How will they react?
Theyll come after you, Mr. Malin. But then theyll do that anyway if you stay on this world.
I think hes speaking the truth, Horst said. One of them came to the homestead two days ago. She wanted me and the children. Our bodies, anyway.
What happened? Kelly asked.
Horst forced a vapid smile. I exorcised her.
What? Kelly blurted in greedy delight. Really?
The priest held up his bandaged hand. The dark strips of cloth were stained with blood. It wasnt easy.
Shit Almighty. Shaun, can you be exorcised?
Shaun Wallace had locked his gaze to that of the priest. If its all the same to you, Miss Kelly, Id be obliged if you didnt try.
He can, she subvocalized into her neural nanonics memory cell, he really can! You can see it in his eyes. He fears the priest, this ageing worn-out man in shabby clothes. I can barely believe it. A ceremony left over from medieval times that can thwart these almost-invincible foes. Where all our fantastic technology and knowledge fails, a prayer, a simple anachronistic prayer could become our salvation. I must tell you of this, I must find a way to get a message out to the Confederation. Damn, that sounded too much like Graeme Nicholsons recording.
For a moment she wondered what had happened to the old hack.
Interesting, Reza said. But it doesnt help our present dilemma. We have to find a way of keeping ahead of the cloud until Joshua comes back for us.
Christ, we dont even know when hes coming back, Sal Yong said. And taking a bunch of children through these mountains isnt going to be easy, Reza, there are no roads, no detailed map image. Weve got no camping equipment, no boots for them, no food supplies. Its going to be wet, slippery. I mean, God! I dont mind giving it a go if theres even a remote chance of pulling it off, but this ...
Mr Wallace, would your kind consider letting the children go? Reza asked.
Some would, I would, but the rest ... No, I dont think so. There are so few living human bodies left here, and so many souls trapped in the beyond. We hear them constantly, you know, they plead with us to bring them back. Giving in is so easy. Im sorry.
Shit. Reza flexed his fingers. OK, well take it in stages. First we bring the children back here, get them and us out from under that bloody cloud today. Thats what is important right now. Once weve done that we can start concentrating on how to get them through the mountains. Maybe the Tyrathca will help.
No chance, Ariadne said flatly.
Yeah. But all of you keep thinking. Mr. Wallace, can you tell me what sort of opposition well be facing? How many possessed?
Well now, theres a good hundred and fifty living in Aberdale. But if you race in on those fancy hover machines of yours you ought to be away again before they reach you.
Great.
Shaun Wallace held up his hand. But theres a family of ten living in one of the other homesteads not far from the children. They can certainly cause you problems.
And you believe him? Sewell asked Reza.
Shaun Wallace put on a mournfully injured expression. Now then, Mr. Sewell, thats no way to be talking about someone whos only doing his best to help you. I didnt stick out my thumb and hitch here, you know.
Actually, hes right about the homestead family, Horst said. I saw them a couple of days ago.
Thank you, Father. There now, you have the word of a man of the cloth. What more do you want?
Ten of them on open ground, Reza said. Thats nothing like as bad as Pamiers. I think we can take care of them. Are you going to add your fire-power to ours, Mr. Wallace?
Ah now, my fire-power is a poor weak thing compared to yours, Mr. Malin. But even if it were capable of shifting mountains, I would not help you in that way.
That makes you a liability, Mr. Wallace.
I dont think much of a man who asks another to kill his cousins in suffering, Mr. Malin. Not much at all.
Horst took a pace forwards. Perhaps you could mediate for us, Mr. Wallace? Nobody wants to see any more death on this world, especially as those bodies still contain their rightful souls. Could you not explain to the homestead family that attacking the mercenaries would be foolhardy in the extreme?
Shaun Wallace stroked his chin. Aye, now, I could indeed do that, Father.
Horst glanced expectantly at Reza.
Suits me, the mercenary leader said.
Shaun Wallace grinned his wide-boy grin. The priests back in Ireland were all wily old souls. I see nothings changed in that department.
Nobody had noticed the balmy smile growing on Kellys face during the exchange. She let go of Russ, and slapped her hands together with surefire exultation. Yes! I can get Joshua back here. I think. Im sure I can.
They all looked at her.
Maybe even by this afternoon. We wont have to worry about going through the mountains. All well have to do is get clear of the red cloud so that Ashly can land.
Spare us how wonderful you are, Kelly, Reza said. How?
She dived into her bag and pulled out her communication block, brandishing it as though it were a silver trophy. With this. The LDCs original geosynchronous communication platform had a deep-space antenna to keep in touch with the Edenist station orbiting Murora. If the platform didnt get hit in the orbital battle, we can just call him up. Send a repeating message telling him how badly we need him. Murora is about nine hundred million kilometres away, thats less than a light-hour. If he leaves as soon as he receives it, he could be here inside three or four hours. Lady Mac might not be able to jump outsystem, but if she can jump to Murora she can jump back again. At least wed be safely off Lalonde.
Can you get the platform computer to send a message? Reza asked. Terrance Smith never gave us any access codes for it.
Listen, Im a bloody reporter, theres nothing I dont know about violating communication systems. And this block has quite a few less than legal chips added.
She waited for an answer, her feet had developed a life of their own, wanting to dance.
Well, get on with it then, Kelly, Reza said.
She ran for the hole in the door, startling Fenton and Ryall lying on the grass outside. The sky over the savannah was split into two uneven portions of redness as the cloud band clashed with the dawn sun. She datavised an instruction into the block and it started scanning across the dissonant shades above for the platforms beacon.
Joshua dozed fitfully in his cabins sleep cocoon. The envelope was a baggy lightweight spongy fabric, big enough to hold him without being restrictive. Sarha had offered to sleep with him, but hed tactfully declined. He was still feeling the effects of that eleven-gee thrust. Even his body hadnt been geneered with that much acceleration in mind. There were long bruise crinkles on his back where the creases on his ship-suit had pressed into his skin, and when he looked into the mirror his eyes were bloodshot. He and Sarha wouldnt have had sex anyway, he really was tired. Tired and stressed out.
Everyone had been so full of praise for the way he had flown Lady Mac . If only they knew the emotional cold turkey that hit him once the danger was over and he stopped operating on nerve energy and arrogance. The fear from realizing what onejust onemistake would have spelt.
I should have listened to Ione. What I had before was enough.
He held her image in his mind as he fell asleep, she made it a lot easier to relax, floating away on the rhythm of night. When he woke, drowsy, warm, and randy, he accessed a memory of their time back in Tranquillity. Out in the parkland, lying on the thick grass beside a stream. The two of them clinging together after sex; Ione on top, sweaty and dreamily content, light glinting an opulent gold off her hair, skin warm and soft against him, kissing him oh so slowly, lips descending along his sternum. Neither spoke, the moment was too perfect for that.