Molly Fyde and the Land of Light

over the guard’s shoulder to see if her friend was there.

She looked to the ground, expecting to see Edison’s dead body, but it was bigger than her friend. It was the size of an adult Glemot, a Wadi Thooo that must’ve been four meters long.

No—Longer.

The thing’s tail was off the ground, leading up into the air, over the shoulder and clutched in both hands of…

Edison.

Molly gasped and pawed at the air for him, but his eyes were down, his entire body sagging with fatigue. She could see large patches of blood matted across his fur. Every step appeared to be pure torture, like a mountaineering video she’d seen once with men who had to test every foothold before leaning forward into the next.

Why wasn’t anyone helping him?

She beat at the chest of the Drenard carrying her, but was too tired and weak to make the gesture anything more than symbolic. Strong arms pulled her tight and carried her along.

When the group reached Cole, she saw someone scoop him up as if he were a child. Molly brought her hands up to her face and screamed into them, wailing with the sound of a heavy wind, passing over holes in stone.

17

The next day, a second shuttle arrived. It rocked in the wind before pulling into the lee of the shelter. Molly and Walter and a few of the Drenards stopped eating their meal to watch. Cole was in the first aid room taking a turn with Edison, whose strength was gradually returning.

The two officials put their utensils down and walked out to greet the new arrivals. Molly recognized Dani through the glass; he and another official stepped through the door and out of the wind.

“Is that your interrogator?” Molly asked Walter, nodding at the Drenard with Dani.

“Yesss.”

Molly fought the urge to go and greet them. The last twenty hours had been tense. Her crew was still healing, still determining who they could trust. The Drenards had been extremely kind and deferential, but their miracle ointments worked only on the physical wounds. None of her crew particularly cared to don a band and listen to the Drenards explain themselves. Instead, they huddled together around Edison’s bed and strengthened their bonds with one another, swapping Wadi stories and marvelling at each other’s trials. When Walter showed the mild burn on the back of his head, Cole and Edison had acted suitably impressed; Molly pretended to be horrified. He had beamed with the pride of a true warrior.

Which is why, hours later, as Dani entered and crossed the lobby toward Molly, she rose and went to the first aid room instead. She still didn’t know if she could trust anyone beyond her friends.

She heard Cole and Edison in an animated discussion before she pushed through the door. The conversation pinched off into silence at the sight of her.

“Done eating already?” Cole asked.

“Lost my appetite. Dani just pulled up with some other officials. I was scared of what I’d say to them.”

“So you came to get me?” Cole lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head. “I sure hope you don’t think I’m gonna be Mr. Polite.”

“No, I just didn’t wanna be out there.” She walked over and squeezed one of Edison’s hands.

The back of his bed was raised; he smiled at her. “My performance in such a conversation would exceed system resources,” he said.

Molly patted his arm and beamed at her friend. “I have no idea what you just said.”

“They have him on some pretty strong drugs,” Cole explained.

“Surpassing pharmaceuticals,” Edison said.

Molly laughed. “You said it, buddy—”

The door opened, slicing another conversation in half. Although Dani walked in alone, Molly saw several other brightly garbed males in the hallway. He held a red band out to her, but Molly shook her head and turned back to Edison. The pup’s eyes were wide, his brow furrowed into ridges. The look said so much—so clearly. She glanced to Cole, whose lips were pursed tight. He raised his eyebrows, leaving it up to her.

“I don’t want to find out it was him,” she told them both.

••••

Cole nodded and reached across Edison to accept the ribbon. He checked inside to find the seam and lined it up with the back of his head.

“Hello, Dani,” he thought.

“I was told on the way over, Cole. I am so sorry—”

“You’re the one that hinted at this as a way out of here—”

Dani lifted both hands, showing Cole his palms as he shot a glance toward the door. “Careful,” he thought to Cole. He gestured toward Edison. “Your friend already knew about the rite from Anlyn. Before your ship arrived in the system. I talked to his Questioner on the way here. Edison asked about nothing else for two days.”

Cole interrupted him. “What does that have to do with—”

“Cole, listen. I had no idea it would be like this. If I had known they were bringing you to this shelter, I would have—”

“Why? What is it about this shelter?” Cole felt impatient, and was surprised to find he could force his thoughts on top of Dani’s. He watched Molly idly scratch Edison’s arm, her eyes narrowed.

“This area isn’t used for alien initiations,” Dani thought. “It’s… special. There aren’t any eggs here; it’s not a well-populated area; there’s not much water—it doesn’t matter, it’s just that I would have known something was wrong if they told me where you were being taken. I should have been checking anyway. I am sorry.”

“He’s sorry,” he told Molly aloud.

“Yeah. Me, too,” she spat back.

Dani kept his thoughts to himself. Cole sighed, mulling over what Molly had said about her last conversation with the officials, the part that had upset her.

“Was this all about Edison and Anlyn?” he asked Dani.

The Drenard Questioner nodded.

In the human fashion, Cole noted, so many of their quirks rubbing off on him.

“I spoke to Lady Hooo yesterday,” Dani thought. “After we were summoned and while the party formed to look for your friend.” He indicated Edison again.

“His name’s Edison,” Cole offered.

“Actually, that is in question right now, I am happy to report. And it goes to the heart of the matter. His name might be Lord Campton, according to his Questioner and a member of the Circle. Records are being—”

“Lord Campton?” Cole looked at Edison. “What have you done?” he asked.

“Who, Edison?” Molly asked.

“Dani’s referring to him as Lord Campton.”

Edison spoke through the drugs and his overly verbose brain: “The specimens have already been cross- referenced and compare favorably for my betrothment?”

“Your what?!” Molly and Cole said together.

Dani started to think something, but Cole raised his hand.

“Anlyn and I are to be legally unioned if the specimen acquired point two radians ago surpasses that of Bodi’s from eighteen radians ago.”

Cole looked to Molly for help, but she appeared just as confused as he.

Then he thought of something. “Can I borrow your band?” he asked Dani.