The Two Fangs

Chapter 4

Valle let Grid lead him to a different kiosk plaza, where there was less chance anyone had seen her pull him away. When she looked back at him he could see that she rankled at the defeat of giving up her name, though she already gave him only looks of the most virulent hatred. He didn't know whether to be angry about that or not. He also didn't know whether to risk throwing up his hands and calling for help.

They were aboard a train by the end of the day, deep in the middle of one of the mammoth passenger cars. The bird hadn't allowed Valle to pay for a private cabin. She accused him of trying to make them more conspicuous.

"I don't want to be caught any more than you do," he assured her, but she only scowled.

The third floor of the car was economy seating wall to wall, separated only by three aisles. Grid sat Valle down so she could trap his braceleted hand between his hip and hers, in case anyone recognized the device. She still had her splinter knife, which she had secreted between the pistons replacing the biceps of her right arm, to surprising success. She wouldn't deploy it into his torso, shooting fragments of hot ceramic into his gut like it was jelly, for him to bleed out visibly on the train next to her, but she could jam it into his arm if he tried anything.

"This is going to be eighteen quiet hours," she said.

"It might be the last good night's sleep you ever have," Valle prodded.

"You keep acting like I don't know the risks. Do you think I'd come within a mile of someone like you if I had anything to lose?"

"A mechanic?"

"Shut up. You live off your brother's dole. You settle somewhere and then ride around in luxury when you get bored."

"I would ride in luxury if you would let me. There are at least six cameras that can see us here; we could've had privacy."

"You just wanted to trigger the, 'I agree not to use the private cabin for any of the following activities that are known to increase the likelihood of intervention by Osah.' We would've had to declare our relationship. It would be Red Flag City."

Valle had nothing to say. He wished he were that conniving.

"I spent all my life," Grid lowered her voice. "Thinking I was being watched by an agent of divine wrath. Thinking He flooded the earth when He was upset with humanity. Now I learn that 'He' is a committee of old men making decision from a board room about who to kill because they know too much."

Valle glanced at her sidelong.

"Are you sure you want to say any of that out loud?" he asked.

"I got myself cleaned out," she rolled her eyes. "He can't zap me. They can't zap me, I mean."

"That's not the only way they do it."

"Don't I goddamn know it."

She adjusted his rucksack, where it was wedged between their knees and the seats in front of them. For something to do that wasn't talking to him.

"I wanted to get rid of the money," Valle ventured after a minute. "I never ask for it. I don't want money from him."

"Sure."

"How do you know? About Osah."

Silence.

"It's dangerous to know it. I can't tell anyone. I have to pretend."

"Don't make me confiscate your neck."

Valle let out a huff that came out with a discordant synth edge. People were still filing in from either end of the train car. It would probably take another hour to load all two thousand passengers.