Free Glass Sky by Niko Perren Page A

“Don’t worry. I’m harmless. I’m Ruth. Remember? From the protest? I was hoping for my sunglasses back.”
    “Your sunglasses set off the security scanner at the UN building,” said Tania. She nudged a plastic chair out of the shade of a towering pine and lowered herself into it, keeping a wary eye. “What the hell are Chameleon glasses?”
    Ruth clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh no. There was no time to warn you. I’m sorry.” She looked at Tania slyly. “If you don’t have the glasses anymore, I’d settle for a drink.”
    “You still haven’t told me what you want,” said Tania. “Who are you? How did you find out where I live?”
    Ruth’s smile vanished. “You know what. I did you a huge favor. I got zapped with a paingiver and crammed into a jail cell for two days. ‘Thanks for saving me’ might make a good start.”
    Tania shivered. Dark figures moved through the rain. Protestors screamed. “I’m sorry. Thank you… Are you all right?”
    “I’ve had worse.” Ruth looked at the ground, her lips drawn tight. But then her good humor seemed to return, as if she could channel moods like a radio. “So, why did the new UNBio Director have to be rescued from an environmental protest roundup?”
    “I was curious,” said Tania, relaxing a bit. “I wanted to understand the mood of the crowd.”
    “Curious?” Ruth looked skeptical. “Or sympathetic? Because if the rumors are true, you’re on our side. Which would be a welcome change.”
    The prudent act would be to send Ruth away. Yet… She doesn’t seem crazy. At least not in a dangerous way. Ruth raised her eyebrows and Tania couldn’t help but smile.
    “Why don’t you come inside,” Tania offered. “I haven’t started unpacking, but I’m pretty sure I saw my grocery order in the kitchen. There should be a bottle of red.”
     
    ***
     
    “One drink,” said Tania, pouring two glasses of wine. “It’s my first day at UNBio tomorrow.” She cleared three boxes marked “Kitchen” off the leather couch.
    “Let me make myself useful,” suggested Ruth, lifting one of the boxes and starting towards the kitchen with it. “You have to label them in Spanish by the way,” she called over her shoulder. “La Cocina.”
    They moved boxes as they talked and soon found much common ground. They shared a love of the outdoors, and Ruth had done the same rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. She’d also climbed Mount Hood, which had been on Tania’s list for years. “The climb’s overrated,” grumbled Ruth. “The glacier’s receded so much that it’s just a scramble up loose rubble now.”
    It wasn’t long before the stack of boxes was gone and the wine glasses were empty. Tania poured a second glass and took it into the dining room without even thinking about it. Ruth had taken Tania’s bicycle out of its box and was mounting the rear wheel.
    “So, Ruth. Why are you here?” Tania handed her the wine. “Not for the sunglasses.”
    “I don’t normally stalk people.” Ruth blushed. “But I didn’t think I’d get an appointment through your office.”
    Tania groaned. “Probably right. My computer’s been auto-replying to two thousand emails a day.”
    “I was excited when I heard you might be the new UNBio Director,” said Ruth. “You’re respected in the environmental community, Tania. So imagine my surprise when I recognized you at the protest. I think we could help each other. We are on the same side, and these are desperate times.” Ruth slid the bike’s front wheel into place, lining it up with a practiced ease.
    “Can you believe the nerve of the Canadians?” asked Tania. “They actually proposed a five degree temperature cap. Five degrees. They won’t be happy until they can grow bananas in Toronto.”
    “They can grow bananas in Toronto,” Ruth pointed out.
    “You know what I mean,” said Tania. “Non-engineered bananas.”
    “Anyway, I agree, the UN Climate Summit was a disgrace,” said Ruth. “That