out for a drink, not to start a war,” Hollice reminded him. “Besides—anyone who’s not actually armed in some way, speak up now.”
The silence stretched and lengthened, broken finally by Haysole standing and cracking open the door. The air that pushed in was significantly hotter than the air in the tunnel.
“It doesn’t even fukking cool down here at night.”
“Ra Navahsis was cool at night.”
“And that would mean something if we were in Ra Navahsis.”
Mouth slightly open, Mysho waved a hand vigorously in front of her face. “I really hate the way this place smells.”
“What?” Juan demanded. “Your fukking nose plugs aren’t working either?”
“They’re working. But I still hate the smell.”
One by one they slipped outside, the two di’Taykan, eyes at their darkest to utilize the minimal amount of light, on point.
As they rounded the first corner, two dark figures slipped out of the shadows and followed.
FIVE
S ilsviss street lighting consisted of dim globes bulging out of the sides of concrete pillars, designed to imitate the phosphorescent fungus that grew on many of their trees. It shed a diffused green light that didn’t so much pierce the swirling mist as it was absorbed and re-emitted by it.
“Why are the streets so empty?” Binti asked as they hurried from pillar to pillar. “There aren’t even any vehicles moving around out here.”
“You don’t think they put potentially dangerous aliens near where people live, do you?”
She reached out and lightly smacked the back of Ressk’s head. “Who are you calling potentially dangerous?”
Maintaining defensive positions, they crossed a narrow parklike strip of short vegetation, every step disturbing a cloud of tiny insects that buzzed around their knees before settling back to the ground.
“Fukking bloodsuckers,” Juan muttered and crushed one against his thigh.
“They’re not sucking your blood,” Hollice told him, “so leave them alone. And since we’re speaking of alone—Haysole! There’s nothing out here. Where are we going?”
The di’Taykan pointed through a masking screen of giant ferns toward a cluster of low-lying buildings skirting what looked like the Silsviss version of a chain-link fence. The buildings behind the fence had the unmistakable appearance of barracks. “This is the direction the soldiers came from when we went through maneuvers today,” Haysole explained. “And where you find soldiers, some enterprising sort has to have built...”
“A bar.” Mysho finished.
“Do we really want to drink with Silsviss soldiers?” Ressk wondered.
“Would you rather drink with civilians?”
“Good point.”
“Stop skulking.” Hollice grabbed Juan’s shirt and hauled him upright. “You skulk and you attract attention.”
“So if I don’t skulk, are they going to fukking ignore us?” he demanded, yanking the bunched fabric down.
“Probably not, but at least they won’t think we’re up to something.”
“We’re not up to something.”
“The Silsviss don’t know that.”
“Binti’s right,” Ressk snickered. “It’s time you took your sergeant’s exam. That kind of paranoia isn’t normal.”
“Look, you walk like a tourist out seeing the sights, that’s how you’re treated. You walk like you’re heading into enemy territory...” The corporal shrugged, his point clear.
As they emerged from the ferns and stepped out onto another road, the two di’Taykan slowed, allowing the rest of the group to bunch up at their backs. “We’ve been spotted,” Mysho murmured. “A pair of soldiers, over against the end of that building.”
“Officers?”
“No, their harnesses are too plain. They’re just a couple of regular grunts.”
“I wonder how they think we’re walking?” Binti asked sarcastically.
“Here they come.”
The six Marines split into three pairs and moved far enough apart to maneuver should it come to a fight.
One of the Silsviss soldiers spoke, and
The silence stretched and lengthened, broken finally by Haysole standing and cracking open the door. The air that pushed in was significantly hotter than the air in the tunnel.
“It doesn’t even fukking cool down here at night.”
“Ra Navahsis was cool at night.”
“And that would mean something if we were in Ra Navahsis.”
Mouth slightly open, Mysho waved a hand vigorously in front of her face. “I really hate the way this place smells.”
“What?” Juan demanded. “Your fukking nose plugs aren’t working either?”
“They’re working. But I still hate the smell.”
One by one they slipped outside, the two di’Taykan, eyes at their darkest to utilize the minimal amount of light, on point.
As they rounded the first corner, two dark figures slipped out of the shadows and followed.
FIVE
S ilsviss street lighting consisted of dim globes bulging out of the sides of concrete pillars, designed to imitate the phosphorescent fungus that grew on many of their trees. It shed a diffused green light that didn’t so much pierce the swirling mist as it was absorbed and re-emitted by it.
“Why are the streets so empty?” Binti asked as they hurried from pillar to pillar. “There aren’t even any vehicles moving around out here.”
“You don’t think they put potentially dangerous aliens near where people live, do you?”
She reached out and lightly smacked the back of Ressk’s head. “Who are you calling potentially dangerous?”
Maintaining defensive positions, they crossed a narrow parklike strip of short vegetation, every step disturbing a cloud of tiny insects that buzzed around their knees before settling back to the ground.
“Fukking bloodsuckers,” Juan muttered and crushed one against his thigh.
“They’re not sucking your blood,” Hollice told him, “so leave them alone. And since we’re speaking of alone—Haysole! There’s nothing out here. Where are we going?”
The di’Taykan pointed through a masking screen of giant ferns toward a cluster of low-lying buildings skirting what looked like the Silsviss version of a chain-link fence. The buildings behind the fence had the unmistakable appearance of barracks. “This is the direction the soldiers came from when we went through maneuvers today,” Haysole explained. “And where you find soldiers, some enterprising sort has to have built...”
“A bar.” Mysho finished.
“Do we really want to drink with Silsviss soldiers?” Ressk wondered.
“Would you rather drink with civilians?”
“Good point.”
“Stop skulking.” Hollice grabbed Juan’s shirt and hauled him upright. “You skulk and you attract attention.”
“So if I don’t skulk, are they going to fukking ignore us?” he demanded, yanking the bunched fabric down.
“Probably not, but at least they won’t think we’re up to something.”
“We’re not up to something.”
“The Silsviss don’t know that.”
“Binti’s right,” Ressk snickered. “It’s time you took your sergeant’s exam. That kind of paranoia isn’t normal.”
“Look, you walk like a tourist out seeing the sights, that’s how you’re treated. You walk like you’re heading into enemy territory...” The corporal shrugged, his point clear.
As they emerged from the ferns and stepped out onto another road, the two di’Taykan slowed, allowing the rest of the group to bunch up at their backs. “We’ve been spotted,” Mysho murmured. “A pair of soldiers, over against the end of that building.”
“Officers?”
“No, their harnesses are too plain. They’re just a couple of regular grunts.”
“I wonder how they think we’re walking?” Binti asked sarcastically.
“Here they come.”
The six Marines split into three pairs and moved far enough apart to maneuver should it come to a fight.
One of the Silsviss soldiers spoke, and
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