lines.
The little boy never stopped scowling at him. It took them an hour to rig the plastic sail. When he sat down to wipe sweat from his eyes, the boy sat beside him and tugged his sleeve. In pantomime, the boy bunched up his little brown fingers, poked something imaginary into his mouth and pretended to chew.
“I don’t have food,” Dominic said.
The boy dropped his chin with an air of disgust and went back to his grandmother.
Later, when the children were out of earshot, Qi whispered to him through her breathing mask. “You told them you’re a banker?” She giggled and patted the barrel beside her, inviting him to sit. “Workers think a banker is a machine that dispenses coins.”
“Do you have any food?” Dominic squatted a couple of barrel lengths away and watched Qi warily. She shook her head no. “What about water? You gave the old woman our only water sack. She’ll drink it in one gulp. We need to ration it.”
“Calm down. It’s not a problem.” Qi dangled her bare feet over the edge and kicked at the fetid ocean. She seemed completely at ease.
Dominic adjusted his mask. He was hungry and thirsty and tired, while this skinny dark spy girl seemed as fresh as ever. He wondered how old she was. Late twenties? Maybe she took energy tabs, but that didn’t explain her total lack of fear. He envied her that. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
“Mmm. I love this view. We’re below the smog layer, so we can see a long way. Look.”
She pointed north, where the clouds were brightening to fiery crimson. The sun was already rising again. A whole day had passed since he left the beach in West Spitzbergen. Barely forty hours ago, Dominic had been sitting in his office in Trondheim. He recalled that now with astonishment.
“You sleepy? Put your head in my lap,” Qi said.
“I’d prefer answers. You control this situation, I’ll concede that much. But you still need something from me. If you expect my help, you’d better be more forthcoming.”
Qi dipped up a handful of grayish sea fluid. She studied it for a moment as if searching for life-forms. Then she flung it away. Behind her, the improvised sail flapped steadily. They were running with the wind, due west.
“I watched you rig that sail,” he said. “You set us on course for somewhere. Are we moving toward the Benthica ?”
“The Pressure of Light ,” she answered. “I can’t tell you anything, Dominic. Be patient. You’ll know soon enough—”
“That’s not acceptable!” he shouted.
In response to his shout, the sullen little boy popped up over the mound of barrels and glared at him. Dominic glared back. Then the boy made a face, and Dominic clenched his jaw. Sweat prickled under his face mask and made his nose itch. He continued more quietly, “Major, I know we’re undercover, but you can’t expect me to pretend I’m a prote. I haven’t the least notion how protes behave. I’m not trained for espionage. They’ll see through me at once.”
“Like clients see through you at ZahlenBank? You’re as clear as water, aren’t you, Nicky?”
Dominic rolled his head to stretch his neck muscles. He looked at her sideways. When she smiled, he noticed how her mocking black eyes crinkled almost shut.
She said, “Tell them you’re a banker if you like. It doesn’t matter. They’ll hear your educated accent and your college vocabulary, and they’ll trust anything you say. Only the smartest workers go to college. They’ll respect you.”
Dominic frowned. “Protected employees do not attend college.”
“Sure they do. Who do you think runs the production lines? Who keeps the equipment working? Who takes care of the sick? You think some aristo exec would stoop to that kind of work?” Qi laughed. “You’ve been locked up inside too long, Nick-O.”
“Where’s the Benthica ?” he asked.
“Dominic, Dominic. So many questions. Look at the sunrise. Isn’t it beautiful? Have you ever seen dawn with your naked
The little boy never stopped scowling at him. It took them an hour to rig the plastic sail. When he sat down to wipe sweat from his eyes, the boy sat beside him and tugged his sleeve. In pantomime, the boy bunched up his little brown fingers, poked something imaginary into his mouth and pretended to chew.
“I don’t have food,” Dominic said.
The boy dropped his chin with an air of disgust and went back to his grandmother.
Later, when the children were out of earshot, Qi whispered to him through her breathing mask. “You told them you’re a banker?” She giggled and patted the barrel beside her, inviting him to sit. “Workers think a banker is a machine that dispenses coins.”
“Do you have any food?” Dominic squatted a couple of barrel lengths away and watched Qi warily. She shook her head no. “What about water? You gave the old woman our only water sack. She’ll drink it in one gulp. We need to ration it.”
“Calm down. It’s not a problem.” Qi dangled her bare feet over the edge and kicked at the fetid ocean. She seemed completely at ease.
Dominic adjusted his mask. He was hungry and thirsty and tired, while this skinny dark spy girl seemed as fresh as ever. He wondered how old she was. Late twenties? Maybe she took energy tabs, but that didn’t explain her total lack of fear. He envied her that. She seemed to be enjoying herself.
“Mmm. I love this view. We’re below the smog layer, so we can see a long way. Look.”
She pointed north, where the clouds were brightening to fiery crimson. The sun was already rising again. A whole day had passed since he left the beach in West Spitzbergen. Barely forty hours ago, Dominic had been sitting in his office in Trondheim. He recalled that now with astonishment.
“You sleepy? Put your head in my lap,” Qi said.
“I’d prefer answers. You control this situation, I’ll concede that much. But you still need something from me. If you expect my help, you’d better be more forthcoming.”
Qi dipped up a handful of grayish sea fluid. She studied it for a moment as if searching for life-forms. Then she flung it away. Behind her, the improvised sail flapped steadily. They were running with the wind, due west.
“I watched you rig that sail,” he said. “You set us on course for somewhere. Are we moving toward the Benthica ?”
“The Pressure of Light ,” she answered. “I can’t tell you anything, Dominic. Be patient. You’ll know soon enough—”
“That’s not acceptable!” he shouted.
In response to his shout, the sullen little boy popped up over the mound of barrels and glared at him. Dominic glared back. Then the boy made a face, and Dominic clenched his jaw. Sweat prickled under his face mask and made his nose itch. He continued more quietly, “Major, I know we’re undercover, but you can’t expect me to pretend I’m a prote. I haven’t the least notion how protes behave. I’m not trained for espionage. They’ll see through me at once.”
“Like clients see through you at ZahlenBank? You’re as clear as water, aren’t you, Nicky?”
Dominic rolled his head to stretch his neck muscles. He looked at her sideways. When she smiled, he noticed how her mocking black eyes crinkled almost shut.
She said, “Tell them you’re a banker if you like. It doesn’t matter. They’ll hear your educated accent and your college vocabulary, and they’ll trust anything you say. Only the smartest workers go to college. They’ll respect you.”
Dominic frowned. “Protected employees do not attend college.”
“Sure they do. Who do you think runs the production lines? Who keeps the equipment working? Who takes care of the sick? You think some aristo exec would stoop to that kind of work?” Qi laughed. “You’ve been locked up inside too long, Nick-O.”
“Where’s the Benthica ?” he asked.
“Dominic, Dominic. So many questions. Look at the sunrise. Isn’t it beautiful? Have you ever seen dawn with your naked
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