The Namura Stone (The Ammonite Galaxy, book 6)

Chapter 12

A WEEK HAD passed since that fateful journey back from Dessia. Grace picked Temar up from his cot and gave a sigh. She didn't like the sound of the news she had just received from the canth keeper. She handed the baby over to Tallen, who had agreed to take care of him for the day, went outside to find her canth, and pulled herself up into the saddle. She wondered if Tallen would know how to look after such a young child, even though she had left everything ready. Then she gave a shrug. She had no choice; she had to go.

It didn't take many hours to travel across the Great Plain to the canth farm near Eletheia, and it was pleasant to be in motion. She found that her brain was silent during the trip; a welcome change from the last week. She hadn't been able to sleep, hadn't been able to think, hadn't been able to function. She had thought trying to recover from the episode on the orbital station had been tough, but she had been wrong. Nothing could have prepared her for this.

Losing Diva had been like losing herself. She missed the sarcastic comments, the huge vivacity, the proud stance, the refusal to bend to anybody's will. Grace's whole soul missed her friend, and it was hard to go on without her. She rode across the Great Plain, which seemed dulled. The sun had no heat and the warmth of Xiantha was quite insufficient to evaporate the perpetual chill around her heart.

The miles slipped by; the closer she got to the farm, the more Diva was in her mind. The Coriolan girl might have been there with her, making one of her quick remarks, or laughing about something. More often, she would have been frowning terribly with those eyebrows of hers, or teasing Six, or ...

Grace's thoughts trailed off, a huge lump in her throat having made even breathing hard. She forced down a rasp of air and blinked quickly several times, trying to make the tears go away. They did, but they left a harsh, raw pain which made her screw up her eyes and look away from the sun.

It was so hard.

It was so hard to be without Diva.

It was so hard just to go on living, even with a new baby.

Then something spooked her canth. It tossed its long neck and its head came back towards her, nearly hitting her on the nose. It pirouetted for a moment. She came out of her reverie with a bump, nearly falling off.

It took her a minute or two to calm her canth down, and she was grateful to it. This was a time to think about the living, not the dead.

They continued together on the dusty track across the wide open expanse of the Great Plain. Eletheia could just be seen now, on the horizon, but Grace skirted it, heading to the north, to the canth farm.

WHEN SHE ARRIVED, the man who spoke to canths hurried out of his small house to greet her warmly.

"Girl who found the past," he said, "thank you for coming."

She slipped down from the saddle and smiled. "How is Bennel?"

"He is progressing. I think we will be able to send him to you at the Emerald Lake soon. Vion says that the damage to some of the muscles is healing, although he may walk with a slight limp. He has been very lucky; a few seconds more traction of that severity and the damage would have been permanent."

"I am glad to hear it. I will come to see him, after ... afterwards."

The canth keeper bowed. "I understand. You will find Valhai Six in the eighth corral."

Grace walked past gate after gate of the corrals, which formed an inner circle onto the main area in front of the small house. In each, some of the canths were standing by the gate, watching.