As the A-7 shot across the Donovanian sky, Dek took one last look out the side window on the command deck. Below, he could see the southern shore of the continent looping away to the west, shallow water giving way to the depths. Ahead, in the distance at the edge of the horizon, a faint green line met the ocean. Southern Continent. Their destination. He felt the slight shift in attitude as the shuttle’s pitch changed; it adopted a descending arc that would end at Southern Diggings.

He liked flying. The quetzal part of his brain was quiet.

He stepped back to the main cabin where Kalico and Dr. Raya Turnienko were going over the data radioed up from Southern Diggings by Private Briah Muldare. For the time being, it looked like Private Aberash was barely holding on. The preliminary diagnosis was that she had fractured bones, internal bleeding, and a severe concussion. Possibly with subdural hematoma.

With regard to Aberash, at least, Kalico had made the right call. If the private had a chance, it was getting prompt medical attention.

“Still no word from Kylee,” Dek said, seating himself in one of the chairs and clasping his hands. “But then, who knows what they found when they reached the wreck?”

“Why didn’t they take belt radios with them?” Kalico asked. “Given that they ran off with a Corporate airtruck, there should have been two radios in the emergency kit in the aft bulkhead.”

“This is Kylee,” Dek told her softly. “And my soft meat sister, Falise. The last thing Kylee would think of would be why, out in the bush, she’d need, in her words, ‘a fucking radio making a nuisance of itself.’ Then you have my sister, raised in Solar System, where her implants kept her in constant communication. The net was always just a thought away.”

Kalico closed her eyes. “Can this get any worse? For all we know, Soukup is dead or, God forbid, dying. His First is recording every second of it for the eventual judgment of the Board. And Kylee’s taking a Taglioni for her first nature walk in the forest around Tyson. Or do any of us remember the last nature walk we went on outside of Tyson Station? The one where Dya and Talbot died? Not to mention the meals the local flora and fauna made of the Unreconciled?”

Dek arched an eyebrow, rubbed his hands together. “Two Spot says that when he checked with Vartan, the man said that Flute was with them.” He cocked his head. “Falise and Flute? Now there’s a meeting I’d have given anything to see. I wonder if my arrogant asshole sister has broken down into a blubbering wreck yet?”

“What if she has?” Kalico gave him a sober stare with her laser-blue eyes. “The woman passed out when she saw her valet eaten. Like you said, this is Kylee. She doesn’t have much sympathy for weakness.”