The Diamond Deep (43 page)

“The disciplines are backed by credit. Koren had backers.”

“Who?”

“We don't know yet.”

“We?”

“Me or Naveen.”

Ruby's stomach felt sour. “They weren't bidding to greet us. They were bidding to steal the
Fire
.”

Satyana reached for the small pack. “That's not quite accurate. They were bidding for your cargo, and for your information. New information can give people who want to craft new products an edge.” She dug out a blue square and held it out toward Ruby.

“I don't really like those.”

“This one is good.”

“Okay.” She touched her tongue to the square, let the sweet flavor sit in her mouth. “It is good. So people competed to steal from us. They compete for everything here, though. Right? What's so different?”

“Nothing. I'm trying to make sure you understand that there are people with a lot of power.” She drove the
Honey
to the edge of the field of agribubbles, and pointed past it. “See the habitats on the edge there, the big ones?”

“Sure.”

“That's one of the places that some of our most influential people live. I can't take you there. All of the ways into them are keyed and hidden, and the prox alarms go off before you get a ship like this close enough to see anything. Special trains connect those places to the other habitats.”

Ruby stared at the private bubbles, lost in thought.

“But you'll be invited to them. I wanted you to have context.”

“How do you know I'll get invited?”

“You already have been.”

They floated silently over the agribubbles, high enough to look out at the homes of people with power Ruby was having trouble imagining. “What do you want from that? Why?”

Satyana shook her head. “To start with, I want you to meet some people. Naveen has made you attractive to the common people of the station, but to get true safety, you need to meet people who may give you what I did, only at a higher level.”

Ruby thought a moment. “You gave me a place to play, but you're like Naveen. More credit went to you than to us.”

Satyana gave her a long look. “We're driven by that. By credit. All of us. But don't see us as that shallow. I want some of the same things you do.”

“What things?”

“More fairness.”

Ruby ate the blue square, slowly. This one was sublime; as different from what they had been fed during quarantine as the
Fire
was from the
Deep
. Even though it tasted good, food didn't calm her stomach as much as she expected it to.

Satyana squinted at her. “That's not enough for lunch.”

“I know. I'm not hungry.”

“You look queasy. Should I take you home?”

“No.” When would she have another chance to see the station from near-space? Ix had filled the map table with images on the way in, but this was much more intimate.

Satyana's face had grown worried. “It wouldn't do to have something happen to you when we're way out here. The
Honey
is too small for a decent medikit.

“I'm all right.”

“Take a good look at those bubbles. You'll meet people that most residents of the
Deep
don't even know exist. You may be invited to their houses. This is nearly impossible, but for you it's happening without effort.”

Promising Satyana anything felt wrong. “I can think about it. My first focus needs to be on my people, on getting us established.”

“This will help you. If you get more popular, you'll earn more credit.”

Ruby stared at the huge bubbles, only part of the station. She couldn't imagine the power it took to build them, or the technology. All of the control that the greens and the reds had wielded now seemed small. The petty authority that she and Joel had now, which was more like thankless work than being a captain and his lover, seemed even smaller. She wished Onor were here. His fascination with power could be useful.

The view still made her think of the Brawl.

She took a sip of water, remembering how so many people had told her less than the truth. She hadn't caught Naveen in lies yet, and Naveen trusted Satyana. “Can you tell me who you want me to meet?”

Satyana looked like she had expected more, but she responded with grace. “No. But I will see that you meet them.”

Ruby didn't like the secrecy. She stared at the huge bubbles of life in front of them and pursed her lips. Perhaps she could use some of her influence more directly. “Do you have any work that some of my people can do? Paid work?”

“Will that help persuade you to help me?”

“It will earn my gratitude. We need ways to learn how to survive here.”

Satyana sat silently at the controls, looking out over the habitat bubbles. “You really do want to save everyone, don't you? Thousands of people?”

“Of course I do. I'm responsible for them.”

“You'll break your heart.”

Maybe it was already broken in this mystifying and difficult place.

“I'll take you back. Belt in.”

Ruby's stomach argued with her and she felt cramped as she strapped back in, the lower strap across her waist compressing her belly. It took a half an hour of steady flying to return to the
Star Bear
.

On the other side of the airlock, KJ, Dayn, and Ani stood against the wall, looking as though they hadn't been worried.

Dayn raised an eyebrow at her. “Didn't you promise Joel you wouldn't run away without one of us?”

Satyana shook her head as if bemused, and then lied smoothly. “The ship was too small for three.” She glanced at Ruby. “I'll release you to your keepers. Next time you call home, have someone pick three men and three women to send over here to work.”

Not enough. “Can I send forty?”

Satyana stopped and gave her a cool, measured look. “Twenty. For two weeks. Then we'll evaluate. They'll have to be excellent, and they'll have to start at half-wages until they're trained. Remember, this is a business.”

How could she forget? “Thank you.”

“You can't go off with people by yourself,” KJ echoed Dayn as soon as Satyana was out of earshot. “If she'd stolen you, we would have never found you.”

