Spear of Light

by Brenda Cooper

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.”

  She grinned, raised the glass in a tiny salute, and took a sip. “Yep. Bitter.”

  “Too much?” Manny asked.

  “Perfect.”

  Wind rattled the windows and Manny grimaced as he led them up the stairs to what was almost certainly the best set of rooms in the house. They sat together on a small covered balcony, with a slim metal rail and four metal seats around a small table.

  The porch was in the lee of the wind, although it swept across the back of the hotel and tore loose bits of roofing free and took them away. Manny brought them each a lap-blanket and they curled up, watching the darkening sky. Night-hunting birds and bats began to come out, and down the street a soft yellow light snapped on.

  Nona downed half her drink in one long swallow and gave Charlie a look that almost screamed, “please hurry.” Manny also watched him.

  Hesitating to talk didn’t make the threat any less real, so Charlie took a deep breath and started catching Manny up. “Remember the station I apprenticed on? Desert Bow Station? We were just there. The Shining Revolution has taken it for a base, and they’re populating it by stealing people from our farms, and even a few from here. Planning to attack Next’s Reach, the new city they’re building. Or at least we thought they were Shining Revolution. Nona figured out they weren’t really, unless you asked them. They thought they were. But they didn’t have any direct orders. Just a bunch of guys who had decided to call themselves revolutionaries and come to Lym and do the right thing. They were going to attack the Next just because that seemed right to them. They’re thugs.” He didn’t sound very coherent, even to himself. He glanced at Manny, who looked solemn. At least he didn’t look confused. Charlie kept going. “We went into the desert with them. They had a promise of help, but none came. As far as we could tell, nothing happened like it was supposed to, and the highlight of the night was watching a long line of newly minted Next run by completely unmolested.

  “When we returned to the base there were extra ships and sharp uniforms. After I made sure everyone was as safe as I could make them, I went exploring. Sure enough, I found the pilots. I’d swear they were real Shining Revolution. They said we have two days until they destroy Nexity, and they plan to make Manna Springs their base.”

  Nona finished her drink in another single long swallow. She stared at him, probably trying to decide why he didn’t tell her earlier. Hopefully she’d let him explain later.

  Manny
set his glass down and asked, “Did they mean it?”

  “I think so.”

  Two more lights flipped on in nearby houses. There were families behind those windows, maybe sitting down to dinner.

  “Did you tell anybody else?” Manny asked him.

  “I came to you first.”

  Nona gave him a slightly frustrated look. “He didn’t even tell me until just now. Two days won’t be enough notice for the Deep to help us. Or anyone else.”

  Manny spoke softly to her. “A few more hours wouldn’t have made that any different.”

  They watched dark close around the city, no one saying anything. Charlie savored the sound of the wind, which was apparently trying to decide whether or not to whip itself into a regular little storm. Manny looked deeply contemplative. Nona tapped her foot on the floor. She said, “I think I need to find the Historian even more now. I’m going.”

  She stood up and started folding the blanket. “Call Satyana, too,” Manny said. “But please don’t tell anyone else yet. We need to plan first.”

  She set the blanket down. “People have a right to know.”

  “Soon,” Manny said. “Maybe even by the time you find your friend. I think he’s in Hope. You’ll hear the message. Don’t panic people before that.”

  “I have to tell the Next,” Nona said. “I’d think they’d know . . . they haven’t said anything that we know of. You saw them last, right Manny?”

  It was Manny’s turn to finish his drink. “You can’t. Do you know why you weren’t all destroyed over in Entare?”

  Nona looked impatient. “No.”

  “Because the Next could plausibly pretend they didn’t know for sure that they were going to be attacked. If they had known, they would have blown you two to bits when they went after the people you were with. They have some crazy no-mercy rule.”

  “Well, then.” She smiled. “Doesn’t that solve our problems? Tell the Next and they destroy the Shining Revolution and then everybody leaves us alone?”

  Charlie felt certain Nona was teasing, but a look of alarm flashed across Manny’s face. “That’s a lot of death. The Shining Revolution is made up of people like the ones you just went and rescued.”

  Nona stopped, leaned down, and kissed Manny on the top of the head. “You’re right, silly. I’ll even tell Satyana not to tell anyone she doesn’t have to. But people will need to prepare. Soon.”

  “It would be handy if Satyana sent some ships.”

  “Maybe she already has,” Nona said. She slid through the door and closed it behind her.

  “What did she mean by that?” Manny asked.

  Charlie gave it a long think while he stared at the shifting darks of the sky. “I think she meant we heard a lot about Gunnar Ellensson having ships out here.”

  “I don’t know what to think about that,” Manny said.

  “I don’t either.”

  Manny stood up and folded the blanket. “At least I already told almost everyone to go away. Now we’ll have to see if they do.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

  NONA

  Nona hurried out of Manna Springs. The town had curled up inside itself to wait out the wind that whipped her loose hair against her cheeks and the cold that forced her to walk as fast as she could.

  She didn’t stop to check on her embassy.

  A young man stood at the edge of town, watching her approach. “Are you Nona Hall?” he screamed into the wind.

  “Yes.”

  “Okay. Manny told me to give you his power-cycle.”

  “Oh. What’s that?”

  He pointed at a little two-seater ground vehicle. “Can you ride it?”

  The power-cycle was essentially black wheels as tall as Nona with bright yellow safety striping, a leather seat, and a control board on a simple mounting stick. “Show me how?”

