Building Harlequin’s Moon (49 page)

Then he stepped back and turned away, leaving her standing in the chilling air.

She looked after him, holding a hand to her swollen lips, watching the place he had been for a long time.

R
ACHEL WALKED
. G
REENHOUSES
loomed behind her like shadowy boxes, and she continued out into the open fields, wanting distance between herself and Clarke Base. The fields felt cold and dark, and even the stars offered little comfort. She straggled home in the first light of dawn, and found Gloria still at the kitchen table, her head on her arms, fast asleep. Rachel shook her friend’s shoulder, and said, “Go home. Go see about your own family. Thank you.”

Gloria groaned and pushed into a standing position. “I should take Sarah with me,” she said.

Rachel looked over at her teenaged sister, who was stirring in the couch, the noise of Rachel’s homecoming waking her. “Sarah,” Rachel said, “Sarah, I want you to walk Gloria home. Stay and be sure she has breakfast. Can you do that?”

Sarah nodded, rubbing sleep from her eyes, stretching, and looking softly at her father, who was still asleep on the couch. “He looks terrible,” she said.

“Go on, now, both of you.”

They left, and Rachel sat by her father on the couch. His skin looked like the wheat grass paper Treesa made, and there were dark circles under his eyes and darkness in the hollows of his cheeks. Rachel talked to him as she had talked to the sleeping Beth on
John Glenn
so many lifetimes ago, and when the room was empty she told him stories about how grand Refuge would be, describing the
ferryboat,
Safe Harbor
, and the glittering interior. She avoided Jacob’s death, but she told him all of her other secrets—she told him about Vassal, about Treesa, and Ali, and Gabriel, and even Astronaut. It felt wonderful to talk to him. She had always been so afraid to share these secrets, but it felt so good to let them pour out of her.

Apollo fell farther down the sky. Harlequin’s reddish light spilled in the tiny window above Frank’s bed. Frank stirred, taking her hand in his own, reaching for her with the hand that was missing fingers. His eyes opened, wide with pain, and the stump where his thumb had been drilled into her palm while he squeezed tightly. “I’m proud of you,” he said.

She didn’t know how much he had heard. “I hope I earn that,” she whispered.

“You have already,” he said.

She thought about things she probably shouldn’t have told Andrew. “Daddy, I’m not sure. I may have put us in danger.”

“We were born in danger,” he said, so softly she could barely hear him. “You’ve had to bear a lot—and take a lot of risks. More than I was ever willing to. I’m proud of you for that.”

He didn’t know half the risks she’d taken. “I just hope it comes out all right. I want peace, and I don’t think we can have it. I used to think we could. I think that died with Jacob.”

“Keep going,” he said. “Keep fighting. You have to win for us.” His breath rattled, and he looked up at her. “But try and keep the peace—that’s right. It’s good. You’re good.”

She smiled at him, wishing it were half as simple as he seemed to think. As she had once thought.

“You’ve always taken care of us. Take care of Sarah—she’s like you.”

“I know. I’ll try.”

His eyes closed again, and after a few moments his grip on her hand tightened, then fell open. He stopped breathing.

Rachel stared at his face, sure now that she had known all morning that he would die. The anger from last night rushed back. Council could have saved him. Cold sleep would have saved him. It was even worse than Jacob’s death.

The door banged open and Justin rushed in. “Andrew’s stolen a crate of Council weapons. He’s gathering us on the slope behind the warehouses. I have to go, I have to meet him. But I wanted you to know.”

Rachel looked up, tears streaming down her face.

Justin stopped, gathered a breath, and looked at Frank. “Oh. Oh,” he stuttered. “Oh, my God, he’s dead.” He lost all color and reached to touch his father’s face.

“Rachel, this makes it worse. We can’t stop now. We can’t. They’ll kill us all. This is our moment.”

Rachel looked at Justin and said, “If Andrew is fighting Council publicly, with their own weapons, then, yes, maybe they will kill us all.” Then she shook her head and stood up, reaching for her brother.

“I have to go,” he said. “Oh, my God, I have to go.” Justin turned and grabbed Rachel by the shoulder. “Keep Sarah. Keep Sarah with you. She’s coming here next, I passed her.”

Vassal’s voice in Rachel’s ear. “Gather your people. I’ll try to keep you safe. You must avoid Andrew.”

Out loud, Rachel said, “What are you thinking, Justin? Stay here.” She choked. “Jacob’s dead. You’ll be dead next.”

