Paradox Hunt

by Dee Garretson

  “I just know it,” Decker muttered.

  “You can’t see it from here, but there is a small town down that road,” Wren said.

  “Do any tourists come here?” Lainie asked.

  Decker snorted. “Why would they? We’re going to need a different story. No one would believe tourists would choose to come here.”

  “We could be scientists studying the winter wildlife,” I suggested.

  “You all look too young,” Nic said. “We’d need someone older to go along, like Pixie.”

  I looked over at the woman. She leaned back in her seat. “No thank you. I’m staying right here. This old body does not like cold weather, or people, or strange places.”

  “Rich people come here sometimes,” Wren said. “They hunt the snow leopards in the exclusion zone.”

  “What? How can they?” She had to be mistaken. “Snow leopards are protected.”

  Divana, who had been speaking to the port official over the comm, laughed. “I can’t believe you still assume everyone follows the law. When are you going to learn?”

  I felt my face burn.

  “They want the leopards’ skins to make rugs for their fancy homes,” Wren said. “And the leopards in the exclusion zones are rumored to have unique markings.” She motioned to her slip. “It’s all right here. Some say the strange markings are caused by the radiation affecting the DNA of the animals over time. Going into the forest is dangerous, though. The wood is a sponge for alpha radiation particles.”

  “Some rich people lose their brains when they gain money,” Pixie said.

  Possibilities flashed through my mind. “Posing as rich hunters is not a bad idea,” I said. “Our age won’t really matter, and people won’t be surprised if we’re ignorant. It’s easy acting rich and stupid. Let’s get into town and see if we can find any information.”

  Lainie sighed and plucked at the sleeve of her black tunic. We’d all changed back into our heavier clothes. We hadn’t really looked into the climate. “It’s just like on Reyet. We’re going to stand out here either in these clothes or in the Reyetan ones. We should do things differently this time. A couple of us can get off and buy some things to help us fit in or at least cover up our black clothes. Besides, we all need cold-weather gear.”

  “Shouldn’t we find out if Ansun is really here first?” Decker asked. “How much money do you have, Quinn? I don’t want to have to find jobs like we did on Reyet. And we know Divana won’t give us any.”

  “I’ve got enough,” I said. “Fade was generous.” There hadn’t been a good time yet to tell them about the water diamonds. I didn't want anyone but Lainie and Decker to know.

  “It’s so small, there will only be a few places the locals hang out,” Nic said. “A bar can be a good source of information if you play it right.”

  Divana snorted. “Do you think these children have enough experience to do that? They don’t look like they spend much time in seedy bars.”

  “We can manage,” I snapped, still irritated at her implication that I was naïve. “Lainie and I will go and see what we can find.” Since Lainie was good at pretending, I was sure she’d be able to play the rich tourist part.

  “I should go with you,” Javen said. “Neither of you carries a weapon.”

  “No.” I didn’t want Javen along. “We’re just doing a scouting expedition. We don’t need weapons.”

  “We’re going to freeze even going from the spaceport into town,” Lainie said. “Do you think anyone on board would have some cold-weather gear for Quinn and me to borrow temporarily?” she asked Wren.

  “I bet Ryger does.” Wren got on the comm, and a few minutes later Ryger came into the idle area carrying a bundle of clothes. He laid them down on one of the seats, pulled a bright yellow coat out of the pile, and held it out to Lainie.

  “You might like this,” he mumbled.

  The coat was bright yellow and made of some sort of shimmery material that appeared to be made of a bunch of tiny feathers.

  “Wow, it’s langastrum furcloth,” Lainie said. “Feel how soft it is. I’ve only seen pictures of it before. It’s very valuable. Are you sure you want to loan it to me?” she asked Ryger.

  “I don’t have any use for it. I bought it as a present for someone … ” His voice trailed off. “But I never gave it to her.”

  “I’ve never heard of a langastrum.” I touched it. It was very soft. “What kind of animal is it?”

