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13
"We're passingout of IF space," Brinley declared a day or so after we left Gamma. "No sign of Iri ships. Or anyone else in front of us. Gamma is still on course behind us."
"This has gone very smoothly so far," Rayax remarked.
"I'm as worried about that as you are," I said. I expected to be attacked hours ago, or at least see signs of Iri activity. Ships, pods, debris, floating clouds of nanobots—something.
"The fact nothing has happened may be an indication of something happening," Hamit said.
When I looked at him questioningly, he explained, "They may be avoiding us. Or letting us go in deeper before they act."
"You think they know we're here?" I asked. That wasn't a cheery thought. Not at all. It made me damp under the armpits.
"Possibly," he replied. "Possibly not. Those are merely two theories ."
"Hamit is the most popular member of the team for a reason," Tarvun said. "He's always so positive."
"I'm being realistic," Hamit retorted. "There's no point in pretending we're on a journey to find a pleasant place to eat our midday meal."
"Right, this is no picnic," I agreed. "For one thing, there are no tacos. Are there tacos on Agus?"
"They were one of the first Earth foods to be imported there, yes," Rayax said. He sounded jovial, but his antennas drooped slightly. The worry in his eyes added to the picture. He looked at me and smiled, his antennas suddenly fully erect, but I already saw past his tough guy facade.
"I'm worried about him too," I said softly.
The side of his mouth twitched. "Zarex can take care of himself."
"We all can," I said. "But that doesn't mean we don't need help from time to time."
Honestly, I was scared that if they couldn't use Zarex as a host, they would kill him. They might already have. I could hardly bear the thought.
"That's true," Rayax admitted. "Even I need help sometimes. That's why these jokers are here." He jerked an antenna toward Tarvun and the others.
"We could always, you know, not help," Tarvun said. He crossed his arms and propped his boots on the chair beside him. "It's pretty comfortable here. I might take a nap. Wake me when this is all over." He closed his eyes and smiled, until Navor poked him hard in the ribs with his finger.
"You're in this with us," Navor said.
Tarvun lowered his arms and opened his eyes. "Fine. You'd all get killed without me anyway."
I could easily imagine Zarex and Slek bantering in the same way. So much so it made me want to cry. I held it back and slipped out of my seat. I wandered the few steps down to the back of the pod, to E'rel's corner.
"How are things?" I asked, for lack of anything else to say.
He looked up at me and scowled. "Did you need something?"
I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times. "I just want to know whether or not whatever you're working on is going to help us."
For a moment, he looked outraged. Then his expression softened slightly. "Brinley told me humans need assurance. You don't simply believe what you're told."
"That's true," I said. "I'm sure the same can be said for any species. Do Parvorans accept every word anyone says?"
"We accept very few words anyone says," he replied. "We are taught to act, rather than wait to react."
"That sounds about right." I sat beside him and crossed my legs. "Do you need some help?"
Again, he looked outraged, then stepped himself back from it. "You could hold this while I attach that." He handed me a tube.
I held the tube while he screwed a mechanism of some kind to the end of it. He could have done it himself, but only with difficulty. It was a job for three or more hands.
