Page 108 of Seven Oars
Nothing.
“Ucai sent me here for the time being,” Alyesha said.“They’re navigating out of some asteroid cluster. Tutti’s not doing what it’s supposed to.”
After the chaos of the near-encounter with the freighter, the station remained silent. If the pirates went to the Habitat, it wasn’t to party. The music didn’t play, the smoke didn’t choke them, and the sounds of fights were nonexistent.
Gro raised her head.“I take it the freighter didn’t spot us?”
Alyesha shook her head.“We’ve already moved away.”
Rosamma’s heart ached.
“Where’s the girl?” Alyesha looked around, searching for Daphne.
“Hiding,” Rosamma croaked.“Probably in the meat locker.”
The commotion had spooked Daphne, and she had vanished.
Alyesha gave a delicate shudder.“What a place to hide. It’s beyond disturbing.”
You have no idea,Rosamma thought.
She would have to go get her soon; she wouldn’t put that task on anyone else.
She thought of Phex.
As if reading her thoughts, Alyesha said,“They chained Phex to a wall in the Habitat.”
Rosamma shifted on her pad, uncomfortable and tired.
“I’m sorry it didn’t work out,” she said to the room.
The women looked down. Some nodded in acknowledgment.
“Are they mad at us?” Fawn asked.
Alyesha gave a one-shoulder shrug.“Ucai isn’t. But the Striker’s pretty mad. I thought he’d kill Phex on the spot. Like… Sassa.”
All conversation ceased.
They spent time together, but by themselves. They needed it to process the events that had cost them Sassa.It was a hard loss to accept.
Only when Daphne’s absence became impossible to ignore did Rosamma and Gro shake off the clinging sorrow and go looking for her.
Fawn insisted on coming along.
Gro gave her a look.“Why do I get the feeling you’re not just looking for Daphne?”
“Her, too,” Fawn said, with a trace of a smile.
Gro rolled her eyes.
The three of them headed straight for the Meat Locker.
“Okay, brace yourselves,” Rosamma said as her hand touched the chrome lever.
It was more a message to herself than to Fawn and Gro. She just hoped Daphne wouldn’t be… nibbling.
A blast of cold air hit them as the door swung open.
