The Settlers (30 page)

The final item is a square of pale yellow paper.
Angelika unfolds it, reads its contents, then holds it up to Bernard.
 

He lifts Angelika into his lap, then reads the paper as well.

Bernard:

I won't have any use for this any more.
Missing her was too much, and some things here are too dark.
 

You, my friend, deserve to raise that little girl in the light.
 

Please make the most of that.

Micah

Bernard closes his eyes.
 

Angelika looks toward the front door a moment before the knock comes.

Gather your things, my dear, Bernard says.

And he opens the door.

Anya studies her reflection in the glass table top.
She likes the way her eyes look today, her eyeliner swept outward, as if her eyes are white-hot, leaving vapor trails when she moves.
She tilts her head forward, looks up at herself from beneath her dark brow.
 

Smoky, Nathan says, returning to the table.
 

You think?
 

I do.
 

Nathan slides into the booth across from Anya.
 

Smoky, she repeats.

No food, Nathan observes.
 

Not yet, she says.

I always thought that using the restroom while you wait for your food was sort of like a cosmic guarantee that when you returned, your food would be hot and ready and waiting for you.
 

Anya spreads her hands over the table.
If you ordered the imaginary rice curry, then you are correct.
But if you didn't, you're just delusional.

Delusional!
Nathan laughs.

Delusional, Anya says.
I, however, have already received and finished my food while you were locked away in the bathroom, powdering your nose.
 

My nose never needs powder, Nathan says.
 

Anya smiles.
No, you're right.
Your nose is perfect.

So, Nathan says, folding his hands.
What are we doing today?
I heard that there's a movie festival.
 

Good movies?
Anya asks.

Nathan shrugs.
Probably pretentious movies.
Or terrible ones.
Aren't all festivals that way?
 

I thought we could visit the Japanese gardens.

There's an idea, Nathan says.
A stroll beneath the maples and cherry blossoms.

The sun is up for another two hours, Anya says.
Maybe it will go down while we are in the garden.
Like last time.

What happened last time?
a woman asks, sliding into the booth next to Anya.
The stranger is almond-skinned, with short, dark hair.
The narrow stripe of gray in her hair catches Anya's eye, and her first thought is, Jesus, that's very cool.

Anya's next thought, which she says aloud, is: What are you doing?

I thought I'd join you for lunch, the stranger says.
Seeing as you're still waiting, I should order.

The stranger drags her finger across the surface of the table, and quickly taps an item from the menu that swims into view.
 

There, she says.
A cheese sandwich.
What were you two having?

Nathan leans across the table.
Alright, who the hell are you?
 

We're having a private lunch, Anya adds.

The stranger smiles calmly.
 

Anya is taken by the stranger's eyes, which seem almost golden in the light.
Then the stranger turns and looks directly at her, and Anya realizes that her eyes are a pale green.
 

Private lunches in public places, the stranger observes.
What a quaint notion.

I'm going to report this, Nathan says, reaching for his wrist.

The stranger cocks her head to the side, as if she's listening to someone that Anya can't hear.
 

Then she says, I'd rather you didn't -- Matthew.

Nathan stops cold.

His name is Nathan, Anya says.
That's all this is, then.
You've just got the wrong table.
 

The stranger doesn't take her eyes off of Nathan.
 

No, she says.
This is most certainly the correct table.

Anya turns to Nathan.
You're sweating, she says.
Nathan?
Are you alright?

What do you want?
Nathan asks.

The stranger smiles, and this time her smile is genuine, almost friendly.
She holds her hand out, and Nathan stares at it, confused.

I'm Tasneem, the stranger says.
And I have a proposition for you, Mr.
Bogleman.

The Japanese gardens occupy a generous portion of real estate on the eastern border of Argus City, a lush green scrawl of land that curves between the city's smaller towers.
The land is domed, its personal atmosphere carefully monitored.
Thousands of Argus residents filter through the park each week.
Humans may have claimed space as their new frontier, but they still crave the Earth.

Wait, wait, Anya says, struggling with the conversation.
 

