Here’s a snippet from my current NaNoWriMo effort, which just happens to use the secret word for this week’s 100 Word Challenge #353 at Velvet Verbosity. The novel is far-future science fiction, and the main character is a woman who must return to a planet where she experienced love, trauma and disgrace. She’s the main speaker in this dialogue.

“You went native on Gallygia?”

“Yes.”

“Rare in the Exploration Service.”

She glanced away. “So I’ve been told.”

“What happened?”

“I was observing a border tribe close up. I dressed like a hunter — breech-cloth, paint, not much else. Standard play-the-savage. I had the body for it. The tribe considered me insane, and let me come and go.

“One morning we were raided by a stone-age bunch. Four men chased me half-a-day, the classic pursuit, one pressing at a time.

“Even the wolves use it.”

“And the ES flew to your rescue?”

“I didn’t call them.”

“Oh?”

“Not for three years.”