even if she didn’t have a clock, she thought she was pretty good at gauging the seriousness of her fits. On a scale of one to ten, this last couldn’t have been more than a five. Really, what was the point of going hardcore hysterical? It would be over and done by a year or more before she could ever do anything about it.
That pushed out a few more tears, but they were silent ones. Skye didn’t have much to pride herself on, but she’d always been a pragmatic girl; when all was said and done, it really was no good crying over stolen goods, even if they were the only pieces of her past she had left.
But not crying had another effect. As she sat up and pushed her hair listlessly back over her shoulder, she realized she could hear, beyond the endless droning hum of the ship’s systems, Vala’s voice.
It confused her, in the easy, fuzzy way confusion can come on after a good crying spell. Vala barely even spoke to her and she knew there was no one else around. If he was supposed to be dictating a “captain’s log”, like they did on TV, he was really behind in them, because he’d never done it before.
Furthermore, she realized that the thinness of the walls was such that if she held her breath and really focused, she could make out what he was saying fairly well. Sure, she could…but should she? Eavesdropping was rude, and Vala had some definite ideas on how to discourage rudeness. She didn’t want to get in trouble with him, not when he’d gone out of his way to do something nice for her, and certainly not when she already felt so crummy about everything else.
On the other hand, no one knew the acoustics of this place better than Vala, so was it really eavesdropping if he knew he could be overheard? And besides, she lived here now. She had as much a right to know what was going on as he did.
He wouldn’t see it that way and she knew it. Nevertheless, Skye held her breath and listened.
“—am not interested in listening to anymore of your excuses,” he was saying, and if he’d ever used an icier tone, Skye had never heard it. That alone was more than a little arresting. “The next human who addresses me will be he who selected my assistant.”
Those words, delivered in that tone, faceless behind this wall, gripped her bruised heart with something like fear. He couldn’t be sending her home, could he? If he wouldn’t do that when she hit him, why over this? But what other reason could he possibly have to make a phone call to Earth and ask for that particular man if it wasn’t to make a complaint?
The lengthy silence in the room beyond was broken at last by a new voice, one that sounded even more rattled than when she’d heard it last. “Emissary,” it began, and for a moment, Skye could almost see him as he’d been sitting behind that desk with his tie unknotted and his shirt all sweaty, smoking his cigarette and looking like he’d almost rather be sucking on a live grenade. “What an unexpected pleasure. My name is—”
“Entirely irrelevant,” Vala interrupted. “It suffices that you stand responsible for the procurement of my assistant.”
A very long pause. Skye wasn’t even aware of holding her breath now. Then, cautiously: “Is there a problem with the girl?”
“Is there indeed?” Vala countered.
Another pause. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Emissary.”
“The very next time you silence this channel to confer, I will fire on your planet. You are speaking to me, not amongst yourselves.”
“I-I’m sorry, Em—”
“Why have you seized my assistant’s financial resources?”
Skye’s heart seemed to skip a beat and then slam back into rhythm extra hard: ba-THUD! He wasn’t mad at her. He was…He was fighting for her.
“W-Well there was a…a question of s-secur—How did you even find ou—”
“Was it meant to be secret from me?” Vala asked, and his voice was like a sword cut right out of the
That pushed out a few more tears, but they were silent ones. Skye didn’t have much to pride herself on, but she’d always been a pragmatic girl; when all was said and done, it really was no good crying over stolen goods, even if they were the only pieces of her past she had left.
But not crying had another effect. As she sat up and pushed her hair listlessly back over her shoulder, she realized she could hear, beyond the endless droning hum of the ship’s systems, Vala’s voice.
It confused her, in the easy, fuzzy way confusion can come on after a good crying spell. Vala barely even spoke to her and she knew there was no one else around. If he was supposed to be dictating a “captain’s log”, like they did on TV, he was really behind in them, because he’d never done it before.
Furthermore, she realized that the thinness of the walls was such that if she held her breath and really focused, she could make out what he was saying fairly well. Sure, she could…but should she? Eavesdropping was rude, and Vala had some definite ideas on how to discourage rudeness. She didn’t want to get in trouble with him, not when he’d gone out of his way to do something nice for her, and certainly not when she already felt so crummy about everything else.
On the other hand, no one knew the acoustics of this place better than Vala, so was it really eavesdropping if he knew he could be overheard? And besides, she lived here now. She had as much a right to know what was going on as he did.
He wouldn’t see it that way and she knew it. Nevertheless, Skye held her breath and listened.
“—am not interested in listening to anymore of your excuses,” he was saying, and if he’d ever used an icier tone, Skye had never heard it. That alone was more than a little arresting. “The next human who addresses me will be he who selected my assistant.”
Those words, delivered in that tone, faceless behind this wall, gripped her bruised heart with something like fear. He couldn’t be sending her home, could he? If he wouldn’t do that when she hit him, why over this? But what other reason could he possibly have to make a phone call to Earth and ask for that particular man if it wasn’t to make a complaint?
The lengthy silence in the room beyond was broken at last by a new voice, one that sounded even more rattled than when she’d heard it last. “Emissary,” it began, and for a moment, Skye could almost see him as he’d been sitting behind that desk with his tie unknotted and his shirt all sweaty, smoking his cigarette and looking like he’d almost rather be sucking on a live grenade. “What an unexpected pleasure. My name is—”
“Entirely irrelevant,” Vala interrupted. “It suffices that you stand responsible for the procurement of my assistant.”
A very long pause. Skye wasn’t even aware of holding her breath now. Then, cautiously: “Is there a problem with the girl?”
“Is there indeed?” Vala countered.
Another pause. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, Emissary.”
“The very next time you silence this channel to confer, I will fire on your planet. You are speaking to me, not amongst yourselves.”
“I-I’m sorry, Em—”
“Why have you seized my assistant’s financial resources?”
Skye’s heart seemed to skip a beat and then slam back into rhythm extra hard: ba-THUD! He wasn’t mad at her. He was…He was fighting for her.
“W-Well there was a…a question of s-secur—How did you even find ou—”
“Was it meant to be secret from me?” Vala asked, and his voice was like a sword cut right out of the
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