cry for them.
Relax, she said to a weeping woman. This is a time to hope, not to despair. Youll like where were going.
Silence. Then somebody said, And where is that?
Somebody else said, Home.
Venera looked over, puzzled. The voice hadnt been familiar, but the accent
A man was looking back at her steadily. He held one of Fins metal stanchions with one hand but otherwise looked quite comfortable in freefall. She did recognize the rags he was wearing, thoughthey marked him as one of the prisoners she had liberated from the Gray Infirmary.
Youre not from here, she said.
He grinned. And youre not Amandera Thrace-Guiles, he said. Youre the admirals wife.
A shock went through her. What?
I only saw you from a distance when they rescued us, said the man. And then lost sight of you when we got here to Fin. Everyone was talking about the mysterious lady of Buridan. But now I see you up close, I know you.
Your accent, she said. Its Slipstream.
He nodded. I was part of the expedition, maamaboard the Arrest . I was there for the big battle, when we defeated Falcon Formation. When your husband defeated them. I saw him plunge the Rook into the enemys dreadnought like a knife into another mans heart. Had time to watch the bastard blow up, before they netted me out of the air and threw me into prison. He grimaced in anger.
Veneras heart was in her throat. You saw Chaison die?
Die? The ex-airman looked at her incredulously. Die? Hes not dead. I spent two weeks in the same cell with him before Falcon traded me to Sacrus like a sack of grain.
Veneras vision grayed and she would have fallen over had she been under gravity. Oblivious, the other continued: I mighta wished he were dead a couple times over those weeks. Its hard sharing your space with another man, particularly one youve respected. You come to see all his faults.
Venera recovered enough to croak, Yes, I know how he can be. Then she turned away to hide her tears.
The giant metal wing shuddered as it knifed through the air. Past the opened doorway, where Bryce and Sarto were silhouetted, the sky seemed to be boiling. Cloud and air were being torn by the shattering of a world. The sound of it finally caught up with Fin, a cacophony like a belfry being blown up that went on and on. It was a knell that should warn the principalities in time for them to mount some sort of emergency response. Nothing could be done, though, if square miles of metal skin were to plow into a town-wheel somewhere.
To Venera, the churning air and the noise of it all seemed to originate in her own heart. He was alive! Absurdly, the image came to her of how she would tell him this storytell him about Garth rescuing her, about her first impressions of Spyre as seen from a roofless crumbling cube of stone, about Lesser Spyre and Sacrus and Buridan tower. Moments ago they had been mere facts, memories of a confused and drifting time. With the possibility that she could tell him about them, they suddenly became episodes of a great drama, a rousing tale she would laugh and cry to tell.
She turned to Garth, grinning wildly. Did you hear that? Hes alive!
Garth smiled weakly.
Venera shook him by the shoulders. Dont you understand? There is a place for you, for all of you, if youve the courage to get there. Come with me. Come to Slipstream, and on to Falcon, where hes imprisoned. Well free him and then youll have a home again. I swear it.
He didnt move, just kept his grip on his daughter while the wind whistled through Fin and the rest of the refugees looked from him to Venera and back again.
Well, what are you scared of? she demanded. Are you afraid I cant do what I say?
Now Garth smiled ruefully and shook his head. No, Venera, he said. Im afraid that you can.
She laughed and went to the door. Bracing her hands and feet on the cold metal she looked out. The gray turbulence of Spyres destruction was fading with the distance. In its place was endless blue.
Youll see, she said into the rushing air. Itll all work out.
Ill make sure of it.