Free By Light Alone by Adam Roberts

undiplomatic, she cleared her throat, rolled her lower lip between her thumb and forefinger and added: ‘Not that there’s really anything we can do as parents. That’s what’s so alarming!’ There was a lengthy silence. ‘So,’ she said, shortly. ‘Anyway, whatever happened to your – dear – um, girl’s carer? I can’t remember her name, the carer’s name I mean.’
    ‘The captain says she’s still in custody.’
    ‘Ysee, these media people I know might make a book of it,’ said Ergaste, abruptly. ‘The world should know this is going on!’
    ‘News,’ hissed Emma at him, like an expletive.
    ‘And I’ll say something else ,’ boomed Ergaste, apparently addressing the bright sky. ‘This holiday hasn’t done an iota to unstring you .’
    ‘But how could it?’ she retorted. ‘How could I unwind, given what happened to poor George and Marina?’
    ‘Marie,’ George said.
    ‘ That’s not it,’ opined Ergaste, loudly.
    ‘Oh? Is it not? What is it then? Is it that you’re using any excuse to get together with those – prostitutes and pole-dancers from ZYZ?’
    ‘Oh for fucking out loud!’ groaned Ergaste, with such volume that several other diners turned to look at them.
    ‘Don’t swear, so! George and Marina have suffered such agonies, and all you do is swear!’ hissed Emma. ‘And you can’t wait to hot-tail it back to—’
    ‘Please don’t fall out on my behalf,’ said George weakly.
    ‘Oh George, if I told you half the things that happened in that ZYZ Media Palace,’ said Emma.
    ‘They might be able to help the man!’ boomed Ergaste.
    ‘—your ears would burn blue! They really would!’
    ‘She’s like this,’ Ergaste appealed to George, ‘dayn, dayout!’
    The Horner-Kings left later that day, cutting their holiday short, and with apologies for leaving George in the lurch. But he could tell them perfectly truthfully that he didn’t mind. He was looking forward to spending some time alone. He actually was. ‘They’ll find her,’ Ergaste asserted. ‘It’ll be a ransom, that’s what. What else could it be?’
    ‘I’m sure you’re right.’ And the two Horner-Kings and their kid and their kid’s carer got into a flitter and in moments they had all vanished into the wide sky.
    After that George took some little care (and, in truth, it was not hard) to avoid picking up any new friends. He drifted through the days. He drank.
    One day, a week or so after the departure of the Horner-Kings, he went back to Do ğ ubayazit to meet the commissioner again; accompanied this time not by the captain but by one of her subordinates. The news was not positive. He was told that there was nothing to report. None of the local bosses could help. This was either because they were obfuscating, or else because they really did not know. The commissioner considered the former unlikely, given the generous amounts of money that were on offer. ‘It’s possible your daughter was taken outside the district. I am liaising with other districts.’
    ‘But why did they steal her away?’ George asked, in an anguished tone.
    The commissioner dipped his head.
    As he was being flittered back to the hotel, George tried to work out in his own mind whether it was better that the exact possibilities of Leah’s fate remained unspecified, or whether the vagueness only intensified his dread. She was beyond his care, now. But whoever had stolen her, and for whatever wicked purpose, surely could not be tormenting her every single hour of the twenty-four. Could they? There must be times when the misery stopped and she knew relief, or possibly even enjoyed herself? Perhaps she was being kept in a room, somewhere, alone and afraid – but even then there must be moments when the sunlight would crop a section of the opposite wall with brightness. There must be toys for her to play with. Or other children – surely there would be other children. But, you see. But of course you see that the scope of possible