Free The Dark Half of the Sun (The Young Ancients: Timon) by P.S. Power Page B

kidding to lighten the mood. It worked for a bit, until he noticed the time.
    He stopped in the air, the craft very dark, the ground below them just a shade lighter. There would be no way to know what they were landing on, but it almost didn't matter as long as long as he didn't go too fast. The craft was sturdy and couldn't really be damaged as far as he knew. It didn't actually exist, which meant it was stronger in a lot of ways than if it did.
    When he opened the door they were in a place with very dense vegetation, the night air being damp, which probably meant warm. He felt fine, but he had a temperature control unit on. He nearly offered it to George, being the eldest, but it was another thing that his brother had made and that could be a problem. Instead he dug out everything he had that he'd made and handed it over. They climbed out, George handing the shield off to Kara, along with everything but the fire starter.
    "Five hours. If anyone else comes, leave and don't talk to them. Stay in the craft and keep the doors sealed. When we come back we'll signal you by... saying something witty like 'It's George and Kara and we aren't being held at weapons point.' if we say something else, or at least too much different, leave."

    "Got it. Five hours. Don't be late, or you get to walk home."

Chapter three
     
     
     
     
     
     
    The wait was boring and tense at the same time, since the world outside the window was strange and hard to see. The air smelled too. Heavy and damp, with hints of moist earth and strange plants. The one good thing, as far as not being noticed, was that he was literally sitting in a bush. Someone might make him out in the daylight, but until then he was pretty safe.
    There was really nothing to do until people got back, but it was dangerous enough he didn't dare let himself sleep either. Instead he just watched the clock and fidgeted, trying to stay alert. This lasted until about midnight.
    "Happy birthday then." It didn't sound overly cheery, which was annoying when he thought about it. After all, who got to spend their twelfth birthday on some kind of covert mission that even the King wasn't going to admit happened if it went wrong? So it was boring... It was also midnight. Normally he would have slept through this part of the day, wouldn't he? The thought actually got him to perk up a little. It would make a good story someday. Maybe. If not, it was good practice, because it was pretty clear that waiting on nobles was going to mean a lot of down time too. They were the ones with gold, but they also didn't like to be hurried along very much.
    In the morning he was going to need to make the rounds and start reminding people that he could get them places. It was a bit daunting, because Timon didn't really know anyone that well in the Capital, but if he didn't try, no one would hire him. It occurred to him that he could, if she was willing, get Maria to help him make some contacts. She had to know people. Sure, she was a bit hated by a lot people, for declaring war, along with her husband, on everyone else, but infamous could work for this too. People would want to see her just to say they had, and she could let them know that she was trying to make up, telling them about his new service.
    That she had no reason to do that also occurred to him. Meeting someone twice didn't really mean they were friends after all.
    There was the communications device in Tor's sitting room however and it had a direct link to every Count and Countess in Noram. Not the Dukes or Duchesses, which was an oversight, since they were technically important too, if not as powerful as they once were, due to the centrist rebellion a few hundred years before. Still, they had funds to spend on travel, so would be worth getting in touch with, if he could do it.
    The best thing to do would be just asking who to talk to first, most likely. Most people weren't that stingy with information, at least if it wasn't a secret, and it really was