Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore Page B

under the circumstances. “I’m impressed.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œI couldn’t do it.”
    Karish grabbed my elbow. “Look inside.” He pulled me forward and opened the tent flap, latching it up against the nearest wall.
    I was arrested by all the stuff littered on the floor of the tent. Bundles of clothes. Sandals of all colors. Pots and pans. Mats and sheets and small hard pillows destined to give me migraines. And things I didn’t recognize. All filling the small front space of the tent.
    â€œAtara showed me a list of everything that was here.” Karish unwrapped one bundle of clothing, revealing a flashy golden length of cloth that filled me with dread. “And what the expenses of traveling are. And an estimation of how long it would take us to pay everything back.”
    I didn’t bother asking for the numbers. They wouldn’t mean anything to me. “Did it seem fair to you?”
    He shrugged. “I really don’t know, Lee. Different places put different values on things, having different wage rates and different standards for prices. It didn’t seem outrageous to me, but”—he shrugged again—“I’m no expert.”
    â€œSo how long will we be in debt to these people?”
    â€œIt depends on how much you bring in as a dancer. But she gave me an estimate for that as well.” He pulled in a deep breath. Oh, no. “Something over two years.”
    My mouth dropped open, so I covered it with my hand. Two years? Two years? Were they insane? “Taro—”
    â€œI know.”
    â€œWe’re not even going to be here two years!”
    â€œI know. But, Lee, what else can we do? We have nothing here. No suitable clothing or gear.” He looked at the cloth in his hand and shoved it back into the bundle. “No useful skills.”
    I sank to my knees on the mat that served as the floor. “Hey, you can erect a tent.” I unwrapped a small leafy bundle and discovered a cool hard ball of cooked rice. “It’s just…two years.”
    â€œThe way I see it, we travel with them, find…the line…then sneak away—”
    â€œTaro!”
    â€œLet me finish. We sneak off when we can, and when we get back to Erstwhile, we have the Empress send them back whatever money we still owe.”
    â€œThey’ll think we’re thieves when we leave. And it’s a poor way to repay them for taking a chance with us.”
    â€œWe’ll leave them a note. And aye, they probably won’t believe it. But they will when they get the money.”
    I didn’t like it. I didn’t like any of it, being beholden to these people, belonging to them for two years, making a fool of myself for money and sneaking off once we didn’t need them anymore. Reeked of dishonor. But Karish was right. I didn’t see an option. And I was furious with the Empress for putting us in this position.
    â€œSo what will you be doing?” I asked to sort of change the subject.
    The glow, which had dimmed when he revealed our financial situation, disappeared completely. “Fetching and carrying, because I don’t know how to do anything. Useless aristocrat, indeed, eh?”
    He was not useless. In any sense of the word. He had a rare, valuable, dangerous ability that the people on this damned island lacked the brains to appreciate. “You can raise a tent,” I reminded him. “You can learn. So can I.”
    He hissed. “You don’t have to, do you? You have something they want.”
    I looked at him, tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear. “Are you jealous?”
    â€œYes.” His tone was bitter. “I’m here on sufferance. Because you can do something that appeals to them and they figure they can’t have you unless they take me, too.”
    â€œActually, we were both taken on because Atara thinks we’re good omens. She obviously isn’t guided by