I found no more shadows.
The stench of spider rose all around, mingled with the acrid stench of blood and gore, but there were no more shadows, save where there were meant to be. There were, however, silver ghosts. T’Kit had said nothing about ghosts. Whether they were friend or foe. Where was Mack?
I could not see him. Could not hear him. I paused, drawing in a long, slow breath and letting it out. Nothing gave me a clue as to where he might be, and I remembered the white ghosts materializing around him. The white ghosts!
Someone cursed, and I turned towards them, pivoting on my heel and bringing both blasters to bear. I knew that voice.
“Delight!”
And the silver ghosts lost their glow. All of them. Bar one.
“You done, Cutter?”
I eyed her, and then threw the blasters away.
“Where’s Mack?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Well, yeah, actually, I would.
I moved towards her, stooping to pick up the big blade I’d dropped at the beginning of the battle. She was either going to tell me where Mack was, or I was going to carve her into itty bitty pieces.
Like one of the arach.
I swung the blade, and indicated the arach missing its leg, and then I swept up the second blade.
“That’s you,” I told her, and began running towards her.
Why she should start shouting Mack’s name, I have no idea—and I didn’t care. Funny that I could hear him, but not see him.
“So, you’re sorry you slipped a mickey into the tank, aren’t you, Delight?”
“Mack!”
“Aren’t you?”
Delight turned and ran.
“Mack, this isn’t funny.”
From the coughing fit he was having, Mack found it very funny. I didn’t care. He could laugh at Delight as much as he liked, but she was still going to tell me where he was.
“Fine! Mack, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have added anything to her tank!”
It was obviously not enough for Mack.
“And you’re never going to do it again. Are you Delight?”
She’d managed to slip out of sight, so I waited for her to answer. Heavens knew, she deserved exactly what I was about to bring.
“No, Mack. I will never give Cutter anything Doc doesn’t approve of EVER again.”
I’d found her! I moved quickly towards the sound of her voice. She’d backed herself into a corner, this time.
“Mack!”
And, judging from the panicked pitch in her voice, she knew it.
“And Odyssey is never going to test anything on my crew, again. Is it, Delight?”
I came to a stop in front of her, and twirled the large blade in my hand. Delight watched me, and then drew her own blade. Judging from the look on her face, she knew just as well as I did that she was never going to be fast enough.
“No, Mack. No-one from Odyssey will ever test anything your crew, ever again. Not if I can stop it.”
I danced in, striking out to test her defenses. She blocked the big blade, but failed to stop the second strike.
“Mack,” she said, as I danced back and to the side to avoid the shot from the Glazer she held in her left hand.
I whirled the big blade and prepared to make a hole—which is when Mack’s shot caught me. I shook my head, feeling the sluggish numbness that accompanied a good stun shot. But Mack didn’t give me the chance to recover. He shot me again, and then Delight raised her hand.
“Stop,” she managed. “Twice should do it.”
“It’s your funeral,” Mack said, and I didn’t know whether he’d shoot me a third time, just to be sure.
Because, to be honest, I was going to…
Well.
That wasn’t supposed to happen.
My arm went numb, and the world shook. I let go of the big blade, and felt the small blade fall. I think I even heard them hit the ground before me...
32—Time Enough for Sleep
I woke up in a tank—again.
Of course, I did.
I hadn’t thought it was possible to feel nauseous, dizzy, and this sore, all at once. Not in a tank.
“Oh, Stars,” I managed, glad the tank had an answer for nausea.
Movement beyond the glass caught my attention, and I tried to see what, or who, it was. I was kinda hoping for Mack, but the figure I could see was a good foot taller than him, and decked out in orange, black, yellow and red. And it wasn’t alone. Two more red and black figures stood beside her.
“Your Majesty?”
This time I knew she was smiling. I didn’t have to see her properly to know that—and she didn’t have to be in human form to show it. I could feel her in my head. It wasn’t invasive. It was just the vespis way. To feel her presence in your mind was to be blessed. I wasn’t sure about blessed, but I could appreciate it. She was the queen, after all.
“I came to say goodbye, Cutter—and thank you. You have my appreciation, and the appreciation of my world and all its peoples.”
“It was the least we could do, after…”
She brushed that aside.
“No, Cutter. You went far beyond what we asked in repayment for your mistake. You provided a bridge by which we could find common ground. You fought for us, not just with us. The memories we share of you will bring us closer as a world.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I changed the subject.
“How is Askavor?”
“He will recover, but he will need time.”
His whole village had been murdered. His entire family. I just bet he needed time. The queen ignored that thought, but told me what had been done for him.
“Odyssey need him to teach them how to deal with arach code. They are taking him with them, and then they are bringing him back with the staff for our college. We have sent his sister and his queen into the strands of night, along with the brother of
