standing off to the side a little. She comes and stands next to me. “I know they attacked and killed a patrol. They’re out there. I feel they’re out there.”
“I feel it, too.” I remember my dream. I try not to think of the threatening presence that was in the square with them. I try just to believe in the rebels. “They’re in Taos or near Taos,” I say.
She nods.
“Okay,” Lindsey says. “They’re out there. You’re probably right, but there are probably rebels in other places, too. There will be rebels in New York, and we’ll be able to find them.”
“Let’s vote, then,” I say.
“Vote?” she says. “I know how it will go. The girls will side with you and Michael will side with me.”
“It’s not about you or him,” Michael says. “It’s about what we should do to stay alive.”
“Fine,” she says. “Let’s vote.”
She’s wrong about the vote. Michael doesn’t vote with her. She smiles. “Fine,” she says. “That’s just great.” She walks back toward the house just as Bathamous and Addyen come out. She pushes past them.
We must leave,
Addyen thinks.
Bathamous must register
.
“Register?” I say.
He must register. It’s the law. All new arrivals must register
.
“Why didn’t he do it when he got off the ship?” Lauren asks.
It is for the city. You register in your city. You get a ship, some other supplies. All residents must register
.
“You get a ship?” I say to Bathamous.
He nods.
Once I’m registered
.
I try to read Bathamous, but I can’t. I also can’t think of another way we can get out West.
“All right,” I say. “Get your ship. Let us borrow it. You can get rid of us, and we can get away.”
“No,” Michael says. “We can’t trust him.”
“We need a ship,” I say.
“He won’t get us a ship,” Michael says.
I will get you a ship,
Bathamous thinks.
Then I will be rid of you
.
“Okay,” Michael says looking at me, “but Addyen stays.”
No,
Bathamous thinks.
“She stays,” Michael says again.
Bathamous looks like he is going to turn Michael off. I’ve seen that look in Handlers. The others notice too. We spread out around him, not physically but with our minds. It’s like at the wall, almost like we’re holding hands again, like we’re linked somehow with our minds. We do this without thinking. I can feel Bathamous’s surprise. Anytime we surprise the aliens, I’m encouraged.
Please, Bathamous,
Addyen thinks.
You go
.
No,
Bathamous thinks.
Enough. They are above themselves
.
Please
.
She doesn’t like this, any of it. Not her husband thinking of killing us and not us trying to dictate what she will and won’t do. But she tries to make peace.
Her husband sends her a message. It’s sudden and very quick. It’s like a passing shadow. I can’t see the solid part, so I don’t have a chance to hear it.
All right,
he thinks to us,
I will get you your ship, but you will leave
.
“As soon as it’s dark,” I say.
PERSONAL LOG:
My wife is resting. After not seeing each other for so long, it is disappointing to argue so soon. We have hardly had time to come together and we are pushing each other away.
The lack of product in the house began the bad feeling. I had promised her sixty and she sees only five and all nonhearing. I promised her that I would bring more slaves in, but she is not satisfied by promises. She has never been in a primitive colony before. She didn’t realize how many things she would not have. Already she complains about the lack of nobles with whom to form a society.
Everything depends on good scouting. None of this is my fault. It is the fault of the company and my father’s sources, who did not investigate this world the way they should have. Will he take blame? I know better.
The reports on the destruction of product are good but not perfect. Besides my own five runaways, the other houses admit imperfect kills. Still, even accounting for false reports, there can be no more than
“I feel it, too.” I remember my dream. I try not to think of the threatening presence that was in the square with them. I try just to believe in the rebels. “They’re in Taos or near Taos,” I say.
She nods.
“Okay,” Lindsey says. “They’re out there. You’re probably right, but there are probably rebels in other places, too. There will be rebels in New York, and we’ll be able to find them.”
“Let’s vote, then,” I say.
“Vote?” she says. “I know how it will go. The girls will side with you and Michael will side with me.”
“It’s not about you or him,” Michael says. “It’s about what we should do to stay alive.”
“Fine,” she says. “Let’s vote.”
She’s wrong about the vote. Michael doesn’t vote with her. She smiles. “Fine,” she says. “That’s just great.” She walks back toward the house just as Bathamous and Addyen come out. She pushes past them.
We must leave,
Addyen thinks.
Bathamous must register
.
“Register?” I say.
He must register. It’s the law. All new arrivals must register
.
“Why didn’t he do it when he got off the ship?” Lauren asks.
It is for the city. You register in your city. You get a ship, some other supplies. All residents must register
.
“You get a ship?” I say to Bathamous.
He nods.
Once I’m registered
.
I try to read Bathamous, but I can’t. I also can’t think of another way we can get out West.
“All right,” I say. “Get your ship. Let us borrow it. You can get rid of us, and we can get away.”
“No,” Michael says. “We can’t trust him.”
“We need a ship,” I say.
“He won’t get us a ship,” Michael says.
I will get you a ship,
Bathamous thinks.
Then I will be rid of you
.
“Okay,” Michael says looking at me, “but Addyen stays.”
No,
Bathamous thinks.
“She stays,” Michael says again.
Bathamous looks like he is going to turn Michael off. I’ve seen that look in Handlers. The others notice too. We spread out around him, not physically but with our minds. It’s like at the wall, almost like we’re holding hands again, like we’re linked somehow with our minds. We do this without thinking. I can feel Bathamous’s surprise. Anytime we surprise the aliens, I’m encouraged.
Please, Bathamous,
Addyen thinks.
You go
.
No,
Bathamous thinks.
Enough. They are above themselves
.
Please
.
She doesn’t like this, any of it. Not her husband thinking of killing us and not us trying to dictate what she will and won’t do. But she tries to make peace.
Her husband sends her a message. It’s sudden and very quick. It’s like a passing shadow. I can’t see the solid part, so I don’t have a chance to hear it.
All right,
he thinks to us,
I will get you your ship, but you will leave
.
“As soon as it’s dark,” I say.
PERSONAL LOG:
My wife is resting. After not seeing each other for so long, it is disappointing to argue so soon. We have hardly had time to come together and we are pushing each other away.
The lack of product in the house began the bad feeling. I had promised her sixty and she sees only five and all nonhearing. I promised her that I would bring more slaves in, but she is not satisfied by promises. She has never been in a primitive colony before. She didn’t realize how many things she would not have. Already she complains about the lack of nobles with whom to form a society.
Everything depends on good scouting. None of this is my fault. It is the fault of the company and my father’s sources, who did not investigate this world the way they should have. Will he take blame? I know better.
The reports on the destruction of product are good but not perfect. Besides my own five runaways, the other houses admit imperfect kills. Still, even accounting for false reports, there can be no more than
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