forward, but I had to come. I don't want that book in their hands any more than I want you dead."
"You said nobody knew the book existed."
"Indeed. You received, however, some mail that was traced back to a dirty shipnet hub–my blunder. You also received a visitor thereafter. The two facts together are suspicious enough that someone will come and investigate soon. Life as you know it is over; if you want to remain free and alive, you'd better listen."
Nero nodded.
"First, we need to hide the book. Any ideas?" said Kebe.
"I imagined you'd ask me that."
"Retrieval shouldn't be too easy."
"Resources?" said Nero.
"You and me."
Nero wondered if she was lying, and realized it didn't make any difference to him.
"Should we hide the book on Doka?"
"Maybe. They don't know what to look for. They only know that the shipment may have been illicit."
"What other place would be as good as Doka?"
"Oh, Nero, nowhere," she reached out to hold his hand; Nero responded. Maybe her body language was calculated, but it felt good: Nero had forgotten the thrill of human relations. She said, "I really blew it. I blew it. I blew my best chance."
"My underground hotshot had a misfire," Nero said.
"Not the first for sure–just a bad one." Kebe closed her eyes.
"We can beat them," Nero said.
"Thanks."
"I mean it."
"What do you mean, you mean it?" She stood up, pacing, pulling her robe closed and retying the belt. "You don't know what you're talking about. Monsters, Nero, they're ogres: They'll grab you and get all they want from you, then toss your remains in a dumpster. What do you mean we can beat them?"
"Does a setback of a few years qualify as 'beating'?"
Kebe scowled, but listened.
Nero continued: "We can trip the switch of the framepost. They'd have to come by ship, and that'll take some time."
Kebe sat on the couch, interested. "What about us? We'll be trapped here forever, waiting for them to arrive."
"Well, that depends."
"On what?" she said.
"Whether we can get away before powering down the machines."
"Big deal. They'll track us, and come and look for us in a different place. Eventually, even if we get away, retrieving the book from Doka would be a suicide mission for some of us."
Nero thought in silence. "Listen," he said. "You leave right away. I hide the book here, then leave for the other corner of the galaxy. Now there are three targets: you, me, and the book. Chances are they may not even try to come to Doka."
Kebe looked at him. "I still won't know where the book is."
"No, you won't. And maybe you shouldn't until you come around here again. So I may place clues. Or I may contact you."
"I don't like riddles, Nero: Where are you going to hide the book?"
"I don't know yet. And if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. They may catch you... I'm a fast learner."
"What if they catch you , Nero? You're a better pilot than I am, I guess, but I'm better at not being caught. Maybe I should hide the book. Maybe we should swap roles."
Nero's scalp became ticklish–his whole skin did. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted. Pook materialized inside the trailer two inches away from Kebe's nose. She backed away crying, "Wha... Wha... What is that ?" Pook followed her motions; her back hit the wall and she froze.
Static electricity became intense; Kebe's long hair stretched out and away from her head, sticking out straight, turning her face into a caricature of fright.
"Dear, meet Pook," Nero said, fighting nausea. "Pook, meet Kebe. Please don't fight, you're my two friends."
Pook sniffed Kebe, appearing and disappearing so fast she seemed wrapped in a yellow shroud. Kebe was too shocked to move, making it simpler for her to heed Nero's gesture to keep cool. Trying to control herself was all she could do.
Then, unpredictably, Pook disappeared, leaving Kebe gasping. Nero, his discomfort ebbing,
"You said nobody knew the book existed."
"Indeed. You received, however, some mail that was traced back to a dirty shipnet hub–my blunder. You also received a visitor thereafter. The two facts together are suspicious enough that someone will come and investigate soon. Life as you know it is over; if you want to remain free and alive, you'd better listen."
Nero nodded.
"First, we need to hide the book. Any ideas?" said Kebe.
"I imagined you'd ask me that."
"Retrieval shouldn't be too easy."
"Resources?" said Nero.
"You and me."
Nero wondered if she was lying, and realized it didn't make any difference to him.
"Should we hide the book on Doka?"
"Maybe. They don't know what to look for. They only know that the shipment may have been illicit."
"What other place would be as good as Doka?"
"Oh, Nero, nowhere," she reached out to hold his hand; Nero responded. Maybe her body language was calculated, but it felt good: Nero had forgotten the thrill of human relations. She said, "I really blew it. I blew it. I blew my best chance."
"My underground hotshot had a misfire," Nero said.
"Not the first for sure–just a bad one." Kebe closed her eyes.
"We can beat them," Nero said.
"Thanks."
"I mean it."
"What do you mean, you mean it?" She stood up, pacing, pulling her robe closed and retying the belt. "You don't know what you're talking about. Monsters, Nero, they're ogres: They'll grab you and get all they want from you, then toss your remains in a dumpster. What do you mean we can beat them?"
"Does a setback of a few years qualify as 'beating'?"
Kebe scowled, but listened.
Nero continued: "We can trip the switch of the framepost. They'd have to come by ship, and that'll take some time."
Kebe sat on the couch, interested. "What about us? We'll be trapped here forever, waiting for them to arrive."
"Well, that depends."
"On what?" she said.
"Whether we can get away before powering down the machines."
"Big deal. They'll track us, and come and look for us in a different place. Eventually, even if we get away, retrieving the book from Doka would be a suicide mission for some of us."
Nero thought in silence. "Listen," he said. "You leave right away. I hide the book here, then leave for the other corner of the galaxy. Now there are three targets: you, me, and the book. Chances are they may not even try to come to Doka."
Kebe looked at him. "I still won't know where the book is."
"No, you won't. And maybe you shouldn't until you come around here again. So I may place clues. Or I may contact you."
"I don't like riddles, Nero: Where are you going to hide the book?"
"I don't know yet. And if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. They may catch you... I'm a fast learner."
"What if they catch you , Nero? You're a better pilot than I am, I guess, but I'm better at not being caught. Maybe I should hide the book. Maybe we should swap roles."
Nero's scalp became ticklish–his whole skin did. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted. Pook materialized inside the trailer two inches away from Kebe's nose. She backed away crying, "Wha... Wha... What is that ?" Pook followed her motions; her back hit the wall and she froze.
Static electricity became intense; Kebe's long hair stretched out and away from her head, sticking out straight, turning her face into a caricature of fright.
"Dear, meet Pook," Nero said, fighting nausea. "Pook, meet Kebe. Please don't fight, you're my two friends."
Pook sniffed Kebe, appearing and disappearing so fast she seemed wrapped in a yellow shroud. Kebe was too shocked to move, making it simpler for her to heed Nero's gesture to keep cool. Trying to control herself was all she could do.
Then, unpredictably, Pook disappeared, leaving Kebe gasping. Nero, his discomfort ebbing,
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