Ormand stared at Atlantos and said nothing.
Gradually, after a long pause, Mr. Ciro watched Ormand’s grip on the beer can relax. Finally the man sat back and took a sip from the crumpled can then smiled.
Chapter 4, The City
Josué looked at what was left of the raptor. He wished they could take it with them. Not that he was hungry now; he just wasn’t sure where their next meal would come from.
The viper sat on the bank of the river, its heavy shields with the Dominicci Family crest across them truly made it look like a clunker. If he removed the shields, he was sure he could get it to fly faster. He inspected the mounts and found they slipped off easily enough.
What’s your plan, Jo-su-é? Felisa asked mentally, adding an extra syllable to his name.
He looked at her from behind the viper. “Why did you prohibit me from using the link that night at the stocks?”
She paused. “Well, at first, when I heard you – I didn’t get it. In my mind, you sounded like you are now – a guy. But you were supposed to be a girl, remember?”
Josué looked up. “Of course!”
Felisa crossed her legs. “When I watched you disarm the guard the next day – I started to figure things out. If it hadn’t been for the slave woman calling you Josué, it would have taken much longer. I guessed who you were and figured I could trust you. When you escaped, I decided to go with you.”
Josué smiled. “Sounds like you thought it through.”
“It helped that you were half-native and I knew you had the link. I guess.”
He shook his head. “So, is the link really only for elders?”
“Yes.”
“So, why do I have it?”
Felisa’s brow wrinkled. “I don’t know. Did your mother ever anoint you? You can only get the link through an anointing in the sacred sands. That’s what produces it.”
“I never knew my mother.” Josué concentrated on a shield mount. “I thought all natives were ‘dunked in the marsh’ at birth?” He was sure he’d heard his nurse say something about that, growing up.
“True, most natives are dipped in the marsh, but only elders are anointed in the sacred sands. That’s where the special link is formed.”
Josué looked into the fire. Hadn’t the woman in the jungle called the quicksand an anointing? He half-smiled to himself. If that was an anointing, he hoped it was his last.
“So what’s your plan, Jo-su-é?” she asked again, pulling him from his thoughts.
He turned to the viper. “I have a grandfather in Sonora City.” He unhinged the last shield and hefted it into the jungle. “But he’s in jail.”
“Are you going to bust him out?” she asked with a smirk.
He looked at her and chuckled. Her relaxed manner was a welcome change from the coldness at the stocks. “Why?”
“I mean how do you plan to get to him without papers, or identification? We’ll have a hard enough time walking the streets and not getting arrested in these tunics.” She looked down at her tattered slave clothes and scrunched her nose.
“You’re right.” He leaned against the viper seat and put his chin in his hand.
Felisa sat next to him. She reached down to pick up a raptor claw. “We could sell these . . . .” She tossed it over to where they had placed the head against a tree. “They could buy us clothes at least.”
Josué nodded. “Good idea. Have you ever been to the city?”
“Once. To sell a raptor skull. That was when I was young.”
“I was in the city once, too, but that was to see Parliament – hardly a useful experience.” He picked up the head and claws and tied them into the viper side-packs.
They threw what was left of the animal into the river. Something would eat it. Even bones didn’t stay around long on Sonora IV.
Josué grabbed for the handle of the viper, intending to throw his leg around the seat, but his fingers curled around her hand instead. “It’s my turn to drive,” Felisa said with firm determination.
Josué rocked back on his heels and looked sideways at her. “Are you sure?”
Her hips edged him out of the way as she threw her leg over the seat. “I know the city better than you do. Plus, I’m getting the feel for this bike.”
Josué got on behind her. “Maybe you should take it slow,” he offered, but before he could fully reach around her waist they were off.
***
The river led them until they could see the city spires against the backdrop of a large mountain range. Brown dust clouds marked a hover lorry’s passage along the road to the northwest of the city.
Ahead of them, stone walls rose from the plain like the sides of a massive nest. Shielded parapets lined the tops of the walls like the scales on the back of a stegosaurus.
The last time Josué visited Sonora City his father hadn’t used roads. They had flown directly to Parliament, the tower rising above the other buildings at the center of the city.
A glance back at the jungle left him with a feeling he was leaving someplace safe. As Felisa flew under the massive stone archway of the city he turned to face forward. Inside the massive arched entryway, the scars on his back gave him a sense of oneness with the people he saw, especially when he noticed their hardened features.
Storefronts and apartments along the narrow streets were a maze of stone and glass. He held onto the back of the viper, thankful Felisa was driving.
As she turned down a side alley, he couldn’t stop the shudder that passed through him. The concrete and brick was confining.
She took them through the buildings and alleys to a storefront and parked on the street. “Is this it?” Josué got off the bike and looked into the window. The store seemed to carry everything from rare coins to viper parts and weapons. His eyes lingered on a blaster.
“I think so. You’d better let me do the talking,” she said.
Josué gathered the claws and head from the side-pack. No problem, he replied mentally, walking to the door and opening it with his foot. He felt the need to get off the street quickly. A few too many heads had turned in their direction along the way. Felisa had been right. They stuck out.
