The Silver Ship and the Sea (35 page)

We crested the cliff road with a few hours remaining before darkness fell. I entertained myself with hopeful daydreams. Town Council would talk to me and Akashi; I’d be around if anything happened, and maybe, just maybe, I could push Nava to our side. Council wanted Joseph, and not me. Yes, they could use me as a hostage, but they had one already. They would be happy with a go-between.

Joseph was supposed to call me if anything happened, so it was safe enough to presume that Liam and Alicia were still safe, and hopefully together. So we walked Stripes and Lightning placidly through the boundary with no comment at all from the bells. Joseph would know we were here.

The great winch stood just a few meters inside the boundary.
The hebra barns spread out just down the road, the deep brown and yellow stubble of harvested cornfield waiting to be turned just ahead of them. Lights shone from the center of town, and farther away, from the smelter across the river. The scent of rich earth and a whiff of the goat pens and someone baking bread rode to me on an eddy of back breeze, and then blew away in the prevailing smoke-scented wind from the plains.

Was this the last time I would ride into Artistos?

I needed information. I pulled Stripes to a stop under the big winch, looking out over the charred plains. The clouds obscured the sea, a wall of grayness to the west, sea and sky and plains confused on the horizon line. Akashi stopped next to me, watching the road. “Joseph?” I spoke softly.

His reply was fast. “You made it.”

“So far. What do you know? Did you find out anything about Bryan? Did Alicia get caught yet?”

“Shhhh…slow down. You sound like Kayleen. Yes, and no.”

“Sorry,” I hissed. “Yes what?”

“Bryan’s in the hospital. I finally got through their security a few minutes ago. He was beat-up pretty bad. His records show four broken ribs and seven of the bones in one of his feet.”

“His foot?”

“Yeah. I guess from kicking something. The records don’t tell me how it happened, just what’s wrong. Anyway, he didn’t do too well on some of the pain medication they gave him. There’s a doctor’s note that he seems to be allergic to something. They suspect his genetic modifications, of course. His heart stopped once.”

“What!”

“Shhhh…he’s doing better now. In pain, but not medicated, except for normal headache pills. We’ve had those before with no side effects, so that’s what they were willing to give him. But that’s got to be like giving a parched person a teaspoon of water.”

I winced, agreeing with Joseph’s assessment. “Can he walk?”

“With most of the bones in his foot broken?”

“Is it set, in a cast or something?”

“Hang on, I’ll check.”

In the ensuing moments of silence I looked around. The road was empty. I expected a lookout at the top of the path into Artistos. Was Hunter slipping or was something else going on? Or had there been a lookout who ran off to deliver news of our coming already?

“It’s in a cast. That doesn’t mean he can walk. I don’t understand medical terminology well enough to tell what they’ve done.”

“Okay. What about Alicia and Liam?”

“Liam’s still to ground, and he still hasn’t seen her. I’m worried.”

“Me too. But you’d know if they’d caught her, wouldn’t you?”

Dry lightning forked across the sky, brilliant even in the afternoon light. “Did you see that?” I asked.

“What?” he asked in return.

“Lightning. Are you in the ship? At least watch a camera—you love storms.”

“Yeah. In my spare time.”

“Where is everyone? It’s too deserted here.”

“Council told women and kids to stay home because of the meteors. A stupid idea, but I think they’re really afraid of Alicia. Everyone else is at the amphitheater, or looking for Alicia. They’re running the search for Alicia from the amphitheater.” He giggled. “But there aren’t very many of them—they couldn’t use the gather bell.”

I struggled to suppress my anger, to keep my voice low. He was laughing at the wrong thing. “Look—since you turned off the data, you’re responsible for everyone’s safety here. Don’t laugh at the lack of bells.”

“All right, Miss High-and-Mighty, would you have preferred to have the perimeter on? Or to have seventy people looking for Alicia?”

“No. Sorry. I’m edgy.”

Joseph sighed, a soft hissing in my ear. “We all are.”

