Crashing Heaven
Page 39
‘If it’s built on a lie,’ replied Jack, ‘it’s not really peace at all.’
Grey said nothing. Jack turned away from him. The dusk outside had turned to night. The windows had become great dark mirrors, showing all in the room back to themselves. Jack found that he could meet his own gaze. Lestak finally broke the silence. ‘If that’s it,’ she said, ‘I need to escort you out.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Grey. ‘I can show him the way.’
‘Wait,’ Fist cut in. ‘Before you go – will you be seeing Issie soon?’
Lestak smiled sadly. ‘Perhaps. Sometime in the next couple of weeks. She’s exploring the servers of Titan just now, I think. I haven’t talked since she left for out-system. She sounded very excited.’
‘Say hello to her,’ Fist told her. ‘Send her to see us. When she’s back!’
‘I don’t know when that’ll be. But yes, I will do.’ There was something approaching desolation in her voice.
‘Goodnight, Lestak,’ said Grey, with the soft, final force of a dismissal.
‘Goodnight,’ she replied abstractedly. Then she gathered herself. ‘Goodnight, Fist. And Jack. Think about what Grey’s said. Remember who I serve. I’m sure I’ll see you again. Please don’t let it be in my professional capacity. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is.’
And then she was gone, and it was just the three of them.
‘What are you going to do now, Jack?’ asked Grey.
‘You’ll find out, won’t you? Even if I don’t tell you.’
‘No, Jack. I’ll let you be.’
‘Really? That’ll be a first.’
‘You deserve some peace of your own, Jack. You always have done. If it wasn’t for – everything – I wouldn’t have found you again when you came back to Station. I was a victim of circumstances as much as you were; and you were the only tool I had to hand. I’m sorry for that.’
‘Sorry for using me?’
‘Sorry I was placed in a position that forced me to.’ Grey put a hand on Jack’s shoulder. ‘Let it all go. We’ve got the best world we can have, for now – and new lives for you and Fist. I’m glad that this is how it is, glad that all’s settled down.’
‘Glad that you’re back in power. That the people of Station have accepted it all so easily.’
‘East is managing her audience wonderfully.’
‘Always one more string to pull.’
‘We’re all more likely to survive now we’re working together, not against each other. That’s all we ever wanted. But I’m not going to convince you, am I? So it’s time for us to go, at last.’
‘I’ll find my own way out.’
‘All right, Jack. And really – this is as perfect a world as we can ever have. This is a heaven, of sorts. Let it be.’ Another soft touch of his hand, then he was gone.
‘I can breathe again,’ said Jack, letting out a long sigh. ‘I always so want to believe him, you know.’
‘That’s hardly surprising.’ Fist hopped off his chair. ‘He did do a lot for you, over the years.’
‘Always on his terms. Perhaps that’s all that gods can ever do.’
‘Well, he’s gone now.’ Fist sighed. ‘No more battles to fight.’
‘No one shooting at us, at any rate. And very little left to fight back with. Everyone saw you burn your weapon systems out killing Harry, and East’s taken back most of her gifts to me.’
‘You’re going to ignore everything Grey and Lestak said, aren’t you?’
Jack stood up. ‘Come on, Fist. Let’s go.’
‘Seeing Andrea tonight?’
‘If her fetch stabilisation work lets her. If not, there’s my father.’
‘Assuming of course your mum’s persuaded him that you’re not a complete shit. And we’ve got to track down Mr Stabs.’
‘I do hope we can get him rehoused in a better body.’ Jack bent down and put his arms out. Fist hopped into them, nestling snugly in the crook of his elbow. ‘You’re a lot heavier now, Fist.’
‘Well, I’m real, aren’t I?’
‘You always have been.’
Fist laughed. ‘I suppose so. And for all that he’s a manipulative old shit, Grey was right about one thing. We might not have entirely won, Jack, but we certainly didn’t lose. Kingdom was the bad guy, and Harry was pretty fucking evil too. We stopped them both. And you’re the big Totality fan – we helped them, and the dead too. You should take some pleasure in that, at least.’
‘Maybe.’ He half-smiled. ‘It does sound better coming from you than it did from Grey.’
They were at the door. The lights in the room hushed to darkness. Jack turned, and with Fist looked out over the city.
‘Home, at last.’
The ghost of a hunting dog nuzzled at them, before blurring and vanishing. Then Jack and Fist were gone too. The dark room was silent, and the city beyond it seemed to be at peace.
Acknowledgements
This book was redrafted many times, and along the way benefited hugely from some great early readers. So, first of all deepest thanks to Alys Sterling, Dave Clements, Neil Williamson, Nick Moulton and Zali Krishna for your very thoughtful and profoundly practical critiques.
An early version of the opening
Chapter s went through the Milford SF Writers’ workshop in 2010 – a particular thank you to Liz Williams, an inspirational presence over the years, and everyone else who was there. Huge gratitude also to everyone who’s been part of the London Cat Herd writers’ group who, over almost a decade, have taught me so much.
This wouldn’t be the book it is if I hadn’t played with the Stella Maris Drone Orchestra and Graan, who together helped me learn how to take advantage of the moment and improvise as I was going along. Danke schön, dröën böys! Thanks to Lloyd Davis and the Tuttle Club for so many excellent digital conversations. And – of course – all the inspiration from Andy Cox and all at TTA Press has been absolutely invaluable.
I couldn’t have pulled Crashing Heaven into its final shape without the help and support of my most excellent agent, Susan Armstrong at Conville & Walsh, and editor, Simon Spanton. And without my wife Heather Lindsley – who was there from start to end with everything from nice cups of tea to ferociously insightful critiques, always at just the right time – Rory and the rest of my family, I wouldn’t have been able to write it at all.
Thank you all.
Copyright
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Al Robertson 2015
All rights reserved.
The right of Al Robertson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in Great Britain in 2015 by
Gollancz
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Carmelite House
50 Victoria Embankment
London EC4Y 0DZ
An Hachette UK Company
This eBook first published in 2015 by Gollancz.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1 473 20342 6
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
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