already been hard enough.
Thirteen
To Where?
Trent
T he creepy crawlies came back at midnight. News of the u-Pols’ frustration lightening the mood of the Lunnoners underground. But the humour vanished within minutes, as Merrikan soldiers quietly spread themselves throughout the room, following the children like silent wraiths inside.
The Lunnoners hadn’t seen them enter, and if we hadn’t been expecting them, and therefore looking for them, we might have missed their arrival as well. Carstairs had trained them well. Or the Merrikans really were that good.
Several old women screamed, making the others join the furore. And then mayhem ensued until the old D’awan in the corner called for order. His eyes sought out mine; he did not look amused.
“What is this?” he demanded in D’maru.
“Our backup,” I replied honestly, but I wondered just how much of a backup they were, and how much of an invading force they might be.
Irdina stepped forward then, matched in dress to the soldiers. She’d blended in so well even Alan had missed her. But although her presence amongst the soldiers should have been a welcome sign that Carstairs was still in charge, it only raised the hackles along my back.
I dreaded to think what it did to Lena.
I glanced at Lena now, but her face was Elite impassive. No hint of discomfort or surprise. No hint of the heartache she’d felt at the false death of her father. I knew she felt it. I knew she was constantly reliving it. And there was not a thing I could do about that.
Save back her. Stand up for her. Defend her at all costs.
I forced myself to relax, giving the Lunnoners and the Merrikan soldiers the same message. Leaning back in my seat, I swung a leg over the arm, the picture of casual repose.
“The u-Pol officers were still at large,” I said in D’maru. I wasn’t sure if all the Lunnoners could understand it, but evidence had proven that many still recognised their old tongue. “You can’t expect us to remain sitting ducks forever.”
A creepy crawly shuffled forward just then, reaching out to the shining laser gun attached to the thigh of the nearest soldier. He bristled immediately, taking a step back and raising the gun. The barrel sighted on the kid’s forehead.
“Easy,” Lena murmured, her own hand on a gun at her side, out of sight of most, but not to me or the soldier. “He’s just a child.”
“Tell him to move back,” he ordered in Anglisc. Merrikans didn’t speak D’maru.
“Take a chill pill,” Alan countered, just as alert as the rest of us. Masking it just as well.
This was about to escalate, and already our welcome underground had not been a given. Most of the Lunnoners avoided us. But they couldn’t ignore our presence completely. Quiet whispers and hushed words, all of which were clearly resentful, had abounded. Accompanied by unhappy looks and angry glares.
We were here under suffrage. We knew it. They knew it. The soldiers didn’t care.
“We just killed their men,” Beck said softly in Anglisc. “Have a care, Sergeant.”
“They attacked us,” the Merrikan ground out between a clenched jaw, his narrowed eyes on the nearest child, but the quick dart of his gaze let you know he was watching everyone.
“They had no choice,” Lena offered. “Kill or be killed. But it’s worse than that,” she added.
“How can ‘kill or be killed’ not be the worst?” Irdina demanded.
Lena levelled a highly amused and extremely dismissive Elite look at the Mahiah, and said, “Kill or have one of those taken by the u-Pol killed, because you failed to carry through with your orders. Do you value your life more than your family’s, Masked?”
Irdina frowned at Lena’s name for her and for those who had been wiped and returned. She may not wear a mask now, but the caste moniker had stuck. Irdina, I was guessing, didn’t like being labelled. She had clearly been Elite in her former Wánměi life. What she had done to deserve wiping was
Thirteen
To Where?
Trent
T he creepy crawlies came back at midnight. News of the u-Pols’ frustration lightening the mood of the Lunnoners underground. But the humour vanished within minutes, as Merrikan soldiers quietly spread themselves throughout the room, following the children like silent wraiths inside.
The Lunnoners hadn’t seen them enter, and if we hadn’t been expecting them, and therefore looking for them, we might have missed their arrival as well. Carstairs had trained them well. Or the Merrikans really were that good.
Several old women screamed, making the others join the furore. And then mayhem ensued until the old D’awan in the corner called for order. His eyes sought out mine; he did not look amused.
“What is this?” he demanded in D’maru.
“Our backup,” I replied honestly, but I wondered just how much of a backup they were, and how much of an invading force they might be.
Irdina stepped forward then, matched in dress to the soldiers. She’d blended in so well even Alan had missed her. But although her presence amongst the soldiers should have been a welcome sign that Carstairs was still in charge, it only raised the hackles along my back.
I dreaded to think what it did to Lena.
I glanced at Lena now, but her face was Elite impassive. No hint of discomfort or surprise. No hint of the heartache she’d felt at the false death of her father. I knew she felt it. I knew she was constantly reliving it. And there was not a thing I could do about that.
Save back her. Stand up for her. Defend her at all costs.
I forced myself to relax, giving the Lunnoners and the Merrikan soldiers the same message. Leaning back in my seat, I swung a leg over the arm, the picture of casual repose.
“The u-Pol officers were still at large,” I said in D’maru. I wasn’t sure if all the Lunnoners could understand it, but evidence had proven that many still recognised their old tongue. “You can’t expect us to remain sitting ducks forever.”
A creepy crawly shuffled forward just then, reaching out to the shining laser gun attached to the thigh of the nearest soldier. He bristled immediately, taking a step back and raising the gun. The barrel sighted on the kid’s forehead.
“Easy,” Lena murmured, her own hand on a gun at her side, out of sight of most, but not to me or the soldier. “He’s just a child.”
“Tell him to move back,” he ordered in Anglisc. Merrikans didn’t speak D’maru.
“Take a chill pill,” Alan countered, just as alert as the rest of us. Masking it just as well.
This was about to escalate, and already our welcome underground had not been a given. Most of the Lunnoners avoided us. But they couldn’t ignore our presence completely. Quiet whispers and hushed words, all of which were clearly resentful, had abounded. Accompanied by unhappy looks and angry glares.
We were here under suffrage. We knew it. They knew it. The soldiers didn’t care.
“We just killed their men,” Beck said softly in Anglisc. “Have a care, Sergeant.”
“They attacked us,” the Merrikan ground out between a clenched jaw, his narrowed eyes on the nearest child, but the quick dart of his gaze let you know he was watching everyone.
“They had no choice,” Lena offered. “Kill or be killed. But it’s worse than that,” she added.
“How can ‘kill or be killed’ not be the worst?” Irdina demanded.
Lena levelled a highly amused and extremely dismissive Elite look at the Mahiah, and said, “Kill or have one of those taken by the u-Pol killed, because you failed to carry through with your orders. Do you value your life more than your family’s, Masked?”
Irdina frowned at Lena’s name for her and for those who had been wiped and returned. She may not wear a mask now, but the caste moniker had stuck. Irdina, I was guessing, didn’t like being labelled. She had clearly been Elite in her former Wánměi life. What she had done to deserve wiping was
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