Tasneem stops and turns back.
Yes, Miss Basura?

Nathan has been strolling next to Tasneem Kyoh, hands in his pockets, brow furrowed, shoulders bowed under a new weight.

I'm still -- I --
 

Tasneem turns to Nathan.
I believe she's struggling with your deception.

You're a Bogleman!
Anya spits out.
Why didn't you tell me?
 

Nathan's eyes are sad.
Why would I tell you?
That's not who I am.
 

Anya says, You tell me because I'm your partner, Nathan.
You tell me because we don't lie to each other.

Nathan Gerard is my name, Nathan says.
It wasn't a lie.
It isn't.

It's a stage name, Anya says.
It's a costume.

Yes, Nathan says.
That's exactly what it is.
A mask.
 

Anya stomps one foot on the pebble path.
You
tell
me these things, Nathan.
 

Tasneem looks on, amused, as Nathan goes to Anya.
 

Sweetheart, Nathan says.
He takes her hands.
Anya.
Look at me.
 

Anya looks at the ground.

Anya, Nathan repeats.
 

She looks up reluctantly.

My grandfather was a very rich man, Nathan says.
On Earth, he threw his money around like a battle axe.
When he moved to space, he had to give up the money, so he learned to throw his influence around instead.
He wasn't a nice man.
He wasn't evil, but he wasn't kind.
He believed in the elite class.
He believed in privilege.

Tasneem walks to a bench and sits down.
She tilts her head again as if listening to someone who isn't there.

Who cares about your grandfather, Anya says.
 

My grandfather invented the Harvard Club, Nathan says.

Anya's eyes widen.

For my grandfather, it was simply a boys' club, he continues.
He and other formerly rich men would gather in secret, share alcohol that they'd skimmed from station resources, and tell stories of their glory days.
I'm sure they had ideas of overturning the class-leveling system of Ganymede -- they probably
hated
being considered the equals of working-class residents -- but to my knowledge they never did much more than bitch and moan about it.

Nathan exhales heavily.
If it had stopped there, it would have been fine.
The Harvard Club was just a bunch of crabby old men.
It wasn't what you know it as.
In fact, it died with my grandfather.
The club disbanded.
 

Tasneem says, Nathan's father was William Bogleman.
 

Anya shakes her head.
William Bogleman was childless.
That's why he was able to be so --

So ruthless, Tasneem finishes.
That was a fabrication.
William had six children, each with different mothers.
Nathan here is the last of the brood.
The runt, so to speak.

Anya turns to Nathan.
You have brothers and sisters?
You told me you were an only child.
 

I am, he says.
They're all dead.
And I never knew them, anyway.

William's children were murdered, Tasneem says.
 

Anya gasps.
 

Nathan looks down at his feet.

They were murdered by enemies that William made when he resurrected the Harvard Club and turned it into a criminal organization, Tasneem says.
William's children were delivered to him in pieces.
It was quite gruesome.
 

Nathan nods.
I changed my name.
Well, my mother changed it for me.
 

She was murdered, too, Tasneem says.
When she wouldn't give her son up, she was walked to a shuttle dock.
They put her into an airlock.
Then they opened the door, but only a couple of inches.
 

Anya claps her hands to her mouth.
My god, she says.
 

Nathan's mother was --

Stop, Nathan says.
Jesus Christ.

Tasneem nods.
So your boyfriend has a new identity.
I don't know if you can tell, but he's had some reconstructive treatments.
That's not his nose, for one.
 

Anya's eyes are damp.
 

Nathan says, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you.

Anya shakes her head.
I -- you -- Nathan, I --

It's okay, he says.
 

Anya steps into his arms.
Nathan looks over her shoulder at Tasneem.
 

What do you want, really?
he asks.

Tasneem says, What do you know about David Dewbury?

In here, Tasneem says.
 

She leads Anya and Nathan into a narrow space between two towers in the Gaia District.
Tasneem presses her palm against a sheer wall, and it shimmers and becomes transparent.
Inside, Anya can see modest living quarters -- a simple bed, a table and chair, a basic kitchen module.