Jake had already gone to the ashram to see Lydia.
The delegate meeting had lasted only minutes. Hibernia had suggested waiting until after Jake attempted the liminal gauntlet to consider his status. Ithaca and Luxor agreed.
Garrick had wanted to annex Allel immediately. Versailles had agreed with Garrick, no surprise. And so had Spandau, the shibdabs. They just wanted their cow back.
Khai had pointed out Garrick's conflict of interest, and the remaining cities lined up heavily on Jake's side. It bought Jake at most a week.
Flower, Alice had said. The lilac might have been planted right at Tesla 's entrance. If only Char had followed Alice that first day, she might already know Sky's fate.
The rain had left the ground muddy, and Char had to take the horse at a slow pace. At the picnic area near the cliff, they turned toward the small clearing. At the larger clearing, Char dismounted and helped Alice down. There were seven rows left, each with seven mounds and a hive.
"Bees gone." Alice didn't like that.
"It's all right," Char said. "The bees are at the citadel for you. It's safer there. Jake will send people to collect the rest of the hives."
"No boom."
"Where was the flower, Alice? Where is Tesla ?"
"Flower." Alice walked down a row of hives and into some heavy brush. She hesitated and doubled back. She hesitated again. It didn't take long to realize that the rain had obscured the lilac bush's former position. "No flower," Alice said.
"No flower." Char wanted to cry. It was here somewhere close. It had to be.
"Bees boom!" Alice cried. A sound like Garrick's jet thundered in the air. Not like Garrick's get. It was Garrick's jet. The black transport screamed in the air above them. Its jets rotated, and the transport began to descend.
Alice screamed too, tears streaming down her face.
The transport landed about twenty yards from the bee clearing.
"Get down!" Char said. They hid in the brush. Garrickers brought flat pallets out of the transport and started to load the hives. That shibdab Geraldo had told Garrick what he'd heard in the corridor. But how did he find them? There were only forty-nine hives still here, but it was a disaster that Garrick even knew about one.
Alice cried, "No boom!"
"Alice, wait." But Char couldn't stop her from running out into the clearing just as Prince Garrick arrived. He examined Alice with mild amusement. "How wonderfully pathetic."
"Those bees belong to Allel." Char came out from her hiding place. She couldn't leave Alice on her own.
Prince Garrick giggled, as he had done last night. So creepy. "What do you care, Lady Charybdis? Aren't you a citizen of Sanguibahd?"
"The bees will die in Garrick." Horrid man. Didn't he understand? "Everything dies in Garrick."
Garrick's men had almost finished loading the pallets onto the transport. "You make a fair point," Prince Garrick said. "Oh, what to do?" A simpering grin spread over his face. "I know!" He turned to one of his men, the guy Char had kicked in the solar plexus last night. "Lady Charybdis has decided to pay us that long-overdue visit."
"You wouldn't dare."
"See that she's comfortably ensconced in the Blackbird ."
Char ran. It was crazy. She had no hope of getting away, but she had to try. She made it across the clearing and plunged into the thicket. She almost ran into Hamish hiding behind a bush, his eyes huge with fear.
Garrick's captain was too fast. His arm wound around Char's waist like a python. He didn't seem so out of shape today. He easily threw her over his shoulder.
As she was being hauled away, Char locked eyes with Hamish. He started to come forward and she shook her head, warning him off.
Better to stay silent, Hamish, and warn Lord Ardri.
Char's captor followed Prince Garrick up the transport stairs into a private suite and dumped her into a luxurious leather chair. The prince sat down across from her. The transport spooled up and lifted off the ground with amazing ease for such a huge
The delegate meeting had lasted only minutes. Hibernia had suggested waiting until after Jake attempted the liminal gauntlet to consider his status. Ithaca and Luxor agreed.
Garrick had wanted to annex Allel immediately. Versailles had agreed with Garrick, no surprise. And so had Spandau, the shibdabs. They just wanted their cow back.
Khai had pointed out Garrick's conflict of interest, and the remaining cities lined up heavily on Jake's side. It bought Jake at most a week.
Flower, Alice had said. The lilac might have been planted right at Tesla 's entrance. If only Char had followed Alice that first day, she might already know Sky's fate.
The rain had left the ground muddy, and Char had to take the horse at a slow pace. At the picnic area near the cliff, they turned toward the small clearing. At the larger clearing, Char dismounted and helped Alice down. There were seven rows left, each with seven mounds and a hive.
"Bees gone." Alice didn't like that.
"It's all right," Char said. "The bees are at the citadel for you. It's safer there. Jake will send people to collect the rest of the hives."
"No boom."
"Where was the flower, Alice? Where is Tesla ?"
"Flower." Alice walked down a row of hives and into some heavy brush. She hesitated and doubled back. She hesitated again. It didn't take long to realize that the rain had obscured the lilac bush's former position. "No flower," Alice said.
"No flower." Char wanted to cry. It was here somewhere close. It had to be.
"Bees boom!" Alice cried. A sound like Garrick's jet thundered in the air. Not like Garrick's get. It was Garrick's jet. The black transport screamed in the air above them. Its jets rotated, and the transport began to descend.
Alice screamed too, tears streaming down her face.
The transport landed about twenty yards from the bee clearing.
"Get down!" Char said. They hid in the brush. Garrickers brought flat pallets out of the transport and started to load the hives. That shibdab Geraldo had told Garrick what he'd heard in the corridor. But how did he find them? There were only forty-nine hives still here, but it was a disaster that Garrick even knew about one.
Alice cried, "No boom!"
"Alice, wait." But Char couldn't stop her from running out into the clearing just as Prince Garrick arrived. He examined Alice with mild amusement. "How wonderfully pathetic."
"Those bees belong to Allel." Char came out from her hiding place. She couldn't leave Alice on her own.
Prince Garrick giggled, as he had done last night. So creepy. "What do you care, Lady Charybdis? Aren't you a citizen of Sanguibahd?"
"The bees will die in Garrick." Horrid man. Didn't he understand? "Everything dies in Garrick."
Garrick's men had almost finished loading the pallets onto the transport. "You make a fair point," Prince Garrick said. "Oh, what to do?" A simpering grin spread over his face. "I know!" He turned to one of his men, the guy Char had kicked in the solar plexus last night. "Lady Charybdis has decided to pay us that long-overdue visit."
"You wouldn't dare."
"See that she's comfortably ensconced in the Blackbird ."
Char ran. It was crazy. She had no hope of getting away, but she had to try. She made it across the clearing and plunged into the thicket. She almost ran into Hamish hiding behind a bush, his eyes huge with fear.
Garrick's captain was too fast. His arm wound around Char's waist like a python. He didn't seem so out of shape today. He easily threw her over his shoulder.
As she was being hauled away, Char locked eyes with Hamish. He started to come forward and she shook her head, warning him off.
Better to stay silent, Hamish, and warn Lord Ardri.
Char's captor followed Prince Garrick up the transport stairs into a private suite and dumped her into a luxurious leather chair. The prince sat down across from her. The transport spooled up and lifted off the ground with amazing ease for such a huge
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