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Chapters (102)
  1. Cover
  2. DAW BOOKS PROUDLY PRESENTS THE SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS OF W. MICHAEL GEAR:
  3. Dedication
  4. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. 74
  79. 75
  80. 76
  81. 77
  82. 78
  83. 79
  84. 80
  85. 81
  86. 82
  87. 83
  88. 84
  89. 85
  90. 86
  91. 87
  92. 88
  93. 89
  94. 90
  95. 91
  96. 92
  97. 93
  98. 94
  99. 95
  100. 96
  101. EPILOGUE
  102. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kalico leapt to her feet, started forward, staring around. The pad was empty.

“Where did you see her last?” Kalico asked.

Michaela pointed. “Right over there. Where that lighter streak of stone is.”

Shit. Not more than twenty meters from the tumbled rock and splintered trees at the edge of the pad.

“Step!” she bellowed. “Rifle hot, safety off. Lara’s missing!”

The man whirled from where he’d been inspecting the seatruck. For a big man—muscular as he was—he proved remarkably fast on his feet. He didn’t bother with his rifle in the airtruck but tore one of the bolt guns from the wrap of blankets.

Armed and ready, Kalico led the way to where Lara had been. The only trace was a smear of blood, and from the angles where drops of it hit and spattered, it was easy to see that something had grabbed her and left at a run. Whatever it had been, it had made a leap to the nearest fallen log and vanished into the forest on the other side.

30

The thing about being second-oldest bothered Sheena. People thought she had to be responsible. The same with Felix because he was oldest of all. But he wasn’t locked away in the observation room with the little kids. She was. Because she was second oldest. Felix was doing something with his mother in the workshop where her father, Kel, Kevina, and Casey were building a torpedo that would blow up sea monsters. The whole notion of a torpedo was pretty zambo, and that Felix got to see it, even help make it, while she was stuck here with all the little kids made her mad.

Unfair. Unfair!

Sheena made a face; the rounded transparency of the observation dome barely reflected her image against a background of endless moving ocean. Her expression was indistinct, mostly just a silhouette. When she stuck her tongue out, she could hardly see it.

Why did Felix get to make a torpedo? Just because he was a boy? Or because his mother was Kevina, and Mom said that Kevina got away with murder. When Sheena had asked what murder meant, Mom had said it wasn’t like what the Unreconciled did, but just a way of talking. That Kevina, because she was beautiful, got her way more often.

“But you’re even more beautiful,” Mother had said, sharing that special wink. “Now, go take care of the little kids. It won’t be long. Just for a couple of hours until Casey, Iso, and Mikoru can finish their work.”

So Sheena had ended up here, staring out at the endless waves, all looking like liquid silver in Capella’s light. And Mom’s words didn’t make any sense. If Kevina got away with murder because she was beautiful, and Sheena was even more beautiful than Kevina, why was she here, stuck with little kids instead of making a torpedo?