Temper (12 page)

“You’re saying I should accept such an insult?”

“I’m saying that people look up to you, especially Fishies.” She nods, her spine stiff. I’m getting somewhere at last. “You’re a role model and need to behave like one.”

“I cannot be expected to eat with all those …”

Luckily her voice trails off because I’m pretty sure whatever word she’d use to describe the other people in camp would be offensive.

“What do you want me to do about it?”

Her eyes light up. “You need to talk to Keane,” she says.

She doesn’t know how right she is, but not about her petty injustices. Mother needs to get used to the fact things have changed since we left the ship. She’s managed to claim a house while the rest of us get by in tents, but not because she’s special, only too frustrating for anyone to want to deal with.

If she doesn’t watch her attitude, she’ll get hurt. She drives me crazy, but I would stand in front of a battalion of Company officers for the woman. Others don’t take so kindly to her.

But forcing her to comply will only make her more stubborn.

“What do you want from Keane?” I ask.

“If
he
,” her lip curls a little, “wants to give out orders he should do it in person. Not send out his lackeys to accost people.”

It’s like the soft light in the corner has brightened ten-fold. I can see clearly now. Mother’s pissed that Keane’s in charge. I should have seen this coming. I lean forward as though sharing a confidence. “You know Keane eats with everyone else.”

“So?”

“It makes him popular with the people. They feel like they know him.”

“I could do that,” she’s quick to reply.

I shrug. “No, if it’s really important to you, I can try to find out about special treatment.”

Her hand on my sleeve stops me. “Forget it. I can try mixing with the others. For the sake of peace, you understand.”

“It’s a great sacrifice that I’m sure will be appreciated.” I pause meaningfully. “And admired.”

She nods.

A young Fishie knocks at the door. “Tea, my Lady?”

“Yes,” she says. She shifts a pile of books to make space on the small table and offers the boy a regal nod. “You may serve.”

I don’t know whether to quiz her about the reading material—I can’t remember her ever accessing the ship’s library on her personal screen—or point out that having servants at all is courting danger.

I sip at the warm, sweetened blend of rosemary and mint and wait for the boy to leave the room. “You should send him home,” I say once we’re alone.

Mother’s brows fly up. “Why?”

“We’re not on the ship anymore.”

“The boy was at a loose end. His mother sent him here because idle hands are the Company’s friend. Sending him away would cause offence and perhaps start one of those incidents you are so worried about.”

The woman has an answer for everything.

I lift my head to rub at my temples, and my sleeve falls back, showing the edge of the bandage.

Mother pounces, gripping my hand and tugging it toward her. “What’s this?”

“Infected scratches. I was in the hospital, you might have heard.”

“Don’t be such a baby. I contacted the hospital and made sure you would be okay.”

“A visit might have been nice.” I don’t care, really. But she does the whole caring mother act and then doesn’t bother to see me when I need her.

She sips at her tea. “I couldn’t.” For a second the mask she wears as Lady slips, and I see something a lot like pain. “Because I didn’t want to risk picking up something from all those sick people.” She finishes with an exaggerated shudder. “Now you’re here I can make sure you’re properly looked after.”

I still my foot before it can tap my impatience on Mother’s soft, cream rug. “I’ve been cleared by the doctor. There’s no need to fuss.”

“You can’t be alone so soon.”

“I won’t be.”

Her ears all but prick up. “Really? Who will you be with?”

I take a breath to gather by thoughts. If Mother wants to know she’ll find out, and her asking questions will draw attention to my arrangement with Kaih more than simply telling her the truth. I hope. “Kaih,” I say before I can change my mind.

“The clothes girl?”

I nod.

“Asher’s only been gone a day. And anyway there are more lovely and suitable girls who’d look after your needs.”

“Mother!”

She sniffs. “I don’t know where morality has gone in this camp. I do know you’d be better off under the care of your mother.”

“Because it’s done so much for Huckle.”

“You watch your mouth. Don’t think that you are past being put over my knee.”

