The Entean Saga - The Complete Saga

by C B Williams

  Two sets of eyes turned toward Wren. She tried not to squirm.

  “Let’s make her blond and call her Chirp,” Aiko suggested.

  Genji shook his head. “Chirp’s too Sub-City. Making her blonde’s a good idea.”

  Wren rolled her eyes. “How about jet black? Matches my new leg.”

  “Your eyes would pop bright blue,” Aiko said.

  “You’d look dangerous.” Genji said.

  “Dangerous is good,” Wren said.

  “Name?” Aiko asked Genji. “Make it a good one.” She winked at Wren.

  “Nakami,” he said and gnawed at the bone.

  Aiko raised her eyebrows at Wren. “Nakami with jet black hair. What do you think?”

  Wren grinned. “It’s a far cry from Wren, that’s for sure. Yeah, I like it.”

  “Only thing, we’re going to have to take a short trip to Talamh and get your background data. I happen to have an old Sub-City friend living there who can help us out. She runs a brothel.”

  Wren barked out a laugh. “Of course she does.”

  Wren walked through the City like she had the right. She found it the best way to go unnoticed. But it was strange to feel so jumpy on her home turf. She felt like an outsider, and it wasn’t because she had a new identity. No, it was more because over the past nine months since she had walked this stretch of street, she’d been near death, met an alien, been on a ship, and even been to a different planet. She just didn’t feel like Wren, KinLord, anymore. The Universe was so much bigger than that. She thought she might want bigger.

  Before Aiko dropped her off at the City’s spaceport, she’d taken Wren on a flyby of Rubble to see if there was any sign of Eloch. To Wren’s disappointment, they found none. The encampment he’d shared with her was undisturbed, neatly cleaned and stored, awaiting Eloch’s return. Wren was grateful to Aiko for giving her time to wander through and reminisce. Before she left, she wrote him a message to tell him where she was and placed it on the table, anchored by a heavy piece of rubble. If she was lucky, he’d find her. Otherwise, it was time for her to dive back into her life as KinLord.

  If it was even possible anymore.

  She felt ready to find out.

  Two of Mouse’s eyes had been shadowing her for some time, skirting the rooftops, one on either side of the road she’d chosen for her approach. She heard their whistles high above her, mimicking the birds that nested in the eaves and doorways of abandoned areas. They were talking to each other and calling ahead, alerting her Kin, alerting Mouse, by what the whistles were telling her, of an approaching stranger, a stranger who walked with purpose. A stranger who walked like she knew where she was going.

  She’d spent five days nosing around the spaceport and around the UpperUpper. She might no longer be wearing her assassin’s greys, but she knew how to disappear. Her uniform, now currently hidden by her cloak, was a good disguise. No one really wanted to mess with Ring Colonizers, even if their rank was low. Wren had learned that Colonizers were, in a way, considered nearly as important as the UpperUppers, because they could get people off Spur. Funny thing, though, the lower ranks of Colonizers didn’t even realize how important they were. Took someone like her to notice.

  She’d been tempted to go to Max, but chose not to. There was some somebody or somebodies who wanted to wipe her and her Kin off the face of the planet. She decided it was more prudent for them to believe they’d succeeded.

  If she was wise, she’d just disappear and truly become a part of Aiko’s crew. Travel, learn. Perhaps relocate on Talamh or one of the other colonies. There was lots of space on Talamh, she mused, and she’d fit right in with that rough and ready crowd. But she hadn’t stayed.

  She missed her Kin too much.

  The closer she got to the square with the fountain, the more eyes were following her. They were circling around her like a pack of sniffers. Hopefully they were just as lethal. She wanted them to survive.

  A small woman dressed in assassin’s greys slipped from the shadows and blocked her way. Wren saw the glint of a throwing knife where she’d palmed it.

  “Halt!” the woman commanded. “What business have you here?”

  Wren found it impossible not to smile. Slowly, as to not startle anyone, she lifted her hood off and revealed her face.

  “Hello, Mouse,” she said, and felt a laugh bubbling up. “Long time no see.”

  Mouse went white and Wren laughed again, so happy to see her friend and supporter again.

