A bit of a change today, as I’m not posting from Jarn’s Journal. (I’ll return to it next week, and it is on my main blog.) This is from a short story I’ve just uploaded to Amazon Select. Roi is checking out a rumor that the colonizing company on Horizon is maneuvering the colonists into debt slavery, and his old friends Timi and Amber, now among the colonists, have put him up for the night in their young son’s room. This is the next morning.
“Horse Power” is $.99, but it’s available free January 19 and 20 Pacific time.
“Could I ask a question about the children?” Roi asked carefully, well aware that he was stepping onto thin ice.
Timi looked puzzled. “What about them?” he asked.
“Well—between the birds, the worms and the spiders they obviously like animals. Is there a reason they don’t have more conventional pets?”
“Spiders?” Amber moaned. “I didn’t know about those. I’m sorry, Roi.”
Probably just as well he hadn’t mentioned the snake that had been in bed with him this morning, Roi thought. It had been a perfectly friendly little grass snake, but he doubted that Amber would see it that way.
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Jarnian Confederation 
I picked this up last week, so no spoilers in the snippets until I read it!
I’m going back to Jarn until I have another free day, though this doesn’t take long to read. It’s a short story, not a novel.
Fun little snippet, and I’m sure that Amber wouldn’t have seen a little garden snake that way either. 🙂
She’s told the kids over and over not to bring wild animals into the house.
I like that the kids have to keep the animals they find as pets – gives a great sense of environment. Fido with fangs. Love it and displays the financial servitude spot on. Reminds me of the days of the coal miners and company stores.
Well, they try to. And yes, companies keeping their employees as dependent on them as possible is very real. Today it’s health care (at least in the U.S.)
I always think it’s amazing how kids can adopt anything. They have no fear, no stipulations on what is acceptable as a pet, etc. And I love that Roi knows to be careful when asking about the children to tread carefully, but Amber and Timi seem to not be sensitive.
It’s not the kids they’re sensitive about, but Timi has some strong feelings that he doesn’t want to be “beholden” to Roi. Back story.
Oh…pretty cover!! ;P I remember this scene, I chuckled then…as I did now.
I think it’s pretty, too. (wink) Put on the copyright page that it was done by Tomomi.ink.
Kids see creatures with different eyes to us adults. Spiders and snakes are cool, not creepy. Nice snippet – made me think of my daughter when she was little…
The pets are crucial to the future of the planet.
Nope, I don’t think Amber would like the little grass snake in bed information…
She might have something to say to Tim!
The thought of finding a snake in bed with me makes my skin crawl.
Roi’s pretty open minded about thigs like that, though he slipped on mentioning the spiders to Amber.
I’m not exactly fond of snakes… but they are good for the environment! And I could see a child keeping one as a pet… they are kinda cool… when they’re over there. 😉
Neat snippet!
They don’t have anything else to make pets of.
Well it makes a change from the usual pets – dogs, cats, gerbils, etc. Nice snippet!
The usual pets aren’t available on that planet.
Heh, at least he didn’t seem too bothered about sharing his bed with a snake.
Roi can communicate with most animals.