That was the point.
When he returned to the common room, the cleaners had already removed all traces of the arena and were carrying the last corpse to the chute to be recycled. Sometimes Jael had the feeling that the station was alive and eating them one by one. He silenced such mad-tinged thoughts and crossed to where Dred stood, making further apologies to the refugees.
“I hope this redresses the offense sufficiently,” she concluded, as Jael stepped up.
“How can we be sure there are no more enemies hiding among us?” Keelah asked.
Jael respected Dred’s honesty when she said, “You can’t. So exercise caution. I’ll punish additional offenders, but some damage can’t be undone.”
“This is true,” Katur replied. “And you’ve dealt more fairly with us than anyone since before our imprisonment. We will be watchful.”
“I should’ve acted sooner,” Jael murmured.
Keelah inclined her head, leaning on her mate for support. “We all have regrets.”
The Ithtorian nodded at that. “I wish I hadn’t lingered on New Terra. But I didn’t think the sweeps were anything to worry about.”
Jael understood how the Bug felt though it was a reluctant empathy. He knew all too well what it was like to be hunted due to circumstances beyond your control. For the aliens, it was how they looked that made them targets. For him, it was his bioengineering. Sometimes he wondered if there were any survivors from his pod; they would be the closest thing he had to family, but he’d never gone looking for them. The truth might do his head in; it was one thing to suspect you were alone in the universe, another to have it confirmed.
“You have our sincere gratitude for the swift justice you delivered.” Katur put his hands together, then signaled for his people to withdraw.
That was probably a smart tactical move, before the rest of Queensland remembered that the death matches took places because some of their number hated aliens. The atmosphere in the common room was rowdy. Death matches were apparently excellent for morale, not something Jael would’ve anticipated, but that was why he wasn’t in charge.
“It used to be like this all the time,” Dred said quietly.
“Artan held matches more often?”
“I only do it to settle grievances or in lieu of a trial. He did it for fun. There was a daily lottery, and unless you were one of his favorites, anyone could be chosen.”
“Sounds like a barrel of laughs. I wish I could stab him between the eyes.”
At that, she slid him a sideways glance and a half smile, then she stepped closer slightly, enough so that her arm was brushing his. “It’s enough that you want to.”
“Tell me something else about you. Something from before.”
“Before I wreaked havoc on so many psycho killers and turned into one myself, before I was sent to Perdition for my crimes?”
“Yeah. I want to know something about who you were.”
She tipped her head forward. “I barely remember.” This was why he didn’t get close to people. Jael turned, ready to head for the hydroponics garden, when she spoke again. “I always wanted to travel. I hated the Outskirts and the small colony where I grew up. Since my dad was hiding from the Science Corp, my parents were always lecturing me on being careful, not taking risks.”
“So you grew up wanting adventure.”
“That’s why I took the job on the freighter. I . . . always wanted my own ship. I can remember sitting with my dad on the roof of our housing unit. I wasn’t supposed to crawl up there, but I was never big on rules, even as a kid. Go figure, huh?”
Jael smiled, hoping she’d never stop talking. The background noise receded; he filtered until there was only her voice. “Somehow, I’m not surprised.”
“And as an . . . apology, I guess, for being the reason that we were trapped on Tehrann, he spent hours teaching me astronomy. I can see the night sky in my head, even now, picture all the constellations. I can hear my father’s voice, repeating the names.” She paused, gaze locked on Jael’s. “To this day, that’s the way I fall asleep.”
“By holding the stars in your head?” he asked softly.
“Yeah. Stupid, I suppose. I haven’t seen them in turns.”
“You will again.” It felt like she’d given him a part of her to keep with him always. Nobody else knew that the Dread Queen named faraway stars when rest eluded her, a wisp of a secret binding them together, but he held to it as if it were more than gossamer.
“I’ll ask you for a truth one day soon,” she said then. “Quid pro quo.”
“And I’ll answer.” There was no mockery in his tone, only another promise.
25
Truth or Dare
“You seem really sure Tam will succeed,” Jael said to Dred, as they carted a table from the common room one level up.
Getting the thing up the shaft was a bitch, but for the work that would go on up here, they needed privacy. The men shouldn’t know all of their secrets and plans. On that aspect of strategy, Dred stood with the spymaster. Sucks to be the grunt in that scenario, but I don’t give a shit about their feelings. It was hard not to, sometimes. Caring about Jael had opened a floodgate, reminding her of the person she used to be, before she left home.
I can’t let Dresdemona come back. Not yet. We need the Dread Queen.
“He’s not known for failure,” Dred answered.
“Haven’t you noticed that he seems different lately?”
Come to think of it, she had. With a grunt and a final shove, she nudged the table onto the floor, letting Jael haul it up. He has the strength for it. She arched her aching back, wishing she could afford to trust someone else with the heavy lifting, but her inner circle had already expanded enough. Before she replied, she let Jael pull her up, then she took up her end of the burden again.
“Yeah, it started when Einar died . . . and it’s just gotten worse with Ike.”
“He seems more . . . human now,” Jael said.
Yeah, less of the cool, calculating tactician, more fallible man.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t f**k with his ability to scheme like a cold-blooded bastard and get the job done when our lives are on the line.”
“He’s also got Martine now. Maybe she’s warming him up.”
“I hope so . . . if that’s a good thing. But there might come a time where we need him to be icy and devious.”
He didn’t speak as he moved backward. Dred jerked her head, signaling that they’d reached the door that led into the vacant space that would become the lab. “Here we are.”