BooksBarbecue
Back Rapture
Chapters (55)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. 1.
  5. 2.
  6. 3.
  7. 4.
  8. 5.
  9. 6.
  10. 7.
  11. 8.
  12. 9.
  13. 10.
  14. 11.
  15. 12.
  16. 13.
  17. 14.
  18. 15.
  19. 16.
  20. 17.
  21. 18.
  22. 19.
  23. 20.
  24. 21.
  25. 22.
  26. 23.
  27. 24.
  28. 25.
  29. 26.
  30. 27.
  31. 28.
  32. 29.
  33. 30.
  34. 31.
  35. 32.
  36. 33.
  37. 34.
  38. 35.
  39. 36.
  40. 37.
  41. 38.
  42. 39.
  43. 40.
  44. 41.
  45. 42.
  46. 43.
  47. 44.
  48. 45.
  49. 46.
  50. 47.
  51. 48.
  52. 49.
  53. 50.
  54. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  55. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Of course. Traders are welcome. Some of the Aadhya even serve as guides. You may have a more positive experience with others.” She finished her tea and stood. “Now I must apologize for my own rudeness, but I am expected elsewhere. If you are seeking employment here while you wait to cross the Wall, I may have something for you. I live in the western quarter. Ask for Afareen of the red tent. Someone will direct you.”

Ahmed watched the Chenjan go. She walked past the bar, which he only now realized was made of the undulating carapace of a massive arthropod. He shivered.

“Well, that’s something,” Nyx said.

“Sounds like a dead end,” Ahmed said.

“Why, because she’s Chenjan?”

“I wouldn’t trust an open hand from a Chenjan.”

“Because you’d never offer one to a Chenjan yourself?”

“It’s just suspicious, that’s all. Why’s she here? What kind of Chenjan woman hangs out at the end of the world?”

“We have our reasons for being here, and she has hers. We could use the work, especially if we’re stuck here for a while.”

“I already have a job, Nyx. I’m working for you. If we’re stuck, I don’t want to go on. I’d bet a lot of the others are done, too. You think Kage’s going to stick around after what we just went through? It sounds like she was already looking for a way out. And Eshe and Isabet, well, it’s just a matter of time before he fucks off with her. Then what?”

Nyx shrugged. “I recruit a new team. Plenty of people here looking for work.”

Ahmed sat back on his heels, anxious to call her bluff. “That’s catshit.”

“If you want to go, go. I’m not keeping you here.”

“You promised payment.”

“I promised food and a roof over your head. You’ve had that. And any payment I might have implied was for the end of the job. Not just getting to the job.”

“We’ll see how the others feel, then,” Ahmed said.

“Indeed we will.”

They walked together from the tea house, but in a few strides, Nyx was leading again, striding confidently back to their rented room as if he had not threatened to disband her entire team. He thought her supremely arrogant.

Eshe was at the ladder leading up to their residence with Kage. They were speaking to a woman who turned as they approached.

Her appearance caught Ahmed up short. He stopped breathing.

The woman raised a gun and pointed it at Ahmed. “So good of you to finally make it, Ahmed al Kaidan,” she said.

Ahmed heard the shot.

29.