Justin turned, planted a kiss on Frank’s cold forehead, and said, “They killed my twin. Save Sarah.”

“Go get her and bring her here,” Rachel pleaded. “Stay with us.”

Vassal repeated, “Gather those who will stay with you.”

“I’m going,” Justin insisted, teeth clenched. “Your way hasn’t worked. They’re killing us anyway.”

Rachel shook her head, trying to clear it. “Yes,” she said, not sure if she was answering Justin, or Vassal, or both.
Then with more strength, “Yes, I’ll do something.” She turned to pull the cover up over Frank’s face, and Justin dashed out the door.

Rachel’s brain didn’t want to think clearly. How did Andrew get weapons? How could she live without her father? Who would greet her when she came home? Where were her people? Where was Beth, and was Sarah really coming? How would she gather them? Ali was on
John Glenn
. Where was Treesa? “Treesa,” she sobbed, “Treesa, now what?”

No answer.

Someone knocked on the door. Rachel opened it. Beth stood there, Kyle beside her, holding her hand. Harry and Gloria were walking up, Miriam between them, half their height now, one hand hanging tightly to each parent. Sarah came running down the path, bounding past Gloria, almost pushing Gloria into little Miriam, burying herself in Rachel’s arms, crying. “Justin told me,” she said. “He told me to come here. He said Dad’s dead.”

Rachel nodded, holding Sarah tightly. “Stay with me,” she said. She looked up and found Harry’s eyes. “Harry, go find the others. Get Bruce, and everyone who has studied with us. Everyone who will come. Get them out of work even. Get supplies: food, blankets, water. And Dylan, Dylan will help.”

Harry shook his head. “Dylan’s with Andrew.”

Pain knifed through Rachel. “Get everyone you can. Tell them to come here, and to stay away from Andrew. If they won’t come here, tell them to go home and stay inside. Andrew doesn’t have a chance. Keep everyone you can away from him.” Rachel was surprised at how strong her voice sounded.

“I’ll see who I can find,” Harry said. “Some are already coming.” Sure enough, Rachel looked down the path and she saw it beginning to fill with her students. Sharon, Kimberly,
Lisa . . . Harry faded into the crowd, going the opposite way. Gloria and Beth turned to watch him go, holding each other. Little Miriam cried, one arm reaching toward the place Harry had vanished.

Rachel blinked back tears as the gathering crowd looked at her. She scanned their faces. They had to leave. Council could find them here. Council could find them anywhere, but distance would be good. Sadness washed over Rachel, mixing with her pain, and she wavered for a moment, her knees weak, held up only by Sarah’s strength. The feel of Sarah’s arms around her and the tortured look on Beth’s face gave her the strength to stand more firmly. She just wished she knew what to do.

“Where can we go?” She whispered it to Vassal, not caring if Sarah heard, or if she understood what Rachel was doing.

“Where Council isn’t,” Vassal said. “I can guide you.”

Rachel nodded.

“This will keep you safe from whatever immediate danger Andrew is putting people into right now. You need to be separated from him.”

“Can you stop him? Can I stop him?”

“I see no way,” Vassal said. “Someone has to protect our students. If you aren’t here, I can’t keep them safe.”

Rachel swallowed. It was right. “Can I send some of these out to find the others?”

“Yes, but keep your eyes on the ones who have family in Andrew’s group. Keep them from trying to save anyone—I don’t know what Council will do, but none of my predictions end with everyone alive. Andrew has ten people with him.”

Dylan, Justin, Andrew, and who else? Rachel got the list from Vassal and started sending runners out, keeping others with her. She packed. Food, a change of clothes, bedding. She hung her wings over her back. Images of Dylan
and Justin flashed unbidden in her head, demanding attention, and she remembered she had sent Harry out. Suddenly, she knew he would try to save Dylan. Harry was no warrior. What had she done?

C
ELLS DRINKING FLUIDS
, like the rush of water after a long dry run. An expansion. Gabriel blinked, immediately recognizing the feel of the drugs in his body as an emergency cocktail. Warmth and energy invaded, too fast, an adrenaline flash of life. His body felt twitchy, edgy. Emergency wake-up calls were the pits. Blinking didn’t clear his vision; he couldn’t see well at all. Darkness, and light, and fuzz. He closed his eyes, counted to a hundred, and opened them again. Ali’s face swam into view, centering, becoming clear. He blinked again. He was still lying down, still strapped in. Ali fumbled with the clasps, saying something. There was no noise at all, but Ali’s mouth moved.

