“Three, maybe four local years ago. We’re a late acquisition. What’s the problem?”
“I wish I’d known,” Eric said wearily.
Silence fell, thick and heavy.
“We’re not on the network anymore, Eric,” Perivar said, at last. “Nobody’s listening. I need an explanation for this, now.”
Eric’s shoulders stooped even farther than usual. “I’m in trouble, Perivar. That’s the explanation. The Vitae tried to stash me in Haron Station, which is where they had Aria.”
Perivar felt the blood begin to drain from his face. “What in the name of all the gods would they do that for?”
“As soon as I know, you’ll know.” Eric’s fingers hooked around each other. “They’re after something in the Realm of the Nameless Powers. I’ll be drowned and washed away if I know what it is. I thought it was my"—he stared at his bare palm—"power gift, but she…Aria"—his hand swept down toward the door—"isn’t gifted. The Vitae picked her up out of the Realm and reeled me in to help deal with her.
“I’m on the run again, Perivar.” Eric looked up again and the expression in his eyes made Perivar’s throat tighten. “I’m going to try to find out what the Vitae want from the Realm, and from me, and from Aria, for that matter, and then I’m going to try to find a way out of it, whatever it is.”
Perivar knew the tone he used. He would do as he said, even if it killed him.
Perivar wanted to shout. This is not two runners nobody liked and a quick bit of mutiny. This is the Vitae! Remember them? The ones who control half the Quarter Galaxy! The ones we spent two years ducking AFTER we got away from Tasa Ad! But saying it aloud wouldn’t have budged Eric any farther than the silent thought did.
“This is all making my partner very uneasy, Eric,” Perivar told him instead. “The Shessel don’t really understand the spirit of human legalities, so they follow them by the letter.”
“So now I owe you,” Eric muttered.
“That’s not what I care about.” Although it would’ve been once, Perivar realized with a shock. “Just finish it fast. I’ve gotten used to not having to look over my shoulder all the time. I like it this way.”
“Maybe one day I’ll get to see if I like it too.” Eric kissed the tips of his own fingers and raised his hand to the ceiling.
Perivar laid his fingers over his heart. “I hope we both live that long.”
They met each other’s eyes for a silent moment, weighing, judging, and hoping, but finding no guarantees. Finally, Perivar knew he had nothing to fall back on but their old, brittle trust. It was no comfort to know Eric was doing the same.
“What are you going to do now?” Perivar asked.
Eric looked over Perivar’s left shoulder. “Ultimately, I’m going to try to crack the Vitae private network.”
“Are you out of your mind!” Perivar couldn’t hold back this time. “You might as well try to crack a mountain with your skull! Even you can’t get on a Vitae line!”
“Where else am I going to get what I need?” Eric’s calm snapped. “Knowledge is power. Somebody"—he stabbed a finger at Perivar—"told me never to forget that.”
“I also said there’s always somebody out there who knows more than you do,” Perivar reminded him.
Eric’s eyes shone coldly. “If that wasn’t true, there wouldn’t be contraband runners. Are we done quoting your words of wisdom now, Perivar?”
You started it, thought Perivar childishly. He forced his voice into a semi-even tone. “Do you have any kind of plan for this insanity?”
“Not really.” He shrugged. “After this, I’m going to talk to Dorias. Between the two of us we should be able to string together something.”
“If anyone can,” Perivar added for him. Eric wasn’t looking at him anymore and Perivar couldn’t help wondering why not.
“As you say.” Eric shrugged. “What else can I do, Perivar? If I don’t put an end to this, then I’m a fugitive until I become a corpse or a slave.”
Perivar said nothing for a long moment.
“There’s nothing else I can tell you,” Eric said.
“What about something about your…friend?”
“She’s no friend of mine.” Eric’s eyes seemed to see something other than Perivar’s face at that moment. “Although, Notouch or not, I could maybe wish she was…she’s all right, Perivar. She’s stubborn and she’s got some secret she’s keeping to herself, but she learns fast and she seems as determined to stay out of the Realm as I am.”
“I’ll have to take your word on that.” As well as on everything else.
“I’d give you more if I could.”
“I know.” Perivar pushed the door open. “And I appreciate it.”
In the workroom, Ri and Dene had Aria under close scrutiny. The pair of them had crammed themselves into the capsule that now hung from a post maybe six inches from Aria’s nose. The wariness was gone from her face. Instead, her expression shifted from bemused to bewildered as she tried to keep pace with the kids’ yes-and-no questions.
“Will you be staying…” Ri started.
“…with us?” finished Dene. Aria shook her head.
“You came from a long way…” Dene started.
“…away? How far?”
Aria nodded and spread her hands, unable to answer completely.
Perivar glanced through the membrane to Kiv. He was saying something soft to Ere where she lay on his shoulders. The remainder of his brood was draped across his back, whistling encouragement as their representatives tried to get information from the stranger. Kiv’s legs were retracted, but his arms and eyes were extended. He was relaxed and, Perivar was willing to bet, a little amused.
“The lines on…” began Dene, but Ri saw Perivar step into the workroom. She squeezed her sister’s mouth shut with her secondary hands while she swung her eyes toward Perivar and Eric.
Aria also turned all her attention toward them.
“I’ve set things in motion.” Perivar felt his glance slide past Aria to Kiv, who did nothing more than swivel an extra eye toward his children in the capsule. Perivar faced Eric. “Are you going to stick around and watch?”
“No,” Eric said, and Aria’s head snapped around. “I’ve got to keep moving.”
The two of them exchanged a long, uninterpretable look.
“You leave me in your debt.” Under the translation, her voice sounded stilted to Perivar, as if this was a new phrase for her.
“Pay me by not giving Perivar any extra problems.” Eric turned away from her a little too quickly. “I’ve got to go. I only authorized a day’s worth of dock time for my ship.”
Perivar nodded. “I’d rather not ever see you again, Sar Born.”
“I know.” And he walked out. Aria did not turn around to watch him leave.
The door shut and left them all closed in together. Perivar looked at Aria, who looked back at him in silence.
What do you think I am? asked Eric from memory again. It was his old voice, heavily accented and awkward. Nothing like the smoothly educated tone he’d used today.
Cargo, thought Perivar. Checked over, labeled as clean and delivered, or too dirty to fix and dumped.
Certainly not a person who would look at him like Aria was, vaguely expectant, waiting for him to do something.
“Want to sit down?” he gestured to a chair.
Her eyes tracked his hand and a puzzled expression wrinkled her brow. “Thank you…I don’t know how to call you.” The translation fell a long way out of synch with her real speech.
“Perivar,” he told her. “My partner is Kivererishakadene. Kiv’s the name you have to remember there. The rest of it belongs to the children.” Perivar nodded to the two in the capsule.