Dreams. Did he miss them? If he still dreamt, what would he see? Lu Tang suspected that he would be plagued with terrible nightmares. The faces of the children on the Westward Ho! as it plummeted out of the sky? He could do without that, thank you very much. Yes, there were benefits to being a God. Save the nightmares for someone else.
Chapter 5
Biddy found Phil fast asleep in the cubby hole next to her office. She hadn’t asked him if he wanted to stay onboard the ship. It would be an insult to assume anything less. He opened one eye slightly as she passed, then closed it once more when she didn’t stop. Phil knew that she was safe enough onboard her own ship. It would be a different matter when she left it.
At first Biddy had resented Phil. She felt it was a poor reflection on her – after all, she was Scotclan trained with all classes of weapons, she could look after herself. Then there had been an unfortunate incident with an explosive barrel of fuel onboard her last cruiser. She had hired Phil the next day.
Biddy turned on her viewscreen.
“Call home.”
Biddy’s mother, the matriarch of Clan Mackay and all round hardass, picked up straight away. Mary Mackay looked at her daughter through thick opaque goggles.
“Thought you were on Eris for another week,” the woman said, pulling the goggles from her face to expose the same green-blue eyes as her daughter. “Didn’t think you’d be sober enough to call.”
“Things have changed.”
“Oh?” Mary narrowed her eyes. “What’s happened now.”
Biddy winced. What was it about mothers that always made you feel like you were seven years old and had spilled your neomilk.
“I’ve taken another job.”
“And it’s a big one? Must be or you wouldn’t be calling.”
Biddy nodded. “Pretty big.” She told her mother about the plastic man. Then she told her about the fee.
“He offered you Tirnanog. Just like that?”
“Just like that. He says he knows the Knights. If I find this Augment.”
“Blessed be.”
“Blessed be,” Biddy repeated awkwardly. “If I find the Augment and hand him over then Iona Beach is ours.”
Mary Mackay gave out a long sigh. “But you told him no, of course.”
Biddy grimaced. “I… I said that I would take the job.”
Mary’s mouth turned down at the corners, exposing the wrinkles that artifice had done its best to conceal. “Biddy Mackay, you cannot go hunting down a God. It’s not right.”
“But the price…”
“Is the price of your soul!”
“Oh, mum.” Biddy shut her eyes. The conversation was going just as badly as she’d feared. “You know that the Augments are not really Gods. I mean, the scientific explanation…”
On the viewscreen Mary Mackay held up a hand for silence. “I know what our people have believed for centuries. The Augments are Gods. That means we should offer them our respect. The idea that you would hunt them down like common criminals…”
“But don’t Scotclan believe that no one is above the law?”
“No human is. But the Gods…”
“…Are not human. I get it, believe me I do. But it’s Iona Beach.”
“I know, child. But there will be another time, another chance to get back Tirnanog.”
Biddy snorted. Her mother wasn’t fooling anyone.
“If you do this, Biddy, the Gods won’t be the only ones you have to worry about. If Scotclan find out –”
“They’ll know soon enough. I filed the mission with them an hour ago.”
“Why did you do that?”
“It’s an interstellar mission, mother, I can’t do anything without their permission.”
“Well, that’s it settled then. There’s no way that Scotclan will let you chase after a God.”
“We’ll see.”
On the grainy screen Mary Mackay bit her lip. She clearly had more to say on the topic, but had decided to keep her mouth shut. Biddy was surprised. Her mother didn’t often feel the need to hold back.
“This man who came to see you, you said he used an avatar?”
“That’s right.”
“Never liked falsebodies.”
“Me neither. I’m going to get the Geek to check the guy out.”
“You’re still travelling with that kid?”
“Sure. He’s the best.”
“And you have a thing about looking out for precocious kids trying to make their way in the world, right?”
Biddy rolled her eyes. “Kids just like me you mean? Very insightful, mother.”
A chuckle came out of the speakers. “Okay, I’m not going to analyze you. But listen to me for once: stay clear of the Gods. It’s too dangerous, even for you.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
“Then I guess that’ll have to do. Now, I’ve got some broken engine parts to weld.”
The goggles slammed back down. Conversation over.
“Bye mum,” Biddy said and clicked off the call. She pulled out her slimline bed and dimmed the lights. Just one more thing to do.
Tea.
Biddy made tea the way her mother had, and the way her grandmother had before her. She took the aluminum flask and rehydrated the compressor-dried leaves. Just enough water to make one cup as wasting water onboard a spaceship was tantamount to criminal. A turbo-whisk on a low setting to invigorate the leaves, just as Nanny Mackay had shown her. Flick out the insta-spout and pour the dark amber nectar into her mug. And, of course, the neo-milk in last.
The aroma of freshly brewed tea filtered through the general scent of aircon and rust. It was a gift from the Gods and no mistake. Biddy climbed into the bed and warmed her hands on the mug. She leaned forward to take a sip.
The datapad beeped.
“Mackay?”
“I’m not in.”
“You’re needed,” Hastings replied.
“You can’t get out of orbit without me now, Captain? I’m clocking off for a couple of hour’s rest. Shit, Hastings, you should be getting your head down too.”
“That would
