Chapter 33

“Ah,” Bartz said as he breathed in some near-virgin air. “I had almost forgotten what it is like to get around without a machine. It is quite refreshing.”

“Personally, I prefer the machines,” Tomas said.

“You would!” Nata told him. “A tech cannot appreciate the beauty of riding on one of nature’s creatures.”

“I can appreciate the beauty,” Tomas said. “It’s the smell I can do without.” Tomas paused for a tic, then said, “Now what is all this talk about dogmen?”

“Smugbug told us they thrive around here,” Bartz said.

“Zang,” Tomas said. “I was hoping they would have all killed themselves off by now.”

“You know about the dogmen?” Nata said, on her guard but prepared to listen.

“They are an invention from my kind from way back after this war or that war,” Tomas said reluctantly. “They were meant to be slaves and grunts. At first, we tried Catmen, but they never did what they were told to do. Our research efforts shifted to Dogmen. They proved inc