Eric Flint - Rats, Bats and Vats

Van Klomp was a good judge of men. His balls were at real risk. He hastily tried to concentrate on faces.

Virginia Shaw put an arm around her man and kissed him. Then she turned to blink at Van Klomp again, who had been joined by almost the whole squad. She smiled sweetly. "Why don't you come back later, Major? Much later."

For the first time in his life, Van Klomp, the loudest man on Harmony And Reason, was utterly silenced. He watched as she pulled the stocky dark-haired soldier down onto the bed again, and threw one long, slim leg over him.

The paratrooper corporal at Van Klomp's side turned hastily towards the fire, brandishing his bangstick. There was something blue, hairy and totally alien standing there. And A one-eyed rat, a slightly plump bat, and a tiny, big-eyed, delicate little creature staggered their way around bloated Maggot bodies toward them. Arm-in-arm. Or arm on wing, anyway. The rat held out a bottle.

The unsuspecting Van Klomp took it, and took a swig. While he was still gasping, the small fluffy-toy cute creature, swaying a little, gestured at the large, hairy-armed, two-hundred-ten-pound Godzilla-in-human-form corporal next to him.

"How much, senor," asked the soup-mug sized creature, "for your sister?"