with the Santa?”
“Oh, thank heavens,” Liza murmured, and hurried off. She’d been perilously close to reaching out and unlacing Jaspar’s leggings to see what was underneath them.