I glanced at Akashi, who gazed up and down the path, his eyes never stopping. I could tell he wanted to move on. He was right—we stood exposed here. I told Joseph, “We’re going to keep going.”

“Where?”

“To the amphitheater.” We had to go where Council was.

“Be careful. Tell Liam where you’re going.”

“Won’t they overhear?”

“I won’t let them.”

He was playing with his new powers. I needed him to think strategically. “Look—I don’t want to draw their attention yet. You tell Liam. Tell him he can call me when he needs to, but we’ve got to keep going.”

A full beat of silence passed. I imagined his face set, his eyes smoldering because I was telling him what to do. He would obey me, though. Sure enough, his next words were laced with careful control. “Okay, I can do that. Call back when you need me.”

“Thanks, I will.”

A few moments later, riding slowly and deliberately toward town, we passed three men walking out of the hebra barns. I’d seen them all, and knew two from watching their children. I waved. “Hello, Gary, Louis, how are you?” I called.

They raised their heads and two of them stopped, whispering between themselves. Gary kept walking toward us. His eyes were wary as I drew Stripes to a halt. He nodded a greeting. “Chelo, Akashi. I heard…I heard you were against us. But I didn’t believe it.” He jerked his head toward the other two. “But they do. They said we were going to kill you all, and here you are riding into town.” He brightened. “But I knew it was okay.” He put a hand on Stripes’s front shoulder, stroking her. His eyes were full of concern and confusion, but I read no fear or animosity in them.

I wasn’t sure what to say. Akashi beat me to it. “No, it’s not okay. But we hope that it will be. Chelo and her friends mean no harm, but some people seem to be afraid of them. We came up to stop the rumors, to assure people that there is no reason for fighting.”

Gary shook his head. “Fighting. None of us want that.” He looked at me. “Chelo, you were always good with my little ones. They like you. I hope it turns out all right for you.”

I smiled at him, grateful for the support. Perhaps it was a good sign that the first person we met was friendly. “I hope so, too. You can tell people we don’t want to fight either.”

“Is your little brother doing better? I heard he’d gone crazy.”

I raised my eyebrows. What was Town Council saying about us? “Joseph’s fine. Never better. Who told you he was crazy?”

“My wife, Lucy, she told me they said that at a Town Council meeting. I wasn’t there. I was watching Julie and Kim.” Gary looked puzzled, then he said, “I told her it was probably just grief, just ’cause you lost your parents that way.” He shuffled his feet. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Me too, Gary. Will you tell Julie and Kim and Lucy hello for me?”

He blushed. “Sure. Good luck, Chelo.”

“Thank you.” I nodded and directed Stripes to keep going. As soon we were out of earshot I said, “Well, at least the whole town isn’t up in arms.”

Akashi smiled back. “Maybe not. But that was a two-one split. Not as good a sign as I’d like. You handled that well. You sounded calm.”

I blushed. Praise from Akashi had once seemed so rare. We passed the fields—empty except for two people who appeared to be searching for someone, but paid
us
no attention—and started into Artistos proper. The next group we saw included May and a few other girls I knew vaguely. Neither Klia nor Garmin was with them. They stayed on the other side of the road, watching covertly, with no greeting. When I looked back a few moments later, they were running up a side road. So much for secrecy. I glanced at Akashi. “Get ready.”

“I know. We have a saying in the West Band—when we scatter into small groups for summer research, we say, ‘May you find only small deaths.’ That means change—death of ideas, and learning, death of ignorance.”

He was talking philosophy
now
? I smiled. “Last spring, when you came back and one of your people had died in a fall, but only after he’d found some new herb that you were raving about at the time, you talked about treating death as a friend, as your companion in risks. Might that be more appropriate?”

Akashi looked both surprised and pleased. “If you can learn that from talk. Truly understanding death and change takes years. But
death can be your friend through the small deaths as well.”

