Stranger

by Bryant, S. J.

  She placed it on her tongue and then fell back on her bed. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of the citrus-flavoured sugar melting in her mouth. The refreshing zing soaked through and eased her pounding head and aching muscles. By the time the cube had dissolved she was already fast asleep.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Nova sat on a green patch of springy grass, out of sight of Omi's house and shielded from the sun by overhanging branches. The cool stream bubbled over rocks a few meters to her right sending up a light spray. She held a cup of warm tea in her hands and blew gently on its surface.

  Over the top of the glass she gazed at a rock, the size of a cat. It stood vertically out of the ground, covered in a fine layer of moss. A lizard sat on the top with spines running around its head. It watched her out of the corner of its eye.

  She took a gentle sip and let the warm tea slide down her throat. It left an aftertaste of jasmine on her tongue. She lowered the cup to her lap and continued to watch the lizard.

  She'd come out here to clear her mind and think. Her meeting with Toro the night before kept replaying in her mind. Apparently he'd left in the early hours of the morning, back to the Capital. Nova frowned; he was her best chance for getting off the planet. He just wanted to learn, and if she could give him what he wanted then maybe he'd let her and the other Hunters go.

  Now he'd disappeared and she was left with Omi. So far she'd managed to avoid him but she didn't hold much hope for the rest of the day. She planned to stay in the garden until nightfall and then sneak back to her room. It wasn't an ideal way to live but at least it might save her from being tied to the pole again.

  She sighed as she thought of her fellow companions. There was no way Omi would let her see them again. She just had to hope that he'd kept his end of the bargain and was looking after them properly. Thoughts of Tanguin and Orion dying in a shit-filled hovel filled Nova's head and her hands clenched. The thin glass in her hand cracked and warm tea spilled out over her fingers.

  "Shit." Nova dropped the glass to the ground and wiped her hands on her dress.

  The fine glass fell into sharp fragments, surrounded by a puddle of brown tea.

  Nova took a deep breath, returning her gaze to the lizard. She kept her breathing steady so that her chest barely moved, until some of the rage burned away from her stomach. She'd taken the time to learn some meditation after her run-in with the Ancients so long ago. If she let her emotions get ahead of her she'd lose control and if that happened she could end up a thousand years in the future with no way to get back.

  Sometimes when she was surrounded by silence, she could still see the shadows at the edge of her vision. The people walked back and forth and sometimes spoke; they'd been with Nova for so long that she'd learned to ignore them.

  That brought her back to how the hell she was going to get off Chindo.

  "Nova." The soft voice filtered through Nova's thoughts.

  "Nova."

  Nova blinked and turned to find Meeka standing a few feet away.

  "Omi has asked that we go into the village with him," Meeka said.

  Nova sighed. The last thing she wanted to do was spend time with Omi but she daren't refuse him again, not while the pain in her wrists, and most of her body, reminded her of what had happened last time. She stood, startling the lizard, which scuttled off the rock and disappeared into the trees.

  She walked with Meeka to the front gate where Omi was already waiting.

  "Toro has demanded that I show you some of our ways," Omi said. His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "Any trouble and I will string you straight back to that pole."

  Nova nodded once.

  Omi and his guards led the way down the winding path towards the village. Stalls lined the main street, creating colourful splashes amongst the otherwise dull buildings.

  Meeka limped at the back of the soldiers, keeping her left arm pinned to her side and grimacing with each step.

  Nova walked beside her, frowning. "Have you seen someone about that?"

  "Ree bandaged it for me," Meeka said in a low whisper. "It's not the first time and she knows what she's doing."

  Nova shook her head. The instant she got the chance, she would bring Omi and all of his men down. Her frown deepened. If Toro had a gun there was a good chance that Omi did too. She'd have to be careful if she challenged him; she had no idea how armed he was.

  When they got to the village the people stared at them from beneath lowered lids, shoulders tensed as if they wanted to run.

  "Toro demanded that I give you free reign to look at what you want and take whatever you desire," Omi said, voice tight, as if repeating a practiced speech.

