up, and I'm not. What I can be, though, is a very, very good tool in that woman's belt.
I told you. I'm not a revolutionary anymore.
Bullshit. I heard you.
What --
I heard you. Two days ago. Your broadcast. I heard it.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Do you want me to quote it back to you? The flame in each heart has vanished, but our souls still smolder. Pretty good line. Not your best, but I liked it.
I'm leaving.
I'm coming with you.
You're really not.
Why are you in a bar on Hyperion, Miss Kyoh?
I told you. I'm having a drink and reading --
You're looking for help, I think.
I'm leaving.
I can help.
Move. I'm going.
If you won't hear me out, I'll tell everybody in this room who you are right now.
You're blackmailing me? Go ahead. I bet they don't know who I am.
Want me to shout a toast? Here's to the great revolutionary Tasneem Kyoh? See who remembers you?
Sit down.
Just watch --
Sit your goddamn ass down.
Okay.
Thank you.
Recruit me.
For what? I'm not --
Recruit me.
No.
Recruit me.
Leave me --
Catrine darted in like a sparrow and kissed Tasneem.
And that was how Tasneem Kyoh found her first officer.
• • •
Varien pounds on the iron door until it creaks open.
She's gone? he asks.
Tasneem blinks at him. I'm sleeping.
Catrine's gone? Why?
Tasneem groans. Jesus, Varien. We can talk when I wake up. Later. Much, much later.
The whole crew is already talking about this, he says. They say you kicked her off the ship.
No, they don't, Tasneem says.
Yeah. That's what they're saying. I want to know why. She brought me here. She's good people.
It's not important, Varien.
It is important, Tasneem. It's very --
Watch your goddamn tone. We'll talk when I get up.
Tasneem slams the heavy door shut.
You should probably talk to him. In fact, they all need to --
What is this, management training? she thinks.
Alright , David says.
I'm not going to be able to sleep now. I don't sleep when I'm angry.
You're too old to be this angry this often. Age is supposed to teach patience. You're moving in the opposite direction.
Says the immortal dead man. Don't you have a planet to find or something?
Well -- no.
That stops Tasneem. Wait. You didn't.
Now's not the time to talk about it, but yes, I think maybe I have.
No, let's talk about it now. This is a very big deal, David.
Yes. But we can talk about it after you settle your house.
David -- Jesus, why is everybody trying to blackmail me? Tasneem thinks.
Take me off now, please.
She pulls off the wristband, snaps it at the hinge, and connects it to the wall port beside the bed. Then she thumps onto the bed and sweeps the blankets around her in one move.
Shit, she mumbles to herself.
• • •
Tasneem is asleep at the galley table when Tarae sits down.
Tarae puts her coffee cup down gently, but the tiny vibration is enough to wake Tasneem.
You look hung over, Tarae observes.
I'm not -- maybe, Tasneem says.
Rough night?
I really don't want to talk about the quality of my night, Tasneem says.
Catrine is gone, Tarae says. She took pod three. I asked her where she was going. She said she didn't know.
Where she goes is up to her.
She also said she was leaving because you told her to, Tarae says.
Tasneem groans. I really, really don't want to talk about Catrine.
Okay, says Tarae. She sips her coffee.
Tasneem picks her head up. How much do you know?
I know the crew's taking bets on which one of us you're going to sleep with and send packing next, she says.
Jesus, Tasneem says. No, you're not.
No, but we could. I know you think we're all oblivious to your behavior, but you're like a newly-divorced party girl. There isn't one person aboard who doesn't know you and Catrine were sleeping together.
We weren't -- alright, fine. We were. Happy?
Is that why you sent her away?
Maybe, Tasneem
I told you. I'm not a revolutionary anymore.
Bullshit. I heard you.
What --
I heard you. Two days ago. Your broadcast. I heard it.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Do you want me to quote it back to you? The flame in each heart has vanished, but our souls still smolder. Pretty good line. Not your best, but I liked it.
I'm leaving.
I'm coming with you.
You're really not.
Why are you in a bar on Hyperion, Miss Kyoh?
I told you. I'm having a drink and reading --
You're looking for help, I think.
I'm leaving.
I can help.
Move. I'm going.
If you won't hear me out, I'll tell everybody in this room who you are right now.
You're blackmailing me? Go ahead. I bet they don't know who I am.
Want me to shout a toast? Here's to the great revolutionary Tasneem Kyoh? See who remembers you?
Sit down.
Just watch --
Sit your goddamn ass down.
Okay.
Thank you.
Recruit me.
For what? I'm not --
Recruit me.
No.
Recruit me.
Leave me --
Catrine darted in like a sparrow and kissed Tasneem.
And that was how Tasneem Kyoh found her first officer.
• • •
Varien pounds on the iron door until it creaks open.
She's gone? he asks.
Tasneem blinks at him. I'm sleeping.
Catrine's gone? Why?
Tasneem groans. Jesus, Varien. We can talk when I wake up. Later. Much, much later.
The whole crew is already talking about this, he says. They say you kicked her off the ship.
No, they don't, Tasneem says.
Yeah. That's what they're saying. I want to know why. She brought me here. She's good people.
It's not important, Varien.
It is important, Tasneem. It's very --
Watch your goddamn tone. We'll talk when I get up.
Tasneem slams the heavy door shut.
You should probably talk to him. In fact, they all need to --
What is this, management training? she thinks.
Alright , David says.
I'm not going to be able to sleep now. I don't sleep when I'm angry.
You're too old to be this angry this often. Age is supposed to teach patience. You're moving in the opposite direction.
Says the immortal dead man. Don't you have a planet to find or something?
Well -- no.
That stops Tasneem. Wait. You didn't.
Now's not the time to talk about it, but yes, I think maybe I have.
No, let's talk about it now. This is a very big deal, David.
Yes. But we can talk about it after you settle your house.
David -- Jesus, why is everybody trying to blackmail me? Tasneem thinks.
Take me off now, please.
She pulls off the wristband, snaps it at the hinge, and connects it to the wall port beside the bed. Then she thumps onto the bed and sweeps the blankets around her in one move.
Shit, she mumbles to herself.
• • •
Tasneem is asleep at the galley table when Tarae sits down.
Tarae puts her coffee cup down gently, but the tiny vibration is enough to wake Tasneem.
You look hung over, Tarae observes.
I'm not -- maybe, Tasneem says.
Rough night?
I really don't want to talk about the quality of my night, Tasneem says.
Catrine is gone, Tarae says. She took pod three. I asked her where she was going. She said she didn't know.
Where she goes is up to her.
She also said she was leaving because you told her to, Tarae says.
Tasneem groans. I really, really don't want to talk about Catrine.
Okay, says Tarae. She sips her coffee.
Tasneem picks her head up. How much do you know?
I know the crew's taking bets on which one of us you're going to sleep with and send packing next, she says.
Jesus, Tasneem says. No, you're not.
No, but we could. I know you think we're all oblivious to your behavior, but you're like a newly-divorced party girl. There isn't one person aboard who doesn't know you and Catrine were sleeping together.
We weren't -- alright, fine. We were. Happy?
Is that why you sent her away?
Maybe, Tasneem
Similar Books