I’d certainly changed in the last few weeks. “You too, Akashi. May you have only small deaths today.”

His smile was warm and approving. We continued riding, slowly, as if we had no worries. Just a fall ride. Perhaps that was why some people walked by as if we were not there, as if they didn’t see us at all.

No one stopped us. We rode straight through the neat outer streets. A few faces looked out of windows at us, and a child I knew, Fern, waved at me once.

Even the town dogs seemed to be inside.

Activity picked up near the park. People milled about singly or in small groups, most heading to and from the amphitheater. A figure ran from the park, away from us, intent on a goal. Tom.

Eric the shoemaker passed us and waved a greeting, furtively, but turned quickly away, continuing on whatever errand he was intent on.

Akashi leaned in close to me. “Be careful, Chelo.”

I swallowed, imagining death riding behind me, but wanting me to live. A weird image, not exactly cheerful.

Should we run after Tom? Or talk to Council? “Come on, Akashi, we can’t ride the hebras in there.”

He nodded, but stayed up on Lightning until I got down from Stripes and tied her to the twintree that spread its branches over the top of the amphitheater. As long as no one took her, she’d be close, and maybe I could retrieve her. After I had my hands free, Akashi dismounted and quickly tied Lightning next to Stripes. He frowned at my knot and redid it. It seemed surreal that we were allowed so much time, so much freedom.

Akashi and I walked side by side, stopping at the top, looking down.

Everyone was looking up, the whole amphitheater of people, Nava and Ruth and Hunter and Wei-Wei on the dais, Gianna halfway up the steps, one-handed Chayla with a tray of sandwiches and fruit stopped in the act of climbing the stairs, Ken, Hilario, five or ten other people. Their faces were wrong, Wei-Wei’s twisted
in fright, Ruth’s in anger, everyone standing still as if some huge thing were about to descend on them. Ruth’s stunner was in her hand, frozen in position. They looked up, past us, higher than us.

I followed their gaze, up, to where the twintree the hebras were tied to overhung the amphitheater. It was about three meters to the left of the entrance, and nearly that far from the ground. Its long pointed leaves danced in the wind. Partially hidden by the leaves, a slender figure hugged the trunk, legs braced, a head full of wild dark hair exposed and facing toward the assembled Town Council.

Alicia.

In her raised hand, she held a featureless silver ball.

At the sight of Alicia in the tree—threatening everyone in the amphitheater—I stopped, staring at her as if she must be an apparition. My breath came fast and deep, accompanied by an urge to rip her from the tree and send her running so far away I would never see her again. I hissed at her, “No, Alicia! You can’t do this.”

“I’m already doing it.” Alicia spoke without looking down, her eyes nervously scanning the people spread below her, her words clipped and angry. “Go away. Go stay safe and warm down by the spaceport.”

Akashi drew in a whistling breath. “What are you bargaining for, Alicia?” he whispered.

A hint of triumph laced her voice. “Tom is bringing Bryan to me.”

I tore my eyes from the tree and looked down. Nava’s and Wei-Wei’s gazes had swung to me and Akashi. “Traitor,” Nava hissed to no one in particular, loud enough for me to hear in the near-silence of the amphitheater. It wasn’t clear who she meant—Alicia, or me, or Akashi. But Akashi stiffened.

Alicia’s presence above me was heavy, like being under a paw-cat in a tree. I had nothing to say to her. She was wrong.

Joseph? Joseph hadn’t warned me! He must not know. I hissed softly, for his sake and not hers, to draw his attention. “Alicia…” I hesitated. What to tell him?

Alicia called down from the tree, loud enough for her voice to carry, “I waited. I stayed hidden until they rode back. I heard them trying to figure out how to capture us all, and I knew that talking did you no good. They’re too scared of us to let us go, to let us be. Ever. I heard it in their voices.”

“Joseph?” I queried.

There was no immediate answer.