  Nova shrugged and followed Meeka to the nearest stall. Colourful fruits made neat stacks on the wooden bench with thin paper signs declaring the price. The woman behind the stall stepped away from them until her back pressed against the house behind her, colour draining from her face.

  A pile of what looked like oranges took up most of the bench but beside them purple cubes made small towers.

  Nova reached out and touched one of the cubes, it dipped under her fingers like soft jelly. Besides them a bowl of nuts gave off a smell vaguely like banana.

  Nova took one of each and held them up to the woman. "How much?"

  The woman shook her head and pushed herself even harder against the wall.

  "She won't take your money," Meeka whispered at Nova's side and tugged at her arm.

  "I don't have any," Nova said. "I was hoping Omi would pay."

  Omi stood on the other side of the street, out of earshot, glaring at them.

  "She still wouldn't take it."

  "Why not?" Nova said as she cradled the fruit under her arm and walked to the next stall.

  "Your eyes," Meeka said. "If blue is bad, purple must be worse."

  "So they won't take my money because of the colour of my eyes?"

  Meeka nodded, her eyes serious. "You'd be shocked at what they'd do. I'll tell you about it later."

  At the next stall an elderly man sat hunched on a wooden stool. His white hair hung in wild tangles and he glared up at Nova and Meeka through thick eyebrows.

  Rolls of brightly coloured cloth covered his stall, catching the sunlight. Soft dresses draped across the table and behind him mannequins showed off some of the clothes.

  Nova nodded at the man and moved on. He didn't acknowledge her.

  It continued like that as they moved up the street. Simmering hostility surged beneath the quiet exterior of the village. At every stall Nova met with cold distrust and sometimes hatred. None of the people would talk to her, or take money.

  Half-way up the street they came to a stall draped in black cloth. Unlike the rest of the stands which were packed close together, this one stood alone with space on either side. It was as if the other stalls were drawing away from it.

  Nova peered curiously into the darkness.

  Sitting beneath the black canopy, lit only by a thin candle, was a woman. Her dark hair hung about her shoulders, pieces of coloured ribbon woven through it. She wore a black shirt and loose black trousers and unlike the rest of the villagers she jumped to her feet when they got close.

  "Hello, Stranger," the woman said. Her head barely reached Nova's shoulder and her smile revealed toothless gums. An ugly scar ran down from her forehead, across her temple, to her ear.

  "Hello," Nova said.

  Meeka stood behind her, frozen.

  "I'm sure I can interest you in something," the woman said.

  She waved her hand at her table, laden with mysterious items. Jars with candles gave off a heavy scent that hung in the air around the stall. The orange firelight flickered over pieces of white bone; a human femur and a finger, as well as animal bones. A tiny bird skull that Nova could have held in the palm of her hand stared up at her. It looked hauntingly familiar.

  Crystals and metal carvings took up the rest of the bench, similar to many stalls Nova had seen during her time on T
abryn. Charlatans often sold the merchandise as cures to all kinds of ailments and the desperate population was more than happy to pay for them.

  "This," said the woman. She reached out a gnarled hand and wrapped it around a leather necklace with a golden skull dangling from the end. She held it out to Nova, the skull rocked in the breeze.

  "I couldn't…" Nova said.

  "Take it," said the woman. "You never know when it might come in handy."

  Nova shrugged and took hold of the skull, surprised by the weight. She pulled the leather over her head and let the skull fall against her chest. The metal seeped warmth through her thin clothes like it had been sitting beside a fire.

  "Thank you," she said.

  "Hey Omi." A loud voice drew Nova's attention away from the woman.

  A middle-aged man leant against a nearby post, sneering at Omi. He had a small eating knife in his hand and was using it to pick the dirt out from under his nails. In front of him stood a table laden with all manner of metal contraptions.

  Omi rounded on the man.

  "I thought you had enough bad luck with that freak sister of yours, but I guess it can get worse aye?"

