The Spell of Rosette - Kim Falconer [176]
‘What do you mean?’
‘Water’s been currency for centuries. What will happen when it becomes so plentiful that everyone has all they need?’
‘Simple. People will have it, appreciate it, enjoy it and not hoard it. There’ll be no need to.’
‘No more water wars?’
‘No reason for them.’
‘How do you start such an endeavour?’
‘First up, we’re making water purifiers.’
‘Those we sell.’ An’ Lawrence spoke as he joined the table. Rosette hooded her eyes, listening.
‘Exchanging, really,’ Kreshkali added. ‘It’s going to go well. You’d be amazed at how resourceful people have become, how many skills they have.’
‘It’ll go even better when we get more solar panels set up.’ Jarrod looked out the window at the haze of sunlight. ‘We’d better get to the strip and start bringing them in.’
‘Let’s do it,’ An’ Lawrence said, grabbing his coat. ‘Kali, do you think your Lupins will lend a hand?’
She closed her eyes for a moment. ‘They’re already there.’
‘I’m coming,’ Rosette said, struggling out of her bed.
Jarrod shook his head when she reached for her clothes. ‘Relax while you can, Rosette. There’s plenty for you to do when you’ve healed. Plenty for us all to do.’
‘He’s right,’ Kreshkali said. ‘Have a soak, eat, and start the healing. We’ll be back soon.’
‘But what about the worm, Jarrod? What if it’s still lurking in any old systems?’
‘I wrote a program to detect and quarantine it while I was in my original hardware.’
‘How long did that take?’
‘To write, download and install? One point five nanoseconds.’
She sighed. ‘You sure aren’t the boy next door.’
‘We won’t be long,’ he said. She watched as everyone but Grayson filed out the door. It clicked softly, leaving her feeling small in the large empty space.
‘Did you draw the short straw?’ she asked when Grayson looked her way.
Drayco chuckled in her mind as he stretched out in a brilliant patch of sunlight.
Grayson held up his bandaged arm. ‘I’m hardly much good to them until this heals.’
‘Nice try,’ she sighed. ‘I can tell they asked you to babysit me.’
He asked them if he could, Maudi.
Oh…really?
‘It’s my pleasure,’ Grayson replied.
As she eased herself into the hot tub, Grayson pulled up a chair beside her. ‘So much pure water. It’s overwhelming, and beautiful,’ he whispered.
Rosette realised he wasn’t looking at the water. ‘You’ll have to see Gaela,’ she said, ‘if you think a porcelain tub is beautiful.’ She closed her eyes and leaned her head back.
‘Gaela?’
‘The world where I was born. We’ve bathing pools the size of ASSIST there, huge caverns and gorges, mountain lakes…Maybe I can show you. We could do my tattoo there, travel around a bit.’
‘There are arroyos you can bathe in?’
‘Oh my, yes. White granite ones with crystal-clear, steaming hot water from underground thermals.’ She pressed a washing cloth into her forehead. ‘Of course, you can swim in the ocean too.’
‘I’d love to learn to swim…’
He said it so wistfully she opened her eyes. ‘Where was the sun when you were born?’
His brow creased. ‘You mean my astrological Sun sign?’
‘Do you know it?’
‘It’s banned, or used to be banned, to even record such things, but my mother did.’
‘It’d be a water element for sure.’ She rinsed jasmine blossoms from her arms.
‘You got that quick. My Sun’s in Cancer.’
‘Cancer? I don’t know that one.’
‘The sign of the Crab? Starts at the summer solstice, in the northern hemisphere. It’s ruled by the moon.’
Her face lit up. ‘Great Isis! It’s called the Cobra in Gaelean astrology, representing the power of the moon goddess, feelings, emotions, instincts, magic.’
‘That sounds right.’
‘It explains your passion for water, and the sacred arts.’
He smiled. ‘Rosette, everyone on Earth has a passion for water.’
‘But not quite like yours.’
She sank deeper into the tub, her hair rippling under the surface about her waist like a kelp garden. The tightness in her head eased.
‘Tell me more about this design you’re thinking of?’ Grayson asked after a lengthy silence.