Spear of Light (45 page)

He paused again. The afternoon had warmed in spite of the persistent and darkening clouds. Not many people wore jackets anymore. Yi took his borrowed jacket off and folded it over his arm. Manny started talking again. “One of the soulbots, a member of Yi's family, is named Katherine. She sat with me night after night and kept me company while I lived in exile. Although she never said so, it felt like she would have protected me if I needed it. Yi here just protected my back, now, while I went out to see where my house used to be. My nephew Charlie, who many of you know and respect, considers these people his friends.”

Manny's emphasis on the word
people
was so slight that Yi didn't think anyone but he noticed it.

“We're not going to try and kill the soulbots here in Manna Springs. That's not who we are or what we do. We restore and re-wild. We deal in life more than death.” He paused, looking carefully at the crowd, as if counting. “I may be willing to join you in inviting them to leave, but that's different than murdering them.”

A few people clapped. Then a few more.

Manny continued. “There are rumors that the Shining Revolution will come here and try to kill the soulbots. Some of you may think that's okay since it doesn't get our hands dirty. It's not, after all, our fight. But this is our planet. We can't let another war sweep across Lym. Any attempt to destroy Nexity will almost surely destroy Manna Springs. So we're going to do two things. You may not like either.”

The people gathered around had stopped, watching Manny closely. A child cried and another one giggled.

“I'm asking anyone who isn't a fighter to go out to the farms for a few weeks. People who can fight will either stay here or go to the farms to provide protection. I'm not going to dictate who is who. But, by tomorrow, I want everyone in town to have decided whether they'll stay and act as defense if necessary, or if they'll go.
You all get to decide.
But I hope most of you go.”

The woman who'd been at the door raised her hand.

“Yes, Elle?”

“What if we just all left? You're right that it's not our fight. If we all go, won't we all be safe?”

A light rain started falling. Manny ignored it. “That's why I hope most people go. We are Lym, in a way. Spacers aren't going to be able to come down from on high and continue our work. Not the way we would, anyway. So we have to save ourselves, and we have to be prepared to pick our work back up as quickly as we can. That's the most useful thing to do right now.”

A few claps rose, and then more, and then it felt like everyone was in agreement and being loud about it.

Manny started to take questions. Yi listened carefully, recording everything in case he needed it later.

Manny was good. The town had needed him back. The Jhailing had also been right to suggest that Yi come in for a bit. It hadn't really been for Manny, who probably would have been safe whether or not Yi was there. Yi had the sense the Jhailing had sent him here to be an ambassador of a sort.

He couldn't stay long. He needed to get back to the cave. Already, he had been gone a day longer than he'd promised Jason. But then, he had an option. He messaged Yi Two.
Can you come in here? I want to go back out to the cave.

A teasing answer came back.
What if I want to see the cave?

Then I can't stop you. But I think we should both see this.

Will you tell Manny we are trading?

Yi hesitated. He didn't like deception of any kind. But even though he hadn't yet understood everything they'd found, it mattered.
You can make that choice. You will be here.

There's a man here waiting for Nona
, Yi Two said.
Will she be along soon?

Yes.

I'll meet you soon.

Travel safe.

I will.

Next to him, Manny continued to answer questions and children continued to squeal and play, while their mothers talked in low tones. People leaned on bicycles. Birds flew overhead. The rain had stopped again, leaving the streets smelling of water and dust. He had been born in space and was most comfortable in ships and stations, in small and sterile spaces and surrounded by walls instead of sky. In spite of that, he felt a deep need to protect this place and these people.

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

NAYLI

Nayli and Marina sat side by side as the
Shining Danger
approached orbit around Lym. The ship had been cloaked the same way they had approached Star Island Stop, except this time Nayli and Stupid had bedecked them in the fake personality of a cruise ship curious about Lym. At the moment, they sat queued in a long line waiting to dock. In honor of their chosen disguise, Nayli had fashioned Stupid into a man with a bright blue travel suit, combat boots, and an oversized slate: a caricature of a cruise-ship passenger.

