Read Death by Ploot Ploot for Free Online Page A

said, girl, do not blow this for womankind.
    "I, er, th-that's
right. The men give us gifts."
    Suleila straightened out
her clothing and went to stand beside her favorite (for the moment)
daughter-in-law. Smiling sweetly and innocently at Krue, her engaging demeanor
implied: What can I do? It is their custom.
    Bolstered by the
support, Deana started to elaborate a bit. "That's right. The man must
give a gift to his mate on this day to show her how much he loves her."
    Rejar seem concerned and
for the right reasons. Bless him. "Only once a year? That does not seem
right. Familiar men gift their mates throughout the year . . . "
    "You
have so raised him right," she whispered to Suleila, who snorted
discreetly back at her.
    Deana cleared her
throat. "Ahem, this is not meant to interfere with that. This is, ah,
extra, if you will. A special day. For romance." The women of Aviara
deserved a day of appreciation. They would thank her one day.
    “Hmmm." Rejar
thought it over quickly. "I like this St. Stooges Day idea. When Lilac
returns, I shall engage it upon her."
    Deana coughed into her
hand, trying not to think of how the wild Familiar would carry that out.
She almost felt sorry for the poor unsuspecting Lilac and wished there was some
way she could warn the hapless woman beforehand.
    "This is an odd
custom." Krue scratched the back of his neck. “What mean you by
romance?"
    "Ah, well, when you
give your lady something really nice . . . well, I mean it doesn't have to be
elaborate or costly– ouch !"
    Suleila had kicked her
shin.
    "But,
ah, it could be, of course."
    Krue gave his wife a
narrowed look. "Costly, you say?"
    "Most costly, my
husband." Suleila confirmed by nodding her dainty chin. "However is
one to know the value of the gesture else
wise?"
    "Hmm." Krue
knew his Familiar wife too well. He was being toyed with in some manner. And he
also knew that Familiars were partial to luxurious things. It was the texture,
the sight, and the touch that excited their senses.
    He decided to go along
with it, liking the possibilities inherent. He turned to his eldest son.
"What will you get your Adeeann for bringing such a unique and costly custom
to us men on Aviara, son?"
    Lorgin threw his father
a quick glance before responding. "I am sure I will come up with something
appropriate. For such an auspicious event. Something
no one else could give her."
    Oh
boy. She just might, might be in trouble here.
    "Gr-great."
Her smile was rather sickly.
    Krue then turned to
Traed and Yaniff. "It appears you two got off easily on this."
    "Nonsense."
Yaniff brought a goblet of juice to his lips and sipped. "I shall have to
undo whatever damage is caused to Aviara by this. That will surely be no small
task for this tired wizard."
    "Yaniff!"
Suleila and Deana called out.
    He chuckled. "I am
jesting. Just jesting."
    After
the evening meal Traed stood to leave.
    “Thank you, Adeeann, for
your ‘barbecue’. I must go now; there are
some things I need to attend to for my upcoming journey.”
    “When do you go?” Krue
asked him.
    “I will leaving in a few
days."
    Suleila watched the tall
Aviaran with a mix of worry and compassion. Her blood relative Brygar had been
captured by slavers and so far his discovery and return had eluded her
son-of-the-line. It was a dangerous task. The hunt would probably take him
farther into Oberion territory than was safe or wise.
    "Be careful, my
special son." She walked over and hugged him.
    It always amazed Deana
that Traed allowed Suleila do that. She had asked Lorgin about it once and he
said that he thought Traed held Suleila in a special place as she had been
overly kind to him when he was a troubled youth, finding a place for him in her
heart as her special son.
    They all wished him
well.
    Yaniff stood to walk out
with the younger man. When they were alone, he spoke.
    “I may not see you
before you go so I will tell you now: Do not come back without him,
Traed."
    "What would you
have me do?"
    "The time