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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 splashed through a slough of mangroves and mud and saltwater channels and at last reached dry ground and a forest of widely spaced trees, walking barefoot over dry fallen leaves and curls of bark. At one point Stand Fast stopped, putting a hand over his mouth to indicate that they should be quiet, pointing off through the trees with the other. After a few moments, Ysbel saw what he had spotted: an animal like a giant upright coney, with a grey pelt and short forelegs and a long muscular tail. It seemed to be staring at them, then turned and bounced away, tail stretched straight behind it.

‘I have no idea,’ Ysbel said, when Goodwill asked her what it was. ‘My link shut down when Zaquil vanished and I haven’t been able to open it again.’

Stand Fast found a fallen branch and swished it through the air like a club.

‘I thought your people had a respect for all of Mother’s children,’ Ysbel said.

The big aide bared his teeth. ‘If that animal or one of its friends tries to attack us, we will fend them off with all the respect they are due.’

Less than an hour later, they reached the broad shallows of the river and waded across and climbed the ridge on the far side and cast around until Goodwill discovered one of the abandoned huts. They walked more cautiously, moving in an erratic path between trees, pausing to study the way ahead, seeing nothing moving in the lengthening shadows and the long beams of late-afternoon sunlight slanting between trees, at last spotting the white shape of a hopper.

‘I believe that’s the machine which brought us here,’ Goodwill said.

‘I think so too,’ Ysbel said.

‘The ones used by Special Operations are gone. They have fled.’

‘Or been sent away.’

‘We shall make an inspection,’ Stand Fast said, hefting his makeshift club.

The hopper was sealed shut and did not respond to voice commands. They were sitting in its shadow, discussing whether to explore further or return to the island, when a small stick figure marched out of the trees onto the landing field, calling out to them as it stumped across the packed red dirt. The Other Mother, come to boast of her victory, and tell the rest of her story.

28.