Mirror Space - Marianne de Pierres [41]
‘Principe?’
He nodded thanks, and she left him.
He drank deeply and stared out across the open ground to the tree line that divided them from the beach. Leah had set, bathing the island in softer, almost bearable, warmth. Trin stood and stretched. Sleep had revived him enough to bring back the bite of hunger, and he walked from cave to cave, searching for Juno Genarro.
The Carabinere lay next to one of the women, his distant cousin Josephia Genarro, whispering. He sat up when he saw Trin. ‘Principe?’
‘I will go to the beach. Djes has not brought food yet.’
Juno began to climb to his feet but Trin forestalled him.
‘No. Stay. There is enough light left that I will be back before dark.’
Juno slumped back gratefully. ‘Walk with care. Do not get lost, Principe.’
In the fading light, the vegetation seemed altered, and Trinder broke through to the shoreline to the south of where they’d landed. He picked his way along the waterline towards the shadowy shapes of the flat-yachts. The low tide and the efforts of the men had beached them but they would need to find another way to secure them from freak waves.
He approached on feet made silent by the breakers. Where was Joe Scali? Where was Djes?
Then he heard them; the low murmur of voices coming from between the two yachts. He hastened, worried that she was hurt, or too exhausted to walk inland. He slipped past the bow of the first yacht and called out.
What had been one shadow on the sand between the yachts suddenly became two as Djes and Joe Scali pulled apart.
For a shocking moment he thought that the two of them had been embracing in the way of lovers, but as Djes found him and threw her arms around his waist, he crushed his unworthy suspicion.
Such a thing would never happen. It would not.
JO-JO RASTEROVICH
‘What is it?’ Jo-Jo asked the question that was on all of their minds.
Latourn and Catchut stood on either side of Rast staring at the same image above the Primo vein that was making Jo-Jo’s jaw clench. The ‘zoon’s buccal smelt stronger than normal; an astringent odour that reminded Jo-Jo of an aged shark he’d cleaned straight from the sea one time. Iodine. It made his eyes water. A stress smell, he decided. The ‘zoon’s pining for her.
‘Looks like a frigging wheel hub,’ offered Catchut.
‘It’s a drum,’ Rast corrected. ‘Or based on the design of one.’
Jo-Jo cocked his head at an angle to get another perspective. The object spinning slowly in the image captured by the ‘zoon’s sensors was like a giant cylinder wrapped in skin.
‘What’s a drum, Capo?’ asked Latourn.
‘They used to use instruments to make music.’
‘Instruments?’ Catchut had drawn a blank from the explanation.
Rast looked helplessly at Jo-Jo. ‘You know what I mean?’
He nodded. ‘They still get used some places where the tech’s limited.’ He continued to examine the image - their first look into Extropy space. ‘But that wouldn’t be here, I’d warrant.’
‘Guess we’re gonna find out first-hand anyway,’ said Rast. ‘Looks like we’re heading straight in there with or without an invitation.’
Alongside the edge of the images, icons flickered and danced in a familiar arrival sequence. The ‘zoon was letting them know of its intention to land.
‘You think she’s down there?’ Jo-Jo’s voice sounded hoarse suddenly.
‘Fedor?’ Rast shrugged. ‘Maybe. I don’t know how strong their symbiotic link is. Could be that the ‘zoon’s just guessing.’
‘Should we arm up, Capo?’ Catchut seemed anxious for something to do.
Rast kinked a corner of her lips. ‘You know my motto, Cat. When in doubt, strap it on.’
Latourn and Catchut grinned and disappeared out of the buccal.
Rast stared at Jo-Jo. ‘You got your head together yet?’
Jo-Jo shrugged, holding tight to his belligerence. ‘Course.’
‘You got any ideas why Beth and the idiot Thales jumped ship with the Lostol?’
‘Why? You think it’s got a bearing on this?’
‘Eventually,’ she said. ‘Everything will.’
‘Didn’t pick you for a philosopher, Randall’