  Omi marched towards the man. Meeka let out a small squeak and took a hesitant step forward.

  "Look. Even Mad-Maya has taken an interest in them," said the man.

  "What's going on?" Nova whispered to Meeka. She laid her hand on her hip where her pistol usually rested and cursed Omi for taking it away.

  "That's Huan," Meeka whispered. "He's nothing but trouble and he and Omi have hated each other since they first saw each other."

  "One more word," Omi hissed.

  "I can give you a bunch of words," Huan said. He hadn't moved from the post, as if he hadn't noticed Omi's looming presence and the sword at his hip. "So has Sia decided to come down and let me show her a real man yet?"

  Omi growled and took another lumbering step.

  Huan stared straight back at him, the smile dropping from his face.

  Nova looked for anything she could use as a weapon but the bare street offered nothing. The merchants stood behind their stalls, eyes locked on the ground. Some of them silently moved the breakable items from their benches.

  As her eyes scanned Huan's stall she took a better look at the contraptions. They had handles and dials like machinery, it was the first she'd seen of that kind since landing on Chindo, except for Meeka's inventions. Nova's eyes caught on a familiar object; it was the screw device Meeka had shown her for transporting water.

  "He took your invention!" Nova hissed out of the corner of her mouth to Meeka.

  Meeka's mouth dropped open. "No, no no! Please don't mention that here."

  "But he stole it…"

  "I gave it to him to sell," Meeka said in a rush. She gazed up at Nova, eyes wide.

  Nova raised one eyebrow but bit down on any further questions. There were more important things to focus on. Like Omi's twitching hand.

  Huan straightened from his pole and stood with his feet spread wide apart. He was the same height as Omi and they glared at each other with mutual hatred. The air buzzed with tension as the two men faced off against each other. The closest villagers backed away, abandoning their stalls.

  "Let it go, let it go," Meeka whispered.

  "How dare you insult me and my family. You are nothing but filth," Omi said. "I should have had you killed the instant I saw you."

  Huan stood a little straighter. "And I should have killed you for being such a pompous asshole."

  Omi laid his hand on his sword.

  "Don't draw it, don't draw it," Meeka's voice wavered.

  "If he draws, the other guy might back down, then we all go home in one piece," Nova said.

  Meeka looked at Nova as if she'd just announced that she had been born with two heads.

  "Have you learnt nothing?" Meeka whispered. "If Omi draws his sword he's honour-bound to finish the challenge. One of them would have to die and Huan doesn't stand a chance."

  Nova's heart jerked in her chest and she looked back at the battle with new understanding. The eyes of every villager locked on Omi's hand on his sword. Nova's stomach turned; Huan's life hung in the balance. He'd come off as a loud mouth, but he didn't deserve to be slaughtered like an animal.

  Huan's fists clenched at his sides and his eating knife glinted in the sun. Omi's nostrils flared as he gazed at Huan, as if daring him to make another comment.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  "My Lord!"

  A middle-aged woman with greying hair rushed over. A basket hung over her left arm, piled high with chunks of fish. Their wet scales flashed in the sun, drawing attention away from Huan's knife.

  "My Lord Omi," the woman said again. She came to a stop in front of Omi and fell to her knees. She held the basket high above her head. "I know river fish are your favourite. I spent all of yesterday catching these for your greatness. Please accept my unworthy gift."

  Omi's eyes fell away from Huan to the woman. He stared down at her and the basket of fish with some confusion. Unconsciously his hand fell away from his sword as he reached for a chunk of fish. He brought the meat to his mouth and chomped down. His expression didn't change.

  When he swallowed he stepped back as if to get a better view of the woman. "Fisher Zien," he said. "You've outdone yourself."

  The village, including Nova and Meeka, breathed a collective sigh of relief. The stall-holders returned to normal business while the man in the stall next to Huan's grabbed hold of the other man's arm and dragged him away from the street, into the nearest building. The woman with the basket of fish beamed up at Omi, her face glowing with pleasure.

  "I will award your house fifty silver for such a gift," Omi said.