  “It’s not a real animal,” Lainie explained. “They just named it that because the fabric looks like actual fur.”

  “It’s so … so bright,” Nic said.

  “You’ll look like a giant duckling in it,” Decker said.

  Lainie glared at him. “I don’t need fashion commentary from you, thank you very much.” She put it on and hugged herself. “I love it! Thank you, Ryger.”

  He ducked his head. “No problem.”

  I kind of agreed with Decker about the duckling look, though I supposed if the coat was valuable, it would add to the rich-kid persona.

  A strong wind buffeted the ship. I looked out to see the snow blowing sideways.

  “You’re clear to disembark,” Divana said. “If anyone asks, Quinn, you’re now called Freint Kalb. Lainie, you’re Cressy Braither, and you’re both from Windess.”

  I said my new name to myself a few times as I grabbed a black coat from Ryger’s pile. It was way too big for me, but heavy enough to be warm.

  As the ramp came down I spotted a girl at the entrance to the spaceport. She was all bundled up in a white coat with a hood and several scarves, but I knew her at once.

  Mira.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I raised my hand to her and ran down the ramp. She turned and left the spaceport. When my foot touched the ground, I slipped and went down hard.

  A couple of port officials came over as I was trying to get back up. The ground didn’t look icy, but I couldn’t get my feet under me.

  “Sorry,” one of the officials said. “Our inground heaters go in and out, so they melt the snow, but then the water freezes up again when they switch off.” He held out a hand to help me up.

  “Thanks,” I said, wanting them to go away so I could follow Mira before she disappeared. Had she not seen me?

  Lainie took my arm. “Looks like we’ll have to go slow,” she said. “We don’t have the right kind of boots for this. I didn’t think of that.”

  I hadn’t either. “We have to hurry. I saw someone I know.” I looked at her intently, hoping she’d get the message.

  She did. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Don’t break a leg,” one of the officials warned. “The town doctor will bankrupt you to set it.” The other official laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard.

  We attracted some stares as we lurched across the port, but once we were on the path leading to town, most people ignored us.

  I saw Mira again, walking ahead of us. “There she is!” I said. She glanced back over her shoulder. I could swear she looked right at us, but she didn’t stop walking.

  “It might be Mira,” Lainie said doubtfully. “She’s so bundled up, I can’t tell. But if it is, why doesn’t she wait for us?”

  “It’s her. Maybe she doesn’t want to talk to us out in the open.” I glanced around. It was busier than I’d expected, but it wasn’t as if there were people hanging around watching who departed from the port, or at least not that we could see.

  Mira wasn’t walking very fast, and every once in a while, she’d glance back as if to make sure we were still there. I knew she wanted us to follow her.

  The main street was crowded. Even in the freezing cold, there were a lot of people out on the street. Everyone was bundled up, some wearing old-fashioned furs and others more modern cold-resistant gear. The buildings were the same strange mix of old and new. The older buildings, mostly made of wood, shimmered with an anti-radiation
coating that supposedly wouldn’t let any particles escape into the air.

  I heard Lainie making some odd gasping noises, like she was about to keel over. When I looked over at her, I saw she was just blowing out her breath into the cold air.

  “You can actually see it,” she said. “Amazing. I’ve read about that, but I’ve never been anywhere this cold.”

  “People are staring at you,” I said. “Between the coat and the excitement about seeing your breath, you are attracting a lot of attention.”

  “We knew we were going to do that anyway. At least we don’t look like we’re on the hunt for the galaxy’s most-wanted rebel, so it doesn’t matter, right?”

  A man sidled up to us.

  “Give a fellow a bit of a handout?” he asked. He was dressed in what looked like a collection of rags. He smiled to show a mouth of badly discolored teeth. “New arrivals, I see!” he said, giving us a broad, fake smile. “Fine coat you have there, miss. If you’ll be needing a guide to show you the best places, I can offer my services.”

  “We don’t need anything right now, thank you.” We tried to walk by him, but he darted in front of us.