“Earplugs,” he said, unable to hear his own response.

He saw Ali frown, then felt the light pressure and release as she removed his earplugs and sound rushed in.

Ali’s hand worked his right calf, massaging life into the muscles. Pain shot up along his thigh, then a tingling sensation, then mere warmth. The feeling repeated as Ali worked her way up each limb, and started kneading his scalp. Her lips moved, and he made out words with difficulty . . . “Wake, sleeper . . . feel your life return . . . wake, Gabriel.” He followed her voice and let his body do its work.

Why was he being warmed in emergency mode?

He tested his muscle reactions, moving one leg, then the
other. “I think I can stand,” he said. His voice was raspy.

“Let’s go.”

Gabriel looked a query at her.

“To a magic room. We need visuals.” Ali’s eyes rolled up into her head for a moment. “They’re all busy! Everyone must have the same idea.”

“My office,” Gabriel said. Mouth numb:
chewing
the words. “What’s happened? Is it a flare?”

Ali shook her head. “I don’t even know where to start. Things between Moon Born and Council deteriorated while you were cold.”

“How long was I out?”

“Six months.”

Gabriel sat up slowly. He was only a little dizzy. “Tell me.”

“There was an accident two days ago. Jacob was killed—Frank’s son, Rachel’s brother. One of the twins.”

Damn. “A twin. Hard on the other one—what’s his name?”

“Justin.”

Right. He’d only met the twins a few times, but he had liked them. “Is Frank okay?” Gabriel asked, swinging his legs back and forth in the air, feeling them out. “And Rachel?”

Ali stopped, a deep frown creasing her forehead. “Frank died this morning. Old age, and shock, I suppose.”

Gabriel remembered the image that grew in his head as he went cold; a creation going out of control, molecule by molecule. He shivered. “We should have stopped that, or brought him here.”

Ali raised an eyebrow. “Weren’t you the one who argued to let the Children die of natural causes? Remember when we talked about Andrew? We all agreed they’d stay more human that way.” Ah sighed. “Anyway, no one killed
him
.”

Gabriel tested his weight on his right foot and then his left. “How’s Rachel?”

“I think she’s okay. I don’t have much information. Andrew stole a cache of guns.”

Too much information at once. “Andrew? How the hell did he do that? You still haven’t told me what happened to Jacob.”

“I was there, or at least, I was there right afterward. It was an accident. Paul stunned Jacob, but Jacob had other wounds too, and he died. I think the Children blame us.”

“You don’t know?” Gabriel asked.

“I flew back up with Paul and two others. I’ve been up here just over a day. Anyway, the Moon Born reaction is even more important than Jacob dying. Andrew jumped Star and stole her belt weapon, then he used it to stun Ben, who was unloading the latest crate of weapons we sent down.” Ali handed Gabriel a flask of liquid. “Andrew led an ambush on three people at the landing field. They must have completely surprised Star. He’s using her as a hostage.”

Gabriel drank. The vegetable broth rapidly cleared his head. Star a hostage? “Is she okay?”

“So far.”

“Why were we shipping weapons to Selene?” He handed Ali the flask, and leaned on her, taking a tentative step. A little pain. Not bad. They worked their way toward the door.

“Because of the bad production stats, because they’re starting the antimatter generator project, and they want to protect it.”

“I was afraid of that.” Gabriel’s office was a long ways from Medical. “Ali—keep walking, I’m with you. I need more data—I’m calling Astronaut.”

Ali nodded as if that was the most normal thing in the world. “Yes. Astronaut called me when it sent the emergency wake-up code to you.”

The last time he’d spent whole days with Ali was a few years ago, and then she had hated everything to do with Astronaut. Maybe too many years . . . maybe before Council Aerie. He was even more surprised when he found himself
jacked into a three-way conversation with Ali and Astronaut. Ali spoke with Astronaut casually, as if it was something she did every day.

They reached Gabriel’s office in time to see Andrew, real-time minus six seconds, take possession of the warehouse that held the materials nano. He had at least ten people with him, all armed. From this vantage they were dots swarming over the square, flat roof. Gabriel zoomed on several faces. Andrew’s eyes were cool, his mouth drawn in a thin line. Star crouched on the roof, tied. She had a calculating look: she was waiting for an opening.