Page 19 of Paradise

“I’d prefer to be compared to Guy Fawkes if I have to choose,” Robbie said.

“Well, too bad, because traitors can’t be choosers.”

“Mind telling me what the information is?” Dad finally interjected.

Robbie stared at Garrett. Garrett stared back, his fingers tapping faster and faster against the table. Dad finally reached over and took his hand, stopping the rapid beat. “Darlin’?”

“Yes. Right. There’s a Drifter ship in orbit right above Rapture.” Garrett said it fast, like he was spitting out words that didn’t taste good. “They’ve been here for a while.”

“What’s the name?”

“Is it Grandma’s?”

Cody and his dad spoke at the same time, but Cody hoped they would answer his question first. It would be fun if it was his grandma’s ship; he hadn’t seen her for … oh … he couldn’t even really remember the last time he’d seen her. Everything that had happened in his life up to Pandora was kind of blended into one big “before.” The things he did remember were short, tight hallways that went up and over and under, like ropes tied in a big knot, with rooms in strange places and bluish lights that flickered on and off. There had been lots of other kids to play with but lots of sharp edges too.

This one time when he’d been playing hide-and-seek, Cody had wedged himself into a crawl space that went all the way back to the bulkhead. It had been really cold back there, and he’d cut his shoulder scootching all the way in and hadn’t even realized it, because the metal was so frosty it made him numb. None of the other kids found him, and Cody didn’t realize that they’d given up, and the game was over, until he heard his daddy shouting for him. By then he was too cold and stiff to crawl back out. They’d had to move parts of the ship to reach him, and Daddy hadn’t been happy when he’d found Cody injured.

“It’s called theGondola,” Robbie said. “The family name is Dechiara.”

“Kilroy,” Cody’s dad said thoughtfully. “I know him. He usually does business out of the Triad cluster, though. Strange for him to be here.”

“Strange how?” Robbie asked immediately.

“Strange in a way that’s none of our business, because we don’t care,” Garrett interjected. He and Robbie stared at each other again. Cody felt his shoulders tense up and didn’t know why.

“O-kay!” Wyl’s voice was a little too loud, but at least he got everyone’s attention. “I think I’ve had enough to eat. Cody, are you full?”

“Well …” Really, he could eat another pancake, probably, but Wyl probably wanted to do something fun. “Yeah. Why?”

“I thought now might be a good time to go for that hoverbike ride. It’s not too awfully hot out there yet.”

“Yes!” Cody slammed down his fork and kicked the chair back, ready to go.

“Ah, but—” Garrett held up a hand that stopped him. “You’re supposed to start your lessons today. If we get back to Pandora and you’re behind the class, your teacher will hang me up by my toes.”

“Mister Hugelin-Padin just says that,” Cody reassured Garrett. “But he never actually does it. I mean, I’ve never seen him do it.”

“If anyone could drive him to it, it would be me,” Garrett said, but he was smiling now. “Okay. Or it’s okay with me as long as you’re back by lunchtime, but you should ask your dad.”

“Fine with me, bucko.” His dad ruffled his hair fondly. Cody rolled his eyes and tried to smooth his curls back down. “Have fun with Wyl. Be good.”

“I’m always good!” Cody paused just long enough to kiss his dad’s cheek, then Garrett’s, before hopping onto the floor and heading out of the kitchen at Wyl’s heels. “Where’s the bike?”

“It’s in the lot, in my personal parking space,” Wyl said, buzzing them through the connecting door between the mansionand the military base. “It’s my favorite way to get around here. Robbie likes tanks, but I think they lack subtlety.”

“I’d like to ride in a tank!”

“I bet you would.” Wyl chuckled.

“I would be very careful if you let me drive it too,” Cody continued, using his “wide, innocent eyes” look on Wyl. It got him what he wanted all the time with his dad and Garrett, but Wyl just smirked.

“Nice try, Cody, but no. Now.” They stopped in an equipment room, where a bored-looking army guy sat reading a magazine at a desk. Behind him was a cage of some kind, with a glowing, filmy outline. “Sergeant Powell.”

“Mr. Leyton,” the man intoned flatly.

“I’d like to requisition a helmet for my friend here.” That had the army guy looking up, and when he saw Cody, his eyes went wide. “I had one ordered special a few months back.”

“Yeah, I think we have something like that.” The sergeant stood up and swiped his palm over a reader, then hummed low in his throat. The glow vanished, and he opened the door. “Just a second.” He went inside, and Cody bounced anxiously on the balls of his feet. When the man came back out with a shiny, nearly transparent helmet that had the black Space Ranger emblazoned on top of it, Cody’s mouth fell open.

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