and Cricketâs, you do know what this will look like? What people in town will say?â
The soulbot grinned. âLike the evil robotic Next have invaded the planet Lym and killed the native robots dead?â
To think he had once wondered if Yi had a sense of humor. âLike that. I think you should avoid Manna Springs until we find out what happens there and how this gets spun.â
Nona came up and touched his arm. âMaybe I should go check on Manny.â
âIâll go with you,â he said.
âYou canât. If you get caught theyâll kill you or lock you up or something.â
He stopped. Was she right? He had never felt anything other than safe in Manna Springs, but then again neither had Manny. Davis was dead, and Manny was under siege.
Amfi, still right next to him, looked up at him. âWe could use you out here.â
They might need a real ranger. He didnât want to be separated from Nona, but he had to do his job. âJean Paul can go with you.â
âOkay.â She looked around at the Port Authority robots. None of them moved. She slowly walked toward the one that Jean Paul had destroyed. It was hard to see details, or to separate parts.
She stared down at it.
âHere!â Jean Paul called.
She turned and caught a holstered handgun. Charlie expected her to drop it, but instead she stared at it, felt the weight of it. âMaybe I need this.â
Jean Paul replied, âMaybe you do.â
âWe should burn them.â
Charlie said, âIt wonât work.â
âSo then what? You need to get rid of them.â
âThey could have a hundred body cams each. Theyâre probably recording us right now.â
Amfi sniffed. âThereâs a lot more interesting stuff than this happening on Lym right now.â
Charlie stared at the robots. The one Jean Paul had destroyed probably didnât have any electronics at all left. âIf the Port used beacons to track them here, they might give away the location of the cave. Itâs not very far away. We can dump them over the edge with the skimmer.â He had trouble believing he was actually suggesting that they litter the river with toxic technology.
Nona didnât flinch at the idea. But then, she probably didnât understand the damage that might do. âJean Paul and I can do that.â
âThat might make you a target.â
âI donât think so.â
She would be in danger in Manna Springs or with him. Or in transit. He didnât want her to go. But it was cold and almost dark, and Manny might be in trouble.
The robots were heavy, but not enough to unbalance the skimmer. âJean Paul, is that okay with you?â
Jean Paul didnât look happy about it, but he clearly understood. âSomeone needs to check on Manny.â
He glanced at Cricket. âIâll keep her.â
Jean Paul started toward the mess heâd made. âWeâll load the skimmer.â
Charlie headed for one of the broken Port robots, but Nona pulled him with her into the nearby trees, buying them some privacy. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his mouth and cheeks and nose and his mouth again, tasting of desire.
He almost forgot there were so many people near them.
She shivered in his arms.
He scooped her up and held her so close he could feel her heartbeat like a small bird against his chest. âI only just picked you up.â
âBad first date lines,â she said.
âYou know what I mean.â
He leaned down to kiss her. They didnât speak for quite some time. Periodically he noticed a grunt or the rattle of someone hauling a robot into the cargo end of the skimmer. Yi could do this easily. He was free to enjoy these few moments. âIâll meet you soon. Maybe as soon as later tonight.â
âIâd like that. But Iâd hate to have flown all the way here from the Deep just to watch you get lynched.â
He