Free The Red Queen by Isobelle Carmody

lower, the Speci that remained began to fear that God had abandoned them. That was when Naha came – she whom the Speci call God’s daughter. She appeared in the Hub like any other resurrectee, but when she woke, she was neither stiff nor confused. It transpired that she knew everything about Habitat and the Speci. She said that she had been sent with a Covenant they must all pledge to obey if they wished to know God’s purpose. Once all Speci had pledged, Naha told them the world they remembered was gone – it had been swallowed by fire and poison and that they alone lived because God had created Habitat and resurrected them to live in it until the world cleansed itself. The Speci then pledged to live by the Covenant Naha had brought, and soon after, new Speci began to be resurrected, but now, most were babies or infants. Naha said this was because adults carried too many memories of the old dead world, which caused them to struggle to adapt to life in Habitat. The few adults resurrected thereafter often went the way of the early Speci, but those resurrected as children or babies did well and those born in Habitat thrived, though they were few.’
    ‘I think it is the fact that we are all grown, save Dragon, that most troubles the Speci,’ Swallow put in. ‘That we know one another only adds to their unease. They fear we will cause disharmony, which is why we strive constantly to be good Speci.’
    ‘This Naha . . .’ I began.
    ‘The Speci revere her still, though she is long dead, not only because she brought the Covenant and dwelt among them until her natural death, enriching them with her wisdom, but because she spoke with God,’ Ana said. ‘Anyone can speak
to
God, who hears all that is said in Habitat, but it is said that God
answered
Naha. Speci make pilgrimages to her grave marker when they want something very badly, because it is believed that her spirit might intercede with God on their behalf.’
    I thought it highly likely that Naha had been one of the Tumen, though I could not imagine why she would enter voluntarily into the benevolent captivity that was Habitat.
    Tell me more,’ I croaked.
    ‘Naha established the first Committee,’ Swallow said. ‘She chose the eleven eldest Speci to serve on it with her, and since then older Speci have always made up the Committee and served on it until they die, or grow incapable for one reason or another.’
    ‘Some of the Speci believe that we were resurrected so close together because births in Habitat have dropped,’ Dameon offered mildly. ‘Resurrectees have proven rather more fertile than those born in Habitat, and adults can bear children sooner.’
    ‘How many . . . Speci are there?’ I rasped.
    ‘At present three hundred and seven, counting us,’ Swallow said. ‘In the beginning there were five hundred, comfortably accommodated.’
    ‘We ought to let Elspeth rest,’ Ana said, a warning note in her voice.
    ‘Yes,’ Dameon said. ‘Elspeth, we can talk more when you are stronger. For now, simply rest and recover.’
    I said nothing, realising that I was as exhausted as if I had ridden for a day, yet I had only been awake a short while and had done little more than listen. I was weary enough that I decided to sleep on what I had learned instead of gnawing on it, as was my wont. This thought reminded me of seeing Maruman prowling through the ruins of a Beforetime city, and I wondered if Gahltha and the other beasts had found him, and Ahmedri and Gavyn. A normal person would give up on us after waiting months, but Gavyn, whose spirit was merged with Rasial’s, was far from normal, and Ahmedri was an abnormally stubborn man. Commanded by the overguardian of the Earthtemple to remain with me until I located Miryum, I had no doubt he would do just that.
    ‘Sleep,’ Dameon murmured, and he began empathising serenity so forcefully that it was easy to see the Talent shared the same root ability as coercion. Unable to muster the will to