Free The Dark Imbalance by Sean Williams, Shane Dix Page B
Authors: Sean Williams, Shane Dix
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Roche sighed. <1 only came here looking for answers. I mean, what were they expecting to find in me? A savior or something?>
said Maii.
said Maii.
Roche frowned.
the girl replied.
Roche smiled now. she said.
They stepped out of the clouds and back into the landscape of rolling valleys and trickling waters. Roche groaned inwardly when she remembered the distance they’d come to get this far. Her legs and back were sore from standing for so long.
As though someone had read her mind, an air-car resembling a large silver spoon hummed into view. There were seats for four people in the bowl, all empty.
“I thought you might be weary,” said Nemeth from behind diem. “As attractive as the scenery is, there’s no need to view it on foot twice.”
Roche glanced at Vischilglin, who was frowning. “You arranged this?” Roche asked, suspecting an ulterior motive.
“It is not the council’s will,” said Vischilglin, scowling.
Nemeth shrugged expansively. “Since when did the council start dictating courtesy? I’m offering you all a lift—including yourself, Co-adjutant Vischilglin.” He smiled. “Well, are you coming or not?”
* * *
The air-car sped quietly across the uneven terrain, leaving the steps they had just descended far behind. Although they didn’t move alarmingly fast, there were a couple of moments when the car slued to avoid a jutting ridge, making Roche feel a little uneasy.
Nemeth didn’t appear to be troubled by the craft’s sudden movements. He sat beside her, looking out at the rolling landscape sweeping beneath them, his face split by a seemingly perpetual smile.
As if sensing her staring at him, Nemeth turned to face Roche, and his smile widened.
“Now isn’t this so much easier?” he said. “Perhaps we could even take a more interesting route back to the docks.” Over his shoulder to where Maii and Vischilglin sat, he said: “Do you think the council would approve, Vischilglin?”
The woman grunted an affirmation. She really had little choice now, Roche thought. Nemeth laughed and turned back to look at the scenery.
‘Tell me,” said Roche. “What exactly is it you think I want from you, Nemeth?”
“All, now, that’s the question, isn’t it?” he said. “Make no mistake: I can do any number of things for you, Roche.” He glanced over at her. “If I were so inclined, of course.” When she didn’t react, he went on: “You come at a peculiar time, Roche—when the council is desperate for answers that none of us have. It feels constrained by the very precepts that allowed it to come into being so quickly. It is... limited by its nature.”
“You mean it’s for Pristines only,” said Roche.
He nodded. “But some of us fear that ‘Pristines only’ may not be enough to combat this threat.” He watched the view silently for a few moments; when he spoke again, the smile had faded. “I lost my family back home, you know,” he said. “They were caught in an insurrection while I was serving in a completely different system. A local terrorist branch whipped up enough anti-government action—in the form of riots and infrastructure sabotage—to warrant calling in the army.
Roche sighed. <1 only came here looking for answers. I mean, what were they expecting to find in me? A savior or something?>
Roche frowned.
Roche smiled now.
They stepped out of the clouds and back into the landscape of rolling valleys and trickling waters. Roche groaned inwardly when she remembered the distance they’d come to get this far. Her legs and back were sore from standing for so long.
As though someone had read her mind, an air-car resembling a large silver spoon hummed into view. There were seats for four people in the bowl, all empty.
“I thought you might be weary,” said Nemeth from behind diem. “As attractive as the scenery is, there’s no need to view it on foot twice.”
Roche glanced at Vischilglin, who was frowning. “You arranged this?” Roche asked, suspecting an ulterior motive.
“It is not the council’s will,” said Vischilglin, scowling.
Nemeth shrugged expansively. “Since when did the council start dictating courtesy? I’m offering you all a lift—including yourself, Co-adjutant Vischilglin.” He smiled. “Well, are you coming or not?”
* * *
The air-car sped quietly across the uneven terrain, leaving the steps they had just descended far behind. Although they didn’t move alarmingly fast, there were a couple of moments when the car slued to avoid a jutting ridge, making Roche feel a little uneasy.
Nemeth didn’t appear to be troubled by the craft’s sudden movements. He sat beside her, looking out at the rolling landscape sweeping beneath them, his face split by a seemingly perpetual smile.
As if sensing her staring at him, Nemeth turned to face Roche, and his smile widened.
“Now isn’t this so much easier?” he said. “Perhaps we could even take a more interesting route back to the docks.” Over his shoulder to where Maii and Vischilglin sat, he said: “Do you think the council would approve, Vischilglin?”
The woman grunted an affirmation. She really had little choice now, Roche thought. Nemeth laughed and turned back to look at the scenery.
‘Tell me,” said Roche. “What exactly is it you think I want from you, Nemeth?”
“All, now, that’s the question, isn’t it?” he said. “Make no mistake: I can do any number of things for you, Roche.” He glanced over at her. “If I were so inclined, of course.” When she didn’t react, he went on: “You come at a peculiar time, Roche—when the council is desperate for answers that none of us have. It feels constrained by the very precepts that allowed it to come into being so quickly. It is... limited by its nature.”
“You mean it’s for Pristines only,” said Roche.
He nodded. “But some of us fear that ‘Pristines only’ may not be enough to combat this threat.” He watched the view silently for a few moments; when he spoke again, the smile had faded. “I lost my family back home, you know,” he said. “They were caught in an insurrection while I was serving in a completely different system. A local terrorist branch whipped up enough anti-government action—in the form of riots and infrastructure sabotage—to warrant calling in the army.