“That effectively means you will not fly anywhere outside the Sol system. Once you get home, you stay there.”
“Right.” Joshua frowned. “You want me to go to Sol?”
“Yes. You will take Dr Mzu and the Beezling survivors there. As you pointed out with your Hiroshima analogy, we cannot push the information genie back into the lamp, but we can certainly initiate damage limitation. The relevant governments have agreed that Dr Mzu can be returned to a neutral nation, where she will not communicate any details of the Alchemist to anyone. The doctor has consented to that.”
“They’ll get it eventually,” Joshua said softly. “No matter what agreements they sign, governments will try to build Alchemists.”
“No doubt,” Samual Aleksandrovich said. “But such problems are for the future. And that is going to be a very different place to today, is it not, Captain?”
“If we solve today, then, yeah. It’ll be different. Even today is different than yesterday.”
“So. Lagrange Calvert has become a philosopher?”
“Haven’t we all, knowing what we do now?”
The First Admiral nodded reluctantly. “Perhaps it’s not such a bad thing. Somebody has to find a solution. The more there are of us searching, the quicker it will be revealed.”
“That’s a lot of faith you have there, Admiral.”
“Of course. If I didn’t have faith in the human race, I would have no right to sit in this chair.”
Joshua gave him a strong look. The First Admiral wasn’t quite what he’d envisaged, the gung-ho military archetype. That made him more confident for the future. Slightly. “Okay, so where do you want me to take the doc in the Sol system, exactly?”
Samual Aleksandrovich smiled broadly. “Ah yes, this is one piece of news I shall enjoy imparting.”
Friend Jay, please cry not.
Haile’s voice was no stronger than the memory of a dream. Jay had closed up her mind as tight as her eyelids. She just lay on the floor, all curled up, sobbing at . . . everything. Ever since that terrible day on Lalonde when the Ivets went mad, she and Mummy had been torn further and further apart. First the cramped house on the savannah. Then Tranquillity, where she’d heard rumours of the possessed taking Lalonde out of the universe—even though the paediatric ward staff had been careful about allowing the refugee kids access to any news. Now this, flying like an angel to another galaxy. Where she’d never get back from. And she’d never see Mummy ever again. Everyone she knew was either dead, or about to be possessed. She wailed louder, so much it hurt her throat.
The back of her head was full of warm whispers, pushing to be let in.
Jay, please restrain yourself.
She is developing cyclic trauma psychosis.
We should impose a thalamic regulator routine.
Humans respond better to chemical suppressers.
Certainty?
Ambiguous context.
Referral to Corpus.
Tractamorphic flesh was slithering round her, rubbing gently. She shook at the touch of it.
Then there was a sharp regular clicking sound, tac tac tac, like heels on the cool hard floor. Human heels.
“What in seven heavens’ name do you lot think you’re doing?” a woman’s voice asked sharply. “Give the poor dear some air, for goodness sake. Come on, get back. Right back. Move out the way.” There followed the distinctive sound of a human hand being slapped against a Kiint hide.
Jay stopped crying.
“Move! You too, you little terror.”
That causes painfulness,haile protested.
“Then learn to move quicker.”
Jay smeared some of the tears from her eyes, and peered up just in time to see someone’s finger and thumb pinching the crater ridge of skin around Haile’s ear, hauling her aside. The baby Kiint’s legs were getting all twisted round as she skittled hurriedly out of the way.
The owner of the hand smiled down at Jay. “Well well, sweetie, haven’t you just caused a stir? And whatever are all these tears for? I suppose you had a bit of shock when they jumped you here. Don’t blame you. That stupid leaping through the darkness stunt used to give me the chronic heebie-jeebies every time. I’ll take a Model-T over that any day. Now there was a really gracious method of transport. Would you like a hanky, wipe your face a bit?”
“Uh,” Jay said. She’d never seen a woman quite so old before; her brown Mediterranean skin was deeply wrinkled, and her back curved slightly, giving her shoulders a permanent hunch. The dress she wore had come straight out from a history text, lemon-yellow cotton printed with tiny white flowers, complemented by a wide belt and lace collar and cuffs. Thin snow-white hair had been permed into a neat beret; and a double loop of large pearls round her neck chittered softly with every movement. It was as if she’d turned age into a statement of pride. But her green eyes were vividly alert.
A frilly lace handkerchief was pulled from her sleeve, and proffered to Jay.
“Thank you,” Jay gulped. She took the hanky, and blew into it heavily. The huge adult Kiint had all backed off, standing several paces behind the small woman, keeping close together in a mutual support group. Haile was pressed against Lieria, who had formshifted a tractamorphic arm to stroke her daughter soothingly.
“So now, sweetie, why don’t you start by telling me your name.”
“Jay Hilton.”
“Jay.” The woman’s jowls bobbled, as if she was sucking on a particularly hard mint. “That’s nice. Well, Jay, I’m Tracy Dean.”
“Hello. Um, you are real, aren’t you?”
Tracy laughed. “Oh yes, sweetie, I’m genuine flesh and blood, all right. And before you ask why I’m here, this is my home now. But we’ll save the explanations until tomorrow. Because they’re very long and complicated, and you’re tired and upset. You need to get some sleep now.”
“I don’t want to sleep,” Jay stammered. “Everybody in Tranquillity’s dead, and I’m here. And I want Mummy. And she’s gone.”
“Oh, Jay, no, sweetie.” Tracy knelt beside the little girl, and hugged her tight. Jay was sniffling again, ready to burst into tears. “Nobody’s dead. Tranquillity swallowed away clean before any of the combat wasps reached it. These silly oafs got it all wrong and panicked. Aren’t they stupid?”
“Tranquillity’s alive?”
“Yes.”
“And Ione, and Father Horst, and everybody?”
“Yes, all safe and sound. Tranquillity is orbiting Jupiter right this minute. That surprised everybody, let me tell you.”
“But . . . how did it do that?”
“We’re not quite sure yet, but it must have an awful lot of energy patterning cells tucked away somewhere inside it.” She gave Jay a sly grin, and winked. “Tricky people, those Saldanas. And very clever with it, thankfully.”
Jay managed an experimental smile.
“That’s better. Now, let’s see about finding you that bed for the night.” Tracy rose to her feet, holding Jay’s hand.
Jay used her free hand to wipe the handkerchief across her face as she scrambled to her feet. “Oh right.” Actually, she thought that talk of explanations sounded quite fascinating now. There was so much about this place she wanted to know. It would be worth staying awake for.
You now have betterness, query?haile asked anxiously.
Jay nodded enthusiastically at her friend. “Much better.”
That is good.
I will assume complete Jay Hilton guardian responsibility now.
Jay cocked her head to give Tracy Dean a sideways look. How could she use the Kiint mental voice?
Confirm,nang said. the words jay could hear in her head speeded up then, becoming a half-imagined birdsong, but suffused with feeling.
We will venture wide together,haile said. See new things. There is muchness here to see.
“Tomorrow, maybe,” Tracy said. “We have to get Jay settled in here first.”