comfortable with?” he asked, quickly
cataloging the other weapons he had stashed on his person—two extra blades in
his pack, sonic stars at his belt next to plenty of ties. Certainly enough to
share.
“Maybe I already have something. Let me show you what I have
that might work,” Del offered after watching him for a moment. She sounded
enthusiastic again.
His guide began to pull bladed instruments from various
pockets and loops. “Here is my rock pick. It has a pointed tip and the other
end is a square hammer. This is my chisel head. It’s more of a blade and it
weighs less but it’s still over six hundred grams. Here’s my basic knife.” She
pulled a dull-purple blade out of her boot, holstered in the exact same
location as his own. It was an old, hard titanite blade, well-sharpened with a
tight hide handle. Del handed it over to him and he admired it for a moment
before handing it back. The rock hammers were rugged pieces of equipment. They
looked more than capable of smashing any sort of body part she cared to swing
at. Lazlo was a little excited by her arsenal.
“It’s a good knife. I like it. And I have some other stuff
in my pack, but I can’t get at that very quickly, so I guess it doesn’t count.”
Del frowned a bit and Lazlo wanted to give her a hug of congratulations for her
unconventional armory.
“And you feel as though you could use these things?”
“Yes, if I had to. I know how to handle all of them better
than a stunner like yours.”
“Then I don’t think you need to borrow any more of my
weapons.” Lazlo smiled at her again, enjoying this moment very much. She was a
self-reliant person, which only made sense when he considered that she came out
here alone so often. And she was refreshingly honest and direct, which was such
a change from Serra’s wild moods and deceptions. His former lover had been
excitingly unpredictable at first, but that devolved into outright mania at the
end. Not that he should be comparing the two.
“But I want you to keep the stunner. Just in case. Until we’re
finished with the job.” Lazlo encouraged her, trying to look wise. He was
relieved when she nodded.
“So we’re set?” Del asked, bouncing a little on her feet,
looking energetic enough to hike for several hours without a break.
“One more thing. Let’s keep our datpads off, just on the
chance someone is scanning for activity out here.”
“Who would have a scanner that powerful?”
“Sheriff Harata.”
“Of course.” Del powered down her electronic and then took
off her pack and rummaged inside, finally pulling out some rolled-up pieces of
paper. “Old-style maps,” she explained. “So we can note our search grid. I drew
them up last night.”
Laughing now, Lazlo wanted to pat her on the back for being
so prepared but that seemed too personal, so instead he just nodded and let her
take the lead, up into the light-red cliffs and hopefully to the hidden weapons
they needed to find.
Chapter Six
“Stars, I’m grimy,” Lazlo grumbled, smacking at his clothing
as billows of pink dust swirled around him. Del nodded and rinsed her mouth
with water. She was too dry to speak. They’d spent more than four hours
searching a depressingly small section and had nothing to show for it, other
than a coating of powdery debris and some bruises on shins and fingers. She
hadn’t seen anything man-made since they’d left the cart behind.
Peachy-pink stone cliffs rose around them in frozen waves,
the wind whistling along their surfaces with a hiss. They stopped for a break
in a more open area covered with green sand. Del settled herself to the ground
slowly, sighing with relief as she got her weight off her feet for the first
time in hours. Lazlo sank down next to her and started to drink and she couldn’t
help but watch his throat as he swallowed. Even his neck looked strong. Tendons
stood out on his big hands as he gripped the bottle, shifting as he—
Giving herself a tired shake,
cataloging the other weapons he had stashed on his person—two extra blades in
his pack, sonic stars at his belt next to plenty of ties. Certainly enough to
share.
“Maybe I already have something. Let me show you what I have
that might work,” Del offered after watching him for a moment. She sounded
enthusiastic again.
His guide began to pull bladed instruments from various
pockets and loops. “Here is my rock pick. It has a pointed tip and the other
end is a square hammer. This is my chisel head. It’s more of a blade and it
weighs less but it’s still over six hundred grams. Here’s my basic knife.” She
pulled a dull-purple blade out of her boot, holstered in the exact same
location as his own. It was an old, hard titanite blade, well-sharpened with a
tight hide handle. Del handed it over to him and he admired it for a moment
before handing it back. The rock hammers were rugged pieces of equipment. They
looked more than capable of smashing any sort of body part she cared to swing
at. Lazlo was a little excited by her arsenal.
“It’s a good knife. I like it. And I have some other stuff
in my pack, but I can’t get at that very quickly, so I guess it doesn’t count.”
Del frowned a bit and Lazlo wanted to give her a hug of congratulations for her
unconventional armory.
“And you feel as though you could use these things?”
“Yes, if I had to. I know how to handle all of them better
than a stunner like yours.”
“Then I don’t think you need to borrow any more of my
weapons.” Lazlo smiled at her again, enjoying this moment very much. She was a
self-reliant person, which only made sense when he considered that she came out
here alone so often. And she was refreshingly honest and direct, which was such
a change from Serra’s wild moods and deceptions. His former lover had been
excitingly unpredictable at first, but that devolved into outright mania at the
end. Not that he should be comparing the two.
“But I want you to keep the stunner. Just in case. Until we’re
finished with the job.” Lazlo encouraged her, trying to look wise. He was
relieved when she nodded.
“So we’re set?” Del asked, bouncing a little on her feet,
looking energetic enough to hike for several hours without a break.
“One more thing. Let’s keep our datpads off, just on the
chance someone is scanning for activity out here.”
“Who would have a scanner that powerful?”
“Sheriff Harata.”
“Of course.” Del powered down her electronic and then took
off her pack and rummaged inside, finally pulling out some rolled-up pieces of
paper. “Old-style maps,” she explained. “So we can note our search grid. I drew
them up last night.”
Laughing now, Lazlo wanted to pat her on the back for being
so prepared but that seemed too personal, so instead he just nodded and let her
take the lead, up into the light-red cliffs and hopefully to the hidden weapons
they needed to find.
Chapter Six
“Stars, I’m grimy,” Lazlo grumbled, smacking at his clothing
as billows of pink dust swirled around him. Del nodded and rinsed her mouth
with water. She was too dry to speak. They’d spent more than four hours
searching a depressingly small section and had nothing to show for it, other
than a coating of powdery debris and some bruises on shins and fingers. She
hadn’t seen anything man-made since they’d left the cart behind.
Peachy-pink stone cliffs rose around them in frozen waves,
the wind whistling along their surfaces with a hiss. They stopped for a break
in a more open area covered with green sand. Del settled herself to the ground
slowly, sighing with relief as she got her weight off her feet for the first
time in hours. Lazlo sank down next to her and started to drink and she couldn’t
help but watch his throat as he swallowed. Even his neck looked strong. Tendons
stood out on his big hands as he gripped the bottle, shifting as he—
Giving herself a tired shake,
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