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Back Beyond the Burn Line Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. Copyright
  2. Contents
  3. Epigraph
  4. Part One
  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. Part Two
  38. 1.
  39. 2.
  40. 3.
  41. 4.
  42. 5.
  43. 6.
  44. 7.
  45. 8.
  46. 9.
  47. 10.
  48. 11.
  49. 12.
  50. 13.
  51. 14.
  52. 15.
  53. 16.
  54. 17.
  55. 18.
  56. 19.
  57. 20.
  58. 21.
  59. 22.
  60. 23.
  61. 24.
  62. 25.
  63. 26.
  64. 27.
  65. 28.
  66. By Paul McAuley:

‘They met in the cheap where he wants to meet you,’ Iryn said. ‘They were discussing the camp, the story about those articulate bears, but the cheap is a busy, noisy place and we only have part of their conversation. He dropped out of sight after that, but we think that it’s likely he has discovered something more about the native side of the camp’s operation. If he’s found out who was in charge, we might be able to identify the people who were working with them.’

‘What about Joyous Hightower?’ Ysbel said. ‘He may not have had anything to do with the camp’s operation, but his syndicate was involved in its construction and transportation of supplies.’

‘Presently, he’s holed up in his tribe’s Hearth, on the west coast. Trying to overturn a request to appear before some kind of tribunal about his business arrangements with our people. Whether that’s anything to do with your friend I don’t know, but the request was issued after his meeting with that cousin of his.’

‘He’s resourceful. And tenacious.’

‘Let’s hope his resourcefulness has turned up what we need to know. Who built the camp. Who got up the cure. What happened to the articulate bears and, if they’re still alive, where we can find them,’ Iryn said, bending back a finger for each point. ‘If you can find out the answers to those questions, I can overlook the story you got up to persuade your boss to give you access privileges. I might even stretch to a commendation.’

Ysbel was hollowed out by exhaustion and anxiety, and didn’t know if Iryn knew about her brief conversation with Mother, but tried her best to finesse her situation, saying that she wanted something more than being excused punishment for carrying out what she believed to be a legitimate inquiry.

‘If Goodwill asks me to help him, I have to be able to act as I see fit, without consulting you or anyone else. And you have to guarantee that you’ll give him any help he requests.’

‘He’ll get what we can give, within reason,’ Iryn said. ‘And if it turns out that you need to pair up with him again, I’ll want regular updates. Everything you and he find. Everything the two of you do or plan to do.’