  “Where are you staying? Wait, don’t tell me. I’m sure you will be at the White Fire Inn. You look like their sort of clientele. I can meet up with you once you are settled and take you to the best restaurant in town. If I introduce you to the owner, you’ll get the best meal you’ve ever had at a price you won’t believe.”

  I craned my head so I could see around him. Mira had just gone inside one of the older buildings. I moved to get around him but had to stop when a woman in a police-type uniform walked up to us. The many weapons strapped on her belt were a strange contrast to her wide, friendly face. Not great. We didn’t need attention from any officials.

  “What have I told you about accosting visitors?” she said to the man. “You still don’t have a permit to be a tourist liaison, do you?”

  “I’m just being friendly,” the man said in a whiny voice that reminded me of Creak. “I didn’t expect them to pay me. And your permits cost too much.”

  “They don’t cost too much for legitimate tour guides. I know you get kickbacks, I wasn’t born yesterday. That sort of thing is bad for our reputation. We run reputable operations here,” she said to us. “I assume you want to know where the White Fire Inn is.” She pointed down the street. “It’s at the end. You can’t miss it. Most impressive building in town.”

  “Thank you.” The town must be very small if the local law enforcement instantly knew we were visitors.

  She leaned in closer and smiled at Lainie. “Beautiful coat,” she said. “One more bit of advice. You are quite a bit younger than most of the tourists we get here. Be careful who you trust. I do my best to keep the grifters out, but a few always slip by. Come see me if you have any questions or problems. My office is right there.” She pointed to one of the newer buildings across the street.

  “Thank you,” Lainie said.

  “No problem. I’m just doing my job. Have a nice, safe stay.”

  She walked over to another group of people who looked like locals and greeted them.

  “I don’t believe that whole friendly welcome-the-tourists act,” I said. After Reyet, I was suspicious of everyone’s motives. “She wanted a better look at us. Probably had some hidden equipment on her that took a closeup image of us.”

  “Don’t look now, but I think someone is following us,” Lainie murmured.

  “Great,” I muttered. We’d only been here a few minutes.

  I stopped and pretended to examine a shop display so I could take a quick glance over my shoulder. A person in a heavy fur coat who looked like a cross between a man and a bear stood a few stores down from us. He had stopped to look in a shop window too. He glanced at me and then back at the window. I couldn’t make out much of his face because it was covered with a heavy beard and bushy eyebrows. His fur hat only added to the bear effect.

  “We’ll see if he follows us inside.” We walked a little farther down to the doorway Mira had entered. There were no windows, but the twinkling sign overhead proclaimed it the Star Palace.

  I pulled open the heavy door. We walked inside and stopped as our eyes adjusted to the dim light. The interior of the Star Palace had nothing in it related to stars or palaces. I could smell something cooking, but the giant bar that took up one side of the room made it clear this was a drinking establishment. Beyond that, it was hard to make out the details. Lighting was obviously not a high priority. What little there was came from a few small globe lights on the wall and a blazing fire in a large stone pit in the middle of the room. The fire pit looked as if it had been built hundreds of years before there was even a building. A couple of musicians were playing instruments in one corner, so softly it was as if they were just playing for each other. It was so hot inside I got rid of the coat as soon as I could.

  Mira was sitting at the far end of the bar. I took a few steps closer to make sure it was really her. She’d cut off her hair when we landed on Reyet, but even in the dimness I knew her from the shape of her head and her long neck. I had to hold myself back from rushing over and picking her up. I took another step. She gave a slight shake of her head. I took a couple of deep breaths.

  “Over here, Quinn.” Lainie walked to a table and sat down. I forced myself to follow her. I didn’t see any signs of waiters. It looked as if we were supposed to go up to the bar to order. That gave me an idea. I jumped back up and went to the bar. The bartender had been looking at us. I’m sure it was because we were strangers.