“Show me the planet,” she commanded.

Lym filled the view screen in front of her. She had seen pictures of it—everyone in the Glittering had been educated on history at some point or another. In reality, it looked brighter than she had expected, cleaner. It was impossible to see the robot infestation from way up here, and unlike Mammot, which she had been to twice, there was almost no sign of human alteration visible at this scale.

Lym had clearly bespelled Marina as well. She whispered, “Isn't it pretty? It's like art, almost. Art made by us, by humans. We have to do our best to protect it.”

“Getting rid of the robots is protecting it.”

“Yes,” Marina scowled. “But I want to do it like surgeons. We can't afford to kill Lym off.”

“I'll be happy if we can destroy Nexity in any meaningful way.” She didn't add
and live to talk about it
. Staring at the planet gave her goosebumps—the enemy was there, on that tiny ball of land, and she was going to have to be very careful if she wanted to fly away from here alive.

A small ship approached them, giving off a signal in keeping with their pretend status. The shuttle's computers promised tastes from Lym for a very small fee, and in return the
Shining Danger
opened its bays and encouraged the little ship to enter. Nayli flicked on a small window in her view screen that gave her a camera view. Inside of that, she watched her dock manager greet Maureen and point her in the right direction. After Maureen walked off screen, Nayli watched as the dock master entered the little ship and scanned it, waiting until he gave her a thumbs-up on security.

Five minutes later, Maureen joined them in the command area. She looked perfectly put together as always, dressed in flowing fabric that might have once been scarves but which now formed an off-shoulder dress cinched at the waist with a purple belt that matched her high-heeled boots. She quickly hugged Nayli and then Marina, the room fuller and more congenial for her presence. All three women had studied and worked together at various times. It felt like a slumber party to be together again.

Tiny Maureen looked like a three-quarter sized rendering of Marina, both thin but corded with muscle, both feminine in spite of their obvious strength. While her feelings for them were nowhere near as sexual as her feelings for Vadim, she loved both of them fiercely.

Nayli pointed at the image of Lym. “How is it down there?”

“Tense and fractured. And where I just came from, it's also hot and miserable. I thought I might never feel clean again.” Maureen rolled her eyes. “Clearly, I went romantic at the idea of a planet. The real thing is an exercise in extremes. I don't much care if I never see another living bug again.”

Nayli laughed, pleased to have another lens to contemplate Lym through.

Maureen grimaced. “You wouldn't believe the number of clueless would-be revolutionaries down there. We just stopped about thirty from getting themselves killed. I sent them on to prepare to take Manna Springs.”

“Thanks,” Nayli said.

“So what's the plan?” Maureen asked.

Marina answered her. “I think we're going to blow shit up. There's a few more ships joining us, and we have a timeline. Your people only have about a day to get into position.”

Maureen played with the loose sky-blue triangle of scarf. “I told them that. They'll be ready, but I can't promise they won't make any mistakes and give themselves away.”

“Are they really that bad?” Nayli asked.

“All testosterone and bravado. They'd be great if we had three months to train them. As is, I left Dravi, Sam, and Chels in charge, so it will probably be okay. They're experienced.”

Marina stood and stretched. “What else do we need to know?”

Maureen glanced at her. “The Historian is down there, from the Deep. He's in Hope, the warren of idiots snuggled up to the Wall. Nona Hall is there, too. Last I heard, she was in Manna Springs. We should be careful not to hurt them. They'd be pricey collateral damage, and they might be of use to us alive.”

“Is he still the Historian?” Nayli asked. “Surely he can't be.”

“No, I suppose not. Can you find out exactly where they are?”

Maureen thought for a moment. “Maybe. I'll ask my people to report if they see them. Everything is small down there, and almost empty. It can't be that hard.”

“Are they in our way?”

“Yes. Humans aren't allowed in Nexity at all, but Hope is attached to it.”

Nayli let out a short, explosive laugh. “Who named it that?”

