Read Online The Dark Shore (Atlanteans) by Kevin Emerson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kevin Emerson
Ads: Link
seemed to be growing more nervous as we talked.
“We know of many people,” Harvey continued, “who wish they could be part of Eden’s plans, even in Desenna, though to say so would be treason.”
“You mean be part of the shiny new paradise,” said Leech.
“Yes,” said Lucinda. “That would be nice.” She sounded like she might be one of the “many.”
A silence passed between us. Lucinda fiddled with her necklace, rubbing her thumb over the top of the pendant. I caught a better glimpse of it and saw a design on it, like three raised circles. She and Harvey both stared into space. It seemed like more than just worry between them. There was sadness, too. I wondered, had they lost children to the pandemics? Had the plastics cancer made them unable to have kids at all? Had their loved ones died too soon? There were so many possible causes for a person’s sadness in this world.
At the same time, in the pause, I started to become aware of a clock ticking inside me. These people had not turned out to be a danger; in fact, in these last few minutes I’d actually felt almost safe. Food was helping that. It was the first time in days that my guard had been down, but Paul was still out there, coming for us.
Another deep thud echoed above us. Still blank. I thought of what Harvey had said about air-conditioning. I remembered the sound of air warping ducts when the heat came on out at Hub. Those booms were hollow and empty. These sounded heavier. I glanced at the sensor again. “Nothing on there?” I asked.
Harvey seemed to snap out of some daydream. He looked down at it. “Nope.”
Still, I couldn’t help worrying about the craft. Had I tied the sails off? If one of them caught the wind, the craft could blow into the wall or over the edge.
“We should probably get moving,” I said.
“Going?” said Harvey. “Oh, but, well, what about our offer from the Benevolent Mother?” Harvey checked his watch. “The Nomad pod should be here in just about fifteen minutes. Why don’t you just stay and finish eating?”
“Um . . .” I said. I turned to Lilly and Leech, wishing I could read their minds. Lilly shrugged slightly.
“It’s a great invitation,” Leech said, eyeing me, again like he was checking that we were on the same page, “but we had a prior plan, and so we need a minute to talk about it, you know, just us .” He started to stand.
“Yeah,” I agreed. This was more good thinking by Leech. “We’ve had a long few days, so maybe we’ll just head up to the roof and talk it over, and then we’ll let you know?”
“Oh,” said Harvey, “I mean . . .” He shared another worried glance with Lucinda, almost like he was trying to send her mental messages. “I guess a few minutes would be . . . fine?”
I wondered if they’d be in trouble with this Benevolent Mother if we were to leave, if failing to convince us was the kind of thing that could get you packed in a freezer.
Lucinda nodded at Harvey, and turned back to us. “Sure, of course.” Her voice had started to shake, matching the fidgeting of her hands. She glanced down, seeming to study the black pendant as it flipped between her fingers. “That should be okay. Just, um . . .” she said, “remind me again, which one of you is, is not, you know, one of the . . .”
“You mean not an Atlantean?” Lilly pointed her thumb at herself. “That would be me. Why?”
I hated hearing her say that. But something about what Lucinda had just asked struck me as odd. Remind me again . . . Had she actually asked about that before? I didn’t remember it. Maybe that was just her nerves, or she misspoke.
There was a clicking sound. Something tiny and plastic. It took me a second to find the source: Lucinda’s pendant. I wondered if she’d broken it in all her nervous fidgeting. She was staring at Lilly, saw me gazing at her, then her eyes flicked away almost like she’d been caught.
“Excuse me.” She lurched up from her
“We know of many people,” Harvey continued, “who wish they could be part of Eden’s plans, even in Desenna, though to say so would be treason.”
“You mean be part of the shiny new paradise,” said Leech.
“Yes,” said Lucinda. “That would be nice.” She sounded like she might be one of the “many.”
A silence passed between us. Lucinda fiddled with her necklace, rubbing her thumb over the top of the pendant. I caught a better glimpse of it and saw a design on it, like three raised circles. She and Harvey both stared into space. It seemed like more than just worry between them. There was sadness, too. I wondered, had they lost children to the pandemics? Had the plastics cancer made them unable to have kids at all? Had their loved ones died too soon? There were so many possible causes for a person’s sadness in this world.
At the same time, in the pause, I started to become aware of a clock ticking inside me. These people had not turned out to be a danger; in fact, in these last few minutes I’d actually felt almost safe. Food was helping that. It was the first time in days that my guard had been down, but Paul was still out there, coming for us.
Another deep thud echoed above us. Still blank. I thought of what Harvey had said about air-conditioning. I remembered the sound of air warping ducts when the heat came on out at Hub. Those booms were hollow and empty. These sounded heavier. I glanced at the sensor again. “Nothing on there?” I asked.
Harvey seemed to snap out of some daydream. He looked down at it. “Nope.”
Still, I couldn’t help worrying about the craft. Had I tied the sails off? If one of them caught the wind, the craft could blow into the wall or over the edge.
“We should probably get moving,” I said.
“Going?” said Harvey. “Oh, but, well, what about our offer from the Benevolent Mother?” Harvey checked his watch. “The Nomad pod should be here in just about fifteen minutes. Why don’t you just stay and finish eating?”
“Um . . .” I said. I turned to Lilly and Leech, wishing I could read their minds. Lilly shrugged slightly.
“It’s a great invitation,” Leech said, eyeing me, again like he was checking that we were on the same page, “but we had a prior plan, and so we need a minute to talk about it, you know, just us .” He started to stand.
“Yeah,” I agreed. This was more good thinking by Leech. “We’ve had a long few days, so maybe we’ll just head up to the roof and talk it over, and then we’ll let you know?”
“Oh,” said Harvey, “I mean . . .” He shared another worried glance with Lucinda, almost like he was trying to send her mental messages. “I guess a few minutes would be . . . fine?”
I wondered if they’d be in trouble with this Benevolent Mother if we were to leave, if failing to convince us was the kind of thing that could get you packed in a freezer.
Lucinda nodded at Harvey, and turned back to us. “Sure, of course.” Her voice had started to shake, matching the fidgeting of her hands. She glanced down, seeming to study the black pendant as it flipped between her fingers. “That should be okay. Just, um . . .” she said, “remind me again, which one of you is, is not, you know, one of the . . .”
“You mean not an Atlantean?” Lilly pointed her thumb at herself. “That would be me. Why?”
I hated hearing her say that. But something about what Lucinda had just asked struck me as odd. Remind me again . . . Had she actually asked about that before? I didn’t remember it. Maybe that was just her nerves, or she misspoke.
There was a clicking sound. Something tiny and plastic. It took me a second to find the source: Lucinda’s pendant. I wondered if she’d broken it in all her nervous fidgeting. She was staring at Lilly, saw me gazing at her, then her eyes flicked away almost like she’d been caught.
“Excuse me.” She lurched up from her
Similar Books
