“Sorrel, enough,” Caroni snapped. “We’ve spoken about your mother before. Sometimes –” She stopped. “Go and use the PlAK. Help us to make this work. It’s the only chance for everybody here.”

Rapt strode into the back of the cave. He hadn’t been given a task. He’s easy with killing, Sorrel thought. He wants to kill. He’s like the males who laughed over the old woman’s body in Bana. She was sure he’d had violence training. She looked around at the other faces; most were solemn and fearful, some expressionless, others hidden.

“We don’t have a choice, people,” Caroni said. “We have to find a way to do this. We’re able to survey the camp with the PlAK. We have surprise on our side; young males and females, weapons – ”

“You don’t want to fight, though. That’s what this talk is all about,” Rapt said.

Arc stood up. “Guata, man. Be quiet. It’s nearly peak heat. Is the PlAK on charge?”

“Yes. It’ll need an hour,” Sorrel said.

“Kes, get your group together and go,” Arc said. “Be back by dusk. Clear any obstacles in the gully as you go and then time how fast you can get back. Walking speed though. Don’t run.”

“The rest of you, get Sorrel some stones,” Caroni said. “Different sizes. Twigs. She’s going to need something to count and draw a basic map in the sand. We go tomorrow night.”

No one moved. She clapped her hands impatiently. “Let’s go!”

CHAPTER 30 – TOPLANDERS

Sorrel lay against her pack, waiting for the PlAK to charge, thinking of Toplanders. She was so hungry. Bird broth, jerky, dried insects, a few pieces of dried fruit were just not enough.

The tech centre in Bana had been owned by a Toplander. She had seen him once – a well-fed male with floppy hair which seemed to say, The rest of you are bald; I don’t have to be. He wore new clothes and his eyes had moved over her without stopping. She meant nothing to him. Maybe elites were the same everywhere; they took what they wanted, be it territory, food or sex. She wished she’d paid more attention to modules about war.

The recce group had left, Emrallie with them. She remembered the shining waterfall and heard Kes’s music, sweet and true and dying away. Her eyelids drooped.

Lichen woke her. “The P-PlAK is charged, Sorrel. Time to get up. I brought you some water.”

“Thanks. What time is it?”

“Mid-afternoon.”

“Did they get the stones?”

“Yes. They’re over there.”

She settled down next to piles of stones and leaves and sticks and began her work. Two more satellites gone. She could no longer see the edges of the dust cloud – it was now a vast orange haze over Bajacu, Boriken and Ayiti, spreading north as far as the tip of Coabana. They had even less time than she’d thought.