  He took her over and stood shivering beside her, pointing out controls. When he finished, he said, “Get on and ride around here. Start and stop and slow down. I’ll wait until you’ve got that down.”

  The craft was amazingly responsive. It had enough strength to get through the wind without much shudder, even when she turned sideways to it. She waved at her benefactor, who waved back and then jogged away. He was probably looking forward to a warm room and something even warmer in his belly.

  She chose to ride around the edge of the spaceport to avoid drawing too much attention. Ships loomed and spiked to her left, and the open land around the tarmac made a flat darkness to her right. The wind of her speed mingled with the cold pre-winter wind, bringing goose bumps to the bare skin on her hands and ankles.

  The Wall came on her fast, a dark blob decorated with strings of tiny white lights that moved in mesmerizing patterns. She took the power cycle up over the same twisting path she’d walked the last time she came here alone, the looping thinness of it making her stomach light as air. A sentinel Next didn’t move at all as she passed it, although she had the distinct sensation it watched her. It might have been the same one that carried her the first time she came here.

  She parked in a large lot near the edge of the Mixing Zone. To her surprise, a tall woman she’d seen in Manna Springs came up and relieved her of the machine, checking off a box on a tiny slate that hung at her waist. Too bad. Maybe she’d have to buy one for herself. The thought made her laugh.

  She’d remember to thank Manny.

  She strolled quickly through the Mixing Zone, stopping at the door into Hope and giving her name. The wide door swung open for her with no challenge whatsoever. Probably also something to thank Manny for.

  Inside, she looked for one of the greeters who helped new people. They were always dressed in bright green, which made it a fairly easy task. As soon as she found one, she asked, “Can you tell me where Dr. Neil Nevening is staying?”

  The woman looked down. “He has a restricted list of allowed visitors.”

  “Nona Hall,” she said.

  “Oh. Yes. Down toward the end, there’s a bar named Hope’s Lasting Love. Right past it there’s the Everlasting Hotel. He’s in the penthouse suite.”

  “Thanks.”

  Hope was busy today. She passed a number of people so fresh and new they were glancing at their slates to check where they were, and one woman who just stood, staring at the Wall as if it were a unicorn.

  The hotel was easy enough to find, although she had to give her name to two different security people to get upstairs. She tried to stay patient; at least they were keeping him safe. When she finally stood outside his door, her hand shook as she knocked.

  He opened the door himself. He looked exactly like she had last left him, except she’d never seen him outside of his office, which had reeked of the power he held as a member of the High Council of the Diamond Deep. He seemed smaller and warmer without the trappings.

  He folded her in a hug, the movement more intimate than any touch she’d ever shared with him. He was a slight man, thinner and shorter than Charlie, with the intensity of a driven academic rather than the sharp glances and careful carriage of a ranger. As always, he wore a mundane brown that matched his hair and eyes, as if he wanted to move through the world as a nearly invisible man.

  Nona freed herself from his embrace and backed up a step. “I won’t pretend I’m glad to see you here.”

  He smiled. “Satyana would tell me the same thing. But perhaps you don’t understand. I’ve never been so certain of a path before in my life.” He gestured to her. “Come, sit down. I’ll make you tea.”

  She sat on a brown couch that fit the brownness of him. The suite had a small kitchen. He heated water and brought her tea in a pretty little teapot shaped like a fat tharp with stylized eyes, which made her smile. “I half-expected that you’d have that yellow china tea set, the one with the tiny cups.”

  “I gave it to Satyana.”

  She held her hand out for a cup and said, “She’s loved that set since the first day she saw it. But tell me why you chose this, and whether or not
you’ve even been accepted, and when this . . . might happen to you.”

  He sat on the other end of the couch, turned toward her. “I haven’t been accepted yet. So I don’t know when anything might happen. They’ll call me any time, they said, or maybe even come to me and interview me.” He smiled. “So I can practice getting my story straight by talking with you.”

  “All right.” She blew on her tea and then sipped it carefully. It smelled of the trees here, like something Amfi had made for her once.

  “I’m a historian. If I went on the way I have been, especially if I kept my position as a High Councilor, I’d only have access to the history of the Diamond Deep. I’d have only known about Lym from video and news, but I wouldn’t have smelled it or tasted it.”

  “I’ve smelled Lym, and I’m not turning myself into a robot. Have you seen a sunset yet?”

  “Yes, and a sunrise. Both made me hungry for more.”

  “Of course they did.”

  “And I’d die. Maybe not right away, but I’m over two hundred now, and so I’m at least middle-aged. Maybe more since I’ve been sick a few times.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “I didn’t have any reason to tell you. I’ve been well a long time. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I will die, as will you, as will every human. Even if we take the longevity drugs every day of our lives, we will die.”

  “I know,” she whispered. It didn’t really bother her. But then she wasn’t even a hundred yet.

  “But this way I can live history. A new history. I have no idea what the Next are planning, but it’s not simply a partial takeover of Lym.”

  She leaned closer to him. “Do you know that?”

  “Don’t you?” he countered.

  She thought it through. “I suppose. It is a lot of effort for something they don’t really need. The only thing they seem to be really paying attention to is making more Next. Charlie was all worried that they wanted trace minerals, and he told me they even talked about that. But they aren’t mining anywhere.” She sipped her tea again, being careful not to burn her lips. “But what do you think they are doing?”