My feet felt rooted; my mind spun. If we walked down, talked to Council, it would negate Alicia’s threat. She would not throw the weapon where we were. I had to believe
that
—and Council would anyway. Akashi and I could back up, follow Tom, get Bryan, abandon Alicia to whatever fate she created for herself in the next few moments, abandon Artistos’s leaders to whatever fate Alicia created for them in the next few moments. Then it wasn’t me, it was her choices.

I couldn’t.

I wanted to scream in frustration.

Joseph’s voice in my ear. “Sis? Sorry…I was…doing something. I’ve been offline…I traced back, I can see where you are, where Alicia is. I can’t talk to her.” I couldn’t tell whether his voice shook with fear or anger.

“Neither can I,” I retorted.

Nava called up, “Chelo, Akashi. Stop her!”

I wanted to. It was too late. She’d started us down this road, and now we had to negotiate it. If I simply stopped her, if I even could, we would all lose. I called down to Nava. “I’m sorry. I did not choose this.”

“How do I know you and Alicia didn’t plan this together?” Ruth yelled up at me.

I ignored her. Wait for Bryan. We needed Bryan. At least Alicia had accomplished that. I took two steps down and moved to my right, away from Alicia, far enough away from everyone to watch them all, and to talk to Joseph without being overheard. Akashi gave me a withering look and started down the steps.

Was I making the right choice? I had to wait for Bryan. Was
Akashi truly angry with me or did he want them to think so?

Akashi stopped about ten steps down, a third of the way, and in range if Alicia threw the ball down there. Mediating with his life. “What’s happened?” he called down to the dais, suggesting immediately that he was not involved, that I was not involved. I praised him silently, and held my ground.

Joseph. “Tom’s at the hospital. Dr. Debra is trying to stop him from taking Bryan. Tom is arguing.”

No one had answered Akashi. “Nava,” I called down. “Nava, I came to take you up on your invitation to talk. This does not appear to be a convenient time”—I glanced at the tree, at Alicia, hoping for a reasonableness I no longer expected—“but perhaps we can prove to Alicia that talk is a workable way to make change.”

Nava looked trapped, her face a mask of anger and fear, her throat red with emotion. Hunter answered without looking at me. “It is difficult to negotiate in good faith under threat.”

Bravado. I needed bravado. “Did you discuss my proposal? You asked me to discuss it with all of you. I’m here.”

Alicia spoke to me. “Haven’t you figured out yet that you can’t talk to these people?”

I ignored her, just like I had ignored Ruth. Alicia was leaving if the ship left, if she lived through this little escapade. And Ruth, Ruth mattered in the long run. But Nava and Hunter mattered more.

Ruth glared up at Alicia. “No talking until Alicia stops or dies.”

Meaning until they captured her or killed her. I mumbled under my breath to Joseph. “You might back the skimmer out.”

“I already did. Tom still hasn’t pried Joseph out of the hospital. They need a wheelchair of some kind, or someone to walk with Tom, help take Bryan’s weight.”

Dr. Debra was a small woman who often spoke bitterly of her days as a field surgeon during the war. She’d always acted, at best, coldly efficient with us. I whispered to Joseph, “Liam. But tell him to stay behind Alicia. Keep him out of harm’s way.”

I called down to the dais. “Well, we can stand here and wait to see what happens, or we can talk.”

Lightning forked above us, followed closely by bone-rattling thunder.

Lyssa called up to me, her voice higher than usual, shaky. “Can you come down? We could hear you better.”

“Why don’t you come halfway here?” I said. I glanced at Akashi, who nodded almost imperceptibly.

Alicia said, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I’d rather hear both sides of the conversation. I don’t want anyone too close.”

Good. She had just publicly distanced herself from me. “That’s fine, Alicia.” I called to the Council, “How about a change of topic. Gianna, what’s happening with the meteors?”

She took a few steps up, turning so we could all hear her. “They’re a risk.” Her face said not-too-risky. “Some may hit ground, maybe cause fires, damage the immediate area around them. None in this swarm are long-term weather-changers and none of the trajectories appear to put them in the middle of Artistos. Mostly by the lakes.” She looked at Akashi. “Your band might be wary, though.”

