4. Klaus
4
KLAUS
“ Well that was fucking weird,” Klaus growled as they continued walking to the entrance of the village.
“ I think…think it’s nice,” Kelli panted. She was taking two steps to keep up with every one of his strides. Klaus slowed down so she could keep up.
“ Nice that they’re watching us every minute? Nice that they made a whole fucking village just to study us?” he demanded, lifting his eyebrows as he looked down at her. She was so tiny and her legs were so short. He wished he could pick her up and carry her…but then he acknowledged that he couldn’t do that. It might give her the wrong idea and make her think he wanted her.
But wouldn’t that be the right idea? whispered a little voice in his head. Klaus pushed it away.
“ I think it’s nice that they went to the trouble of making a whole village based on a holiday they never even celebrated,” Kelli said stubbornly. “ So come on—let’s explore it and stop looking a gift horse in the mouth.”
“ What ?” Klaus shook his head, honestly mystified. “ What does that mean? Why would someone give me an equine and why would I look in its mouth? For that matter, why would it be a bath thing for me to look? If it’s my horse, I’ll look at whatever the fuck part of it I want.”
“ Never mind.” Kelli laughed. “ It’s just an Earth saying. It means you shouldn’t criticize something that someone gives you for free.”
Klaus still had no idea what in the world not criticizing free gifts had to do with equines, but Earth idioms and sayings were often confusing. Miranda used to try to explain them to him and she would always laugh when he got confused…
He pushed the thoughts of his late wife aside and hurried to follow Kelli . She had run ahead of him and was looking at a large sign posted at the gates of the village.
He still didn’t like the idea of invisible inter-dimensional beings watching and listening to them, but he supposed it couldn’t be helped. At least they had been promised privacy in the cabin they were staying in tonight.
Though really, Klaus didn’t see why they had to spend the night. Shouldn’t touring the ridiculous village be enough? Maybe he could get Kelli to agree to leave after they finished the tour. Just looking around the cabin and seeing the amenities should fulfill their obligations to the Questarions . They could form an opinion without staying all night—right?
Klaus certainly hoped so. He didn’t need to be cooped up in a cabin all night with Kelli and her sweet, feminine fragrance teasing him.