“Probably not the Next. I don't know. But about Nona: she's the ambassador from the Deep, too. Not that the station considers you a friend, but that might be another reason not to destroy Lym entirely and to try not to kill the Hall woman.”

Nayli tried to think through the implications. “The Deep is supporting the Next. So I don't think I care at all what kind of collateral damage we do.” She sat back and steepled her hands. “I don't want to kill any humans, but if they're stupid enough to choose to live next to the Great Wall of Robot City, then there may not be much we can do to save them.”

“So what about Nexity?” Marina asked. “Did you see it?”

Maureen said, “I came up from the spaceport between Nexity and Manna Springs. I brought pictures. It's going to be hard.”

“We do hard,” Nayli replied. She watched as Maureen fumbled with her slate, looking for the pictures. It felt strange to be here with these two women instead of with Vadim, but it also felt good. Marina and Maureen were powerful, bloodthirsty, and wickedly smart. Together, the three of them stood a chance.

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

CHARLIE

Farro landed the
Storm
smoothly at the spaceport. Charlie, behind her, whispered, “Good job.”

She didn't speak until she had brought the big skimmer to a complete standstill. “I was afraid I'd get blowback for going to Entare.”

“You still might,” he said. “Let me know if you do.”

Farro's hands moved steadily across the cockpit controls, checking gauges and turning things off. “I have a feeling I'm not the biggest problem the Port is facing right now.”

“I suspect that's correct,” Charlie said, without elaborating any further. He hadn't shared what he'd overheard at Desert Bow Station with anyone, including Nona or Farro. He felt a little guilty for that, but the last thing they needed was another panic. He clapped Farro on the back. “Thanks again. I've got to get to Manny.”

“Of course you do.”

He turned around to find Nona looking back at him, last in a line of people waiting to get out of the now-opened door. Seeing her waiting for him made his breath catch. Something—someone—to fight for. He'd never expected to care for a human as much as he cared for Lym. Maybe more. It couldn't be more. The same. Deep as hell, a love that made him fierce and tender.

They'd brought back seven rangers and about twenty willing—if barely trained—additional warriors. Most of them were already on the ground and jogging toward Manna Springs, where Frill had promised to welcome them all home with a hot meal.

Cricket sat in the seat beside Charlie. He gave her a follow command, picked up his rucksack, and made his way through the rows of seats so that he and Cricket stood just behind Nona as she reached the door. He leaned down and whispered in Nona's ear. “Come with me to Manny's? I might be giving him information an ambassador wants.”

She stiffened and said, “I need to find the Historian. He's landed. Satyana messaged me.”

He hadn't imagined she'd have something else to do. “Can it wait for half an hour?”

She bit her lower lip, and he had the sense she didn't want to wait, whether she could or not.

Everyone except Nona, him, and Farro had finished getting out of the plane. Farro hadn't come out of the cockpit yet. They were essentially alone. He could whisper to her of war. But his loyalty to Manny was loyalty to Lym, and part of him. So he kept his secret. He settled for whispering, “Please. I can't tell you before I tell Manny. It's something you need to know, that I need you to know.”

She held his gaze for so long he expected a refusal, but she hopped out of the plane, heading into town without slowing down.

Cricket went next and joined Nona before Charlie finished the three steps down to the tarmac. A wicked wind made him wish for a coat. He did his best to walk between Nona and the wind, but it was nearly impossible and they both shivered.

They found Manny in the common bar at the Spacer's Rest. He immediately stood and hugged them both. “Sit down,” he invited them. “I'll buy you a drink.”

“Can we take it to your rooms?” Charlie asked.

Manny caught his meaning immediately. “Sure. What will you have?”

“Ale.”

Nona made a face. “Something that's not too sweet.”

“I have just the thing.” Manny walked around behind the bar as if he owned it and fussed with knives and a shaker. He came back with two glasses full of beer and a bluish green drink with a circle of orange around the bottom. As he handed Nona the glass, he said, “I've temporarily renamed it a Dragon's Sunrise in honor of your tattoo.”