“Have you called them?” he asked.

Joseph in my ear, “Liam is helping Tom get Bryan. The big rock may swamp the plains with water. Models suggest it won’t reach Artistos, but could drown us here. Gianna knows.”

Gianna, speaking clearly, her hands wringing, her eyes on Akashi. “Yes. Mayah is watching. She didn’t seem worried.” Gianna glanced nervously from Nava to Alicia to me. She wasn’t giving up her conversations with Joseph.

“All right, Gianna, we won’t worry too much.” Was Gianna truly an ally? Probably not for Alicia. Maybe for me. I shouldn’t give away my own conversations with Joseph. I asked, “Nava, how long until Bryan is here? How badly is he hurt?”

Below me, Chayla crossed the dais and set her tray of sandwiches in front of the Council. No one touched it. Chayla backed away and started walking up the steps.

Nava frowned at me. “Anytime, he should show up anytime.”

“And after that?” I asked her and Alicia at once.

Hunter shrugged. “That’s all we’ve been asked to do—to bring him here.”

I glanced up at Alicia. Alicia’s shadow, all of our shadows, fell long on the steps and floor and walls, as if the shadows themselves felt like I did, stretched and thin. The low sun painted one side of her sharp, angular face with light, illuminating her light eyes and frosting the dark tips of her hair with reds. None of us could talk to her privately, not even Joseph. Had she thought farther ahead? A risk-taker. Jenna said we needed that, but I didn’t want it, not now. What did Alicia mean to do? Just back off and head for the ship? Or would she do damage on her way out if she could? How badly did she want to hurt Ruth?

Ruth called up. “Then we’ll see if she can figure out how to get away.”

Lyssa made a hushing sound. “Then we let her go. We never let them come back.” Her voice shook. “Isn’t that enough?”

Ruth’s voice dripped sarcasm at Lyssa. “They’ve breached our perimeters and threatened our lives. We can’t keep them out, Lyssa.” Ruth still held the stunner. The tree was protection, but when Alicia wanted to climb down, what then?

I stalled for time. “I like Lyssa’s idea. Let them go.”

Lyssa looked up at me, pleading. As if I could help her.

No one answered me.

Joseph said, “They’re in the park, two minutes.”

Chayla passed Akashi, neared the top of the steps, and safety.

Alicia called down, “You. Stay here.”

I grit my teeth. Alicia didn’t even know Chayla, quiet Chayla who served, uncomplaining, who had helped me with child care more than once. “Let her go. She’s just different, like you and me.”

Alicia shifted the ball from one hand to the other. “I don’t trust any of them. If you trust her so much, let her stand by you.”

Chayla’s eyes were wide. Her body shook. We had no right to scare her. “Chayla,” I said, “go ahead. Walk out. She won’t hurt you.”

Alicia shot me a quick angry glance.

I spoke, making sure my voice carried. “Alicia, you have an opportunity to show compassion here.”

She squinted, silent for a long moment. She bit out her acquiescence. “Fine, Chayla. Go out. Stay nearby and suggest that others don’t come in, except for Bryan and Tom.”

I nodded. A small victory. My will had to stay stronger than Alicia’s.

They must almost be here. I addressed Nava again. “If you won’t talk to me now, I’ll stay after Alicia and Bryan leave. We can talk then.”

“No,” Alicia hissed loud enough for me to hear. “Come with us.”

“I can’t.” We could not all flee at once, not if Council was free to act. Liam and Kayleen wanted to stay, and there was no time to force them. No time to get Kayleen and Paloma in line and get a decision. The only way to get Bryan and Jenna and Alicia and Joseph away was to hurry. “I can’t,” I repeated, swallowing hard, biting back tears, my anger, even with Alicia, gone to sadness. I glanced at Akashi, at Gianna.

