I said, keeping my voice polite. “What, this thing?” Zyn hit the flat end of the crop against his palm. The smacking sound startled me enough that my horse reacted with a sudden jump forward, which made me increasingly aware of the way the animal’s rolling stride rocked the saddle between my thighs. “Just ride slowly and don’t use the crop please.” I couldn’t afford to piss off aliens who came from planets rich in natural resources. Still, if he broke his neck, he couldn’t sign the trade contract, could he? “Offi zzz er Jana,” he addressed me, his slight accent making me smile, “these animals would look splendid running across Dezra’s plains. It would also make our negotiations so much easier.” My amusement vanished. To keep him entertained, I’d taken him and his delegation to see one of Earth’s rarest attractions. Horses were nearly extinct, worth the amount of a small spacecraft.
