there’s a moment when you get an unwanted push toward the ground from the roof. That kick while you are upside down will shove you off your board and give you a pretty nasty landing, with a good chance of breaking your arms, since you will be holding them out in front of you as you fall. Pretty nimble footwork is called for to work the on/off pad, especially considering you are upside down. I didn’t know any other boarder who risked it. But for me it wasn’t that dangerous. When I was on form, I felt as if the world was stopping and starting, giving me time to figure out my moves.
Athena’s mouth was open, with amazement or concern; it’s hard to say when you are crouched with your knees above your head. Stop. The board’s polarity was off, no kick from the roof, just the momentum of my cartwheel. Start. On again, in time to catch me and set the grind in motion. Easy, really.
At the far end of the pole, I just coasted to a stop and kicked up my board, rather shy now that the action was over. Everyone in the rest of the room was cheering and flashing fingers at me, which was a sign of approval that sort of meant awarding ten out of ten.
“Thanks,” I said, not that anyone could have heard me over the cheers and cries. Then I ducked my head and carried the board back to Athena.
“Nicely done.” She held out her knuckles, and I lightly slapped them with mine.
“Class moves, Ghost, as always.” It was Carter, a big grin on his face.
“Carter!” shrieked Athena, and then looked down, embarrassed. “I thought you’d be in jail or someplace terrible.”
“Nah, I said I was sorry, like, to the Dark Queen herself, and she said: that’s cool dude, don’t do it again and stuff.” He swaggered, delighted with himself.
“The Dark Queen? Incredible. What’s she like?” I was amazed but also worried. Slowly and carefully I scanned the room. I felt as though I had suddenly become the prey of an unseen hunter. Much as I was delighted to see that Carter had avoided serious grief, it troubled me that he had been brought to see the Dark Queen herself and was now walking around without a care.
“She’s all right. A bit old for my taste. Kinda white and powdery with a big velvet dress.”
“And she just let you walk?” Athena was surprised.
I watched his eyes carefully. Had he done some kind of deal?
“Yeah. It was that pirate girl they were asking about. Didn’t care much about the mall. Actually they never even asked me about it at all.”
He was telling the truth, but I still felt nervous. Somewhere an alarm was flashing, demanding my attention. This building had hundreds, maybe thousands, of party people. One of them was a shark. With his cold, dead eyes, he was swimming through the building, searching for me. Don’t ask me how I knew; it was part of the gift that made me a master thief.
Chapter 11
DANGEROUS WATERS
The stairwells were wide, but even so, you had to pick your way through the people sitting on them, talking, drinking, nodding their heads to one of the rhythms that came from deeper inside the building. Carter was gabbling nonstop to Athena. She wanted to know everything about the Dark Queen. I wanted to listen as well but was distracted by the noise and having to look at every face for my enemy.
“What do you mean you’re living underground?”
Milan was lounging on the stairwell with his arm draped around a young girl in a red tartan skirt, her face white with powder, something that made her purple cat’s-eye contacts even more striking. She was genuinely curious. It made me smile; Milan obviously had a new chat-up line.
“Well, you know. Left home, hang out in a squat. Rob factories of gear for credits. That kind of thing.”
“Milan!” Carter saw his old buddy.
“Carter!” Milan jumped up and they did their knuckle thing. “Blood and thunder, mate—you out already?”
“Yeah. I was talking to the Dark Queen, and I think she fancied me.”
The tartan-skirted girl
Athena’s mouth was open, with amazement or concern; it’s hard to say when you are crouched with your knees above your head. Stop. The board’s polarity was off, no kick from the roof, just the momentum of my cartwheel. Start. On again, in time to catch me and set the grind in motion. Easy, really.
At the far end of the pole, I just coasted to a stop and kicked up my board, rather shy now that the action was over. Everyone in the rest of the room was cheering and flashing fingers at me, which was a sign of approval that sort of meant awarding ten out of ten.
“Thanks,” I said, not that anyone could have heard me over the cheers and cries. Then I ducked my head and carried the board back to Athena.
“Nicely done.” She held out her knuckles, and I lightly slapped them with mine.
“Class moves, Ghost, as always.” It was Carter, a big grin on his face.
“Carter!” shrieked Athena, and then looked down, embarrassed. “I thought you’d be in jail or someplace terrible.”
“Nah, I said I was sorry, like, to the Dark Queen herself, and she said: that’s cool dude, don’t do it again and stuff.” He swaggered, delighted with himself.
“The Dark Queen? Incredible. What’s she like?” I was amazed but also worried. Slowly and carefully I scanned the room. I felt as though I had suddenly become the prey of an unseen hunter. Much as I was delighted to see that Carter had avoided serious grief, it troubled me that he had been brought to see the Dark Queen herself and was now walking around without a care.
“She’s all right. A bit old for my taste. Kinda white and powdery with a big velvet dress.”
“And she just let you walk?” Athena was surprised.
I watched his eyes carefully. Had he done some kind of deal?
“Yeah. It was that pirate girl they were asking about. Didn’t care much about the mall. Actually they never even asked me about it at all.”
He was telling the truth, but I still felt nervous. Somewhere an alarm was flashing, demanding my attention. This building had hundreds, maybe thousands, of party people. One of them was a shark. With his cold, dead eyes, he was swimming through the building, searching for me. Don’t ask me how I knew; it was part of the gift that made me a master thief.
Chapter 11
DANGEROUS WATERS
The stairwells were wide, but even so, you had to pick your way through the people sitting on them, talking, drinking, nodding their heads to one of the rhythms that came from deeper inside the building. Carter was gabbling nonstop to Athena. She wanted to know everything about the Dark Queen. I wanted to listen as well but was distracted by the noise and having to look at every face for my enemy.
“What do you mean you’re living underground?”
Milan was lounging on the stairwell with his arm draped around a young girl in a red tartan skirt, her face white with powder, something that made her purple cat’s-eye contacts even more striking. She was genuinely curious. It made me smile; Milan obviously had a new chat-up line.
“Well, you know. Left home, hang out in a squat. Rob factories of gear for credits. That kind of thing.”
“Milan!” Carter saw his old buddy.
“Carter!” Milan jumped up and they did their knuckle thing. “Blood and thunder, mate—you out already?”
“Yeah. I was talking to the Dark Queen, and I think she fancied me.”
The tartan-skirted girl
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