Read Online Spin the Sky by Katy Stauber - Free Book Online

SIX
    T hey are sitting down to eat on long bac-wood tables, listening to Argos spin tales in the large dining room, warmed by midday light and the heat of the kitchen next to it. Cesar insisted he needed some time to think of one suitable for mixed company and Argos was happy to oblige with a tale of his own while Cesar thought it over. Penelope finished her work early and is happy to join Cesar, Trevor and the cowgirls for lunch.
    Argos drawls, “No one ever thought our war, the Spacer War they call it now in the history archives, would last as long as it did.”
    The cowgirls glance at the older man occasionally, but they are more interested in shoveling down their food as fast as they can. Although the table is heavy with hot dishes, the women work hard, play harder, and always fight over the last of Lupe’s homemade tortillas. Cesar has picked a seat where he can watch Penelope daintily sip coffee and Trevor inhale lunch while occasionally snatching second helpings of beans or whatever else was closest.
    He reached for the queso earlier and almost got stabbed by a cowgirl’s sharp fork. There is one girl sitting at the end cutting her enchiladas with a Bowie knife. Cesar notices the way there is plenty of space between her and the girl sitting next to her.
    Argos takes a sip of his coffee and clears his throat before going on, “Five years is a long time to wonder whether you’ll die in the morning from a missile or in the evening from lack of water because the supply ships don’t run anymore. Ithaca was always a prosperous orbital and we were far enough out of Earth’s missile range. The effects on us were less severe, in the way that a tornado is less severe than a hurricane.”
    Cesar turns to look at the others sitting at the table. Trevor’s mouth is open and his burrito is dangling in one hand, forgotten halfway to his mouth. Beans drip out onto his plate unnoticed, even though he’s heard this story many times.
    Argos continues, “Spacers were lucky that the Earth had plumb tuckered itself out fighting wars down there. Pakistan fighting with India. The Muslim nations calling jihad against the European Union. South Africa warring with North Africa. Russia lobbing missiles at China. The USA was fighting everybody, seemed like.”
    He pauses while those old enough dimly remember the ever more bizarre and bloody news waves from that era. “Seems so strange now, but at the time, it was like the whole world was just so angry. That’s what made so many people want to move out here, away from all that, I guess.”
    Penelope gives a quick laugh, “You remember that colony of hippies that built a free-love orbital with all those exotic animals right before our war started?” She looks at Cesar but he shakes his head.
    Lupe wrinkles her nose and crosses herself as she bustles around the table, refilling bowls and swatting Trevor when he puts his elbows on the table. “Those poor kids. They called it The Ark. They were gonna protect all the endangered animals in their little commune in the sky. I wanted to call their mamas and tell them to teach their babies about reality. And baths.”
    Penelope catches Cesar’s eye across the table and smiles at him.
    “Lupe believes God hates dirt more than he hates sin,” she explains. “We’d have those kids over for dinner whenever they could cobble together the fuel. For all their ideals, they sure liked steak as much as anybody else.”
    Cesar grins back at her. His eyes linger over her just a second too long. Penelope looks away quickly, stuffing a bite of food in her mouth.
    “Those hippies and their condors and whatnot were only barely making it with regular supply ships,” Argos says. “When all the wars down on the planet interrupted the supply ships, they had some rough times.”
    Penelope nods as she swallows the last of her burrito. Then she adds, “They didn’t think to bring anybody with any actual knowledge of how to rig air processors or repair solar