I close my eyes to block out the indignation purpling her cheeks. “It’s been a long day, Mother. I should probably go.”

“You probably should.”

I stand. I suspect she won’t forgive me for the Huckle comment anytime soon. “Thank you for the tea.”

“Oh, now you’ve found some manners.”

I stride to the door before I can say something else to get me into trouble.

***

“Where are you going?” Kaih’s question is soft but bright. She’s awake and probably has been the whole time I thought I was being so clever and quiet.

“To stretch my legs.”

“I’m not an idiot.”

No, she’s not, but if she was, it would be so much easier. “Where do you think I’m going?”

“Initially, I thought it might be heading out after Asher, but not even you’re that crazy. My next guess was a secret rendezvous with that green robe girl that you’re always with, but then I figured you could have easily stayed with her tonight and you asked me instead.” Her voice in the darkness reminds me of someone and I can’t quite pick it. “So I figured it’s something she can’t know,” Kaih continues. “Therefore it’s something to do with the green robes.” There’s a rustle, and then she’s standing right in front of me, her outline almost visible from the faint light trickling in through the plastic tent window. “I’m coming with you.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’ll take it from your lack of denial that I’m right.”

“I didn’t say that, and anyway, you’re not coming with me.”

“Okay.”

I relax. That wasn’t so hard. “Look, I’ll be back in a while. Don’t tell anyone where I’m—what are you doing?”

Her face is illuminated by the glow from the screen of a small instrument I’ve never seen before. Boxy and rough, it has a couple of buttons and what looks like a small speaker. The whole thing is as big as her hand. “This?” Her face is all innocence. “While you were in the hospital Keane distributed them. They’re set up to contact a few key people across the factions in camp in case of trouble.”

It’s a good idea but … “They gave out tech? Where? How? Why didn’t I get one?”

Her head tilts. “You’ve been sick. Apparently the ship was stripped for parts weeks ago. They’ve been able to convert the intercom system to something handheld. You didn’t know?”

“Who did this?”

“Your friends in green.”

I think my jaw drops, and I’m glad it’s too dark for her to see how shocked I am. “What about consultation?”

“It was agreed we’d contribute to the new settlement with the resources we could.”

I know, but my brain is reeling. I didn’t think of the ship’s systems being cannibalized by the others.

The Upheaval destroyed so much technology, taking out many of the power sources and then the Company recruited anyone with any knowledge to work with them. People obeyed because everyone was so terrified by the threat of the aliens. Over time, when nothing happened, people began to realize the alien thing was an excuse for the Company to take whatever they could. It’s what made moments like the gaming night I went to as Blank so dangerous.

And makes a resource like the ship so valuable.

“Davyd’s been working with the best tech people from the green robes,” she explains.

Davyd would. And be happy not to mention it to anyone else. What I wouldn’t give for a training bout with my brother. For a second I’m lost in the fantasy of my fist meeting his jaw, but then Kaih’s finger moves to one of the buttons and hovers there.

“What are you doing?”

There’s enough pale blue light to see her smile is sweet. “I think Keane would like to know about your late night activities.”

“Don’t.”

Her finger waves in the air above the button. “I could feel duty-bound to press this. Or,” her smile widens. “You could let me come with you.”

“Blackmail?”

“I like to think of it as negotiation.”

“You remind me of my brother.”

She flicks the instrument so the screen goes black. “In this case I’ll choose to take that as a compliment. Now, where are we going, and you might as well tell me why?”

I almost don’t. She’s manipulated me, and it would serve her right if I went back to bed and didn’t even try to explore the secret files tonight. Except tonight is my best shot of getting in there while they think I’m suffering from the cuts and infection.

“The hospital,” I mutter. “There’s a secret room.”

She laughs. “The very place you tried so hard to get out of earlier today?”

“I’m not an idiot.” I fire her words back at her. “The room I was in was checked every few minutes, and I was attached to a monitor that set off an alarm when I tried to remove it.”

She strides past me, looking back from the tent entrance. “What are you waiting for?”

