She Bleeds for Us: The Galactic Consortium 3

Chapter 23

Gabriel sat in Grandma's yard, watching the growing throng of people. Many were looking at him. He was used to that, but there was something new in their eyes, wary respect. Like how they looked at Grandma.

A lot of them didn't like him. He was different. But now perhaps they wouldn't just hate him. He had saved them, after all.

He hadn't really intended to. He'd only thought of grandma. But she would share her good fortune, so it worked out the same.

The kurgara's pack lay at Gabriel's feet but zie'd disappeared inside the house with grandma. They'd been in there what seemed like a long time. Uncle Issa had come and gone several times, gathering important people to hear what Devaki had to say.

Aunt Marie had come up with Favour. His cousin was glad to see him, gave him a hug and sat beside him. Aunt Marie didn't quite share the excitement but had offered him a plate of rice, the only food they had left.

Gabriel shared the plate with his cousin, even though she'd likely had a bigger plate of her own before coming up. It was okay. The ration bars that Devaki carried were small but filling. He wasn't that hungry for real.

Issa reappeared. Everyone of importance had made it. "Devaki?" he asked Gabriel.

Before Gabriel could answer they heard Devaki's voice. "One more moment."

The door came open and grandma came first. She stood in the yard and blinked.

The revelation that she blinked, what it meant, hit Gabriel just as Grandma smiled, the widest smile he'd seen on her face in years. She blinked again, tears at the corner of her eyes.

The crowd was frozen, watching her. Her eyes glided over them and came to rest on Issa. "My son," she said. She reached out and touched his face. "You've gotten old."

He gave a dry laugh. "That happens, Momma."

"So like your grandfather, now," she replied. "He was a handsome man, too. Very distinguished." She turned and looked at the kids. "Come here," she commanded.

Gabriel and Favour came forward.

"I've not seen either of you, really seen you," she said as she ran her hand lovingly over Favour's face and then Gabriel's.

Gabriel saw that there were now tiny grey dots at the outer corners of her eye and her eyes were now focussed.

"You've cured her?" a woman whispered.

"Yes," Grandma said. "The Blind Witch sees. And I see something else. This is a long road we are on, but we will win. Not some paltry reforms from Bundi or his opponent. We will win a whole new way of life for us and our kids."

There was a cheer through the crowd.

"And this woman?" someone asked, pointing at kurgara.

"Zie is kurgara, not a woman or a man, but a warrior," Gabriel said. They'd discussed that over their trip.

"We are warriors as well as healers," Devaki said, bowing and then kneeling in front of grandma. "Our lives are a shield. When the poor and weak wish to rise against oppression, I will pledge what help I can."

"And what is that?" a man demanded.

"Hush," another silenced him. "She just healed the witch's sight. You'd doubt her now?"

Issa silenced them all and joined Devaki kneeling the center of the yard in front of grandma. "This is what we all want, Momma. A better way for all of the people of this country. I will give my pledge, too." He turned to the others. "We will all pledge. But now let's be silent and let Devaki speak for herself, tell us what they can do to help."

Devaki gestured for Gabriel to bring her pack. She opened it and lay things out. "I can give you no weapons," she cautioned. "Mass violence of men against men is unthinkable."

"Not to those outside the barricades," one man said.

"If they move against you, the Consortium military will come, I assure you. They will not stand for such a thing."

"And we will be dead in the meantime," the man sneered.

Devaki held up a small device. "A kinetic shield, like what Gabriel wore. One of your rifles will not penetrate." She held up a long rod. "Another shield. This one can cover four people easily, though its battery won't last as long."

She had other stuff, devices to purify water, kits for growing mycobactim, a nutrient-rich fungus they ate a lot of in Consortium. She had surveillance equipment for the men on guard duty. By the time the pack was empty, even the critics had to agree that she'd given them a lot of help.

"And what will you do?" Issa asked. "Stay? Leave?"

"I should get back," Devaki said. "I can call my commander for an extraction. However," zie looked nervous, something Gabriel hadn't seen before. "This was not a sanctioned mission, so I don't know if I will be allowed to come back. My unit though, many will agree with what I did. Perhaps one of them will come if I can not. In the meantime I will leave Gabriel and Yaema means to communicate with me."

Gabriel never heard anyone refer to grandma by her first name and for several seconds had wondered who Yaema was.

"The boy was foolhardy," grandma said but there was a note of pride in her voice and she ran her hand over his hair. "I am glad he brought you, but I would not have him in any danger."

"Danger has come to you all," Devaki said. "But the tyrant always looks to the biggest man to defy him. They forget that courage can come in smaller packages. Gabriel will have an easy time slipping under their radar. He's proven that. Let him be my contact."

Gabriel smiled, happy that Devaki wanted to continue to include him in whatever came. "I will do it," he said. "Whatever I can." He looked up at Grandma and then out at the crowd. "We have to." He took Favour's hand and looked at the other kids in the crowd. "It's our future you are fighting for. We have to help if we can."