“Are you offering yourself as hostage?” Hunter asked. “Come on down here.”

I shook my head. “After they leave. My word is good.”

The scraping sound of footsteps. Tom’s voice. “We’re here.”

My gaze flicked between Alicia and the dais. I spoke quietly. “Bryan. Come here please.”

“Chelo.” The pain in his voice ripped through me. I was afraid to look. The moment felt like standing on a log over a stream, balancing, barely balancing. Alicia gasped from above me in the tree, screaming out, “You had no right!” Her words echoed in the stone around us.

I heard him sidle up next to me, felt his hand on mine. I looked briefly, and my eyes teared against my will. The skin around one eye and all down one cheek was swollen and dark. Medi-tape held slashes in his skull and along one arm closed. I didn’t have time, or heart, to see more. I squeezed his hand. Only then did I notice
Liam from the corner of my eye. He’d ignored me, and come in. “Liam, please wait outside.”

I couldn’t see him, couldn’t tear my gaze fully away from the dais, or the stunner in Ruth’s hand. His voice was shaky but loud enough for people to hear. “I stand with my father.” He started down toward Akashi.

Akashi jumped up two steps at a time, keeping Liam near the top, farther out of danger, stopping and standing with his son, looking down. Akashi’s face was a mask of anger, and he hissed, “I’m sorry, Bryan,” through his teeth.

“Alicia,” I said. “Hold them off. There’s two hebras tied to the tree. I’m going to put Bryan on Stripes. When I come back, I want you to go down the tree and get on Lightning. Then ride. Quietly. Go to the cornfield past the hebra barn. I’ll have Joseph pick you up in the skimmer.”

“I’m not done here,” she said.

“No, you’re not. You have to hold them off until I get Bryan on Stripes.” I pitched my voice low, hoping, even with the acoustics of the amphitheater, to keep the Town Council from hearing. “Akashi has a weapon. He will shoot you if you do more than hold the situation in balance.”

She flinched. I didn’t look at Akashi, sure he would understand, and sure he would do it.

Joseph gasped in my ear. I ignored him, too.

I leaned down and slid my own microwave gun from its leather pouch, palming it, hoping no one would recognize it from a distance. This wasn’t over, and I wasn’t going to lose Bryan. I looked at him more carefully. The facial injuries were matched by a taped tear on one bicep, bruises on his hands, and cracked knuckles. I glanced down. His foot was casted, heavy, and the same leg was deeply scratched. “Can you walk?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Only if you can take my weight.”

Not a good strategic choice. “Liam?” I called.

Tom spoke from just above me, out of my line of sight. “I’ll do it.” I swayed briefly, realizing how easily he could have stunned me
if he had wanted to. He came around and stood by Bryan, letting Bryan put his weight on Tom’s shoulder. Bryan’s hand separated from mine.

“Thank you,” I said to Tom. I called down to the dais. “I’ll be back,” resisting asking them to wait there. Alicia would see they waited; Akashi would see she did no more than that. The urge to flippancy had to be fear—but absurdly, I felt like giggling. Momentarily.

I stood while Bryan started back away from me, leaning hard on Tom. He was so slow now! I backed out, trusting Tom to watch in front of us. I kept backing up until I lost the view of the amphitheater, although Alicia, wedged in the tree, remained clearly visible. I turned, hoping against all reason that there would be no one near the hebras.

No luck.

Stile and Julian stood watching us, Chayla next to them. Stile stepped toward us. I called out, “No, back away.”

Stile stopped, looking at me, his eyes wild and confused, his stunner in his hand. He started to bring the gun up.

I raised my hand with the microwave gun. “I will use this. And then Alicia will use…will use what she has.”

He stared at me, his mouth open.

I struggled to keep my voice from shaking, to keep my hand with the little weapon in it from shaking. “I don’t want to do this, Stile.” My voice shook. “If I use this, I have to leave, too, and I gave my word I wouldn’t do that. Bryan won’t hurt you.”