KJ's voice sounded smooth like always, calm to the core. Nevertheless, Ruby sensed tension. “I didn't mean to worry you.”

“I'll have to tell Joel.”

“Why?”

“Because I work for him.”

Ruby's feet felt heavy and thick after all that sitting. She leaned against the wall. “Don't you work for both of us? Didn't you hear I just got us twenty jobs?”

“That's a good thing,” KJ said. “But if anything happens to you, I may not be able to go home. I'm here in Joel's stead to watch over you.”

“And I'm an adult.” Words were getting hard to get out and she slumped over.

“Are you okay?” Ani asked.

“Just give me a minute.”

“Catch her,” Dayn said.

Then there were arms around her, and the world spun inside her head and her belly and she felt herself being lifted.

Onor, SueAnne, Joel, and Allen sat around the bar table where they had met the strangers the night before. Once more, the bar was closed, the scent of cleaner in the air stronger than the leftover traces of food and spilled alcohol. The table in front of them held only simple breads and water, a sign that Joel was in warrior mode.

Joel was almost always above still, but Onor wished for more than water. It might be a long conversation.

Joel spoke first. “I didn't invite anyone else because rumors that we've been taken advantage of could be dangerous.” He looked from one to another of them, his face serious.

Onor frowned. Ruby would have played it by sharing it with everyone. But when it was his turn, he said, “Okay.”

“All right,” Joel sat back. “What do you think of this claim?”

“Can we verify it?” Allen asked. “There could be real danger in taking Koren on.”

SueAnne spoke next. “Someone's got to actually spend time learning how we would even talk about this. The couple last night implied that Koren is breaking laws, but who would we appeal to, and why would they listen to us? I can figure out some of that from here on my slate, and after that, maybe I can head to the Exchange and see what else I can find. I've developed a few contacts there.”

“Thanks.” Joel glanced at Onor.

“I think these people are right. Remember, I didn't like her from day one. Naveen didn't either. But I also don't like what they wouldn't tell us. They have their own goals. How do we know they'll protect us?”

Joel gave him an approving look before going all serious again. “We don't. And we must be very careful what we say to whom. Koren could have spies here.”

“Like the whispering women?” Allen asked.

Joel laughed. “Irritations with no teeth. But strangers come in here. If one side of this argument found us, the other side could do so as well.”

“True,” Allen said. “I'll watch out for that. Bars are the best place in the world to hear about things.”

Joel grunted at that.

Onor spoke up. “I have an idea about verification.”

“Tell me.”

“Use Haric. He's an old hand at mingling, he's looking for jobs out there, and was before these people found us so it won't look like he's doing anything new. No one will think we gave him anything important to do. He's too young.”

Joel frowned.

“He wants to do something that matters,” Onor said. “He would also recognize some of the cargo. He was a cargo rat.”

SueAnne looked at Joel. “We can't do without you or Onor. Allen is best used here. So you do need help, and Haric is about the most earnest boy I've ever met. I think he can do this, and that he'd be happy about the chance to help.”

Onor addressed SueAnne. “He'll need some credit.”

“And you don't have any hidden here from the bar?”

Allen stiffened, but Onor saw her point. “That'll keep it off the official books.”

SueAnne stared Allen down until he nodded.

“It might be dangerous,” Joel said.

“I know.” If anything happened to Haric, Ruby might scratch his eyes out.

Ruby opened her eyes and blinked to focus. She remembered waking a few times before, but she couldn't remember any conversations, or that she stayed awake for very long at all. This time, Ani and Jali were sitting at a table in her room, playing a game that required them to slide their slates back and forth between each other. “You still don't think it was poison?” Ani whispered.

“She's looked steadily worse since we left the
Fire
.”

“I think she's sick of this place,” Ani noted. “I certainly am.”

Ruby pushed herself to sit up. Her lips and sinuses were so dry it hurt to breathe and her head ached. “Is there water?”

Jali looked up, dropping the slate onto the table. “On your bed stand.” She stood up and handed Ruby the glass. “How do you feel?”

Her stomach still hurt, somewhere deep inside. But she couldn't say anything about that; it was too important to be strong. They all needed this tour. “When is the dinner?”

“What dinner?” Ani asked. “The one last night?”

Oh. “I slept that long?”

“We made excuses for you. Min and Naveen and few others went. They said the food was fabulous.”

“What did you tell people?”

“That you were too tired from the concert, and that you'd perhaps had a bad reaction to some food.”

“Naveen appears to have gotten Min drunk. That's about the only thing we heard that's worth reporting.”

“Is Min okay?”

“She's sleeping it off.”

Food. She should be hungry. The water helped. Maybe after she drank some more water, she'd be hungry. “I'm sorry. Not food, I hardly ate anything, and Satyana ate what I ate.”

Jali laughed. “Don't be sorry for wearing yourself out. You're doing it for us.” Her brows furrowed. “Maybe you should sleep some more.”