The shop owner was a short man with a round belly and a long scar on his cheek. He seemed to warm to Felisa from the start. Josué wondered if the man were half native. He did have a yellowish tint to his skin like Josué’s, though he dressed and acted like a settler.
When Felisa was done, she had managed to trade for clothes and enough money to see them through the week. The shopkeeper even threw in two pairs of boots when he saw the condition of their sandals.
After two months, boots felt like walking on a cloud. Josué looked down at his leather pants and t-shirt. “Do you think we’ll fit in?”
She smiled at him out of the corner of her eyes. “Definitely.”
When they exited the store, he jerked to a stop. A man, a full head taller than he, sat on the seat of their vehicle. Arms the size of tree trunks moved the viper handlebars back and forth. Another man, wiry but also tall, admired the leather and trim.
Felisa’s face turned as pale as a settler’s. What should we do?
Josué sized them up. I’ll speak with them, he said more confidently than he felt. He’d never fought men this big before, but Héctor had always told him size didn’t matter. Josué hoped he was right.
“Sorry, gents, the bike’s not for sale.” He let his arms hang loose at his side.
The one sitting on the bike stood up from the seat and walked over to him. Josué kept his eyes averted, holding his ground.
“We weren’t planning to pay for it, kid.” The man tried to push Josué into the store wall, but Josué grabbed his forearms and transferred the force of the push. His feet remained firmly planted.
“Then we’ll be leaving on it.” Josué moved to step around the bigger guy.
The tall, lanky one barred his way, staring down at him. “I don’t think you understand, kid,” he said through
gritted teeth. “The bike is ours, now. Hand over the keys or we’ll kill you and your girlfriend.”
Josué smiled and shifted back. By the first man’s attempt at a throw, Josué guessed they lacked formal training. He prepared himself for an unconventional attack.
The large man moved to grab Josué by the collar. Josué pushed the man’s hand to the side then twisted it down and around until he felt the shoulder pop.
A grunt of surprise and pain escaped the big man. Josué followed up with a knee to the gut.
The lanky one tried to slip a headlock around Josué. Josué scrunched his shoulders and backed away, scooping up the man’s leg. He shouted and slammed his elbow into the man’s thigh, pinning him to the concrete.
The lanky one cried out in pain and lay still. Josué remembered the time Héctor had tried that move on him. He knew only too well how much it hurt.
The larger man lunged at Josué with his good arm. Josué sidestepped and landed a chop to the man’s neck. His eyes rolled up into his head as he fell, all weight, on top of his friend.
Josué turned to Felisa and motioned for her to start up the viper. Felisa kicked the bike into action. He jumped behind her and they flew off before the two men could get up. Glancing behind him, he wished he could have fought like that the night of the raid. He wondered if he could have saved Héctor.
“I don’t know if you should have done that,” Felisa called over her shoulder. “Those two may come looking for you.”
“How could they find us in a city this big?”
Chapter 5, Satisfaction
The further they ventured, the more Josué noticed blast mark after blast mark on the walls and walkways of the city. Burnt-out buildings, bomb craters and holes marred the landscape like sores on a ceratopsid.
Do you remember seeing this much destruction the last time you were here? he asked.
Felisa shook her head. Something’s changed.
Josué wondered what could have happened. The city had never looked this bad, even from seventeen stories up. The setting sun shone in his eyes through the passing buildings.
They close the gates at sunset, Felisa said.
That doesn’t give us much time.
They found the jail at the center of the city. It was an oval building shaped like an egg. It stood between Parliament and a one-story restaurant.
The smells from the restaurant drew Josué’s attention first. How long had it been since he’d had a full meal? The wooden-trimmed colonial architecture of the place contrasted with the modern, ten story concrete towers around it. A worn walkway led along the front, giving it an inviting look. Above the doorway, a painted wooden sign hung with the picture of a woman eating a large cluster of grapes, her head tilted back. A broad smile played across her lips.
“Park over there,” Josué pointed to a spot in front the low building. The sun snuck below the horizon as he dismounted to stand on the sidewalk. “It might be a little late to try and see grandfather.” He stared at the massive oval building without windows. “How do we get in?”
Just then his stomach made a loud grumble. The continual smell of grilled meat was making his knees feel weak. “Let’s stop and eat,” Felisa suggested.
“Can you use the sands to read minds?”
She laughed.
He held the door.
Inside, the host greeted them with a silent nod, looking at them from under bushy eyebrows. A long mustache matched his curly black hair. He gave them a sideways glance before leading them to a table along the back wall.
“Is it always this empty?” Josué asked.
“You are early. It will be crowded soon.” The man replied, leaving them with menus.
Josué leaned forward. “Well, at least it’s quiet.”
His eyes barely scanned the first page before loud voices and heavy boots on the wooden floor contradicted his statement. A group of men crowded into the doorway.
“Uh-oh.” Josué slouched low, his heart pounding. Two of the faces had looked a little too familiar.
“There they are.” The high-pitched, whiney voice of the lanky man from the pawn shop rang across the restaurant. The group started toward their table. “Thought you could hide, huh, little runt?” The lanky man scattered chairs and tables in his stiff-legged haste to cross the room.
