teeth.
The man stepped forward, arms extended. “Yeah, but they’ll be almost as fresh tomorrow. Come on, come on . . .” He herded the recruits away, like guiding unruly children, and they reluctantly acquiesced. But a circle of them stayed, staring at the newcomers and whispering.
“You’ll get used to it,” the older man said.
“I doubt it,” said Enduring Hope, as he struggled into a coverall that refused to fit.
Cohl was investigating her blankets. “These aren’t clean. Lethe, they’re
warm.
”
“You’ll get used to that, too. There’s a rather high turnover here.”
Cohl said, “What happened to her?”
“Who? Oh, the last person to sleep in those blankets? . . . You don’t want to know.” He wore a green-gray coverall, open to the waist; his body was taut, fit. He was handsome, Pirius supposed, with a lean, well-drawn face, a small nose, thick hair he wore swept back from his brow, and a quick smile. Pirius’s immediate impression was of weakness, oddly, despite his appearance. But his manner was relaxed as he welcomed the crew. And, like the other veterans here, his eyes shone silver.
Pirius walked up to him, hand extended. He introduced himself and his crew.
“I used to be a flyer too,” he said, “before I found my calling shovelling shit on this Rock. My name is Quero.”
Hope was staring at him. “No, it isn’t.” He lumbered clumsily up to Quero, and, hesitantly, touched his sleeve. “I know your true name. Everybody does.”
Cohl growled, “I don’t.”
Quero said, “I call myself
This Burden Must Pass.
”
Cohl said, “Oh, terrific. Another Friend.”
Burden laughed. “Why do you think I got busted down here? And why I keep on being busted back?”
“You’re a heretic. You deserve it.” Cohl threw herself back on her bunk bed. She covered her face against the glare of the drifting light globes, turned on her side, and curled up.
“If you say so,” Burden said gently.
Hope was captivated. “Pirius, you don’t know who this is, do you? This Burden Must Pass is the leader of the Friends.”
Burden admonished him gently. “Now, you know we don’t have leaders. But I’m flattered you know me.” He placed a hand on Hope’s shoulder, and gazed into his eyes. “You’ve had a tough time. I can’t promise you it’s going to get any easier. It never does. But just remember, none of it matters. And at timelike infinity—”
Hope’s eyes were wide. “Yes.
This burden must pass.
” Pirius saw his lower lip was trembling.
Burden turned to Pirius. “I take it you’re not a believer.”
“No. And you’re very trusting to break Doctrine in front of three strangers.”
Burden shrugged. “Look around. What else can they do? And are you going to inform on me?”
“No,” said Pirius. He glanced at Hope, who was sitting on his bunk, face blank. “If you can keep him happy, that’s fine by me.”
“You’re loyal to your crew. And wise. I like that.”
“I don’t need your approval.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“And if I was wise I wouldn’t be here. . . .”
Cohl yelped and sat up. She pointed at a row of bunks opposite. “Did you see that?”
Pirius turned, saw nothing. “What?”
“A rat!”
Burden laughed gustily. “Oh, you’ll soon get used to the rats!” A klaxon sounded harshly, and the lights briefly dipped to green. Burden said, “Have you eaten? How long were you traveling? . . . Well, it doesn’t matter. I’d advise you to get some sleep.”
“Why?”
Burden started pulling off his coverall. “You’ll need it. In the morning your training will start in earnest. It’s usually quieter in here at this hour; you created a stir.” He glanced at Pirius warningly. “This isn’t a pilot school. It’s not exactly intellectually demanding. But—”
“We already had a taste of it.” Pirius began to explore his grubby blankets, and wondered how he could get them washed.
He checked on his shipmates. Cohl, still
The man stepped forward, arms extended. “Yeah, but they’ll be almost as fresh tomorrow. Come on, come on . . .” He herded the recruits away, like guiding unruly children, and they reluctantly acquiesced. But a circle of them stayed, staring at the newcomers and whispering.
“You’ll get used to it,” the older man said.
“I doubt it,” said Enduring Hope, as he struggled into a coverall that refused to fit.
Cohl was investigating her blankets. “These aren’t clean. Lethe, they’re
warm.
”
“You’ll get used to that, too. There’s a rather high turnover here.”
Cohl said, “What happened to her?”
“Who? Oh, the last person to sleep in those blankets? . . . You don’t want to know.” He wore a green-gray coverall, open to the waist; his body was taut, fit. He was handsome, Pirius supposed, with a lean, well-drawn face, a small nose, thick hair he wore swept back from his brow, and a quick smile. Pirius’s immediate impression was of weakness, oddly, despite his appearance. But his manner was relaxed as he welcomed the crew. And, like the other veterans here, his eyes shone silver.
Pirius walked up to him, hand extended. He introduced himself and his crew.
“I used to be a flyer too,” he said, “before I found my calling shovelling shit on this Rock. My name is Quero.”
Hope was staring at him. “No, it isn’t.” He lumbered clumsily up to Quero, and, hesitantly, touched his sleeve. “I know your true name. Everybody does.”
Cohl growled, “I don’t.”
Quero said, “I call myself
This Burden Must Pass.
”
Cohl said, “Oh, terrific. Another Friend.”
Burden laughed. “Why do you think I got busted down here? And why I keep on being busted back?”
“You’re a heretic. You deserve it.” Cohl threw herself back on her bunk bed. She covered her face against the glare of the drifting light globes, turned on her side, and curled up.
“If you say so,” Burden said gently.
Hope was captivated. “Pirius, you don’t know who this is, do you? This Burden Must Pass is the leader of the Friends.”
Burden admonished him gently. “Now, you know we don’t have leaders. But I’m flattered you know me.” He placed a hand on Hope’s shoulder, and gazed into his eyes. “You’ve had a tough time. I can’t promise you it’s going to get any easier. It never does. But just remember, none of it matters. And at timelike infinity—”
Hope’s eyes were wide. “Yes.
This burden must pass.
” Pirius saw his lower lip was trembling.
Burden turned to Pirius. “I take it you’re not a believer.”
“No. And you’re very trusting to break Doctrine in front of three strangers.”
Burden shrugged. “Look around. What else can they do? And are you going to inform on me?”
“No,” said Pirius. He glanced at Hope, who was sitting on his bunk, face blank. “If you can keep him happy, that’s fine by me.”
“You’re loyal to your crew. And wise. I like that.”
“I don’t need your approval.”
“Of course you don’t.”
“And if I was wise I wouldn’t be here. . . .”
Cohl yelped and sat up. She pointed at a row of bunks opposite. “Did you see that?”
Pirius turned, saw nothing. “What?”
“A rat!”
Burden laughed gustily. “Oh, you’ll soon get used to the rats!” A klaxon sounded harshly, and the lights briefly dipped to green. Burden said, “Have you eaten? How long were you traveling? . . . Well, it doesn’t matter. I’d advise you to get some sleep.”
“Why?”
Burden started pulling off his coverall. “You’ll need it. In the morning your training will start in earnest. It’s usually quieter in here at this hour; you created a stir.” He glanced at Pirius warningly. “This isn’t a pilot school. It’s not exactly intellectually demanding. But—”
“We already had a taste of it.” Pirius began to explore his grubby blankets, and wondered how he could get them washed.
He checked on his shipmates. Cohl, still
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