her. She felt Pathik’s hand touch hers under the table.
“For tonight at least, I think we should take shifts keeping watch.” Nandy kept her voice low, as though she thought someone might be listening. She petted Nipper, who leaned against her knee.
“I agree.” Malgam eyed the closed door. “But in the meantime, I think we should do a little exploring. See what we can find out.”
“I have a feeling Filina expects us to stay in the units, for now.” Vivian sounded hesitant. “Do you think she’d want us wandering around?”
Malgam snorted. “I could not care less what she’d want us to—”
“I think we’re all exhausted.” Daniel rubbed his eyes. “We do need to find out what’s going on here, but for tonight, let’s regroup and rest. We may need our strength.”
Rachel watched her father, saw how he sagged against the table as though he could barely stay upright. He’d been through so much when the Roberts took him, and he still wasn’t fully recovered. Malgam was stronger, but he, too, was recovering from the illness that had almost killed him. They both needed rest desperately.
“Pathik and I can take a look around, then come back and take second watch.” Rachel looked at Vivian. “Maybe you and Nandy could take first watch?”
Vivian understood immediately. “That’s a perfect idea. Nandy?”
Nandy nodded. She and Vivian exchanged a look—they were both worried about the men. Nandy put a hand on Pathik’s shoulder. “As long as you two don’t wander far.” She stood. “Let’s get the beds made up.”
With everyone working it took no time at all to ready the beds in both units. There were two in each—a bed and a sort of cot. Rachel knew she and Pathik would be sleeping in the cots, but they looked fairly comfortable. The bedding was finer than anything Away—it seemed closer to the sort of thing Rachel and Vivian had been used to on the Unified States side of the Line.
“Where do you suppose they get these?” Vivian stroked a soft, fine blanket. “Any from before the bombs would have rotted long ago.” She handed the blanket to Nandy, who was ready to finish up the last bed. “There was nothing this fine Away, was there?” Vivian had only spent a short time Away before they’d left for the island.
Nandy shook her head. “We had a couple of looms we used, but you can see what they turned out.” She fingered the sleeve of her own shirt. “Rough stuff, compared to this.”
“Stone that looks shaped by machines, fine sheets.” Malgam frowned. “I didn’t see any evidence of a power source. I know Indigo thought they might still have power from the wind farm that was supposed to have been here, but they’re using oil lamps for light and buckets for toilets. If the wind farm was still operational they’d at least have lights.”
Pathik caught Rachel’s eye. “We’ll go wander a bit,” he said to Nandy. “See what we can see.”
“Remember, not too far.” Nandy gave the blanket a shake and let it fall onto the bed.
“Don’t forget your jacket.” Vivian handed Rachel her coat.
Rachel smiled and shrugged it on. She put her hands in the pockets and felt the orchid cubes she had stashed there during the storm. When she pulled them out, Vivian gasped.
“Oh, Rachel! Your orchids.” Vivian’s eyes were brimming with tears.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Rachel went to her mother, who took the cubes like they were expensive crystal goblets.
“I didn’t want to tell you, but . . .” Vivian dabbed at her eyes. “The rest—the ones you and Elizabeth packed—they all got ruined by saltwater. I thought they were all dead.”
Rachel felt her own tears threatening to fall. She had feared that the flat of orchid cubes was lost—it was the reason she’d taken these two and stuffed them in her coat during the storm—but she’d hoped that she was wrong. She thought about how she’d worked with Ms. Moore in the greenhouse just before they left for Away,
“For tonight at least, I think we should take shifts keeping watch.” Nandy kept her voice low, as though she thought someone might be listening. She petted Nipper, who leaned against her knee.
“I agree.” Malgam eyed the closed door. “But in the meantime, I think we should do a little exploring. See what we can find out.”
“I have a feeling Filina expects us to stay in the units, for now.” Vivian sounded hesitant. “Do you think she’d want us wandering around?”
Malgam snorted. “I could not care less what she’d want us to—”
“I think we’re all exhausted.” Daniel rubbed his eyes. “We do need to find out what’s going on here, but for tonight, let’s regroup and rest. We may need our strength.”
Rachel watched her father, saw how he sagged against the table as though he could barely stay upright. He’d been through so much when the Roberts took him, and he still wasn’t fully recovered. Malgam was stronger, but he, too, was recovering from the illness that had almost killed him. They both needed rest desperately.
“Pathik and I can take a look around, then come back and take second watch.” Rachel looked at Vivian. “Maybe you and Nandy could take first watch?”
Vivian understood immediately. “That’s a perfect idea. Nandy?”
Nandy nodded. She and Vivian exchanged a look—they were both worried about the men. Nandy put a hand on Pathik’s shoulder. “As long as you two don’t wander far.” She stood. “Let’s get the beds made up.”
With everyone working it took no time at all to ready the beds in both units. There were two in each—a bed and a sort of cot. Rachel knew she and Pathik would be sleeping in the cots, but they looked fairly comfortable. The bedding was finer than anything Away—it seemed closer to the sort of thing Rachel and Vivian had been used to on the Unified States side of the Line.
“Where do you suppose they get these?” Vivian stroked a soft, fine blanket. “Any from before the bombs would have rotted long ago.” She handed the blanket to Nandy, who was ready to finish up the last bed. “There was nothing this fine Away, was there?” Vivian had only spent a short time Away before they’d left for the island.
Nandy shook her head. “We had a couple of looms we used, but you can see what they turned out.” She fingered the sleeve of her own shirt. “Rough stuff, compared to this.”
“Stone that looks shaped by machines, fine sheets.” Malgam frowned. “I didn’t see any evidence of a power source. I know Indigo thought they might still have power from the wind farm that was supposed to have been here, but they’re using oil lamps for light and buckets for toilets. If the wind farm was still operational they’d at least have lights.”
Pathik caught Rachel’s eye. “We’ll go wander a bit,” he said to Nandy. “See what we can see.”
“Remember, not too far.” Nandy gave the blanket a shake and let it fall onto the bed.
“Don’t forget your jacket.” Vivian handed Rachel her coat.
Rachel smiled and shrugged it on. She put her hands in the pockets and felt the orchid cubes she had stashed there during the storm. When she pulled them out, Vivian gasped.
“Oh, Rachel! Your orchids.” Vivian’s eyes were brimming with tears.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” Rachel went to her mother, who took the cubes like they were expensive crystal goblets.
“I didn’t want to tell you, but . . .” Vivian dabbed at her eyes. “The rest—the ones you and Elizabeth packed—they all got ruined by saltwater. I thought they were all dead.”
Rachel felt her own tears threatening to fall. She had feared that the flat of orchid cubes was lost—it was the reason she’d taken these two and stuffed them in her coat during the storm—but she’d hoped that she was wrong. She thought about how she’d worked with Ms. Moore in the greenhouse just before they left for Away,
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