Page 23 of Skinwalker's Bane
Devin walked back to her office. It wasn’t terribly far and the walk took her through most of the markets in the Aventine. It was startling to step into the Aventine area of the ship from the Wall. There was no formal demarcation, no line to say where one district ended and where the next began, yet there was no mistaking when she had transitioned over to the Aventine, for the people stopped moving so quickly and wore pretty clothing in interesting colors, textures and patterns. They smiled at each other. There were trees and bushes and flower beds and the soft patter of commerce in the markets themselves. Even the sunlight seemed clearer and cleaner, although that had to be her imagination, she decided. Lights were lights, no matter where they were.
The walk would only take thirty minutes, even if she stopped to buy a coffee, which she intended to do. Probably two coffees, for Nichola was just as addicted to caffeine as she was.
Devin didn’t know if Bishan was still at her office and didn’t care. She had made a weak excuse and left quickly, so he would not have the chance to cross-examine her. She didn’t want to spend the time and energy trying to justify herself. Bishan would have panicked if he’d known where she was going. Yet it had turned out just fine. More than fine.
She recalled the way Adam had stared at her. There had been a warmth in his eyes that she had not seen before. It was almost as if he might like her. Up close, in public, where others were nearby for comparison, she was reminded yet again of how tall Adam was. How wide his shoulders were.
She was pulled out of her reverie by the approach of a woman she vaguely knew. Devin had seen her around the Aventine more than once. She didn’t know the woman’s name. The woman stopped her with a quick lift of her hand. “Is it true, you’re really going to speak to the Captain about that shard?”
Devin gave the woman her best smile. “I’m going to try.”
“Everyone is supposed to be able to speak to the Captain if they want to.”
“In theory, yes,” Devin said. “In practice, there’s often not enough time for the Captain to devote to speaking to absolutely everyone who wants an appointment. She has to pick and choose or she would get nothing else done. I will try my best, though.”
“Good.” The woman nodded, her brow creasing. She had wrinkles around her eyes, hinting at an age more advanced than Devin’s. She leaned a bit closer. “I want to know how we’re supposed to guard against them.”
“Them?”
“The aliens. When they attack us.” The woman glanced around nervously. “Maybe they already have. The scientists on the ship never did explain how the Junkyard suddenly popped up in our way.”
Devin stopped her mouth from opening in wordless surprise. Finally, she managed, “Even if there are aliens out there—and the shard does seem to suggest that—there’s nothing that demonstrates they intend to attack us.”
“But if theydo, then what?” the woman said with a reasonable voice. “How do we defend ourselves?”
“That’s what I want to know, too,” another voice said, this one male. Devin looked around. The man was one she recognized from the crowd that had been heckling Dhaval Bull. He nodded at her as he moved closer to them. “TheEnduranceis a long-haul passenger ship. There are no weapons on the outer hull…or are there?”
“That’s a good question,” Devin told him truthfully. “Only, I think that before we start totting up our defense capabilities, we should establish that the shard does existandthat it was made, not formed by nature.”
“And how do we talk to the aliens, if they’re friendly?” the woman added.
“Why would they be friendly?” the man asked her. “They’ve already been throwing rocks at us for ten years.”
The woman roused herself, looking affronted. “If our army is bigger, of course they’ll be friendly.”
“Excuse me,” Devin murmured and walked away from them. They didn’t notice her go, for they were consumed by their arguments about how to deal with the aliens when they arrived.
She was appalled at the quick assumptions being made. The entire ship had only learned about the shard a few hours ago and already people wanted to prepare for all-out war against the first alien species to intersect with humankind.Ifthere were any aliens at all, Devin reminded herself.
All the way back to her office, Devin was waylaid and halted, as people who had seen her next to Dhaval Bull wanted to ask her questions and add their own to the list of questions they wanted presented to Captain Owens when Devin spoke to her.
Devin could hear Adam Wary’s voice in her mind.Take a walk through the district one day. Talk to the people there. If you want to be captain, you should know their stories.
She reined in her impatience. She could learn from these people if she listened properly. She remained polite and asked questions, probing their feelings and searching for motives.
She only remembered she had failed to buy coffee when she finally made it back to the office and the door closed behind her.
* * * * *
Somehow, word of her walk through the Aventine made its way around the ship, for Bishan almost skipped into the office the next day, beaming with good cheer. “People are talking about you!” he cried. “If you keep this up, the Dreamhawks will look foolish if they don’t put you at the Chairman’s table at the soiree.”
Devin hid how her heart sank at the mention of the soiree. She still didn’t have a suitable dress and she had barely had time to even think about how she could pull off that minor miracle. The soiree was only two weeks away, now.
“How is your prep for the interview with the Captain going?” Bishan pressed.
“I don’t even know if I will be granted an appointment yet,” Devin said. “Why start preparing before then?”
“Oh, you’ll be given an appointment,” Bishan said airily. “I bet my second best tuxedo on it.”
