Chapter 21

"I wonder why he's not answering," I said.

"It's hard to say why. I can't do a physical examination of him through a door, of course, so I'll have the rest of the men help me open it when they get a chance."

I nodded as he staggered out, then I threw the rest of the ruined noodles away with a wet splat. While fresh ones boiled in a new pot, I wandered out to the empty dining room and put my ear next to the wall that separated me from Randolph's room. I didn't expect to hear anything, but I rapped lightly anyway just to hear the sound break over the wall from the tips of my knuckles.

With a sigh, I turned toward the opposite wall where Esmerelda the Space Vixen should've been smirking. She hung in tatters with only a single boob, a neck, and a chin still stuck to the wall. No one was where they were supposed to be. Randolph, Ellison, Esmerelda - they'd all abandoned their posts. I could easily put one of them back, though.