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Back Stringers Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. FRONT COVER
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. DEDICATION
  4. CHAPTER ONE
  5. CHAPTER TWO
  6. CHAPTER THREE
  7. CHAPTER FOUR
  8. CHAPTER FIVE
  9. CHAPTER SIX
  10. CHAPTER SEVEN
  11. CHAPTER EIGHT
  12. CHAPTER NINE
  13. CHAPTER TEN
  14. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  15. CHAPTER TWELVE
  16. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  21. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  22. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  33. CHAPTER THIRTY
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  43. CHAPTER FORTY
  44. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
  53. CHAPTER FIFTY
  54. CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
  55. CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
  56. CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
  57. CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
  58. CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
  59. CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
  60. CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN
  61. CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
  62. CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
  63. CHAPTER SIXTY
  64. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The ship pulled back from the dock and pivoted toward the black. Just off to the left sat the shadow of the Timelance. I was banking that the Scythin were so unflinchingly communal that none of them would be left on board to chase me. Or if there were, that they’d be fine allowing me a head start. Aptat had explained that while both the Silent Child and the Timelance were bulkspace ships, the Scythin ship could walk down the Child if it wanted.

I set the ship to accelerate continuously to just below my personal explosion point and tapped the hot pink button that made it all go.

Boy did it.

My vision shrank to a pinpoint at the end of a long tunnel as the blood was wrung out of my brain. I did some Lamaze breathing to keep the lights on, then pulled my eyes up to where we’d tagged the Timelance on the holographic display. Little blue dot. Still showing locked in orbit with Aszerat. Either they were waiting for everyone to board before giving chase, or they’d figured out that I didn’t have the Chime. And unless they’d gone surfing in the bean dip, there was no way they could know I’d left it behind.

“Take us into bulkspace, same course,” I said.

The ship obeyed and the starfield on the display scrolled upward, overtaken by black, as we slid between dimensions.

It was weird to have nothing more to contribute to our effort. The move had to be made to draw the Scythin off, but at the same time I wanted to be with the others. I knew my presence there would have little utility, but it still felt wrong to be off and away from them while the threat was so real. I let out a slow exhalation. It was all just mental masturbation at this point – there was nothing more I could do for them. My only job was to keep running.109

108 Now that I’ve heard the plan all laid out, I’m betting all my guush on the Scythin – Can’t say I blame you. Except that it was all your idea.

109 Okay, rewind for a second: When were we masturbating, again? Did I miss a sesh?

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX

Naecia found the power corridor and the conduit that Ben had mentioned behind the wall facing the docks. It branched through at even intervals that corresponded with each of the berths and she spent a few seconds evaluating their output before deciding they couldn’t supply enough power to move the whole city. They would need to splice into the power that came straight from Aszerat’s reactors. That was the main conduit back behind the wall.