“What am I …” but I’m talking to her back. I clench my teeth and march out into the steady rain after her. This girl is almost as infuriating as my brother.

***

We get into the hospital without incident. The rain has kept everyone inside and apart from a nurse working the room we use for emergencies it’s all quiet. I hope after the stress of the last few days, Charley’s tucked up somewhere getting some sleep.

I mentally cheer when the operating theater is dark and silent. I duck inside, and the door clicks closed. Now I can breathe. The rack of shelves in its place against the wall hiding the secret door suggests there’s no one waiting in the hidden rooms to catch me in the act.

I rest my hand on the door and hesitate.

If I go in here, there’s no going back. Sure, if caught, I could try playing dumb and pretending the fever has made me into some kind of sleepwalker, but I doubt they’ll believe it. What I’m doing could shatter the fragile alliance between those of us from the ship and the green robes, but I can’t ignore what I saw.

I don’t know how I fit into this new society. A Fishie, who once dreamed of equality for Lifers, who lived for a time with the green robes? No wonder I’m a mess. Freedom sounds great, until people who’ve always lived a certain way are dragged kicking and screaming into a new way of life.

Whatever they’ve done to modify us gives everything a dangerous edge but the tensions would exist regardless.

Everyone acts like I belong with them, but the truth is, the only time I feel like I belong is when I’m with Asher. And she could be dead or in the hands of the Company by now. She’s the only one who understands I’m not the Samuai of old, nor am I Blank. It’s funny that I can start afresh with someone I’ve known as long as I can remember.

I need answers. If I don’t try to find them I might as well have died in that pond alongside Zed.

“What are you waiting for?” A shove in my ribs underlines Kaih’s whispered question from behind me.

“Making sure the coast is clear.”

“And?”

In reply I move forward. This would have worked so much better alone.

We move through to the room with all the shelving, and when I flick on the small torch I was carrying, Kaih gasps.

“What is all this?”

“That’s what I want to find out.”

Without discussion we spread out to opposite sides of the room. I pull out a box of the files and begin to skim. A moment later she’s beside me, sharing the limited light to see what she found.

They might as well be written in a different language. What appear to be photocopies of specifications of a vehicle make no sense. There’s something about electromagnetic properties, wavelength variations, and vibrational frequencies. I try to read it anyway, knowing if I stare at it long enough, I should be able to retain it. But there are so many boxes in here, I can’t do the same for all of them.

Next to me, Kaih is mumbling as she reads what looks like a medical report. I check the top, but the only reference is a number. It talks about different physical attributes and the very last line has one word, and unlike the type of the rest of the document, it’s hand scrawled.

Larceny.

My brain’s working overtime. A felony attached to a medical record. Something teases; it’s the beginnings of a connection, and a picture like a plate smashed into a thousand pieces that happens to fall so it’s almost a circle.

“It’s us,” Kaih whispers.

“Us?”

She looks up at me, her blue eyes wide in the soft light. “Not you. Lifers. Medical details and crimes to match.”

I scan the page again. “It makes sense.”

“But?”

I didn’t realize my skepticism was so obvious. “But why would they have it? Their interest in us is due to our present resistance to Company weapons, not who we were before.”

“I’m no geneticist, but maybe they’re looking for a common starting point.” She rubs hard at her eyes with her palms. “Or maybe this has nothing to do with us.”

I return the file and reach to another shelf. Kaih’s a little farther along, and she has to bring a blue folder back to the light.

“More medical records,” she says

“Same here.” I thumb through. This one has more pages. A scan of the heading suggests it’s the results of a test or maybe some kind of interview. “This one has more detail.”

She returns the file she was reading and bites on her fingernails. She’s thinking, and I don’t interrupt, it was her who came up with the theory. It could be her ancestors in these files.

“I haven’t recognized a single name,” she says.

I fight disappointment. Is that all? “You couldn’t know the name of every Lifer there’s been.”

“Sure, I couldn’t recite them, but there’d be something. A spark of familiarity.” She shakes her head. “It’s not us.”