why.
Now I know. I lost my wife and children for you. I survived for you .”
I thought I understood what he meant, that
these horrible things had happened for a purpose. All the stuff
that had happened the day before surged to the front of my memory. Sho’ful landing for the first time ever. The unlocked door
that should have been locked. The opening at the bottom of the ship
when the landing gear dropped. I wondered why, though. What was the
damn purpose in getting me out?
If there was a reason behind it all, I
didn’t want any part of it. The weight of what it could mean
crushed me. I didn’t want to carry all that responsibility. I shook
my head again. “Who would do this, Meir? And why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No.” I wanted it to be obvious. I wanted to
know the truth. I wanted it so badly, my insides hurt with the
aching for it.
“Then I can’t tell you. This is something
you need to discover for yourself.” He smiled. “Just like I
did.”
That irritated me. Why couldn’t he just say
what was on his mind? I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to tell
him I had a right to know everything, but Malik’s voice came over
the intercom.
“Meir, punch in your code.” His voice wasn’t
quite as venom-filled as it’d been when he’d left, but it wasn’t
quite dead either. It lingered somewhere in between. I guessed he
was showing a lot of restraint, and wondered what was going on in
his mind.
Meir let go of me and walked through the
maze of crates to the keypad. He put in the same six-digit code as
earlier and the door slid open. Malik walked through with two
silver containers, set them on the closest crate, and walked out
the door again. He returned moments later with two folded cots and
rested them against the wall.
I stood next to Meir as Malik punched in a
different code and the door slid closed. When he turned around to
face us, I suddenly wished I had my mask on. I wasn’t ready for him
to see how I really looked. I knew the disdain he already felt was
just a small fraction of what he would feel when he saw my wasted
and decrepit face. But I was too late.
His eyes rested on me and he gasped. His
reaction only lasted a moment before he turned to Meir, but it was
enough. The blood rushed to my cheeks, and tears started welling up
in my eyes. I was a hideous wraith, and having that confirmed by
Malik was too much. It was funny how my own vanity—or complete lack
of self-confidence—could be more important to me in that moment
than the fact that Malik knew the truth and my very life was in his
hands.
He acted as if he hadn’t just nearly vomited
at the sight of me and glared at Meir. His face was too stiff as
his piercing eyes bore into my savior, and I had the sneaking
suspicion that he was trying not to look at me now.
A lump formed in my throat.
“Well?” Malik said, ignoring my crumpled and
pathetic glare.
“Well what?” Meir had completely regained
his composure. His tears had been wiped away, and he stood straight
and tall, not the crumpled form of a man he’d been just moments
earlier. I almost felt sorry for Malik, having to face this firm
and indestructible giant.
“Damn it, Meir. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that Manoo must be getting
pretty desperate to find enemies if this little girl scares
him.”
Malik glanced at me out of the corner of his
eye for a fraction of a second. He didn’t gasp this time, but I
could still see his face twitch ever so subtly. “That means
nothing. Everyone who becomes even remotely connected to her escape
is dead now.”
“Only if they find out.”
Malik pinched his nose and leaned against
the wall. This was the first time I’d seen him break his carefully
cultivated façade. It was almost more terrifying than if he were
screaming at us. “I’ve already told my father.”
Yes, much more terrifying. Somehow I knew
that Pallaton was the last man in the universe who should know that
his friend had tricked him into
Now I know. I lost my wife and children for you. I survived for you .”
I thought I understood what he meant, that
these horrible things had happened for a purpose. All the stuff
that had happened the day before surged to the front of my memory. Sho’ful landing for the first time ever. The unlocked door
that should have been locked. The opening at the bottom of the ship
when the landing gear dropped. I wondered why, though. What was the
damn purpose in getting me out?
If there was a reason behind it all, I
didn’t want any part of it. The weight of what it could mean
crushed me. I didn’t want to carry all that responsibility. I shook
my head again. “Who would do this, Meir? And why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“No.” I wanted it to be obvious. I wanted to
know the truth. I wanted it so badly, my insides hurt with the
aching for it.
“Then I can’t tell you. This is something
you need to discover for yourself.” He smiled. “Just like I
did.”
That irritated me. Why couldn’t he just say
what was on his mind? I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to tell
him I had a right to know everything, but Malik’s voice came over
the intercom.
“Meir, punch in your code.” His voice wasn’t
quite as venom-filled as it’d been when he’d left, but it wasn’t
quite dead either. It lingered somewhere in between. I guessed he
was showing a lot of restraint, and wondered what was going on in
his mind.
Meir let go of me and walked through the
maze of crates to the keypad. He put in the same six-digit code as
earlier and the door slid open. Malik walked through with two
silver containers, set them on the closest crate, and walked out
the door again. He returned moments later with two folded cots and
rested them against the wall.
I stood next to Meir as Malik punched in a
different code and the door slid closed. When he turned around to
face us, I suddenly wished I had my mask on. I wasn’t ready for him
to see how I really looked. I knew the disdain he already felt was
just a small fraction of what he would feel when he saw my wasted
and decrepit face. But I was too late.
His eyes rested on me and he gasped. His
reaction only lasted a moment before he turned to Meir, but it was
enough. The blood rushed to my cheeks, and tears started welling up
in my eyes. I was a hideous wraith, and having that confirmed by
Malik was too much. It was funny how my own vanity—or complete lack
of self-confidence—could be more important to me in that moment
than the fact that Malik knew the truth and my very life was in his
hands.
He acted as if he hadn’t just nearly vomited
at the sight of me and glared at Meir. His face was too stiff as
his piercing eyes bore into my savior, and I had the sneaking
suspicion that he was trying not to look at me now.
A lump formed in my throat.
“Well?” Malik said, ignoring my crumpled and
pathetic glare.
“Well what?” Meir had completely regained
his composure. His tears had been wiped away, and he stood straight
and tall, not the crumpled form of a man he’d been just moments
earlier. I almost felt sorry for Malik, having to face this firm
and indestructible giant.
“Damn it, Meir. What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that Manoo must be getting
pretty desperate to find enemies if this little girl scares
him.”
Malik glanced at me out of the corner of his
eye for a fraction of a second. He didn’t gasp this time, but I
could still see his face twitch ever so subtly. “That means
nothing. Everyone who becomes even remotely connected to her escape
is dead now.”
“Only if they find out.”
Malik pinched his nose and leaned against
the wall. This was the first time I’d seen him break his carefully
cultivated façade. It was almost more terrifying than if he were
screaming at us. “I’ve already told my father.”
Yes, much more terrifying. Somehow I knew
that Pallaton was the last man in the universe who should know that
his friend had tricked him into