  The woman nearly dropped the basket in her hurry to bow before Omi. Her head dropped to the dirt three times before she stopped long enough to beam back at Omi.

  He took the basket from her and shoved it at one of his guards. The man fumbled for the handle and caught it just in time to stop the fish from falling out over the ground. Omi nodded at the woman and cast one last look to where Huan had been standing before moving on.

  Nova glanced at Meeka and relaxed her shoulders. "Well that was close."

  "It's still not good," Meeka said. "Omi will be in a bad mood after this. Why did Huan have to open his mouth?"

  "Why did he?"

  "Because Omi killed his father," Meeka said under her breath.

  They were walking down the middle of the road, out of hearing of the villagers.

  "What?" Nova said, her steps faltering.

  "His father was an elderly man, nearly seventy and his eyesight wasn't good. He accidentally sold Omi some bad meat. And of course, he was punished."

  "What do you mean 'of course'?" Nova asked, horrified. "He was an old man, he made a mistake!"

  "I know." Meeka hung her head and stared at the road. "I tried to reason with Omi but he was sick for two days after eating that meat. He was furious."

  "But that's—"

  "That's Omi," Meeka said. "I'm lucky Huan still talks to me. He's not always nice but he's the only one who will stock my inventions."

  Meeka's gaze slipped to the water transporter.

  "I don't blame him for hating Omi," Nova said. "I hate him and he hasn't done anything that bad to me."

  "Huan hates all kinds of authority," Meeka said. "He hates everything about Chindo. It's a wonder he's survived this long."

  Nova nodded but said nothing. She also gazed at the spot where Huan had been standing. There was defiance in his eyes, the kind of burning desire for change that she'd seen in lots of revolutionaries. Hell, she'd had that same feeling herself when she looked at the Confederacy. Maybe Huan would be the one to bring change to Chindo; he clearly wanted to get rid of Omi.

  "Omi's looking at us, we should keep moving," said Meeka.

  They came to the end of the stalls, although Nova's enjoyment of them was coloured by the recent incident. After the market stalls wer
e a handful of shops. The first had a wooden sign dangling above the door with a picture of a small rodent on it.

  Nova shrugged and pulled off her boots. She left her shoes at the door and pushed past the thin screen. Inside a handful of candles cast fluttering light against the thick darkness. Their intermittent glow bounced off the walls and lit up the cold, dead eyes of a hundred animals.

  Nova's heart leapt into her throat and she took an involuntary step back. From every shelf and every spare inch of floor, animals looked up at her. Or at least, they used to be animals. They were frozen in animated poses, their eyes dull, glassy. Most of them Nova didn't recognise, although a monkey-like creature stood beside the door wearing a long coat.

  By her left foot crouched a small orange creature that looked like a fox and behind that was a rodent, similar to the one on the sign above the door, which looked just like a rat. On the shelves birds looked down at her with sharp eyes and in the corner a bear-like monstrosity towered over her.

  Past the stuffed animals stood a rack of furry skins. The fur had been cleaned and brushed to a bright sheen.

  She stood at the doorway with an expression of utter confusion.

  "It's like I've stepped back in time," she whispered. It wasn't something she said lightly, considering she had actually stepped through time.

  "You must have such shops," Meeka said. "Where else would you get warm clothes? I don't like the stuffed animals but lots of people do."

  She looked at the bear, mouth turned down.

  "We—" Nova tried to answer Meeka's question but she didn't know how to explain that most of their clothes were assembled molecule-by-molecule, by machines. She gave up and settled for taking a slow walk around the store.

  At the very back, leering out at them from behind the counter, sat a woman in a black shall.

  "If it isn't Misfortune herself," the woman said, her voice cold and scratchy.

  Meeka didn't reply.

  "And you. Make me tarnish my reputation by making me look after that filthy, dishonourable companion of yours." The woman's eyes bore into Nova as she snorted and spat a goblet of mucous at the floor. It landed and quivered on the floorboards by Nova's bare foot.