Kwaide (The Ammonite Galaxy Series, Book 2)

Chapter Thirty-two

Chapter 32

SIX WAS CIRCLING above the spaceport, desperate to know what was happening. His instruments told him that one of the ships had not taken off, but he didn’t know which one was still on the ground. He had been trying to contact one of the others for nearly twenty minutes, but with no success. He punched at the controls savagely.

At last Diva’s voice came through. 

“Nomus? Is that you?”

“Took your time answering, didn’t you?” he snarled.

“My housekeeper didn’t tell me you were calling,” she replied, “I will have her replaced immediately.”

“Are you all right?”

“Of course I am all right. A little crisped around the edges, perhaps, no more. You?”

“I am fine, but one of the groups didn’t make it. There is still a ship down there.”

“I know. I think it is Grace’s ship which is in the air, but I can’t get through to her, and I am not sure.”

“How much fuel reserve have you got?”

“I can stooge around here for maybe ten minutes more, and even then I will be hard pressed to make it up to the space station if we do have to go in for an attack.”

“I only have a couple of minutes more than that. We are going to have to make a decision within five minutes. We can’t leave the Elders even one ship. If they can get up to the orbital platform they can destroy it. The ship left on the ground simply has to be destroyed.”

“I know.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Six … there is something you ought to know.”

“What?”

“I have Jalana with me, and she says your other sister – Samaliya – is inside one of the other shuttles. They were brought here by the elders to prevent us attacking.”

“Which ship is she in?”

“Jalana doesn’t know. You haven’t got her, so obviously one of the two left. And whoever is piloting the other ship in the air, they are not answering. We are not going to know in time.”

Six felt all his emotions shut down. One moment he was feeling things, and the next everything was a big blank emptiness. He froze. He knew that there was an important decision to be taken somewhere in the world, but not where or what that might be. A dull pain spread out from his chest, and pressed against him, leaving him breathless.

“Wh-wha-what?”

“Can you hear me? —Six, please acknowledge!”

“I … I … heard you.”

“If we destroy the shuttle that is still on the ground – we might be killing Samaliya, as well as Solian and Gerrant or Grace, whoever didn’t get through.”

“They are already dead if they didn’t make it to the ship. They would all have died trying. Either Grace is already dead, or Solian and Gerrant are. But it does mean that we might be killing Samaliya.” Six felt his mouth dry up. “There is a fifty-fifty chance she is on the shuttle on the ground.”

“And a fifty-fifty chance that she is not.”

“I have to choose between New Kwaide and my sister?” Six was still in shock. “How can I do that?”

Diva bit her lip. “Do you … do you want … err … me to do it?” She wasn’t even sure that she could.

Six rested his head in his hands, and rubbed his eyes. “No. Yes. I don’t know. Give me a minute, will you?”