raspy, as if it hadn’t spoken in a long time and it barely remembered how.
“Don’t kill the others,” Aluna said. “They aren’t enemies!”
The creature was blocking her view of Hoku, but she could hear him grunting and gasping inside her ear. He was still alive, and his Kampii necklace would help him breathe even while he was being choked. But what if the creature decided to stab him instead?
“Go limp,” she whispered, hoping Hoku could hear her despite his panic. “Breathe through your shell. Let them think you’re dead.”
“We have no understanding,” the creature replied. “We will save you. We will kill to save you.”
“No killing,” Aluna said. “No killing!” Her muscles quivered. Her body wanted to fight. It wanted to snap every one of these creatures in half like twigs. No one was allowed to hurt her friends. No one. Not even if they were trying to help. But wading into the fray herself would only make things worse.
Aluna rolled onto her back and vaulted herself up to her tail. “Stop fighting!” she yelled. “Everyone stop or they’ll kill you!”
Hoku had already stopped struggling, but a creature loomed over him, poking him in the chest. Aluna scanned the camp until she found Dash and Calli, too. Dash had blood dripping down his face and his sword in his hand. His gaze darted everywhere. His nose flared. Equians couldn’t see well at night; poor Dash was fighting blind.
“Stop, Dash. Please!” She rarely used the word, and it had power. Dash’s eyes widened. He lowered his sword.
“It’s a trap!” Odd bellowed. “Prisoners are working with these devils! Fight, you Gizmos, fight!”
“No!” Aluna yelled, but it was useless.
Mags had three of them on her, but was twisting and turning, managing to stab them with her needles. Aluna heard a creature squeak and saw it leap away, an empty needle dangling from its neck. Squirrel fought beside Mags, jumping this way and that, slashing her attackers with something small and shiny clutched in her hand. Odd seemed indomitable, flinging his attackers off of him as if they were small as rats and bellowing into the night. Only Pocket was down, pinned to the ground and surrounded. And even so, the boy struggled and kicked.
The tree creatures hadn’t killed anyone yet, but if the Upgraders kept fighting, they would, even if just by accident. Odd and Mags and Squirrel would never stop, not until their bodies had lost every last bit of fight. If this battle continued, the kludge would be destroyed.
Aluna tried to slow her breathing and clear her head. She could stay and help the kludge fight. With her and Dash and Vachir, and even Calli and Hoku, maybe they could turn defeat into victory. Not without casualties, she knew, but they’d still have a small chance of surviving the forest and making it to Strand’s army, and then to Strand himself somehow.
But if she fought, she’d be choosing her desire to find Karl Strand over the lives of the Upgraders in Odd’s kludge. A week or two ago, it would have been an easy decision to make. But now they weren’t Upgraders, they were people. People she’d begun to respect. The fact that she’d ever thought they were expendable overwhelmed her with shame.
Karl Strand had a plan, and he didn’t care how many lives were lost while he achieved it. If Aluna wanted to make a better world than the one Strand was offering, then she needed to make better choices. No plan was worth the senseless death of good people, regardless of its goal.
“Take us,” Aluna said to the creature. “Calli and I will go with you right now. Take the horses and those two as well.” She pointed at Dash and Hoku. “Leave the others alone. Do not kill a single one of the rest, or there will be blood on both sides, I promise you.”
The Human stood in one smooth motion and emitted a series of birdcalls. It sounded so much like a night owl that Aluna would never have known the noises were made by a person unless
“Don’t kill the others,” Aluna said. “They aren’t enemies!”
The creature was blocking her view of Hoku, but she could hear him grunting and gasping inside her ear. He was still alive, and his Kampii necklace would help him breathe even while he was being choked. But what if the creature decided to stab him instead?
“Go limp,” she whispered, hoping Hoku could hear her despite his panic. “Breathe through your shell. Let them think you’re dead.”
“We have no understanding,” the creature replied. “We will save you. We will kill to save you.”
“No killing,” Aluna said. “No killing!” Her muscles quivered. Her body wanted to fight. It wanted to snap every one of these creatures in half like twigs. No one was allowed to hurt her friends. No one. Not even if they were trying to help. But wading into the fray herself would only make things worse.
Aluna rolled onto her back and vaulted herself up to her tail. “Stop fighting!” she yelled. “Everyone stop or they’ll kill you!”
Hoku had already stopped struggling, but a creature loomed over him, poking him in the chest. Aluna scanned the camp until she found Dash and Calli, too. Dash had blood dripping down his face and his sword in his hand. His gaze darted everywhere. His nose flared. Equians couldn’t see well at night; poor Dash was fighting blind.
“Stop, Dash. Please!” She rarely used the word, and it had power. Dash’s eyes widened. He lowered his sword.
“It’s a trap!” Odd bellowed. “Prisoners are working with these devils! Fight, you Gizmos, fight!”
“No!” Aluna yelled, but it was useless.
Mags had three of them on her, but was twisting and turning, managing to stab them with her needles. Aluna heard a creature squeak and saw it leap away, an empty needle dangling from its neck. Squirrel fought beside Mags, jumping this way and that, slashing her attackers with something small and shiny clutched in her hand. Odd seemed indomitable, flinging his attackers off of him as if they were small as rats and bellowing into the night. Only Pocket was down, pinned to the ground and surrounded. And even so, the boy struggled and kicked.
The tree creatures hadn’t killed anyone yet, but if the Upgraders kept fighting, they would, even if just by accident. Odd and Mags and Squirrel would never stop, not until their bodies had lost every last bit of fight. If this battle continued, the kludge would be destroyed.
Aluna tried to slow her breathing and clear her head. She could stay and help the kludge fight. With her and Dash and Vachir, and even Calli and Hoku, maybe they could turn defeat into victory. Not without casualties, she knew, but they’d still have a small chance of surviving the forest and making it to Strand’s army, and then to Strand himself somehow.
But if she fought, she’d be choosing her desire to find Karl Strand over the lives of the Upgraders in Odd’s kludge. A week or two ago, it would have been an easy decision to make. But now they weren’t Upgraders, they were people. People she’d begun to respect. The fact that she’d ever thought they were expendable overwhelmed her with shame.
Karl Strand had a plan, and he didn’t care how many lives were lost while he achieved it. If Aluna wanted to make a better world than the one Strand was offering, then she needed to make better choices. No plan was worth the senseless death of good people, regardless of its goal.
“Take us,” Aluna said to the creature. “Calli and I will go with you right now. Take the horses and those two as well.” She pointed at Dash and Hoku. “Leave the others alone. Do not kill a single one of the rest, or there will be blood on both sides, I promise you.”
The Human stood in one smooth motion and emitted a series of birdcalls. It sounded so much like a night owl that Aluna would never have known the noises were made by a person unless
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