A Place To Bloom

Over This Way

"There's so much more to the library than you realize!" I waited with the twelve men of my unit in the shade of a mud building. "And Renou's girlfriend has agreed to give us a tour."

The Big Fat Guy slicked his hair all the way back. "Well why we waitin'? What we need him for?"

Haron nodded. "I say we find her, knock out this tour, and go get us some pussy before dinner."

"I need go?" Tenae raised a hand. "I go there before."

Rolon shrugged. "How about whoever wants to do the tour—"

The library was at the center of the city. All major streets led there. To the right were more stone buildings of the old city. Behind it, the tall towers of the inner sanctum rose into the blue sky and shimmered in this oppressive heat, and to the left were mud apartments some four or five stories high with grass all over, inside which the air was cool and comfortable.

The place was huge. A dais rose two feet from the street and wrapped around on all sides, hemming in a wide, brick walkway through perfectly shaved grass leading to three stories of centuries-old stone. There, a pair of arched double doors sat beneath a stained-glass rosette that had to be fifteen feet across. Along the roof, a stone Bear guarded the main entrance flanked by Wolf and Rattlesnake, while Crane and Orca held the corners.

"Listen," I crossed my arms. "You wanted to know what we're fighting for? There's secret knowledge in that library. They have a whole section of books that are illegal in the Empire. Maybe just open your mind, and you'll find something to appreciate!"

Turic grinned. "I appreciated that... gods, what was her name?"

"Which one!" Haron laughed. Half the men laughed with him.

I was losing.

Again.

Across from us beneath a paper umbrella was an old woman wearing nothing but a cotton loincloth. Her skin open to the Terrible Sun, she stood beside a cart selling big, green globes of coconuts for half a kren. All I had in my coinpurse was a sixty-fourth that was more green than bronze I'd found in the grass earlier.

"There they are!" Renou's high voice called out from behind us.

Bilal was with him; his short stubble had grown into prominent Goloagi curls. He looked us over with a grin. "How's Team Jinati Cheese?"

"Piss off!" Haron spat. "Who won out there?"

"You mean after we killed you losers?" Bilal turned to me; he would always have that square chin. "What the hell happened to your face?"

"I fell down the stairs."

Renou tapped his arm. "Tell him what you told me."

"I split my men into three squads, each one has a squad leader—"

I didn't need an explanation. "If I get killed out there, they don't waste time arguing. Renou, Tenae, Haron."

Bilal gave out a light chuckle while my men gazed at me. The names had just come out; I truly didn't think about it.

"I'm with Haron." Turic stood beside him.

Kaye shuffled over to Haron as well.

"You don't speak his language!"

He shrugged. "I lurn."

Tenae waved his hands before him. "My teem no libry!"

Before I could protest, Vayance joined Tenae's team.