No place to go, Josué half rose from his chair and turned to face the men.
“Hold it, Jaco.” A burly man with a thin mustache and black hair stepped in front of the one he’d called Jaco. “Let’s do this the right way.”
Josué wondered what they intended to ‘do’ and what exactly the ‘right way’ would be, but focused his attention on controlling the pounding of his heart and evening his breath. It wouldn’t do to show fear, he reminded himself.
Jaco’s blond hair was brushed forward; his steel-grey eyes bore holes into Josué’s chest. The man rolled his sleeves and huffed as he stood behind the larger fellow.
The larger man walked over to their table and looked down at Josué. “Jaco says you attacked him and Donato in front of the pawnshop earlier today.”
“They threatened to kill us if we didn’t give them our viper,” Felisa said adamantly.
“I’m talking to this gentleman here, Miss. Please, stay out of this.” The man turned back to Josué. “What of it? Did you have a run-in with my man, Jaco, or not?”
Josué stood the rest of the way up as calmly as he could, holding onto his chair for support and to hide the trembling in his knees. He took a deep breath and spoke. “This man and I had an encounter, yes.” He fought the quiver in his voice. “I believed it was fair, but if Jaco would like satisfaction, I’d be happy to give it.” He swallowed and looked at the big man’s chest.
The comment produced a murmur from the others in the crowd. Men shuffled into a semi-circle around the table. Hands rubbed together. Money exchanged. Josué had a feeling he had just become the night’s entertainment.
He tried to look confident. Héctor’s admonition to fight when no other options presented themselves came to mind. No other options presented themselves at the moment.
The larger man looked at Josué then at Jaco. “Very well, since Jaco has issued the challenge and you have accepted – name your weapon.”
Josué’s heart skipped. The man had interpreted it as Jaco’s challenge! It was a break he hadn’t hoped for. “The full-staff,” he said before the man could change his mind. He did his best to swallow a smile and hoped they had a full-staff handy. It wasn’t a weapon you could easily carry around. If they didn’t, perhaps something similar would do. If Josué had to fight, he was sure he could put on a respectable show with that weapon, even if he didn’t outright win.
The large man motioned to a member of the crowd. Someone produced a wide box from the back of the restaurant. They brought it to Josué. Inside was a pair of metal telescoping staffs. Josué’s eyes watered at the sight of them. They were beautiful weapons with carved grips and silver tips. What luck to have them!
Josué picked one up and felt its weight. He nodded at the man and twisted the staff. It shot out to full length and locked into place with a click. It was obviously made of the best materials.
The man offered Jaco the remaining staff. Jaco twisted his to lock it into place then twisted a second time to reveal a set of knives on either end. Josué gulped. He wasn’t familiar with this feature.
“Are you sure you know how to use these, boy?” Jaco snarled.
Josué found the knives in his own staff and twirled it around his body to get the feel of it. The blades whistled as they cut through the air. He could do this – he hoped.
“Very well then – a fight to the death,” the larger man said.
Josué raised his eyebrows. He’d never killed a man before, other than what had happened in the marsh, but that hadn’t been him doing the killing. The dinosaur and supervisor had done those.
The big man held his hand in the air between the two combatants.
“Ready?” He looked at Josué.
Josué nodded.
“Go!” the man shouted and stepped back.
Before Josué could settle into his stance, Jaco was on him and pressing hard. Josué met him in stride, making sure to move his feet and keep his balance.
Jaco came in with a slash and a jab. Josué blocked it and parried with a poke that snuck under Jaco’s defense. He twisted the pole and nicked the larger man in the ribs.
A maroon stain blossomed on Jaco’s white shirt. Murmurs of, “first blood,” rippled through the crowd. Josué caught a glimpse of more money changing hands.
Jaco jumped back and looked down at his shirt, giving Josué enough time to get into a proper stance. He twirled his staff, laid it across one shoulder and waited – eyes on Jaco.
Jaco came at him with renewed fury. Josué stood his ground, his arms moving back and forth, in and out. He blocked the hacks, slashes and pokes. He jumped clear of one and ducked under another. Memories of the weapons room filled him with strength and vigor.
Jaco lunged. Josué leaned back, extending his staff at the same time. The point of Josué’s knife blocked Jaco’s way. Off balance, Jaco walked into it, face first. Josué felt the soft press of flesh against the bladed tip.
Jaco growled with a mixture of pain and anger. The man felt at his face and stared at the blood on his hand.
Josué watched the anger build as blood pulsed from the side of Jaco’s cheek. Crouching, he twirled his staff and waited for the rain of blows Héctor warned would come from an enraged opponent.
Jaco came at Josué fast, furious, and full of errors. Josué worked his way to the other side of the room, blocking each strike as he moved. Finally, he managed to trap Jaco’s staff against the floor with his boot. With a twist of his foot, he snapped off one of the blades.
He watched Jaco’s chest heave. A slight tremble shook the man’s arms. He’d spent a lot of energy in his attack. Now was the time.
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