Free Shifting Currents by Lissa Trevor Page A

realized her emotions had triggered it. She lowered her eyes and actively disengaged the link between her and the radio. The chief cleared his throat. “Of course any rational person realizes the bigotry and nonsense behind the assassins’ ideology. They had started out exterminating Shifters, telling us that they were feral and that they were becoming bogeymen from the old stories. Werewolves, dragons, that type of nonsense.”
    The three Shifters surrounding Bethany made disgruntled noises.
    “Sadly there were some who believed their lies. All of us have a story to tell about what has hunted us in the great night. Those of us old enough to remember the days after the meteor can tell you that if these super creatures really existed, they would have taken over in the chaos years that followed. Might making right and all that. The tribes of the Northern Conclave have made a decision to excommunicate the Purebloods. No tribe will offer them sanctuary or respite. Those who are found to have aided them will be given the same fate. The Purebloods are to be killed on sight. For the good of the tribes and all of our futures.”
    There were even more distressed murmurings going on with that. On the one hand, it was good to kill an enemy. On the other hand, how many people were going to offer as an excuse “I thought he was a Pureblood” for murdering their neighbor? But then again, it was good that the tribes were taking a stand against the genocide on what a few crazies thought were “nonhumans.”
    The next up to speak were two men dressed in fine wool jackets and heavy canvas pants. They might have even been wearing pre-Meteor boots, but Bethany couldn’t get a good look at them from the angle she was sitting at. Lisa nudged her knee with her nose, and Bethany made sure she paid attention.
    “My name is Lewis, and this is my partner, Clark. We’re looking to hire a team of professionals to take a journey across the country to the Pacific Ocean.”
    He waited until the mutterings died down.
    “We will need Techs and Shifters, hunters and looters. We’re going to investigate rumors of a college library, still intact and above the waterline.”
    This time it took a good ten minutes for the chattering to die down.
    “I am offering ten items of salvage from the library, full meals, and transportation to and from the site. Also anything you loot for yourself along the journey is yours to keep as well. We’ll start from our base camp a few hours’ away in New York, travel through to our territory in Colorado, and then onward to Nevada where we’ll pick up our boat.”
    “How are you planning to get across the country?” a farmer shouted up.
    “We have taken great pains to rebuild steam engines and tracks.”
    “All the way to Nevada?” A disbelieving voice popped up from the back.
    “Please speak with your chiefs and then come to us once you have obtained their permission for this journey.”
    “Permission?” Bethany straightened up. Since when did she require permission to do anything? She tried to catch Maya’s eye, but Maya was frowning and writing something down into the bound book she always carried. This didn’t bode well. She couldn’t even speak to Lisa about it without George and Steven overhearing.
    Next up were all the merchants who spent about five minutes each explaining what they were selling and willing to trade. Despite her growing agitation, Bethany noted that there were a few booths she was going to have to visit before she left.
    When the conclave’s meeting broke up, Bethany made a beeline for Lewis and Clark. She had read history books when the looters found them, and she had been lucky that the Orange Grove tribe had a few retired teachers who took it upon themselves to come out of retirement to teach the children. They were no more Lewis and Clark than she was Pocahontas.
    Lem blocked her path.
    “Not interested,” Bethany said and tried to scoot around him, but the wolves kept getting