  Mouse had been trailing the stranger ever since she was alerted to a trespasser at the border of the territory they’d mapped out for themselves. It had unnerved her to watch the stranger walk directly to their new KinSpace, as if the trespasser knew where they were.

  It also unnerved her that the woman seemed vaguely familiar. Was it someone in Max’s employ, a messenger of sorts? But they had been so careful. How could Max even know where their new KinLands were? If he did, it was one other hold he had over her, over them. His silence would need to be bought. Her knife and what she did with it the payment.

  Mouse whistled a command to Wings, her best eyes, to see if the stranger was as alone as she appeared to be.

  Wings nodded and dropped out of sight.

  The stranger kept coming with quick, sure strides. A green uniform peeked out from under the cape with each step. Not a Martial’s uniform, then.

  A Colonizer.

  Why?

  Again, Mouse thought of Max. He knew lots of people. Perhaps it was someone who could help with the idents.

  Whatever the purpose of this mysterious trespasser, she was getting too close. It was time to make introductions.

  Mouse whistled to Feather, her next-to-best eye, and commanded her to alert Flick and Spider. She wouldn’t put it past the Martials to send this stranger as a decoy while they flanked the KinSpace and attacked. After what had happened in Sub-City, Mouse, Flick, and Spider were doing their best to prepare for anything, to think like Wren. Caution First.

  Wings whistled a message. The stranger was traveling alone. Mouse sent him back to his watch. She would handle things now.

  With barely a wasted movement, she dropped off the roof and into the path of the trespasser.

  “Halt!” she commanded. “What business have you here?” She readied her throwing knife.

  The trespasser stopped and very slowly lifted her hood from her face, letting it drop back onto her shoulders. She laughed and shook her thick, ink-black hair. “Hello, Mouse,” she said. “Long time no see.”

  Mouse nearly dropped her blade as her field of vision narrowed to a pinpoint and her ears rang. She tried to speak, but could only gasp while the woman stood, hands on her hips, and laughed. It couldn’t be, could it?

  “Wren?” she squeaked. “Wren, is that you?”

  “In the flesh.” Wren held out her left leg and thumped it. “Well, nearly all of me. You thought I sucked at math before. Now I’m really going to suck. I’m down five digits, only fifteen left to count with.”

  Mouse shook her head. She couldn’t quite make the ringing go away. “But you’re dead.”

  Wren laughed again and stepped closer to her friend. “Hardly, though I was close to it for a time.” She reached out, her brow furrowed. “You don’t look so good, Mouse. Why don’t we go over to that building there, and you can lean against the wall.” She started to put her arm around her friend.

  A voice rang out. “Hold! Don’t touch her! Step away!”

  Wren froze and cocked an eyebrow at Mouse.

  “I-I’m okay,” Mouse called and tried to keep the quiver out her voice. “Stand down. I-I’m okay.” Her voice sounded so thick. “Go, bring Flick.” She commanded. She watched her eyes scurry to do her bidding. When the two were alone, Mouse collapsed into Wren’s arms. “Gods, Wren!” she sobbed. “I know you don’t like to be touched, but I have to. I have to touch you to be sure you’re real.”

  Wren smoothed Mouse’s hair and held onto her. “It’s good to see you t
oo, Mouse. I came back as fast as I could. I’m sorry it took so long.”

  Mouse straightened and stepped back so she could see Wren’s face. “You lost a leg.”

  “I lost a leg. Got all chewed up by a sniffer.”

  “Oh, Wren,” Mouse rubbed at her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “Better than being dead, but I’m not going to lie. It’s been rough. I’ve a story or two to tell.”

  Mouse’s smile was watery. “No doubt.” She reached out and ran her hand down Wren’s hair. “Your hair, it’s so—“

  “Black? Straight? I know. It’s my disguise. I’m Nakami, born and raised on Talamh. I’m a new crew member of The Stardust.”

  “Nice to meet you, Nakami of Talamh. I was going to say your hair is smooth. Must have hurt getting all those coil mats out.”