  I motioned toward where Mira sat. “Whatever she is drinking, could I have three of those?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Buddy, you’re going to be disappointed. She’s not very friendly. Someone tries every time she’s been in here. No luck. Besides, looks like you already have a girl.” His eyes went to Lainie.

  “She’s not interested in me,” I said. “I’ll take my chances with the other one.”

  He poured three glasses of some sort of pinkish substance. I took Lainie her drink and then carried the other two over to the end of the bar. I slid into the seat next to Mira, not at all sure I could act like I’d never met her before. She glanced over at me.

  “I knew you’d come,” she whispered. I choked back some words, wanting to put my hand on her cheek. I clenched it instead. The spicy lemony scent of the beads she wore reminded me of sitting with her on the Everest. It reminded me of how she’d laughed, how we’d managed to shut out everything but us for a few moments.

  “The bartender is watching us,” she said. “I can only stay a few minutes. Let’s move over to your table. When we get there, act like you are introducing me to Lainie. I’ve got a plan.”

  She picked up her glass and got up. I followed her and did the introduction act, very aware the bartender wasn’t even pretending to do anything but observe us.

  Mira and I sat down. Lainie leaned toward her. “How did you know we were here?”

  Mira took a sip of her drink. “I’ve been working with a woman Ansun hired to manage the MIs. She’s been monitoring incoming ships to make sure we aren’t being tracked. I told her I wanted to learn more, so I could see when a new one came in. I saw one had landed a little while ago.”

  I had to force myself to concentrate on what she was saying. I couldn’t believe we were finally in the same room.

  “Why did Ansun agree to that?” Lainie asked. “The more you know, the more dangerous you are to him.”

  “He thinks I support him now. I’ve convinced him I want to use all the technology the MIs can provide to rebuild Fosaan, which is true. I’m also creating plans and timelines. I can’t answer any more questions right now because I need to tell you my plan. I have to get back.”

  She glanced at the door as if she was afraid of who might come in. “I can’t get my sister out by myself. Cadia is too weak to walk. Decker is with you, isn’t he?” she said, her voice turning anxi
ous. She reached out a hand like she was going to put it over mine but then drew it back.

  “Yes, he’s here,” Lainie said.

  Mira’s expression lightened a little. “Good. I hoped he wouldn’t let you come by yourself. Here’s the plan. We hire temporary laborers. There is so much work to be done, and our people don’t have the skills to do some of it. There are a lot of people in town who don’t seem to have much purpose. It’s very strange. They earn some money, and then they gamble it away, and then they want to earn more just to gamble it away again. I want Decker to apply for a job so he can get inside. He can help me get Cadia out because he’s strong enough to carry her.” She clutched her fingers together. “I thought you could meet us on the outside somehow and then help get her back to town and onto the ship. Who owns the ship you are on?”

  I told her. Her eyes went wide. “Ansun hates her. I hope he doesn’t find out she’s here. Do you trust her?”

  “No, but she was our best option, our only option. She hates Ansun too. It’s probably the only reason we got her to bring us here.”

  “Once you can leave, you’ll take Cadia somewhere to get medical help, won’t you?” she asked.

  I looked at her, not quite understanding. “We’ll take her together, won’t we? That was the whole point of me coming here. To help you both get away.”

  Mira shook her head. “I can’t leave the others. Ansun is obsessed. He’s worse than ever, and he’s lashing out at anyone who questions him. Everyone is miserable.” She grasped the edge of the table, her fingers clenching it so hard I could see all the muscles in her hands. “He killed people on Fosaan. People who didn’t want to come with him.”

  The graveyard. I wondered if Javen guessed what had happened. He knew Ansun.

  “You should come with us.” I tried to stay calm so I could convince her, but all I really wanted to do was plead with her to go. I just couldn’t leave her here. I took a sip of the drink to give myself a moment. When I set it back down, I said, “He’s getting more dangerous, and there is nothing you can do about him, not with all the people who support him. Come with us and we’ll figure something out.”