Page 79 of Mongrels United
“Only two games until we know that,” Jack said smoothly.
Grady paused. When had Jack started following the game so closely? She went on. “It doesn’t matter if the Mongrels get into the finals or not, Jack. If I’m not in my usual seat for the last game,everyonewill know and wonder why.”
“As the lens zooms in on you at least once every game,” Jack added. She sighed, then brightened. “Okay, what about right before the game? Everyone will be anticipating it…” She frowned. “But they’ll still be running around the ship…” Her frown turned into a grimace.
“We can do this on game day,” Grady said. “It’s a good idea. But we can’t run it too close to the game start time, because you will need to come back here and sweat the people we round up. That’s why I have to be in my seat for the game. The people at the top of this business won’t be in the forest. They’ll probably be at the game, or watching it. If I’m there, they won’t be alerted. And you have to get their names out of the detainees as fast as you can.”
“What does it matter how long it takes?” Jack asked, sounding puzzled. “It’s not like anyone can go anywhere. We’ll find them, when we’re ready.”
“And what damage will they do in the meantime?” Grady asked. “They don’t mess around, Jack. They gave Nash zero room to negotiate, to talk his way out. They tried to put a knife in his back. What do you think they’ll do to anyone they think is responsible for dismantling their lab?”
Jack gnawed at the corner of her mouth. “I get your point.”
“But,” Grady added. “We can still pull everyone’s attention to the front of the ship, while we’re at the back end.”
Jack lifted a highly arched brow.
“A pre-game party,” Grady said. “Free food and drink for everyone. The two final teams introduced a player at a time, interviewed, cheered. Random prizes and lots of razzamatazz. There must be people on the ship who can talk about tankball without pausing for breath. I listen to half of them on the train each morning. Get them to give a running commentary over the top of the public feed of the party, give the history of each player and anyone who steps onto the dais. The people watching at home won’t pull away from their screens.”
Jack considered. “You might be right. I already feel like I’m missing out because we won’t be there.”
Grady nodded. “So you take care of the last of the operation plans. I’ll arrange a party people will never forget.”
The last ten days of preparations were grueling ten and twelve hour days for Grady, as she tried to cover every base that Jack might miss,andplan and execute the biggest civic event in recent history.
Sivan Carpenter was enthusiastic about the party idea, although she didnottell him the real reason for the timing of it. “A ship-wide celebration…it’s a perfect idea, Grady.”
“There used to be annualEndurancedays, that were supposed to be for the same reason,” Grady said. “I remember them from when I was very little. Whatever happened to them?”
Sivan’s face clouded over. “They became a mockery of what they should be. The Bridge stopped holding them, two years before I became Captain. And I’ve never felt as though we had something to celebrate, since then.”
“So let’s change that,” Grady said firmly.
Six days after Grady and Jack settled the date for the raid, the Mongrels beat the Panthers and earned a place in the grand finals…against the Dreamhawks.
“I think the whole ship got drunk last night,” Grady told Nash, the next morning, as she perused the mostly empty Forum chat boxes and the security feeds that showed a ship with very few people up and moving around.
“Youdidn’t,” Nash said, settling himself behind her and nuzzling her neck.
“I celebrated a different way,” Grady said, her smile forming all by itself.
“Mmm…. I heartily approve of that type of celebration. We should do a lot of it.” His voice was muffled against her flesh and she shivered and put the pad aside.
Later, when she could concentrate once more, Grady firmly belted a robe around her middle and knelt on the far corner of the bed, where Nash couldn’t reach her. “How are you feeling about the raid?” she asked carefully.
Nash tilted his head, considering her. “Impatient for it to happen and for this to be over.” His voice was flat with sincerity. “Why?”
“You’re not worried? Jack is basically using you as bait.”
“I know.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it, if I thought it was too risky.” He paused. “I thought you might object, though.”
Grady’s heart gave a lurch. “I did. Strenuously. But Jack had already asked you and you’d said yes. There didn’t seem to be any point in taking it up with you. I knew I couldn’t change your mind.”
Nash crossed his legs and rested his arms on his knees. The Me-Made pendant swung on its thick chain, glinting in the filtered light coming through the window, for it was bright day in this section of the Palatine, even though it was very early morning on the ship. “You, of all people, might have talked me out of it,” he said, and his voice was soft. “If you’d asked me not to do it, I’d have considered it.”
Grady placed her hands on her thighs, to stop herself from wringing them. She had been doing that too much, lately. “I wouldn’t ask you to stop. You want to know about your father. You want to end this. The raid will end things. Of course you have to go.”
Nash considered her for a very long time, his silvery eyes filled with something that was beyond her ability to understand. “Thank you,” he said at last, his voice very low and deep.