  “Hurt like a bitch, let me tell you. I almost cut them all off. It would have been easier, but,” she shrugged. “With the leg gone, I wasn’t going to lose any more body bits, even though hair grows back.” She had to blink. Why can’t these damn tears stay where they belong?

  Silently Mouse reached out and hugged her friend again. Hard.

  “Don’t,” Wren muttered and tried to push Mouse away.

  Mouse clung harder.

  Finally surrendering, Wren wrapped her arms around Mouse in return.

  That’s how Flick found them.

  He couldn’t tell if they were laughing or crying, or maybe a little of both. He folded his arms to wait. Feeling a presence draw near, he glanced over and saw Spider.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Not sure,” Flick answered. “But from the way they’re carrying on, I think that black-haired woman in the colonizer uni is Wren.”

  Spider’s mouth gaped open, and he looked from Mouse and Wren, to Flick and back again. “And you’re just standing there?”

  Flick shrugged and grinned. “If I went over there, I’d become a blubbering fool. It’s more manly to wait, get a grip on my feelings and all.”

  Spider swallowed and cleared his throat. “Yeah, I get what you mean.” He looked up at the grey sky. “Think it will get colder tonight? More fluffy rain?”

  Flick looked up as well. “Fluffy rain? That’s what it’s called?”

  “Dunno. It’s what I call it. Can’t really call it ice rain, though it is frozen. I’ve never heard of it before,” He scoffed. “I bet it’s got all the UpperUpper’s university professors in an uproar.”

  Flick nodded and rubbed his chin. “I expect they would be puzzled.”

  “Flummoxed.”

  “Yeah, that too. Ready to join the group? I think I’m in control now.”

  “Let’s do it, then.”

  The two crossed over to the women. Flick tapped Wren on the shoulder and she glanced up at him, beaming. “’Bout time you got back here, Wren. Some holiday that must have been.”

  Wren flung herself into his embrace. “I had a couple of hiccups, but I’m here now. Needed to make sure you know what you’re doing.”

  Spider wrapped an arm around Mouse, who leaned against him. “Good to see you survived, Wren,” he said.

  Wren extricated herself from Flick and looked over at Spider. “Good to have survived.” She arched an eyebrow. “And what’s this I see? Mouse, you going after schoolboys now?”

  Mouse reddened and Spider grinned as he tucked Mouse more securely to his side.

  Wren winked at Spider and then glanced at Flick. “Any other couplings I should know about?”

  Flick shook his head slowly and grinned. “Not when they’d have to compete with you.”

  Wren lowered her eyes. “Oh, Flick.” She couldn’t bear to see the light in his eyes, not when she knew it would never come to anything. “Shall we go someplace? Fill each other in? I’m not ready to make myself known to the Kin.”

  She flipped up her hood and tucked in her hair.

  “Allow me to escort you to the Narrows,” Flick said with a courtly little bow.

  “How are you managing?” Wren asked, scanning the square as they headed toward a more private area. “In all this cold?”

  Flick looked over at her again, his eyes bright. “Blankets and wood until Mr. Wizard over here got the heaters going. Now we’re all fairly snug.”

  “That would be me,” Spider said. “I’m the wizard. But I didn’t do it on my own. Flick gave me considerable input.”

  Flick shrugged. “Living in Sub-City all my life where everything breaks makes one creative.”

  “What about the energy drain? Won’t that draw the attention of the Martials?”

  “Max helped,” Mouse said.

  They paused at the door of one of the buildings facing the square. Flick opened it, allowing the others to go ahead of him. Mouse took the lead up the stairs to Flick’s office space.

  The room was filled with a trio of battered desks. Two of the desks were fairly neat. The third had papers strewn all over its surface, a pencil parked haphazardly in the center.

  Wren nodded at the third desk. “Looks like my resurrection is keeping you from your work.”

  Flick rolled his eyes. “Scheduling the watch can wait. It can wait forever, as far as I’m concerned. Pull up a desk and have a seat.”

  Wren took off her cape and blew on her hands before she sat at one of the neat desks. “It’s warmer in here, but not by much.”

  “The heat comes on later in the day,” Spider explained. He drew up a chair and sat near Mouse, who had taken the other tidy desk.

