his voice fierce and cold.
“But I must if I’m to form a network.”
Elrabin choked. “What?”
“I thought you understood. The Viis civilization is crumbling. We can—”
“No.” He stepped back from her, shaking his head. “No. You’re crazy. It can’t happen. The Viis are too strong.”
“They are weak,” she insisted. “I know. They can’t do anything for themselves. Won’t do anything for themselves. They’re lazy, conceited, and arrogant. It’s the abiru folk who do the real work. We run businesses and households. We do the manual labor. We work in the space stations. We operate the jump gates—most of which don’t work anymore. Almost nothing works the way it should. You know that.”
“If they’d shell out credits to maintain their equipment—”
“But no one knows how to do the maintenance,” Ampris said. “No one . . . except abiru workers. If we could ever unite, join forces, and trust each other, we could overthrow the Viis yoke. I know we could.”
For a moment the possibilities radiated like stars in his eyes, then that light dimmed, and Elrabin shook his head. “Pretty dreams you got, Goldie. But it ain’t happening.”
“It could, if we—”
“We’re slaves,” he said harshly. “Born slaves. We’ll die slaves. They own us. We got no say, got no chance to get together.”
“Why can’t we try?” she shot back at him. “Because it looks impossible, we’re just supposed to give up? How do we know what we can or can’t accomplish until we try?”
He shifted under her scornful gaze, refusing to meet her eyes.
“I’d rather be called crazy,” she said softly, not quite able to mask her scorn, “than a coward.”
His head snapped up, and he bared his teeth. “Yeah, Elrabin the Coward, that’s me. But it keeps me alive.”
“Do you love your Viis masters so much?” she asked him. “When the master whips you, don’t you long to do something to get back at him?”
Hatred gleamed in Elrabin’s eyes, but he shook his head. “You’re into major treason, Goldie.”
“What have I got to lose?” she asked, exasperated. “My head?”
“Yeah.”
“But I’m already condemned to the arena, Elrabin,” she said softly. “Don’t you see? I can’t be safe, no matter what.”
He swung away from her, whining low in his throat.
She could see his fear, his worry. “I guess it’s no deal after all,” she said after a moment. “If you’ll tell me how to adjust the link signal feed, I’ll do it myself. Then they can’t blame you if I get caught.”
“Can’t they?” he echoed.
“All right, then. I’ll—”
“Besides, you’re no good at this,” he went on as though she hadn’t spoken. “Everything you think is right out on your face. You learn not to trust everyone at first sight. You keep your secrets. Yeah, and don’t say everything you know. Hold back some, Goldie.”
She nodded. “That’s the way things were at Bizsi Mo’ad. Spies and tattles, everyone wanting to betray everyone else in hopes of currying favor. I hoped it would be different here.”
Elrabin laughed. “Here, everything is exactly the same as Bizsi Mo’ad. Don’t let these fancy quarters and all the toys fool you. No matter how it looks, the purpose is the same. You remember that, Goldie. Have you noticed that little plaque outside your door? It’s to display your number of victories this season. They keep you up in style so you can kill in the competitions that Lord Galard bets on. That’s all you’re good for. You haven’t faced it yet, the horror, but you will. And that’s when you’re going to need to be strong, inside yourself. No one can help you face that. You’ll face it alone.”
She shivered, refusing to deal with what he was talking about. Why did he feel he had to prepare her for what lay ahead? She dreaded it too much already. “Are you with me, then?” she asked.
He met her eyes, and his own were clear and steady. “Me? I’ll watch your
“But I must if I’m to form a network.”
Elrabin choked. “What?”
“I thought you understood. The Viis civilization is crumbling. We can—”
“No.” He stepped back from her, shaking his head. “No. You’re crazy. It can’t happen. The Viis are too strong.”
“They are weak,” she insisted. “I know. They can’t do anything for themselves. Won’t do anything for themselves. They’re lazy, conceited, and arrogant. It’s the abiru folk who do the real work. We run businesses and households. We do the manual labor. We work in the space stations. We operate the jump gates—most of which don’t work anymore. Almost nothing works the way it should. You know that.”
“If they’d shell out credits to maintain their equipment—”
“But no one knows how to do the maintenance,” Ampris said. “No one . . . except abiru workers. If we could ever unite, join forces, and trust each other, we could overthrow the Viis yoke. I know we could.”
For a moment the possibilities radiated like stars in his eyes, then that light dimmed, and Elrabin shook his head. “Pretty dreams you got, Goldie. But it ain’t happening.”
“It could, if we—”
“We’re slaves,” he said harshly. “Born slaves. We’ll die slaves. They own us. We got no say, got no chance to get together.”
“Why can’t we try?” she shot back at him. “Because it looks impossible, we’re just supposed to give up? How do we know what we can or can’t accomplish until we try?”
He shifted under her scornful gaze, refusing to meet her eyes.
“I’d rather be called crazy,” she said softly, not quite able to mask her scorn, “than a coward.”
His head snapped up, and he bared his teeth. “Yeah, Elrabin the Coward, that’s me. But it keeps me alive.”
“Do you love your Viis masters so much?” she asked him. “When the master whips you, don’t you long to do something to get back at him?”
Hatred gleamed in Elrabin’s eyes, but he shook his head. “You’re into major treason, Goldie.”
“What have I got to lose?” she asked, exasperated. “My head?”
“Yeah.”
“But I’m already condemned to the arena, Elrabin,” she said softly. “Don’t you see? I can’t be safe, no matter what.”
He swung away from her, whining low in his throat.
She could see his fear, his worry. “I guess it’s no deal after all,” she said after a moment. “If you’ll tell me how to adjust the link signal feed, I’ll do it myself. Then they can’t blame you if I get caught.”
“Can’t they?” he echoed.
“All right, then. I’ll—”
“Besides, you’re no good at this,” he went on as though she hadn’t spoken. “Everything you think is right out on your face. You learn not to trust everyone at first sight. You keep your secrets. Yeah, and don’t say everything you know. Hold back some, Goldie.”
She nodded. “That’s the way things were at Bizsi Mo’ad. Spies and tattles, everyone wanting to betray everyone else in hopes of currying favor. I hoped it would be different here.”
Elrabin laughed. “Here, everything is exactly the same as Bizsi Mo’ad. Don’t let these fancy quarters and all the toys fool you. No matter how it looks, the purpose is the same. You remember that, Goldie. Have you noticed that little plaque outside your door? It’s to display your number of victories this season. They keep you up in style so you can kill in the competitions that Lord Galard bets on. That’s all you’re good for. You haven’t faced it yet, the horror, but you will. And that’s when you’re going to need to be strong, inside yourself. No one can help you face that. You’ll face it alone.”
She shivered, refusing to deal with what he was talking about. Why did he feel he had to prepare her for what lay ahead? She dreaded it too much already. “Are you with me, then?” she asked.
He met her eyes, and his own were clear and steady. “Me? I’ll watch your
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