The screen split into three as cook’s plump, round face appeared—panning out to a tent full of anxious-looking women and robots struggling to remain at attention.
“There’s more?” said Bunnie.
“Of course there is more. It is another planet,” said Hilda, “not some cockamamie Earth sci-fi film.”
A few waved, until they spied Izzie. They stopped . . .
“It’s a pet,” yelled Deidre.
“There’s no time for introductions,” said H2.
“I’m the cook,” said the cook.
“The cook?” said Bunnie.
“And according to my books, we’ve a few things to put into place before plugging that portal.”
Bunnie looked at her comrades. “What’s a cook to do with things?”
“Cooks are very different over there.” Hilda looked at Beryl. “Aren’t they?”
Beryl turned, and for the first time, she noticed a softness in Hilda.