  Flick sat at his desk and idly picked up the pencil, twirling it between his thumb and forefinger.

  “Tea?” Mouse asked. She went into an adjoining room. “It helps keep us warm,” she called over her shoulder.

  “You found Max?” Wren asked while they waited for their tea.

  Spider nodded. “Only Mouse has met with him, although I went with her the first time to the UpperUpper.”

  “Tell her about your disguise.” Mouse called from the other room.

  Spider went red and groaned as Flick laughed.

  Wren looked at the two and crossed her arms, stretching out her good leg. “I think I need to hear about this disguise.”

  “He made a most fetching girl,” Mouse called over the sound of a whistling teapot.

  Wren chuckled. “Did I hear that right?” she asked Spider.

  Spider groaned again and rubbed his face. “I think I’d better tell you. The others are bound to either play around with or ignore the facts.” As they waited for Mouse to return with steaming mugs of tea laced with sweeteners and hot powdered milk, Spider told of his experience as Mouse’s guide into the UpperUpper.

  “Flick actually made a pass at you? That I would have liked to see,” Wren said when Spider finished.

  “It wasn’t exactly a pass. I was just being friendly,” Flick explained.

  Entering the room, Mouse shook her head at him. “His definition of friendly is a lot friendlier than mine.” She handed Wren a mug of tea and another to Spider. “Careful. It’s hot. Be right back.”

  Wren nodded and held the mug to warm her hands while she waited for it to cool. “I like what I see here,” she said after Mouse brought two more mugs from the adjacent room and handed one to Flick before she took her seat by Spider. “You three have become quite the team. And you seem to have settled well into governing the Kin.”

  Flick glanced at her and blew on his mug. “We followed your lead.”

  “Yeah,” Mouse agreed. “You told us what to do, and we did it.”

  “But I’m sure you ran into things I hadn’t thought about.”

  “Not really,” Flick laughed suddenly. “You told us to talk to Spider, here, and we did!”

  “Are you flirting with me again, Flick?”

  He barked out a laugh.

  “The Kin? How are they?” Wren asked when the laughter died down.

  “Surviving. Not thriving yet. We’re all still pretty jumpy. Afraid we’ll be discovered and tossed back into Sub at best
. At worst?”

  They all knew what at worst meant.

  Wren nodded. “And Max? Is he helping with the idents?”

  “For a price,” Mouse said and held Wren’s gaze.

  “I’m sorry, Mouse. I know you want to get out of that line of work.”

  Mouse shrugged. “We do what we need to do. The idents are taking a long time. Max is being cautious.”

  “Good. Good,” Wren said thoughtfully.

  “He was really shocked when I told him you’d died. It sincerely shook him up. I know he’ll be very happy to hear you didn’t.”

  “I think,” Wren said slowly, “we should let me be dead for a while longer. Until I can figure out what really happened.”

  “We know what happened,” Flick said. “We got ambushed and massacred.”

  Wren shuddered. “But who instigated it? Fergus and MacMichaels are too stupid to pull off something like that. Someone didn’t like what I was doing down there in Sub, and I want to find out who and why.”

  “The why would be you were wrecking the status quo, Wren,” Spider said. “It’s pretty obvious the community you were building down there was giving people hope. It’s harder to control a tribe filled with hope.”

  “So the somebody would be the Board of Culls?”

  “It’s where I’d start looking.”

  “Hmm. I wonder how I can use my new ident to get into that group? I wonder what my excuse should be?”

  “I think you need to go to Max, Wren,” Mouse said.

  “Maybe. But not as Wren. Maybe as Nakami.” She shot a glance at Spider. “How much power do the Martials really have?”

  “Not as much as you think. They’re not a governing branch. They receive orders.”

  “So someone ordered the Martials to work with the other KinLords to destroy my Kin? And because I was the KinLord, I had to go as well.” She shook her head. “And now it’s going to just get worse down there.”

  “Already has,” Mouse said softly. “No matter what happens, I’ll never go back there. I’d rather die.”

  “I think that’s the feeling of all the Kin right there,” Flick said. “So,” he continued after a while, “if you’re not going to show yourself, who’s going to be KinLord?”